Out of the blue

Aonar Graig - Dunland

Anoar Graig (Lone Hamlet) has seen better days. The small wooden buildings have been demolished. Half of the hamlet is actually cinders, not buildings. There are few traces of what happened here, as dead do come to rest upon the soft ground. Gardens are just beginning to become overgrown, and dogs scurry about looking for food, perhaps the only survivors of whatever happened here.

Obvious exits: North

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Dunland Time and Weather Forecast

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Real Time is: Sun Dec 14 15:52:13 2008

IC weather is: Wind: calm - Clouds: dense - Rain: drizzle

IC Moon is: Not visible

IC time is: Early Morning

IC date is: Highday, Day 9 of September in the year 3045.

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[Carac(#32384)] A dozen men, handpicked by Carac have set out from Forthunn to get a closer look at the lands of the man known in Forthunn as Iron Jaw. Carefully and slowly they make their way through soft mucky landscape, using the stumps, fallen timber, and other natural cover to keep themselves concealed when possible.

It is behind a large brushpile that Carac calls them all together. \"There\'s a small hamlet just a ways ahead if I remember, correctly,\" he says in a soft voice. \"It may be that we can find out a little more about this Iron Jaw there. I\'ve a feeling Shadrack has not told us all there\'s to know.\"

[Saffron(#15443)]

Among those selected, is Alroy of the Hawk clan. No stranger to danger, the seasoned warrior squats, and listens.

[Halen(#9388)]

And too numbering amongst these who have traveled with Carac, is the dark-eyed youth. A week\'s journey to these lands has not seemed to weaken these men, but instead only served to sharpen their instincts to a knifepoint.

\"And I\'ve a feeling you haven\'t told us all that Shadrack has told you.\"

[Carac(#32384)] Carac gives a simple shrug to Halen\'s comments. \"There\'s little to tell,\" he replies. \"Iron Jaw is a Stag Fian, for the moment at least, his alliegances seem to have changed quite often in the past. He\'s said to be more than half mad, and regularly raids the lands of other Fianni to captives which he holds as slaves on his land.\"

He stands to peer over the brushpile and looks for some sign of the hamlet. \"Shadrack claims he\'s capable of raising an army, but claims to not know from where.\"

[Saffron(#15443)]

His nostril hair blows out with force as Alroy exhales sharply in derision. \"What clan is this that allows its own clansmen to be enslaved?\"

[Halen(#9388)]

\"He is capable of raising an army and raids the lands of the Fianni,\" chuckles Halen. \"You and he are not too dissimilar then, Carac.\"

Brev, hunkered down in the dirt with the rest, lifts a hand to push the hair back from his eyes. He has said little on this journey, perhaps keenly aware of the bond of clan that he does not share. Now, though, he comments, \"Slaves don\'t fight. Which leaves ... where? Tharbad?\" He peers northward, as though the answer might lie on the wind.

[Carac(#32384)] Carac gives a soft sigh and then lowers himself back down. \"Bear and Stag most likely,\" he says to Alroy. \"They are the closest, though I imagine it\'s mostly Stag.\"

Then he turns to Halen. \"I do not keep slaves,\" he says tightly. \"So we are nothing alike.\"

Finally to Brev. \"Tharbad is a possibility. Or other Fianni who fear him.\"

[Halen(#9388)]

\"You misread my words, man,\" says Halen to Carac, his dark eyes narrowing upon him. \"I doubt muchly Shadrack cares for the slaves in these fields, or he would not eat his expensive meals holed up in Forthunn.\"

\"And what difference does that leave between you two, the rebel and the slavemaster? Little, in my opinion,\" continues the Hawk.

\"What will he gain from this, Carac? It must be asked.\"

[Saffron(#15443)]

Alroy grunts again. \"If we wish to find more from the village, then we will need a reason for us to be there.\" He looks about until he makes eye with another older Hawk.

\"How about I stab you and you limp like a bird with a broken wing into the arms of a healer woman? A woman cannot resist blabbing to a wounded man.\"

Brev lets out a soft snort of breath as he listens to Halen\'s words. \"A Ceannship, most likely,\" he murmurs in response. \"Or power, at least. Think he prefers having an invisible overlord to take the barbs before they sink into /his/ belly.\"

Alroy\'s words bring a wry twist to his mouth. \"Thought it was the other way around.\"

[Carac(#32384)] Carac gives a nods to Brev\'s words. \"I am sure he has his own agenda,\" he replies. \"Which is why we are trying to learn more, and not marching upon Iron Jaw. I\'ve no wish to have our blood spilled so some Fian can get richer.\"

He furrows his brow in thought for a moment as he considers Alroy\'s plan and then shakes his head and then turns to Halen. \"You,\" he says. \"Go up that tree and tell us what you can see of the village.\"

[Saffron(#15443)]

Alroy cracks a nut in his palm thoughtfully before turning to Brev.

