Scattered Embers: Flames Rekindled (story)

[CM]

Soon Fas found himself in the land of elves. He is not sure how he got there, all he knew was that next time find out if a pretty young thing is single or the wife of the local war lord. He had left 2 dead, 3 bald and another one wishing that haffers could not head butt so low and close to the family jewels. He was still being hunted he thought, couldn't understand why really though. All he had done was try to grab a tankard of ale and by innocent mistake his hand out of a will of its own, not his mind you had strayed to the females chest and grabbed a hold of it. Now it was an honest mistake, something he should not be blamed for at all.

Of course he had to run, not a good thing since he hated physical exercise. He had jumped into a caravan and promptly fell asleep. Mr Tiddles was with him now and was purring loud enough to wake the dead, so Fas as always kicked Mr. Tiddles to wake him up. The cat jumped with a fright and attacked the nearest thing, Fas. The two wrestled for a minute before they fell out of the moving caravan onto the road.

[Ned Flanders]

He watched, patiently, as the rogue wolf paused pensively in the minor clearing so deep within the wooded walls of Tethyr, the tarrowmoss root undoubtedly clouding its’ keen sense of smell. Rogues were most unwelcome in this area of the forest, but because it was being trailed by orcs, he had made it clear to Kael, the alpha male of the pack, it was not to be harmed until more was known. Kael reluctantly communed the shapeshifters wishes to the rest of the pack while keeping some of his best within striking distance.

Concerning the Forest of Tethyr, Orcs had learned over the years how swiftly they would be dealt with for venturing into the packs territory. Yet on this day, they ignored the painful education of the past to track none other, than a wolf. The shapeshifter, a smidge paranoid over the circumstances, began to ponder:

Now you are in deep, aren’t you, love. We’ve not seen a rogue in quite a while, and along with you, orcs follow marching into certain death. Well love, perhaps you’re not one of us at all. Clever ruse it would be, trudging yourself in here by your onesies all the way from Calimport. I must say, if so, ‘tis a tad disappointing rumors of my deeds have dwindled so in which a single bounty hunter comes to claim my skin. Oh well, so many questions and it seems the orcs, at their present course will reach the den in a short while. I suppose caution will win the day…

And he loped into the clearing to catch a scent of the peculiar rogue.

[T'lainya]

Endelia scouted around the area quickly, making sure that no other enemies lurked. T'lainya put Xivaril to work extinguishing the last of the lingering fires. She took the gruesome task of arranging the three charred troll skulls in a small cairn. She then traced a small rune on the top skull. This would be give the date of the attack as well as the direction the trolls had come from. The trio rapidly set off again, taking care to hide their tracks. They took care to sprinkle a fine powder throughout the area. The powder was made of strong aromatic herbs that would coat the nostrils of any creature tracking them by smell. They traveled on, stopping an hour or so after moonrise. They made camp in a small stand of apple trees. They built no fire, dining instead on cold rations, supplemented with the ripe fruit around them. They warded the campsite heavily and rested. The night passed uneventfully, the only visitor a tremendously fat brown bear who yawned lazily at the trio. The shaggy beast then gorged himself with apples. He whuffed at them happily, scratched himself against a tree and ambled off.

They rose in the pale grey light before dawn to larks and robins serenading the sun. They gathered a few apples for their morning meal, and packed more for the road. They left the shelter of the trees, passing the bear from the previous night . This time the bear was greedily scooping honey into it's mouth with both paws. It grinned a sticky smile and continued to feed. T'lainya was reminded of Gwally's spirit bear during the wild magic surge and shivered slightly. She noticed Endelia's questioning glance and smiled.

“Seeing the bear brings back memories.” T'lainya said. “Should I relate the tale to pass the time?”

Xivaril and Endelia nodded eagerly. T'lainya spun her tale , then Endelia followed with one of her own. Xivaril took his turn next, regaling them with the exploits of Erevan Ilesere. The sun rose high and the time passed pleasantly. The leagues fell behind them and they could see the great forest of Shilmista in the distance.

