Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
From: arsmith@nyx.cs.du.edu (Alan Smith)
Subject: [NTY] To flee, or not to flee?
Message-ID: <1993Aug13.221042.16972@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 93 22:10:42 GMT

[In our last exciting episode everyone had a heart attack when someone
asked: "Do you smell smoke?"  And now, the next episode.]

Palandun hopped out of the little cottage's bed, peeked out the window,
and instantly popped his head back in.
  "Dress!"  He told the miller's daughter, "The nomads are attacking."  He
dove into his clothes, slung his sword, and spoke again "Grab a weapon, the
Guard can't hold them off much longer."  He threw on his cloak and bag, then
dashed out the door, leaving the millers daughter to ask the door what kind
of weapon he had in mind.

  The nomads had set the little temple to Ilmater on fire, and unfortunately
that containted the horn to rouse the populus, so the guard on duty at the time
had to suffice to hold off an attack.  Palandun dashed up to the town hall,
where people were arguing over what to do.  He listened respectfully for about  
thirty seconds, then gave that up as hopeless and waded into the middle of
the crowd, barking orders.
  "You two, with the swords: go down and help out the guards.  Stave-men,
I want you guys to form up at the bottom of the steps.  Who's the best bow-
shot around here?"
  "Me." Two men chorused.  A little fight about who it actually was started
to break out.
  "You both are." Palandun said, "I want you on top of this building,
and you on top of that building.  Shoot anyone on a horse."
  He arrayed the stave-men in a line across the street, dashed out and
retrieved the swordbearers, pulling them behind the line.  He rested them for
thirty seconds, then split them into two groups and made a pincer-charge.
Where the disparate every man for himself tactics before had just slowed
them up, concentrated force at two points could force them back.  When the
points met, he made the sword-men form a line and charged with
the stave-men.  This tactic worked one more time, then the horsemen split.
The townsmen started to cheer, but Palandun cut the celebration off.
  "This is hardly over."  He said, "We just got a breather space is all.  If
they had prepared at all we'd all be dead now.  Here's what I want..."

  The next morning Palandun rode out of the city, inspecting the hastily erected
ramparts as he left.  He bulled his way into an audience with the
tribe's leader.
  "You are a villiager."  The leader said.
  "No, actually, I'm a Bismanian."  Blank look from the leader. "From some
islands far to the west on the great blue.  I just happened to be in the
villiage when you attacked."
  "You killed three warriors."
  "I'm sorry, It was kinda ungrateful not to help defend your hosts."  The
leader could relate to this.  "I'm here to negotiate a peacable settlement."
  "There can be no peace.  They have our land."  
  "C'mon can't we- That's odd."  This last bit was directed at the scroll
that materialized out of nowhere and dropped in Palandun's lap.  He unrolled
it and read:

To Palandun Lintesul, Most Excellent Ambassador from the Soverign Islands
of Bismania.
~From: The Shaheran of Rameshan.
Greetings,
  News of this treacherous barbarian attack on our lands in Parahan has just
reached us, and rather than stoop to their level and strike back at them,
we are sending an ambassador to forge a treaty.  It is our most earnest
wish that you would act as mediator for these negotiations.
Sincerely, The Shaheran.

Palandun showed it to the tribe's leader, stating that he would undertake the
Shaheran's task.  The leader stated that there would be no settlement, and
Palandun argued that that really was for the Il-Shar to decide, would the come
to deep Parahan with Palandun, or let him go on alone?  The leader debated
with himself for several hours, then decided:
  "We will escort you to the Il-Shar's residence.  We leave tomorrow at
dawn."
  "And the city?"
  "Saved, we shall have to rest up for the journey."
  "One last question, do you guys know of a captive named Gunther Toodie?"