From alt.pub.dragons-inn Thu Jan 13 07:36:34 1994 Path: netcom.com!netcomsv!amd!decwrl!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!cyber2.cyberstore.ca!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!alberta!amisk.cs.ualberta.ca!aaron From: aaron@amisk.cs.ualberta.ca (Aaron V. Humphrey) Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [SQ] On My Signal Date: 12 Jan 94 17:38:25 GMT Organization: The Anna Amabiaca Fan Club Lines: 83 Message-ID: Reply-To: aaron@amisk.cs.ualberta.ca NNTP-Posting-Host: cab006.cs.ualberta.ca Originator: aaron@cab006.cs.ualberta.ca ADMIN: This post was written by me, and all characters appearing therein (except for Blythe, who is property of Tim Vaughan)are mine. "You've got to lose the weight of the wind" ---A-Ha, "The Weight of The Wind" "We're drifting out of sight..." ---Michel Lemieux, "Fog Area" Vanshar was growing impatient. "Radan could return any moment, with or without this Shade person. We should move now!" Remi was well aware of the risks. Shade had defeated Sardonikas, and Radan had laid Remi himself low. But there were other, more immediate, if lesser, risks. And for one of them he needed Bronwen on his side. "And what about the Seaguard? It's only a matter of time before _they_ track us down, too." That, Remi was less afraid of, after what had happened to the last ship... *** The Kelsie-summoned wind was still blowing in the sails, but one of the Seaguard ships pulled ahead of the others, who slowed as if becalmed. They'd decided to risk engaging him with one ship, as opposed to with none, and concentrated all their wind on that one ship. Remi had been hoping they wouldn't be that clever, but they did this for a living. As had he. The big difference was the magic they had on their side. They weren't in range for any missile spells now, and taking one of their mages away from maintaining the wind to cast one would put them out of range if they got in, but they only needed one hit. This was not the most formidable ship Remi had ever commanded. Ah, well. He gauged the speed of the following ship. It was gaining, but only by a narrow margin. They had some time to get out of the vicinity of the city. And he was already formulating another plan. Too bad this ship wasn't armed. But of course Radan wouldn't have thought of that, and it would have aroused even more suspicions. The ship drew steadily nearer as the minutes passed. Remi did have one more trick left, but it was risky, and if it didn't work they might not be able to get out of range again. "Kelsie!" he shouted. "Can you or the air-sprites summon a fog?" "Yeah!" she responded. "Why did you want to know?" "Do it--on my signal." "I don't have to listen to you, lamebrain," she said cheerfully. He sighed. "Blythe, fetch Bronwen up from below." This could lose him his margin. Bronwen convinced the Kelsie to listen to Remi's commands as her own until they were out of danger. The Kelsie pouted and stamped a foot in the air, but she obliged. Just as the Seaguard ship came into range, the wind in the Crimson Moon's sails slacked off. "We've got them now!" the Seaguard Mage exulted. "I knew they couldn't hold that up for long. Prepare to fire on my signal." *** It noticed the disturbances above from leagues away. Not only the disturbances on the water, but the disturbances in the aether. Ordinarily it would have shied away from such disturbances, but it was almost frantic with hunger now. It had snapped up a few lesser beings, but they did not satisfy it, and anything that would satisfy it had already vacated the area. As it neared the disturbances, it prepared to surface. -- --Alfvaen(Editor of Communique) Current Album--Martha Davis:Policy Current Read--Piers Anthony:Firefly "trees are just canoes that haven't yet been reamed out" --finerty