centerh1Chapter One/h1
font size="3"bThe Jaded Dragon/font/b
pThe usual crowd greeted Ania as she entered one of her favorite hang outs in Barovia's villiage.She just waved and eased herself onto a wooden stool,her hands folded before her on the bar as she looked to the bartender Kreg.
br"Hey Kreg gimme a spiced cider" she said thoughtfully as she opened the black leather sactchal at her side and sorted through it to find the book she had been reading,her gaze scanning words and hand drawn pictures.
brKreg a dwarf of great strength grabbed the top of the book. "How 'bout a song then girl?"he said with a raised brow.He alone knew that Ania went into the woods to sing to the trees and animals.
br"No"
brThe words had come out sharper then she had intended them to.She looked sorry,but she didn't like haveing her reading disturbed.
br"Sorry for that.."she immediately said as she closed the book and looked to her friend who had gone to get her drink.She really needed to control that wild gypsy temper.
br"Hey Ania are you going to stalk the dark again tonight?"yelled one of the drunken usuals.She didn't get a chance to answer as he continued his line of thought."No matter what you do girl,you'll still be a half breed and not accepted by those you strive to protect."
brKreg growled and yelled "OUT,GET YER REAR OUT AND SLEEP IT OFF" the dwarf was hopping mad,he slid the drink in front of the stunned gypsy girl and stalked over to the druken man who disturbed the peace.
brHurt the girl took her drink and slinked from the seat and out the door.She wanted to get into the woods before the sun fully set.
br"Ania,Ania..."
br She paused and turned around to see the young human come running to her.His robes reflected the sunrise and the half-elf gave an inner sigh,the human had developed a health crush on the gypsy girl.
br"Why are you not indoors?"he asked her as he came to a stop after almost crashing into her.
br"I was about to go into the woods,Brother Leighton"she answered as she turned from him to continue her pace. "I suggest you get back to the temple,friend" she called "its safer."
br"You too should be safely roomed for the night" Leighton said resting a hand on her leather clad shoulder,causeing her to tense and icy violet eyes to turn to him,she gazed at his pale hand against her sleeve.
brThe priest quickly withdrew his hand and looked embaressed."Sorry,Tatie."he said addressing her by the first part of her name which caused a`look of alarm to cross her pale face.
br"Don't use that name Lei" she said as her eyes went around again to the shadows,Strahd often searched for those with her description let alone her name."I need to be going,night Brother Leighton" she sprinted across the town into the woods.
brBrother Leighton watched the fey girl go with a heavy heart.The two of them had almost been sweethearts,had his father not raised such a tempest over the fact she was gypsy and that had alinated the tempermental girl,he went back towards the Temple unlike ,Ania he was afraid to be out after dark,he worried for her being out,of course deep down he also wondered if she didn't have a death wish.
P The silence of the woods caused her to relaxe and she eased herself beneath her prefered tree,her own mother had worshipped the goddess Sahenine Moonbow and Ania always felt safe in the moonlight,then again the other half of her vistani blood was silver elven.
brShe tuned her instrument a ancient fiddle and began to run her fingers lightly across the strings,a delightful tinging sound was produced as she played along the strings.
brTo her right was a long sword silvered for hunting,that had costed her a pretty penny and she had saved up along time to get that weapon.
brHer voice joined her playing,mystically beautiful and undeniablely beautiful as she watched her surrounding with a keen eye,it was nearing winter and soon the trees would be bare,but now the colorful leaves swayed as though to keep with her song.
brCatching something from the corner of her eye move Ania let her gaze drift that way but said nothing her head tilted to the side,something wasn't right here the animals had stopped makeing a sound.
brHer words continued though she took the longsword up,slideing the weapon slowly from its sheath.Her long hair falling in her eyes as she gazed about the woods for any sign of danger.
p The slender blonde haired elf paused,his head tossed back he lightly sniffed the air.There was something not right about the woods tonight.
brHe often prowled to the edge of the wood and listened to Ania as she played.He feared showing himself didn't want to attract the girl's attention or unduely scare her,he recognized her dress and knew how the Gypsies viewed him.
brThe fiddles earthy song had stopped thought the charming voice of the girl did not as she went on singing about the coming winter.He peered from the shadows of the trees he had hidden in,watching her she too has sensed something her fiddle had been abandoned in favor of a sharp delicate elven longsword.
pThe creatures had been attracted by her song and they entered the clearing slowly there beady red eyes glowing with hellsfire as they gazed at what they assumed to be a lone harmless female.
brThe girl gasped slightly as she saw them,large almost the size of Dire Wolves with tentacles swaying around them,they were foaming at the mouth and looked utterly rabid insanity seemed to float around them like a cloud.
brQuickly counting there were four of them,that was fair odds she hoped as she gulped and desperately wished she had brought with her,her longbow but that was a weapon she had forgotten to get off her bed.
brThe group stalked out and Ania scowled,if she lived through this she would never forget her longbow again she freverantly swore.
brThe blonde elf felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as he saw the creatures.He was a peace lobver and despised the idea of visiting violence on any liveing creature,but these things were stalking her,the gentle bard who came and often played for him.