\"You are wise for a young one. I just realized, that is how my wife got me to marry her.\" He funnels the crumbled nut into his mouth through his fist. He keeps a straight face although some of his older cohorts can\'t help shaking with silent laughter.

Brev returns Alroy\'s words with a twisted grin. \"Kiern save me from that fate!\"

[Halen(#9388)]

The dark-eyed youth scurries up the tree wordlessly, testing each branch for its sturdiness until he finds one that he can perch upon. He narrows his eyes.

\"There\'s no hamlet here,\" he says. \"Or there isn\'t anymore.\"

[Carac(#32384)] Carac looks up into the tree. \"Could you perhaps, give a bit more detail?\"

[Saffron(#15443)]

\"Maybe he looks at the wrong direction,\" Alroy remarks, without looking up.

Brev\'s smile is replaced by a scowl and a sigh as Halen speaks. \"Or maybe we do,\" he murmurs in response to Alroy. He glances up, then reaches into the pouch at his belt, pulling out a single smooth stone, which he turns between his fingers as he listens - to Halen, to the rustle of the wind, to the breathing of himself and his companions ...

[Halen(#9388)]

\"Wait.\"

And Halen peers further outwards...

\"I see a building, maybe two. They\'re in ruins now, but...\" He pauses. \"...if the grass were kept and a few more buildings were put up. Yes, this could have been your hamlet.\"

\"But there are no people,\" he concludes rather ominously.

\"Ruins.\" Brev relaxes visibly at that assessment, the movement of the stone between his fingers ceasing. He glances to Carac to see whether is Halen\'s news is news to him also.

[Carac(#32384)] Carac gives a grunt and then waves for Halen to come down. \"Shadrack mentioned that Iron Jaw had recently attacked the lands of a nearby Fian,\" he states. \"Might as well go and have a look around to see if we can find anything of use.\"

He glances about. \"Keep behind cover as we move, and go slowly. There\'s no telling who else may be watching this place.\"

[Tet\'Nak(#6174)] \"You speak the truth!\" someone calls out, a high-pitched, wreched voice. There are many trees, stumps, and other growth where someone could hide. And apparently, someone has, and no one has spotted them at this point. But, there is no more hiding, as the figure makes itself seen as well as known. Stepping out from a tree is an extremely skinny fellow, dressed in no more than rags, with a small sheath at his side holding what must be a dagger. He is barely anything more than skin an bones, and looks to be middle aged, although he clearly has no teeth as he smiles toward those that have found the hamlet this day.

[Halen(#9388)]

Halen clambers down from the tree. Brushing himself off, he regards the toothless stranger wordlessly, wary of eye and with a hand to the mace at his waist.

Brev\'s fist clenches round its stone, and his other hand tugs free the folded leather from his waist. Trusting others, perhaps, to deal with this lone figure his gaze goes to the maze of gnarled trunks and banded stumps. Where one man has hidden, so might ten, or twenty, or ... He edges a little closer to the brush pile, without rising from his crouch.

[Carac(#32384)] Carac turns quickly towards the figure, the spear he holds held at the ready. \"Who are you?\" he asks. \"What do you know of the fate of those who lived in this hamlet?\" he asks. His eyes remain on the figure, as he speaks.

[Tet\'Nak(#6174)] The strange man, whose voice sounds more like a woman, squirms where he stands. \"Eh? Me? I am the eyes and the hears.\" He looks over Carac, \"I see you here. I have seen, shall I tell? Only bread will stay my tongue?\" He keeps his grin, \"Who lived here? People. People that are dead, very dead, or, they have been moved. They serve a new master now.\"

Brev\'s gaze pauses on a tree-trunk. When a squirrel leaps lightly down and away into the underbrush he lets out his breath in a sigh. \"Too jumpy,\" he murmurs almost to himself, though he does not relax his vigilance.

Neither, alas, does he offer up any food. \"Got any of those nuts going spare?\" he queries Alroy without turning to look at the big fellow.

[Carac(#32384)] Carac gives a soft grunt. \"Do we look like bakers?\" he asks. \"We\'ve no bread, we might be able to spare something else,\" he adds. \"That will depend on what you have to tell. I\'ll not waste food on the ramblings of some mad man. If you\'ve something of use to say, then say it, and we\'ll see what it\'s worth.\"

[Tet\'Nak(#6174)] The man shrugs, \"Very well. I leave you then. Leave you to your fate. Goodbye.\" He turns, begins moving away, quickly, more quickly than he should be able to. He starts to move at a dead spring after a few moments, heading north through the trees.

