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Nildi of Keldagrim

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Roshinda

Roshinda

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Chilling.

2 things though, one of which is actually on the first story post on this page.

"the idea of his feet being higher than his head normally is didn't appeal." - that sentence is confusing. Perhaps consider changing it to "the idea of his feet being higher than his head normally should be didn't appeal." Just a suggestion, I had to rea it over a few times.

And on this most recent add, you have too many sentence fragments. It might be acceptable, but you should get another opinion on that.

But all in all, exellent as usual. This is really the only story I check daily for more additions.

12-Nov-2006 06:40:56 - Last edited on 12-Nov-2006 06:44:53 by Roshinda

Dreamweaver
Aug Member 2003

Dreamweaver

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Roshinda, you're absolutely right on both points. I must have reviewed that sentence about the Dwarf on horseback twenty times, and it never sat comfortably with me either!

I also rewrote the chase scene paragraph. It's still not wonderful, but I think it's better.

Thanks as always for the input!

Dreamweaver

12-Nov-2006 22:45:31

Dreamweaver
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Dreamweaver

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***The Hunt Begins***

Despite his profound weariness, Nildi scarcely slept a wink that night. His mind raced over and over the sequence of events from that evening. When did he last know he had the skin? When could someone have had the chance to steal it? Who had left the inn before Nildi realized it was gone?

The answers always came up the same. It had to have happened while everyone was singing and dancing. There was enough confusion then, and he certainly wasn’t guarding his cloak either. His mind kept going back to the wealthy individual across the room. He was certainly influential, whoever he was. But why would no one impart any information about him? He kept thinking about his slack-tongued conversation with Jongor Smitson the day before too. Idiot! Why on earth had he said so much? He hoped desperately that the wizards would be able to divine something.

The sun was not yet over the horizon when a tentative knock sounded on his door.

“Who is it?"

"It is Savius, sir. The Guild has asked me to summon you.”

Nildi called out his thanks, and then climbed wearily from the bed, his aged bones creaking. He dressed as hurriedly as he could in the chilly pre-dawn air, then he shuffled downstairs where a steaming bowl of porridge awaited him.

“Good morning sir. Will you be back with us this evening?”

“I’m not sure,” replied Nildi. “Let me settle with you this morning if I may. Please do not feel you must keep the room open.”

“Done! I thank you for your patronage. I have also been instructed to take you to the Guild.”

Two things immediately crossed Nildi’s concerned mind. Would this mean a horseback ride? And what was he to do with his pendant once he reached the tower? His spirits lowered further when Savius led him to the stables.

“Here we go,” said the innkeeper brightly, leading out an elderly grey horse. “Say hello to Lavender. I’ll just get the cart hooked up.”

~continued~

13-Nov-2006 07:57:00 - Last edited on 24-Nov-2006 10:04:27 by Dreamweaver

Dreamweaver
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Dreamweaver

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Nildi breathed a sigh of relief as a sturdy-looking cart was hitched up to the horse. He climbed aboard and moments later they were off down the road.

The journey was indeed a great deal faster, even with a mare as old as Lavender pulling them along. The sun was just peeking over the low hills to the east when they rounded the bend near the bank and pulled up outside the Guild. Nildi climbed out, thanked Savius once more and turned towards the doors that had given him such trouble before. He was just starting to get concerned about his next move when they swung open and a delegation of three bearded and blue-robed wizards, including Zavistic Rarve, stepped out to meet him.

“Gentlemen, this is Nildi Crystalweaver the Elder of Keldagrim,” stated Zavistic formally. “Nildi, I would like you to meet my associates, Devlin Stramere the diviner and Lavrus Elliondra who specializes in illusion and the mind.”

There were various bows and gestures of acknowledgement.

"It will not be necessary to enter the Guild,” Zavistic said with a wry smile. “Let us talk once we are on the road.”

“The road?” Nildi asked. But there was no reply. Zavistic had motioned to a young lad standing off to the side of the tower, who immediately came forward with three fine black horses and a small, sandy-colored pony.

Nildi struggled unsteadily into the saddle of the pony, looking uncomfortable. But at least this beast was neither as tall as the horses, nor as fast. Gripping the saddle with both hands, he tried to rattle the reins and nudge the pony forwards with his heels, but it just twitched its ears and bent to chew some flowers in the Guild’s garden.

