Mists over the Musarde, Chapter Four

[steveflam]

" I am a dwarf, not a man, missy. Yer sister ain got no need ta be afred o me" he says with uncharacteristic tenderness for Norzak. "I had a child once...." his voice trails off before composing himself.

[Adam]

Bennedict awakens early in the morning, taking a brief walk around the campsite with his improvised club and crossbow, gathering his thoughts. It felt good to be on a mission with an objective, at least, though he had no idea how they were going to pull it off. It's a shame Wat left, we could have used a woodsman.

Hearing a commotion back at the base, he turns quickly and rushes towards the noise. Rounding the corner, he sees the other speaking to the agitated man.

"What's going on?" Benn asks.

[ewancummins]

outside


The frightened man waving the spear turns to face Jon and Benn, and says-

''Devil! Smoke! Flammen! It took Wat!''

He then uses his spear to idicate the woods to the north of the clearing.

''Devil!''

The three armed men who had been on patrol chatter semi-intelligibly among themselves, saying something about 'hunt' and 'danger.'

The unarmed man, the one who'd run into the camp along with the excited spear-carrier, says nothing. He just points at the woods to the north and nods gravely, as if in agreement with his friend.

[ewancummins]

inside the Moot-house


Nissa's response to Norzak comes with a questioning tone-

''Dwarf? Dwur?''

The little girl, Heda, continues to hide behind her big sister, but ventures to peek out from under the older girl's arm, staring at Norzak with big brown eyes.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Frustration flashes over him. Idiota! Of course she knows -what- a priest is. He suddenly remembers a treatise he once stumbled on, written by some Lamordian named Watgen, who said that all problems were just problems of communication. So instead of elaborating, he simply says "Hello Nissa, Hello Heda." Fortunately, Norzak arrives before he has to think of anything else.

Dorgio watches Norzak interact with Nissa and Heda, though the language is alien to him. The result is plain enough, though, and when the girl hides behind Nissa, Dorgio can't help but laugh, though he stifles it when he sees Norzak trail off, wondering what the dwarf might be thinking.

He squats on the ground and gives the girl a broad smile, revealing the gold tooth that replaced the one knocked out by the Vistani boy years ago. "Friend," he says, as he points at Norzak, and then repeats the word in Luktar, "Barat," and again in Balok, "Prieten."

The priest then stands to address Nissa. "Mother? Father?" he asks in every tongue he knows while gesturing around the moot-house. "Here? Ide? Aici?"

[Le Noir Faineant]

"I am ready to fight!!!"

*BOMPF*

*BOMPF*



A moment later, Cirdan, in nightskirt and with a sleep mask over his eyes,
stumbles out of the door.

After a moment of struggling like a bug, the elf gets back on his feet,
the grotesquely large long-sword right before him.

"Aaah... Where's the enemy?!"

[ewancummins]

Outside-

The spearman has become highly agitated. He waves his spear northwards again and shouts-

''Wat! Devil! Took Wat! Smoke! Flammen!''

His unarmed companion begins growling like an angry beast. He crouches low and swings his arms violently through the empty air, as if attacking an invisible foe. Flicks of spittle fly from his twisted lips as he leaps about the clearing.

The trio of patrollers rush off to the Moothouse, shouting an alarm as the run.

[ewancummins]

Inside

The priest then stands to address Nissa. "Mother? Father?" he asks in every tongue he knows while gesturing around the moot-house. "Here? Ide? Aici?"

Nissa replies-

''Ah....pater, mater.''

She points towards a man and a woman of middling years, who are standing halfway across the great hall. The couple are busy talking with a man holding a chicken.

Just then, three armed men rush in from outside, shouting something about -

''Devil! ''
''Flammen-Devil!''

[steveflam]

Norzak reacts to the commotion and rushes to the men. "Whu happened?"

[ewancummins]

inside


One of the trio answers Norzak's question.


'''Devil! Wat was taken! Devil! Outside....trees....taken!''

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio marks the faces of Nissa's parents, but when the others burst in shouting about Wat, he gives Nissa an apologetic look and a salute with the tip of his spear, then runs towards where Norzak is talking to the frightened men. He barely slows down when he hears one of them say Outside, and then speeds up again, to run outside and find Benn, Alain, Jon, and Cirdan.

[ewancummins]

Outside-

Reacting quickly, four of the local men have snatched packs and weapons and assembled outside the Moothouse. One of the men leades two hounds on rawhide leashes. These men and dogs join with the two men who had run into camp with the news about the 'devil' and Wat.

Once assembled, the rescue party heads out across the meadow to the north.....

[Lord Skybolt]

"Come on everyone I think we should follow them and make sure that they don't meet up with something or someone they can't handle as they seem highly agitated ." And with that he follows the hunter back into the woods .

[Le Noir Faineant]

If Cirdan has time to dress, he will rush in.

If not, in the nightskirt he goes, his claymore swung over his head.

[steveflam]

"I agree. Less' keep with 'em in case our pal Van Dieks is about." Norzak tries to keep up with then whole party, curious about what happened.