Somewhere I can belong
Chapter 2
A stalled departure for some and sanctuary for another
Disclaimer: D & D rules, some of the info are from campaigns I have been in other are figments of my imagination. Enjoy.
The wind and the rain would make his tracks all but impossible to follow, as he moved father into the wild the weight of the past few days rolled off him along with the raindrops. Here he would be at peace again and he could forget the past and hopefully be forgotten by those who knew him. Through the wind and the rain Quinn saw the coming dawn and with it knew that this day would be different from the last, and with the promise of a fresh start he quickened his pace to the forest and his new sanctuary.
Meanwhile the dawn also heralded the start of another day for a group of adventurers who were rapidly departing the Blue Boar Inn for the stables to retrieve their horses and run down their missing companion. Following the lead of the elven paladin Crystal, they moved at a brisk pace to the stables only to find something that never expected to find. An irate stable hand was running around screaming wildly in some undecipherable language of high-pitched screams and yells. Janet could only take so much before executing a slide tackle through the muck bringing the short boy out of the slop and ceasing his ramblings.
Brangar stooped down and hoisted the boy to his feet, and turned him to face Crystal who asked calmly, "What is going on here?" Her shock was unnoticed as she realized the young boy was actually a Halfling.
"I've never seen anything like this in all the years I've worked here, the horse have gone crazy, they're lying down refusing to get up. A friend of mine, he cast a spell so I could talk to them to see if they were sick or something."
The paladin spoke up, "Well what's wrong with them?"
"They want a day off, say they want to rest and none of them are moving. The entire stable is like it. Thank the gods the horses don't talk with the cows or all hell would break loose."
Without a word Crystal turned and walked to her warhorse Prancer, determined to resolve the situation. She returned several minutes later visibly upset and was shaking with rage. "The horses," she began, "Are not moving till tomorrow. Any effort to force them to move will end with a swift kick to our backsides."
Brangar had long since dropped the Halfling and was conversing with the Halfling, "Horses talking to cows?"
"Yes you big pile of muscle, horses talking to cows. If that happens then the cows won't make milk, and no cheese can be made than it's the collapse of the economy and coupled with the loss of affordable transportation means the end of civilization as we know it."
Then with a serene look in his eyes and a smile on his face Brangar replied, "End of civilization not bad."
The Halfling looked at the barbarian and ran screaming off towards a small cabin in the distance."
The dejected looking barbarian turned to the rest of the group, "What did I say?"
Seeing Brangar out of it, and Crystal trembling with rage, Gamgee did the only thing he could, he started to laugh. "Quinn is absolutely brilliant, he has us stranded in this town while he makes his way into the wild."
"I don't care how bloody brilliant he is I am going to find Quinn drag him back here kicking and screaming no matter what it takes. We leave first thing in the morning, everyone back to the inn, and we'll get some rest and head out before first light." The group followed their irate leader back to the inn and soon had tracked down the same barmaid from the night before to arrange lodging for the night.
"Oh that was taken care of already by the same gentleman who paid for your meal last night. Now we still have some breakfast left if you're interested."
"Food good, free food better, we eat." Brangar's voice rang out and Molly soon scuttled back with a tray of meat and bread and the group sat a nearby table eating their fill.
Each member was in their own little world, Gamgee was still laughing every now and then at the "humor of the situation" as he called it. Brangar was busy trying to avoid biting into his own flesh as he devoured piece after piece of meat, often failing and then wincing in pain. Janet was eating meticulously small bits of her meal, alternating between her choice foods, and starring hopefully at the bar. Crystal stood in her way with a stern look on her face, hardly eating her meal she was focused on the task at hand, and how badly she could hurt Quinn without seriously maiming him. She would track him and bring him back.
Meanwhile a days hard journey had taken its toll on Quinn, he had put off rest for as long as possible but he could not postpone it any longer. Lack of sleep lead to delayed reactions and that lead to death. He knew that death was natural but that did not mean he did not do all that he could to postpone that from occurring. For all the aches from his errant flight it was worth it to be back in the wild. With that said Quinn began to search for a grove or cave that would offer him shelter, he was as safe in the wild as he was in any civilized area, he spat out at the mention of the word.
Quinn stopped his trek for a moment and forced all distractions from his mind and just listened to nature, he could hear a call from somewhere guiding him through the woods to a particular grove. There was a different feeling in the air, even though Quinn was just a novice druid, barely above an adept he could feel the raw power of this holy place. Lowering his head Quinn placed his hand on a smooth totem stone that marked the edge of the grove and asking for permission before entering the grove.
Rohan's Rambling:
Chapter 2 is done and the ground work is laid, next chapter will have my first attempt at an action sequence, Let me know what you think and until then.
