A.N.- Please read and review as I will be upadting this contently!
CampFire Tales
Thanks for the ride, good sir,' the young woman climbed off the back, then nearly tripped over something furry on her first step. 'Awww, a rabbit, how cute. Here rabbit.' She leaned down and patted the small creature on the head.
A burly guards strolled over. 'Curse them rabbits, they be hopping all over this place, savaging what farms not yet ransacked by them thieves.' He shook a fist at the fleeing rabbit, and turned to the young woman. 'Pardon me, lady, all these troubles around here is getting on everyone's nerve.
'How are you guys dealing with the Brotherhood deputy?' The driver asked, weighed down by the crate in his arms.
The guardsman shook his head. 'It's a losing battle we're fighting. It has gone beyond skirmishes, just a few days ago they occupied the vineyard across the river, we tried to chase them out, but we simply lack in numbers to mount any effective attacks, we don't exactly know what they're up to, but it cannot be good.'
'Bless me, they're certainly getting bold. Little wonder you people sent out message for volunteer militias,' dragging another crate to the edge, he carried it to the side of the road where he placed in a heap with the other crates. 'Speaking of it, this young lass here would like join the volunteer militias, asked for a ride here when I stopped in Goldshire, say she's a mage, ain't that right lass?'
'A mage?' The guards studied her, and the staff on her back. 'That be great, we sure could use more volunteers around here, especially a spell caster, someone who can attack those sneaky defias at range would be of great help, lady mage.'
The young woman's face reddened. 'My name's Vrisiphiel, and I'm not much of a mage yet, I know a few tricks, conjuring balls of fires and such, don't know if they'll be of much use in fighting.'
'I am sure you will do just fine lady Vrisiphiel.' The guardsman smiled at her. 'I am Deputy Willem, second in command of the Stormwind guards in Northshire. I thank you for your offer of help, now you would want to talk to Marshal Mcbride to be enlisted, he's just through the doorway there,' the man pointed at the church like building. 'Then you might want to talk to Khelden Bremen, Khelden is a mage trainer, he can show you a few useful tricks, you should be able to find him on the second floor of the library wing, that's the second left if you continue in after speaking with the Marshal.'
'Thank you Deputy Willem' Vrisiphiel bowed politely. 'I shall go speak to the Marshal.'
Scurrying up the steps of stairs, she found the bald marshal standing at the end of the doorway. Briefly introducing herself to the marshal, she asked if there was anything she could do to help deal with the Defias Brotherhood. The marshal shook his head. 'I'm afraid not at this point, but I do have a task for you, a simple one at that, to prove your worth. There's a mine to the north west of here, and kobolds have settled in it and the woods near it. Go there kill seven of them vermins, keep their numbers down so we may one day drive them from Northshire, you shall receive twenty five coppers once the task is done.'
Before she leave for the vermins, she continued in and found the mage trainer upstairs reading.
'Evening there lass, how may I help you?' The man closed his book, and smiled warmly at her.
Explaining her joining the volunteer militia and Willem's suggestion that she learn some spells from him, the trainer replied. 'Very well then, you look like a bright lass, with a bit of practice perhaps I could show you how to cast a few spells, but it'll make a dent in your purse I'm afraid, things don't come free in these troubled times.'
'I understand, thank you good sir. I shall return once I have completed the marshal's errands. See you soon.'
Heading out the building, she noticed a few other trainers chatting in the common room, warrior, paladin, priest. Once outside she even thought she caught sight of a tamer and his grey wolf. The deputy approached her, and was disappointed when he learned that she was not appointed to the task of dealing with the Defias. 'No matter, I could still use a hand with them Defias at the vineyard, head east and cross the river, if you could bring me eight of their red bandanas as token of the kill, I will be delighted give you this spare militia staff we got.'
Vrisiphiel nodded, and told the deputy she would do that, as soon as she had completed the marshal's task first, and headed into the wood to the north west.
Kobolds were rat like humanoids, crooked backed with large pink noses and wrinkled face, they were only half her height – and she was by no way tall for a human – and they chatted amongst themselves as she approached them. She could make out two forms of kobolds, the small vermins, and the blocky workers. Candles sat bizarrely over their head, which she assumed were used for lighting when in the mines.
The kobold stank of decomp, tasting sour acid, Vrisiphiel barely kept her dinner contained in her stomach. She began castin a simple fireball spell and was surprised when the foul creatures paid no attention to the young woman whose hand burned of mystic light. The stupidity of the kobolds soon spelt their doom as bolt after bolt of fiery fire cut through their ranks. Vrisiphiel managed to kill two vermins in her initial barrage, wounding a third. The wounded one stumbled away, heading for the safety of the mine, the young mage ran after him and knocked him out with a well placed hit on the head with her staff.
Relieving the dead kobolds of the few coppers coins they had, Vrisiphiel stood up for her spirit to become rested. In the distance, she noticed a few other people, none uniform volunteers like her, cutting through the kobolds. Almost too easy. She resumed her kobold killing, watching the rat like creature shriek and die under her fire balls. She had killed seven vermins already, but she continued her attack for a while yet, just to practice her spells.
At last she decided to turn back and speak to the marshal, who was quite impressed with her, and asked that she return and cull down the number of kobold workers too, which she promptly accepted. Not feeling ready to learn more skills yet, she decided not to visit Khelden, instead she headed east, toward the vineyard to see the defias - which the deputy was evidently so disgusted - at were on about.
