One day I was bored, so on the http://rasalvatore.com/forum/, i posted a paragraph and invited others to join in. Other authors include BelleBayard, CBS,Pisqid, Riz the Rat, and the ever prolific writer- Sri'Alys. The majority of this is her mad creation ;-) Pisqid (Dave Pontier) and Sri'Alys (Tori L. Corday) have fanfics posted here on the site. This story has obviously been written by AD&D players and if you have played Planescape (either the campaign setting or that Torment game i cant afford) you'll get an extra kick out of the setting.
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Chapter One
Just Getting Away

"That's it, that's the final straw," she thought to herself. "I am a liberated woman. I don't have to take this!" Grumbling to herself, she packed her bags in the dark. Hard tack, a few gems, her brother's riding clothes, and some men's trousers. "Me? Marry? That *thing*?? He looks like a... a," she stopped and sat down on the bed, head in her hands, "a dream boat." Liam was a looker too, with those perfect blue eyes and the soft brown hair that her hands seemed to get lost in. And his smile- "No," she reiterated, quickly getting back up to stuff more of her few belongings into the bag. "I am not going to get married. I will not be cowed like so many of the other women I've seen." Still, she paused as she prepared to fasten the bag, what was she to do? The short five minutes it had taken her to pack let her know that she had very little even if she stayed. If she left, what would she do?
There was only one chance, she had to consider her options. Despite his looks, in fact perhaps because of them, he seemed to consider himself the gods gift to women. For years she'd managed on her own and now he expected her to give up everything and stay at home, cooking, cleaning, and bearing tons of children. With a shudder, the headstrong and fiercely independent woman flung the bag over her shoulder. Never would she submit to that sort of thing. It wasn't that she didn't want love or marriage, just not the variety Liam wanted.
She stomped off, toward the stables and her horse. At least Baron understood her, if no one else. He whickered at her approach. She reached up to pat his neck, then moved toward her tack. As she saddled him, footsteps crunched in the snow outside. Her fingers flew, tightening the girth and securing her pack to the cantle. *His* shadow darkened the stable door, but she refused to look up.
Ignoring the shadow she sped off galloping growling away any second thoughts. She made up her mind, their was no turning back. Baron ran swift and smooth, the finest horse of the land some would argue, the woman could feel the wind blow through her hair, the sun shone warmly on her fair face. This was freedom she thought as she began to relax sitting back in the saddle. A call of her name had her tense up.
"ELIZA!" She felt the blood drain from her face. Not now! There was no time for this now... She clenched her teeth and grumbled to herself as she tugged slightly on Baron's reigns, effectively slowing the horse to an anxious, stomping stop. "Eliza!" The shrill voice called again as a small form made it's way through the grassy field toward her..."Eliza! Where are you going?! You forgot your...your..."
"Spit it out, Charles!" Eliza snapped irritably as she watched the spindly, ragged teenager approach...his face red from the effort of the long run.
"You...You forgot ME!"
"Hardly, but I was trying," Eliza replied in annoyance. Charles looked crestfallen at her harsh words, but still moved to grab hold of the bridle when Eliza started to urge her steed onward once more. "Take me with you!" he cried in a wheedling falsetto. "Pleasssse."
"NO! Shouldn't you be shoveling the sheds, or catching frogs, or SOMETHING?" Charles gave a noncommital shrug and smiled up at her with those big and brown, puppy-dog eyes of his.
"Please," he implored her again.
Eliza shook her head in angry frustration, then decided. "Fine, then, just quite your incessant whining!" She reached down and grasped Charles by the front of his shirt, literally pulling him off his feet and onto the back of her horse. "Just hold on and..." Eliza's stern words were cut short by the sounds of harsh screeching, coming from the skies above. She whipped around in the saddle, shielding her eyes from the light of the sun in an attempt to view the source of the noise, although she had the ominous feeling that she already knew. Her heart sank as her suspicions were confirmed. The foreboding shapes of great, black birds of prey littered the horizon to the west, sweeping down out of the low clouds to glide at treetop level. Armed riders sat astride the beasts, their legs strapped to specialized saddles that allowed for unrestricted movement of their upper bodies. Eliza could see sunlight reflecting off of drawn steel. Charles clutched the back of her riding cloak in terror, urging her to ride. Erik, the sorcerer who also desired to possess her, had come for her, just as he had promised.