The sight of the deep green woods heartened the travelers. They looked forward to the soft grass and velvet moss of the elven woods. The thought of clear running streams and deep hidden pools lent speed to their feet. They entered the Forest of Shadows, inhaling the scent of wildflowers and grass. They wended their way deeper into the woods, admiring the sights. They found a small glen, a brook babbling merrily along one side. A small pool had formed among the rocks. The pool was clear and deep and icy cold. The violet moss they needed, grew in abundance, covering rocks and tree trunks with it's faint luminescence.
Xivaril headed towards the moss but a gesture from T'lainya stopped him.

“This moss is often found close to pixie lairs. We must explain why we gather it and assure any listeners that we will only gather what we need. The small folk may be here or not, but this wood is full of guardians and we do not wish to offend them.” She cleared her throat and began to speak. “Friends and kin, we harvest this bounty from the Leaflord to aid our kin in the north. We follow the path of rillifane and take only that which we need, we waste naught and destroy naught. Peace of the Seldarine upon thee.”

Endelia repeated the words and motioned to Xivaril to do the same. He thought for a moment that the forest itself seemed to sigh.

“We are kin to those that dwell here, yet we are still strangers. It is best to act as guests, not invaders.” Endelia spoke quietly, noticing the same sense of alertness from the trees. The forest seemed serene, a feeling of peace surrounded them.

“I think we should camp here tonight, then return to the north tomorrow. We can go to Ilipur and avoid the Troll Mountains this time. From there we can take a boat across the Dragonmere or head around the coast of it.” T'lainya finished harvesting her share of the moss and sank back into the grass with a sigh. “'Tis beautiful here, so much sweeter than the city, even Evereska.”

Xivaril sat down by the pool, watching the sun sparkle on it's surface. “It is far different indeed. A true place of majesty.”

Endelia agreed, she was watching a pair of rabbits drinking from the brook. “It's been at least a score of years since I walked here. It retains it's beauty and it's power.”

After resting a while, the trio set about making camp. They gathered fallen branches for a small fire, and began to prepare a meal.

[Bloodstalker]

Bloodstalker sat at the same table for awhile after Delin had left to make his final rounds for the day. He didn't mind the solitude at the moment however, content to nurse his drink and recount what little he'd gotten from Delin regarding the orc rumors. It wasn't much to go on, and while a band of orcs on the move was cause for a certain amount of concern, the truth was that it just wasn't that unheard of. The size of the band was a bit odd, but then again, the folk of this region had been a bit panicky every since the whole Bhallspawn wars a few years earlier. People tended to have long memories after such a thing, and this area had been hit hard. It wasn't unusual for a few farmers to exagerate any sign of trouble into another potential full blown disaster of godlike proportions, and for the most part he was inclined to just shrug the whole matter off. But some small part of his mind refused to let that notion take full hold.

His internal debate was interupted when he felt himself being watched. It was just a small sensation, like the hairs on his neck standing on end, but he'd been around far to long to ignore it. Looking up, he let his eyes take in the room, stopping as he came to the two who had apparently just arrived in the inn. He did well to contain the surprise that threatend to break across his features as he took in the unlikely duo.It was the solidly built, bald man who seemed to be looking at him. BS thought he saw something in the mans glance that signaled a recongition, but didn't think much of it. As much as he travelled, it wasn't uncommon for someone to recognise him, and he didn't give much thought to it. The mans companion, however, was something else entirely.It wasn't often you saw a deep gnome on the surface, and the sight was a bit of a start. The last time he'd seen one had been long ago, in the tunnels before the final battle with a Abomination. The thought was enough to make him uneasy, and he'd just decided to go back to his drink when he caught sight of the spear the man carried as he turned to start towards the bar.

"You there." BS called, pausing as the man turned back to face him. "I'd like a word with you if you wouldn't mind." He noticed the gnome fidget a bit, as if unsure of what to make of this turn of events. The man himself seemed to consider a moment, before shrugging and taking the seat that BS had waved toward. As the two sat at the table, BS motioned for a new bottle and three glasses. Waiting for the drinks to arrive, he gave the duo time to settle themselves before continuing. "The names Bloodstalker by the way."

"Setanta." The man replied, gesturing to his companion before continuing," And this is Snirf. I assume you didn't simply invite us over for a drink, am I correct?"

BS smiled at the tone of suspicion in the mans voice. It was a simple thing, but it conveyed to BS that the man was experienced enough to take nothing at face value. Which also meant that he was likely to be able to answer the questions he had in mind clearly. Gesturing vaguely, BS said in a thoughtful tone,"True enough. It's not often you see one of those."

