Frosthold-The Sanguine King

[rengadeirishman]

Cahir awoke in the morning, and saw Forgall sitting nearby, smoking his pipe, on watch. "Morning your highness." Forgall said "Care for a sausage?" Cahir took the proffered sausage and lit his own pipe "Forgall, why do you think the goddess chose me and didnt go to Padraig or my father? Surely they would be a better choice, and father has a ready made army without going to all the many tribes and peoples to make one." "You are as good a choice as any prince, and perhaps it is your destiny to be the greatest hero since the Dochartaigh from whence your clan descends. Perhaps you are meant to recover the 3 Swords of World's End, unchain Fenris and slay the Sanguine King, finally removing his poison from Frosthold." Forgall said saddling the horses. "I just feel so unsure about all this Forgall." Cahir said getting up and rolling up his bedroll. He turned around and met Forgall who held out his bladestaff "Perhaps, my prince, above all, maybe thats the reason they chose you." Cahir took his bladestaff and Forgall leapt onto his horse. "To Arkand!" Forgall roared "Catch me if you can your majesty!"

 

[Jeremy Davis]

~The sunlight just barely reached above the mountains to kiss the land in the valley when she awoke. The grass beneath the wagon she was chained to was cold and damp from the morning dew and it made her shiver. Dressed only in the thin cloth tunic that her new master had given her did not protect her from the weather.

With a soft groan, Ty moved her legs trying to stretch them out. The cold air had caused them to get achy and they protested her moving them from where they were. Around her lay the sleeping bodies of other girls from her homeland huddled together to keep warm. Just three days before they were in a tent preparing to serve their masters their dinner. All of them were dressed in fine silks and jeweled collars, bracelets and anklets. The wine had begun to flow freely from skins and there was singing and merriment throughout the hall. That was when the attack came. The slaver's men struck quickly and overtook all of their foes. With the men all slain, the slave girls were taken over the shoulders of the attackers and brought back to these wagons where they were stripped and chained. They had not been told where they were going or what was to happen to them, but Ty didn't expect to be told as they were slaves and nothing more than property to do with as the new master pleased.

One of the guards that watched over the slaves walked though the mass of slave flesh and nudged the slaves he passed with his boot rousing them from their sleep and preparing them for the days chores. As Ty looked around she noticed that there were other girls in other wagons that were not from her homeland. She mused that the slavers were busy this time of year and must have been traveling and aquiring slaves on the way to the markets.

The slaves were expected to go fetch water and to care for the pack animals and the horses that drew the wagons. Then it would be time for them to prepare breakfast and serve the master's men. After the men were fed, if the slaves did a good job and if the master was pleased, then they would be fed whatever scraps were left. Another guard walked over to where Ty was and unchained her and another slave, then handed them two polesand four empty skins.

Ty's chore for today was to be chained by the neck to another slave and send with a guard to fetch water from a nearby stream. Ty was lucky that she knew the slavegirl she was yoked to. Thyri was a hard worker and Ty was happy because that ment that neither of them would feel the kiss of their guard's whip for slacking in their duties.

With a pole over her shoulders with two skins hanging from either end, Ty and Thyri along with their guard walked through the dense forest heading to the stream.~

 

[Quax]

removed

 

[ZanderCage]

good bye

 

[Ithica]

A cold wind howled through the trees and past the warriors of Lough Orainn that were huddled beneath them. Winter will be coming soon the wind reminded them. Hrist pulled the grey furs she had on tighter and lowered the hood as she watched the caravan camped at the bottom of the ravine. The neighboring elves from Drakier had approached Hrist a few days ago with a problem. Their leader's granddaughter had been kidnapped by slavers. Normally the elves would have gone after the attackers themselves but they had been having problems on their northern boarder and couldn't spare enough to go after the granddaughter, Shayla Fae'Danan. To keep up good relations and trade with her neighbors Hrist agreed to personally lead the hunting party. The elves were very grateful and they only had one more request; that an elf go with the hunters to protect their interests.

