Friends and Adventurers

[Alphonse]

That your hearing is quite excellent is a fact I will note, as you will learn with time, mine is actually quite poor. I am in fact deaf on my left side,said the old wizard. I have learned to assume that everyone hears better than do I and don't generally speak anything that I do not wish to be heard because of that fact.

While we are becoming acquainted, young lady, I would like to also point out the fact that I am an old man, old enough in fact that I can remember back on a time when many a grandmother today, yet played with their dolls. Having said that, you can rest assured that I do not see figures or scores as a young man does, my appreciation is likely more conjectural then you assumed it to be.Enjoy the beauty of your youth while you still can, for it is said that time is a fire, in which we all burn.

You are right though, in the fact that if there is indeed a mawk army approaching a village, that should take precedence over this exchange. This is the first news that I have had of that, where lies this village and how big is this mawk army?I encountered a good two score along the road that will no longer threaten anyone, are there more? I have rarely encountered such numbers of them at any given time, that there are more, is a feat I would have scarcely given the king's wizling lackeys credit for.

[Lady Amy of York]

" Ah, my dear old wizard friend, you are not so old  that  you can not  catch  the  eye of  a young lass,"  I  say  to him,"  And  as for  why  there are  so many   M'awks  around, perhaps   our friend  Shamrall   could  fill you  in on that.  It seems  he   did  something, that made  them quite angry,  and  now they are  out  for  revenge  at any  cost.  I managed   to  conjure up a   small storm  that  slowed   them  down  a bit  , but i fear as  we  stand  here  now, that  they maybe  getting ahead  of us  and  approaching  the village.  We have  no  time  to  waste. 
          I  will go ahead, and  try  to hold  them off, but you best hurry along ."
I transform  into  a hawk  and   fly  off.

[Martin Montgomery]

 "She does that sometimes,Sir,and it's really annoying!" Shamrall stood up in the shallow creek and turned to his lupine mount. "A fine lot of good it was having you out "Protector" my foot!!" Striding to the creeks edge the small man extended his right forearm and focused his second-sight. "Shayde,return from whence you came!" With a hurt look in his eyes the War Wolf leaped toward his friend! Several feet from completion,his solid form turned to ethereal smoke and dissipated into the magically worked bracer. "Nicely Done,little fellow!" The aged Wizard's brow creased as he sensed both White and Black Majiks but used in such levels that they nearly cancelled each's aura. "If you could handle females as well as you controlled the magikal forces,you wouldn't end up in these situations." With a casual wave of his gnarled hand the surprised Halfling felt an unseen wave of heat that dried his garments and hair! Looking up at the robed man with astonishment,Shamrall vaulted to the high seat of the sturdy old cart. Landing lightly he sat and pointed down the lane towards Ravenfort "If you would be so kind,Good Sir? I will be very pleased to tell you everything I know. On the way!" Blinking once,the grey robed Wizard nodded and flicked the reins,the cart started forward smoothly and quickly,making the thief look with fresh eyes at the Old Grey Mare. "My name is Shamrall,that was Jade,she and I have known one another off and on for several months and this is NOT the first time I have been her bad side! I think that she is a very powerful Nature majik user but today is the first time I have actually "seen" her do any majik! She is quite handsome,though,for a Human!" He turned away from the gently smiling Wizard and coughed. "Can't we go any faster?" Visibly starting,as he caught sight of a vibrantly colored cloud,M'awks,winging quickly towards the distant towers of Ravenfort. "Why can't I live a peaceful life,of leisure?" He sighed and removed his broke-down bow from beside his quiver,fit the two halves together with an audible 'click' then proceeded to string it with a waxed linen string.   

[Lady Amy of York]