This seemed to trigger Snirf into speaking, "Excuse me, sitting right here you know. I know my kind aren't exactly a common sight, but it's not like I didn't have my reasons for leaving home. Even if it was nothing more than a big misunderstanding." Setanta looked at BS and shrugged as the gnome proceeded to rant about a fire, flamable books, giant lizards...in skirts nonetheless, and a dozen other things he simply couldn't comprehend, but which he couldn't help but grin at anyway.

After a short time however, BS realised that this could go on all night, and he cut in."I wasn't talking about you my good gnome, I was refering to the spear your friend here is carrying. More specifically, the markings on it. Orcish, unless I miss my guess?"

Setanta nodded. "Took it off a dead orc a few days ride from here. Pretty large band of them too, all dead. Ambush it looked like."

"To the southeast?" BS ventured,"Close to Tethyr?" earning a dissenting head shake from Snirf.

"No, nowhere near Tethyr. A good distance from town, but in the opposite direction. Not just the one band either, my drink dispensing friend, but we came across a few more along the road. And these weren't no run of the mill orcs either. All outfitted in nice, pretty armor with matching emblems."

BS considered that for a moment. Orcs raiding was one thing, multiple bands wearing the same emblem was something else entirely."Then someone is behind this. Orcs don't just gather together under a common banner and work together in a coordinated fashion." He sighed...this was getting worse and worse. He should have just stayed in the Dale.

"You wouldn't happen to have recognised those marking would you? Or maybe have scavanged something that has one?"

[Magrus]

Snirf looks around during the conversation, sighing as he spots the bottle of rum behind the bar he concentrates a bit. The bottle lifts up off of the shelf, floats to him, along with a mug and he sends over 10 gp to drop with a clatter in front of the bartender. Waving the bottle merrily he snags the mug out of the air, he fills the mug and takes a long pull on it.

"Ahh, thats good stuff. Nothing like back home...but it still hits the spot. Care for some? No? Ok. Well I have a cart outside that's packed full with the better equipment we found, all have the same markings. Including the band that tried ambushing us, same markings as the others. Not good I say, and I don't recognize them, no-no-no. Nhutcluk got ahold of one's head fairly well though. Standard orc's, just trained and organized."

[Cuchulain82]

Setanta had been in difficult situations before, but when the man asked him to sit and drink, fear rushed over him. This man, this stalker, was burned into Setanta’s brain, and now here he was, years later, stumbling upon the man and wanting to run. Setanta once killed a Wemic with his bare hands, but drinking wine in an Inn scared him now.

Damn my sensibilities and this man! Setanta thought, angrily pushing down his fear. If he wants to fight then so be it- I am no mage and he will know it before I die. If not, perhaps he will have information to share.

Setanta joined the man at the table and started talking. It was when he spoke up that Setanta realized Snirf was there. In the rush of memory Setanta had completely forgotten him, and now Snirf was talking like crazy- muttering about the underdark, grandstanding about experiments and greatness, bemoaning the myopic nature of his kin who couldn’t realize that burning a library was a small cost to pay for…

At that moment, Setanta realized that he actually believed the gnome! For all his talk and seeming lack of attention, Snirf could be compelling and charismatic, perhaps without even realizing it himself.

At this point the man, who had introduced himself as Bloodstalker (An ominous name, considering the little I know of him), asked about the spear Setanta was carrying. BS correctly guessed it was made by the orcs, and then he said something interesting:

"To the southeast?" BS ventured"close to Tethyr?"

"No, nowhere near tethyr.” Setanta replied quickly, “A good distance from town, but in the opposite direction. Not just the one band either, my drink dispensing friend, but we came across a few more along the road. And these weren't no run of the mill orcs either. All outfitted in nice, pretty armor with matching emblems."

Two groups of orcs, both on the move! Setanta was thrilled to learn this- it seemed to be a very important link in the chain. He couldn’t believe BS had let that detail slip so casually.

“You wouldn't happen to have recognised those marking would you? Or maybe have scavanged something that has one?” Bloodstalker continued.

