From alt.pub.dragons-inn Fri Mar 18 07:40:24 1994 Xref: netcom.com alt.pub.dragons-inn:7142 Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Path: netcom.com!csus.edu!wupost!math.ohio-state.edu!cyber2.cyberstore.ca!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!suncad!freenet.Victoria.BC.CA!uk576 From: uk576@freenet.Victoria.BC.CA (David E. Hayman) Subject: [Ded-y] Break-Quest Message-ID: Sender: news@suncad.camosun.bc.ca (USENET News System) Organization: Camosun College, Victoria, B.C. Date: Fri, 18 Mar 1994 05:14:50 GMT Lines: 92 As the sun rose and warmed the morning chill from the group's bodies, Aleirin felt much better and Keernan appeared to be completely recovered from the Earth magic. Aleirin spent most of the night catching everybody up on the events prior to their arrival and every few minutes insisted on being let go so he could find his priceless sword. Deadeye bargained with Aleirin to wait until morning and the whole group could then search for the sword. Grudgingly, Aleirin accepted the terms realizing the extra help would be valuable in finding his treasured sword. "Everybody get up!! We must find my sword immediately!", Aleirin shouted at the first rays of sunlight. "Alright, we'll look for your sword, but shouldn't we eat first?", Keernan's belly begged for some morsel to digest and calm its rumbling. "No, we can't waste the time. Find the sword, then we'll eat", Aleirin was ready to use the terms of the bargain to his benefit and begin searching for the sword immediately. "But,...", Deadeye attempted and interjection, but Aleirin was almost out the door dragging Keernan with one hand and pushing Silta with the other. The great cat did not seem to mind; in fact, Silta thought Aleirin was playing some sort of game and began to push back which did not sit well with Aleirin. Keernan turned to Deadeye and gave a shrug, "You had best wake Grundle now, or he'll wake and we will already be gone." Keernan was right. With Aleirin in this state of urgency, everyone had forgotten about the slumbering Gnome lying sprawled on the floor at the end of the bed. The group hurried through the inn without a glance to the patrons and immediately trudged into the street. The sun was too much to endure this early in the morning, but it didn't seem to stop Aleirin. "We should start looking by the docks. If they stole your sword there it may have been fenced to someone in the area.", Keernan remarked. "It's this way", Aleirin led the group at a fast pace heading down the Dragon's Lane toward the docks, trying to retrace his movements the night before. Unfortunately, it's a trifle hard to retrace your own steps when you are half bleeding to death from a stab in the side and your head has been hit just a little too hard. "I think I was jumped somewhere around here, but I'm not sure where to look from this point." This was the first moment Aleirin realized he wasn't sure how to find his lost sword. "Deadeye, you are a ranger. Can you trace the hoods?", Keernan felt a glint of hope seep into his persona. "It would be difficult to do in the city." "Are you crazy!! What kind of 'woodland warrior' are you? To think I could track two hoods through the street of this city. We'd have a better chance just stumbling across the sword than tracking it down." "One must follow different spoor. It would take the type of training theives get for shadowing their marks, not the kind of training one gets for the purpose of hunting." Deadeye said with all the emotion of a cold stone wall. Keernan's face showed nothing, but he felt the reprimand strike deep into his pride. He had realized his error just as he made it, but that was too late. Next time he would think his plan through before blurting it out. "Maybe....we should check the tavern's near here and see if Aleirin might recognize the hoods or his sword....and maybe get something to eat?" "That is a good idea" Deadeye said with some cheer. "We should proceed to the Happy Mage Inn. It should be a reasonable place to plan our next move. It is the gathering place for young scholars.--- --- The Happy Mage Inn was fairly quiet except for a small group of students engaged in a drinking contest. The motley crew took an empty table and each ordered their preferred beverage. "The best thing for us to do is to look about without asking. If we can find out about the theives' guild without them knowing we may find the sword." Deadeye suggested. "Keernan can scout about in another form." Silta sat at Keernan's feet kept invisible by Grundle's spell. "I could take to the air." Keernan said. "I could save a lot of time in the search." "Excellent!" Aleirin said. "We can begin immediately." "Not so fast," said Deadeye,"We must have a concrete plan. It will be necessary to learn more about this city before we do anything other than having breakfast. Now we should eat." - - - - --