Abduction in Edoras RPG - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Firefoot · 12-10-2006, 03:26 PM

The waiting was the worst. How many times now had Scyld thought he heard a footstep or a whispered word? How many times had his muscles tensed as he gripped the first knife a little tighter? How many times had he tentatively peeked around the tree?

This time he was certain, though. Someone had stumbled on the rocks below. He knew that every glance he took would be a risk, but he needed to know their position. Moving slowly so that a sudden motion would not attract their sight, he peered out at them. He saw Sorn turn and say something to Gurth but could scarcely even hear the sound of Sorn's voice, much less make out the words. They were moving slowly in his and Linduial's direction, clearly taking care not to be heard. Scyld ducked his head back behind the tree.

The seconds slowly passed. Scyld had to continue resisting the temptation to look and see how much closer they had come. Only when he heard a footstep almost directly even with him did he take another look. He hefted the knife but still hesitated. They were still farther away than was optimal and he doubted he could kill either of them. He should still hit, and Gurth was a large enough target, but once he threw the first knife his position would be given away. Still, he probably would not have another opportunity this good with the same vantage point.

He threw the knife straight for Gurth.

JennyHallu · 12-11-2006, 03:25 PM

From her hiding place Lin could barely see Scyld behind his tree, but she noticed when he threw the knife. She stifled a terrified whimper and plastered herself deeper into the rock hollow, the dagger held in front of her. Her terror in this moment was so great that even had Degas himself stepped in front of her she would have tried to kill him.

Only a few more seconds and their pursuers would be upon them. Lin knew she could not stay hidden, not for long,but for now she froze. If she could only buy enough time, somehow, for Scyld to rescue her. Surely he knew just what to do.

She picked up a largish stone that lay near her foot and carefully threw it away to her right, away from Scyld. It crashed into a pile of bracken with a noise that seemed deafening after the silence of their wait, but maybe it would confuse their pursuers, long enough for Scyld to come up with a plan. He was going to come up with a plan, Lin was sure.

She peered cautiously toward Scyld's tree, making sure he was all right, hoping for some mark of approval of her action.

Anguirel · 12-12-2006, 03:47 AM

The giant had followed Sorn with increasing reluctance and confusion. If they ran into the wild now, they were abandoning the farmstead to the intruders. Gurth had wished to stay and to defend the house of the plunderers, the strangers like the golden-headed captain the Master had just killed. But gradually he understood. Somehow, someone had taken the girl. She alone could propell them out into the country like this, through hedgerow, thicket and plain.

He looked about the wood through which they crawled, treading more stealthily, for in sobriety he could stalk well enough, if hampered by hugeness, in response to his Master's order.

Often he looked aside for the wolf-mastiff Grendel, and choked back hunting-calls to it, and at last his memories swung to the beast dying in the dirt, and hot, bitter tears mingled with the blue of his eyes and the red of his flesh, making them damp and vulnerable, relecting the rays of lights that penetrated down to the two woodsmen.

A woodsman; such was the life he had become used to among the throng of bandits. He must now introduce Sorn to it, and they would live amid the trees inviolate from the law of any, and perhaps the girl, too, would dwell in the forests and the harshness of the seasons. Not far off lay the woods of Druadan, and Gurth thought of life amid the strange Woses of rumour. His mind and recall was developing fast after his liberation from the mead's yoke, and he remembered stories of Pukel-men with comparative ease.

But now was the time for hunting, not thinking, and that was the message which the blade's bite brought bloodily back. The dagger's hilt was embedded, lower than the heart, in the flesh of his side, hampered somewhat by his mail. He bit the howl he would have naturally emitted, mauling his tongue, and through the smell of his own blood he caught a familiar scent.

Not the girl's, as yet, but that of the other lackey. The sly one, the bearer of mead.

"Wound from Scyld," he muttered in Sorn's ear. "Smell man. Slay? Smell near ahead..."