“Why, of course we do” Snirf piped up- he had a bottle now, where did that come from? “we gathered enough armament off of those orcs to identify markings with ease. Ahh, thats good stuff." Snirf continued, drinking deeply, "Nothing like back home...but it still hits the spot. Care for some? No? Ok. Well I have a cart outside that's packed full with the better equipment we found, all have the same markings. Including the band that tried ambushing us, same markings as the others. Not good I say, and I don't recognize them, no-no-no. Nhutcluk got ahold of one's head fairly well though. Standard orc's, just trained and organized.”

Setanta groaned inwardly. He didn’t slip up at all- he gave us a little information to receive tenfold more in return. Setanta didn’t get caught be superior tactics often, but this time he knew he was beat.

But now Snirf and Bloodstalker were talking- maybe there was something good that could come out of this. “Why yes, of course you can see the armor” and “Well, I’ve encountered many orc before, but all wearing superior armament?!”…

Setanta jumped in- “We will be happy to show you the markings, Bloodstalker, but it is late now and we have been traveling all day. We need to stable our caravan and get a few hours sleep. In the morning we can get together and pool our efforts, if that suits your tastes? We all want to understand any situation, and pooling our efforts may yield the best results. We were thinking of heading to the hanging door in the morning, to get the latest gossip and rumors- in the morining then?”

“Indeed” Bloodstalker replied, “The morning always brings with it new possibilities…”

[Magrus]

Snirf was now filling his cup and downing it all in one gulp. The cup was moving on him, one of those evil cups he remembered from the old days. Well, evil cups drown in rum just like normal cups! He heard babbling and tuned it out. Pour and chug was all he had on his mind. Suddenly, as he heard Setana getting agitated, why was he agitated anyways? The rum was great here. Suddenly, he heard someone shouting at him.

"Hey, you little freak, you a burned halfling? Whats with the helmet you're clutching anyways? That your half-pint lover? HA hahaha"

Snirf set his bottle down and gripped the edge of his crystal helmet and turned around rapidly, spilling his mug all over the floor with a clatter.

"Dontyoutalkaboutmyhelmetyouoversizedchimp!" he screams as he trembles violently.

The man laughs and says "What? Can't even talk right either!"

Breathing heavily Snirf repeats himself slower, adding "No one talks bad about Helmet here."

The man chuckles, along with everyone at his table and retorts "Whatcha gonna do about you dusty little midget, huh?"

Snirf notices Setanta grabbing his arm and talking to him urgently but now he's enraged. His eyes light up and he shoves Helmet on his head tightly and clenches his fists.

Bloodstalker leans forward in his chair, staring at the spectacle, half amused and half wondering if this is all real.

The man laughs again and starts babbling to his friends incessantly. Humans and their babble...oh that gets under the skin. Worse than elves! Point his right hand at the man he launches a small bolt of fire and lights his hair on fire.

"Were you talking about me human? Or were you referring to someone else?"

In shock, everyone stares at the little gnome, then at the man swatting at his head as he puts the fire out, and then right back to the little gnome with his dark crystal helmet on.

Setanta is staring and then shakes Snirfs are roughly but gets shrugged off as Snirf concentrates and flips the table in front of the man back up into his face.

"What I'm going to do about it is bend you into a little ball and stuff you in my trunk you little idjit! Thats what I'm going to do!"

[giles337]

Giles sat in the swans-neck formed by the large river meander, looking over the large expanse of open grassland, and thought about the days events.

What he had done, it wasn't strictly right, but surely he had had the landlords best interests at heart? He couldn't have let all that fine ale be wasted on the general public, who would have quaffed it just like any other drink, unaware of the quality of what they drunk. Surely drinking it all himself had saved the innkeeper from wasting all that fine ale on a rowdy rabble? Surely they hadn't needed to chase him out of town, forcing him to leave the fine armour and sword in his room, and leave him with just the coins in his pocket, the clothes on his back, and his destrier, Oakale, as all his worldly possesions. It just made no sense.

That said, a lot of misfortune seemed to occur to him, Giles recalled, and he was so sure he was never to blame. Like the time he had been thrown into gaol for weeks, simply for throwing an apple core over is shoulder. Surely it hadn't been his fault that he had hit the Leader of the Royal Guard?

