From: taz@athena.mit.edu (Brian P Shea)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [Amaliza] Greenfeet meets green skin.
Date: 20 Jul 1993 01:16:03 GMT
Message-ID: <22fh0j$3rk@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU>


ADMIN:  I tried something a little bit different this time, any
	critiques would be much appreciated.  Hope you can follow it...

It had been a day since Kayell had left Generica, after purchasing a horse
to carry Giarr's body.  The body was wrapped in a shroud and draped over
the saddle and tied in place.  Kayell ran beside the horse, saving the
horse's energies for an emergency.  He expected to make camp at the
edge of the forest that night.

It had also been a day since Jacob had been ambushed by three orcs, much to
their misfortune and his delight.  Since then, he had been searching for
signs of the Sleepless to no avail.  It seemed that they had gone someplace
else.  Somehow, this was more of a worry than a comfort to Jacob, he would
rather have known where they were.  Jacob didn't sleep well that night.

Kayell awoke at the edge of the Great Forest as the sun was rising.  He quickly
readied the horse and ate a cold breakfast before heading out.  There was
a light mist on the ground and it looked light it might even rain.  Kayell
thanked the gods for the concealment, and headed into the forest.  He moved
silently, but the horse seemed to be making an incredible racket, and he
wished that he didn't need it.  Fortunately, though, the mist was slowly
dampening everything and deadening the noise.  It seemed that luck was with
Kayell, at least for the moment.  He worked his way east as the day wore on,
stopping for lunch as the sun reached its height and the mist started to
burn off in the midday heat.

Jacob cursed his luck.  He had been trying to find any sign of the Grunts
since morning, but the mist and the dampness had made it all but impossible.
He had been slowly traveling northwest towards the center of the forest
in his search and had eventually given up his attempts at tracking.  When
the mist finally started to dissipate, he took a quick break to eat before
resuming the search.  As the afternoon wore on, the temperature continued
to rise, there was no breeze at all, and the forest turned into a virtual
sauna.  A sense of foreboding grew in Jacob as the day wore on, this weather
was not natural for this region and wouldn't have been in any season.
By the time the sun started to go down, his leathers were soaked through with
sweat, and he had had to replenish his skin of water twice.

Kayell was troubled.  The heat was causing Giarr's body to decompose quickly,
and he didn't know if it was still feasible to take him, or it, back to
Amaliza.  He decided to put off the decision and see what weather the next
day would bring.  Kayell rubbed down the mare and hobbled her before eating
yet another cold meal and settling down for sleep.  He had found a decent
place for camp, hidden among thick and prickly brambles, and was confident
he would be safe for the night.  The only problem was that the heat didn't
dissipate as the night wore on.  He tossed and turned for hours, only to
wake at dawn drenched in sweat and feeling as if he had been up all night.
When he went to put Giarr's body on the mare, the smell caught him off guard
and he hurried to the other side of the camp, promptly losing the meager
breakfast he had just eaten.  After he recovered, he doused a cloth in
the remaining wine he had left and wrapped it around his head so it covered
his nose and mouth.  It provided enough of a buffer to the smell, and he
was able to carry the body to the mare.  The problem was, the mare could smell
the body and she fell to the ground as she tried to run while still hobbled.
Kayell quickly moved the body away and despaired of what to do.  After long
moments of thought, he decided he would have to perform the Rite of Honor
himself, doing as well as he could.  He hefted the body over his shoulder,
took the mare's reins, and started to find a safe place to set up the funeral
pyre.

Jacob had finally found a trail.  The prints looked to be the right size and
shape, but they were at least a day old.  The trail led to the west, and he
started in pursuit.  The trail gave out a few times as it entered low ground,
a result of the previous mornings dampness.  He was fortunate, though, and
picked the trail up again on higher ground.  It looked like there were actually
several Sleepless moving to the west.  The going was slow as he tracked, but
he was patient and and slowly but steadily the tracks got more recent.  The
weather was still unnaturally warm, and he made sure to fill his skin of water
whenever he found a safe source.  He followed the trail as long as he could,
but it eventually got dark and he was forced to stop or risk losing the
trail.  The heat was still oppressive throughout the night, but Jacob made
camp near a small stream, and the running water kept him reasonably
comfortable.  He awoke the next morning, and took up the trail once again.
He soon gave up the trail, though, as a light breeze from the west brought
the hint of smoke to his acute senses.  He broke into a run and hurried
towards the source, stopping every so often to pinpoint the direction.