She whipped her head too and fro searching for something, anything. At a good distance she could see the edge of the Darkening Forest. There was no way she could get there before being spotted. The only hope was to get there before being caught. As Eliza put her head down and kicked the horse's flanks, she growled; "Hold on!" Sensing her mistress' urgency, Baron put his own head down and took off like he had been fired from a heavy crossbow.
Charles let out a yelp and wrapped his arms around Eliza's waist as if his life depended on it--which it probably did. Erik always had been the jealous type. The waifish boy pressed his face into Eliza's back, her wheat colored ringlets blocking his view of the oncoming danger from the sky. Eliza pushed Baron on...the animals' hooves hammering the soft spring ground. The tree line was close...a hundred meters at most....but the dark shadow from above was nearing every second....she snapped the reigns again, her palms moist with fear.
"DON'T WORRY, WE"LL MAKE IT!" Charles shouted as Baron closed the distance between them and the trees. "ALL FOUR OF US!"
Eliza looked back at the boy as if he were daft, then posed her query, "Four?" Charles gave her a sheepishly guilty grin then, before nodding a reluctant affirmative. "I brought Stretch with me!" he confided at last, though he was a bit distracted by the flapping of wings closing upon them from behind. Baron stumbled over a rock then, half-hidden by the melting snow, but recovered and continued on again.
"Who the devil is Stretch?" Eliza called back at the lad, thoroughly befuddled. Charles reached into the pocket of his loose-fitting breeches then, and pulled forth a stark-white snow frog. He showed the creature to Eliza, who turned away in disgust, revolted by the creature. The trees were very close now, but so were the Wind Riders.
Eliza leaned over Baron's neck, pulling Charles with her. The dark forest's cover crept closer until they managed to duck beneath its canopy. A great blast of wind swirled around the horse's hooves, accompanied by the frustrated screeches of Erik's raptor-hunters. Her heart hammered with the close call, but the most uncomfortable thing remained the strangle hold Charles had around her waist. "You can let me go a bit or you'll find yourself on your own," she threatened as she moved Baron into a trot. "I don't know why I even stopped for you."
"Aw, Eliza. Wouldn't be fair if you went off on an adventure without me," he complained, his words jerking with the horse's movement.
"Twit. I'm not going on an adventure, I'm trying to get away from Erik. You think I want to be shackled to someone who wants to control me completely?" She snorted and turned her attention to the faint path through the trees. They couldn't afford to rest until many miles had passed under Baron's feet. She could hear Erik's birds screeches echoing far above them and knew she'd not escape so easily. Instead of seeking shelter with the local folk, she and Charles would have to make do with what they could scavage from the woods. Now, if only Erik would leave his wolves behind... But that, she knew, posited a futile hope.
Eliza strained to listen for other signs of pursuit behind her. She remembered the dark riders who had waited on the horizon and worried they would follow her into the forest. Baron's heavy breathing sounded harsh in the mist, masking any stealthy sounds that might come behind them.
"Wha--" Charles began, his voice far too loud for Eliza's taste. She elbowed him hard and growled, "Quiet, fool. Do you want to draw every hunter after us?" He didn't answer in words, merely hugged her tighter again. Eliza urged Baron back onto the trail, pausing occasionally to seek for any sign of the hunters. She knew they must have been followed and feared they'd not shake them until they passed beyond the wood's farthest border. The morning sun's light barely reached them in the thick trees, yet Eliza could sense it's movement into afternoon. Baron's hide bore the traces of the flight, foam flecking his neck where she could see. Regret that she must push him so nagged at her and at the next creek she pulled him up.
"Why are we stopping?" Charles whispered.
"We must rest Baron or be afoot the remainder of the way," she told him irritably. Did he remember nothing of creatures? She peered up at the trees' canopy, trying to ascertain if the raptors still flew above, looking for a way in. Fleet shadows passed overhead, indicating Erik had not called off his airborne surveillance. "Come on. Let's walk a bit," she told Charles and waited for his complaint.
