Chapter 3 -- Village by the Sea

[Shan Gutarus]

Another tear rippled over Nyari's freckle-peppered cheek, following the stream countless other unchecked tears had as she ran. The girl's eyes stung with tears and whenever she turned to look back at the cottage she ran from, back to the horizon and the rising sun, her vision blurred in the light.

"Father...daddy, come home," she whispered into the morning air repeatedly, Nyari's pace slowing as she tired from running, not caring anymore where she was. Her father was dead and she had nobody left. Nobody loved her. She was alone. It was then that Nyari heard a sound behind her. She hadn't noticed it earlier, but now it was clear. Her name.

The little girl turned to see Mimi, a childhood peer whom Nyari had no especially liking for but was somebody to play with, nonetheless. Though today as she saw her friend running to her, Nyari did not smile. "Mimi...not now," she murmured, turning away as she didn't want the girl to see her in her greif.

The guard's face broke into a sick smile, showing teeth stained with liquor and the spit-chew some of the men fancied. His legs, strong from days of training, travelling and patrolling, tensed and he shifted on the ground, making to move into a roll. Plans had to change, though, as Mana's offensive blade made a glancing crimson streak along his right side, just below his ribs. The mark was not deep nor painful, but it did slow the guard down and shot down his hopes of catching Mana off guard.

"I'll get you still, wench" he spat, staggering back to his feet and wincing slightly as he tested the wounded flesh with a free finger. Becoming engraged, the guard charged in at Mana, perhaps foolishly in his passion, his scimitar raised in a heavy strike.

Fighting continued from within the door, the growls and howls of both KDor and Ash fighting off the onslaught of bandits within. They were a remarkable sight, beating against the crowd blow after blow, but there were many bandits. Nearly too many, as KDor and Ash began being pushed further and further back down the hall, back towards the entranceway. Some cries of orders sounded from within as it became aware to the bandits that Areytuk, alerted of this sudden upset, was returning and none too happy.

[Mimi Dorgren]

Mimi run after Nyari and finally the other girl slowed her pace down, so that Mimi could catch up. But obviously she didn‘t want to talk to her, not to mention play together. She just murmured a „Mimi.. not now!“ Mimi stood there being a bit at loss. She was so curious, why Nyari had come with these two strangers and not with her father as usual. It must have been an adventure to ride on this huge horse! Mimi wished, her father would still live and take her on journeys like Nyaris did with his daughter. But why was Nyari - crying? She was crying, was she?

„Nyari?    „ she asked, but the girl seemed not want to reply.
„Nyari, what‘s the matter?“

No response. Nyari had not been one of her closest friends, but when she was at home, she was somebody with whom she could play, especially when Pinn or Heina had been annoying her. So she knows her not too good to know, how to comfort her.

Suddenly something comes to her mind: Wasn‘t there a black ribbon around the doorknob? And did she not know too well, what that meant? Could it be, that Nyaris father has died, as her father did, not too long ago?

She does not dare to touch the other girl, which is still standing with the back to her.

„Nyari, Nyari, they say that, that all good people will come back, in some way, that Seyella guides them and that, that...  grandmother says, that father will be with me as long as I love him... even if I can‘t see him anymore.. „

Mimis voice was trembling now, it was only a year, that her own father had died. Tears were filling her eyes as well.

[Manalkar Melor]

She backed off a good many paces and stood in a slight crouch, ready for the man when he charged in. Her knives caught a bit of light and flashed when she raised one, adjusting her grip on the weapon and holding it ready near her shoulder. Using it as a throwing dagger she flicked her wrist and sent the knife spinning at the mans chest, ready to follow the blade with the second which was still in hand. Maybe she could cut that ugly mouth off his face, she mused as she moved forward.      

[Paladia Entonei]

Nyari sniffed and turned finally to look at Mimi, her eyes red and burning from crying. "Dad's dead" she said bluntly, her voice sounding very cold and rather grown up at that moment. But saying those words, finalizing the fact.

Making it reality.