Giles sighed. Yes, life just span him low on the wheel of fortune, no matter how hard he tried to be a friendly, well behaved citizen. And now he was on the run again. He couldn try and sneak back to Windhaven under cover of darkness, and attempt to recover some of his belongings, which in his haste to leave, he had left on the bed in his room, in the inn. (The one who's keeper, and patrons, had treated him so unfairly.) That said, he would probably need help, and even then, he was going to have to lie low for a month or two. Honestly! People could be so un-compliant! Perhaps, with any luck, he's run into some like minded souls, who could help him out, and possibly provide him with new equipment to replace some that had been lost. Some of that "equipment" was pretty specialised mind...

A thunderclap startled Giles, and he slipped out his reverie. He trudged to the small copse of trees to his west, hoping to find cover for the night.

[dragon wench]

Still in wolf form, her musings drifted into different directions as she recalled the infamous tavern in Athkatla's Slum District, and she became lost in contemplation. Again, she recalled her former life with the Dark Flames, and she wondered what had become of her friends. She also speculated at the possibility of meeting them once more.

It would not be entirely improbable. Something told her that the orc attack had been well orchestrated. There could be nothing random about an entire legion of orcs marching into the Elven territory they had shunned for centuries. It was also likely that where there were orcs on the move, there would be more, perhaps in different areas. All of her friends, she knew, had an unfailing tendency to somehow end up in the thick of any conflict or injustice that needed to be addressed. In some cases it was not even voluntary, it simply happened.

Tashara's thoughts were interrupted by the sudden sound of something nearby. She tensed, and spun around..

[Magrus]

The man, bleeding from his nose and terrified now back-peddles and stammers out an apology to the gnome. Setanta grabs Snirf roughly and shakes him, breaking his train of thought. Snirf turns on him and glares then calms down a bit and turns back to the man as the man keeps stammering "...sorry! Can I buy you a drink? You like rum? How about another bottle, on me?"

Snirf taps his foot and grins. "I do like rum. Very well then. Rum it is and not the trunk for you." He concentrates and rights the table and grabs the two bottles of rum, then looks at Setanta, grinning merrily. "Care for a drink as we go find that dive you mentioned?"

The innkeeper, incensed tosses a mug at the back of the gnomes head as the two head out. It breaks against his helmet and Snirf lets out a laugh and barks out "Thanks Helmet!" as the walk through the door.

Setanta glares at Snirf and says "No wonder you got kicked out of the Underdark!"

Bloodstalker stares and shakes his head, wondering what trouble will come next.

[Ned Flanders]

Tashara hunched low to the ground, salivating, poised to strike at the next meal errantly wandering into her proximity. The instincts of hunger melded into fear as a wolf emerged from the dense brush she was so confidently watching. Hesitation followed, her primal awareness clouded with the thoughts of reasoning and comprehension inherent to her true self. The wolf stopped and observed her casually. While the wolf's actions appeared passive enough, Tashara’s adrenaline raced within her as the emotions of surprise and threat began to take a solid hold on her. As she scanned the immediate area for the safest path of flight, Tashara took notice of several other pairs of glowing eyes resting on her from within the dense, surrounding foliage.

The wolf took a few steps towards her, Tashara emitting a low growl in defense of herself. Lowering his head towards the ground in submission, the wolf, defenseless, continued to approach. Tashara again scanned the perimeter locking eyes on the numerous glowing pairs surrounding her, prepared for the trap to be sprung. Her guest was now directly in front in her, yet it’s company remained concealed.

The wolf was sniffing her now, catching her scent. As the wolf made an effort to circle her, Tashara continued to stay aligned, head to head, with her potential assailant. Another wolf emerged from the dense copse eliciting a reaction out of her. She turned away from the first wolf long enough for him to catch the scent of her backside. Cornered and impatient, Tashara prepared to lash out at the second wolf, who retaliated by laying down on all four legs. Moving in on the prone figure, the first wolf now snapped at her, again diverting her attention. She was badly flanked and made strident efforts to keep her sights on the pair who had cunningly outmaneuvered her.

