Disclaimers, etc: Of course, I don't own Lodoss, but I love
the series, and wish I could. But…I'm a
bit of a freak. While I find Deedlit,
Parn, Ashram and Pirotess to be cool characters, and very likable, they're not
my favorites. My favorites are more
along the lines of, say, Slayn, Etoh, and Woodchuck. ducks as bricks,
water elementals, and Demon swords are tossed her way So, this story is mostly starring them, and
I get everyone else out of the way in the first chapter. Hopefully a few people will still want to
read it. It takes place in the middle
of the OAV, on the journey to Wort's place, and after the bit in the dwarves'
tunnels. Um…let's see…since I also want
to take these characters and flesh them out a bit, this first chapter is mostly
walking and arguing. There will be more
of that later, but also some actual fighting eventually, I promise. Let me know if you think I'm writing anyone
wrong, especially Etoh. Since I'm
writing this almost entirely from his perspective, I don't want to sell him
short by making him a generic narrator.
And…that's it. Enjoy.
When map-makers draw the various
sections of Lodoss, they often add little stylistic details that give a nod to
the continent's mysterious and supernatural status. There are dragons lurking in the largest mountains, elven faces
peering out of the Forest of No Return, and, perhaps to re-assure a mostly
magic-less humanity that the world really isn't out to get them, a happy
smiling sun watching over the whole thing.
Inevitably, a happy smiling sun, with rosy cheeks, golden rays shining
down from his beaming face.
Etoh wanted
to kick those map-makers. It was not a
charitable thought, and he was peaceful by nature, but the image of a happy,
smiling sun beating down on them while the sweat soaked through his robes made
him feel a little ill. Or maybe it was
the heat. They had encountered chilly
rain on the way to the dwarven tunnels, but then the trail had run down out of
the mountains onto a grassy set of hills, with clear skies and no trees for
cover. It was hot, even in the
gathering dusk, and it made what should have been easy going more of an ordeal.
"Let the
spirit feed the body, inner strength will become outer," he told himself
firmly. It was one of the sayings of
the old wandering priests, he'd learned it at the monastery. It was a little more difficult to swallow
when his feet hurt, and his body was being roasted, but Etoh was an
idealist. He began to run through the
thirty-second prayer to Falis, hoping to take his mind off things.
"Soooooo….if
this mission is really that important, why didn't the king spring for a couple
of horses?" asked Woodchuck, breaking a
good half-hour's silence.
"Shut up,"
thought Etoh irritably. The man had no
right to complain. He, like Ghim, had
the ability to walk all day without ever seeming to tire. Of course he, like Ghim, was also
compsensating for Slayn and Etoh's physical weakness, and carrying more than
his share of gear, so Etoh supposed he shouldn't be annoyed.
"King Fahn
knows what he's doing. A knight should
be able to carry out his duties under any circumstances," Parn replied,
beginning to walk at a slightly brisker pace.
Etoh couldn't see Wood's reaction, but he could practically sense the
thief rolling his eyes.
"That's
great for you, Parn, but not everyone here wants that particular career. And why is it knightly code to make things
hard on yourself for no damn reason?"
Wood seemed to love pointing out every downside of being a knight to
Parn, maybe because Parn's enthusiasm was so overwhelming in it's strength and,
Etoh had to admit, naïve blindness.
"We didn't
take horses because we have to move quietly," Slayn said, breathing hard. "People are jumpy from the Marmo invasion,
and a party on foot doesn't attract nearly as much attention on six people on
horses. I would think a thief could
appreciate that kind of strategy."
"If you've
got strength enough to talk, then you're obviously not carrying enough," added
Ghim, in what Slayn once referred to as his "cheerfully vicious" tone. "Why don't you take the extra waterskin for
awhile."
"Okay,
okay, I was just asking. Geez."
Parn was
apparently too tired to go into the virtues of knighthood, so the party walked
in silence again. Etoh stumbled, caught
himself, and wished for calves like granite.
He hated feeling so powerless.
Slayn at least had a philosophical attitude towards being skinny and
bookish, but Etoh planned to travel Lodoss in his work, and for that he would
have to build up a little endurance.
