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Chapter Four: Enlightenment and the Daughters of Summertime

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"I love you too, Pyri," Sparkles curls up wearily and pleasantly succumbs to the all-powerful forces of the mid-afternoon nap.


Skaagenrackner thinks a moment then answers Wolf's earlier question concerning opportunity and time. "Take a few moments to try and free them now. If you fail, do more later. Either way, take them with you for a spell. You will have time, for I will provide it to you at the cost of our foes' woes. Yet..." the immense guardian pauses in mid-stride, then nods as if coming to a decision. He speaks to all of you, especially Wolf, Bren, and Vardadraug. "This... might be the best moment to make your escape from Ember's Wood. Farther north up the Road of Kings is the second checkpoint at Melshaef's Tree. You will be safe and at home with the Mielikkians there. Know that despite the wail of agony I felt from the Wellspring of Change after you entered it, it was not further harmed. You did your best here and I warmly thank you all for it. Though you may do as you please, I recommend you fly now, lest they outmaneuver me and come upon the wagons! Sunshine and gentle winds be with you. " He waves at all of you after invoking that old Mielikkian farewell.


Vardadraug looks to the rest of you, his happy eyes hardly able to keep open. Doom to the foes of the forest! He sends.


"Be well, Exalted Wolf! It is still so strange to see you as a puppy! When will you regain the form Brendoran and I know you so well in?"


In Mielikki's time, for I know not, Old Stone. Sunshine and gentle winds be with you!


Bria whirls in surprise to the Sarabina man when Bren speaks his mind. The question on her face is clear. Where did you come by this knowledge? Her words, however, are of a different selection. "Mister Bren, perhaps later it can be your turn to enlighten me?"


"Please free us!" The Daughters of Summertime point and huddle at Otiorin. "We'll give you kisses!" "Yes! So many kisses!" This too does not fail to get Bria's attention, but there is no enviousness or jealously there - only the soft warm smile of looking forward to seeing Otiorin being rewarded in such a way by the three young ladies he so daringly desired to rescue. Kisses! What a just reward! =)
 
Wolf stood out the conversation smiling awkwardly during Bria's turn - as if he wasn't sure what exactly to say, then growing less and less tense as their foes were given names and nature. De-mystified, they didn't sound so bad.


"I thank you for your support, Keeper." he bows once more to Skaagenrackner. "As well as counsel. We will be off as soon as possible."


To the others, namely Luna and Otiorin, the ranger says the following after having walked up to them. "I was not paying much attention but I don't think talking was on the list of possible solutions. Just try something already, will you?" His words may be accompanied with a jesting grin, but they are every bit as firm. "The enemy might be a lesser threat than imagined, but I don't want to be the dead fool that underestimated a master wizard. In his wrath he may yet reach for more desperate measures. It is best we do not linger. In fact, I think preparations should be made for our departure."


Wolf takes a few steps back and whistles a comeback signal for Pecker, then reaches into his pack and takes out his journal. Upon touching the leather binding a thought comes to mind. Wait, did I forget to make an entry last night? Again? Ach... Flipping all the pages at once he finds the last page which already has small bits of paper torn away on all sides. With a practiced gesture Wolf tears off another strip and then uses his inkpen to write down the message: Make ready to leave at once. He quickly puts his supplies away, ready to attach the note and send it to Stewart as soon as the falcon lands.
 
Otiorin walked over to Luna, his gait and expression totally neutral. To think that I was all fired up to rescue these girls and yet they are quick to judge me! He took the globe from the fire mage and looked it over with a practised eye.


"Well, I must say I cannot be sure that I should release you from this prison of yours, if you feel that I am possessed of an Orc's black heart. And here was I all set to come rescue you all, spurring my fellow Wanderers on.", he said with not even a hint of mirth in his voice, "I cannot say if the insult you throw so unfairly at me will impair my ability to release you from this globe. I shall, of course, make the attempt, but I cannot guarantee success."


He closed his eyes and took a deep cleansing breath, before his hands began to probe the surface of the artefact. As he worked, he kept his eyes closed, letting his sensitive fingers and the supernal powers that dwelt within him greater play, unhindered by his eyes. Then, as he found what it he believed he was seeking, his eyes snapped open. For a moment, they were silvery-white, the dark pupil changed from a circle to a cat's-eyed slit. His skin took on a silvery, scaly sheen and he began working the arcane method he believed would unlock the globe's magic.