br He glanced to the daggers he possessed and he sighed he was going to get into a fight and he knew this the second the lead wolf lept to attack the girl,his form blurred,elongated and became covered in a soft golden down,sleek muscles moved beneath his fur as he was fully a wolf now.
brHe inserted himself between the girl and the leaping wolf,his larger wolf form easily dropping the lighter wolf from his course.The two went down in a snapping growling ball of fur one sun touched the other devoid of any light.
brAnia gasped as she looked at the new wolf,but concentrated her effort on the other three creatures.Her body moved with the ease of a dancer as she struck the creature and then away, twice.
brHer well placed blows cut through the side of the nearest creature its howl of pain and smell of blood was disgusting and she wanted to cover her face at the smell of the ichor.
brOne lept for her but she had ducked out of its way,the other however knocked her to the ground sending the silver sword skittering under a tree.
brShe bawled up to protect her neck but felt the stinging pain as its fangs bit into her upper arm and tore.A cry escaped her at that,the pain was horriable.
brWithin that second there came a yelp from the other wolf but it was cut short as the great golden wolf snapped its neck.The wolf mauling her was next the golden wolf snapped at it,not slamming into it for fear of it tearing the half elf beneath it more,luckily his attack drew its attention and it turned to face the new attacker.
brAnia's hat had been lost in the fight her red-gold hair spilled around her as she crawled to where the sword was half hidden under leaves she retrieved it and got back to her feet in enough time to attack the wolf she had already wounded before as it was about to get into the fight with the gold wolf.
brThe last of the wolves hung back and looked to the shadows,as though directed by something.The tentacles grasped the golden wolf weakly but the gold wolf again snapped the other creatures neck,its strength superior to the creatures own.
brThe golden wolf shook off and rolled to its feet glanceing around with large silver eyes,the girl was on her feet barely,she smelled of hurt and was fending the wounded wolf off,she struck it one final time and it fell limp.
brHaunching down the gold wolf looked to the last wolf and growled low,it didn't seem about to attack and fled at the death of the other three leaveing its prey and the preys protector.
brTo Ania's horror,the wolf bodies seemed to fall apart,and become clay,the monsters had not been birthed but created.
br"By the moon" she whispered softly the earth was rushing up at her swiftly and she sat her blade down,least she fall on it.Out of the corner of her eyes she saw something going towards Bere,dressed in shadows there then not there.
br"The shadows.."she moaned as the earth caught her.
brShifting back out of the girl's sight the golden wolf became a golden elf,which swept up the girl and took her back into the village to the one place he knew would answer the door, the Temple of Lathander.
font size="3"bThe Jaded Dragon/font/b
pThe usual crowd greeted Ania as she entered one of her favorite hang outs in Barovia's villiage.She just waved and eased herself onto a wooden stool,her hands folded before her on the bar as she looked to the bartender Kreg.
br"Hey Kreg gimme a spiced cider" she said thoughtfully as she opened the black leather sactchal at her side and sorted through it to find the book she had been reading,her gaze scanning words and hand drawn pictures.
brKreg a dwarf of great strength grabbed the top of the book. "How 'bout a song then girl?"he said with a raised brow.He alone knew that Ania went into the woods to sing to the trees and animals.
br"No"
brThe words had come out sharper then she had intended them to.She looked sorry,but she didn't like haveing her reading disturbed.
br"Sorry for that.."she immediately said as she closed the book and looked to her friend who had gone to get her drink.She really needed to control that wild gypsy temper.
br"Hey Ania are you going to stalk the dark again tonight?"yelled one of the drunken usuals.She didn't get a chance to answer as he continued his line of thought."No matter what you do girl,you'll still be a half breed and not accepted by those you strive to protect."
brKreg growled and yelled "OUT,GET YER REAR OUT AND SLEEP IT OFF" the dwarf was hopping mad,he slid the drink in front of the stunned gypsy girl and stalked over to the druken man who disturbed the peace.
brHurt the girl took her drink and slinked from the seat and out the door.She wanted to get into the woods before the sun fully set.
br"Ania,Ania..."
br She paused and turned around to see the young human come running to her.His robes reflected the sunrise and the half-elf gave an inner sigh,the human had developed a health crush on the gypsy girl.
br"Why are you not indoors?"he asked her as he came to a stop after almost crashing into her.
br"I was about to go into the woods,Brother Leighton"she answered as she turned from him to continue her pace. "I suggest you get back to the temple,friend" she called "its safer."
br"You too should be safely roomed for the night" Leighton said resting a hand on her leather clad shoulder,causeing her to tense and icy violet eyes to turn to him,she gazed at his pale hand against her sleeve.
brThe priest quickly withdrew his hand and looked embaressed."Sorry,Tatie."he said addressing her by the first part of her name which caused a`look of alarm to cross her pale face.
br"Don't use that name Lei" she said as her eyes went around again to the shadows,Strahd often searched for those with her description let alone her name."I need to be going,night Brother Leighton" she sprinted across the town into the woods.
brBrother Leighton watched the fey girl go with a heavy heart.The two of them had almost been sweethearts,had his father not raised such a tempest over the fact she was gypsy and that had alinated the tempermental girl,he went back towards the Temple unlike ,Ania he was afraid to be out after dark,he worried for her being out,of course deep down he also wondered if she didn't have a death wish.