“Hoy Lucky! You behave!” called out the young stable boy, slapping him heartily on the rump. “He’s a good beast, master Dwarf sir, but hungry most of the time. Just pull short on the reins if he tries that. He’ll follow the horses with no problem.”

~continued~

13-Nov-2006 07:57:09 - Last edited on 23-Nov-2006 10:09:25 by Dreamweaver

Dreamweaver
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Sure enough, Lucky had caught sight of the other horses turning out onto the road and ambled placidly after them. Perhaps he wouldn’t be too much trouble after all.

After a few minutes, they were leaving the safety of Yanille and heading north on a well-trodden dirt road through rolling green hills. Butterflies flitted across their path and the occasional rabbit was seen bouncing out of view ahead of them. Cows lowed in the distance and birds swooped across the grasslands, wheeling after insects.

Nildi found himself almost relaxing, as the pony swayed predictably underneath him. But his reverie was broken as Zavistic Rarve fell back to speak to him.

“Nildi, I am sure you have many questions. Let me tell you what I know and where we are headed. Then you may ask what you will.

"First, we worked for most of the night to divine the whereabouts of your skin. You recall that I said it would be challenging and it was indeed so. But eventually Devlin came to the conclusion that we should head north. He also did not believe that the skin had been teleported. So we will also be traveling by land as opposed to by magic ourselves, because we wish to follow the physical trail as closely as we can. We are therefore riding to Port Khazard because I have a good friend there who is very familiar with the area.

"Finally, it is evident that you were wondering whether or not the wealthy stranger in the bar last night had anything to do with the stealing of the skin. I was musing on the very same myself. To that end, I hope that my friend in the port can aid us with that matter also. Is there anything further you wish to know?”

“A couple of things,” Nildi replied. “If I may ask, why are the wizards - and you in particular - doing so much to aid my quest?”

“Well,” Zavistic answered, and then had to pause while Nildi tried to pull Lucky away from a particularly juicy patch of grass.

~continued~

13-Nov-2006 07:57:18 - Last edited on 03-Dec-2006 05:32:27 by Dreamweaver

Dreamweaver
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“Naturally we have an interest in protecting ourselves and others against unknown dangers, so the aid is not entirely without selfish motives. Of course, we are also particularly interested in your filigree crystal. In particular, I would relish the opportunity to learn how the Dwarves have managed to imbue so much magical negation inside the one you wear that it can even drain our Guild tower without breaking.”

“I value your assistance a great deal, and I assure you that we can find time to discuss the pendant as we continue to work together,” Nildi said. “By the way, where is my cloak?”

“Oh, I had quite forgotten! Devlin is wearing it underneath his robes. I hope you do not mind. It helps him to divine a great deal if he can keep it close. He gets more familiar with the target of his concentration in a manner of speaking. Now, did you make much progress with transcribing the marks from memory to the parchment I gave you?”

“I did the best I could,” Nildi answered. He moved to pull out the parchment and show Zavistic, but the wizard motioned for him to stop.

“Good! But let us leave that completely hidden and mention it no more until we are somewhere where it may be useful. The Guild at Yanille does not specialize in archaic texts, but I assure you that I intend to find someone who does. Now, these mounts need their exercise. It is time to put some miles behind us!”

The sun continued to climb overhead as they rode across the lightly wooded hills, each of the four individuals lost in his own thoughts. Suddenly Lavrus broke the silence from his position at the front of the group.

“There is some dust in the air on the road ahead, Zavistic. We will have company in a minute or two.”

13-Nov-2006 07:57:26 - Last edited on 29-Oct-2009 03:13:23 by Dreamweaver

Dreamweaver
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***Trouble on the Road***

All eyes gazed along the road before them. Sure enough, a trail of dust was being kicked into the air, at speed too.

“Off the road, everyone,” Zavistic ordered sharply, turning his black steed towards a stand of trees several yards away. “Fighters from Khazard sometimes think they can push travelers around. I desire no unnecessary trouble.”

The company scrambled off the road and picked their way across the grassland towards the trees.