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The Daughters gasp and recoil at Otiorin's words. Then they huddle and convene excitedly. They whisper things like, "Did you see his eyes?" "Was that what I think it was?" "Here in Ember's Wood?" "It matters not for the moment! He is innocent and we have wronged him!" Only after that moment, do the three nod in energetic agreement and look out of their prison to deliver reply to Otiorin.


"Your attempt to provide us freedom aside, our words are meant only for the fiend-of-all-fiends who did the deed! You are one of eight known half-elves in all the world - and a half-elf is guilty of the deed!" "The Wild Elves burn and fret at memory of their beloved homes now ash! You are not a forest-friend and neither is the half-elf who did it!" "Like the Old Stone and Exalted Wolf, we must be ever vigilant against the villain or risk utter and permanent ruination! Unlike the Wild Elves who escaped, if our wood is burned, we burn with it!" Then the look to each other again as if to be completely certain of something. They nod, hold each others' hands, close their eyes, curtsy as one to Otiorin alone, and hold that position.


"Our hearts are sorry for insulting you. Goheno nin..."


Bria sees this and smiles silently at the display of humility. Powerpaw, on the other paw, keeps his distance and does not seem to fully grasp what is happening.


Otiorin works the magic of the globe and finds that the manipulation of it comes quickly to one of a roguish mind, yet that very same weaving is something that might cause a caster of magic to lose one's temper, as its very design uses one's accumulated knowledge against him. The answer is indeed a trick of feeling, not seeing.


Still, its solution does not come easily to the half-elf. As his deft fingertips perform their motions, radiant energies ebb and flow across the face of the globe like hands caressing water. It is a frustrating task to come so close to success, yet to have it dangled out in front of a fellow like a prize on a string, held just out of reach. But then Otiorin's draconic heritage awakens... and the silly little globe's solution is found so easily as to perhaps bring embarrassment, at least to one of his heritage. For to the draconic part of Otiorin's mind, unlocking the globe in this manner is an altogether basic thing, as easily-remembered as a child's game, with as much challenge.


Now that he has found the solution, Otiorin may unlock it at will (though he does not yet know the secret of containing a creature in the first place).


Doing so, one face of the Globe of Entrapment melts away and out come the Daughters of Summertime flitting about on tiny wings with the biggest of smiles. Now that they are out of their prison, it is clear to all (except perhaps Powerpaw) that the Daughters of Summertime are, in truth, woodland faeries.


"Elo! You freed us!" "Sweet freedom! Guren glassui!" "Peditham hi sui vellyn? And may we give you kisses? We mean them!"

happyfairy.jpg



(Image credit: owlsandorchids.com)






Goheno nin... = Forgive me (sorry)...


Guren *glassui! = Thank you from my heart!


Elo! = Wow!


Peditham hi sui vellyn? = May we speak as friends now?


Again using http://www.realelvish.net/101_sindarin.html
 
Luna smiles wide and cheers for the freedom of the three woodland faries. "Well done, Otiorin! Well done, indeed! We need to lock that Globe up so no more innocents are captured. Now, where are my manners? Greetings, I am Luna Kaftan, and we are the Wayward Wanderers. It is a pleasure to meet you. Can you tell us what happened to put you in there, and what the foul one was going to do with you?"
 
As the globe disgorges it's prisoners, Otiorin shares little joy in the event, unlike his fellow Wanderers. Instead he rose to his feet from the kneel he'd assumed to work the release and placed the device into Luna's hands.


"I can open this now, all that we need do is learn how to activate it's trapping mechanism.", he said to the mage, then turned to the faeries, "Daro! I don't need, nor want, your kisses. Instead retain them and think on how swiftly you passed judgement on someone who appeared to want to help you. Had I been possessed of a less generous soul, I might have declined to help you based only upon your claims against me. Think long on that, you who call yourselves so knowledgeable."


He made sure his gear was about him, then started to walk back toward the wagons, "We should take the Most Ancient's advice and move on. If this Karthas is as powerful as all that, there is little we could do against him, save mar this beautiful forest further. Let us leave the battle here to those who can protect it better than we can."
 
