From alt.pub.dragons-inn Mon Jan 23 19:03:34 1995 Xref: netcom.com alt.pub.dragons-inn:8090 Path: netcom.com!ix.netcom.com!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!news.cs.utah.edu!news.cc.utah.edu!news From: svanhorn@anetbbs.com (Scott Van Horn) Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [Silent Forest] Scene Two: 'The Trail' Date: Sat, 21 Jan 95 17:15:53 MDT Organization: University Of Utah Computer Center Lines: 84 Distribution: world Message-ID: <19950121.7D12E98.FD16@anetbbs.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: clint.icw.com X-BBS-Software: EXCELSIOR! BBS v1.21i [The Silent Forest] [Scene Two: The Trail] [Written By Scott Van Horn] As he kicked dirt on the ashes of his campfire, Matrium cursed the old man, Turka, for driving him out. He perhaps would have stayed a few days longer to kill that bird. The challenge thrilled Matrium's hunting side of his mind. 'Turka, the Keeper of the Forest?' Matrium mused. 'More like Turka, the Keeper of Insane Thoughts.' He then moved over to his backpack, an old dusty bag used by his father long ago. It had a sleeping mattress and a blanket tied to the bottom of it; That was all Matrium needed to keep warm in the cold forest nights. As he left his camp, Matrium wasn't particularly happy to leave the forest but he was eager to get back to Trylsis Town. And it's famous brothels. Matrium's other side had a little bite to it. Matrium drank a swig of fresh cool water from his dented metal canteen that hung from the side of his backpack and headed out of his now spotless camp down the trail back to Trylsis Town. While walking, Matrium liked to think. He considered it a pleasure to walk and think. He thought about the bird and how much he would like to shoot it or even wound it. He didn't want to hurt the bird nor did he want to eat it. Just to know that he could do such an act. Then he thought of Trylsis Town and the reasons he was there. Years ago he and his family had moved there because his father was a cotton farmer. One summer the crop was bad and his family lost most of what they owned, including their house. Matrium grew up listening to his father curse the rich and those who created his situation. Matrium remembered watching the richer kids strutting around town with their parents, hands in bags of sweet candy, whining about what they wanted. Matrium never had to whine. He knew his parents couldn't afford anything. Three summers ago his father took sick and died, leaving Matrium and his one year younger brother with his mom. Then two years ago, when Matrium was nineteen, his mother was raped by a traveller and afterward murdered. When Matrium and his younger brother, Jousep, found their mother in an alleyway Matrium rememberd his brother saying that he would kill whoever killed their mother. That week, when the culprit was found, he was automatically dismissed because he had killed just a poor woman and they all needed doing away with. Filled with revenge, Jousep found the traveller and brutally killed him. It was then he lost his brother. He escaped from the town after a warrent for his death had been issued and Matrium had never seen him since. Matrium's eyes blurred as he tried to see the trail he was walking on. He thought a lot about that night his mother died. So for the past two years Matrium changed his last name and began working for a blacksmith. Last month the blacksmith died of pneumonia and old age, leaving his shop for his younger son. Matrium was then put out. That's one reason he went hunting so often; to escape his problems. Now he spent the afternoons finding odd jobs to do, the night in the inn and brothel and the morning in his bed, or someone else's for that matter. As he crested a small hill, Trylsis Town came into view. (c) 1995 Scott Van Horn All Questions, Comments, Criticism welcomed by Public Reply or by Private Reply at [svanhorn@anetbbs.com]. Thank you for reading. -- 'Innocence is not a virtue, Knowledge is the Truth.' -Matrium Bard *= Originated from The AlterNet! BBS / (801) 567-9560 / Salt Lake City, UT =* Administrator: dmitri@anetbbs.com (telnet: 199.104.65.30)