“Quickly now, Nildi. Give him a kick!”

Lucky was so happy to be walking through long grass and succulent flowers that he kept stopping to munch. Nildi dug his heels in and pulled up on the reins, but to little effect. The cloud of dust was getting closer and the sound of many hooves could be heard, pounding along the road. The wizards were melting into the trees now, but Nildi was still a few yards from cover.

“Come on, you useless lump!” he growled to the chewing pony, kicking his flanks furiously. Suddenly, Lucky reared up with a snort and Nildi fell backwards over his tail and onto the ground in a heap. Lucky trotted a few paces away and started to eat dandelions as if that was precisely the reason he’d been ridden all this way. Nildi jumped to his feet and ran over to him, meaning to pull him into the trees, but at that moment a group of eight horsemen clad in adamantite armor and holding long spears tipped with mithril came over the rise and into full view.

“Whoa! Whoa!” called their leader in a deep voice as the riders skidded to a halt around him. “What do we have here? Are you lost, little man? Trying to hide from the Royal Khazard Guard, were you?”

~continued~

13-Nov-2006 08:01:00 - Last edited on 18-Nov-2006 09:41:34 by Dreamweaver

Dreamweaver
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They started to ride off the road towards Nildi, spreading out to surround him as they did so. The Dwarf turned to face the band of fighters, staring straight at the leader.

“If it is a crime in these parts to step off the road and eat flowers, then it is the pony you want, not me,” he growled. “Now tell me your business or continue on your way!”

The leader just laughed, as the riders drew closer, spears lowered towards him.

“I think it suspicious to be hiding like a sniveling dog, right men? We should check this mongrel out, though I bet we’ll find naught but fleas,” the leader sneered. “You’re outnumbered and alone. Now be a good boy and sit. If you behave you won’t be playing dead before we’re done with you.”

The other fighters laughed and jeered, with barking noises and exclamations of “Good doggy, want a bone, doggy?” Nildi stood silent, firm and irresolute.

“I don’t think he understands, boss,” called one of the fighters. “Perhaps we should kick him until he does?”

“Then get up there and kick him, Gared!” the leader yelled. “Don’t you bite, or you’ll not live to regret it,” he added to Nildi, pointing his spear towards him.

Gared had scarcely dropped from the saddle when a volley of three fireballs erupted from the trees behind Nildi. The fighters had no time and no chance to avoid them. Five of the eight went down immediately, screaming as they were incinerated alive, the leader among them. Blinding flames engulfed Nildi where he stood, but his pendant glowed, leaving him entirely unscathed.

~continued~

13-Nov-2006 08:01:22 - Last edited on 13-Nov-2006 08:33:25 by Dreamweaver

Dreamweaver
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Gared, who had no such protection, had thrown himself to the ground. He scrambled in blind panic to his feet again, attempting to run back to the road on foot, but Nildi sprang into action. In one fluid movement he drew a hand axe from his belt and swung at the retreating fighter’s back. The axe bounced off the adamantite plate mail, but the blow caused Gared to stumble and drop to his knees. Then Nildi was upon him again. This time the swinging axe blade found the gap between back plate and helm, and the fighter was instantly slain.

The remaining two fighters, still on horseback, were wheeling back towards the road, struggling to control their panicked mounts as they did so, but Zavistic and Lavrus were casting again. Unfortunately, both had targeted the same fighter. Lavrus’ mind incantation caused the rider instant confusion, who dropped messily from the saddle. At the same time, Zavistic’s bolt of yellow energy seared right through the man’s body and torched a bush behind him.

But the remaining Khazard Guard had brought his mount under control and was back on the road, galloping northwards faster than the four winds of winter.

“Quick!” yelled Zavistic, “We cannot let him get away!”

Almost simultaneously, Lavrus threw another mind spell at him while Devlin released a bolt of air that whooshed eerily silent across the landscape. But the rider had reached the low rise and was passing out of sight on the other side. The wave of confusion passed harmlessly overhead while the air bolt grounded itself into the road at the crest of the hill, throwing stones and debris after the fleeing figure.

~continued~

13-Nov-2006 08:03:18 - Last edited on 13-Nov-2006 08:34:15 by Dreamweaver

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