"Finally!" the ranger exclaims. "We are all glad for your freedom for it was our task. But now we must away, and so should you too. The wizard and his minions are still scouring these woods. It is not safe to remain here."


Wolf beckons to Luna and slowly starts following Otiorin. "Hopefully my message will ensure that we're ready to move out as soon as we're back."
 
(Earlier) Pecker returns and takes Wolf's message in his talons. Sticks out his tongue at the napping Sparkle, and takes off toward the wagons. "Rest well, lazybones!"


The Daughters hear Otiorin out then huddle once again gesturing dramatically and near to babbling as they are wont to do. "I think we hurt his feelings. They didn't used to be as sensitive. Why is he?" "Well, there were a lot more of them back then too, remember?" "I wish a half-orc had done the deed instead! Then we would know who the enemy really is and avoid this kind of trouble!" "Can you blame him for admonishing us? He is probably just lonely for his own kind. I would be." "Me too." "Hear that? Look there. He carries the Moonlit Edge!" "Wow! Hear how it sings? That's the song of calling!" "Think he hears it? I bet he is as lonely for his own kind as the edge is for the Sunfire Blade." "Oh, to see Eclipse once again!" "Hey, I know what it is! I'd be sensitive too if I were star-touched." "No waaaay! The others are star-touched too and they're not being that way." "Oh, look out!"


Luna approaches in a friendly and open manner with Sparkle curled against her. This causes a little fun chaos. The mercurial Daughters shriek "Bright Fire!" and immediately take off leaving dust-like trails of green and gold. They try to hide behind the nearest forest-friend - in this case, Bria. Bria lets out a startled "eep!" and stays very, very still as if not to disturb them. But then Powerpaw scratches his head with his sharp claws at Luna, then he slowly steps forward wearing the friendliest face he can.


"Uh, hi!"


The Daughters shriek a second time and burst from Bria and zip from her to Wolf. "Help, forest-friend!" But they don't stop at landing on Wolf as they did with the Ko monk. Before Wolf knows it, the Daughters are trying to hide in his armor and clothing. Pockets, hood, quiver, whatever may be available, they are trying to use it as cover (and will fail only if Wolf chooses to resist). One of them is using the wolf puppy in Wolf's arms.


"Hi, Vardadraug!"


Hi! I would be sleeping but the three of you are too much fun to watch.


Bria stands up and in her peaceful way asks, "Why are you hiding? We freed you."


Tiny, pretty faces peek out from Wolf's garb and point at Otiorin. "No - he freed us!" "We hide because Old Stone is right! We can only trust forest-friends!" "That's how we got captured in the first place! The last forest-friend we trusted was Karthas the Master Wizard and look how we wound up!" "Serves us right!" "We should have listened to Old Stone!" "Can we kiss you instead, Leonard Wolf?"


Bria turns to Wolf. "Your name is Leonard?"


Then one points at Bren. "Oooh! He's a forest-friend! His name is Brendoran Killaneson Sarabina! He has half-elven kisses on him!" "Think they came from Otiorin?" "No waaaay! Look at the energy - that's sun energy!" "Right! I'm such a dummy!"
 
Well, it doesn't look like I'll be getting any answers about how they were captured any time soon. Luna doesn't push her presence on the three fairies; no need to antagonize them after their ordeal. "Well, I have not doubt that Old Stone will be up to the task of stopping the monsters summoned by Karthas, but in any case, we should be on our way. Whatever he was up to might be important enough to cause him to come after our three wood friends here and try to recapture them. Let us go to the wagons. We'll let Snarfy, Arfy, and Barfy guard the orb for now." She starts to make her way down the hill towards the wagons.
 
Wolf is taken completely by surprise, and not just by the actions of the Daughters.


"W-what? Where did you get that name?" He is too busy to even think about answering Bria. He doesn't resist the faerie invasion per se, but he hardly encourages it. "You know what, it does not matter. Because we are leaving. Right now, as a matter of fact. And now that you're free, you should go back to your home as well." He looks back to Luna, glad she is catching up.
 
