A Helping Hand
Underneath the clear night sky, Dalla sat on the cold ground, watching the two men who guarded her sleep sound fully. Laying on his back, Jepetto was also asleep, snoring lightly. His small grey skinned hands were chained together and sat softly on his stomach.
Unlike the two guards, the deep gnome, and everyone else in the camp, Dalla was wide awake. The top of her head was still sore from the candlestick that had struck her, her small hands were shackled together, her green dress was now covered in dirt and grass stains, and she had idea in all of Fauern where she was. Most of all, she missed her father, and she wished he would come save her and Jepetto.
Small watery tears began to form in her eyes. She gently lay her head down in her hands that were chained together and wept.
"Don't cry little one," whispered a woman's soft beautiful voice in Dalla's mind.
The little girl jumped at the sound of the woman's voice, wondering who or where it came from.
It was frightening for Dalla, because throughout her life, she had never actually heard anyone speak to her, except once when she was just an infant. She never had forgotten that voice, and then realized that the voice she had heard just now, was the same one that spoke to her all those years ago. The words she had just heard were the same words the voice had spoken to her all those years ago.
'Who are you?' Dalla signed with her fingers, speaking to the night air.
"I am the Simbul," the beautiful voice answered her," I remember holding you after your mother died. Her last request was that I keep you safe and take you to your father." The Simbul's voice faded for a moment, as Dalla felt warmness around her, then she added," My sister Alustriel was right, you have grown since last I saw you."
Dalla stood up confused. She wondered why the Simbul, who she had read was a powerful mage, was here at visiting her at this moment.
As if reading the little girl's mind, the Simbul's voice slowly answered," I am here to help you Dalla. I was listening to your Stephanie and your father at the Stagstead and heard about you and Jepetto being kidnapped. He was very upset, and he will be coming tomorrow at dawn to rescue you. Stephanie wanted to come along, but he told her to stay behind, because she is carrying his child. You're going to be a big sister!"
Dalla smiled. She became very excited about having a little sister or brother, but her smile disappeared when she saw the shackles that still bound her hands.
Just as the little girl was ready to cry once more, a tall beautiful woman with long messy silver hair appeared before her. She wore a tattered black dress and had smooth white skin.
The Simbul looked down at Dalla and gently took the little girl in her arms. "I will help you and your friend escape this place, but we have to make as little noise as possible."
As Lathander's bright sun shined brightly in the sky, something was moving fast in the thick grassy area of the High Forest.
Dressed in his chain armor with his green cloak around his back, Shadimir quickly walked through the High Forest, following the directions written on the letter he had received the night before.
"Whoever this Kozaf is, he's going to pay for kidnapping my daughter," the hunter muttered as he stroked the handles of his bastard sword and mace that lay sheathed on his belt and continued down the path the monk Karin had traveled the night before.
As he continued deeper into the forest, Shadimir felt angry with himself for letting this happen to his daughter. He also a little angry at himself for making Stephanie stay behind. The doomguide really wanted to come with him and rescue Dalla and Jepetto, but Shadimir wasn't going to risk the lives of his love and their unborn child. There was already too much at stake.
However, unbeknownst to Shadimir, his halfling friend Deidra was following his footsteps from a few feet away. With the aid of a small magical rod that kept her from behind seen, the halfling ranger quietly tracked the hunter's footsteps.
Deidra had been sleeping when Stephanie came by the her house. The doomguide quickly woke Deidra and told the halfling about what happened in the library, and about the letter Shadimir had received. She also let it slip about her being pregnant.
The halfling wrapped her arms around Stephanie and told her she would bring Shadimir, Dalla, and Jepetto back safely.
It wasn't too long until Shadimir had reached the outside of Kozaf's camp. The undead hunter saw seven white tents, and counted fourteen men wearing breastplate armor. He quickly looked over by one of the tents in the far left, spotting his little girl and his gnome friend.
Rage burned inside Shadimir's chest as he saw the small arms of his daughter bound in shackles, standing next to a burly man wearing rusty breastplate armor. How could I have let this happened Shadimir asked himself for the fourteenth time this morning. He took a deep breath and kept both hands on his weapons as he walked into the camp.
Kozaf's men spotted Shadimir approaching and all at once quickly alerted their leader of the hunter's presence.
The very muscular man, wearing a silk white shirt and carrying his halberd over his shoulder emerged from within his tent with a very annoyed look on his face. He shot a cold glare at his men, then smiled once he spotted Shadimir. "Mr. Shadimir, I see you had successfully gotten my message, and made it all the way to my camp." Kozaf stroked his thick beard and walked over to the undead hunter. "I hope you don't find my methods of bringing you here too drastic," the bearded man said, standing inches away from Shadimir.
The hunter wanted to draw Gabriel and plunge it deeply into Kozaf's chest, but he knew if he acted too rash, he would be endangering the lives of Jepetto and Dalla even more so then they already were. "Kidnapping my daughter and my friend seems pretty drastic to me. I came here, so now why don't you let them both go."
Kozaf smiled as he began to circle Shadimir, keeping both hands firmly on his long weapon. He eyed the silver haired man up and down, getting a good look at his weapons and the look of pure hatred on his face.
"No I don't think I will be letting them go. At least not until the job is done," Kozaf responded arrogantly, angering Shadimir even more. "You see Mr. Shadimir, we are a band of tomb robbers, traveling all over Fauern, seeking treasures buried deeply within the graves of kings, archmages, and even local heroes. There is a tomb around the High Forest my men and I have found. The tomb is of the druid Greywolf. When we discovered the tomb, I sent some of my men down there. After an hour of waiting, only one of my men came out of the tomb alive. He had been mumbling something about some undead that were lurking down there."
"So let me get this right," Shadimir interjected coldly," you sent your men down into the tomb, and only one came back alive And you're telling me that they were overpowered by some undead. If you're such an accomplished grave robber, than you would know that graves and tombs occasionally have skeletons and zombies lurking around. It sounds to me that your men are pretty weak."
"How dare you call my men weak!" Kozaf yelled right in Shadimir's face.
"And how dare you kidnap my daughter, and my best friend!" the undead hunter shouted," I should cut you down right where you stand for putting my daughter in shackles!" Shadimir gripped both the handles of his weapons tightly, ready to strike.
"Try it Shadimir," Kozaf growled," and my men will kill your friend, and your daughter."
The silver haired hunter looked over at Dalla and Jepetto, who both stood next to the monk who led the attack in the library. The deep gnome had his eyes closed, almost as if he was asleep on his feet, but Dalla's eyes showed no fear as she slowly turned and looked at him.
Shadimir slowly turned his attention back to Kozaf. After taking a deep breath, he asked," So why do you want me to help you anyway? Why don't you send more of your men down there?"
I have him right where I want him, Kozaf said to himself. The bearded man quickly answered," I have no desire to waste more of men's lives on this tomb, and I heard were some sort of expert on fighting undead."
"Fine" Shadimir said in his cold voice," lets get this over with, but before this is over Kozaf, I will make you sorry you even thought about abducting my daughter."
Kozaf nodded as the undead hunter walked past him and muttered sarcastically. "Don't worry Mr. Shadimir, I'll do my best to beg for your forgiveness."