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The Arcane Order |
| They moved stealthily, they moved quickly.
Five wolves led the way, followed by the lithe shapes of the elves.
Westward they moved, away from the safety of Tel'Ruid, and toward the unknown. What could possibly have Thrand concerned? His mind wandered all manner of thoughts, but the Drow did not slow his pace. Sevanna, what have you gotten yourself into? |
| Talanithus sat beside his fireplace, perusing
the tome Asterius the Necromancer had left at the Arrow. His
perspectives were different then many he had heard before, and left many
unanswered questions. As his thoughts drifted from the volume, he heard
the sounds of movement just outside the window.
With a groan, he pushed himself up and and peered outside, watching as Thrand and Khalin set off following five wolves, Cirdan atop his dark steed behind them. What a strange procession? Something must be afoot. Tal reached up and grabbed his cloak, fastening it about his shoulders as he exited his home and quickly locked Tel'Ona tight. With a nod to the tome he had left open on his chair, one more tome that would have to wait, he moved off into the forest. Catching their scant trail, he followed the group's swift progress to the West towards the ocean. I do so hope Khalin does not aggravate his leg more. That Mori' has a tendency to fly towards trouble as quickly as a pixie does cake. |
| Amanda yawns and looks around for a bit of
amusement, she checks the Arrow and finds it disturbingly vacant. Out of
the window she sees a small pack of wolves and some elves departing. A
mischievous grin plays across her face as she sets her mind to follow
them. She quietly exits the tavern and walks around behind Tal's house
where she chants a mantra "Vas Yelm Rel"
She shrieks in pain as the spell takes effect but her cry soon turns inhuman. Her form contorts and soon where Amanda had once stood was a lumbering gray she-wolf. She tests her limps nimbly before she wanders around from behind the house. Amanda's blue eyes gleamed and she moved through the brush trying to catch up to the party already far out of sight. She runs as fast as her paws will take her, not paying much heed to the odd scents in the air. Soon she stops and sniffs the air. Curses I lost them |
| The elves moved through the woods, carefully
shadowing the directions of the wolves. They were at once determined and
cautious — moving quickly, but retaining as much stealth as they
could. Then, every muscle stirred as motion was detected behind them...
Some leaves had been rustled. The pace had been brisk, and Khalin's slight limp had placed him at the back of the quick-march. So it was no surprise to find that the sound -- whatever it was -- was now inching closer to him. He pivoted slightly on his good leg, in order to give him a visual of the area behind. Another rustle of leaves. This time it was Khalin who made it. He winced at his blunder, and held himself as still as stone. His war-fork still rested impotent across his back, but he dared not reach for it and make more noise. Even his breathing dulled, till the only noise he made was his heart beating ever faster... Then, with a motion so quick that he could neither arm himself nor dodge, a dark shape emerged from the curtain of bushes just behind and to the right of him. His eyes darted to identify the attack, but only saw the spinning of the forest as he was sent tumbling... |
| The wolves suddenly stopped, then began to
circle around a small area under one of the giant yew trees.
Thrand sighed. "I think they may have lost them here." Just as he was bending over to look at the ground, he frowned and quickly spun, dropping to one knee and pointing his bow's newly knocked arrow into the woods behind them. The wolves stopped circling and turned their heads in that direction, just as the faint sounds of something large moving through the underbrush drifted out of the woods. "Khalin, there's something just to your..." Thrand started, then blinked as the drow hit the ground rather hard. "Well," Thrand said as he relaxed the bow string and stood up, "who have we here..." |
| Finding that she has lost the party she sets
about tracking down something to eat....
Somewhere to her west she hears a faint rustling, like a rabbit moving through the grass. She grins wolfishly and begins to stalk towards her prey. The sound stops. She waits patiently a moment preparing herself for the pounce. Now I've got you fluff ball. The noise rustles again, She leaps into the air through the brush. In mid-flight she tries to stop herself seeing that it isn't a rabbit at all... But it is too late. Amanda lands right on Khalin Wael sending the poor fellow tumbling head over heels. She stares at him in utter shock. You are soooo not a rabbit... Her eyes drift around her to Cirdan and Thrand, finally she has found those pesky elves. Feeling rather guilty she trods over to the fall drow and licks Khalin on the face with her big slobbery wolf tongue. Now if only that darn polymorph spell would only wear off... |
| A moment of panic... and then he finds
himself. Something is trying to kill me... He reaches for his
war-fork, and then realizes that he is lying on his back and cannot
loose his weapon. The weight on his chest is stifling, and his only
thought is escape and counterattack. Then, the creature — is that a
wolf? — steps off of him. Looking just as confused, it stares at
each of the elves in turn... a very un-animal recognition coming to its
eyes.
Khalin takes a moment to catch his breath, when the oversized wolf again rests itself on his chest, this time licking his face. Twisting his neck every way he can in order to dodge the tongue, but still pinned down under the creature, he eventually manages to cry out "Thrand! Please ask your friend to get off of me!" |
| Tal could not control himself any longer...
when the she wolf burst from those trees to pin Khalin to the floor he
thought he was going fall over from holding the gales back. He pushed
his way out from the undergrowth, a wary eye wrapped about the wolf that
was draping her tongue about the protesting Drow's face.
With a light tread, he moved to Thrand's side, mischief still dancing within his eyes as he nodded to Cirdan and his Heru. His stance was loose and relaxed, yet he held his harp close to him, his hand never straying far from its strings. Should the wolf turn aggressor, he would compel it to cease. Yet that did not appear to be imminent... rather the opposite, in fact. Actually, Tal had never seen a more apologetic looking wolf in his life! "I do believe Khalin has made a friend of one of your companions, Gray" said Tal with a grin, "and one with an overwhelming greeting style. Please do me the kindness of letting me meet your pack on my feet, eh?" |
| Thrand chuckled quietly as he slipped his arrow back in his quiver. "My friend? Afraid not, I don't recall meeting her before in these woods." He walked slowly over to the prone drow and winked at the wolf standing on Khalin's chest. |
| Amanda suddenly had an inkling as to why dogs
often persist to lick human faces. Its extremely funny to watch.
Grinning most wolfishly she takes her place among the others in the pack. At first the other wolves snarl a bit at her, being the new wolf in a pack is never easy....She recalls her times wandering Ice island with the white pack..... Amanda bows her head and whimpers softly showing that she has no want for a fight before trying to join them again. She turned again to eye the Elves and this odd tree they had stopped at. She craned her neck up trying to see if anything was hiding in the branches... maybe that rabbit that got away... |
The
Library Arcane: The Lord of the Dead