He didn't disappoint her. "But how long must we tramp along like this? Where are we going?" he continued on, his voice still hushed in obvious memory of her earlier caution. They walked on for at least an hour's span, coming to an open glade. Eliza paused before entering it, aware they would become exposed to whatever eyes might be on the lookout for them. Perhaps a longer, but more covered route might be better. Crashing in the underbrush opposite their position took the decision from her. She remounted and pulled Charles up behind her, turned away from the inviting meadow and fled deeper into the forest.
Behind them, the sound of crashing grew louder and more frantic. Eliza risked a glance back in time to see a group of deer burst from the underbrush and rush across the meadow, apparently startled by some unseen force. She pulled back on the reins and turned Baron aside, positioning her horse behind a large oak tree. Silencing Charles with a stern glance and a wave of her hand, Eliza heard once again the raucous screeching of one of the great birds of prey. The low-flying beast must have terrified the deer, who entered the forest opposite where they had charged out of as a dark shadow appeared on the edge of the meadow grass. Believing that Baron (along with Charles and his frog) was well-hidden from any aerial scouts, Eliza pulled her bow from the saddle and strapped on her quiver. She boosted herself up and grasped one of the lower branches of the oak.
Strong and agile, Eliza was up into the higher reaches of the tree in no time, positioning herself so that she could take a quick look around and assess the situation. A shadow passed over her face - the rider had circled back around for another view of the meadow. Glancing all around her, Eliza saw that there was no other sign of her pursuers in any direction.
The bird and its rider were alone. Erik must have sent his men off in every direction to cover more ground. Smirking slightly, Eliza braced herself between the trunk and one of the larger branches. She readied an arrow, angling the bow somewhat sideways to avoid other branches above her head. The rider passed the meadow and turned his mount again, reversing direction for the third time, apparently searching for the source of the noise.
As they drew closer, Eliza steadied herself, cursing Erik beneath her breath as she let the arrow fly. The shaft whistled through the air, streaking towards her target with pinpoint accuracy. Instinct told the bird that something was amiss, but by then it was too late. Eliza's arrow tore through the sky and buried itself straight into the beast's dark head, piercing its brain and killing it instantly. The rider felt his mount tilt, and knew immediately that it was dead. Quickly unhooking his legs from their straps, the man pulled off whatever heavy items he could from his body, anticipating a rough fall into the trees. He pushed off the back of the bird, kicking out and away as he fell through the treetops and crashed into the forest floor. The giant beast of prey went into a slight spin, shooting across the meadow in its final flight of death, and smashed headfirst into a mass of tree trunks, creating a bloody cloud of green leaves and black feathers. Eliza scrambled back to the forest floor, and sprinted across the meadow in search of the fallen rider.
He was dead. Eliza had never killed anyone before, and the feeling was not a pleasant one. She looked above for more riders, but the sky was suddenly very calm. All forest sounds had stopped in fear of the unnatural going-ons in the woods. The silence was deafening.
"We should head back to that clearing," Charles said after a few moments. "It was a nice place for your horse to graze."
"No," she replied, barely paying attention to the comment. "That will give Erik easier access to us. We are safer in here." There was little conviction in her voice. She did not feel safe at all. She put her bow back on her saddle and walked around her horse to get a good look at the trail ahead.
"No, you don't understand, we should have gone into that clearing." There was a sudden edge to his voice that seemed very out of place. Eliza turned around to see what was wrong. Charles held a short sword, the shinny metal reflecting sunlight into Charles' face, making his evil smirk look all the more menacing. "Now we are going to have to do it the hard way."
"What are you talking about?" Eliza tried to chuckle, hoping this was all some kind of ill-conceived joke. "Put that away. We have to get moving."
"Erik thought you might run away," Charles said slowly, walking toward her. "But he knew you trusted me." Eliza figured out the game quick enough, and she no longer tried to laugh. She glanced at his weapon again and then at hers, still strapped to her saddle. Charles stood between her and the horse. She pulled an arrow from her quiver, but it was hardly an adequate weapon without her bow.
"If you are going to bring me to Erik, he won't appreciate it if you cut me up."
Charles laughed. "Oh, wounds can be healed." He then grew suddenly terse. "At least physical wounds can. Do you know what it is like to be rejected by the only person you ever loved? Do you?"
"Please, Charles," Eliza said backing up slowly. "You are six years younger than me. I helped look after you when your parents were away. I just never saw you that way."