That was the last straw. The little girl's face crumpled, bursting into tears and burrying her face in her hands. "He's gone Mimi! You have no idea how that -- feels..." Nyari looked up then, as her voice faded, to see the expression on Mimi's face and her cherubric face softened. "Sorry, I didn't mean..."


The guard's eyes went wide as a sharp crimson streak lighted up across his light armor. A bloody wound, not too deep but plenty long, graced his right chest, curling along under his arm and just above his ribs. Staggering, shocked, he stopped dead in his tracks and stared bewildered at Mana. The shouting from within reached a crescendo and KDor and Ash leapt out, overpowered at last by the surge of bandits. The big man bumped into Mana before dashing off down the alley, staggering as he went, with Ash on his heels. The bandits that flooded out behind him saw their wounded comrad and soon all eyes were on Mana.

Paladia's hand rose instinctively to her mouth as Nyari dashed out. Rose was eerily silent, watching with a set jaw as the little girl ran off. "Shouldn't somebody go after her?" Paladia said, trying hard to keep her voice in check as it was nearly overpowered by anger and bewilderment.

Rose was milling about the kitchen casually, her slippered feet wishing along the age-polished wood floors as the old woman wiped down the table with a rag. "Feel free to go after her, child. I reckon she'll get hungry from such a day's excitement and will be wishing for a good luncheon. Join us, will you? You and your friends. The dark one, too."

And with that, Rose shuffled into the back of the house and Paladia stood bewildered at the door. "Come on, Talon," she said matter of factly, "Unless you wish to loiter about here and help the Missus with her cooking."

[Mimi Dorgren]

„I know!“ Mimi answered. She didn‘t know, what to do with the sobbing Nyari. She had not been too close a friend to her to hug her, she might not want it. She remembered, when she got to know, that her daddy would not come again, she ran off in the woods and hid for a whole day, until cold and hunger drove her home finally.

So Mimi touched her only slightly on her sleeve, proposing.

„Come on, we are going to my granny, she has a tea which only people are allowed to drink who feel very bad, who have lost something... It helped me as well, believe me. And then, maybe tomorrow, I show you a secret on the path up to Baveras shrine? “

She took carefully Nyaris hand, hoping, the other girl would not withdraw hers.

[Shan Gutarus]

Nyari flinched as Mimi first touched her, but eased to the contact. The little girl figured it would be foolish to go about on her own until she got over her father's passing, considering that Nyari expected that moment to never come. With a sigh and forced smile, tears still dripping down her cheeks, Nyari followed Mimi's lead to her grandmothers house.

[Unknown]

(This post is missing and can not be restored)

[Terra Artemos]

Having succeeded in dismounting Brent, Terra feels the emediate situation was alittle more controlable. Terra bring Coore around, quickly and gracefully dropping from her mount to face him on more even terms. Brent had made the foolish mistake of turning to the elf woman who was attacking Atreyk, and gave her a wide opening to attack from behind.

Terra closes the shot distance quickly, delivering a kick to the back of Brents knee, and then proceeds to try and grab hold of him, preffering to force his surrender than to take his life.

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

[Mimi Dorgren]

PELLAGRA

The cat had his paw removed from Cole‘s breast, and that was good so, because now it was free to defend itself and move, if needed. Knowing well, that she was not strong enough to fight the boy in case he didn‘t listen to her, she took her staff and gave him  a well dosed hit with it, so that he lost consciousness for a little while. He would have had a headache for a few days, but better than dying here accidentally. She took him by the legs and pulled him inside the cottage, closing the door behind her. Then she looked for some ropes to bind him as well as she was able to do, not really knowing which knot would be the best.

Nyari was sitting in a corner, but there was no sign of Mimi. where the heck was this brat again. Pellagra had hoped, that her only grandchild was safe in the cottage!

MIMI:

Mimi meanwhile sat still on her roof, just behind the top, watching the fight in her courtyard. Slowly she searched for her sling and the pebbles. Then she aimed at Bren and this foreign man who terrorised the village for quite some time now.The pebbles couldn‘t hurt seriously, but she hoped, that  they would disturb the attackers and give the others a better chance.