Bren rests a hand briefly on Otiorin's shoulder as the faeries make their escape from the globe. "Mae carnen," he says quietly, then removes his hand as the half-elf stands. He continues to remain in the background as the others try to talk with the faeries, and smiles at their antics. When the others speak of leaving, he nods in agreement. "We can well leave Karthas to Skaagenrackner, as the great elemental has suggested, and take ourselves off to Melshaef's Tree." He looks at the faeries. "If you haven't anywhere safe to go, you may wish to come along, and stay with the Mielikkians there. There's a point of information I'd like to share with you, and perhaps you can answer questions of mine as well. Though I think it might be best if you let Otiorin calm a bit before approaching him. I think you really did hurt him with your suspicions, though given your limited information, I do understand them." He resolves, if the faeries take him up on the offer, to ask them to ride with him on his horse, rather than invade the wagon.

Mae carnen = Well done
 
Bria cannot help but giggle with delight at Wolf's reaction. But besides walk along with the other Wanderers, it is all she does; she makes no further mention of his name. It is his business.


When Powerpaw looks back toward the Wellspring of Change in a daze caused by many deep thoughts, it is Bria's hand that brings him out of it. She puts her small hand in his massive, furry paw and guides him away toward the Adventurers' Wagon. Soon, they are walking and chatting together. They near Bren and Wolf causing the Daughters to hide again until Bria looks to each of them, speaking reassuringly.


"This is Powerpaw! He may not be a forest-friend yet, but I bet he could be one soon! He doesn't like anyone who beats up innocent creatures."


Powerpaw shakes his head. "Nope."


"And he sure doesn't like evil wizards and minotaurs..."


"Uh uh..."


"And he slew that nasty two-headed pervert-giant!"


"Yup. Got me dere..."


"Say 'hi' to them again, Powerpaw."


"Uh, hi?" But the Daughters cringe in suspicion.


"Um," Bria stands on her tip-toes and whispers in his ears. "Keep smiling? Just close your mouth so they can't see all those big teeth of yours."


Powerpaw does so and waves a very friendly wave. This time, the Daughters tentatively wave back.


The Daughters of Summertime begin casually looking at Wolf's armor and clothes. "How did we know your name? Easy! When a person becomes a forest-friend, the forest remembers their names!" "Their real names!" "All we have to do is ask the forest!" Then they frown and wring their hands in worry. "My, we sure goofed up..." "Yeah..." "Thank you for freeing us!" "Sorry again!" They fly off of Wolf and begin drifting away like fireflies when Brendoran speaks up.


"You really don't mind our company for a little while?" "We will try not to insult anyone!" "Are you going to visit Melshaef? He will find us a new home - one where even a master wizard trying to get his skin back can't harm us!" "Yeah! We'll be safe with him!"


As the Wanderers head down the hill, they see the welcome sight of the wagons being readied. Loading up and climbing on board, the Wanderers take their places as they please, and with a brief pair of trumpeted notes from Stewart's horn, the hearty horses pull as one. The wheels of the Adventurers' Wagon and the once-prison-wagon turn out from Ember's Wood and onto the brown, northward trail that is the fabled Road of Kings. To the west, the sun just begins its daily dip across the horizon. In about an hour, it will set.
 
Luna settles in on the top of the Grand Wagon with her spellbook in her lap and a glass of wine at her side. She has hopes of being able to put a sizable amount of distance between them and the dark wizard. What happened to him? He looked awful. What was he trying to do with the fairies? Once they have calmed down enough to make friends with, perhaps I can get them to tell me what was being planned by the bad guy. She takes a sip from her wineglass and looks around at the beautiful woods the wagons are traveling through. Well, time enough for all that later. Now, I must study. Luna opens up her book and begins the process of memorizing her spells anew. If they are attacked in the night, she wanted more at her disposal to help the party to defend themselves besides her Force Missiles.
 
Bren smiles. "No, I don't mind." He taps his shoulders in an open invitation to ride (or hide) on him the way they did Wolf. "I was wondering - what did you mean by 'star-touched'?" He frowns slightly as Luna isolates herself in study atop the Grand Wagon - he'd been hoping to talk with her - but at least this gives him time to speak with the faeries instead. Saddling up, he rides alongside the wagons, close enough that whomever's driving can hear the conversation, and can join in if they don't mind speaking a little loud (though if they do, Bren will move closer so that they can speak normally).
 



