A Wonderful Surprise
Karin Ryzin quickly ran through the think grass that covered the cold ground of the High Forest. The monk had hated to run from a fight, but she knew wouldn't have survived a fight with both the priestess and hunter. Her hand was still sore from the scimitar blade she had broken, but the pain in her hand would pale in comparison to the pain she would give to the ranger's sister, or the undead hunter should she ever get the chance to fight them.
The monk continued to run through the high forest. It was late in the evening, and though many of the predators lurked within the forest, Karin was determined to reach her leader's camp without any obstacles.
The path Karin ran led her to a small camp made up of six white medium sized tents and one large white tent. There were seventeen men dressed in dirty breastplate armor who were surrounding a small magical hooded lantern that was giving off brightness and warmth that a normal campfire would. Turlang forbade fires in the High Forest, so the men had to make due with what they had.
Emerging from the large white tent, was a large muscular man wearing steel breastplate armor. The top of his head was layered with thick sandy blond hair and he had a thick beard of the same color. He had a long hawk nose, and big brown eyes. His name was Kozaf, and he was the leader of this little band of grave robbers.
Kozaf turned around and walked back inside of his tent, then walked back outside, holding his halberd over his left shoulder. His eyes spotted Karin walking into the camp, then noticed the small cut in her leg. "I take it Lady Alustriel wasn't available at the High Palace?" he asked as he drummed his fingers lightly on the red shaft of his long weapon.
"No, she wasn't at the palace, or else I think she would have made her presence known," Karin answered, shaking her head. "When the orcs I had hired and I entered the library, we found some unexpected guests. They were all killed, and by that I mean the orcs."
"That's what you get when you send orcs to do a man's job," Kozaf muttered under his breath. "So they were defeated by the palace guard."
"Actually, they were defeated by a man and a woman," Karin said with a smirk on her face, then began to stretch her arms. The joints in the monk's arms cracked loudly. She enjoyed the sound of her bones making the crackling sound, but Kozaf found it very irritating.
"So then, there is no hope in defeating the guardian of the tomb then" Kozaf growled.
Karin placed a hand on the man's shoulder and shook her head once more. "The man who killed some of my men. His name is Shadimir. My contacts tell me that he knows much about undead and that he is usually seen going in and out of the palace. My contacts also tell me that he has a daughter who goes and watches monks train at the temples. He could probably help us."
Standing a few feet away from the monk, Kozaf raised his blond eyebrows. "Maybe this Shadimir could help me fight the tomb guardian, since Alustriel appears to be unavailable," Kozaf said with a wicked smile on his face. Do you think he could persuaded help us?"
Karin laughed as she shook her head. "I highly doubt it. Him and that cleric are probably looking for me right now to avenge the ranger I almost killed tonight," the monk said with a proud look on her face. She showed him the dark red stain in her palm.
Kozaf threw a look of disgust at Karin. Her lust for pain and fighting had really been getting on his nerves lately. He turned away to go back inside his tent, then thought of an idea.
"You said Shadimir had a daughter, and that she liked to watch monks train at the monastery?" he asked, turning his head back to look at Karin.
"Yes, I believe her name is Dalla, but what would she have to do with helping us to persuade Shadimir?"
Kozaf smiled, revealing his large pearl white teeth. "Sometimes, there are more personal methods of persuasion.
It was quite busy inside the Stagstead Tavern that was located west of the Market. The tavern was full of patrons who were celebrating a wedding reception. Many couples who entered the Stagstead this evening were already dancing on the tavern's large dance floor. Magical violins and harps were playing beautiful ballads, while couples twirled gracefully on the dance floor, losing themselves in the music.
Sitting alone at a well lit two person table, still wearing his scholar outfit; Shadimir had just finished a plate of cheese and bread. In the middle of the table, sat two burning red candles over a white silk tablecloth.
The encounter from earlier in the evening weighed heavily on the mind of the undead hunter. He was worried about Aliyah, who seemed to have lost all vision in her left eye. He began to wonder why those orcs and that woman were breaking into the library.
"Sorry about that," Stephanie said softly as she returned to the table. She quickly sat back down in her chair, smoothing out the wrinkles built up in her grey robe. The cleric of Kelemvor looked around the empty plate in front of her and asked," Where is the eel pie I ordered?" she asked as she grabbed a fork and knife.
"I think you ate it, then vomited it back up in the latrine earlier dear," the undead hunter answered with a smile," I'll order you more pie."
"No! It's fine love," the priestess shouted, shaking her head, causing some of the other customers to look over at their table. "I'll just eat some later."
Shadimir nodded, but he began to grow a little worried. In the last few days, he had noticed that Stephanie had been eating the most bizarre of foods during lunch and dinnertime. He also noticed that she was getting sick at different times of the day.
After Stephanie had cured Aliyah of the poison, and brought her to the temple of the Silver Stars, Stephanie told Shadimir that she had wanted to got to the Stagstead because she had a craving for some eel pie. During the two hours they had been at the Stagstead, Stephanie had finished three eel pies and made three separate trips to use the chamber pot.
"Is everything all right love?" Stephanie asked, seeing the look of concern on Shadimir's face.
Shadimir gave her a sigh, then gazed at her. "I'm fine, but its you I am worried about. You've been eating some of the weirdest foods, some of which I have never even heard the names of, and getting sick all the time."
"Oh that," she responded with big grin on her face. "Getting sick all the time and craving foods is just something that happens in the early stages of carrying a baby."
"Carrying a baby," Shadimir nodded, then he realized what she had meant. " You're having a baby!" he said excitedly, looking at her.