The slavers were moving fast but they weren't hard to track. The wagons left deep prints in the mud and the slavers left destruction in their wake. As Hrist and her warriors tracked them west, they rode by smaller villages and farmsteads that had been attacked. Distraught families would run out with stories of raiders and missing daughters and wives.

The slave caravan had a few days head start on the warrriors and Hrist had been hoping to catch up to them last night but the camp was already stirring so they would have to wait for a more opportune time. Hrist turned to the blonde woman at her side and said to her,

"Reginleif, tell them to move back to camp. Assign two scouts to keep an eye on the caravan to warn us if they move."

Reginleif nodded and ran off to give the orders. Hrist backed away from the ravine and headed back through the trees towards the horses.

 

[Jeremy Davis]

~Ty and Thyri walks through the woods and talked softly to themselves as their Guard followed . The guard kept telling the pair to keep the noise down and that they shouldnt be talking to one another, but Thyri didn't pay him any mind and continued to talk with Ty. Soon the two of them were quickly becoming aquainted.

After walking half a mile or so, the sound of the stream permiated the air and with little effort, they had come to its banks. With the water being so cold, wading into it to fill the skins was out of the question. So Ty took the lead and pulled the tunic over her shoulders then down her body until she could step out of it. Seeing what Ty was doing, Thyri followed suit and was soon stripped as well. Laying their tunics on the ground by the stream, the girls started to fill the skins with the cold water.

The guard stayed back and leaned himself against a tree as he watched the girls do their chore. He was also looking over the slave's bodies enjoying watching them work nakid as they filled the skins. The guards in the caravan after the slaves were taken to the slave auctions were permitted to join the bidding for slaves they fancied. It seemed that each guard left the auction with at least one slave and possibly more if the bidding was stale. This guard it seemed had already chosen the two girls he would be bidding on when the caravan found its destination.

After the skins were filled with a fresh supply of water, The girls stood and reclothed by stepping into their tunic and pulling them up over their bodies. The skins were then looped over the pole and the pole was balanced on their shoulders. The girls then started to walk back towards the caravan.~

 

[Ankara]

Shayla

It was cold when the group of five men entered the small human village. The elders wanted the group to leave. They were obviously slavers, but the leader of the group claimed Hospitality rights. Hospitality rights meant that they had the right to all the food and drink they wanted. Warm comfortable beds, and the rights to any available human woman in the village that caught their interest. It was a old custom, and had been past originally to prevent to much interbreeding in the village. It hadn’t been called on for such a long time, that the elders had tried to argue it, but there wasn’t any use, it had already been called.

The first day, they kept to themselves, but on the second day they went wandering around the village looking for trouble. The only women they found, however, were walking around with their husbands, making them off limits.

Shayla was visiting her mother’s sister. Her aunt had run out of flour, and since her aunt was a single woman, she asked Shayla to go down to the miller and pick up some flour. When Shayla had come to spend half the year with her mother, Shayla’s grandfather had made sure that the wording of the Hospitality rights custom exempted Shayla from them. It had been one of the conditions of Shayla living part of the time in her Mother’s village.

Shayla braided her waist length blonde hair and tucked her wings underneath her furs. She stepped out of the house and started walking. She didn’t get far before she saw one of the visitors leaning up against a fence gawking at her. Shayla ignored him, trying to act like she hadn’t seen him. But he jumped out in front of her and grabbed her arm, making her drop her basket.

“Get your hands off me,” Shayla pushed at him, she looked around and saw one of the elders Cail MacIan walking towards her.

The man must have seen him to because he shouted, “I call Hospitality rights!”

“You idiot,” Shayla said freeing her arm, “That only applies to human women,”

“Well beautiful, you look human enough for me,” The man laughed. By this time a couple more of his friends were starting to walk over.

Shayla shook her furs off and shook out her wings. “Obviously not human enough.”

