III Giant Killers III
Inside the Spiderhaunt Woods, Rouric and the ranger named Florin Falconhand, one of the Knights of Myth Drannor, were currently searching every corner, every empty stump, every hallow spider belly for the missing halfling. The dwarf began to feel a bit of sadness in his heart, for fear he would never see his friend again. Florin Falconhand, a tall broad shouldered man noticed the worried look on the dwarf's face.
"Do not worry for your friend. If he is gone, than he is among his ancestors, but as you said to Dove, it would take a lot more than spiders, and foolish Zhents to kill Bowie."
Rouric nodded at the somewhat comforting words of Florin. He continued to search the area, until his eyes found a green cloak on the ground. In a haste, the dwarf picked up the cloak, seeing the sigil of Sylune on the back of it, and in one moment, his fears had come true. Bowie was dead.
Yet Rouric didn't have much time to greave, as a large owlbear jumped out from the shadows of the trees and roared. Filled with rage, Rouric charged into the first owlbear, swinging his greataxe into the beast's chest.
The owlbear fell over, lying on its back. It's eyes wide as the dwarf jumped on his chest and held the greataxe high in the air. "This is for Bowie!" Rouric roared as he drove his weapon down into the owlbear's skull.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Florin noticed another owlbear emerge from the forest, ready to attack Rouric. The knight drew his sword, its blade singing as it found the owlbear's throat. The beast looked up at Florin, then fell dead.
Rouric looked down, gripping the cloak tightly with his firm fingers. He looked up at Florin Falconhand, who was surveying the area where Rouric found the cloak. The ranger noticed halfling sized footprints leading from where he was standing, to deeper into the forest. Florin Falconhand looked over at Rouric, and smiled. "Do you feel up for a little journey?"
Dressed in winter clothes, the halfling maiden had brought with her, Bowie and Hannah quickly entered the base of the Stormhorn Mountains, a mountain range that lay near the King's Forest, in Cormyr, where that had been dancing moments ago.
When Hannah had told him exactly where they were, the bard was surprised at the distance he had traveled, and wondered if the path he had walked down in Spiderhaunt Woods, was a portal that led to the King's Forest.
Whether it was a magical portal, or some sort of magic that Hannah had possessed that had brought them here, Bowie knew that it would not be an easy climb for him and Hannah to get to the cavern where she told him contained the Philosopher's Stone.
The rough stones cracked slowly beneath Bowie's cold fingers. He could feel a little frost brush his ears, as he heard Hannah's grunts from below as she was struggling to climb.
The two halflings continued to climb for at least another hour. As they climbed higher, the air began to get colder, and the air thinner. Bowie was sure that he and Hannah hadn't climbed too high, but he knew falling off of this mountain would mean horrible injuries, or worse death.
When Bowie and Hannah had reached a cliff, they decided to stop and rest. Hannah turned around and gave a little cheer as she saw the large cavern opening. "We did it," she cheered, wrapping her arms around Bowie. The coldness in the mountains had nearly numbed Bowie's arms, legs, fingers, and toes but the arms of Hannah quickly brought the warmth back to them.
"Well, what do we got here," growled a large frost giant who stepped out from the trees. The brute had ice blue skin, wore a large leather tunic, and wielded a giant size greataxe that was coming down straight at Bowie. The halfling bard quickly jumped away from the greataxe. The giant growled as he brought his greataxe up, and swung it again at Bowie's head.
Hannah quickly jumped out of the way of the giant's next attack, and Bowie drew Vethril, and held his sword high, to parry the giant's greataxe.
The sound of metal clanging against each other rang through the mountains. The force of the giant's greataxe knocked Bowie on his back. The brutish frost giant grinned as he stood over the defenseless halfling. "You will be another notch on my axe. Bowie looked under the giant's massive legs, seeing Hannah on the other side of the giant. She was standing near the edge of the cliff, chanting a prayer to her goddess Yondalla.
From the sky, a large circle of fire spiraled downward in fury. It descended to the ground, engulfing the giant in flames. While the giant screamed from the burns he was receiving from the raging fire, Bowie used this chance to spring up off of his back. The magical fire disappeared a moment after it covered the giant in its flames, and Bowie stepped forward, slaying Vethril across the giant's knee.
The giant could feel the small sting from the halfling's blade across his knee. The cold mountain air began to freeze the small cut, as well as numb some of the feeling in the giant's leg.. He couldn't move his leg too much, but he had the freedom of moving his arms.
Once again, the giant's mighty greataxe swung forward in an arc at the bard. It's sharp edge hit the halfling in his stomach.
The giant's axe blade ripped through the halfling's winter clothes, studded leather armor, and barely though his chest. Bowie screamed as he flew through the air to the ground. He felt the coldness from the greataxe freezing his wound up and a shortness of breath. As he closed his eyes, Bowie prayed to Yondalla, as well as the goddess Mystra for Hannah's safety.
Hannah, who watched the one she had just met, the one she had loved fall to the cold ground, began to pray to Yondalla once more. She looked at the giant with rage in her eyes.
The frost giant, who turned sideways to welcome the challenge from the female halfling, heaved his greataxe backwards, then threw it forward at the female halfling. Just as the greataxe left the giant's fingers, another spiral of raging fire came down upon him, its burning flames scorching its blue skin as he let a bone chilling death cry.
For a moment, Hannah watched the giant's dead body slump over. She was glad to see him defeated, but her eyes noticed the greataxe flying at her. She moved her head just enough to let the sharp blade tear though the area between her shoulder blade and her neck. Her eyes watched Bowie beginning to move on the ground, but she was dazed and did not know the direction her feet were moving.
Bowie's eyes looked up just in time to see the giant's greataxe fly over the cliff, and Hannah slowly stumble towards the edge. The pain in his chest from the giant's blade wasn't much worse than that of the Zhentarim soldier's from earlier, but if he lost Hannah, his heart would be broken, beyond any cleric's mending ability. Using all of his will and fortitude, Bowie quickly ran over to Hannah, who had just stumbled off the edge of the cliff.
Hannah didn't have time to scream as Bowie's arm caught Hannah's in one quick motion. She looked up at Bowie, who had a look of pain, but relief on his face. Bowie quietly sang an old Harper ballad to cast a spell that would give him the strength so he could pull up Hannah.
"Thank you Tymora, goddess of luck," Bowie said, as he felt new strength flow through his arms. He quickly pulled Hannah up to him, and wrapped his arms around her tightly. He kissed her softly, holding a hand over her shoulder.
She smiled, looking into his eyes. and began chanting a quiet song that soothed Bowie's ears. He could feel the wound on his chest healing as Hannah gently traced her fingers over it sending goose bumps over Bowie's arms..
"So what's next?" Bowie asked softly, taking her fingers into his hand.
Hannah giggled softly. "Next, we deal with a dragon,"she answered softly.
They both turned to the cavern opening, ready to face the challenge ahead.