Fredrick's Journey: The Golden Grunts
Book 6
By: Carlyn (Lord Carledo) Stuart Brooks
Fredrick awoke in the morning with the strong smell of of blood
and vomit coursing over his nostrils. Drake was behind a tree heaving
his innards out while Jose, Damien, and Yoshi were whispering about
something. Trau and Pinnaugh were still sound asleep in the nightgowns
that were now stained and torn. Jose took notice of Fredrick getting to
his feet and staring at Drake concernedly, "No, no, no, I think it's
best not to bother him. He never did keep down his liquor well," Jose
said as he steered Fredrick from the groaning mess that was Drake,
"Anyway, here's your share of the money we made last night. Have
anything in mind that you want to buy?"
"No, not really, thanks though," Fredrick replied, still worried
about Drake, "Do you know if the town's library made it?"
"Avalice has a library?" Yoshi replied looking surprised.
"Nevermind," replied Fredrick smiling, "I'll go find out myself."
As he left the camp area, Fredrick noticed Pinnaugh grunt in his sleep
and pull his axe closer to him.
Fredrick noted the terrible amounts of damage done to the town as
walked down the streets: burning buildings, overturned trade carts,
smoldering bodies, crying family members at unmarked graves. It was
truly an onslaught that Avalice would not forget for ages. But, as he
walked further towards the library, the destruction lessened. More and
more structures were still standing. Finally, he arrived at the library
relieved to see it still standing. This was quite lucky as noticed half
of a cow launched from a catapult lodged into the building next to it.
Ignoring the wretched stench coming from the projectile cow, he entered
the library to find that not even the dust had moved.
"Mornin' to yeh Fredrick, glad to see ya made it!" Christopher
the old library keeper, looked up from a novel he was reading, "Quite a
night, huh?" Fredrick and the old man conversed about the attack that
happened last night. It turns out that the rumble from the explosion of
The Salty Snapper Inn caused an older bookcase in the back to collapse.
Both of them found this highly amusing and continued conversing for
about another half of an hour. There conversation was ended as a little
girl entered the library. She looked familiar, but Fredrick just
couldn't place it.
"Hi," she said uncertainly as both Fredrick and Christopher were
staring at her with awe, hardly anyone new comes in here, "Can I read a
book about magic in music....man, what's it called..."
"Do you mean bardic spells?" Christopher said, still a little
surprised.
"Wait a second, I know you," Fredrick said looking at the girl
who was now staring at Fredrick, "Hi Clarissa," Fredrick turned to
Christopher, "She was the one who showed me to this library."
"Ah yes, she does look a wee bit familiar now that ya mention
it. Is there any reason you want to learn bardic? Some bards have bad
reputations," Christopher cocked his head in a friendly glance as he
finished.
"Well, my...my...my dad disappered last night... I want to help
find him... But the only way I could think to fight was.... Well, I can
sing real good..." Clarissa was on the brink of tears as she finished.
"Oh, I see..." Christopher looked dark as he said this, "Well
then, yes, I do have some bardic spellbooks," he gave a friendly smile
as showed to the right bookshelf. He came back about five minutes later
(Fredrick had picked out his wind magic book and had begun reading) and
sat down next to Fredrick, "Such a shame to see the youngin's loose
there parents to war. I lost my father when I was fourteen, he was a
navy commander and his ship sank just outside this port."
"I'm sorry to hear," before Fredrick could finish, Yoshi's
whistle rang out, "Sorry, I have to go. Bye," Fredrick waved one more
time before he jogged out towards camp. Along the way, he stepped in a
cat that had been killed by a stray arrow. He tried to forget the
horrible smell and squelching, crunch noise that was made as he stepped
on it's rib cage. He got to camp just in time as he just started to
think about how the owner must feel.
"Hey Fredrick....you alright?" Yoshi was standing by the relit
fire.
"Yeah....it's nothing" Fredrick shook off the horrible image.
"OK, everybody's here. Anyway, we are now officially The Golden
Grunts of the Avalice military. Don't ask about the name, I thought it
sounded catchy for a group of mercenaries no one's heard of.
Also....Fredrick, are you sure you're OK?" Yoshi stopped midsentence as
his eyes ran across Fredrick who was staring at the ground.
"Yeah, keep going," Fredrick looked up and faked a weak smile.
All the events had overrun his mind and he was having a hard time
thinking about what was going on in the present. Trau and Pinnaugh were
staring at curiously, goblins don't get depressed!
"Alright.... As I was saying, we have our first briefing tomorrow
in the early morning. Everybody get to bed early and Drake, take it
easy, man..." Yoshi walked out of the campsite towards the town.