“I’m willing to over look those,” He said looking at her wings.

“Well I’m not,” Shayla said pushing him away from her.

“She’s half elf, our custom doesn’t apply to her, go about your business.” Cail MacIan said.

The man glared at Cail, “This is the first thing that we’ve found that resembles an available women. Where is your women?”

“Well apparently you’ve picked a poor time to come to our village. I guess we don’t have any women.” Cail glared back. “I guess you’ll just have to leave, after your allotted time, of coarse.”

The man turned on his heels and walked towards his friends. They all stared at Shayla. “Where are you headed lass.” Cail must have seen the men staring too.

“Just heading over to the miller to get some flour.” Shayla picked up her basket and began to walk.

“Do you mind walking with an old man, I feel like staying away from the house for a while. My daughters are all in foul moods because of our guests, I'm getting tired of hearing them squabble”

Shayla laughted, “I don’t mind at all.”

Shayla didn’t have anymore trouble, but the man started following her around every time she left her house. They kept their distance, so Shayla assumed that they were harmless. When the end of the third day was nearing, Shayla started to feel more at ease. She had been sitting at her Aunt’s kitchen table talking with her Aunt when the door was kicked in and four of the strangers walked in, there had been a fight and Shayla ended up being knocked unconscious.

Shayla woke up on the floor of a wagon. The wagon was stopped, and it looked like it was morning. She rubbed the back of her head where she had been hit. She wondered what happened to her Aunt… and what was going to happen to her.

 

[Ithica]

Hrist and the rest of the scouting party got back to hastily assembled camp of tents. Breakfast was almost finished cooking so Hrist's group sat down to eat. After a few minutes the elf that had accompanied them sat down with Hrist and she filled him in on what they found. Hrist found this elf snooty but put up with him to keep the peace with her neighbors. Hrist decided that since Reginleif traded with the elves so often that next time she could take care of their tag along. After finding out how close the other camp was he became quite persistent about doing something now about the slavers. Tired of listening to his babble and wanting to get rid of him as soon as possible, Hrist took Reginleif and five others to get a closer look at the slavers camp.

The ravine was steep and it was late in the season but there was still enough leaves on the trees to offer enough cover. When they finally made it down the ravine, they left the horses behind with a guard and continued on foot along the stream that ran near the camp. They heard something splash in the stream so they proceeded slowly and saw a guard and two girls who were in the stream getting water. Hrist signalled to Reginleif the plan and when she moved the rest of the group spread out. Hrist watched the girls get out of the water and put their tunics back on and was disgusted at the lack of clothing considering the weather. If the weather got any colder these girls would freeze to death.

When the girls finished dressing Hrist signalled to Reginleif. As the guard moved to walk towards the girls, Reginleif grabbed him from behind and slit his throat. When Hrist saw Reginleif make her move, she grabbed the cat girl and covered her mouth and dragged her into the trees as another warrior did the same to the girl chained up to the cat girl.

 

[Jeremy Davis]

~Even though she was yoked to the other girl by a chain and waited down with the skins, Ty did her best to remain optimistic about her present situation. Having been a slave most of her live, hard work and rought treetment had become second nature to her. She walked and pondered what would happen to her from here. Most likely she would be sold at the auctions and she would be serving another Master or Mistress.

Lost in her thoughts, she didnt even hear the guard as his voice was suddenly muffled, and her ears twitched as she thought she heard a twig break, but figured that it was Thyri as she walked. It wasn't until he suddenly felt a hand on her mouth and her body being drawn backwards that she knew something was wrong. She didnt struggle, she just dropped the pole and skins and relaxed allowing the assialant to do with her as he pleased. She was slave and nothing more.

She was pulled behind a tree and her assailant movedfrom behind her to look her in the face. It was then that Ty noticed that the assailant was a female. her eyes looked deeply into the woman across from her. A look not of fear but of curiousity crossed her face.~

 

[Ithica]

Hrist was surprised that everything was going so smoothly. She was at least expecting some resistance, maybe even some claw, from the cat girl she was dragging around. The girl went limp and allowed herself to be dragged. She set the girl down and took a look at her.

