May the gravy of the Valium protect you.
~~ Shut up, mom! I’m trying to sleep…. ~~
What gravy is given me, let it pass to him. Let him be spared. Save him.
~~ Come on… just ten more minutes…. ~~
Orgarn, wake up already!
~~ Two! It’s Orogarn Two. How many times do I have to say it? ~~
I give up! Go ahead and drown!
* * * * * * *
Hay! You can lead a Morosa to water, but you can’t make him drink, so what in the name of Fellofftheroof are you doing floating around in the river, Oatie? There’s a wallet to be found.
* * * * * * *
Orogarn Two opened his eyes onto a cloudless blue sky blocked almost entirely by the slobbering muzzle of Singéd, the mini-Morosa sent by his father to aid him on his journey. The creature gave him an affection nudge that would have been endearing had it not pushed him beneath the surface of the body of water he was lying in. With a violent sputter, a spray of frothing bubbles, and a few colorful expletives, Orogarn Two twisted around onto his knees and gasped for breath. The frightened little horse bolted into a nearby stand of cattails where it stood shivering.
“What in the name of wonder?” he shouted to the hiding beast. A shadow came over his face, and he closed his eyes. “Of course, I remember! The Hyenas came on us, and I was worsted.” He clutched as his neck. “Ah! My crystal is gone.”
He turned his head to see that he was kneeling at the edge of a narrow river that flowed quickly by. Upstream was a rocky rapids, above which was a familiar cliff. He attempted to stand, but his legs would not hold him and he fell splashing into the water where he lay exhausted.
“Ai,” he muttered.
After a while, the friendly muzzle again prodded him, this time with less force and more care. Orogarn Two opened his eyes into the fuzzy face of his horse who stood quietly waiting, as if offering him assistance. Sensing that the little Morosa was trying to help him, Orogarn Two reached up and took a handful of its mane. Slowly and painfully he dragged himself upward until he was leaning against the horse, but when it became obvious that he would not be able to climb onto its back, Singéd laid himself down so that the Grundorian could pull himself up. With a grunt, the creature rose to its full height and plodded off away from the river with its master’s feet dangling nearly to the ground.
* * * * * * *
Hours or maybe days later, who could tell?, Orogarn Two woke to find Singéd wandering across a landscape of rolling hills and high grasses. Everywhere he looked, the view was the same, but it seemed as if the small Morosa was following a trail of some kind, so the Grundorian decided to wait and see what happened. To pass the time he, he studied one of the records he had discovered in the Citibank archives.
Quote:
WESTEMNET POLICE DEPARTMENT
Arrest Report
Arrest #: 96-07-043
Date/Time Reported: 07/06/2696 @ 2103
Arrest Date/Time: 07/06/2696 @ 2109
Booking Date/Time 07/06/2696 @ 2210
Involves: Theft
Reporting Officer: Lorgal of Bredel
Bail for the Court: WESTEMNET DISTRICT COURT Set 07/06/2696 @ 2310 BSPR: 400 silver pennies
Personal Recognizance Set
-------------------------------------------
Defendant: Skinflint (Ent - Birch)
-------------------------------------------
Victim: Ecthelion I
-------------------------------------------
NARRATIVE FOR PATROLMAN LORGAL
On 7/7/96, AT APPROXIMATELY 1103, MR ECTHELION CAME TO THE STATION TO REPORT THAT HE HAD BEEN THE VICTIM OF A PICKPOCKET. THE INCIDENT IS ALLEGED TO HAVE OCCURRED IN FANGORN FOREST NEAR THE BEEF WELLINGTON ESTABLISHMENT. MR ECTHELION STATED THAT HE HAD STOPPED BY THE ESTABLISHMENT FOR A QUICK DRAUGHT AND WAS JUST LEAVING WHEN HE WAS FORCIBLY RAN INTO BY THE DEFENDANT, MR SKINFLINT. MINUTES LATER, MR ECTHELION REALIZED THAT HIS WALLET WAS MISSING AND HE SUSPECTED THE ENT WAS RESPONSIBLE. WHEN MR ECTHELION RETURNED TO THE BEEF WELLINGTON HE FOUND THE DEFENDANT BUYING ROUNDS OF STRANGEREEKS FOR EVERYONE. HE APPROACHED THE ENT AND AN ARGUMENT ENSUED THAT RESULTED IN BOTH THE DEFENDANT AND THE VICTIM TO BE DETAINED BY OTHER PATRONS. WHEN OFFICER LORGAL ARRIVED AND DID A PROBABLE CAUSE SEARCH ON MR SKINFLINT, HE DISCOVERED A WALLET BELONGING TO MR ECTHELION. MR SKINFLINT WAS IMMEDIATELY ARRESTED.
|
He looked up from to document to see that he had come to the ever-present swath of destruction that followed the It-ship.
"Hurry, Singéd! We've made up a lot of ground. We can't be far behind now."
[ August 28, 2003: Message edited by: The Barrow-Wight ]