P The silence of the woods caused her to relaxe and she eased herself beneath her prefered tree,her own mother had worshipped the goddess Sahenine Moonbow and Ania always felt safe in the moonlight,then again the other half of her vistani blood was silver elven.
brShe tuned her instrument a ancient fiddle and began to run her fingers lightly across the strings,a delightful tinging sound was produced as she played along the strings.
brTo her right was a long sword silvered for hunting,that had costed her a pretty penny and she had saved up along time to get that weapon.
brHer voice joined her playing,mystically beautiful and undeniablely beautiful as she watched her surrounding with a keen eye,it was nearing winter and soon the trees would be bare,but now the colorful leaves swayed as though to keep with her song.
brCatching something from the corner of her eye move Ania let her gaze drift that way but said nothing her head tilted to the side,something wasn't right here the animals had stopped makeing a sound.
brHer words continued though she took the longsword up,slideing the weapon slowly from its sheath.Her long hair falling in her eyes as she gazed about the woods for any sign of danger.
p The slender blonde haired elf paused,his head tossed back he lightly sniffed the air.There was something not right about the woods tonight.
brHe often prowled to the edge of the wood and listened to Ania as she played.He feared showing himself didn't want to attract the girl's attention or unduely scare her,he recognized her dress and knew how the Gypsies viewed him.
brThe fiddles earthy song had stopped thought the charming voice of the girl did not as she went on singing about the coming winter.He peered from the shadows of the trees he had hidden in,watching her she too has sensed something her fiddle had been abandoned in favor of a sharp delicate elven longsword.
pThe creatures had been attracted by her song and they entered the clearing slowly there beady red eyes glowing with hellsfire as they gazed at what they assumed to be a lone harmless female.
brThe girl gasped slightly as she saw them,large almost the size of Dire Wolves with tentacles swaying around them,they were foaming at the mouth and looked utterly rabid insanity seemed to float around them like a cloud.
brQuickly counting there were four of them,that was fair odds she hoped as she gulped and desperately wished she had brought with her,her longbow but that was a weapon she had forgotten to get off her bed.
brThe group stalked out and Ania scowled,if she lived through this she would never forget her longbow again she freverantly swore.
brThe blonde elf felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as he saw the creatures.He was a peace lobver and despised the idea of visiting violence on any liveing creature,but these things were stalking her,the gentle bard who came and often played for him.
br He glanced to the daggers he possessed and he sighed he was going to get into a fight and he knew this the second the lead wolf lept to attack the girl,his form blurred,elongated and became covered in a soft golden down,sleek muscles moved beneath his fur as he was fully a wolf now.
brHe inserted himself between the girl and the leaping wolf,his larger wolf form easily dropping the lighter wolf from his course.The two went down in a snapping growling ball of fur one sun touched the other devoid of any light.
brAnia gasped as she looked at the new wolf,but concentrated her effort on the other three creatures.Her body moved with the ease of a dancer as she struck the creature and then away, twice.
brHer well placed blows cut through the side of the nearest creature its howl of pain and smell of blood was disgusting and she wanted to cover her face at the smell of the ichor.
brOne lept for her but she had ducked out of its way,the other however knocked her to the ground sending the silver sword skittering under a tree.
brShe bawled up to protect her neck but felt the stinging pain as its fangs bit into her upper arm and tore.A cry escaped her at that,the pain was horriable.
brWithin that second there came a yelp from the other wolf but it was cut short as the great golden wolf snapped its neck.The wolf mauling her was next the golden wolf snapped at it,not slamming into it for fear of it tearing the half elf beneath it more,luckily his attack drew its attention and it turned to face the new attacker.
brAnia's hat had been lost in the fight her red-gold hair spilled around her as she crawled to where the sword was half hidden under leaves she retrieved it and got back to her feet in enough time to attack the wolf she had already wounded before as it was about to get into the fight with the gold wolf.
brThe last of the wolves hung back and looked to the shadows,as though directed by something.The tentacles grasped the golden wolf weakly but the gold wolf again snapped the other creatures neck,its strength superior to the creatures own.
brThe golden wolf shook off and rolled to its feet glanceing around with large silver eyes,the girl was on her feet barely,she smelled of hurt and was fending the wounded wolf off,she struck it one final time and it fell limp.
brHaunching down the gold wolf looked to the last wolf and growled low,it didn't seem about to attack and fled at the death of the other three leaveing its prey and the preys protector.
brTo Ania's horror,the wolf bodies seemed to fall apart,and become clay,the monsters had not been birthed but created.
br"By the moon" she whispered softly the earth was rushing up at her swiftly and she sat her blade down,least she fall on it.Out of the corner of her eyes she saw something going towards Bere,dressed in shadows there then not there.
br"The shadows.."she moaned as the earth caught her.
brShifting back out of the girl's sight the golden wolf became a golden elf,which swept up the girl and took her back into the village to the one place he knew would answer the door, the Temple of Lathander.