Thread: Swan Wood - RPG
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Old 12-30-2003, 12:09 PM   #209
Aylwen Dreamsong
The Melody of Misery
 
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Join Date: Aug 2002
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Sting

In the woods, elderly men and women and skinny little children trampled their way through the foliage. They were hastening towards the caves, praying and hoping that no Wild Men would find them. As they moved through the trees and brush stray villagers would join their troop, some of them wounded men and women who had fought against the Wild Men in the first onslaught. News would be shared, and then quiet would engulf the group, the only sounds would come from the snapping of twigs and parting of leaves and brush.

Fear was set in all the children's faces, and the elderly felt the fear eminating, though they hid it well. Adela was one of those children. She was four, and she was clinging to a boy from town that she had never met before the battle. He'd offered to carry Adela when the group of villagers began evacuating. His name was Stefan.

'Stefan?' Adela murmured, and the black-haired boy that carried her turned his head as he clambered over a fallen tree trunk. Adela took a big breath and sighed, burying her face in the older boy's shoulder. 'I miss my mommy and daddy. Do you think we'll ever be able to go home again?'

'I...I don't...' Stefan stammered, but his voice remained strong. He was unsure of what to tell the girl. Stefan didn't want to lie, but he didn't want to discourage the little girl. 'Well, Adela, I think that Laurel will save us. Or, well, I hope everything will be alright again. I have faith in the people that are fighting for our home.'

Stefan neglected to tell the little girl that he also had a terrible feeling that very few villagers that had stayed behind to fight would be alive. Adela doesn't need to know that her parents were probably dead, Stefan thought. For all he knew his own parents might have perished. There was no telling. Nothing was certain. All Stefan knew for sure was that he was alive and he was not alone.

A cry was heard from the front of the villagers' group. Stefan looked up and Adela's head snapped up and away from Stefan's shoulder. Up ahead, joyous cries were heard, but these cries were soon hushed by others who were worried about being found: for the group had come upon the caves that would be their haven. Others had already made it to the caves, people that Stefan didn't know. Entering the cave, Stefan found a little crook in the wall to sit down with Adela.

'Stefan?' Adela murmured again, standing and stretching while Stefan craned his neck and relaxed his muscles. Stefan listened as Adela continued. 'Stefan, I think we're going to be fine.'

-----

Jesslyn listened carefully as Herebrand explained the plan. At certain points of the explanation Jesslyn would nod, proud and sure of the plan. It would work, of course it would. It had to work. It was their last chance. The last chance to save a town after such a fateful attack. Herebrand, Laurel, Leena, and Lanaey would be the leaders of four groups, which would be evenly set up around the Wild Men's campsite.

Jesslyn sighed as everything was talked through by Laurel, Herebrand, Leena, and Lanaey and any outspoken warrior or fighting villager. Jesslyn didn't know what part she could play in this other than fighting as a soldier in this small army that would save Alphirion. Would that be enough? Jesslyn wasn't sure.

'Laurel,' Jesslyn looked at the leader of their group and met her eyes. 'Perhaps I could take the archers and set a ring around the camp? We'd hide in the foliage and take aim in secret,' Jesslyn suggested meekly, not certain of how her idea would be taken. Jesslyn cringed, wondering where her strong voice filled with certainty had gone. 'In any case, someone else could lead the archers if you don't want me to.'

-----

Back in the Healing House, Cartil woke up in his cot, eyes wide and brow sweaty from a nightmare. He'd gone to sleep, and his dreams were terrible to him. He dreamed that Laurel had been taken by the Wild Man, the one called Cuor that Cartil had met when under captivity. Cuor thought that Laurel belonged to him, at least in Cartil's dream. And Cartil was not able to do anything to save Laurel.

Then he woke up.

Cartil decided to leave the cot. He was exhausted, but he felt too idle just lying in bed while others went off to fight and die bravely for others. At first Cartil was too exhausted to even lift his head from his pillow. But, one muscle at a time, Cartil lifted his head and shoulders until eventually he was sitting upright in his cot. Then his next struggle was to move his legs off the side of his cot. This wasn't too hard, and neither was standing up. Soon Cartil had abandoned his cot and was standing upright. His body ached with wounds and fatigue caused during his captivity, and still he moved to take a step towards the door that led outside.

That was where Laurel would be, holding a meeting. And Cartil would be there to help.
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