But even his place in line made him feel like the weak link. Parn and Deedlit tended to take the lead,
because Deedlit had a talent for finding the best path in any terrain, and Parn
– well, Etoh couldn't imagine Parn walking anywhere but in front. Ghim and Woodchuck usually brought up the
rear, since a thief and an experienced dwarf warrior would be more difficult to
sneak up on, and that left Slayn and Etoh fenced in the middle. The formation worked – Etoh and Slayn had
two fighters on either side of them, and would, if luck held, be protected long
enough to prepare spells. Etoh couldn't
help thinking, though, of the way that a herd would circle around the young,
aged, and infirm when attacked. He
figured he fit into the "infirm" category pretty nicely.
"If we don't get to Wort's place soon, all
of Lodoss could be in danger." Etoh
could hear his own words being repeated in his head, but the voice was not his
– just a mocking imitation. "So, why
don't you pick your pudgy feet and walk, little Etoh?"
Now Etoh
was really tempted to swear. He knew he
was in trouble if he started hearing Jarden again. The older bully had taken it upon himself to make Etoh's life
miserable all through school. Parn had
been constantly stepping between the two, but the resulting fights usually just
got Parn in trouble. Etoh had thought
his troubles were over when he headed to the monastery, but somehow, Jarden's
constant derision had stayed with him, mentally. Every time he started to doubt himself, everytime he felt useless,
he could hear Jarden's sneering voice.
"Honestly,
there is no need to let that man get to you.
You haven't even seen him since you went to school," he told himself
firmly. The thirty-second prayer to
Falis wasn't doing him much good, so he started on the thirty-third.
It was just
starting to work, when Parn came to a sudden stop.
"Hey,
guys? I'm starting to worry. We should have met up with Deedlit by now,
it's been an hour." The elf had walked
on ahead during their last break, stating that she wanted to get away from
disgusting sweaty men for awhile. On a
more practical level, she was going to scout out any obstacles ahead, look for
signs of a village, and come back to them with a reccomendation of where and
when to camp down for the night. On a
personal level, despite her flippant excuse, Etoh suspected that the elf wanted
some time alone to enjoy the hills without four miserable (admittedly quite
sweaty) humans and one dwarf bogging her down.
Her connection to the natural world as an elf let her appreciate it,
regardless of uncomfortable weather.
"The elf
can take care of herself," said Ghim.
"Look, I
know you two don't get along, but-"
"That's not
what I meant. She's got elemental
magic, better senses than you four, and is a skilled swordswoman. She could probably beat you up, lad."
Etoh
quietly suppressed a giggle at the thought.
"Well, even
if something has happened, standing here worrying isn't going to do any good,"
Woodchuck said. "She went that way, so
I say we keep walking until we see her, or until we come to a town and can ask
about her. Or until, you know, we get
really tired…"
"Huh. Didn't think I'd ever hear a sensible
suggestion out of you, but I agree.
Worrying won't do us any good, and neither will rushing down the path,"
Ghim said, giving Parn a firm glance.
"I…but…no,
you're right," said Parn, beginning to walk again. "I guess I shouldn't have even brought it up." He seemed sheepish to have been "caught"
worrying about the girl who supposedly got on his nerves.
"It's good
of you to be concerned, Parn. But I'm
sure we'll catch up to her soon, and then there will be no more cause for
worry," Slayn soothed.
It was at
the next village, over a few more hills, that they found out how wrong they
were. The little town reminded Etoh a
bit of he and Parn's own village, and he was torn between homesickness and
queasiness.
"Hey,
little Etoh! That rain barrel looks
just like the one I used to dunk you in!"
Jarden's voice broke into his thoughts.
"Shut
up! You're not even here!" Etoh shot back quietly. It was not a healthy thing to have a bully
running around in one's head, but he just didn't know how to make him leave.
There was
one definite difference between Etoh and Parn's home, and that was the
people. In that village, despite the
goblin scares, strangers usually got a smile and a wave from the locals. As the group arrived in Hamel (marked on a
sign outside of town, not on the map), they were greeted with only sullen
stares from the few people that were out and about. A woman pointed at the group, and whispered to the man next to
her. Etoh caught the word "dwarf", and
began to officially worry. Small
villages didn't have nearly the tolerance for magic races that larger towns
did.
Parn, as
usual, took the initiative, and walked over to the couple.