  • The Adventurers' Wagon travels on. The sun finally sets in the picturesque woodland sky casting its fading orange glow over the land. Then the night slowly begins to take its turn with the world. Before long, it is dusk and the trees and road and wagons all are bathed in purest purple and soft shadows, lit only by the white of the pale, shining moon. By this time, the Wanderers' have just regained their spells, be it through meditation, study, or simply renewing their natural energies. Those who were not so busy may use the hour as they see fit. But once that hour is done... a very important thing happens... an event most adventurers look forward to...


    ...Dinnertime. =)


    Whittle climbs to the top of the Adventurers' Wagon. Once there, she makes her way around and rings a metal ladle against a pan a few times. "All right, loves! Off your behinds and into the dining room with you! Moist towels await your dirty hands, so wash them good now!" Most of the Wanderers, being younger adventuring folk, do not require a second signal for food, but there are a few that get it anyway from the motherly hobbit. "Luna! Fold up those books and get down here, love! Your meal is getting cold! Can't have that, now can we?" "Bria! Stop all that... whatever you're doing, dear, and come on!" "Brendoran, is it? Up and off your horse, my good man, and into this house-on-wheels of ours! Up, up!"


    Before long, the Wanderers are once again enjoying the comforts of the Adventuring Wagon as guided by Stewart (who Whittle promises to take his place so he too can enjoy a warm meal in the wild). There, at the dining table surrounded by finery unlike most adventurers have ever known, are the splendid steak dinners. And they are incredibly good. It is clear to all that Whittle has made this before (she may have had Bronze's help, but only the blacksmith can tell you about that), but never using the ingredients demanded by one like Bilal the Rich.


    Sparkle and Vardadraug eat side-by-side with Pecker taking in light, pre-cut pieces of fish. For once, the pseudo-dragon and the falcon are not bothering each other. Vardadraug, as usual, is not bothering anyone with that little wagging tail of his. Powerpaw sits on the floor as he devours incredible amounts of food (almost as much as a hobbit! Imagine that!). Bria, in contrast, eats daintily at the table enjoying every bite of a meal she seems unused to partaking.


    As for remainder of the Wanderers, once again, you find yourself in a safe, comfortable atmosphere among friends. Only Bonny and Stewart are absent. Whittle, with the help of one of you, puts another hot pot of spiced potatoes on the table. "Well?" she excitedly asks everyone. "Don't keep a girl in suspense! I saw the little woodland beauties outside, I did! How did your adventure go?"
 
Luna gratefully shuts her books and heads down to where the Meadowsweets are serving dinner. She makes a point to sit down next to Wolf, trading sly smiles and the occasional 'accidental' touch of the hands. "Well, things could have gone better, but it certainly could have been much, much worse. We ran into several minotaurs, and thanks to our brave wolf pup, we were able to defeat them without sounding off any alarms. Then, we ran into a giant monster called an ettin, one that our good Powerpaw has some history with. He insisted that he be the one to face the two headed monster, and obviously, he came out the winner. Then things got a bit hairy. After moving past the ettin, we ran into three more minotaurs, and a master wizard from my school of magic. I tried one of my fireball spells against him, but it didn't do any harm that we could see. It was clear that we were in trouble, and we decided to skedadle out of there. Thankfully, Vardadraug and Sparkle were able to snatch up the Globe of Imprisonment that held the three woodland fairies inside it when the wizard was coming after us." She is quiet for a moment, then lets out a sigh. "I wish we had been able to do more, but most of our spells had been cast earlier in the day, leaving us vulnerable. That last fireball I threw, it was enough that it would have nearly killed me, but Karthas was able to shrug it off. Perhaps he had a spell active that kept him from harm, but that was the last, best shot I had and it did nothing. I am upset that a fellow of my school has sunk to such a level to commit such evil against the wood. When we get to our next stop, I plan on doing some investigating to see what I can learn about Karthas the wizard."