Kayell watched as the flames consumed Giarr's body, and he knelt on the bank
of the stream, offering an entreaty Diantro, the minor elven God of Honor in
Battle.  He felt a surge of joy and relief as the color of the flames
flickered, changing from orange to a bluish-white.  Diantro had found Giarr
worthy and his soul had been accepted into the ranks of the honorable and
worthy.  Kayell had spent most of the previous day searching for a place
to burn the body safely and had finally found a wide stream with a flat
rock nearly in its center.  He had then spent much of the night bringing
wood to the rock and building the pyre.  At dawn, he had moved the body
to the pyre.  He had then started the ritual, watching from the bank
of the stream as the wood started to burn as Diantro heeded the call Kayell
made for Giarr.  Kayell could now feel the waves of heat as the body was
consumed.  The heat was so intense the the rock started to turn red, and
the water around it started to bubble and would have boiled if the stream
flowed any more slowly.  Just as the heat was starting to become unbearable,
it ceased, and a sudden wind carried the ashes of Giarr into the air, and
they spiraled in a small vortex as they were carried aloft.  They were quickly
out of site, and Kayell felt that it was over and that Diantro had turned
his attentions elsewhere.  He quickly whispered his gratitude, and then he
noticed the rock.  It had changed.  It was now perfectly smooth and flat, and
the surface now had Giarr's name enscribed in the center with the runes of
honor and of courage enscribed above and below it.  Diantro had found Giarr
more than just worthy, he had been accepted into the ranks of the Chosen, one
of the very few warriors selected to serve in Diantro's personal bodyguard.
Kayell started to weep with both grief and joy as the full realization that
Giarr was no longer in this realm, but a higher one.

Jacob watched, still amazed, as tears started to roll down the green cheeks
of the sylvan elf on the other side of the bank.  His eyes kept slipping
to the strange symbols now engraved upon the rock, a collection of lines
and slashes that looked delicate and graceful, but bold at the same time.
He had arrived in time to see a body consumed in flames obviuously magical
in nature and warily stood watching, fighting the impulse to draw a weapon.
He held his tongue, but finally nudged a rock into the stream to get the
elf's attentions.  The elf whirled towards the noise, and quickly drew
his katana and dropped to the ready.  Jacob cooly noted that he faced a
skilled fighter and also noted that he favored one of his legs.  Jacob once
again resisted the urge to draw a weapon, but he did finally give in to
his curiousity.

"Who are you?" said the human from the opposite bank.  The human looked to
be mature by human standards, probably thirty years old or so.  He was wearing
brown leathers that were died with swatches of green, it looked to be effective
garb to blend into the woods.  He wore a longsword at his left, a shortsword
at his right, and there was a large knife stapped to his lower right leg.
The human's hair was dark brown, but speckled with grey.  He stood at ease,
but Kayell knew that the human's eyes were carefully watching his every move.

"I am a traveller, passing through the forest.  My name is Kayell."  Jacob
realized the elf wasn't saying everything, but he had expected that.  No one
simply 'travelled' through the forest, it was far too dangerous a place.
Jacob realized the elf was waiting for him to introduce himself, so he did.

"My name is Jacob, sometimes known as Jacob Greenfeet, among other things.
I'm a ranger and this is where I work."

"It is an honor to meet you, your profession is a respected one."

"Thank you.  You know, you could have caused a lot of damage if that fire
had spread."

"I know.  I was careful," said Kayell.

There was an uncomfortable silence as the two stared at each other for a
moment, but it was broken when the sound of a stick cracking was heard from
the woods beyond Kayell.  With a curse, Kayell spun towards the sound, cursed,
and said, "Grunts," as three of the creatures emerged from the woods.  The elf
feinted toward the left, and then leapt at the Sleepless on the right.  The
katana struck several times in rapid succession, and then there were two
of the mottled grey creatures facing him.  They warily approached the elf,
encircling him.  They both had large studded maces, and were wearing crude
scale armor.  Jacob actually thought that the elf still had the advantage,
though.  He looked up and down the stream, looking for a place to cross.
It looked to be deep in both directions, and didn't narrow appreciably.  It
looked like a jump to the rock followed by another jump to the other bank
was the best way to quickly cross.  As Jacob prepared to jump, four more
Sleepless emerged from the forest on the elf's side.  The elf had wounded
both of the Sleepless, but it was doubtful if he could finish them off before
the reinforcements reached him.  Jacob took a running start and leapt.  He
seemed to float through the air, and Jacob realized the rock had been farther
away then he had estimated.  He realized he was a little short, but he extended
one leg towards the rock.  His foot made contact with the rock at an angle,
and momentum carried his body onto the rock, using his foot as a pivot.  He
hit the rock hard, though, and started to roll towards the other side.  He
was nearly over the edge when he muttered a quick pray, and then he suddenly
stopped.  He stood up and noticed that the runes on the rock were softly
glowing.  He muttered his thanks, asked for just a bit more help, and
leapt towards the bank where Kayell was being driven back towards the stream.
He had taken out another of the Sleepless, but he was facing five of them.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kayell saw the human land on the bank a few
paces downstream, behind the Grunts.  Kayell prayed he was coming to help,
and launched a series of aggressive attacks at the Grunts arrayed against
him.  A few of the attacks reached their marks, and another one of the
Grunts was done, writhing in pain.  Kayell knew the human had reached them
when another Grunt fell with a look of surprise, taken from behind.  The
human fought with longsword in right hand and shortsword in left, and moved
both quickly and powerfully.  The remaining three Grunts fell to their
combined assault in a matter of moments, and then the elf and human stood
facing each other weapons drawn.

There was a moment of tension, but then Kayell bowed and said, "I am in
your debt."  Then he smiled.

-----

Hope you enjoyed it. :)

Jacob Greenfeet
aka The Jolly Roger
aka Brian Shea
aka taz@athena.mit.edu | taz@media.mit.edu

Comments welcomed and desired.