Hrist decided that the girl didn't look scared and with everything going so well she hoped that the girl would understand her. No alarms went up and not wanting to waste their good fortune, Hrist signalled for two of the warriors to stand guard in case anyone else came down to the stream. Hrist pull off the furs she was wearing and put it around the girl. After the other warrior did the same for the other girl Hrist said,

"It's ok. We are not going to hurt you. What are your names?"

 

[Jeremy Davis]

~Ty watched on and her curiosity was peeked even more when the woman in front of her wrapped her in a fur. Ty wasn't used to such kindness and almost shrugged herself out of the fur, but as soon as the woman in front of her spoke, Ty lowered herself to he knees. The fur slid from her and pooled around her as she lowered her eyes.~

My name is Tygressa, Mistress, though most people call me Ty or Kitten.

~She kept her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her knees and sat on her heels with her arms crossed over her thighs. This was the proper way for a slave to kneel before a free woman, a mistress.

Thyri on the other hand had quickly knelt before the woman that grabbed her and opened her thighs and crossed her wrists at the small of her back making her body completely open to the woman in front of her. Ty could hear her whisper her name, and was suprised that the woman who captured her didnt correct her for kneeling as she did.~

 

[Ithica]

Hrist looked over at Friagabi, the warrior who had helped, who looked equally confused by the actions of the chained women. The women gave their names and Hrist was confused by the use of mistress and the odd position of the one calling herself Thyri. Reginleif ran up with the keys but was stopped in her tracks by the women kneeling at Hrist's and Friagabi's feet. Reginleif mouthed to Hrist,

"What happened?"

Hrist shrugged her shoulders and caught the keys that Reginleif threw. She unchained the women and asked,

"Have either of you seen an elf that was picked up in the last couple of days. Calls herself Shayla."

 

[Jeremy Davis]

~Ty looked over at Thyri and could tell by the look of her body that she was terrified. Ty, having been captured and sold before, was calm. She turned back to the woman in front of her and nodded.~

Mistress, I have seen many girls picked up in the last few days. The slavers in this caravan have been picking up more and more girls as they travel. I think they are heading to the slave auctions to get money for the approaching winter. I dont know of any girls named Shyla, and unfortunatly, Mistress, there are many elves in the slave wagons.

~Ty waited to see what was going to happen. Apperantly the slavers on this caravan had been very busy even before they attacked Ty's old master. Ty looked at the woman in front of her seraching her face to try to see if she could tell what she was going to do with her.~

 

[Ithica]

Hrist crouched down so that she could listen to what Ty was saying. Damn, why couldn't this be easy, she thought, after Ty told her that she didn't know who Shayla was. She was hoping that she could use to her advantage the fact that there were so many slaves.

"How many guards are there and how well armed? How many slaves? How closely do they watch you? Would they notice if you went missing? What about the guard? How long until someone will notice that he is gone?"

 

[Jeremy Davis]

~Ty's ears flicked every now and then as she listened to the woman in front of her, then she almost fell on her ass when the woman squatted down in front of her to talk with her like she was an equal. Her whole body tensed as she watched and listened to the woman, her body trembling slightly as she answered her questions.~

There are at least four guards for each slave wagon, and six guards for the Slaver's wagon. All of the guards are armed with either a short sword and shield or a crossbow.

~Ty thought for a moment trying to calculatehow many slaves there were, her tail swishing behind her as she pondered.~

Well there are thirty slaves to a wagon and the last wagon is empty so...um... there are at most one hundred and twenty slaves. The guards watch over us, but a slave wouldn';t dare try to escape because the punishment is terrible. Either you get tied to a wagon wheel and whipped or you have the tendons on the back of your knees cut and you get left to feed the wild animals.

