Each year young adventurers eagerly await the chance to work as scouts for the Watch. This year was no different as Rick watched the other youths gather outside the Barracks. He was going to have to risk his life with them and was glad to see a diverse group gathering. Some he knew from when he learned how to read and write at Pelor’s temple, others he had only heard about through the adults in the market.
Therrus Ironshod called from across the room, “Go out there, Rick. I will be along as soon as I have a word with the Captain.”
Rick shouldered his weapon and went outside, the soft sound of his chainmail clicking as he exited. He knew Bobo (pronounced Bob-o) from the group of boys he spent his free time with. Oxzeldan was new to that group, but he too had come to wait for a mission as a Scout.
Bobo had come with Serefina. It only made sense since they both studied in the Dalefor’s Tower. Serefina had gone on to study there before Bobo, so Rick only half remembered her.
Harriet came running up with the afternoon sun behind her. And bowled into everyone in her boisterous way. As soon as she got there, the young squires fell quiet for a time. They were filled with the excitement of finally being allowed out on their own, but at the same time, they all knew the dangers that lurked outside the tall palisade that protected the town.
Therrus strode out of the Barracks and stopped on the last step outside the door. His red hair still bright, even though streaks of grey shot through his beard. Scars crossed his face from the many battles he had fought, and they shown white under the red and grey of his beard. He cleared his throat, and the youths all came over around him.
“I don’t want to brief you too much, so you should choose: shall you go north this night or to the south?”
The kids set to arguing as if a dam had burst. “South is warmer.” “It is straight into the woods to the north.” “South has the King’s Road.” As suddenly as they started, they fell quiet again. Serefina chimed in, “We want to go south.”
Therrus nodded and started speaking with his deep voice, “This past winter, someone abducted Vunoz Halbrok. We found tracks heading to the ice on the river, but lost them in the woods over there.”
All the scouts knew Vunoz. Before the midwinter festival, he would give small cookies fresh and warm from the oven to all the children. He was a brilliant baker, and had the kindest of dispositions. They had all seen his bakery sit dark, but no one would talk to them about it. Now they knew, he had been kidnapped.
“I want you to follow the road until you reach the old southern bridge. Cross into the woods, and have a look around. See if you can find anything, thence return by tomorrow.”
And like that, the scouts had their first mission. As they started to leave, a young human came running up to them as fast as he could. “Glad you could make it, Ivan,” Terrus chuckled. “Help these scouts once they get to the woods.”
As the small party headed out the gates a little bit later, Rick got everyone talking again. Rick had been studying to be a holy warrior for Bahamut, and though his prowess had been climbing, he missed the easy chatter of school friends. Ivan introduced himself to everyone, he studied woodcraft with his father in the northern woods and had been building a reputation for himself with his bow. Serefina and Bobo both started talking about their time in the tower, tho Bobo seemed more unsettled with his studies than Serefina. As Harriet started talking about her time in the Elvish compound learning how to tap into the primal forces, Ox felt worried. His training had been more quiet and required him to not share information.
As the sun set to the west, the troop reached and crossed the bridge. They took a short time to eat some dinner as they looked at the woods. The northern forests were peopled by lots of humans, halflings and elves. The elves guided the humans and halflings in their lumber operations, and had thus helped build a healthy forest that was well patrolled. This forest though, was dense with underbrush, and the trees were tightly packed. There was an air of menace as they entered a small path they found a ways upriver from the bridge.
All the scouts knew Vunoz. Before the midwinter festival, he would give small cookies fresh and warm from the oven to all the children. He was a brilliant baker, and had the kindest of dispositions. They had all seen his bakery sit dark, but no one would talk to them about it. Now they knew, he had been kidnapped.
“I want you to follow the road until you reach the old southern bridge. Cross into the woods, and have a look around. See if you can find anything, thence return by tomorrow.”
And like that, the scouts had their first mission. As they started to leave, a young human came running up to them as fast as he could. “Glad you could make it, Ivan,” Terrus chuckled. “Help these scouts once they get to the woods.”
As the small party headed out the gates a little bit later, Rick got everyone talking again. Rick had been studying to be a holy warrior for Bahamut, and though his prowess had been climbing, he missed the easy chatter of school friends. Ivan introduced himself to everyone, he studied woodcraft with his father in the northern woods and had been building a reputation for himself with his bow. Serefina and Bobo both started talking about their time in the tower, tho Bobo seemed more unsettled with his studies than Serefina. As Harriet started talking about her time in the Elvish compound learning how to tap into the primal forces, Ox felt worried. His training had been more quiet and required him to not share information.
As the sun set to the west, the troop reached and crossed the bridge. They took a short time to eat some dinner as they looked at the woods. The northern forests were peopled by lots of humans, halflings and elves. The elves guided the humans and halflings in their lumber operations, and had thus helped build a healthy forest that was well patrolled. This forest though, was dense with underbrush, and the trees were tightly packed. There was an air of menace as they entered a small path they found a ways upriver from the bridge.
Ivan led the group, as Serefina and Bobo used their magic to light their staves. Ivan followed deer paths, and found alod roads lost to the forest as the group passed deeper into the primordial forest. Ivan came up short as he found a second path, and with his keen eyes spotted the roof of a house against the moon. The party travelled up a low hillock to find a cabin atop it. The area was grown up with weeds, but cleared of the forest. A single light shone from a window, but other than that silence reigned.
“Where are the crickets and other bugs? “ Ivan whispered.
