The Second Guest
All was quiet, in spite of the sounds of the forest that ceaselessly murmured around him. His prey was somewhere near. It had been 2 days since he last ate, and hunger was beginning to take its toll on his strength. A twig snapped. There. Niaka moved as silently as his training had taught him as he approached the wild boar, as if on feet made of feathers.
It took all the self control within him not to strike the boar immediately, and risk having it run to safety. No, Niaka thought, this would have to be a clean and precise kill. He had to eat. Niaka flanked the boar to its right, silently, as the animal took a drink from the nearby river. The hunter thanked his luck. The sound of the running water in the ears of the animal would further mask his already hushed movements.
At the last moment, Niaka readied his strike. As he raised his arm to throw the projectile star at the animal, there was a sudden crashing sound in the woods to his left. The startled boar looked suddenly at the direction from which the noise had come, and bolted for the safety of the trees. Niaka cursed under his breath and turned to see what had made the noise.
A party of four hungry looking Trolls came into view, wielding an array of crude, primitive weapons. Niaka rolled his eyes. They had been tracking him for days, yet in his tenacity in tracking the boar for the kill, he had neglected to cover his tracks and they had evidently caught up with him. Now, one troll would be ok, possibly two, but to take on all four would be something akin to suicide.
Niaka quickly made up his mind, and as the largest Troll began to bark orders in the harsh, guttural, language of their race, he sprinted away to his right. Angry curses went up behind him as he ran, picking his way through the trees in the dark, and the Troll hunting party began their pursuit. Curse their ability to see in the dark, Niaka muttered, as he ducked to avoid a low branch at the last second.
Soon the sounds of the pursuing Trolls began to recede into the woods, and Niaka slowed down a little. He almost didn’t see the campfire before he ran straight into it, and certainly did not see the sleeping form that tripped him up and landed him square on his face. There were sounds of shouting coming from around the fire, and small figures rushed to pick up weapons as they barked warnings and orders at each other.
“Foibur!! Grab yer axe!! Boisin, get yer sword!! We’re under attack!”
“Jump on it! Grab it”“Dimli!! Get yer fat arse off me sword, you great lump”
“It wasn’t me yer sunnova wood elf … get yer own sword!!”
Niaka almost laughed as he raised himself up and began to dust himself off. A trading party of Gully Dwarves … no threat to a warrior with even the most modest of fighting skill. He raised his hands in the universal gesture of peace, indicating he meant no harm, and it was then that he noticed the sleeping body he had tripped over. It struck him as odd, a half-drow elf travelling with Gully Dwarves? Niaka pushed the thought aside, and moved towards the fire, Dwarves eyeing him with suspicion.
“Just wot we need, eh Boisy. Another stranger in the wagon train”, said the one who had been identified as Foibur. “Yeah, Foibs, jus’ wot we need …”. The dwarf identified as Dimli motioned at Niaka to come nearer the fire, still brandishing his axe in as menacing a way as a 3 ft Gully Dwarf could muster. “Comes a little nearer, stranger, sits yerself down … we’ll not harm yer”. Niaka brushed off the irony of his words, and took a seat by the fire.
“These is dangerous parts fer the likes of a fella like you, travellings alone as ye are”, Boisin said to Niaka. Niaka grunted, but made no real reply.
“We’re headed ter West Brindin, stranger, for a little coin we’ll take care of yer – but after that yer’s on yer own .. what say ye?”
Niaka mulled over the offer, as he gazed at the fire …
It took all the self control within him not to strike the boar immediately, and risk having it run to safety. No, Niaka thought, this would have to be a clean and precise kill. He had to eat. Niaka flanked the boar to its right, silently, as the animal took a drink from the nearby river. The hunter thanked his luck. The sound of the running water in the ears of the animal would further mask his already hushed movements.
At the last moment, Niaka readied his strike. As he raised his arm to throw the projectile star at the animal, there was a sudden crashing sound in the woods to his left. The startled boar looked suddenly at the direction from which the noise had come, and bolted for the safety of the trees. Niaka cursed under his breath and turned to see what had made the noise.
A party of four hungry looking Trolls came into view, wielding an array of crude, primitive weapons. Niaka rolled his eyes. They had been tracking him for days, yet in his tenacity in tracking the boar for the kill, he had neglected to cover his tracks and they had evidently caught up with him. Now, one troll would be ok, possibly two, but to take on all four would be something akin to suicide.
Niaka quickly made up his mind, and as the largest Troll began to bark orders in the harsh, guttural, language of their race, he sprinted away to his right. Angry curses went up behind him as he ran, picking his way through the trees in the dark, and the Troll hunting party began their pursuit. Curse their ability to see in the dark, Niaka muttered, as he ducked to avoid a low branch at the last second.
Soon the sounds of the pursuing Trolls began to recede into the woods, and Niaka slowed down a little. He almost didn’t see the campfire before he ran straight into it, and certainly did not see the sleeping form that tripped him up and landed him square on his face. There were sounds of shouting coming from around the fire, and small figures rushed to pick up weapons as they barked warnings and orders at each other.
“Foibur!! Grab yer axe!! Boisin, get yer sword!! We’re under attack!”
“Jump on it! Grab it”“Dimli!! Get yer fat arse off me sword, you great lump”
“It wasn’t me yer sunnova wood elf … get yer own sword!!”
Niaka almost laughed as he raised himself up and began to dust himself off. A trading party of Gully Dwarves … no threat to a warrior with even the most modest of fighting skill. He raised his hands in the universal gesture of peace, indicating he meant no harm, and it was then that he noticed the sleeping body he had tripped over. It struck him as odd, a half-drow elf travelling with Gully Dwarves? Niaka pushed the thought aside, and moved towards the fire, Dwarves eyeing him with suspicion.
“Just wot we need, eh Boisy. Another stranger in the wagon train”, said the one who had been identified as Foibur. “Yeah, Foibs, jus’ wot we need …”. The dwarf identified as Dimli motioned at Niaka to come nearer the fire, still brandishing his axe in as menacing a way as a 3 ft Gully Dwarf could muster. “Comes a little nearer, stranger, sits yerself down … we’ll not harm yer”. Niaka brushed off the irony of his words, and took a seat by the fire.
“These is dangerous parts fer the likes of a fella like you, travellings alone as ye are”, Boisin said to Niaka. Niaka grunted, but made no real reply.
“We’re headed ter West Brindin, stranger, for a little coin we’ll take care of yer – but after that yer’s on yer own .. what say ye?”
Niaka mulled over the offer, as he gazed at the fire …
posted by Pandorren Blackheart | 2:55 AM
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