"Good
evening to you! We're looking for a
friend of ours that might be here, and we were just wondering if you'd seen
her. She's an elf, with long blond
hair, and a green dress."
Etoh
marveled at Parn's description. As if
there would be more than one elf in a village like that. But the couple's response was worrying. Despite Parn's unthreatening appearance (the
young knight's friendly face completely negated any menace the armor might
hold), they flinched away.
"You're
with the elf?" The man said,
emphasizing the word "elf" the way one might emphasize the word
"cannibal".
"Yes! You've seen her? She's not hurt, is she?"
Parn was blissfully unaware of the quiet threat.
"She's with
Devin," the woman said shortly. "We'd
better take you to him."
"No need!"
a shrill voice called across the square.
"I'll handle the visitors. I am
the town wiseman, after all." There was
no mistaking the puffed-up self-importance in the tone, even with Etoh's best
attempts to be charitable.
The man in
question, apparently Devin, scurried into view. He was short and stout, but not in the compact way that most
dwarves were built. Devin was chubby
and round, with a reddish face that was currently sweating from the heat, but
probably would continue to do so regardless of weather. His hair was brown, tousled, and thinning,
and a pair of spectacles was perched on his nose. He came to a halt in front of them, and put his hands on his
hips, somehow managing to look down his nose at them.
"What do
you mean by wandering in here? We're a
peaceful town, and we don't want any trouble."
"And we
feel the same way," Slayn said. "We're
just passing through, on our way to Moss."
"But….you're
with the elf." There was that nasty emphasis
again.
"Her name
is Deedlit!" Parn said, beginning to sound concerned. "Where is she?"
"You don't
think I'd just let elves run around in a town like this, do you? We're under attack by goblins. They've been raiding us off and on at night
for the past three weeks. People are
frightened enough without being menaced by other magical creatures."
"Menace? Deed wouldn't 'menace' anyone! What have you done with her?" Parn was getting dangerously tense.
"Nothing
permanent. I just put a sleep spell on
her, and put her someplace where she couldn't cause any trouble."
"Just
because she's an elf?!" Parn was
seething. Etoh was, himself, pretty
angry at this treatment of a friend.
But he'd seen things like that before.
Even at the monastery, where morality was supposed to reign, there were
those who wanted to believe that humans were the only faithful of Falis, and
that all magic creatures were allied with the darkness.
"I think
you'd better explain yourself before you do anymore yelling, boy," said Devin
coldly. "I know Marmo is behind the
goblin attacks, and if you've come to work with them, you'll have to get
through me."
That didn't
look too difficult. But Slayn stepped
in again.
"Why don't
we talk after you take us to Deedlit.
The elf," he added reluctantly.
"We want to see that she's all right."
"Well, of
course she's all right," Devin snorted.
"We're reasonable people, after all.
We're keeping her in front of my house, to be safe." He scampered across the square, and the group
fell in behind him. Slayn stepped in
close to Etoh as they walked.
"This man
is going to be awfully difficult to deal with," he said quietly. "I've seen this sort of person before. He's learned a little bit of magic, and
suddenly thinks he's got the answers to everything."
"Awfully
annoying for someone who's actually learned the magic properly, right?"
"I can't
say anything like that…I'd be just as bad as him if I did. But…yes, perhaps a little." The conversation stopped quickly when they
reached Devin's house. It was
significantly larger than most in the town, but that wasn't the important
thing. What was important was object in
front of it, and the two large men standing guard over it.
Deedlit lay, unconscious, in what
looked like a hastily constructed wooden cage.
She seemed to be breathing steadily, and there were no marks on her, but
Parn stiffened in fury.
"Deed! How could you put her in something like
that!" It took the restraining hands of
all four remaining party members to keep the knight from springing at the
self-proclaimed wizard. Everyone was
talking at once, trying to stop the fight before it started.
"Parn, we
have to talk to them first!"
"This isn't
the time for violence."
"Keep the
sword in it's sheath, boy, we're not going to start a fight until we know the
situation."
"For God's
sake, how stupid are you?! Look, don't
mind him, he's nuts, fell off his horse awhile back…"
As Parn was calmed down, Etoh
couldn't help a smile at his friend's reaction. Despite Parn's focus on honor and courage, which tended to get
him into trouble more often than not, Etoh felt that what really made his
friend shine was his generosity. He
would always go the extra mile for a friend, and a friend be just about anyone
who crossed his path and didn't wear a Marmo crest.