"What's wrong with you?!" asked Pinnaugh walking over to
Fredrick, "I've never seen anybody act like this," So, Fredrick
explained about everything that had happened to him during the day.
This took about twenty minutes and there was a brief silence afterwards
which Pinnaugh ended by chuckling and taunting Fredrick, "Wuss! Goblins
are meant to be killers and not think about what's happening to the
enemy. That's what war's about! You've been around these humans too
long!"
"Maybe..." Fredrick said quietly. Trau and Pinnaugh headed into
town while Fredrick spent the rest of the night staring into the fire
and thinking.
Meanwhile....
"Tamaran tuck, ulacees torene....No, I think tornen...hm..."
Clarissa was reading the bardic songbook to herself. She was trying to
sing an old folksong that gradually healed any allies, "Mr. Wilkins!
How do you feel?" Christopher stared at her questioningly,
"A littl' stiff, the battle kept me tossing and turning, why?"
"Can I try something?" Clarissa asked. The old man nodded and
smiled gently as Clarissa began to sing the old folksong. After about a
minute, a crack could be heard from Mr. Wilkins back. Clarissa stopped
suddenly, looking frightened as she thought she'd hurt him.
"Ah, perfect! I'd had a knot there for days! Thank you so much
Clarissa! Would you like to check that book out?"
"Yes please," said Clarissa as Mr. Wilkins pulled out a pen with
which Clarissa scribbled down her name on the card in the back of the
book handed it to the old man, "Thank you!" she called back as she ran
out. Christopher Wilkins sat down in a chair and continued reading his
novel with a smirk on his face.
Twenty minutes later....
"Hello," Fredrick turned his head away from the fire to see
Clarissa walking up the hill towards their camp. "Hi, Fredrick! Is your
commander here?"
"........." Fredrick silently stared at her wondering what on
earth she was doing here. He did point however towards Yoshi's sleeping
bag where Yoshi was now snoring. She walked over and woke up Yoshi who
awoke more violently than intended and knocked Clarissa over backwards.
"Sorry...Uh, Yoshi, leader of The Golden Grunts, how can I help
you little missy?" Yoshi sat-up in his sleeping bag.
"Well, I'm learning how to be bard and I was wondering if I could
help, if I could join you guys..." Clarissa spoke uncertainly. Fredrick
stood up alarmed.
"WHAT!?!"
Book 6
By: Carlyn (Lord Carledo) Stuart Brooks
Fredrick awoke in the morning with the strong smell of of blood
and vomit coursing over his nostrils. Drake was behind a tree heaving
his innards out while Jose, Damien, and Yoshi were whispering about
something. Trau and Pinnaugh were still sound asleep in the nightgowns
that were now stained and torn. Jose took notice of Fredrick getting to
his feet and staring at Drake concernedly, "No, no, no, I think it's
best not to bother him. He never did keep down his liquor well," Jose
said as he steered Fredrick from the groaning mess that was Drake,
"Anyway, here's your share of the money we made last night. Have
anything in mind that you want to buy?"
"No, not really, thanks though," Fredrick replied, still worried
about Drake, "Do you know if the town's library made it?"
"Avalice has a library?" Yoshi replied looking surprised.
"Nevermind," replied Fredrick smiling, "I'll go find out myself."
As he left the camp area, Fredrick noticed Pinnaugh grunt in his sleep
and pull his axe closer to him.
Fredrick noted the terrible amounts of damage done to the town as
walked down the streets: burning buildings, overturned trade carts,
smoldering bodies, crying family members at unmarked graves. It was
truly an onslaught that Avalice would not forget for ages. But, as he
walked further towards the library, the destruction lessened. More and
more structures were still standing. Finally, he arrived at the library
relieved to see it still standing. This was quite lucky as noticed half
of a cow launched from a catapult lodged into the building next to it.
Ignoring the wretched stench coming from the projectile cow, he entered
the library to find that not even the dust had moved.
"Mornin' to yeh Fredrick, glad to see ya made it!" Christopher
the old library keeper, looked up from a novel he was reading, "Quite a
night, huh?" Fredrick and the old man conversed about the attack that
happened last night. It turns out that the rumble from the explosion of
The Salty Snapper Inn caused an older bookcase in the back to collapse.
Both of them found this highly amusing and continued conversing for
about another half of an hour. There conversation was ended as a little
girl entered the library. She looked familiar, but Fredrick just
couldn't place it.
"Hi," she said uncertainly as both Fredrick and Christopher were
staring at her with awe, hardly anyone new comes in here, "Can I read a
book about magic in music....man, what's it called..."
"Do you mean bardic spells?" Christopher said, still a little
surprised.