[Saffron(#15443)]

Swiftly, Alroy takes his bow and arrow and shoots at the legs of the runner.

[Tet\'Nak(#6174)] The arrow flies, but not true, as the man turns around a tree, the arrow thuds into a tree, and not its intended target.

[Halen(#9388)]

\"His story will earn him bread from Iron Jaw now.\"

Halen darts out after the man, himself having to dodge aside the arrow as well as it whizzes by his head. The projectile may not have hit its intended target, but it has at least caused the toothless man to cover.

[Saffron(#15443)]

\"He can\'t tell a story if he\'s dead.\"

Alroy glances at Halen for one meaningful split second before reaching behind him to nock another arrow. He spits with frustration when the runner zigzags through the trees, and crouching low, takes off after Halen, but instead of going directly behind him, he goes at an angle.

\"Kiern! We\'ll never hit him now,\" Brev mutters in frustration as Halen takes off after the fleeing man. The arm that had begun to draw back is lowered. \"Unless .. I could say it was an accident.\" However tempting the idea may be, his arm stays lowered, and he does not move to follow the other two.

[Tet\'Nak(#6174)] Halen chases the man, and catches a glipse of something else. The man fleeing was not the only hiding. Out steps a man holding a spear, obviously wearing the colors of the Stag. He rears back and swings the butt of his spear toward Halen\'s face. \"Run, they are here! Tell the rest!\" Now, popping from behind trees seemingly everywhere are half a dozen men, rushing back northward.

[Halen(#9388)]

Halen catches only the slightest glimpse of the butt of the spear as it comes crashing towards his head. He manages to turn his body so, but the force of the blow catches his shoulder and leaves him eating the dirt or grass or a combination of both that lies under his feet. \"Spies,\" he spits as he rises.

And upon his rise, he reveals a mace from his waist.

Brev sights on the nearest of those half-glimpsed figures in blue and swings his arm back for a single overhand cast with the sling. With all those trees in the way, the chance of a stone hitting its intended target, or indeed anything other than wood, is slim, even if it flies true. Never hurts to try, though ...

Still, he remains by the brush pile and does not pursue hunted or hunters.

[Tet\'Nak(#6174)] Brev slings a rock with an expert hand. The rock smashes into the chest of the Stag that just downed Halen. He staggers backward, even as two others cover the retreat with their own bows and arrows. As for the strange man, he seems to have disappeared in the confusion. The archers loose two arrows, one at Brev, and another at Alroy.

[Saffron(#15443)]

\"It\'s a trap!\"

Alroy calls out at the top of his lungs. \"Stinkin\' half rotted stagmeat. I bet even the tale of Iron Jaws is a bunch of bullknockers.\" Alroy lets loose another arrow. \"Go back and warn the others!\" Even as he lets out his warning, an arrow pierces his shoulder. \"GO!\"

[Halen(#9388)]

With the spear-bearing Stag staggering back, Halen vaults himself forward. His mace is brought to bear upon the man\'s knee with ample force.

Brev pays the price for accuracy. His standing figure is silhouetted above the brush pile just long enough for a single arrow to find flesh. He sinks back to the ground with a bitten-off cry, a length of feathered shaft protruding from his upper arm.

[Tet\'Nak(#6174)] Alroy\'s arrow flies dead on. The arrow sticks straight in one of the archer\'s chest, pinning him against the tree behind him. Halen swings his mace, smashing into the spearman\'s knee. He buckles to the ground with an agonizing scream. The others have already disapeared into the forest.

[Halen(#9388)]

\"Stop your crying, man. You will not dead this day,\" says Halen to the screaming spearman. He waves forth a few of the men of the party, who bind the man by his hands and leg. Another strips a piece of clothe to stem his bleeding.

\"Dead,\" he says aloud of the other, appraising the man pinned to the tree.

With the unknown assailants fled, a captive to be questioned and two of their own to be attended to, Carac\'s small band draws back into the shelter of the woods.

Alroy\'s friend of earlier steps up to help the big man, promising with a wink to find him a pretty healer-woman to blab to. Brev stands unsteadily, though his face is whiter than usual. Staring almost blankly at his own arm, he mutters through clenched teeth ... \"Guess it\'s a good thing I .. learned how to get ... those bloody things out of someone. Wonder if it ... has barbs?\"