Of course,
his current outrage might have something to do with the fact that it was
Deedlit in the cage. In his mind, Etoh
could pair them up as a couple easily, but someone would have to give Parn a
nudge in the right direction. He had a
sudden, horrifying image of himself caught between a haughty elf and a
hard-headed knight, trying to play match-maker, and shelved the thought for
future nightmares.
Devin was
still glaring over the tops of his spectacles at them, mostly at Parn, but Etoh
noticed that he kept taking furtive glances at Ghim. He didn't like the way the man's lip curled. Meanwhile, Parn's outburst had drawn a bit
of a crowd. The townspeople beginning
to draw around them, looking far too surly for comfort.
"Well, if
you're going to react that way, we'll have to assume that you're all Marmo
spies, and not just the elf, here," he snapped, motioning at Deedlit.
Oh, great
Falis, not this again.
"No one
here is a spy, I assure you, " Slayn said, stepping forward. "We're just-"
"I hope
you're not going to tell me that you're a group of simple travelers. I've heard that line more times than I can
count."
Etoh
thought that perhaps that was because most people were, in fact, simple
travelers.
"But-"
"In fact, I
don't want to hear any commonplace excuses," Devin continued. "There's no way it would be just chance that
a knight, a priest, a mage, an elf, a dwarf, and a…"
"Mercenary,"
offered Wood helpfully.
" – thief
would just happen to be traveling together. You've got to be on some mission," Devin
finished, giving them a knowing glare.
"How does
everyone know? Is it written on my
forehead? Is there some kind of
thieves' dress code?!"
"Thieves
are ragged, dirty; ill-bred ruffians, and you're all of that," Devin said
primly. "Now, I'd better hear an
explanation soon, or I'll just cast sleep on you all, and turn you in."
"No, wait,
I'm not…well, no, I am that. But I'm
not…no, wait…" While Wood was trying
and failing to find an adjective in Devin's list that didn't fit him, Slayn was
pulling Etoh and Ghim gently to one side.
"Did you
hear the way he said 'elf'? And
'dwarf'?" Ghim murmured. "He seems to think that all non-human races
are Marmo."
"I think
it's just pure xenophobia," Slayn said.
"He'd use any excuse to hate someone different."
"So…" Etoh
let the word hang, hoping that Slayn, ever the planner, would fill in the
sentence.
"So, he's
not going to let us go on any story or excuse.
I think we'd better tell him our real purpose."
"What if he
spreads the story around?" Ghim
argued. "I'm not trusting a man like
that with knowledge of our mission."
"If he
hates Marmo, he'll be willing to keep a secret of the king of Valis. I don't see any other way of getting out of
here without a fight, and that might cost innocent lives."
"Hey, what
are you all mumbling over there?" yelled Devin, striding over to them. "Trying to get your story straight? Who's in charge, here, anyway? I hope you're not going to say him." Devin jerked a thumb towards Parn, who had
not said a word since his earlier outburst.
In fact, he'd barely moved. He
just stood there, staring at the cage where Deedlit lay. Etoh, now looking at him, was shocked at the
worry and sadness on his best friend's face.
Maybe it wouldn't take so much of a nudge, after all. And to think he'd once called the elf a
nuisance.
"Actually,
he is the one leading us. We've been
given a mission by the king of Valis," Slayn said. At this, Parn whirled around.
"Slayn! We can't tell them!"
"I don't
think we have any other choice, Parn.
We can't fight our way out."
"I suppose
not, but…" The knight seemed to
struggle through a brief inner conflict, then sighed heavily. "It's true.
You have to promise to keep it a secret, but we're on a mission. We've been sent by King Fahn of Valis to
seek the advice of Wort, the great sage in Moss. We're trying to find information about a very powerful person who
works with the Marmo. Now, please, get
Deedlit out of there and take that spell off of her."
"What, you
really expect me to do that, based on your word alone? You have no proof! You're not leaving his village until I see evidence of your
words." Devin folded his arms, and the
two large "body-gaurds" behind him did the same.