The first wolf took a few steps back, dropped to all fours, and began wailing painfully. Confused by the actions around her, Tashara quickly glanced at the second wolf, still on all fours, and matched eyes again with the glowing pairs around her. The reasoning of her higher being was slowly convincing her the situation was not as menacing as it appeared, however, the instincts of the animal within her remained prepared. Turning her gaze to the first wolf, comprehension set in of the shapeshifting taking place. Her thoughts raced: human perhaps, or something far more devious and evil. Time almost seemed to stop as all eyes were fixated on the changing form writhing in agony…

[Bloodstalker]

Bloodstalker shook his head slowly as he watched the two leave the inn. Sometimes, he truly wondered what it was about him that caused these things to gravitate to his presence. All he had wanted was a short trip to familiar surroundings for a little downtime, and he winds up walking into a region with roaming orcs on the prowl, his former employer tries to cheat him,Delin grills him about things he has no answers for, and just when a possible lead is dropped into his lap, it turns out at least one half of that lead is obviously off in the head. And as if that weren't enough, he pondered wryly as he watched the inkeeper make his way towards his table with a scowl on his face.

"I had nothing to do with it." BS cut off the man before he could get started, finishing his drink and getting to his feet.

"All the same, you should tell your friends to be more careful. Some folk don't take too kindly to being set ablaze you know, could get hazardous to their health."

BS simply looked at the man for a moment before letting out a breath. "Well, that's their concern, not mine. I don't make a habit out of taking other peoples trouble on my back." he replied, adding under his breath "Now I just gotta start taking my own advice"

Tossing a few coins on the table to pay for the drinks, he turned and made his way up the stairs to his room.

[T'lainya]

Night settled over Shilmista, stars twinkling through the leafy canopy. The moon was high, bathing the world in a silver glow, a night made for magic. The air was thick with the scent of jasmine and lilies and the little brook seemed to be singing with joy. The violet moss glowed softly attracting fireflies and moths with exotic markings. T'lainya, Endelia and Xivaril sat contentedly by the small campfire. The flames reflected off the surface of the water. Xivaril was singing softly, playing a small harp. Endelia was writing in a small journal and T'lainya was mending a strap on her pack. There was a faint noise of leaves rustling. It seemed to come from a distance off. The trio cautiously prepared for visitors. Endelia replaced her writing quill with a small wand. T'lainya readied a stun spell quietly, not looking up from her pack. Xivaril shifted position slightly, enabling him to drop the harp and grasp his sword in one motion. The faint noises came closer.

“Two or three of them.” Endelia whispered. “Approaching openly, yet light footed.”

“Ho there! May we warm ourselves at your fire good folk?” A pleasant tenor voice called from the trees.

“Peace upon thee. Thou art welcome to approach.” T'lainya spoke courteously.

“Well met! We thank you for your courtesy. My friends and I are traders, traveling peddlers of fine goods.” The speaker stepped into the glade. He was a human male of medium height and stout. He had thick white hair, a small white goatee and twinkling eyes. He wore plain breeches and shirt, and a vest with an inordinate amount of pockets stitched all over it. A medium sized pack was slung across his back. He settled himself by the fire, graceful despite his bulk. Two other men stepped into the glade, bowing to the group. “I am Harvelious Chronos, my companions, Chesh Arfelin and Tegris Cauda.” Chesh was tall and slender, elven with golden skin and copper, blond streaked hair. He smiled, teeth flashing white in the firelight. He had a short dagger at his side, a bow slung on his back and carried a brace of quail. He winked roguishly at the two women, eyes as green as emeralds, and seated himself by Harvelious. Tegris was tall and broad shouldered, with heavy muscles. He was pale with black hair, black pants and a bright orange tunic. He carried a small chest strapped on his back. He carefully removed it and set it in front of him before seating himself. “Well met.” he said, the words coming out in a throaty growl.

“I am T'lainya, my friends are Endelia and Xivaril.” T'lainya indicated each in turn. “She smiled and then paused. “Have we met before? Something seems to strike a chord in my memory.”

“I'm sure I would remember meeting such lovely kinswomen before.” Chesh purred from across the fire.

T'lainya arched an eyebrow at the elf. He grinned unrepentantly. Endelia made a small noise, suspiciously like a snort. Xivaril widened his eyes a bit, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Harvelious laughed uproariously, nose twitching in amusement. “Save your blandishments for those who'll pay them heed Chesh. Now I'm sure you are wondering what goods we trade in! Of course you are!” He leaned in conspiratorially. “Three merchants, no wagons of silks and weapons and foodstuff, just our packs and a box. Now my good folk, what do you think we deal in?”

Xivaril opened his mouth to speak.