By the stream, she saw a black clad woman patrolling the opposite banks. Not wanting to alert the Brotherhood, she waited until the patrol passed before treading over the shallow stream, she climbed up the banks to find a band of dark haired men gathered in a stripped out vineyard. Quietly making her way to the fences, she peaked at them through tall grasses. The Defias had their face covered with red cloth, their eyes glittered with wickedness. Openly brandishing long knives which reflected coldly under the pale moon light, they paced the yards with hunger, anticipating the thrill of falling upon their next victim.
For the next hour, she played hide and seek with the rogues, picking off stragglers whenever one left the safety of their camp. 'This is too easy.' She said quietly, untying the red bandana from the rogue's limp body. This one died from a fireball right into his face, never knowing what struck him.
Her pack filled with smoldering red bandanas, the young mage returned to hand them in to the Deputy. 'Nice work, Vrisiphiel. I have seen few woman with your skill, here.' Willem said, handing her the militia staff.
Vrisiphiel spun the wooden stick in her hand. It wasn't very well made nor balanced, and a slither too heavy for her liking, but it was better than her old cracked staff. The old merchant by the caravan was kind enough to trade in the old staff and a few other items she found on the rogues for coppers. With her purse chinking sweetly with coins, the young woman went about in finding Khelden. It didn't take long, and she found the mage trainer taking a stroll behind the Abbey
'Back so soon young lady?' Khelden said merrily. 'Come for some teachings I suppose, very well. Show me a simple fireball.'
The young mage looked about, and decided to set a nearby tree on fire.
'Good, good.' The trainer laughed at the flames licking at the green leaves on the tree, he waved his hands, blue rings of light and ice flakes filled the air, and a shaft of ice shot forth, dousing the flame. 'You are quite skilled with the basic fire spell already. Now let me show you how to control the magic of cold.'
The morning sun came up, and the woods of Northshire was filled with the muffled sound of fighting, with the entrance to the Fargodeep Mine littered with frozen kobolds, empty eyes gaping in disbelieve. More dead kobolds lined the tunnels, and shriek and explosions echoed still from deeper within.
In a large opened segment of Fargodeep Mine, Vrisiphiel kicked a corpse off an empty cart, tossed the mining pick in its hand to the other side of the chamber, and rummaged through its pockets for anything of value. Luck was not looking over her this morning, and this kobold turned up empty. Taking a seat on the cart, she took out a apple and bit into it, feeling the energy spread to every corner of her body.
The frostbolt spell Khelden had taught her proved more than useful, it was a perfect arsenal against foes. Chilling whatever creature it strikes, the frostbolts slowed the advancement of it enough for her to unleash three fireballs before having to retreat, if the kobold wasn't dead by then. With the frostbolt, the young mage fought her way down the infested mine with ease, in search of the kobold laborers the Marshal wished her to dispose of.
'What's that?' Vrisiphiel thought, noticing a large blocky shape in the corner, covered by the remains of a makeshift table. It was a large chest, she recognized as she approached carefully. Finding a solid hold on the wooden board that may have once been the tabletop, she tried to push it off the chest. The board resisted, its weight heavy for the slender woman, and after a few attempts with nothing but sweat as the result, the mage gave up. 'Fine, have it your way.' Flames burst forth from her hands, and a piece of wooden board catapulted into the air. When the cloud of dirt settled down, the chest was free of obstruction.
This time the chest gave no objection to her opening, and the lid creaked open with little effort. 'Nice!' She exclaimed at the chest's content. A decent pile of coins scattered about the container's bottom, possible as many as thirty coppers, a cut of cheese - still good - laid in a small paper box, which she bagged, and there was something else, some sort of metallic cylindrical objects, brushing off the dust, she inspected them under the yellow torch light. A pair of bracers, finely crafted, and given some cleaning it would be as good as new, it looked about her size too, a nice added bonus.
Smiling, Vrisiphiel headed back up the tunnels. Shadows flickered in the darkness, but she knew they were just cowering kobolds. Good spirited from the find, she nearly walked into the deputy when she returned to the Abbey.
'Careful there Vrisiphiel.' The burly man said, shifting uneasily in his armor, which was acting like a glasshouse. 'I trust you have had a fine morning?'
'My apolgies Deputy. I guess I am a bit taken in with what wealth I found in the mine.'
'Ah, good to hear. Assuming the Marshal had no other tasks have you, could you do me a favor?'
'Anything.'
'It is dangerous, but I would not have come to you had I any other choices. I have been keeping an eye on those Defias for some time now, and I have managed to identify their leader, Garrick Padfoot. Now I know where his tent is, but he is too well defended, and with most of the Stormwind Defense up on the Alliance front, I do not have men enough to go after him. It would really help the situation around here if you could sneak in and kill the man. Without a leader the Defias will be fall apart, and my men will have a easier job keeping them at bay.'
Without a second for thought, the young woman nodded. 'Sure, I'll do it.'
'You sure you don't want to think over it? It isn't going to be easy, and the Brotherhood will show no mercy to whomever falls into their hands. You don't have to do this, I will not pressure you into doing anything.' The deputy sounded doubtful behind his helmet.
'Not to worry, I know what I am up against, it'll be a breeze.'
'Thank you so much, Vrisiphiel, you have the gratitude of the Northshire Guards, if you need anything, just say it and I'll make sure they be arranged.'
'Right now, a good afternoon's sleep.' The young mage returned her staff to her back and went to sell the loots from the mine to the caravan tradesman.