"Okay,
that's it. Who the hell do you think
you are?" Etoh realized with a start
that it was Ghim raising his voice this time.
The dwarf's lengthy patience had stretched thin. "You've got no right to treat people this
way. We're giving you our word that we
mean you no harm, and that should be enough.
For god's sake, if you're so suspicious, send a group to escort us out
of the village and your territory. It
shouldn't be so difficult to let us leave in peace."
It was
unlikely that Devin even heard Ghim's sensible suggestion. His face had gone redder, and there was a
dangerous gleam in his eyes.
"How dare
you speak to me, dwarf!
You….you….thing! You're an
inferior creature! You're not even a
person!" The spittle flew.
"Okay, I've
had about enough of you." Ghim unslung
his ax. He was either too angry to care
about the consequences, or he was figuring that knocking over the leader would
frighten away the gathered crowd.
Either way, Parn followed suit.
"Don't you
speak to my friend that way! I'm not
going to let you do this to us!"
"Ghim,
Parn, stop! We can't-" Slayn's protest was cut off, as Deb spat out
the words of the sleep spell. A glow
enveloped the dwarf and the knight, and both toppled to the ground.
"Ghim,
Parn!" cried Etoh. He and Slayn rushed
to check the two, but they were both, like Deedlit, unharmed and breathing
steadily. And, unfortunately, out cold.
Devin, on
the other hand, was in full rage, and glowing with self-righteous triumph at
the same time. It wasn't a pretty combination.
"I knew
it! I knew you were suspicious! I knew you were Marmo spies!" There were murmurs of agreement from within
the crowd, which seemed to have very little experience with independent
thought. Few crowds did. Devin turned, and advanced upon the
remaining three, his hands still glowing with the spell. His big hulking sidekicks, standing on
either side of him like bookends, un-crossed their arms and raised their fists.
"Oh, for
God's sake, I can't believe this. Did
this group piss off a god, or is my natural misfortune just rubbing off?" Wood backed away from Devin and joined the
group, offering what Etoh felt was his usual unhelpful comments.
No, wait, listen! We really are working for the king, you've
got to believe us!" cried Slayn desperately.
It would have been convenient if they'd been given some sort of royal
seal to flash around, but that also might have attracted too much
attention. They'd just been running on
the "simple group of travelers" story, and letting Parn's armor and Etoh's
robes speak for the "goodness" of the group.
"A likely
story, Marmo!" Devin snarled. "You're
probably working with the goblins, you're probably here to see to it that they
finish us off!" The angry crowd was
beginning to close in. There were way
too many to fight, too many to put to sleep with a spell, and running would
have meant leaving half the party.
"Okay,
okay, you've got us," Wood said, suddenly stepping up to Devin. He held both hands up, palms showing in the
universal, "Hey, c'mon, I'm unarmed" gesture.
"We haven't been entirely honest with you."
"Ah, so you
admit-"
"But we're
not Marmo."
Etoh had no
idea where the thief was going with this, but had a feeling he wouldn't like
it.
"Right,
you're – what?"
"Oh no,
we're demon hunters.
Professionals. We do ogres,
dragons, chimeras, anything you can name.
We heard about your little goblin problem, and were coming to check it
out."
At that
point, Etoh knew he didn't like where the thief was going with this. Slayn was gawking at Wood, but didn't
contradict him. It was that, or let the
villagers close the circle in on them.
"Look, we
apologize for not stating our purposes right away, but you can understand the
need for secrecy. I mean, goblins are
usually a little easier to fight when they don't see us coming a mile
away." Wood had sidled a little closer
to Deb, and was talking quickly. There
was a look in his eye that suggested that, if Devin bought this, he had land on
Marmo to sell him. And yet, the wizard
wannabe seemed intrigued. He held up a
restraining hand, and the crowd fell back a few paces.
"If you're
here to kill the goblins, why didn't you say so in the first place?" Devin's eyes were running rapidly back and
forth across Wood's face, as though he could scan the truth right off it. Etoh took a moment to wish that the thief
didn't look quite so seedy. He would
have loved to offer some corroboration, but still had no idea what the plan
might be.
"Well, we
were hoping not to have to explain our real purpose in front of everyone. I mean, anyone could be listening."
"Since when
do goblins have spies?"