“ That's right my friend!” Harvelious interrupted him. “The finest purveyors of magic trinkets this side of Thay. How would you like to own a pretty ring to hide you in the shadows? Tegris show them what they're missing.”

Tegris opened the chest with a flourish. Xivaril gasped. The chest seemed to expand, rolling out a multi tiered tray of rings, brooches and pendants. They glittered gold and silver, gems of all hues flashing rainbows. Endelia looked taken aback.

“Is this wise? You don't know us at all.”

“Ahh m'lady but I know a priestess of Corellon Larethian when I see her.” Harvelious grinned again. “I swear by His silver moon that we mean you no harm.”

T'lainya's eyes were not on the flashing jewels, but on the traders. The firelight was reflecting off Tegris's tunic, leaving an eerie orange glow on his skin. Chesh was watching her, eyes dancing with laughter. He grinned and she paused. That grin looked very familiar. The half elf could feel the little headache mephits stomping around her brain. She imagined they were all hammering the inside of her skull with little steel mallets.

“What is this?” Xivaril reached for a shining gold sphere. It was inscribed with numbers and had a small crystal pointer.

“You have discerning taste my friend!” Tegris said. “This fine timepiece was crafted to tell you the time of day, and even better, it has one very special property.”

T'lainya drew her breath in sharply. Now she recognized the trio. “What are you three doing here?!”

The three traders all looked at T'lainya, then at each other. Harvelious looked sheepish and started to speak.

“We only wished to offer you...” His explanation was interrupted by an arrow missing his ear by an inch.

“Get 'em men! Quick now!”

“Oh no!” T'lainya thought to herself. “Bandits. They have no idea of how much trouble they're in.” She sighed to herself.

[Ned Flanders]

The wolf had undergone enough of a transformation where Tashara identified the figure as ‘humanoid’. The feeling of threat ebbed, replaced by confusion, as all eyes continued to focus on the shapeshifter. The hidden forms began to whimper and whine, seemingly sharing the pain of the contorted figure on the ground, or undergoing transformations of their own. Tashara continued to maintain her guarded stance, glancing at the second wolf in the clearing who continued to remain on all fours, though whining along with the others…

All traces of the first wolf were now gone replaced by a naked human male who had rolled onto his back and continued to breath heavily, the rest of the clearing shrouded in silence. Minutes passed, Tashara shifting uncomfortably, eager to discover where the encounter was headed. Eventually, the human rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself to a kneeling position. From there, he made an attempt to stand, legs giving way sending him tumbling to the ground and letting out a pained, exhausted grunt. He tried again, receiving the same result and was remiss to sitting on the ground, legs crossed. The second wolf in the clearing got up and took two steps towards the human. Tashara turned on him quickly, growling and bearing fangs, with as much intimidation as the situation would allow.

“Kael!” was the only word coming from the human accompanied by a gesture of his hand moving towards the ground. The word caught the wolf’s attention and he resumed his prone stance on the ground.

“Now.”, the human continued all the while trying to stretch various parts of body, “What are we to do with you?” The comment caught Tashara’s attention and she locked a gaze with the sitting man, eliciting a mild grin out of him.

“Were it not for the orcs on your trail (Tashara’s head c0cked to the side in confused comprehension), I would’ve guessed a rogue wandered deep into the woods. But we unified the packs years ago and haven’t seen a rogue wolf in a long time. My guess is, there aren’t any anymore making your presence quite peculiar. On the other hand, you could be one of Calimport’s best , come to claim a bounty long overdue. However, I find it unlikely a bounty hunter or assassin from the south would be so haplessly trailed by orcs, not to mention traveling solo unless the prowess of my deeds has shrunk so in recent years.”

The human had now taken to vigorously stretching his legs, viewing them with something resembling a facial expression of entertainment. Tashara still held her gaze on the man. He looked her back and went on, “Are you still with me? Good. Oh yes, the orcs. Matter of fact, they’re right terrified of the wolves in Tethyr, so it doesn’t really make any sense they’d be tracking you. Quite the contrary, I’d well expect them to turn tail and run. We’ve actually bought you some time here and there on your trek through Tethyr by diverting them away from you, however, they continue to be quite persistent picking up your trail time after time.”

“That said, I am a man who doesn’t take kindly to strangers and while I have many a question in needin’ of answerin’, the matter of the orcs is more pressing. We have naught but an hour before they stand in this very spot, so I’m going to have ask you to show me who you really are.”

