Chapter 2 - It Begins
Elbreth stretched in the grey of the early morning sunlight, the rustle of the straw-tick beneath her comforting. The beds were narrow, just barely wide enough for one person, and built solidly of timber. Looking about the small room from her perch on the top bunk, she saw her uncle, unsurprisingly, was already up. He stood at the window, re-braiding a section of his long, golden hair back from his face. Being a high elf, his long hair was a matter of some pride as well as personal preference. They didn't look much alike, really, she'd been told that the family resemblance was all in the facial structure - the high cheekbones and intelligent eyes. At least, she liked to think she had intelligent eyes.
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"Good morning," Elbreth yawned.
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"Good morning, hina," Immeral answered, tying his braid off with a leather lace. The elven word for 'child' was his favourite nickname for her. "There's water here if you'd like to wash the sleep from your eyes." He kept his voice soft. He faced her with a gentle smile, then stooped to fold the grey woollen blanket on his bottom bunk. He was already dressed for adventuring, his usual tunic covered by a shirt of scale mail. Across the room, Erkie and Cora were still abed. Their forms seemed lost in the long beds - they looked like children. The blacksmith let out a deep sigh, rolling to face the room and opening her eyes. Level with Elbreth, she made eye contact with the half-elf and smiled.
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"Good morning!" The halfling was immediately cheerful, if bleary-eyed.
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"Good morning," Elbreth answered her, looking down to watch Erkie groan and pull the pillow over his head on the bottom bunk.
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Cora tossed her blanket towards the wall and crawled to the end of the bed, her tunic and trousers creased. Clambering down the ladder at the end and avoiding the pile of halfling-sized armour by the foot, she stepped lightly across to the basin of water on a table by the door, splashing her face and running a hand through her short, spiky hair. A shuffling sound came from behind the door. Cora froze, water dripping from her nose and chin and staring quizzically at the closed wooden doorway. Elbreth sat up warily, certain of what she heard. Erkie snored. Immeral turned quickly from his bed, pulled the knife from his belt, and soundlessly walked to the door, placing his hand on the latch. With a quick glance at everyone in the room, he suddenly pulled open the door and a seated, greenish form tumbled backwards in.
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Everyone moved at once. Immeral bent to haul up the intruder by his shoulder, holding his knife ready. Elbreth threw back her own wool blanket, disentangled her long legs and the hem of her green knee-length cotehardie from the folds. Jumping down from the top, she grabbed the small dagger from her belt which was tossed over a chair. Cora whirled, grabbed her sword from the pile of armour, then whirled back and pointed it up at the interloper. Erkie, wakened by the kerfuffle, rolled off his bed, landed with a thump, but still managed to grab for his rapier and rise to his feet fully engaged.
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"Yer not very trusting folks, are ya?" It was the half-orc from last night's brawl. Elbreth spied a bandaged ankle peeking from beneath the edge of his long pants.
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Immeral sheathed his knife, but kept a solid grip on the half-orc. "Well, now, what reason do we have to trust someone who spent the night sleeping outside our door?"
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The tip of Cora's sword dipped to the floorboards and she wiped her face with the sleeve of her navy blue tunic. Erkie chucked his sword, clattering, back to his own stack of armour before sitting back on his bed, holding his head in his hands. Elbreth breathed deeply, putting back her dagger and straightening her brown linen pants before strapping the belt on over her short dress.
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"Just wanting to make sure you folks didn't leave without a chance to talk, that's all." The half-orc put out a hand. "Name's Bugg."
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Immeral's pale hand released Bugg's shoulder and grasped his hand, swinging him around and landing him squarely in one of the two empty chairs. Bugg's weight rocked the chair back for a moment before it settled.
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"And what is it you'd like to talk about?" The high elf folded his arms, looking perfectly casual and yet still incredibly formidable. His alabaster brow was smooth, but his silver eyes pierced into the half-orc.
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Bugg rose to the challenge, his back straightening, "Well, first off, which of you was it gave me this welt?" He pulled up his left pant leg to show the bandaged ankle.
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Immeral kept his eyes on the half-orc's face, and Cora stared at the wound, but Elbreth's eyes slipped over to where Erkie still sat, head in hands. There was a noticeable silence. Finally the gnome looked up, his face troubled.
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"All right, it was me. And what of it?" He stood, the expression on his face belying the gruff tone of his voice. To Elbreth's surprise, the half-orc actually smiled. Or, at least, grimaced around his tusks.