"Oh, you
don't know how clever they really are," Wood exclaimed, actually looking
sincere. He slung an arm around Devin
as he began to reel off the horrible dangers of goblin invasion. This was a bit difficult given the height
difference, but Wood stooped and managed.
Devin was listening with rapt attention. Slayn had been right, Etoh realized, he really was a small town
rube, and probably knew almost nothing about monsters.
"-and they
can hide anywhere – in closets, under the bed, behind chamberpots-"
"Behind
chamber-?"
"-and then
they'll come slinking out at night, like snakes, and Bam!" Wood hit his fist
against his palm. "Next thing you know,
your throat's been cut, your house is looted, your dog's been raped, and your
wife's been eaten."
"Dog…raped?" Devin was beginning to go slightly
cross-eyed.
"Okay,
reverse the last two. But you get my
drift. We hardly wanted to announce our
presence in town, and let them all know we were coming. Even an experienced team like this could get
eaten alive. We wanted to spread a
false story first, then give you the facts in private."
"Um…but…the
elf didn't say that…why did she come alone?"
"She was
analyzing the situation for us, so that we could be prepared when we got here,"
Slayn broke in. His facial expression
was that long-suffering look Etoh had seen him wear when arguments broke out in
the group, sort of like a twenty-four hour sigh. But he seemed to have accepted this option as the best way out of
trouble. "It would have saved us a lot
of time and trouble if you'd let her be."
"But…but…"
"I know we
look kind of ragged, but that comes from our line of work," Wood continued,
quickly straightening his shirt and breastplate.
"And, it's
part of the ruse," Slayn added. "If we
look like mercenaries from Marmo, we're the last people the monsters would
expect to oppose them. And really, you
must admit that your village is too far out of the way for Marmo spies to want
anything to do with it."
"Well,
I…I….er…" Devin suddenly remembered that he was the village sorceror, and
rallied himself. "No, no, enough! You can't just expect me to believe all
that, I'm not some wet-behind-the-ears fool, who-"
"Well, I can't
believe you haven't heard of us," said Etoh quietly. "I mean, perhaps our disguises have confused you, but our names
are well-known in the world of magic.
Surely a man of learning such as yourself would know us."
He was surprised at this his own audacity. He was just as brave as anyone else in the
party; he could battle a dragon in an underground tunnel, but lying anytime,
about anything, sent nervous prickles running up and down his back. But, if he had judged Devin's character
correctly, the man would rather accept their story than admit to being ignorant
of anything.
"I…er…"
Devin trailed off. Etoh could see even
more color rising into the man's cheeks.
The villagers around them began to shift uncomfortably.
"That is
Celstina Wingheart, a specialist in elemental magic, and that's Dom Ironson,
one of the strongest dwarf warriors of this century." Etoh motioned to Deedlit and Ghim, trying to look condescending. "Don't tell me you haven't heard of them."
"Well…of…of
course I have!" Devin stammered.
"That's right, Dom Ironson. I
didn't recognize him without the, er, longer beard, and…um, you know, that hat
that he used to wear. But of course
I've heard of him! Yes, I don't know
how I could have mistaken him in the first place. And…you…um…your disguises are excellent. I really can't tell who you are, but I'm
sure I'll know you by name." All the
pompous fire had leaked out of the sorcerer, who was now struggling just to
keep from losing face.
"I am
Gabriel Luc, the Falis priest, and a powerful healer. Our mage here is Tanon the Wise.
Parn is really Titus McCleod, and he weilds the Sword of Light, which
I'm sure you've recognized,"
"Yes,
yes," Deb's head was bobbing up and
down like a bird, he seemed to be trying to affirm Etoh's statements and bow at
the same time.
"And that
is the famous thief Aloyicious Klempt, reformed of course. You've noticed the spell on his dagger,
right?"
"Yes, I
have, it-"
"It can cut
right to the heart of any monster, like butter," offered Wood, pulling the
knife out and flipping it around impressively.
He shot Etoh a quick glare that seemed to indicate some dissatisfaction
with his chosen name.
"Why, yes,
yes, of course. Now I understand! Well, you should have said so in the first
place."
"Well,
since you've insulted us so, maybe we should just take our people and leave,"
said 'Aloyicious', attempting to look imperious.
