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Dyrnwyn
Nov Member 2007

Dyrnwyn

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That was my original plan, and I think I'll incorporate it in some way, although changing POV at each chapter might not always be a good idea. If I, for instance, want to describe a scene from Nemo's perspective, but it's not his "turn", then there's a problem. I think I'll change perspective when I feel it's appropriate and give the reader a heads-up by adding a

---

or something. // Wordsmith ~ The Novelists' Guild // Viking //

16-Jul-2012 19:19:13 - Last edited on 16-Jul-2012 19:19:44 by Dyrnwyn

Dyrnwyn
Nov Member 2007

Dyrnwyn

Posts: 1,396 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Geez, I don't even know why I'm posting here. I've been prioritizing everything but this story lately. Perhaps I should just let this thread die and repost it when I have better time to write?

EDIT: It appears that I have some unposted material lying about. I'll post the second and third chapters now. :) // Wordsmith ~ The Novelists' Guild // Viking //

09-Dec-2012 15:36:45 - Last edited on 09-Dec-2012 15:49:20 by Dyrnwyn

Dyrnwyn
Nov Member 2007

Dyrnwyn

Posts: 1,396 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
- CHAPTER TWO -

The troubadour brought his horse to a halt as Nemo reined in and looked over his shoulder to make sure that no-one was following them.

"All right," Nemo said, "let's get that wound of yours wrapped up."

He produced a small water flask from under his garments and carefully cleaned the troubadour's wound with only the pale moonlight to guide him.

"It doesn't look all that bad," Nemo said. "It should heal nicely." He then ripped off the man's sleeve and used it as a makeshift bandage.

"I rather liked that tunic," the troubadour protested. Nemo did not even dignify that with a response.

When the troubadour's injury had been tended to, the two men remounted and rode along.

"Nemo, huh?" said the troubadour. "Never heard that name before."

His new companion laughed coarsely.

"That's because it is no name."

The troubadour did not feel the need to pursue the matter further. He did, however, think it was about time he introduced himself.

"I am Felix the Troubadour. I am but a humble entertainer, travelling the vast expanse of our World in a continuous quest to spread joy and happiness." He was rather proud of that little speech.

"Pleased to meet you, Felix," Nemo said. "I suppose it would only be fair to thank you for your help back there. So, thank you. By the way, how did your instrument fare in its encounter with the Imperial Legion?"

Felix grinned broadly.

"Better than its victims, I dare say. It's crafted of the purest steelwood. Even though I'm mostly a peaceful sort of fellow, I've found it to be very convenient at times. Instead of carrying both a weapon and an instrument, I have both in this lute."

The sturdy trees from the cold North were not called steelwood for nothing. Although it was a highly unorthodox material for lute-crafting, steelwood made rather good weapons.

Felix frowned.

"Speaking of weapons, isn't your dagger rather special, too? It went through that officer's chainmail like a stick through water."

Nemo laughed again. // Wordsmith ~ The Novelists' Guild // Viking //

09-Dec-2012 15:41:57

Dyrnwyn
Nov Member 2007

Dyrnwyn

Posts: 1,396 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
"Not quite. An ordinary dagger is perfectly capable of penetrating a maille – provided there's enough force behind it. This one however," he padded the scabbard affectionately, "is forged by dwarven smiths which gives it a slight advantage."

"Aren't those dwarven weapons awfully expensive?" Felix asked.

"It was a gift." Nemo's tone clearly indicated that he did not want to discuss the origin of his weapon further.

By now the adrenaline had run its course, and Felix' expression suddenly grew serious.

"I rather hope that you can justify my helping you, Nemo," he said gravely, as the consequences of his actions dawned upon him. Emperor Berulth II of Desperia was not a very kind ruler, and Felix had never been very fond of his legionnaires either, but it was nonetheless a crime to kill them. Even if his victims survived, he was still helping a murderous fugitive.

"Tomorrow," Nemo said evasively. "Let's set up camp in the woods over there. They probably won't start looking for us until dawn."

'Camp' proved to be a slight exaggeration. They decided on a downed tree to serve as their shelter, and Felix set up a tripwire alarm to avoid any unpleasant surprises. A wandering troubadour does pick up some handy tricks along the way, after all.

Lighting a fire would be more than a little reckless, so they would have to do without one. Felix thanked the Gods for the relatively warm temperature.

Nemo produced a couple of ragged fur blankets from his saddlebag, and the two men went to sleep. Felix would normally never have gone to sleep with a murderous stranger by his side, but, just like in Vrenn, his natural instincts were subdued by an unknown force.

-

Felix was not quite content with being awakened before sunrise, but Nemo assured him that it was necessary.

