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Ocalan Forest Tales, Book III

Started by Amras Elfwine, May 09, 2008, 11:56:56 PM

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Amras Elfwine

Dedicated to Lord A., and all the old timers here who loved him so.

When last we left our heroes, things were looking dark...

The cell was still cold, hard, wet and dark, but at least he was loose now...the squirrel had finally managed to chew throught he bonds, and now at least Amras could rub some feeling back into his limbs.

And then...
Amras heard the voice again...singing the old song...but it couldn't be...she was long gone...

"Underneath the silk of a shroomie bud tree
Stood a pixie and a half-elf and and little faerie
But the Pixie he got drunk, and smelled just like a skunk
And the half-elf and the faerie they rowed right out to sea"

The voice was sweet and soft...just like the sister that Amras had not seen in an eternity.
It couldn't be...

R/F member since 2004
"They say that men who go warring afield look ever to the next hope of food and of drink." ~Tolkien

"Who are you callin' plushy??" ~ Todd the Squirrel

Lady Amy of York

Beautiful Amras !  What a lovely dedication.

Thankyou for getting the story forum back up.   :)

Lady Amy of York/CaptainAmy of FeistyLady pirateship
Cheiftess Feisty of Clan O' Doinn
HF:Sterling

Amras Elfwine

#2
*Decades ago, before the first, lost chapters of this story were written*

It was dark when the raiders came...they always came at night, the better to hide their sneaking and cowardice...Lord Elfwine the Elder had long defied Balor, the better to serve as an example to his children, brilliant daughter Lolly and strong son Amras...

It was just before dawn when the torch light on the stone wallls woke Amras...he heard the shouts and cries...many men on horses, the clanging of swords, and later, the crackling of flames...the young half-elf drew his falchion as he sprang through his door, into the crowd of friend and foe who fought in the keep hallways...

"Where is Lolly?" thought Amras, his short falchion a blur before him' He and his sister were both warriors, she by far the better with the sword. Not seeing the large orcish swordman behind him, Amras fell as the hilt of its rough-rended sword connected with the back of his head.

Later in the afternoon, Amras came to, sore and swollen, in his room, healers around him.

Lolly was gone, taken by Balor's henchers...
R/F member since 2004
"They say that men who go warring afield look ever to the next hope of food and of drink." ~Tolkien

"Who are you callin' plushy??" ~ Todd the Squirrel

Amras Elfwine

Amras still could not see from his left eye...

Cold it was, and the voice was coming clearer when he heard the singing...he began to take stock of things...just a small pot, a wooden spoon with which he ate the thin gruel they brought...dressed in a leather loin cloth only, doing little to keep the cold dampness from him..."oh, for a good, warm length of wool with which to kilt m'self,"he thought through the fog.

It was time to take control again...Amras started to stretch, the slow, dance-like exercises he had oft done with Radha...and the slow, methodical pussing against the floor, feeling the strength slowly return to his arms and legs...pacing back and forth, like the wolf in his cage...or a squirrel, Amras smiled...they had left him his memories...

The guards were coming less and less often, now, as if they had forgotten about him...

"I'd better act soon."
R/F member since 2004
"They say that men who go warring afield look ever to the next hope of food and of drink." ~Tolkien

"Who are you callin' plushy??" ~ Todd the Squirrel

Amras Elfwine

The fae were set...Trillium had set her Flying Faerie Force about the Queen's positions as a guard force...there was no way Balor's magic could penetrate their ring, even if it had been reacting squirrely at the lights coming from the fortress...she sighed at the word "squirrely"...were was Am? It had been so long...

R/F member since 2004
"They say that men who go warring afield look ever to the next hope of food and of drink." ~Tolkien

"Who are you callin' plushy??" ~ Todd the Squirrel

Amras Elfwine

Amras was getting stronger, though he still could not see out of his left eye...the small forest creatures he tried to care for were now caring for him, bringing him nuts, berries, water-soaked mosses...the guards had not been down t his hallway in days, as if they were now starving him.

Amras recognized the squirrel at the window bars, a slight little fellow named "Tail Flag"...chittering in both squirrel and common, Amras gave specific instructions...after Tail Flagged made a comment about Amras' "strange accent" (squirrells can be kinda bookish, sometimes), he seemed to get the idea, and sprang into the trees beyond the bars...