I see   a  large  M'awk army approaching the village.  Two  small children are playing in the street.    Their  mother   stands  near by holding a young infant.  The M'awks  spot the children and head towards  them. 
  I change into my human form, and  runs  towards   the  children  picking them both up in my arms  and  running towards  their mother.
" Run," I shout to her,"  Run, and  don't   look  back ."
  "  What are  they ?' cries  the  woman in fear.
  "  M' awks ," i say to   her," and  they will destroy anything in their  way.  "
  We run as  fast as we can,  the  children  crying and  screaming.  We pass other viilagers in the  street  and i shout to them,"    Now  do  you belive  me.  Run, run as  fast  as  you can."
     I run   with the children.  I can hear destruction  behind  me, and   people  screaming.  I keep  running, not wanting the  children to witness   anything.   I  spot  two  more children out playing  and   call  for  them  to  run  with  me.   We head thru the  village  square  and  into the  woods.
          I   instruct  the  young mother and  the  few villagers  that followed behind  me  to lay low  in the bushes  and  keep  the  children quiet.    I was  going  back  to see if  there was  anyone   left  to save.
                 I head back to the village.  Houses  are on  fire.  Bodies lay  scattered in the  streets. Some  M'awks,  a  few   human. Over all the  death tool, was  not as bad as  i  had feared but still this  should  not have  had  to happen.
  " No !"  i shout  in anger.
   I see   the  remaining  M'awks  approaching.
  "  You will pay  for  what you did  here,"  I shout at  them.    I conjure up a huge  wind of fire,  and  it engulfs  them.
    I kneel  down and  weep for  those  who lost  their  lives  here.    Then i hear cries  and  shouts.  They are coming  from the  church.  I run  towards  the  church . Inside  i find  a  group of  villagers   who had taken shelter in  the  church. 
 

   

[Alphonse]

Riding up to the village the wizard and thief arrived in time to see a swirling mass of cawing mawks circling over head.Both of them looked up just in time to watch the mawk army incinerated.The heat from the swirling fire ball was strong enough to be felt where they sat." I am not much for such large displays of fire", said the mage.

"Can you think of any better reason to use a fireball?",asked the the thief.

"No, mind you, I am not being critical, just stating my preference, I had a bad experience once performing a similar feat myself", replied the old wizard."No matter, though there is plenty of work yet to be done here", he replied as he pointed his staff at a burning house nearby.A torrant of water fell out of the sky,extinguishing the flames. Quickly the two climbed down off the cart and began working their way through the village giving what aid that they could, as they went.Before long they had worked there way to the church where they joined Jade and the rest of the survivors.

"Well things where not as bad as they might have been, but still there where four that we found that were beyond any help we could offer," spoke Alphonse to the group. "Why?" asked a young lady holding two scared children,close to her."Yes why,why did this happen to us?' went up the question asked by a chorus of voices with in the crowd.

"Indeed", said the wizard, "a good question, not easily answered." "I suppose there could be more then one answer to your questions, but suffice it to say that the ultimate responsibility lies with those who create such abominable creatures." "To learn the answer to that, one would have to ask the King's lackeys" replied the wizard. "For it is by their hands that these creature came into being."

[Lady Amy of York]

I leave  Shamrall  and  the old  wizard  with  the  villagers  that  are in the  church    and  go off  to gather   the  children  and  elder viilagers  who  I left  hiding  in  the  woods.  I lead  them back  into the  village  and  to the  church  to  join the  others.
The viilagers  continue  to talk  about  the  creatures that  atacked them  and  the  King's
lackeys.   As  i listen  I  find    some of  the  conversation quite  disturbing.
  "  I  need  to leave  for  awhile ,"  I  tell Shamrall,"  Watch over  the  villagers  and  try  to stay  out  of  trouble."
  "  Where are  you  running off  to ?"  asks  Shamrall.
   "  I  need  to  talk  to  someone,"  I  replie.   I  hurry  off.
    "  Where is  she  running  off  to?"  says  the  old  wizard   walking up  to Shamrall.
       "  She  did  not  say,"  answers  Shamrall."  Just muttered something  about having  to talk  to  someone."
   " Hmmm,"  ponders  the old Wizard   rubbing his  beard,"  How  well  do you know  Jade ?  Can  she  be  trusted  ?"
       "  Other  then the  incident of  throwing me in the   water,  I  have   found  no reason, not  to trust  her,"  answers  Shamrall.
      "  Just  seems  funny  that she  ran  off  so  fast,"  replies   the old  wizard.

I  reached  the  castle  where I  lived  and  hurried up  the  steps  to  find   Sarah.
   "  There  you are  child,"  said  the  old  woman,"   Where have  you been? I have  been  worried  about  you ."
    "  Sarah,"  I  say  to her,"  tell me  about  my  father. I  know   he  was  a great  king. What else  can  you tell me  about him ."
     "  Why  do  you ask  child ?'  questions  Sarah.
     "  Because a  army  of M'awks  attacked  a village  today  and  the  people  say  that  the  King's  lackey's  were  behind  it ."
      "  That  does  not  sound  like  your  father,"  replies Sarah,"  He  was  a good kind  man. It  pained  him to send  you  away  when he  did, but he did  it  to  protect  you,  for  many  feared  your   magic   and  wanted  you  put  to  death.  No  this  does  not  sound  like  your  father at  all.  he  would  never  turn  evil,  atleast  not  the  man  I  knew."
         "    When  did  you  last  see   my  father  ?"  I asked  her.
    "  Why  i  have  not seen your  father  since      he  sent  me  here  with you  as  an infant.  But  i  have   received  letters  from him  over  the  years  inquiring  about  you, although  i  have  not  received  any  letters    in  a few  months."
   Sarah walks over to a  desk  and  open a  drawer  and  hands me  a letter.
  "  This  is  the  last letter  I  got  from  your  father,"  she  tells  me.
    I hold  the letter in  my hands.   A vision  appears  before  my  eyes.  I  can't  make  it out clearly,  but  I  can sense  my  father is  or  was  in  some  kind  of  trouble.
   