[dragon wench]

Tashara hesitated, thoughts and impulses swirling about her mind like multi-coloured confetti in a windstorm. It was apparent that this human male shape shifter suspected she was no wolf. She also guessed that his commands and communications to the surrounding pack were intended to ward them away from attacking. Equally, she felt certain that just one wrong move on her part would result in a very different command.

She tensed, wondering about her options, finally concluding that if the group proved hostile she was far better able to defend herself in human form.

Of course... there was one minor potentially embarrassing factor. The human on the ground before her was entirely unclothed. Then, her human form starting to take greater hold, she inwardly shrugged again. If nothing else, the stranger would be even more vulnerable with neither clothing nor armor.

The transformation was nearly instinctual, it did not require the same concentration as spell casting. Slowly, yet smoothly, pointed, furry ears gave way to rounded, slightly tanned, human ones. Paws and black legs became brownish cloth and bare arms.
Moments later, the metamorphosis was complete, and, trying to avert her eyes, she gazed down at the figure on the ground.

It was difficult to know how to begin.

She paused and then simply held out her hand and said, “Well met. I am Tashara. I have lived with an elven community some half a day's journey from here for several years, and now I am on my way Northwest. And you are?”

A bit awkwardly, the man attempted to stand again. Nearby, a sturdy branch lay upon the ground. He grasped it, and with it's aid, finally managed to prop himself to his feet.

He raised an eyebrow and considered how to respond. Other than a name, the woman had not provided much more information than he already knew, and no doubt she was aware of this, everything about her suggested uneasy wariness. “What if she is a bounty hunter... and even if not, we know nearly nothing.” As if reading his thoughts, the largest of the wolves emitted a low growl in Tashara's direction.

Finally, he reached a decision.

“Well met I am Pharis, and this,” he gestured around him, “is my pack.”

He continued, sensing a direct approach would be best. “Why are you traveling Northwest, and why alone?” He studied her while awaiting a reply.

Tashara realized that she needed to be forthcoming in her answer. She suspected Pharis would immediately detect any attempt at evasion...as would the pack, who eyed her warily, ready to pounce the moment they were given leave to do so. Also, her instincts, both human and wolf, informed her that he did not seem to intend malice, at least not for the moment.

She relaxed slightly and met his eye directly. “Recently scouts brought reports that a legion of orcs, 500 hundred strong, were marching towards the settlement in which I have been living. We decided to turn their surprise attack back upon them, and we ambushed the orcs before they could launch their assault. “

“Because I am not an elf, and therefore am unlikely to be suspected, they sent me to investigate. Also.. I am familiar with those lands.”

Pharis almost grinned, “You can provide information I see, I had almost thought you mute.”

Tashara glared, “Not a good thing to say to an armed spellcaster when you yourself are wearing nothing.” But, the slight smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth betrayed her benign intent.

Momentarily taken aback, Pharis paused, and then replied. “Indeed lady, and I must remedy that situation. I would appreciate aid in gathering my gear, it is in that clearing just over yonder.”

She hesitated. Though the tension had been broken with their exchange, she was still cautious, but it seemed there was little choice. Tashara offered her arm to Pharis, and he leaned on it while continuing to steady himself with the branch.

He stopped at a small opening at the base of a grassy knoll. “This is our den. I will return shortly”

Not quite knowing what to say she just nodded and watched Pharis crawl into snaking branches and mounds of soft earth.

He soon reappeared, this time clothed with the suggestion of a weapon concealed beneath the nondescript cloak thrown rakishly about his shoulders. The shapeshifter also carried a set of armor. Tashara had never seen anything like it...so dark it actually seemed to absorb light. As far as she could tell no straps appeared to adorn the piece and a translucent hexagonal gem seemed to nearly pulsate upon the same area that would cover the heart. She moved to look closer, but instinct made her stop. Pharis' eyes had darkened perceptibly upon noticing her scrutiny.

Tashara decided it was time to ask some questions of her own. “I take it you have been living as a wolf for a long time, judging by your..erm..condition... when we met, and your trouble standing.”
It was more a statement than a question.

Pharis acknowledged her carefully, and paused. “It is a long story, and we have far more pressing matters to deal with. Those orcs I mentioned are not far behind.”