Mists over the Musarde, Chapter Four

Brock Marsh Runoff · Post by **Brock Marsh Runoff** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 2:36 pm

As he sleeps, troubled dreams once again alight upon him. Irena's severed head stares at him, tendrils of shadow flowing from her throat. "If no cure can be found," she tells him as a bubble of darkness bursts and runs down her lips, "I fear I shall have to end my own life."

His vision pans out, and Dorgio sees Van Diecks clutching the girl's head by the hair. Only . . . he seems smaller than Van Diecks, and sadder, too. Van Diecks grins at him. "We must learn what we are dealing with or no amount of force we bring will be enough," he told Dorgio. Then he raises his chin to reveal a viscious bite wound. His blood spatters on Dorgio's face.

He awakes with a start, and feels something cold in his hand. He looks down to see himself clutching Van Dieck's hunting knife, which he had tucked in his belt shortly after the confrontation at the keep. He shudders, sheaths the blade, and sets about his prayers.

Despite his dreams, he is ravenous at breakfast. Perhaps, he thought, because of his dwindling supply of tobacco. He felt edgier too, even more tense than normal. But the boar somehow tasted even better today.

He stands when done, and stretches. "Before we are departing, I must be taking a short walk to clear my head. Norzak, Jon, will you be joining me?"

steveflam · Post by **steveflam** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 2:42 pm

"Uh sure, a walk in tha mornin does a person good after a hearty meal."

JMaytr · Post by **JMaytr** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:48 pm

Jonathan gives Norzak a strong look.

"Of course."

ewancummins · Post by **ewancummins** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 10:44 am

Wat's cabin

After Norzak, Dorgio, and Jon leave the cabin, Wat sets to work fixing his broken roof. He grabs a leather sack with a few simple tools.

''I'll need to cut some timbers, make shingles; that will take days. For now...' '

He climbs through the hole left by the attack of the Rider-in-Iron, and sticks his head down the hole.

''Benn, could could hand me the bundles of hides from beside the hearth. I'm going to cover the hole. ''

Outside-

Norzak, Jon, and Dorgio find the weather sunny and warm. Birds are singing in the forest, and wildflowers blooming in the yard.

Brock Marsh Runoff · Post by **Brock Marsh Runoff** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 1:37 pm

Dorgio doesn't wander too far from the cabin, just enough to make sure that Wat isn't within earshot. Then he turns to Norzak and Jon. "I was not wanting to upset Wat any more than we have. You know Van Diecks, when he comes looking for us, he will be looking for you in particular, Jon. I know you are having no desire to follow in his footsteps, but perhaps Gaston, he is thinking otherwise. He came to you before, did he not? He was speaking to you as if he knew you well. Likely, he will be trying it again.

"Jon, I can only be imagining what you must be feeling now. Perhaps you are feeling like an outcast many times over. Believe me, I am sympathizing. But we must be vigilant. Soon, Jon, you will be free of this curse, and once again be your own man with your own burdens. But you have seen Van Diecks' works. I am confident you are knowing that down his road lies only oblivion, yes?"

JMaytr · Post by **JMaytr** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:03 pm

"I have no desire to be a monster like Van Dieks or this Night Thing that plagues me. There is horror in this world Dorgio and I will do what I can to stamp it out where I find it."

Jonathan is silent for a while, his eyes drifting towards the pimp's knife on Dorgio's belt.

"Let us find this hemlock so we may be rid of the witch and of this place. I want to go home to Pont-a-Museau."

Brock Marsh Runoff · Post by **Brock Marsh Runoff** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:38 pm

"Excellent. I am sure I am telling you nothing you did not already know."

"It is an ugly thing, yes?" he gestures towards the knife. His own eyes drift towards Jon's dirk. "When we thought Van Diecks was dead, I took it so the raunie would have some token that the killer had been brought to justice. But perhaps now we are having a second chance to bring him in alive."

Jon wrote:"Let us find this hemlock so we may be rid of the witch and of this place. I want to go home to Pont-a-Museau."

"Agreed." Dorgio describes the hemlock plant to Jon and Norzak, then starts helping them look for as many of the leaves as they can find.

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 8:01 pm

Bennedict harrumphs, not being used to physical labor, but does the best he can to help Wat out in exchange for his hospitality.

steveflam · Post by **steveflam** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 2:38 pm

"I am hopin' e's alive so we kin bring im back to them gypsies. That don mean e as ta be in great shape, min' ye. Less' look fer tha Hemlock and git back home. Imma tired o this place. An lad, yer nuthin like that Van Dieks basturd. He's a worthless piece o orc dung."

JMaytr · Post by **JMaytr** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 4:25 pm

"Let us hope that fiend has left us for good. I would not like to face Van Dieks in were form."

ewancummins · Post by **ewancummins** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 6:31 pm

The morning stretches on into mid-day.
Wat has fastened hides to his ruptured roof, an improvised but effective repair. He thanks Benn for helping him.

While Wat moves on to attend to other chores [ weeding his little garden, fetching water,etc] Benn and Alain are left with time to talk, rest, or [in Benn's case] read. In short, they are free to do as they like.

The weather outside is warm and sunny, with white wisps of clouds in the blue skies overhead- not the the dark purple sheet of recent rainstorms.

Jon, Dorgio and Norzak wander the forest, until at last Dorgio spots a cluster of white-flowered shrubs: hemlock.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg12 ... emlock.jpg

Gathering up leaves, roots, flowers, stems and all, the three make their way back to the cabin by early afternoon.

Wat is now moving smoked meat from the pit to his larder, carrying the aromatic dried flesh in a leather sack.

Lord Skybolt · Post by **Lord Skybolt** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 7:04 pm

Alain takes out his ration bag and takes out what's their for use in the future of Wat in thanks for the boar meat stew .

Le Noir Faineant · Post by **Le Noir Faineant** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:18 am

Since Cirdan's armor has suffered from his fight with the demons,
the knight will take it off and spend good while of the morning fixing the damage on his and his friends' gear.

While out of the devilish iron armor, Cirdan appears graceful, almost a bit girly.

[Yeah, joyful Elven gayness.]

Brock Marsh Runoff · Post by **Brock Marsh Runoff** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:50 pm

Dorgio notes the fire pit when he returns, then brings the hemlock to Benn. "This should be doing it. But what is it we are doing? Are you thinking its presence alone will harm her? Is there some ritual we are needing to perform?" He pauses. "Speaking of which, we've been seeing quite a few fire pits, like the one Wat is using. Jon and Silas, they found one of these pits, and something had put them both to sleep. There was some pottery nearby, red shards, I am thinking. Cirdan, he still has those. Perhaps we should be looking at them."

steveflam · Post by **steveflam** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 5:29 pm

"Uh yeah, how we supposed ta kill 'er with our 'emlock, Benn? Like Dorgio sez are we needin ta do somethin with it special? An we are decided, we'z gunna go n put er ta rest fer good? I still think we should keep an eye out fer that basturd Van Dieks. When we'll be in tha keep I'll use me spell four times with me shadow to detect his type 'o creature. I bet he be there."

Café de Nuit

Welcome, friends, to our establishment.

Mists over the Musarde, Chapter Four