From: taz@athena.mit.edu (Brian P Shea)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [Roger] Out of the pan and into the fire...
Date: 30 Jun 1993 13:50:31 GMT
Message-ID: <20s5n7$l10@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU>


It was starting to grow dark in the forest when Endo finally called a halt
to make camp.  The encounter with the Grunts had been several hours ago,
and they had been steadily jogging west since.  They hadn't encountered
anything unusual since then, just the normal creatures of the forest.
In fact, earlier they had all rather foolishly drawn weapons and dropped to
the ready as a deer had bounded through the clearing they had chosen for a
short rest.  After that, they had been more relaxed.

"I'll take first watch, then Kayell, then Giarr, and last watch goes to
Roger.  Let's make it a cold camp, who knows what a fire would draw."
Endo calmly gave the orders before picking a tree to set up their hammocks
high in its branches.  The hammocks were light but strong, made out of
elven rope.  They weighed less than blankets, and were probably warmer
since the ground stole the body's warmth much more than the air did.

The rest of the group followed suit, choosing suitable perches in the tree.
They then sat down and started to eat a bland but filling meal of elven
waybread and dried fruit.  After some forgettable small talk, they went to
bed as Endo assumed the first watch.

Endo climbed into the lower branches of the tree, finding a good place to
watch, and more importantly, listen.  He noted the positions of his two
elven friends and his human friend, the Jolly Roger.  Endo wondered at the
human. They had become close friends quickly, but he still knew relatively
little about him.  He was from an alien world with alien magics and what
Roger called 'technology', yet he could have grown up in Amaliza.  Not only
did he know the forms, he seemed to know the Way more than many of the
elves.  The Way demanded much of a person.  It demanded not only personal
honor but patience, forgiveness, and personal sacrifice.

Endo also worried about the situation between Roger and Kayell.  Kayell
was almost openly hostile towards Roger, and Endo couldn't figure out
why.  True, he had chosen Roger to be his second-in-command, but that
was because Roger was the better qualified.  Endo decided to have a talk
with Kayell about the matter.

Endo's musings were cut short as he heard a sound coming from the forest.
He listened for a moment, and he heard it again.  Whatever it was, it
was coming closer.  He waited, and the sound resolved itself into a
warm-blooded humanoid, glowing red against the cool night air in Endo's
infravision.  It was a Grunt.  Endo silently moved to wake the other
three, signaling <Danger-Below>.

Shortly, the four were perched in the tree watching the Grunt move through
the clearing below.  The four companions continued to wait in silence for
long moments after the Grunt passed out of sight.  As they watched, a group
of four Grunts entered the clearing, moving in a rough line.  The Grunts
were combing the area, looking for them.  The group once again waited, and
long minutes later the clearing was once again empty.

"Looks like we have a long night ahead of us," Endo whispered.

Roger silently cursed as he made himself more comfortable, straddling a
branch and leaning against the trunk of the tree.  He closed his eyes and
forced tense muscles to relax.

Roger felt himself starting to nod off when he felt someone watching him.
He looked around, but saw nothing.  The others were busy either watching
the clearing or trying to sleep sitting up.  He decided he was jumping
at shadows and tried to go back to sleep.  He closed his eyes, but the
feeling didn't go away.  Actually, it intensified when he closed his eyes.
It felt like someone was right behind him, peering over his shoulder.

"Endo, I think we should move out."  Roger had learned to trust his instincts
after years of running the shadows, and the feeling was way too strong to
ignore.

"Why?  The Grunts are still out there."

"When won't they?  I have a bad feeling.  I feel like I'm being watched."

Kayell looked at Roger sharply.  "I feel that way, also.  I agree with
Roger."  The last was said grudgingly.

Endo nodded, and woke the lightly dozing Giarr.  "We're leaving."

Giarr nodded, coming fully alert in an instant.

The four examined the clearing, illuminated by the false dawn.  It was
still another couple of hours until sunrise.  The clearing was empty, and
they quickly climbed down from the tree.  Their gear was already stowed,
and they silently left the clearing, heading northwest.  The forest was
rather dense, and they moved from tree to tree almost as silently as their
pale shadows did.  Endo was in the lead, and they slowly made their way
through among the trees.

Five minutes later, Endo ducked back after starting to go around a tree.
"Grunts," he whispered.  "A lot of them."  He led the group off on a
tangent, obviously trying to go around them.  They moved, hardly daring
to breathe.  Roger strained, and could hear the occassional snap of a twig
of rustle of a branch of the stealthily moving Grunts.  Roger had the
feeling that the Grunts were heading for the tree they had just left.

"Damn.  More of them."  They moved on, heading on another tangent.  It was
barely a minute before they saw a third group, almost blundering into them.
The four stopped, crouching among the brush between the trees.  "Somehow,
we've been encircled.  Someone is spying on us."

"We have to break free, there is no question," Giarr said.  He then drew
his sword, looking resolute.

"We should try to avoid an enounter.  Let's try to sneak through,"  Kayell
said, looking to Endo.

"Agreed.  Let's go."

Roger made sure his katana was in place as the group moved out.  He hoped
he wouldn't need it.  The group backtracked, estimating a spot halfway
between the groups of Grunts.  Endo finally decided, and they turned
to break free of the circle.  They slowly crept from tree to tree,
waiting for Endo to signal that it was clear.  It seemed like they moved
for forever, and Roger started to think that they had done it.  His hopes
were dashed as Endo signaled <Danger>.  He then motioned to Kayell and
Giarr.  The two moved forward and listened as Endo whispered to them.  They
then stalked off into the woods, Giarr heading left and Kayell right.
Roger silently moved up to Endo's position, and waited as the Grunts slowly
made their way towards them.

Roger winced at the birdcall, but the Grunts didn't notice.  He then saw
that Kayell and Giarr were in position.  Endo whistled back, and Roger
watched them move.  Twin blurs emerged from the forest, and then the Grunts
seemed to stumble on the rough ground, then start to fall.  Kayell and Giarr
caught them as they fell, easing the Grunts' lifeless bodies to the ground.

The four moved out, still trying to be silent, but also trying to put
a little distance between them and the Grunts.  They had been moving for
about five minutes when the first horn blast shattered the silence.  The
Grunts had reached the tree.  The companions started to run, praying that
they had truly broken free of the deadly circle.

-----
The Jolly Roger
aka Brian Shea
aka taz@athena.mit.edu
Have a Day :|
Eventually coming to a Dragon's Inn near you...