"The townsfolk of Vrenn will start sending search parties as soon as the sun rises. Trust me, we don't want to be here when that happens." // Wordsmith ~ The Novelists' Guild // Viking //

09-Dec-2012 15:42:51

Dyrnwyn
Nov Member 2007

Dyrnwyn

Posts: 1,396 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Felix nodded grimly. After eating a sparse breakfast consisting of stale bread and a lump of cheese, they struck camp and rode on, as the dawn painted the horizon red.

After putting some distance between themselves and the woods, Felix spoke:

"Nemo, I think you owe me some sort of explanation for what happened back in Vrenn."

Nemo nodded.

"Can I ask you a question first?"

The troubadour shrugged.

"Sure," he said.

"Why did you help me?" Nemo asked. "You could have stayed inside and let the legionnaires get me."

Felix thought about it for a while. Then he sighed deeply.

"I really don't know. It just felt right, I guess. That's sort of why I was hoping you could justify my actions in some way. Please don't tell me that you're just some scoundrel."

Nemo smiled sadly.

"No, I'm not just some scoundrel. As a matter of fact, what I'm doing might be the most important thing in the world right now, but I'm afraid that I can't tell you about it."

Felix was normally not an aggressive man, but being deliberately held in utter ignorance about this matter offended him.

"You have to tell me something! I risked my life to save you, and now we're both criminals. The very least you can do is to explain to me what's going on!"

Nemo had a pained look in his eyes as he spoke.

"All right, but I can't give you any details. It involves the Emperor. Let's just say that he's got more in store for us than these outrageously high taxes he's been collecting lately. I've set out to gather information about how I might go about stopping this scheme of his."

Felix was furious.

"Is that it?" he demanded, his eyes aflame. "That's all you're willing to tell me? Well, whatever it is you're doing, I'm coming with you!" His inborn curiosity compelled him to get to the bottom of this.

"No!" Nemo almost shouted. Suddenly an idea popped into Felix' head, and he looked slyly at his companion.

"Say, Nemo, how much have you been out and about in the World?" // Wordsmith ~ The Novelists' Guild // Viking //

09-Dec-2012 15:43:08 - Last edited on 09-Dec-2012 15:45:35 by Dyrnwyn

Dyrnwyn
Nov Member 2007

Dyrnwyn

Posts: 1,396 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Nemo frowned.

"Not much," he admitted. "Why?"

"Well," said the troubadour, "it rather looks like you'll need a guide then, doesn't it? I happen to *now a fairly competent one."

After some reflection, Nemo finally gave in. He could obviously see the benefits of having a widely travelled troubadour with him. Quite satisfied with himself, Felix asked his companion:

"Where are you bound?"

Nemo ***wered promptly.

"The Great Library at Cinthis."

-

Felix had decided that the shortest way to get to Cinthis would be to ride south around Lake Desper and then turn west and cross the Diural River, which served as a natural border between the Desperian Empire and Cinthia. Nemo had not objected.

As the two men rode along, Felix got a good look at his new companion for the first time.

Nemo was tall and quite lean. He had a short, black beard and penetrating, steel-grey eyes. He wore a grey cloak over a simple tunic and his dark breeches were tucked into his tall boots.

This new companion of Felix' was quite different from himself. Felix was not very tall, and he was rather bulky. He had also never been able to grow a proper beard. He, too, wore simple clothes; a fur vest over his ripped tunic, patched breeches and worn leather boots. His faithful steelwood lute hung on his back in a shoulder strap.

Contrary to the happily chirping sparrows in the trees around him, Felix was frustrated. He had got himself into serious trouble this time, and Nemo would not even tell him what they were doing.

"You're looking for a book, I take it?" said the troubadour.

Nemo nodded.

"I don't suppose you'd care to tell me which book?"

"I'm sorry, Felix," Nemo said.

Felix gave up trying to wrench information from Nemo and instead he turned his attention to the surroundings. The road which they followed wound through the woods like a serpent through tall grass. The great branches of the trees hung over the road, rays of sunlight flickering through the leaves. // Wordsmith ~ The Novelists' Guild // Viking //

09-Dec-2012 15:43:23

Dyrnwyn
Nov Member 2007

Dyrnwyn

Posts: 1,396 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Squirrels ran up and down the trunks of the undoubtedly ancient trees whilst daredevilish birds gracefully leapt from branch to branch.

Felix sighed. What a beautiful day to be on the run.

-

It was not long until the men reached Lake Desper. Named after the Lesser God Desper, this great body of water lay due south of Desburgh, the capital of Desperia. Majestic willows stood on the lakeshore, the wind gently caressing their leaves. Now and then the crystalline surface was disturbed as a fish leapt from the water, its scales glistening in the sun.

"Quite a place, eh?" Felix remarked.

