They all landed hard on the ground in various states of shock. Traveling
through portals was never a comfortable experience.
"Would anyone happen to know where we are?" Caroline asked, stumbling to her feet.
Ramo gazed around. They were in a damp forest. The starry sky was barely visible through the thick branches overhead. Aside from the ragged breathing of her friends and the sound of small forest animals, all was silent.
"Damn," she hissed. "Why couldn't we have ended up in civilization?"
"Because we never had any good luck. Fate hates us, remember?" Ray-Ray grumbled.
"Why did we come here?" Squirrel groaned.
"This is your fault, Kee-Kee!" Ramo snarled.
"You agreed to come!" Kee-Kee protested.
"Because we forgot that you were a stupid slut!" Ramo bellowed.
"Oh yeah? Bring it, Bitch!" Kee-Kee yelled, lunging at Ramo.
The two were quickly engaged in a brawl on the forest floor. Very used to this spectacle, the other Freak Show members ignored the pair for a moment, breaking the battle up only when it was apparent that they were trying to kill each other.
"Do you two always have to act so uncivilized?" Elizabeth sighed as she helped Chippy restrain Kee-Kee.
Ramo was being held back by Ray-Ray and Caroline. Neither of them was really injured. Kee-Kee had received a small cut on her eyebrow that had already stopped bleeding, while Ramo's jacket had a torn sleeve.
"Fighting solves nothing!" The Gay Bowl of Porridge scolded, shouting over Kee-Kee and Ramo who were exchanging noisy insults.
"Everyone, shut up!" Mel ordered. "I think I hear something!"
Sure enough, an unfamiliar noise could be heard. Whatever it was, it was coming closer.
"It sounds like. . . HORSES!" Elizabeth squeaked excitedly.
"Who goes there?" a stern voice demanded.
Light flared to reveal several men and women on horseback standing between the trees. Some carried torches while others brandished swords. All of them wore silver armor that glittered in the firelight.
"Hey!" Kee-Kee cried. "They're Solamnic Knights!"
"I believe you were asked to identify yourselves," the man who had originally spoken snapped.
"Allow me," Ara said, stepping forward.
A few knights raised their swords in a threatening manner as Ara drew nearer.
"We are the one and only Freak Show," Ara announced, ignoring the threats. "I am Ara Silverduck."
She continued by going around in a circle and introducing each girl.
The man, who appeared to be the leader, stroked his mustache, as he regarded The Freak Show. Most male Solamnics were obsessed with their mustaches, something that Kee-Kee found rather puzzling.
"What are you doing here?" the commander barked.
Ara was taken aback by his rudeness.
"Well, aren't you going to introduce yourself?" she gasped.
"I am Sir Roderic ap Orson, Knight of the Rose. Now state your business, or I'll have my men take you prisoner."
Ara was tempted to point out that it was rather sexist to refer to all of the knights as "men", but decided that it would be unwise to test Sir Roderic's temper. Inventing a few details so that they wouldn't be deemed as insane (even if they were a bit unstable), Ara said that they were mages who had had a transportation spell had gone awry. Therefore, they had no idea where they were. She also added that they had been isolated and didn't know what had happened since Takhisis's downfall.
"You are about a mile outside of Bastal, a fort built by the Solamnics to house refugees from the War of Souls," Sir Roderic impatiently explained. "Bastal lies on the outside edge of the forest between Silvanesti and Qualinesti. We hope to someday liberate the elven homelands."
"Can we come to Bastal?" Chippy inquired, coming up behind Ara.
"We'd like to help the Knights of Solamnia," Porridge, who was being carried by Chippy, intoned solemnly.
The knights all jumped. Apparently talking bowls of porridge were not often seen upon the face of Krynn.
"Perhaps," Roderic responded. "Search them for weapons and spell components," he ordered the other Knights.
"Sir," a Knight who had dismounted addressed Roderic, "if they come with us, shall I make living arrangements at the fort?"
"Of course. You're in charge of Bastal's layout," Roderic told the knight. "Will you oversee the searching of the. . . Freak Show while I check our supplies?"
The knight saluted and approached the group accompanied by younger warriors. They were probably new recruits who had to do the dirty work for their superiors. Although most of the torches had been doused, the could see the lead knight clearly as he stepped into a pool of silver moonlight.
He was rather ugly with a pockmarked face. He had removed his helm, revealing straw-colored hair that stuck up at random angles. Bright blue eyes were fixed on the group. It could only be Gerard uth Mondar.
"It's GERARD!!!" Kee-Kee squealed and grabbed Ramo's arm, their argument earlier already forgotten.
Kee-Kee had fantasized about Gerard for ages. She had been referring to herself as Kee-Kee de uth Mondar for years, using his last name. Ramo worried what her friend might do actually given a chance to meet Gerard.
"You heard Sir Roderic," Gerard said. "Search them thoroughly. Don't forget to check their bags."
"You can strip-search me, Gerard," Kee-Kee murmured.
She spoke in the most seductive voice she could manage and swished her long blonde hair around in a way that Ramo found utterly revolting.
Gerard blinked and shook his head. He seemed to be trying to convince himself that he had not heard a word that Kee-Kee had said. He then turned to Squirrel who was issuing loud protests about a knight digging through the underwear in her duffel bag.
Although Squirrel had caused her share of problems, the Solamnic Knights eventually allowed The Freak Show to accompany them to Bastal. They had to walk to the fort since the knights didn't have extra mounts, but a young woman was assigned to guide them so that the rest of the knights could ride on.
"So," Kee-Kee spoke to their guide, "what can you tell me about Gerard uth Mondar?"