Level 0 - Message, Mage Hand, Detect Magic, Ray of Frost


Level 1 - Shield x2, Enlarge Person x2, Unseen Servant, Gravity Bow


Level 2 - Extended Mage Armor, Scorching Ray x2, Blur


Level 3 - Haste, Fireball, Flame Arrow


Level 4 - Extended Displacement, Ball Lightning


Force Missile x8
 
Outside, before dinner..."Indeed, I have," Bren replies to the question about the deep-down empty feeling. "Would you happen to know how--" his question is cut off by the sound of Whittle summoning everyone in to dinner. "Oh, well, I suppose it can wait for after. Don't run off, mind! Stay with Star. Perhaps he'd like some kisses." As Whittle is now calling him by name, he sighs and follows the others...


...into the wagonBren smiles to Whittle as he digs in with all the hearty appetite of a healthy young human male. "This is wonderful, Mrs. Meadowsweet!" Luna seeming inclined to dive right in to explanations, he listens and eats rather than attempting it himself. When she finishes, he speaks up, "It's a good thing everyone chose to stick together. We need to have a talk about group tactics and leadership roles, and soon - preferably before we find ourselves in battle again. I'd also like to continue my chat with our rescued faeries. Apparently that falling star has left an intangible mark on us that they can see - a deep emptiness, as they described it, though we didn't have time for more before dinner was called. I'd like to know more about that strange feeling. And too, I've knowledge of the half-elf that destroyed the wild elves' wood that they need to know, and perhaps spread amongst all forest creatures."
 
After returning to the wagon, Otiorin took himself away from the others and allowed the magics he had invoked to subside. He sat in seclusion, with Moonlit Edge in his hands. The words of the faeries played in his mind. I am like this blade. I'm lost and without purpose, seeking something to make me whole. But I don't know that that something is.





With the call to dinner, he returned to the dining room and sat with the others. Despite the fine meal, he found no pleasure in his meal, picking at a steak that would have been the joy of an epicure. He listened to Luna's explanation of the events of the rescue, smiling grimly at the simplistic method she chose to describe the events that had nearly gotten them all killed, but he did not speak out about it. He did not feel it was the time or place to do so, so he continued the play disinterestedly with his meal.
 
I tink Bronze would have helped with the steaks in that he shares what he knows about cooking and then shuts up and does what the Meadosweets tell him to. "Oak, adds some spice to the meat, and I built a grill somewhere..."


 
After getting his plate, wanders over to Otto, and plops next to him. Note that Bronze smells like a forge at the moment, "I need to build a shower. So why so down?"
 
Earlier, while Otiorin is seemingly alone with his thoughts, the Moonlit Edge in his troubled grip, something odd happens...


The naked steel in his hands glows ever-so-softly with a radiance like the moon above, but then it fades. It has only done this once - in his mother's hand when she was presenting it to him, but it was easy to imagine that it was somehow his magical mother's doing. Easier still now to think perhaps that glow, starry in its beauty, is an imagining born perhaps of hunger, fatigue, or stress or all three... but it does happen. Otiorin's skills are not so dulled to miss it...
 
The Half-Elf turned to the burly smith and grunted.


"I'm not down, so much as I am...reflecting. I wonder about this other Half-Elf, this infamous cad responsible for so much ill toward the Wild Elves. Did he have to endure discrimination?", he spoke quietly and firmly, "Was he subjected to people's distrust and disrespect? Were his cruel acts a result of his own volition or were they born of people's attitude that he was wrong or evil or whatever? After all, if a person is told they are a monster long enough, they can believe that they truly are and begin to act in kind."


Otiorin pushed his untouched plate away from himself and turned to Bronze, "I feel some kinship to you. Unfairly treated because of some trait you carry. You for your skill and ability at the forge and I for...", he indicated the delicate point to his ears, "a quirk of breeding. But quite beside that, I feel like a spare wheel on the wagon, useful when necessity requires, but a burdensome weight otherwise."
 
Wolf on the other hand earnestly dives into his food, apparently only able to be distracted by Luna. He praises the chefs and then listens to Luna's recounting of the events without interrupting or adding anything when she is done. He busies himself with his own thoughts.

- Entangle


- Detect Snares and Pits
 
"Otiorin, there is nothing wrong with who you are, you walk the path of Justice, and of heroism. Because of who we are, we are judged for how we look, what skills we have, but when it comes down to the wire, where it counts. Our Actions speak louder than our words." Bronze eats a bit before continuing. "And remember the name callers are just name callers, they don't know ya, and it really doesn't matter, you know ya. You should eat something, the food is really good." Remains near his friend just in case he is needed.
 
