Somewhere I can belong
Chapter 1
All things start out small
Disclaimer D & D is amazing though I own it not, some of the info are from campaigns I have been in other are figments of my imagination. Enjoy.
The cheer of the crowd could be heard well out into the street, the warmth of the inn was almost to strong of a temptation to resist…almost, glancing through a window for a moment, he caught a glimpse of those he knew inside, they were comrades and after the hell they had endured over the span of the last few days they deserved it. For some of us though there were no happy endings, at best our paths would continue and nothing could change that, not even the favor of a goddess. Pulling his cloak tighter he stepped past the open door and into the darkness. They were better off without him, he was not one of them, and did not belong among them. In the wild he would find peace again, away from those he was jealous of and would never be worthy of. Casting one last glance over his shoulder he saw them drinking and feasting, they belonged together and it was as simple as that.
Inside the Blue Boar, and amiss the regular crowd a group of adventurers drank and their fill, they had been together for a long time now, and between the four of them they had saved each other's life as many times as they had imperiled each others. There was a fifth chair next to the table that was empty and from time to time between their drinks they would glance over and look at with a quizzical look on their faces and watch the stairs or the door as if expecting someone.
Finally the largest of the group, a hulking barbarian, after lowering a tankard to join several other empty ones glanced over at the empty chair and spoke up, "I think that the bill should come out of Quin's portion of the treasury. I might he won't miss it and we can tell him that he paid for our meal. I bet he would like that. Right?
An elf wearing a breastplate emblazoned with a lightening bolt snapped her head up and soon the rest of the group were glaring at the barbarian. While wading through the blood of orcs and bugbears would not faze him in the least, the hard stares of his friends soon forced him to stare at his tankard collection. To his right another elf began to raise his hand and waved it menacingly until restrained by the heavily armored elf and spoke softly in common. "We've been through enough in the past few days, Quinn needs some time to deal with his loss, and if Quinn doesn't want to join us that's all right and he'll get his fair share of the treasure. Unless they're any objections?" Her hand had drifted to a long sword that was strapped to her thigh.
The final member of the group, she was not elf and not human but rather somewhere in between, she wore only simple clothes but a pair of bracers rested on her forearms. Shaking her head to remove the effects of the last mug and spoke slowly," I better now, I mean not remember that last remark in the morning because if I do, you are in for a world of hurt you stinking barbarian."
"Sorry guys it was just a joke." The mound of muscle mumbled out, "I didn't mean anything by it."
The tension was broken by a barmaid who walked over to their table to bring out their meals and gather the empty mugs and wine glasses, with the presence of such food the barbarian stopped his soul searching and dug in with both hands. The others after so many long days in the wild surviving on rations and water joined in, save they used knives and forks. The tension that had permeated the air was gone After several more plates were consumed and all could eat no more the barmaid returned once more, again the armored elf being the only member of the group who appeared sober enough to speak, paused and politely asked "How much was do we owe for such a fine meal?" Crystal's eyes never leaving the barbarian.
"Oh don't worry about it, everything was paid for."
The barmaids reply had startled the elf, pausing for a moment and with a glint of suspicion in her eyes she asked, "What do you mean everything was paid for? No wait was it paid for by a man, with brown hair and green eyes?"
"Why yes that was him, a real charmer, very polite."
At this the other elf spoke up, while a little slurred his voice had some power behind it, "Let me guess he kept saying thank you."
"That was him all right, do you know him? I mean you must have known him or he wouldn't have bought you dinner before he left."
"Left? What do you mean left?"
Turning back to the sober elf, "I just mean that since he had all the gear with him and what not, that he was either just arriving or leaving and he asked where the nearest port was and then said that there would be a group of adventures coming and that there meal was to be paid for. Did he do something wrong? I mean he seemed such a nice fellow, had a sad look in his eyes though, like he lost something."
The armored elf interrupted the barmaids tirade with a scream, "Herodotus smite some sense into the daft druids head."
"I'm going to head back over to the bar, now if you need anything else let me know all right." She heard more of the tirade that was now flowing from the elf's mouth and Molly was sure of one thing that elf was no paladin, and if she were she would have to spend the next few years in atonement for what was being said.
Turning to back to the trio sitting at the table she caught the other elf's slurred speech, "Damn it that Quinn has one problem and that's he's to damn nice."
The barbarian's head moved a few scant inches from the surface of the table, "You're right on that Gamgee, but where would the world be without nice guys like him to buy us drinks so we can get drunk." Brangar's face lit up with pride after uttering such a profound philosophical statement and his eyes promptly rolled over in their sockets and his head fall back to the table with a resounding clash, returned Brangar to oblivion.
Gamgee thought for a moment and turned to his heavily armored companion who was in the midst of screaming out obscenities in three different languages. Placing a hand on her shoulder to calm her down, Gamgee spoke softly, Quinn set us up, there is no way that we can go chasing after him in the condition we are in right now, Brangar is out of it, Janet isn't as bad but she isn't up for a pursuit.
At this, the remaining member of the group got up and made her way over to the pair of elves, "I'm all right, when we catch Quinn I'll break his legs with a ki strike so he won't run off again." Swaying back and forth she turned from the pair and blurted out, "Watch I'll demonstrate on this post." Janet had barely taken three steps before she swayed to far to he right and went crashing to the floor.
"She's a drunken monk all right." Sighed Gamgee as he bent over to lift up his comrade, turning to the irate paladin he said slowly, "Crystal we can not go after him now, we'll set out tomorrow, he couldn't have gotten far and he can take care of himself."
"You're right Gamgee, I'll help you with Janet, we'll leave Brangar here, his stench will keep any thieves away." The paladin thought to herself what made Quinn run off and all she was left with was questions and not answers.
As they carried/dragged Janet up to her room, Gamgee said bluntly, "Should we let him go Crystal, I mean the way he left, he wanted to go, no one forced him."
"I owe him dinner, and I don't like breaking my promises you know that Gamgee."
"You have a problem with breaking your word, that fits, but you don't have a problem with screaming obscenities? You are one messed up paladin old friend."
An hour or so had passed since Quinn had left the small town of Aaron's mill behind, by now hopefully they were all to drunk to set out after him, and with the time he had spent chatting with the horses, he knew he would have at least a days head start. Should be plenty of time to get myself lost in these woods to the point where even I won't be able to find myself. The wind was picking up and the rain would soon come, but the druid paid it no heed and walked further away from the light and into the darkness..
Far to the west another group was on the move, their war drums accompanied by cries of Grumush broke the silence of the night. The orcs were on the move this night and like a great beast of a past age they lurched slowly towards Aaron's Mill
Rohan's Rambling:
Well the first chapter is done and hopefully you've enjoyed it. Be cruel, be kind, but please review. Until then.