   
     

     


   

     

[Martin Montgomery]

 Shamrall leaped down from the high seat of Alphonse's cart to lightly land beside Jade as he broke down his unused bow and returned it to it's place,she suggested to the halfling that the wounded needed care and the rest of the frightend villagers needed to be organized. After pointing out the Mayor of Ravenfort she turned and went off into the forest searching for any stragglers there might be. Pushing through the gathered villagers was difficult for the small man,as they were all huddled into small groups asking each other "Why had the beasts attacked ? Did your family come through the attack unharmed?" and "Did you know anyone that was killed?" Shamrall approached the tall village elder noticing that his right arm dangling uselessly by his side. "Sir? Your arm seems to be dislocated,may I be of assistance?"  Sitting on a bench the Elder wordlessly gave a nod of assent and searched the faces of his people,muttering to himself that he couldn't have stopped the "Filthy Beasts" even if he hadn't been in the rear of his shop when the attack began. The halfling gently probbed the man's shoulder and arm nodding as he found that it was dislocated,not broken. "Sir,I must re set your arm....It will hurt!"  The man turned to face Shamrall and the small man could see the pain of failure in the man's eyes. "Good Halfling,I have just watched as a mass of winged beasts,who none thought as particularly harmful,appeared from nowhere in unheard of numbers,ravaged my town and killed many good people! Do you REALLY think that you could hurt me worse?!?" Silently shaking his head no, Shamrall looked into the man's eyes and received a nod,then with a skillful *Snap* reset the shoulder and gently placed it upon his patients chest. A small grunt of pain escaped his tightly pressed lips and a fine sheen of sweat covered his forehead,but the steady voice he used when he said "Thank you,young Sir!" told the small man that the man was in much less pain. Taking the man's own cummerbund and fashioning it into a sling,Shamrall listened to the Elder softly speak "Damn the "King Regent'"  and his Wizlings! The M'awks just attacked,without provocation!" A pained look crossed the man's eyes as he slammed his uninjured hand onto his knee. "Sir?" Shamrall looked around at the villagers that surrounded them,many of the hurt were being attended to by others. Ones that had sought refuge behind the solid stone walls of the village's church. "The wild M'awks were driven into this attack by a new type of their kind. During a robbery of what I believed to be the King Regent's Tax Wagons, I ......was responsible for the death of it's mate and somehow,through the Wizling's continued majikal meddling,it has gained the ability to project it's feelings,to influence the minds of it's own kind. It's grief,from the loss of it's mate,drove them all into a killing frenzy and this....... is what happend! I am so sorry Sir! I have done many....questionable things in the long years of my life,but..... Never,have I caused so much pain and suffering with such a careless action!! I will find a way to make it up to you and your village. If you can find it in your hearts to let me try!" Unshed tears wet the small man's eyes as the Village Elder lay his good hand on Shamrall's shoulder and gave a small shake. "Stop blaming yourself for the actions of others and do what you can to set things right! You and I will keep this between ourselves and shall speak of it to no one else! You and your friends are welcome here and any support that we can offer will be given! Our thanks for your help is freely given and it would be disrespectfull for you to refuse it!" Alphonse walked near and Shamrall could see that the old,robed Wizard had been very busy attending the many other wounded. Excusing himself to the Mayor,Shamrall turned to another villager, a comely young woman with long slashing cuts along her back. Obviously the raking claw marks received as she protected the now sleeping child in her arms. Moving to her he asked if she would allow him to help her,she smiled and nodded. His heart in his throat,Shamrall gently began to clean the painful but thankfully shallow cuts that crossed her back. Someone handed him a bowl of green ointment and he carefully covered the injuries with the strong smelling goo. He then tried to re-tie her torn blouse,finally giving up and removing his own vest to drape over her back. "Thank you kind Sir." she spoke with a lilting voice that did not sound the same as the other villagers "I shall return your raiment as soon as I can get home to put Matilda down for a nap. My auntie will watch her and I will return to assist you and your friends with the other injured." She walked away and the small man's eyes followed his vest,and her red hair,until she turned beyond the church's wall. Alphonse called to him and his mind returned to the task at hand. For the moment.     

