Chapter Three
The bright midday sun lit the temperate forest, Imoen cheerfully skipped along the road laughing and excited over her ideas on what they needed to do to become heroes.
"The first step is to find the wise teacher, there is always a wise teacher... they usually die before they are able to teach the hero everything... then there is the loyal sidekick, which would be you, of course." Imoen grinned.
"Naturally" Kat scoffed.
"Then we need to find a mission with little chance of survival... maybe fight a dragon or a powerful undead wizard..."
"Like a lich?"
"Shh you!, and of cause usually the heroes are male so they usually save a beautiful princess, but maybe we could save a charming Prince who will take me away to exotic lands, or have a knight in shining armour join our party" Imoen flipped a coin in the air catching it again.
Does she ever shut up Tiryns flicked his tongue impatiently.
"I think we should start by finding somewhere warm and safe so we can plan our next move" Kat suggested frowning, the letter she had read that had been in Gorion's pocket had mentioned a Jahiera and Khalid waiting for them at a Friendly Arm Inn... but which way was the inn? And more importantly why had they been attack, who was this danger? Who was after her?
Her mind was so caught up in thought that she didn't notice a root sticking out of the ground, her foot caught as she went face first into the ground.
"You are such a clutz, Kat. How will anyone take us seriously as heroes if you can't even walk straight?" Imoen exclaimed throwing her hands in the air in expiration before walking off.
Tiryns flew out of Kat's hood sticking his little forked tongue in Imoen's direction. Can we cast just a small spell on her "Silence" perhaps.
"As tempting as that is, you don't cast spells on Companions."
Really what about...
There was a loud squeal. Kat ran around the corner Imoen had her bow and arrows drawn and as pack of wolves started to descend from a nearby perch. The wolves fur on the back of its neck bristled as they growled. The pitiful creatures were thin and desperate, desperate enough to attack humans. Imoen released an arrow, missing.
"Don't just stand there" Imoen yelled. Tiryns growled as flying around the wolves causing small electric shocks when he opened his mouth, a wolf yelped turning around to snap at the purple dragon. Tiryns shimmered projecting a second image of himself. The wolf snapped at the doppelganger.
Kat slammed her staff at a wolf stalking close to Imoen, who was scrambling to restring her bow.
"You are a mage, use magic!"
"But..." Kat muttered.
A magic missile lit up the area, two men entered the fray. A grubby halfling slashed at a nearby wolf with his dagger. The other man appeared exhausted after the one spell.
Kat tried to concentrate, clearing her mind and bringing forth the mental picture of the spell Colour Spray. Ignoring the scratches and nips, a slow glow emulated from her hands. As the spell in her mind burned away the glow abruptly stopped. Kat blinked... oh no what did she do?
Scanning the area suspiciously, suddenly tiny shadows jumped out of the nearby trees. Their red fur shimmered in the sun and their long furry tails sticking high in the air.
"Squirrels?" Imoen muttered.
Squirrels? Tiryns blinked appearing beside Kat.
The horde of squirrels launched attacking the wolves nipping at their fur, climbing all over them, blood mattered into the wolves fur and they desperately attempted to shake the rodents off them. One of the wolves fell to the ground barely attempting to get back up while the rest of the pack escaped into the woods a few squirrels climbed the trees and gave pursuit while the rest had started to feast on the their victim.
Kat's stomach lurched.
"You know a spell for killer squirrels?" Imoen blinked unable to gaze away from the horrid sight.
"Not exactly, no"
It's probably best that you do not cast spells on companions... what a pity
Imoen and Kat aided the mage up, who immediately shrugged them off him presenting to rapidly brush off the places where they had touched him. The Gnome took another five minutes before he joined the group.
"We are great heroes... of a sort, show us a dragon... or maybe a wizard... actually maybe make that gibblings" Imoen laughed punching Kat in the arm.
"Good folks such a yourself surely believe one good turn deserves another, right Montaron?" The mage said while still concentrating on brushing himself off.
"Aye Xzar, these be the sort to never abandon someone in need" The gnome smirked showing his yellowed teeth.
"We are looking for fellow adventures to look into the Iron Shortage; our... benefactor has a keen interest in the happenings in Nashkel."
"We'll do it!" Imoen exclaimed. "Party of Imoen, Imoen's companions... Imoen's angels...hmmm"
Kat sighed. "We are on our way to Friendly Arm, we have some friends that we have to meet, first... but we can try helping after that... I suppose"
"I am loathed to wait, our employers are not patient people... the journey is safer with meat shields- I mean others" Xzar eyes never left Katriel she shifted in her spot taking a look back at the meat eating squirrels...
"Let's get as far away from here and set camp" Kat suggested she lightly pushed Imoen who was still trying to come up with a name for their party.
Crash
Kat winced, trying to go deeper into thought slowly reconstructing her burning hand spell, she still had colour spray and magic missile to go... it was like trying to catch the tentacles of a jelly fish, many different thin strains of magic that inhabits all things. It was bringing those strands together and the right ones.
Smash
She scrunched her nose up only a couple more pieces...
Squeak
The strains unravelled, failing to memorize the spell.
Giving up she opened her eyes annoyed.
Montaron was sorting through the pots and pans, setting a large pot of water onto the campfire. A small trap at the gnome's side contained a couple of squirrels.
"Montaron, are those the...?"
"Yep"
"Oh, well are you planning to...?"
"Yep"
Kat shivered as watching him add some herbs and spices into the broth, he hadn't struck her at the cooking type. He stabbed a struggling squirrel before tossing it into the broth.
"It's still alive!" She cried out.
"Of course, the bugger is alive, they stop bleeding if they be dead" Montaron answered simply moving on the next squirrel. Kat slowly inched away.
I assume this vegetarian faze is continuing Tiryns teased.
Imoen grinning, she had been collecting more wood for the fire. "mmm, that smells great, we are lucky to meet such people. Do you know what his cooking?"
"Chicken of course" Kat patted Imoen on her back as walking back to her log to try and clasp the strands of magic a once again.