[Warrior Kaelan]

Kaelan took an arrow in the shoulder and spotted another arrow coming his way just in time to jerk his head out of its flight path. Then he was being accused of treachery. Damn right. "And you came here to murder a small group?", he shouted back at her, bringing his blade  into both hands with the point slightly upward, ready for a melee. Then others start appearing to help with him. In military standards, he has a disadvantage. Then again, they're surrounded. A grin starts to slowly make its way across his face, suppressed by the arrow in his shoulder. This is going to interesting.

Edited by: Warrior Kaelan at: 1/30/05 22:56

[Shan Gutarus]

Atreyk grinned at the dark elf. "Demon wench," he muttered, having come across one or two of the elves in his time as a bandit, mercenary and all-around bastard. The man, in exceptionally good shape and obviously no novice with his blade, charged in, feining his blade to come straight down on Mana's head, and then abruptly bringing it around in a sharp swipe at her chest level.

Brent was a big man, a blacksmith by trade, and the second Terra laid hands on him he exploded. His right arm which held his short sword, tensed and shot back, aiming to land the pommel of the hilt on Terra's shoulder. A few pebbles miraculously rained down at him at that moment, one striking him nonetoogently in the collarbone, but Brent shook them off, eager to regain some advantage on this woman. At that same time, Brent wrenched free his other arm and swung it around on the red-haired woman, his hand open so he would simply just shove her away.

Shan worked with Dominic, taking down those who piled onto the sailor who was pummeling away at them with steel-like fists. The sailor had received a few cuts to his arms and Shanvorin had taken a glancing blow of a lance just behind his shoulder.

Suddenly, the wild cat swung his head around and spotted Kaelan. He had never seen him before but could see that the other fighters were no longer on his side. Figuring that there were only two sides to be on in the first place, Shan realized that it would probably be in their best interests to help the poor sucker out. With an attempt at a roar (which, though well done, wasn't quite as "masterful" as Shanvorin would have preferred) bowled over another in the hopes to ease Kaelan's load.

[Isaraldor Glamthail]

Isaraldor made his way over the hill to find a battle going on. He ran toward the house to get into the fray. As he was running toward the house he noticed that the wild men were obviously attacking. He ran at the nearest wild man and swacked him across the head with his staff. He then used the time to force the wild men into another by pushing him with fist of thunder.  He then started off to help the shingar in helping.

sig made by gararion

Can you withstand my eternal onslaught of wind and water?
Isaraldor Glamthail-Santharia

Edited by: isaraldor glamthail at: 1/31/05 23:51

[Manalkar Melor]

"It's amazing how often I get that." Mana raised her daggers, forming a glimmering cross above her head to block Atreyk's attack when he switched the direction of the saber. Unable to bring her own blades down in time to block she dug one heel into the ground and spun away from the weapon, barely avoiding another wound. She continued spinning and slashed at Atreyk's arm as she finished the turn, holding her second dagger outstretched and ready to defend or lunge at a potential opening.  

[Terra Artemos]

As soon as Terra has a hold of Brent he strikes her in the shoulder with the pommel of his sword. Terra's grip holds fast for a few moments, but before she can get in a position to force his surrender he manages to free his arm from her grasp, and swung freed arm back toward her. Terra lowers herself to avoid his arm and delivers another kick to the back of the big mans knee, hoping to force his leg to collapse or at least weaken it, then drive inward hoping to get an arm around his body.

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

[Mimi Dorgren]

Mimi is exited. Wow, a true fight! And she is able to help! Brent has hesitated and maybe that has given the redhaired warrior an advantage?

She grabs in her pocket to fetch  more pebbles, but has to find, that there are none left. What a ... What could she do now? she searches all her various pouches, but there is nothing  left than a few cookies she got last week from Ilbeth and which she saved for ‚bad times‘. Not very fresh, more the hard variety now, but cookies nevertheless

With her heart bleeding, she pulls them out from the depth of her deepest pocket, eats one and puts the other in her slingshot.

And who should be the target of these valuable missile? Well, aiming might be a bit difficult, so she targets the bulk of wild men and hopes, one will be hit in the right place.

And the cooky flies, right onto the forehead of...


OCC: Preferable onto the forehead of one of our own group, LOL

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