[Alphonse]

After a time of helping the worst of the injured, Alphonse told Shamrall he thought it time to take a break."Come with me", said the wizard as he headed outside to the old grey wagon.The two left and approached the wagon as the wizard unfastened the latches and let down the hinged gate at the back of the wagon."Allow me to lend a hand",said the old man as reached down and helped the halfling hop up on to the back deck, where the two took a seat. The wizard reached into the items stowed there and produced a bottled of meade and two cups."It's meade, and not a bad batch either, I make it myself", said Alphonse.

As he poured them each a cup, he continued,"as a healer you likely well know about the idea that it is not uncommon for those that you care for, to feel a bond or indebtedness to you when you give them aid. It can even manifest itself in the form of romantic intent, but you may not realize that on occasion the inverse can occur as well. Handing the young thief a full cup, the wizard went on,not that I imagine that your one to seek advice in moral matters from someone that you have just met but I would say that there are practical concerns besides the morality of taking advantage of that sort of vulnerability, that speak against such relationships."

"I never... began the halfling, when he was abruptly cut off by the wizards responce.

"I never said you had considered such a thing nor that you ever would,said Alphonse. I am speaking strictly hypothetically. I am making no judgement but am simply offering advice", said the old man.

"Hypothetically speaking, you must admit she is quite a good looking lass", said Shamrall with an impish grin as he began taking a deep drink from his mug.

"Indeed" answered the old wizard with a grin of his own.

"You know, before today, I never realized that I was fluent in hypothetical, strict or or otherwise", said Shamrall as the two of them broke into laughter.

"You know when one faces such a grim task as was set before us today, one must either laugh or cry in order to cope with it, said Alphonse. Like you, I prefer to laugh whenever possible."

[Lady Amy of York]

I nedd to   find  out what  may  have  happen  to  my father,  but first  i  need  to   check  on  the  villagers  who  got attacked  and   my  friends. I head back to find  Shamrall and  Alphonse.I spot them sitting, on the  wagon drinking and  laughing. I  approach  then and say,"   You  two  make  a lovely  couple.   I  leave  you  two  in  charge, and here you  are  both  getting drunk . Find pair  you  two  make  ."

Shamrall starts  to say something but I interrupt  and  say,"  But after  what we  went thru today, I would  say we all deserve  a  good  drink. "   I  grab a mug and  pour  myself  some  mead.

" Easy there lass," says the old  wizard,"  It be  strong stuff ."

i take  the mug  and  drink it all down. The  men just look at me  in surprise.
" What!," I say  to  them," Have you not ever seen a woman  drink  mead before. ? You wouldn't have  any chewing tobbaco  on you, would  you ?"
   The  other  two  just look at  me, and  I  start  laughing .
"I'm joking ,"  I  say  to  them,"  We  should  finish  up. I  would  not be  surprised  if  the  M'awks  tried  to come  back here .  My castle is not far  from here, we  shall  take  the villagers  there.  "

We put the injured in  the  wagon, and  the  rest of  the villagers follow behind.  A  couple of   the  young  unmarried  men  are  chosen  to stay  behind    to gaurd  the  village   from theives.

We arrive  at my castle.  The  villagers  stare  at it  in awe.  It is  like  a fairy tale  castle  with  a  small lake , gardens, and  deer  and other forest creatures  grazing  around  it.

" Nice place,"  smiles Shamrall  and  says  to  Alphonse," Remind  me  to start  being  nicer  to Jade."

Once  everyone has  settled in I hurry upstairs  to freshen  up. I have  never had  guests  before, and  the sudden exctement of  that fact  makes  be  forget about  my father  for  the  time  being.  I  quickly bathe and  then  put on a deep greensilk gown  that highlights  my red hair  and  fair  skin,  and  emphasizes  my  best features.

I  then head back downstairs  and  into  the  dining hall.   With  a bit of magic  i  conjure  up  a  fine  feast and  drinks.   I then  call for  everyone   to  join  me.  Shamrall and  Alphonse look up from where they were siting talking  with  some of  the village  men.
 
"Wow,"  says one of  the village  men looking  at  me  in awe .

" She  cleans  up nicely,"  says  Alphonse.

" Indeed  she  does,"  says Shamrall with a grin staring  at  me ," Indeed  she  does."