"How do I look to you now?" his evil grin sent shivers down her spine. "It's payback time." He rushed her.
Charles ran at Eliza with every ounce of strength his frail form could muster, the short sword held awkwardly in his inexperienced hands. The boy emitted a feral cry as he neared.
Eliza stood dumbstruck. Charles? Silly, scrawny, loveable Charles? Yet there it was, plain as day...loveable Charles charging her with intent to maim. She would have to desperately re-evaluate her character judgement in the future. "Charles, stop it!" She cried, although she was certain he was not listening. As Charles drew closer, Eliza decided that it was time for action, not words. She unslung her bow, and with all her strength swung the object like a club right at Charles's head. The bow arced at the boy quite gracelessly, barely grazing Charles' head. With the same lack of grace, borne of lanky adolescent limbs rather than the girl's desperation, Charles stumbled past where Eliza had been. Quick thinking, Eliza had used the momentum of the swing to dive towards the corpse of the Wind Rider. She fumbled with the leg sheath on the body, finally managing to pull the knife out of the tight leather case. Eliza jumped to her feet, fearful that the boy would have had ample time to attack her while she had struggled with the knife. Oddly, the boy just stared at her in confusion, sword lowered. They stood off a few seconds, both unsure of what was going on. Then, the evil gleam returned to the boy's eyes.
"A geas spell?" Eliza wondered, as the boy rushed her again.
Eliza's back was to her horse now, but she did not have time to turn and grab her sword, instead she met the charge with the dagger. Charles looked momentarily surprised that she would face off with a smaller weapon, and that hesitation allowed Eliza to side-step at the last moment, kicking the youth in the seat of his pants. "Baron, kick, kick!" she called out suddenly. She had taught her horse a few tricks, never thinking they would be used for anything more than showing off to her friends, but as Charles stumbled behind Baron, she was happy she had taken the time to train him. One of the two hoofs stuck Charles in the shoulder. It was only a glancing blow - for if it had been more it could have broken bones - but it numbed his whole arm, causing him to drop his sword and spin to the ground. Eliza winced at the blow, hoping he was not too badly hurt, but Charles did not even seem to notice as he started to get up and crawl to his weapon.
Eliza walked quickly over and kicked the sword out of his grasp. He tried to rise but his injured shoulder could not support him and fell to his back. She sat on top of him, straddling his waist with her dagger held above him. His smile sent shivers down her spine.
"Do you have any idea how long I've been trying to get you on top of me?" Eliza did not want to hurt him, but her left fist - not the one holding the dagger - lashed out at him on instinct to the lewd comment. Charles' head whiplashed to the side under the blow, and when he looked at her again, there was blood seeping from his lip, but his grin had not changed.
"Why are you doing this?" she cried. "What did Erik do to you?"
"Do you even know how powerful he is?" Charles responded. "You can not escape him." They were in the trees, but enough light streamed down between the leaves to let her see the shadows passing over her again. The riders were back. Eliza thought it odd that they had disappeared right when Charles had started his attack and were now back again right after he had failed. She pulled open his vest, ripping off two buttons in the process. She ignored his sick comments of how he liked it rough, and paid more attention to the odd broach pinned to his shirt. She detached the pin from his shirt and the change was immediate.
"Eliza, where am I?" Charles looked very confused. "What's going on." He tried to move and winced. "And why does my shoulder hurt so much?"
Eliza got off him and helped him to his feet. "Do you know how to get back to town?" she asked.
He looked around for a while, recognizing the forest. "Yea. What are we doing out here?"
"Erik is after me," she replied.
A dim light went on in his head. He remembered something about Erik coming to him that morning. He had chanted some weird words and then done something to his shirt. Now he was here.
"He's only after me. You should be able to get safely back to town." Charles nodded, too stunned to do anything else. Eliza was already on her horse before Charles could ask any questions. "I'll be back in a few days," she lied as she kicked Baron into a gallop. In one hand she clutched the reigns, in the other the magical broach. If Erik was linked to it some how, she might be able to use it against him. Only time would tell.
Eliza hopped on to Baron in a flash and darted off through the woods. There were now three riders in her area and she wondered if she would make it through. The riders had spotted her and were flying low over the trees.
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