Ox stepped up, “Ivan follow me, and try to stay quiet.” The pair made their way the last forty feet up to the cabin window. Inside they saw a lone candle on a table in the room. They could hear movement, but could not see what lay inside. “I’ll check the back door, you head to the front.”
Ivan nodded and set off as quietly as he could towards the front of the lonely cabin. As he rounded the corner, staying to the shadows, he found the front collapsed with no way in.
Ox crept towards the back. He had just started to lean around the corner when he saw it. The woman stood nearly seven feet tall, he frame gaunt, skin taut and greyish in the moonlight. Her hair was unkempt, a mass of knots. Under one arm was a large sack, her other arm twitched as she looked about. She set off towards the woodline at a speed Ox had never seen before. He shivered as he watched her unnatural progression. He heard the rest of the party approaching behind him, and he felt assured in their presence.
As the group approached, they heard a clamor from the building, and two figures emerged. One was an orc, but even from twenty feet away, the young adventurers could tell it had died and been brought back. The other was a skeleton, moving with supernatural surety.
“Where are the crickets and other bugs? “ Ivan whispered.
Ox stepped up, “Ivan follow me, and try to stay quiet.” The pair made their way the last forty feet up to the cabin window. Inside they saw a lone candle on a table in the room. They could hear movement, but could not see what lay inside. “I’ll check the back door, you head to the front.”
Ivan nodded and set off as quietly as he could towards the front of the lonely cabin. As he rounded the corner, staying to the shadows, he found the front collapsed with no way in.
Ox crept towards the back. He had just started to lean around the corner when he saw it. The woman stood nearly seven feet tall, he frame gaunt, skin taut and greyish in the moonlight. Her hair was unkempt, a mass of knots. Under one arm was a large sack, her other arm twitched as she looked about. She set off towards the woodline at a speed Ox had never seen before. He shivered as he watched her unnatural progression. He heard the rest of the party approaching behind him, and he felt assured in their presence.
As the group approached, they heard a clamor from the building, and two figures emerged. One was an orc, but even from twenty feet away, the young adventurers could tell it had died and been brought back. The other was a skeleton, moving with supernatural surety.
Ox struck first, running at the zombie he jabbed with his short sword. The strike was true and cleaved through the zombie’s leg, staggering it. Bobo had been summoning up the extradimensional power he had been training with for the past year, and unleashed it in a burst of light and sound. The ball of eldritch energy struck the zombie and it fell to the ground. Ivan rounded the corner and fired an arrow at the skeleton, but it missed. The skeleton turned towards Ox and jabbed at him with a long spear. Ox saw the hit coming and let the spear shoot just past him. Serefina had recognized the undead and knew her most powerful spell would have no effect. She called up her arcane focus and shot the skeleton with a burst of light and force. The skeleton staggered and its spear arm fell off.
The corpse of a dwarf staggered out and drew an ax, but no sooner had it stepped outside than Rick summoned Bahamut’s power into his sword. The strike was glancing, but the holy power disrupted the necrotic energy animating the creature and it fell limp to the ground. Harriet leapt around Rick, transforming her body into that of a wolf, and bounded in a pounce on the skeleton. Between the weight and the snapping jaws, the energy animating the skeleton came apart and the undead were put to rest. Slowly the sounds of the forest come back to life.
Ox immediately set to checking the doorway, and the party marveled at their fortune and once Ox called the clear, they set to searching the cabin. As they searched around the kitchen, they found this to be where the most activity was. In the pantry area, a bag had obviously been taken from the shapes left in the dust. Two more bags remained, holding flour.
Harriet stared at the bags, “I bet that...thing has kidnapped the baker.”
“But why? Why would some creature risk coming into town and kidnapping them?” Rick offered.
They all started speaking at once trying to work it out. Finally they decided it would be best to return to town and report what they had discovered. As they filed out of the decrepit cabin, Rick and Harriet noticed a pair of yellow eyes staring at them from the far edge of the woods. As the party prepares to rush, the sounds begin to die away again. Many more sets of those eyes begin to open and appear in the woods, malice roiled from those stares. The young adventures began to run, returning to the river; the silence and those eyes following their reckless journey. Not until they had crossed the bridge, did the night return to its noisome normality.
The corpse of a dwarf staggered out and drew an ax, but no sooner had it stepped outside than Rick summoned Bahamut’s power into his sword. The strike was glancing, but the holy power disrupted the necrotic energy animating the creature and it fell limp to the ground. Harriet leapt around Rick, transforming her body into that of a wolf, and bounded in a pounce on the skeleton. Between the weight and the snapping jaws, the energy animating the skeleton came apart and the undead were put to rest. Slowly the sounds of the forest come back to life.
Ox immediately set to checking the doorway, and the party marveled at their fortune and once Ox called the clear, they set to searching the cabin. As they searched around the kitchen, they found this to be where the most activity was. In the pantry area, a bag had obviously been taken from the shapes left in the dust. Two more bags remained, holding flour.
Harriet stared at the bags, “I bet that...thing has kidnapped the baker.”
“But why? Why would some creature risk coming into town and kidnapping them?” Rick offered.
They all started speaking at once trying to work it out. Finally they decided it would be best to return to town and report what they had discovered. As they filed out of the decrepit cabin, Rick and Harriet noticed a pair of yellow eyes staring at them from the far edge of the woods. As the party prepares to rush, the sounds begin to die away again. Many more sets of those eyes begin to open and appear in the woods, malice roiled from those stares. The young adventures began to run, returning to the river; the silence and those eyes following their reckless journey. Not until they had crossed the bridge, did the night return to its noisome normality.
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