"Oh, no,
no, please! You've got to help us, or
we'll be at the goblin's mercy."
"Oh…I
suppose that's true…" Wood looked like
he was starting to regret his story, now that Devin was being so cooperative.
"And
besides, the sleep spell won't wear off for at least a day. Maybe more.
I wasn't sure when I cast it."
Etoh could see Slayn tense slightly, a rare show of anger from the quiet
mage, at such a careless use of magic.
"Well, we
can't be expected to go out and end all your problems with half of our people
down."
"Oh,
really?" Devin seemed to have gotten
his footing back, and was sidling onto higher ground. "But you're such well-known heroes. You would think that any one of you could take out a band of
goblins. Surely the three of you would
suffice for the job, and when you get back, your friends will be well taken
care of. Of course, you will be
reimbursed for your trouble as well."
The three
looked at each other, at the short wizard, and at the crowd, which still seemed
perfectly willing to tear them to pieces if Devin gave the order. There didn't seem to be much left to do, but
agree. Slayn did insist that Deedlit be
removed from the cage, and that she, Parn, and Ghim be given a comfortable
place to sleep until the spell wore off.
With that done, they found themselves being ushered out of town, Devin
claiming that surely "great heroes" such as themselves wouldn't need to wait
before tackling the goblins. One look
at the crowd convinced them that, no, they didn't really need to wait. They were pointed towards a couple of particularly
high hills, on which the goblins tended to camp out.
And that
was how, as the sun was setting, a mage, a thief, and a priest made their way
glumly towards a known goblin camp.
"Was it
really safe to leave the others with someone like that?" Etoh wondered
aloud. "How do we know he won't hurt
him while we're gone?"
"I gave him
a few choice words about long-distance monitering spells," said Slayn, wearing
a grim smile that seemed wrong on his usually gentle face. "I told him that if any of our companions
came to harm, the repercussions would be rather grave, and that if such harm
did occur, I would know immediately."
"Will you?"
"No. I'm not yet capable of casting something
that advanced. But he thinks I can, and
that should keep the others safe. Now,
as far as I can tell, we have no choice but to do as he asks."
"I suppose,"
Wood sighed. "I mean, I was thinking
maybe we could come back and lie, but a guy like that would want proof,
wouldn't he?"
"Yes, he
would."
"Oh
well." There were a few mintues of
silence, then Woodchuck spoke again.
"You know, that could have gone
better, but I've got to say – you two were great for law-abiding citizens. I never thought you could lie like that,
Etoh. I've only got one complaint for
you: Aloyicious Klempt? Aloyicious
Klempt, Etoh? My first chance to have a
name that's better than what I've got now, and you decide to call me
Aloyicious?"
"It's still
a step up from Woodchuck, I'd say," Slayn observed. "Whatever possessed your parents?"
"Hey, lay
off my parents," Wood said, actually going slightly red. Etoh hadn't seen him come close to blushing
once, even after screwing up royally in the elven forest, even when explaining
how he'd wound up beaten and bruised at the palace ball. "My mother saw it written in a book
somewhere and thought it sounded neat.
Wasn't her fault."
Slayn
cocked an eyebrow at the man's reaction, and wisely "laid off". Instead, he went on to a more pressing
problem.
"Do we have
a plan?"
"Plan? What, do I have to do everything? I got no idea what to do next, besides the
long-term plan of 'kill the goblins'."
Etoh hadn't wanted to hear that.
He had sincerely hoped that the thief had been thinking a little bit
beyond the present situation when he'd started his demon hunter talk. Apparently not.
"So, you
just jumped right in and made up a story, with no idea what we were going to do
next?"
"Hey, c'mon, you both helped. Besides, I wasn't lying about
everything. This knife really can cut
to the heart of any goblin."
"Its
enchanted?"
"Its
sharp."
Etoh
gritted his teeth, and called up the thirty-fourth prayer to Falis. It was likely to be an interesting little
ride ahead, and that meant "interesting" as in "heart-stopping terror and
extreme discomfort", not "interesting" as in "an evening of contemplation and
study". Then again, maybe one small
adventure without his protective best friend could silence the sneering voice
in his head that assured him, even right then, that he was useless
baggage.
Or, maybe
they'd be killed and eaten. One of the
two.