'We're having a baby," she corrected for him, then stood up from her seat and moved next to him, kissing his lips softly. The doomguide quickly sat back down, then her smile faded, and she asked in a soft voice," You're not mad at me are you?"
Shadimir shook his head. "Are you kidding, I'm very excited Stephanie." He sat back for a moment, thinking about the new addition to his family. He knew his daughter Dalla would be excited about having a baby brother or sister to play with.
"So when did you find out?" Shadimir asked her curiously.
"Alustriel saw me getting sick one day while she was visiting the temple," the doomguide of Kelemvor answered her love," she pulled me aside, and told me that I was carrying a child. She has twelve children you know. Raising all of them must have been pretty tough. I think raising two children would be a handful."
"I don't know about that," Shadimir remarked casually," Dalla is pretty timid, well except for her new love of martial arts. I think we'll be fine."
Stephanie left her seat once more, then sat herself on Shadimir's lap. She ran her fingers through his short silver hair, then kissed the top of his head.
The hunter looked up at Stephanie and grinned. "I think someone is ready for more eel pie."
"Better make it two more eel pies," Stephanie added, cuddling up to Shadimir.
Underneath the table where the couple was sitting, a black cat had been sitting on the floor; listening to every word Shadimir and Stephanie had shared between each other.
While her father and Stephanie were having dinner at the Stagstead across the city, Dalla was watching a martial arts demonstration given by two tall orange robed monks of the god Illmater in a local monastery. The room where the demonstration was being performed was a small area painted with orange walls. Three candles lighted it, and the two monks were performing their techniques in a small sanded area blocked off by on oval of white chalk
Though she was only five years of age, Dalla was fascinated by the style of hand-to-hand combat. She stood as tall as a five year old child could, wearing her green dress and her brown hair in a ponytail and watched as the monks. Their bodies moved in a slow fluid motion as they were now showing the different kinds of kicks they used in combat. When they finished a technique, they demonstrated it at least once more, so that the little girl could understand each move.
Standing next to Dalla, the deep gnome Jepetto sighed out of boredom. The gnome wasn't too excited about watching the monks perform their kicks and punches. "I could be working on something useful, like a broken wand or a bent staff," complained Jepetto as he tapped his foot on the floor.
Curious if Jepetto was enjoying the demonstration, Dalla looked over at the svirfneblin. Being unable to speak or hear, Dalla's ears couldn't pick up what he was saying, as she watched his lips move, but she clearly saw the bored expression he wore on his face. She gently tapped him on his shoulder, then when she had caught his attention, she signed with her fingers 'We don't have to say any longer if you don't want to. We can leave right now.'
Jepetto looked over at Dalla, who was the same height as he was, and felt a little sting of guilt in the back of his neck. "No it's fine dear. I don't mind watching the monks. It's actually kind of exciting," he signed back to her with his fingers.
Dalla nodded and looked forward. The two monks were now finished with their demonstration and walked away from the sanded area into another room.
For the next five minutes, Dalla and Jepetto waited for the monks to return. Something doesn't feel right Dalla thought as she noticed Jepetto look around the room in a panic. She tapped Jepetto's shoulder, then signed with her hands,' What's wrong?'
The gnome quickly turned his head, hearing a loud crash coming from the room where the monks had walked into. When he felt Dalla's fingers tap him on the shoulder, he turned to her and answered," I'm not sure, but I heard something crash in the other room. I don't like this at all."
Dalla couldn't quite understand the svirfneblin's answer, as he was moving his fingers really fast, but from the gnome's words, she had able to catch something about a loud crash.
Then without warning, all the light inside of the room had gone out.
Dalla couldn't see through the blackness inside the room. She couldn't sense Jepetto anywhere near her, but she did feel a soft breeze at the top of her head, causing her to spin around into a fighting stance she had seen during the martial arts demonstration.
However, Dalla didn't hear the cool quiet voice from behind her that said," You've got a lot to learn little girl."
Standing behind the daughter of Shadimir, Karin brought the candlestick she held in her hand down hard across the top of the little girl's head.
Dalla felt the cold metal impact with her skull, sending her into darkness.
Back at the Stagstead, Shadimir waited while Stephanie was using the tavern chamber pot once again. "I told her she shouldn't have eaten that last whole eel pie in two bites," he said softly.
Shadimir felt very lucky. At first he had one beautiful daughter, and now he was going to have another child, and by the woman he loved.
He felt pity for Dalla's mother Lylith, who had never had the chance to watch her daughter grow up. Lylith had been tricked into fighting the Simbul, one of the most powerful archmages in all of the realms. She had died, but not before asking the Simbul to find her baby daughter at the inn she had been staying and deliver her to her father.
The undead hunter thought nothing could take away the feelings of happiness and peace he had developed since hearing Stephanie telling him she was having his child.
That is until one of the waiters, a short fat man wearing a green wool robe dropped a small piece of paper as he passed by the table.
"For Mr. Shadimir," the waiter had said softly he dropped the letter on the table, then walked away.
The undead hunter picked up the paper, and began to read it closely.
Stephanie had emerged from the latrine, and quickly walked back to her table. The cleric of Kelemvor made a silent vow to her god that she would never eat so much as a slice of eel pie again.
When she made her way to the table, she saw the piece paper in Shadimir's hand, and a look of terror on his face.
"Shadimir, what's going on? What's that letter?" she asked, growing worried that something was terribly wrong.
"Those people who attacked us at the library, they've just kidnapped Jepetto and Dalla," Shadimir answered with fear in his voice, his hand shaking violently as his fingers began to crumple the letter. "They've just kidnapped our daughter, and if I don't meet them to help raid a tomb of someone called Greywolf, they're going to kill them both!"