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"Good on ya, that one!" The half-orc leaned forward and extended a hand, which Erkie took and shook. Nothing but confusion registered on his face, now. "It takes gonads to pull a weapon in the middle of a bar fight. Are you actually skilled with that weapon?" Bugg leaned back into his chair again, surveying Erkie as if this were a job interview.
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"Yes, I am." Wariness coloured Erkie's voice. "I've been training since I was a child."
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"Good, good!" Bugg's eyes travelled around the room, catching the piles of armour and equipment before resting on Cora. "What of the rest of ya? I'm guessing you're adventurers of some sort?"
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"We can hold our own, yes, and are looking for work." Cora answered quickly, her tone betraying her excitement. Such an exuberant response elicited a smirk from the half-orc, his eyes glinting.
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"Well, then. I've a question for you." He eyed Immeral without turning his head. "If you're up for it, there's a hobgoblin in these parts that's been making a nuisance of himself. He's set himself up in an old dwarven stronghold a few days north east of here."
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"And what is that to you?"
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"That stronghold was where my father's clan has been living. It was ours first. They've been living there for generations. Then this group of ruffians led by this hobgoblin fellow up and ousts them. Not fair, if ya ask me." Bugg's candor was refreshing. Elbreth smiled, appreciating his simple honesty.
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"That sounds like something we could tackle," Immeral nodded, after a quick glance to first Erkie and then Cora. "You've hired yourself a crew."
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"Well, that's fine, then." Bugg looked smug and rose from the chair, offering his arm to Immeral a second time. This time, the elf grasped it in a gesture of goodwill. "I can't really pay ya much, but I'll be more than happy to settle up with supplies, or information, or whatever you need once you come back saying that the deed's done. Besides which," he grinned toothily at Erkie, "ya kind of owe me one for whacking my ankle." The gnome hung his head.
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"We'll be off straight away," Immeral soothed. "How many days' walk is it?"
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"Just three, nice and easy. Ya follow the road through the woods towards the mountains. After two days there's a trail headed north-east, just where the road takes a turn for the pass. Follow that trail up into the foothills, 'bout another day, and you'll come to a clearing. That's the stronghold." Bugg limping his way through the door. "Come and find me once he's all dealt with." And with nothing else, he hobbled down the stairs.
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"I'm sorry," Erkie apologised, his voice low as he looked up at Immeral. "This is my fault."
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"It is well," the high elf smiled, clapping the gnome's shoulder encouragingly. "We need friends and information, and Bugg will provide that." He looked about at the company, "Shall we begin?"
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For two days the party followed the road headed north east of town, ranging through the dense mixed deciduous forest and up towards the mountains. It was much like any other traveling Elbreth had done, except that they didn't have horses. Nor were they being pursued, for that matter. But setting up camp, sleeping by the fire, waking with dew-damp cloak - all this was comfortingly familiar. But we're not just traveling, we're adventuring! The young half-elf grinned, excited. She had been outfitted with a boiled-leather breastplate as well as a shortbow and a quiver of twenty arrows before they left the small gnomish town of Yortlebort. The weight of them still felt new and strange as she walked; the leather creaked against itself as her green travel dress fended off the snagging thorns of rosebushes and other underbrush. She was glad, now, that she hadn't fled in one of her fancier gowns. What a disaster those bell-sleeves would have been! Certainly impractical. What a goose I was to think my status would matter out here. One can't expect to be pandered to, just because of one's nobility. Out here, one must work for others' respect. Elbreth absentmindedly fidgeted with the torc around her neck, pondering the life of an adventurer.
"Here's the trail!" Cora called out, breaking into Elbreth's thoughts. The halfling had been marching a short ways ahead since their midday break, when she enthusiastically offered to take point for a while. Excitement adding spring to her gait, the young half-elf dashed ahead to where Cora stood at the edge of the woods. A path continued forward where the road curved off. It was obviously worn, but hadn't seen anything larger than horse or foot-traffic and so was narrow and twisted back and forth among the pale trunks of the poplar and aspen.
"Let's not just stand here," Erkie pushed ahead, starting off down the trail, heedless of the grip of brambles and rosebushes. Immeral followed immediately afterward, stepping soundlessly through the branches, and casting a directed look back at Elbreth. Obedient, Elbreth followed after her uncle, trying her best to step as soundlessly as he around the underbrush. The sound of Cora's little feet were behind her.
