From alt.pub.dragons-inn Wed Jul 5 08:04:29 1995 Xref: netcom.com alt.pub.dragons-inn:8532 Path: netcom.com!ixnews.netcom.com!howland.reston.ans.net!news.sprintlink.net!everest.pinn.net!everest!cinci From: cinci@pinn.net (Deborah Taylor) Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [Derik] Date: 5 Jul 1995 12:38:39 GMT Organization: Pinnacle Online - Internet access for Hampton Roads, Virginia - 498-3889 Lines: 156 Message-ID: <3te14f$t7b@everest.pinn.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: everest.pinn.net X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] I am posting this for David McKee who's server is down. His email addres is zuben@orion.etsu.edu. -Debbie ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The crowd bumped and stumbled its way back into the inn amidst a great deal of chuckling and some shaking of heads as moneys lost bets were exchanged. The odd, dueling couple remained a topic for conversation for quite some time. A lively air filled the room, and the evening's drinking and singing began in earnest. Having secured himself a pint of ale, a tall, nondescript man walked over to the great hearth to gaze into its fire as he sipped his drink. He smiled to himself, shaking his head at the absurdity of the scene he had just witnessed. He felt a bit sorry for the woman; he had seen the tattoo under her left eye and knew she would be a proud one. In fact, he could hardly imagine she would honor such a bet. But, she bloody well should have known better than to accept a challenge from one of that type. He chuckled at the silliness of it. And the other...what was one to make of him. Hardly to be taken seriously, but just as certainly not one to be dismissed outright. Something about the gaudy little man disturbed him. He took a long pull on his ale, and tried to discern just what it was about the strange fop which had struck him wrong. A large paw of a hand squeezing his shoulder and the gruff laugh which accompanied it ended his reverie. "Well, well well...Derik, my friend," rumbled a deep voice near his ear. "I had begun to wonder if you would show that ugly face of yours, or if I would be forced to have my dogs track you down like a fox." Derik finished his drink and turned, grinning fiercely. He was dwarfed by the huge man who stood before him. Like Derik, he wore simple clothes: A faded green tunic, unadorned belt and plain, brown breeches tucked at the knees into well-worn boots. He wore a large, but simple sword at his side, a two-handed version of the longsword on Derik's hip. The sword served to further accent the man's size compared to that of Derik, who grinned almost fiendishly up at the barrel-chested, bearded giant. Derik's neatly trimmed mustache fairly bristled and his eyes gleamed with humor as he looked up at the man. "Beornoth, you smelly, uncivilized, brute! I had begun to wonder just the same thing. How are you old friend?" "Better than you, I will wager," Beornoth rejoined with a smile. He wrapped his huge arms around the smaller man and nearly suffocated him with his hug. Stepping back he asked, "What kept you, brother? I had begun to worry." The humor left Derik's eyes, and he gazed at Beornoth for a moment before answering. "I believe I need another drink, my friend. Secure a quiet table for us and I will get us both something." After visiting the bar, he walked over to the corner table Beornoth had found, setting two mugs down and positioning himself so his back faced the room. After taking a sip of his ale he leaned forward and spoke in a quiet voice. "It would seem your fox's visit to the coop was anticipated. I am afraid I have no eggs for you, and I am more than a bit concerned that I should have found such a reception as I did. I am beginning to suspect we are compromised." "They were waiting for you? My god, man! What happened? How did you get out?" Derik smiled grimly at the question. "Well, I never got in, to be truthful. I did make it into the keep in the hidesman's wagon. In the evening, on schedule, I began to sneak toward the wing where our, "eggs" were being kept. I found the window just as we planned, but something felt wrong. I had an incredibly uneasy feeling. I waited a few minutes, listening. I tell you, man, can't say what exactly tipped me off, but I knew I was in trouble; so, I began to make my way to the exit we had prepared. I had passed fewer than ten paces when a cry went up and some twenty guards appeared out of nowhere. All I remember after that in running." "But you made it out." Derik grinned at him, " I did that, my friend" "And, do you think they know who you are?" A look of deep concern creased the large mans features. "Do not worry about that. No one had a chance to get a good look at me, and my face was covered anyway." "These are not good tidings, but I am relieved our lives are not further complicated by you having been recognized. We can still work with some freedom." "That we can." Derik took a pull from his drink. "And, we can still get our prize. They move it in a week. We will try then. But I am concerned. I cannot imagine how they might have known I would try." "Well, they surely keep tight security anyway..." "They knew I was coming, Beornoth. I swear this." "If that is your sincere belief, then we will make as if we have given up on this one. I will tell the boys you don't think it is worth the hassle. Then , you begin your planing for the job and I will work on finding out where the leak is. but I have to tell you, Derik, I do not like this one bit. I cannot think of one of our men I would not trust. This will be a hard blow to us if you are right. "All I say is that they knew I was coming. I am offering no accusations at this point." "Very well,, very well. We will figure this out. But in the mean time, I have had an idea." "Beornoth, my thick-skulled friend, that frightens me more than any turncoat, " Derik chuckled. "What might this idea be about?" Beornoth grimaced in mock hurt. "Did you see the little contest earlier? I arrived just as it was finishing and didn't notice if you had come out to watch." "I did," Derik replied, raising his eyebrow in question. "Well, I am thinking that little man might be of some use to us. He seems rascally enough. And tricky. I am thinking he might be able to do some work for us." "This drink is stronger than I had realized. You have become delirious." Derik paused in reflection. "Do you really think we can use him? You think we could trust him? I must admit, something about the man seems a bit squarely to me. I am afraid you are wrong on this one." "I am only saying he might bear observation. We might find he's exactly the sort to be quite useful when being chased by twenty guards in the middle of the night." "I will look into it if you insist, Beornoth, but, frankly, I am not much interested in adding variables to an equation which appears already to have unknowns." "Good enough, brother. Shall we finish our drinks and make a night of it? The men are worried about you, and we should let them know what happened. And, if someone has turned on us, we should begin to try to feel him out immediately." Derik acquiesced and the two finished their drinks in silence. Soon, they had passed through the inn's doors and disappeared into the warm, summer night. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Life is a journey, not a guided tour. Debbie Taylor : cinci@pinn.net WWW homepage: http://www.pinn.net/~cinci