Ramo realized that this would the weirdest vacation she had ever taken.
"Would anyone happen to know where we are?" Caroline asked, stumbling to her feet.
Ramo gazed around. They were in a damp forest. The starry sky was barely visible through the thick branches overhead. Aside from the ragged breathing of her friends and the sound of small forest animals, all was silent.
"Damn," she hissed. "Why couldn't we have ended up in civilization?"
"Because we never had any good luck. Fate hates us, remember?" Ray-Ray grumbled.
"Why did we come here?" Squirrel groaned.
"This is your fault, Kee-Kee!" Ramo snarled.
"You agreed to come!" Kee-Kee protested.
"Because we forgot that you were a stupid slut!" Ramo bellowed.
"Oh yeah? Bring it, Bitch!" Kee-Kee yelled, lunging at Ramo.
The two were quickly engaged in a brawl on the forest floor. Very used to this spectacle, the other Freak Show members ignored the pair for a moment, breaking the battle up only when it was apparent that they were trying to kill each other.
"Do you two always have to act so uncivilized?" Elizabeth sighed as she helped Chippy restrain Kee-Kee.
Ramo was being held back by Ray-Ray and Caroline. Neither of them was really injured. Kee-Kee had received a small cut on her eyebrow that had already stopped bleeding, while Ramo's jacket had a torn sleeve.
"Fighting solves nothing!" The Gay Bowl of Porridge scolded, shouting over Kee-Kee and Ramo who were exchanging noisy insults.
"Everyone, shut up!" Mel ordered. "I think I hear something!"
Sure enough, an unfamiliar noise could be heard. Whatever it was, it was coming closer.
"It sounds like. . . HORSES!" Elizabeth squeaked excitedly.
"Who goes there?" a stern voice demanded.
Light flared to reveal several men and women on horseback standing between the trees. Some carried torches while others brandished swords. All of them wore silver armor that glittered in the firelight.
"Hey!" Kee-Kee cried. "They're Solamnic Knights!"
"I believe you were asked to identify yourselves," the man who had originally spoken snapped.
"Allow me," Ara said, stepping forward.
A few knights raised their swords in a threatening manner as Ara drew nearer.
"We are the one and only Freak Show," Ara announced, ignoring the threats. "I am Ara Silverduck."
She continued by going around in a circle and introducing each girl.
The man, who appeared to be the leader, stroked his mustache, as he regarded The Freak Show. Most male Solamnics were obsessed with their mustaches, something that Kee-Kee found rather puzzling.
"What are you doing here?" the commander barked.
Ara was taken aback by his rudeness.
"Well, aren't you going to introduce yourself?" she gasped.
"I am Sir Roderic ap Orson, Knight of the Rose. Now state your business, or I'll have my men take you prisoner."
Ara was tempted to point out that it was rather sexist to refer to all of the knights as "men", but decided that it would be unwise to test Sir Roderic's temper. Inventing a few details so that they wouldn't be deemed as insane (even if they were a bit unstable), Ara said that they were mages who had had a transportation spell had gone awry. Therefore, they had no idea where they were. She also added that they had been isolated and didn't know what had happened since Takhisis's downfall.
"You are about a mile outside of Bastal, a fort built by the Solamnics to house refugees from the War of Souls," Sir Roderic impatiently explained. "Bastal lies on the outside edge of the forest between Silvanesti and Qualinesti. We hope to someday liberate the elven homelands."
"Can we come to Bastal?" Chippy inquired, coming up behind Ara.
"We'd like to help the Knights of Solamnia," Porridge, who was being carried by Chippy, intoned solemnly.
The knights all jumped. Apparently talking bowls of porridge were not often seen upon the face of Krynn.
"Perhaps," Roderic responded. "Search them for weapons and spell components," he ordered the other Knights.
"Sir," a Knight who had dismounted addressed Roderic, "if they come with us, shall I make living arrangements at the fort?"
"Of course. You're in charge of Bastal's layout," Roderic told the knight. "Will you oversee the searching of the. . . Freak Show while I check our supplies?"
The knight saluted and approached the group accompanied by younger warriors. They were probably new recruits who had to do the dirty work for their superiors. Although most of the torches had been doused, the could see the lead knight clearly as he stepped into a pool of silver moonlight.
He was rather ugly with a pockmarked face. He had removed his helm, revealing straw-colored hair that stuck up at random angles. Bright blue eyes were fixed on the group. It could only be Gerard uth Mondar.
"It's GERARD!!!" Kee-Kee squealed and grabbed Ramo's arm, their argument earlier already forgotten.
Kee-Kee had fantasized about Gerard for ages. She had been referring to herself as Kee-Kee de uth Mondar for years, using his last name. Ramo worried what her friend might do actually given a chance to meet Gerard.
"You heard Sir Roderic," Gerard said. "Search them thoroughly. Don't forget to check their bags."
"You can strip-search me, Gerard," Kee-Kee murmured.
She spoke in the most seductive voice she could manage and swished her long blonde hair around in a way that Ramo found utterly revolting.
Gerard blinked and shook his head. He seemed to be trying to convince himself that he had not heard a word that Kee-Kee had said. He then turned to Squirrel who was issuing loud protests about a knight digging through the underwear in her duffel bag.
Although Squirrel had caused her share of problems, the Solamnic Knights eventually allowed The Freak Show to accompany them to Bastal. They had to walk to the fort since the knights didn't have extra mounts, but a young woman was assigned to guide them so that the rest of the knights could ride on.
"So," Kee-Kee spoke to their guide, "what can you tell me about Gerard uth Mondar?"
Ramo realized that this would the weirdest vacation she had ever taken.