"Wait a second, I know you," Fredrick said looking at the girl
who was now staring at Fredrick, "Hi Clarissa," Fredrick turned to
Christopher, "She was the one who showed me to this library."
"Ah yes, she does look a wee bit familiar now that ya mention
it. Is there any reason you want to learn bardic? Some bards have bad
reputations," Christopher cocked his head in a friendly glance as he
finished.
"Well, my...my...my dad disappered last night... I want to help
find him... But the only way I could think to fight was.... Well, I can
sing real good..." Clarissa was on the brink of tears as she finished.
"Oh, I see..." Christopher looked dark as he said this, "Well
then, yes, I do have some bardic spellbooks," he gave a friendly smile
as showed to the right bookshelf. He came back about five minutes later
(Fredrick had picked out his wind magic book and had begun reading) and
sat down next to Fredrick, "Such a shame to see the youngin's loose
there parents to war. I lost my father when I was fourteen, he was a
navy commander and his ship sank just outside this port."
"I'm sorry to hear," before Fredrick could finish, Yoshi's
whistle rang out, "Sorry, I have to go. Bye," Fredrick waved one more
time before he jogged out towards camp. Along the way, he stepped in a
cat that had been killed by a stray arrow. He tried to forget the
horrible smell and squelching, crunch noise that was made as he stepped
on it's rib cage. He got to camp just in time as he just started to
think about how the owner must feel.
"Hey Fredrick....you alright?" Yoshi was standing by the relit
fire.
"Yeah....it's nothing" Fredrick shook off the horrible image.
"OK, everybody's here. Anyway, we are now officially The Golden
Grunts of the Avalice military. Don't ask about the name, I thought it
sounded catchy for a group of mercenaries no one's heard of.
Also....Fredrick, are you sure you're OK?" Yoshi stopped midsentence as
his eyes ran across Fredrick who was staring at the ground.
"Yeah, keep going," Fredrick looked up and faked a weak smile.
All the events had overrun his mind and he was having a hard time
thinking about what was going on in the present. Trau and Pinnaugh were
staring at curiously, goblins don't get depressed!
"Alright.... As I was saying, we have our first briefing tomorrow
in the early morning. Everybody get to bed early and Drake, take it
easy, man..." Yoshi walked out of the campsite towards the town.
"What's wrong with you?!" asked Pinnaugh walking over to
Fredrick, "I've never seen anybody act like this," So, Fredrick
explained about everything that had happened to him during the day.
This took about twenty minutes and there was a brief silence afterwards
which Pinnaugh ended by chuckling and taunting Fredrick, "Wuss! Goblins
are meant to be killers and not think about what's happening to the
enemy. That's what war's about! You've been around these humans too
long!"
"Maybe..." Fredrick said quietly. Trau and Pinnaugh headed into
town while Fredrick spent the rest of the night staring into the fire
and thinking.
Meanwhile....
"Tamaran tuck, ulacees torene....No, I think tornen...hm..."
Clarissa was reading the bardic songbook to herself. She was trying to
sing an old folksong that gradually healed any allies, "Mr. Wilkins!
How do you feel?" Christopher stared at her questioningly,
"A littl' stiff, the battle kept me tossing and turning, why?"
"Can I try something?" Clarissa asked. The old man nodded and
smiled gently as Clarissa began to sing the old folksong. After about a
minute, a crack could be heard from Mr. Wilkins back. Clarissa stopped
suddenly, looking frightened as she thought she'd hurt him.
"Ah, perfect! I'd had a knot there for days! Thank you so much
Clarissa! Would you like to check that book out?"
"Yes please," said Clarissa as Mr. Wilkins pulled out a pen with
which Clarissa scribbled down her name on the card in the back of the
book handed it to the old man, "Thank you!" she called back as she ran
out. Christopher Wilkins sat down in a chair and continued reading his
novel with a smirk on his face.
Twenty minutes later....
"Hello," Fredrick turned his head away from the fire to see
Clarissa walking up the hill towards their camp. "Hi, Fredrick! Is your
commander here?"
"........." Fredrick silently stared at her wondering what on
earth she was doing here. He did point however towards Yoshi's sleeping
bag where Yoshi was now snoring. She walked over and woke up Yoshi who
awoke more violently than intended and knocked Clarissa over backwards.
"Sorry...Uh, Yoshi, leader of The Golden Grunts, how can I help
you little missy?" Yoshi sat-up in his sleeping bag.
"Well, I'm learning how to be bard and I was wondering if I could
help, if I could join you guys..." Clarissa spoke uncertainly. Fredrick
stood up alarmed.
"WHAT!?!"