(Good morrow fair gentle folk, here is the latest installment in the chronicallings of our heroes. Much luck unto them in their quest and many thanks to Nirokusan for suffering through my rough drafts... please R/R)
"Slithern? Slithern, are you in there?"
"Rravenn? My little ssssoft sssskin friend!"
"We need passage to Kaladim in a way I might be able to enter."
"Ah, ssssneaky, my little friend," The iksar man stepped out of the shadows and Rianum tensed up, "Calm yourssself, little wizzzard. I mean you no harm. I ssssshall book you passssage aboard a great vesssssal. A few weeksssss of travel and you ssssshall arrive."
"Many thanks, Slithern."
Rravenn inched up onto her tip-toes and kissed the iksar on the cheek. Rianum glared at Slithern.
"I would essscort you to the dock, little ssssoft ssssskin, but you know my predicament."
"I do, Slithern, we shall head off. All the best to you and yours and may ever the Sarnak be walled up in their Den."
"And the same to the Halflings!"
Rravenn laughed and grasped Rianum's hand tightly.
"The dock is this way, we have to go through the underground passages. The people of Freeport hold no love in their hearts for me." She then turned to Mikanna, "The passages may not be the best for you."
"Maybe not, but... it'd be best if I came along, don't want her to get hurt anymore."
Rravenn rolled her eyes at the high elf and then just smiled.
"Then let us move on. The docks await."
Ahloru ducked down and walked in the door. With a glance about, she began to walk towards the man standing at a counter.
"I need passage."
"To?"
"Kaladim."
"Aye, one moment. We have one space left on the boat...Here you go, that'll be five platinum."
She slid the platinum pieces across the table and took the piece of paper.
"My thanks."
"Boat leaves in a few minutes, you'd best move quickly."
Ahloru nodded at the human and turned to leave.
Rravenn pulled her hood up to hide her ebon features and clung close to Rianum's side. He put one arm across her shoulders, holding her to him protectively. Mikanna walked along behind them, smiling happily as they walked along the dock to the large boat at the end of it. The waves lapped against the sides of the boat and a barbarian stood leaning over the rails on the other side of the deck. Her hand rested on an axe by her side and she stumbled as she tried to step away from the rail. Mikanna moved forward and helped support the barbarian.
"My thanks..." She flipped the axe in her hands and slid it into its strapping to her back. "I'm Ahloru, berserker of Halas..."
"It would seem that the barbarians are not a sea going race, eh?"
"Aye, aye, wizard, we're more at home on the frost covered plain, but I am on a journey to the elven lands."
"As are we. I am Rianum Magefyre."
Rravenn spoke softly, attempting to cover her dark elven accent with something more sylvan sounding.
"I am Rravenn."
"I'm Mikanna LaVirtue, of Qeynos."
"Well met...by the seventh hammer, I think I'll be spending this voyage under the deck..."
Ahloru walked down the stairs into her room. Soon, the sailors began to lose the sails and set off. Rravenn looked longingly back at the dry land and snuggled against Rianum.
"I don't like water..." she muttered.
"Don't worry, Rravenn, nothing bad will happen."
Larah sat on the edge of the platform, her eyes on the sun as it set but her heart and mind elsewhere. Where was Klarias? He had promised to meet her and never arrived. What could possibly have happened to him? She stood slowly, casting a globe of star light into her hand and an aura of levitation around her. She ran into the darkness of the forest and began searching for him. She couldn't see anything that showed where he might've gone. Then suddenly, she saw it, his dagger. He never went anywhere without that. Why was it lying under the tree? She bent down and picked it up. With a sigh, she held it to her chest and looked around for tracks, any reason for it being here. Orc tracks, those scum had something to do with this...
"I will find him..."
A voice behind her caught her attention suddenly.
"Larah, what are you doing out of the city this late? Even for someone as well trained as you, it is dangerous."
"Yes, Master Ailur, but Klarias promised to meet me tonight and never arrived. I went looking for him and found his dagger beneath this tree. There are orc tracks."
Ailur knelt down and looked the tracks over carefully.
"He was most likely taken to the Citadel...We shall attempt to retrieve him at sunrise tomorrow. But take care, more and more couriers of the dark elven have been seen entering the Citadel. They are planning something."
"Yes, Master Ailur."
"Now, go get some rest. I am going to have a word with the Lord Protector of Felwithe. Perhaps, they will aid us."
"Farewell, Master Ailur."
Larah walked back to the city and rode up on the lift. Silently, she tucked the dagger into the folds of her belt pouch and walked into the Cloudwhisper home. Tomorrow at first light, she would find him, she thought, Tomorrow might be too late...