"Now, things may just start getting interesting," The Squirrel Lord thought to himself...
R/F member since 2004
"They say that men who go warring afield look ever to the next hope of food and of drink." ~Tolkien

"Who are you callin' plushy??" ~ Todd the Squirrel

Amras Elfwine

Trillium was buzzing about the camp late that night. It was cool, and she was peeking over a hillock, trying to see what was going on at the fortress...the strange lights beaming skyward were disorienting,and the noise they made was horrible...and, the lights seemed to play havoc with her fae senses...so, she was not sure she was seeing straight when the wee brown squirrel jumped to the limb before her, chirping and chittering madly...

"He wants you to lead me to him? He who??"

The squirrel was speaking must faster than his tiny brain was thinking.

"DRUMMER??? Lead the way..."

Tail Flag started for the far side of the fortress, Trullium a silver-sparkly blur right behind.
R/F member since 2004
"They say that men who go warring afield look ever to the next hope of food and of drink." ~Tolkien

"Who are you callin' plushy??" ~ Todd the Squirrel

Trillium

Their warp-speed trip through the forest seemed to take forever.  Trillium's mind was racing...  "How did he get inside the dungeon???  And how am I going to get him out??"  She knew they would have to be quick, before Balor detected her presence.  But Drummer may not be in any condition to be moved...

Soon Trillium and Tail Flag were at a desolate black castle.  The squirrel led her to a small barred window and she peaked inside to find a dirt-encrusted, bruised lump that may have passed as an elf not too long ago.  "Drummer!!"  Trillium quietly creeped inside and slowly started inspecting his injuries.  Then she carefully set his head in her lap and quietly hummed as she dug through her bottomless pouch.  Finally, she found what she was looking for, a special potion only to be used in absolute emergencies.   "I hope this works, my dear friend..." she whispered, before pouring the potion into Amras' mouth.
Got faerie dust?

Amras Elfwine

...swirling and...and flitting?? Now THAT was no sound for a warrior hear...the mists behind his eyes shifted, up, down, around...and then, coolness and warmth, a coolness on his tongue, followed by a warmth in his chest...still, it was dark...

"Underneath the silk of a shroomybud tree
Hid a half-elf and a faerie and a nasty pixie"

The words woke him...he looked up, into the eyes of the grinning, singing fae who was holding his head in her lap and stroking his forehead...

"I have been here before," he thought to himself.

"Hello, Trill," he whispered to the fae.

The squirrel beside them nudged Trill's flask, as if to encourage her to give Amras another drink...
R/F member since 2004
"They say that men who go warring afield look ever to the next hope of food and of drink." ~Tolkien

"Who are you callin' plushy??" ~ Todd the Squirrel

Amras Elfwine

"Trill...how long?" Amras could barely speak...it came out as more of a dry croak than his usual deep baritone.

"Months and months, Drummer," Trillium answered, bathing his brow with a bit of sparkly silk.

"Months?" thought Amras, "Only months?" It felt like years...Amras still could see from only one eye...

"The army is out there, Amras, waiting to attack. Queen Bonnie, Deadbishop and Tybalt and their pirates, Lady Nicollette and her Harpers, Calith and the archers, Captain Morgan, and you'll never guess, NEVER, but Radha is there, on her pony, and..."

Amras had to smile, despite his discomfort. It was good to be back with his old friend.
And it sounded like things were about to get fun again..."'bout darned time" he thought.

"OK, Trill, OK...now, lets see about getting out of here, into better accomodations..."
R/F member since 2004
"They say that men who go warring afield look ever to the next hope of food and of drink." ~Tolkien

"Who are you callin' plushy??" ~ Todd the Squirrel

Amras Elfwine

"Getting out of here, Drummer? Why, that'll be easy..."

Retrieving a tiny, silver wand from a pouch on her belt, Trillium flicked it in the direction of the locked cell door, as if expecting it to open.

Nothing happened.

She flicked it again. Still  nothing.

"Looks like Balor is intruding on certain ethereal streams again, lass. My senses seemed blocked a bit, the acorn charm hasn't worked since I got in here, and every time he lights up that confounded crystal machine, my head feels like its going to explode. You still seem to be able to hover, though..." Amras was stretching in the corner, standing more steadily. "We'll have to find a different way out this time."
R/F member since 2004
"They say that men who go warring afield look ever to the next hope of food and of drink." ~Tolkien

"Who are you callin' plushy??" ~ Todd the Squirrel

Amras Elfwine

...Meanwhile, Back on the Beach...