~A shudder passed over Ty as she recalled seeing a girl get the latter of the punishments. Noone should ever have that happen to them.~

They will notice when we do not come back with the water for breakfast and they will send a group of at least four more guards.

~Ty's ear twitched again as a soft breeze passed across them tickling the fur on her ears. Her eyes watched the woman in front of her as the woman pondered the information that Ty had given.~

 

[Quax]

Ertuu Balforam placed the carcass in place for the ritual. He had the day before slain a great bull. Even with only the remains of the bull left it was still monstrously large. He eyed his prize with pride remembering how he had slain it the day before; he had spent a week finding the perfect specimen. At last he had found it and his battle ensued, he launched a bolt of chaotic energy at the bull launching it back word. It quickly regained its footing and charged, Ertuu had just avoided getting hit by the beast but managed to slam his mace into the bulls side as he dodged, the skin under the impact immediately began to rot as was the power of his cursed maul Talrasha. The bull howled as it turned for another charge, Ertuu only grinned as he launched another spell this one substantially more powerful, the bull was dead and fell to the ground limp.

Now he stood over the great bull in his ritual room. He paced back and forth a few times before he was ready, he began his chanting. He quickly spoke the words of the incantation, and at the climax slammed his maul into the bull. The dead bull at first did not change but then it began to move slowly. It came to its feet and looked seeming confused at what had occurred. Then it screamed in pain as the second part of the spell took its course, the skin of the bull began to rot beginning at the point of impact of Talrasha. The bull ran through the room knocking over book cases, destroying furniture and all around reeking destruction in its blind rage. Then just as quickly as the rage started it ended and the bull calmly turned and looked at the necromancer. It went onto it's hind legs swinging its legs in the air and loudly roaring. Ertuu smiled at his creation the bull had drastically changed from its former appearance. What was once a majestic free roaming bull was now a dominated cursed beast. It's skeleton could be seen in many places where the flesh had rotted off, and where the skin was left in tact it was the color and smell of death, in many places the skin hung loosely off the animal looking as if it could fall off at any moment. His eyes were pure black and while one was surrounded by rotting flesh, but around the other eye the flesh had fallen off and the bone could be seen. There was one thing that was left unchanged on the bull, its large horns, which were the only thing Ertuu felt looked good on the beast prior to its changing. Now they seemed to fit in all the more matching the skeleton that showed in patches all around the beast. "Your name shall be Sven my steed, you will serve me your master Ertuu" the beast roared. Ertuu mounted his beast and left to the Sanguine King's throne. Ertuu erupted in laughter as he rode his steed, not the type of laughter that is inspired by comedy but instead he laughed knowing that the Sanguine King could not deny him the title of High Necromancer after his new creation, and this meant more power then Ertuu could ever imagine.

 

[Ithica]

Hrist smiled at Ty and said thank you. She got up and walked to Reginleif. The description of what they did to anyone who tried to escape angered her but she was surprised at how few guards there were. She had been told that there were more but instead of further questioning her good fortune she decided to use the lack of guards to her benefit.

"Reginleif, get back to camp and get everyone into the ravine. Go further down so that no one sees you. When that's done come back for further instruction."

In case they got attacked Hrist organized the remaining warriors so that they could defend their position. Hrist moved back to Ty and said,

"Do you have any idea how much time we have until someone notices you are gone?"

 

[Jeremy Davis]

~Ty watched as the two people interrogating both she and Thyri walked over to the rest of their group and talked. She then looked over at Thyri and saw sher visibly trembling and tears welling in her eyes. She must have been scared about what would be happening to them, and Ty walked over to her and took the girl in her arms cradling and comforting her.~

Shhhh... It will be alright sister.... I think these women will be saving us from the slavers and maybe they will keep us. It may be nice to have a mistress intead of a master...

