Mists over the Musarde, Chapter Five

[Le Noir Faineant]

Noticeably worn out and tired, Cirdan trots behiond Ben, his sword leaned over his shoulder like a club.

[Batman voice:]"It won't hurt to look. It will hurt to understand."

Jon, in particular, will notice how the red eyes of the Elven knight remain on him a moment longer than it would be healthy and sensible...

[JMaytr]

Jonathan takes a step closer to Cirdan, his fingers curled around the claw handle of his silver knife, his other inside his coat pocket.

"You'd better quit using that voice when you speak to me. Do you understand?"

The boy stares hard at the inhuman red eyes of the dark knight.

"I have enough on my mind with this Van Dieks business. I am tired of your trying to frighten me. I mean really, what manner of healthy person insists on intentionally terrorizing people?"

Jonathan watches Cirdan and his sword carefully. From the boy's stance it appears that he is ready for combat should the knights blade come off his shoulder.

[steveflam]

Norzak doesn't say anything, but concurs with Jon on this matter. It does no good trying to intimidate someone, especially a comrade in arms. HE waits to see what will unfold.

[ewancummins]

Wat points at a group of men that are bringing up a pack of hunting hounds.

''They bring the dogs to search for the killer's smell. Those prints that the others found are no good to us. It was not a wolf that killed Lothar. Wolves do not use knives. It must have been a man.''

[Adam]

"Good, the hounds will save us quite a lot of time."

Bennedict sets off with the dogs once preparations are made.

[ewancummins]

Three hunters bring up half a dozen leashed hounds, each man handling a pair of the creatures using rawhide leashes. The dogs begin to whine and growl as they approach the scene. No sooner than they arrive, but the dogs go wild, barking furiously and straining at their leashes, trying to reach Jon!

[Lord Skybolt]

Alain waits with Wat his guide for the hounds to start hunting down the killer .
Then he will go along with them .

[JMaytr]

Jonathan whispers to Norzak, "They must smell my curse."

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio interposes himself between Cirdan and Jon, and takes a bottle from his pouch. "We are all on edge. Be having a swig, we all may be needing it." Then, lowering his voice, he continues. "Are you knowing what we face? Did you see how little blood there was near the body? There will be time for infighting later. But for now," Dorgio says, his eyes hardening and betraying something almost like anticipation, "there are <i>vampires</i> to kill."

[steveflam]

Registering what Dorgio says, Norzak turns to the newly arrived hunters.
"Ay, ye wanna be savin that fer tha culprits, not no innocent laddie, unnerstood?"

Then to Dorgio ""OI a Vampire? But dun they be sleepin in tha daylight? Best time ta hunt one tis now I guess, eh? Mebbe me shadow can tell if we meet one that tis a Vampire."

[ewancummins]

The hunters manage to get their dogs calmed down a bit, although the animals continue to growl at Jon and generally act in an unfriendly fasion toward the boy.

[steveflam]

"So whatter ya say we git a trackin them varmints?'

He turns to Dorgio and Benn, within earshot of Jon, whispering "Oi, kin yer hide his scent ta tha mutts? It'll make it easier ta work with them if'n ye catch me drift."

[ewancummins]

Wat asks Dorgio-

''What is this vampire thing? I do not understand.''

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

He shakes his head at Norzak's question. "Nothing is coming to mind," he replies in a low voice. "He just needs to be keeping his distance for now. Wat's dogs, they were worried at first too, but they grew used to him. They are only barking because they are confused, that is all." The priest smiles, and looks like he just might even believe what he is saying.

''What is this vampire thing? I do not understand.''

"A dead man who drinks the blood of the living," he says in a voice even lower than before. "One of Van Diecks' friends had become such a beast, and I am thinking another is now here."

[ewancummins]

Wat's eyes grow wide at Dorgio's explanation-

''Oh! Well, what shall we do to stop it?''