Mr. Blastenkopf pulled the lanyard on the cannon's fuse, causing it to hiss and spark mightily...and then, nothing. Not even a quiet "pop".

Deadbishop and Tybalt looked over his shoulder, and then at each other, shrugging.

"Whats wrong with it, Blasty?", inquired Deadbishop to the Master Gunner.

"Don't rightly know, Cap'n. Whatever magic keeps it from working must be still in the air. We'll get it right, somehow."

"Keep at it, Gunner," said Tybalt. "We'll need it, and soon. I've a feeling things at Balor's Fortress are about to pick up."

Opening a flask, Blasty bent back over the breech of the gun.

"Magic ingredient?" asked Deadbishop.

"I'll say!", said Blasty, taking a mighty swig, then offering the bottle. 

"Can't hurt," said Deadbishop, taking a deep draught and handing it over to Tybalt.

"Can't at that," said Tybalt.

The three continued grinding, mixing, testing, popping and swigging long into the night, the sound of the surf a constant counterpoint to the miserably weak "pops" coming from the big guns muzzle.
R/F member since 2004
"They say that men who go warring afield look ever to the next hope of food and of drink." ~Tolkien

"Who are you callin' plushy??" ~ Todd the Squirrel

Amras Elfwine

"Their army...it grows"...Balor was surprised..."Though its been some time, it seems that only yesterday, they were too pathetic to stand...and now?!" His thoughts troubled him as his henchmen reported the gathering storm beyond his walls.

"Tonight, we shall turn the power of the crystal fully loose upon them. Now, they will understand that the roar they think to preach is but mewling before the wind."

His stewards retreated from the throne room, bowing as they left, intent upon doing his bidding.
R/F member since 2004
"They say that men who go warring afield look ever to the next hope of food and of drink." ~Tolkien

"Who are you callin' plushy??" ~ Todd the Squirrel

Amras Elfwine

The guard looked through the bars in the window on the door...he was bringing a pot of foul gruel and fetid water to the prisoner, the first in  many weeks...the prisoner was never awake, and the guard usually just threw the rations in...peering squintliy through the bars, the guard seemed puzzled...was there no one in the cell?

Entering, the guard looked up, down and around...the cell seemed quite empty...not a sight nor smell...not even a sound...except faint giggling coming from under an old tin cup in the corner...

Bending over, the guard looked at the old cup, then pulled it up, off the floor...to be met by the surprising sight of a teeny squirrel, tiny fae, and-only-slighltly larger half-elf.

"Huh??" the guard muttered under his foul breath, sounding stupidly surprised.

With a burst of sparkles, Amras turned full size, grasping the guard around the neck between bicep and forearm, ramming the sluggish lummox into the cell wall. The oaf lay where he fell, Amras claiming the small dagger from his belt.

"Your shrink charm still worked, somehow, Trill. Good job!"

Tail Flag, ever a scout squirrel, was already out in the hallway. He looked left, then right, then back in the cell.

"Go ahead, you tell me," Amras seemed to be answering him. "We need to find weapons and a way out."

The squirrel went left...Trill and Amras followed.
R/F member since 2004
"They say that men who go warring afield look ever to the next hope of food and of drink." ~Tolkien

"Who are you callin' plushy??" ~ Todd the Squirrel

Amras Elfwine

Amras stumbled. His sight was blurry from the injured eye. Trillium fashioned a patch for it out of a bit of sparkly green cloth and leather thong. It seemed to help.
It was then that two more sparkly lights appeared in the dark hall.
"About time," said Trill with a lilt. Nytshade and Apljx hovered before them.
"We couldn't let you have all the fun," 'Shade laughed as she spoke.
Amras took it in...after so long in the dark and the cold, here he was, beautiful faeries floating and dancing before him...
It was then that they heard the the guard coming down the hall.
"Drummer, hide!" Hissed Apljx, and Amras ducked into a shadow. Amras didn't quite understand what happened next, but it was not the first time he was perplexed while with these three.

The sparkles were bright and made bell-like noises...the guard stood mollified before the three fae, quite charmed...indeed, it was the most charming sight he had ever seen, and he was ready to watch it forever...he was still standing there drooling the next morning when he was found, locked up in an otherwise empty cell...
R/F member since 2004
"They say that men who go warring afield look ever to the next hope of food and of drink." ~Tolkien

"Who are you callin' plushy??" ~ Todd the Squirrel