Bria overhears this talk, and between bites of potato, tries to flow into the conversation in a good, meaningful way. "If you don't mind my adding, the form of Otiorin's discrimination is a lot deadlier than any I've seen between my fellow humans - Outsiders sometimes tease or try to take advantage of Ko for our outside-world-naivety, but we don't have a race of elves actively trying to kill us. The Wild Elves want all half-elves dead until they find which one wronged them. But aren't there, like, less than ten left?"


Bria gently places her hand on Otiorin's. "When you made your oath to help those who suffered in the burning of the Wild Elf wood? I realized later that part of the reason I hugged you is I feel for another half-elf I adventured with - Kaerri of the wood elves. Hmm," the Ko monk smiles in a moment of fond memory. "The bards of the Adventurers' Guild in Highwind call her 'The Shadow in the Rain.' Within Kaerri's close circles, she is much-loved, but outside of them, she is wary, especially of wild elves. I don't know all that happened during the burning of the Wild Elves' wood... but it must have been apocalyptic for them."


Then she brightens. "As for being a 'fifth wheel,' you'll find your niche, Otiorin! Mind a short story? You should have seen me at the Phoenix Monastery when they thought I was a cleric. I thought I was a cleric! I didn't know what a healer was. Almost no one did." She places her utensils down and raises her arms into guard position. "During clerical training, they put you into a tomb-like room with no weapons and a sarcophagus in the middle. An armed skeleton rises and you must call upon your faith alone to smite the creature. Except it didn't work! I tried and tried and tried! I did exactly what they told me to and nothing happened! So there I was shrieking and running around the tomb with the sarcophagus in the middle with that skeleton chasing me the whole time! I thought I was such a failure, but now everyone, me included, look back at that moment and just laugh! I thought I would be useless to any adventuring party, but as I kept at it, people seem to think I'm invaluable." Bria smiles at Otiorin and there is confidence born of direct experience in her expression. "You'll find it but only if you keep at it."


Whittle's eyes get wider and wider as Luna tells her the tale. When the fire mage is done, Whittle throws up her hands. "Oh dearie me! I would have fled at the sight of the first minotaur! It's Yondalla's blessing that we have the good ones in Highwind; they seem to love crushing evil wizards." Whittle collects what plates she can and when she returns, she has a fine wooden cart upon which several freshly-baked pies are steaming from under colorful cloths. "Time for dessert, loves! Our brave and dashing Wanderers deserve a reward for this day's heroics! Oh, and the chocolate pie was Bonny's idea. Save him the last piece, won't you?"


Sparkle just sends out one long, drawn-out word to the whole group as she chews and chews under closed, contented eyes. Steak... Pecker keeps pecking at his fish, acting as if he is ignoring her while Vardadraug continues to munch on his uncooked version of steak with great pleasure.


Powerpaw addresses Luna, his whiskers and ears raised. "You mean ta say wizard-face was Fireball-proofs?" He thinks on that a moment, snarls, and shakes his head in frustrated confusion. "How in da Moar does a guy get Fireball-proofs?! Anybody know?"


 
Bria then asks Bronze. "Um, you don't have anyone trying to kill you too, do you?" Her eyes are wide with anticipation.
 
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Dannigan said:
Bria overhears this talk, and between bites of potato, tries to flow into the conversation in a good, meaningful way. "If you don't mind my adding, the form of Otiorin's discrimination is a lot deadlier than any I've seen between my fellow humans - Outsiders sometimes tease or try to take advantage of Ko for our outside-world-naivety, but we don't have a race of elves actively trying to kill us. The Wild Elves want all half-elves dead until they find which one wronged them. But aren't there, like, less than ten left?"
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Bren nods in response to Bria's words, though they aren't really meant for him. "So I have heard, also. Until now, those few that I had met were all of Wood-Elven descent, from the Forest Eternal; I hadn't known there were any from Waterwind." He nods to Otiorin as he mentions the city of the Gray Elves, then falls quiet once more as Bria launches into her encouraging speech.
 
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