"I guess so," Nemo shrugged.

Felix tutted.

"You're a prosaic sort of fellow, aren't you?"

"You're not the first to make that particular observation."

Felix shook his head and they continued their journey.

On the other side of the lake began the vast plains that stretched all the way to the marsh in southern Cinthia. Nemo frowned as he beheld that seemingly endless grassland.

"How long will it take us to reach the border?" he asked.

Felix made a few quick calculations.

"A week, at most. We'll probably have to stop for provision, though. There is a great deal of cow herders on these plains. I'm sure they'll provide us with what we need. By the way, do you think the Imperial Legion will stop looking for us when we reach Cinthia?"

"I certainly hope so," Nemo said, "but I wouldn't make any large wagers on it. Emperor Berulth really wants to get his hands on me." // Wordsmith ~ The Novelists' Guild // Viking //

09-Dec-2012 15:43:51 - Last edited on 09-Dec-2012 15:49:45 by Dyrnwyn

Dyrnwyn
Nov Member 2007

Dyrnwyn

Posts: 1,396 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
- CHAPTER THREE -

Darkness. Sweat. Fear. The unsteady rhythm of pickaxes swung by exhausted arms. His legs trembled beneath him as he carried the heavy rock across the uneven cave floor. The vicious crack of a whip echoed back and forth between the crude stone walls.

He fell to the floor, knees bleeding, back burning.

”Get up, you damned maggot! I’ll tear out your intestines and strangle you with them!”

He mustered the last bit of strength that was left in his broken body and rose to his feet. It seemed the agony would not come to an end yet.

-

Nemo rode mostly in silence. The gears of his brain were turning with increasing speed as he evaluated his decision about bringing Felix along. Of course it was useful to have a guide, but could the little fellow be trusted? It would be a great relief to disclose the details of his quest to the troubadour, but Nemo was not certain of his trustworthiness, and as such he chose not to reveal anything yet.

As the hooves of his horse pounded their steady rhythm beneath him, Nemo gazed at the horizon, a troubled look in his eyes. Was he too late? Would the World be cast into eternal darkness before he could find a way to stop it?

As he had told Felix, Nemo dearly hoped that Berulth’s men would not trespass the Cinthian border in an effort to find them. They had already managed to track him down once. Was the Emperor willing to risk initiating a war with Cinthia?

Nemo was not even entirely sure what would happen, should the legionnaires manage to catch them. The Emperor still seemed to want Nemo back alive, but what about Felix? Nemo shuddered. He had witnessed Imperial executions before. He had seen Imperial legionnaires saw malefactors in half lengthwise, the entire procedure on public display. // Wordsmith ~ The Novelists' Guild // Viking //

09-Dec-2012 15:44:18 - Last edited on 02-Mar-2013 19:54:17 by Dyrnwyn

Dyrnwyn
Nov Member 2007

Dyrnwyn

Posts: 1,396 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
He looked at Felix who rode beside him, a grim expression upon the troubadour’s face. Ignorance, in his case, was apparently not bliss. It was obvious that this lack of knowledge pained him. But even if Nemo chose to reveal the purpose of his quest to him, would the troubadour be able to handle the truth? Perhaps he would even reject it as pure falsehood.

Nemo shook his head. Now was not the time to tell him. At Cinthis, perhaps, but not now.

-

It was late afternoon when the two travellers rode into a camp of cow herders. They were greeted by an old man whom apparently was the leader of the group. He wore simple garments fashioned of cowhide. His skin was almost as leathery as his clothes, and stood in sharp contrast to his white beard. Despite his age, he seemed in good shape.

“I welcome ye t’ our ‘umble camp, travellers,” he said with the distinctive dialect of the South Desperian herdsmen. He touched his hand to his heart as he spoke.

Nemo was about to reply when Felix beat him to it.

“Hail, friend,” he said, putting his hand to his chest in the same manner as the herdsman. “We seek but shelter for the night.”

The old man grinned, his sunken eyes sparkling with youthful joy.

“Well, would ye look at that! I see ye’re familiar with our customs. Name’s Caspar. I’m in charge ‘round ‘ere. Tell me what ye need ‘n’ I shall provide it.”

The troubadour inclined his head politely.

Nemo was completely baffled.

“Where did you learn that?” he asked.

“I’ve picked up a few things along the road.”

-

The herdsmen lived a simple life. As a result of their profession, they were a nomadic people so they did not build houses. Instead they lived in hide tents. They were more or less self-sufficient, and they only came near larger cities for cattle fairs. // Wordsmith ~ The Novelists' Guild // Viking //

09-Dec-2012 15:48:54 - Last edited on 02-Mar-2013 19:55:54 by Dyrnwyn

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