As evening began to draw near and the sky deepened, Elbreth sensed her uncle begin to move more cautiously. We must be getting closer. Heart beating and eyes wide, the half-elf slowed her own pace and peered around Immeral's shoulder. Ahead of them, the trees began to thin into a copse or three rather than actual forest. The spaces between were rather mountain-meadow like, with thin, short grasses and small flowers scattered about. Erkie stopped moving entirely just inside the tree line, bringing the group to a halt before they were actually in the open. Elbreth felt Cora press close in an attempt to see past everyone. On the far side of the large clearing, partially masked by a thicket of about eight trees half-way down, a stone cliff rose to join the mountain face. Near the base there seemed to be a doorway, but it was difficult to tell in the waning light and from that distance.
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"I'm going to head around to the side," the gnome spoke low over his shoulder, keeping his eyes on the clearing and drawing his rapier. Quick and agile, Erkie suddenly disappeared to the left. Elbreth could barely see his shadow slinking near the edge of the trees.
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Grabbing the longbow from his back and nocking an arrow, the high elf glided from the edge of the wood to the central copse, kneeling down behind it. Cora brushed past Elbreth, readying her own bow and choosing a smaller grove just to Immeral's left. Mimicking the others, Elbreth pulled her short bow from her shoulder, nocked her own arrow, and ran forward to crouch by her uncle.
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Closer now, Elbreth clearly saw what looked to be an entryway to a cavern hewn from the rock. Sitting outside the doorway was a single orc sentry, fast asleep. From here she could even see the rise and fall of his chest.
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"Are we going to go talk to him?" The half-elf girl whispered, enthusiasm and naivety in equal measure.
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"No, child." Immeral's longbow was drawn, he was taking careful aim.
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"Can I shoot him, then?" Elbreth drew back her own bow. The older elf cast a brief but stern look at his protege.
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"Certainly not."
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His voice stayed even as he loosed the arrow. It flew true to it's mark, piercing the orcish guard through an eye and killing him instantly. The orc's lifeless body slid to the side in near silence to rest across the gaping maw of the hewn entryway.
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Casting caution aside, Elbreth sprang from the thicket towards the fallen sentry. She barely remembered to tuck the arrow back into her quiver before she darted forward.
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"Hina - get back here!" Her uncle's words hissed, unheeded.
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Coming up to the bulky corpse, the first thing Elbreth noticed was the waxen pallor of death that marked his face. It stopped her in her tracks. She felt, rather than saw, her uncle step up beside her, put an arm across her back, and gently lead her forward to stand over the body.
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"I - I didn't expect him to look like death so soon!" The half-elf whispered, unable to pull her gaze from the single lifeless eye of the orc. The muscles of his face were relaxed past that of sleep and into a grotesque mimicry of it.
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"Yes, child, the change is immediate." Immeral's voice was also low. The hand on her shoulder tightened briefly.
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"Man alive!" Cora's voice broke in, "What a shot! Great job, Immeral!" The halfling brought herself up alongside the other two and peered down at the dead orc. "Geez, Elbreth, you're lucky there weren't any other baddies posted out here, what with the way you ran out of that brush!"
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Blanching with realisation, Elbreth quickly looked up from the orc. She's right! That was so stupid of me! "I'm so sorry!" Words tumbled from her mouth, "It's foolish to run ahead like that." Chagrined, Elbreth 's hands twisted the hem of her tunic.
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"There now, all's well," Cora said gruffly, looking away. "Now, where'd that gnome get to?"
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Together, the three of them turned to scan the direction they knew he'd disappeared. Just then, a short and nimble form slipped from a small copse of trees just left of the cliffside. Erkie walked casually, obviously unaffected by what he saw, and seemingly carefree.
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"Where have you been?" Cora demanded, although Elbreth didn't think she was angry.
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"Oh, just scouting the area. Thought I saw a hill giant." The gnome stopped by the feet of the downed sentry. "Nice work, you guys!" He seemed to be admiring Immeral's marksmanship.
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"Well, enough time wasting." Immeral took his hand from Elbreth's shoulder and nocked another arrow. "We're all here, shall we proceed?"
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Without waiting for an answer, and stepped into the dark hollow of the hewn stone doorway, trusting the others to follow behind.