The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Wight Fright: "Fog on the Barrow-Downs" RPG

Mithalwen · 03-01-2011, 07:44 PM

In Bree-Town

"Filbert, maybe you can explain to me exactly what is going on?"

Erling Woodseaves walked to the town reasoning that by the time he had saddled the cob he would be half way there and believed that he would arrive to find that Jessamy would have already been rounded up by her brothers and they would all be back before they knew it. Thus he had tried to reassure his wife and daughter-in-law. But real or feigned his confidence had dwindled as he progressed to the Inn. The keeper of the South Gate had been unusually taciturn and it seemed that rumours murmured about Bree, which fell silent as he passed. Now he had finally caught up with his youngest son and demanded explanation of the few fragments that had reached his ears, of the Downs and missing children, some returned some not.

Erling loved all his children and had more than a little sympathy for Filbert. It wasn't his fault he had been born a boy when a girl had been hoped for, that he had neither the privileges of eldest or youngest child, that he had neither Seth’s striking good looks nor Bryn’s easy nature, that he had struggled to find his niche. But he had to concede that the lad didn’t always make things easy for himself and there was something shifty about the lad’s demeanour that suggested that this might be one of those occasions.

“Where is Jessamy? Where are your brothers?”. No reaction that Filbert might have feared to his answer was as horrible as his father’s silence as he absorbed the news .

On the road

Jessamy's brothers had reached the point on the road, as far as they could judge from the boys' garbled and confused reports of their adventures, where Edwin's group had left it to head towards the mounds and stones.

Night was not now far off and the landmarks, so obvious in the day were now little more than shadows in the murk.

"They say the trees of the Forest walk and now I believe it - I did not think it so close" remarked Seth noting the deeper shade on the horizon.

"I think it is in part a trick of the light - or lack of it -and the lie of the land... but it does seem to have spread since that map in the Pony was drawn," answered Silas not wanting to think about walking trees as well as the evil spirits that were meant to haunt the barrows. What could be regarded as fairy stories from the safety of one's own hearth seemed a lot more plausible here.

"How are we going to find her in this? It'd take a blood hound" Seth despaired

"Which is about the one thing we haven't brought with us. But we have to try - because if we wait for light chances are we will be looking for her body". Bryn might not be troubled by imagination but was quite aware of the more mundane but very real dangers of the cold. Before his brothers could reproach him for saying what they were all thinking, they heard in the distance a horrible but not unfamiliar sound. They might have done so with less malice than their brother but all three had teased Jessamy beyond the limit of her endurance.

On the Downs

Jessamy came round to Karl calling her name, offering her his free hand to help her up but her mind was so mazed she scarcely registered him let alone the pain in her ankle. She cowered against the stone, still clasping the lantern, gibbering about a wight coming to get her and completely unable to hold back the sobs that had threatened for so long.

Still there was that terrible noise getting ever louder and closer. Surely Karl must hear it? The dog, Duke, heard something seemingly for he pricked up his ears, inexplicably barked as if for joy and belted off towards the approaching clatter.

03-01-2011, 07:44 PM	#39
Mithalwen Pilgrim Soul Join Date: May 2004 Location: watching the wonga-wonga birds circle... Posts: 9,916	In Bree-Town "Filbert, maybe you can explain to me exactly what is going on?" Erling Woodseaves walked to the town reasoning that by the time he had saddled the cob he would be half way there and believed that he would arrive to find that Jessamy would have already been rounded up by her brothers and they would all be back before they knew it. Thus he had tried to reassure his wife and daughter-in-law. But real or feigned his confidence had dwindled as he progressed to the Inn. The keeper of the South Gate had been unusually taciturn and it seemed that rumours murmured about Bree, which fell silent as he passed. Now he had finally caught up with his youngest son and demanded explanation of the few fragments that had reached his ears, of the Downs and missing children, some returned some not. Erling loved all his children and had more than a little sympathy for Filbert. It wasn't his fault he had been born a boy when a girl had been hoped for, that he had neither the privileges of eldest or youngest child, that he had neither Seth’s striking good looks nor Bryn’s easy nature, that he had struggled to find his niche. But he had to concede that the lad didn’t always make things easy for himself and there was something shifty about the lad’s demeanour that suggested that this might be one of those occasions. “Where is Jessamy? Where are your brothers?”. No reaction that Filbert might have feared to his answer was as horrible as his father’s silence as he absorbed the news . On the road Jessamy's brothers had reached the point on the road, as far as they could judge from the boys' garbled and confused reports of their adventures, where Edwin's group had left it to head towards the mounds and stones. Night was not now far off and the landmarks, so obvious in the day were now little more than shadows in the murk. "They say the trees of the Forest walk and now I believe it - I did not think it so close" remarked Seth noting the deeper shade on the horizon. "I think it is in part a trick of the light - or lack of it -and the lie of the land... but it does seem to have spread since that map in the Pony was drawn," answered Silas not wanting to think about walking trees as well as the evil spirits that were meant to haunt the barrows. What could be regarded as fairy stories from the safety of one's own hearth seemed a lot more plausible here. "How are we going to find her in this? It'd take a blood hound" Seth despaired "Which is about the one thing we haven't brought with us. But we have to try - because if we wait for light chances are we will be looking for her body". Bryn might not be troubled by imagination but was quite aware of the more mundane but very real dangers of the cold. Before his brothers could reproach him for saying what they were all thinking, they heard in the distance a horrible but not unfamiliar sound. They might have done so with less malice than their brother but all three had teased Jessamy beyond the limit of her endurance. On the Downs Jessamy came round to Karl calling her name, offering her his free hand to help her up but her mind was so mazed she scarcely registered him let alone the pain in her ankle. She cowered against the stone, still clasping the lantern, gibbering about a wight coming to get her and completely unable to hold back the sobs that had threatened for so long. Still there was that terrible noise getting ever louder and closer. Surely Karl must hear it? The dog, Duke, heard something seemingly for he pricked up his ears, inexplicably barked as if for joy and belted off towards the approaching clatter. Last edited by Mithalwen; 03-02-2011 at 06:15 PM.