~As Ty continued to comfort Thyri, the woman that was talking with Ty returned.~

I cannot say Mistress, I'm almost positive it will be as soon as someone needs the water Thyri and I would have been carrying back to the caravan. Truthfully Im surprised that someone hasn't come looking for us yet.

 

[Ithica]

"Friagabi, go keep an eye on the camp. I want to be forewarned of when we can expect an attack."

Hrist looked at the women that they had rescued and, since they didn't have any safe place to hide them, decided that Ty would be her best bet. Hrist pulled out a knife and handed it handle first to Ty,

"I'll set up a guard to protect you, but just in case you find the need to defend yourself during the battle take the knife.

 

[Jeremy Davis]

~Ty looked at the weapon as the woman handed it to her and her eyes grew wide when she was expected to take it and possibly use it.~

I'm very sorry Mistress, but I couldn't take the knife from you. Slaves are not to touch any weapons. To do so and be caught with it in your hand is punishable by death.

~Thyri gave out a whimper and trembled hearing what Ty was saying.~

We will not need any weapons. If the guards from the caravan see us they will assume that we are captured and not harm us. We are worth too much alive to kill and if we are chained together and say tied to a tree they will leave us alive.

~Devious, perhaps, but the cat-girl knew how to keep her hide safe.~

 

[rengadeirishman]

Cahir and Forgall

Cahir and Forgall rode on top of a ravine in the northern lands near the foothills of the dragontooth mountains. Cahir looked down and saw a caravan at the bottom "Look Forgall." Cahir said and Forgall obeyed "Aye prince, slavers from the look of it." "Slavers? I thought my father outlawed slavery?" "Aye he did, but you know as well as I that outside of Eriada the kings words means little, and hes not overly scrupulous about enforcing this particular law." "We should do something." Cahir said "We are vastly outnumbered and its my duty to protect you prince." "They wouldnt dare attack a prince of Frosthold." Forgall chuckled "You are young and naive prince, they would not hesitate to kill you, for who is here to prove they did?" "Let us watch them then for a short time." Cahir said "As you wish prince."

 

[Ithica]

Hrist wanted to tell Ty that she wasn't a slave anymore but Friagabi ran up and said that three men were walking down towards the stream.

She left a warrior to watch Ty and Thyri. Hrist looked through the trees and could see the men looking around. To the warriors around her she said,

"Take them out quietly. We need to buy some time."

She put down her sword and nocked an arrow to her bow and Friagabi followed suit. Three of Hrist's warriors crept through the trees towards the men but as one of the warriors slit the closest man's throat the remaining two fought back. Hrist let her arrow fly and as one of the men turned the arrow caught him at the base of his skull. He dropped and Friagabi's arrow took out the last but not before he screamed.

 

[rengadeirishman]

Cahir and Forgall

Cahir and Forgall heard a scream "What was that?" cahir asked, ready to pounce on any sudden moves

 

[Jeremy Davis]

~Ty held Thyri close, her ears twitching as she heard the sounds of battle. Thyri let out a muffled yelp as she too heard the battle. Ty looked at the woarrior who was by them and saw that she was on edge with her sword drawn in case the men that were searching for the two slaves would break free and make a charge for Ty and Thyri.

She looked around the other warriors for the woman that had talked with her and watched as that woman took out one of the guards with a well placed arrow. Turning her face from the carnage, she buried her eyes into Thyri's soft hair.~

 

[Ithica]

The scream rang out and Hrist cursed. Looks like our luck has run out, she thought to herself. "Hide the bodies and get back over here." Hrist yelled as the warriors pulled their victims into the trees opposite to where their hiding place was.

When they got back she looked at the five warriors left with her and tired to decide whether to hold position or retreat. Four of them including herself knew how to use a bow and the rest were good with a sword. It's too soon, she decided, Reginleif may not even be back at camp yet.

"Get back to the horses!"

Hrist walked up to the warrior guarding Ty and Thyri and told her to get them moving in front. Hrist stayed in the back of the group with the three other archers to guard their retreat.