Taralphiel · 12-14-2006, 02:58 AM

Sorn looked down quickly and inspected Gurth’s wound. So it was Scyld, then. Sorn said evenly, and in a low tone "He will tell us where she is" Sorn knew that he didn’t need to tell Gurth more than that.

He turned forward, and after a moment, rushed for where the dagger had sprung from with a yell. A dagger of his own was already in one hand, a curled fist his only other weapon. He inwardly cursed leaving his broadsword behind. The plans he had laid out were now unravelled. He would now be a hunted man. His wealth would never be as it was, as he had hoped. His family would fade and be little more than a small scratch in a ledger, dusty and forgotten. His rage rose higher at the thought of the King’s men wandering his estate, surveying his property.

Fuelled by that repugnant thought, he swung around the stone obstructing his view and swung a wide arc with his thin, long blade…

Below Sorn the sounds of horses and their men grew louder.

12-10-2006, 03:26 PM	#1
Firefoot Illusionary Holbytla Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 7,547	The waiting was the worst. How many times now had Scyld thought he heard a footstep or a whispered word? How many times had his muscles tensed as he gripped the first knife a little tighter? How many times had he tentatively peeked around the tree? This time he was certain, though. Someone had stumbled on the rocks below. He knew that every glance he took would be a risk, but he needed to know their position. Moving slowly so that a sudden motion would not attract their sight, he peered out at them. He saw Sorn turn and say something to Gurth but could scarcely even hear the sound of Sorn's voice, much less make out the words. They were moving slowly in his and Linduial's direction, clearly taking care not to be heard. Scyld ducked his head back behind the tree. The seconds slowly passed. Scyld had to continue resisting the temptation to look and see how much closer they had come. Only when he heard a footstep almost directly even with him did he take another look. He hefted the knife but still hesitated. They were still farther away than was optimal and he doubted he could kill either of them. He should still hit, and Gurth was a large enough target, but once he threw the first knife his position would be given away. Still, he probably would not have another opportunity this good with the same vantage point. He threw the knife straight for Gurth.

12-11-2006, 03:25 PM	#2
JennyHallu The Pearl, The Lily Maid Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: In my luxury Barrow, snuggled up in a pile of satin pillows, eating fresh fruit. Posts: 1,628	From her hiding place Lin could barely see Scyld behind his tree, but she noticed when he threw the knife. She stifled a terrified whimper and plastered herself deeper into the rock hollow, the dagger held in front of her. Her terror in this moment was so great that even had Degas himself stepped in front of her she would have tried to kill him. Only a few more seconds and their pursuers would be upon them. Lin knew she could not stay hidden, not for long,but for now she froze. If she could only buy enough time, somehow, for Scyld to rescue her. Surely he knew just what to do. She picked up a largish stone that lay near her foot and carefully threw it away to her right, away from Scyld. It crashed into a pile of bracken with a noise that seemed deafening after the silence of their wait, but maybe it would confuse their pursuers, long enough for Scyld to come up with a plan. He was going to come up with a plan, Lin was sure. She peered cautiously toward Scyld's tree, making sure he was all right, hoping for some mark of approval of her action.

12-12-2006, 03:47 AM	#3
Anguirel Byronic Brand Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The 1590s Posts: 2,778	The giant had followed Sorn with increasing reluctance and confusion. If they ran into the wild now, they were abandoning the farmstead to the intruders. Gurth had wished to stay and to defend the house of the plunderers, the strangers like the golden-headed captain the Master had just killed. But gradually he understood. Somehow, someone had taken the girl. She alone could propell them out into the country like this, through hedgerow, thicket and plain. He looked about the wood through which they crawled, treading more stealthily, for in sobriety he could stalk well enough, if hampered by hugeness, in response to his Master's order. Often he looked aside for the wolf-mastiff Grendel, and choked back hunting-calls to it, and at last his memories swung to the beast dying in the dirt, and hot, bitter tears mingled with the blue of his eyes and the red of his flesh, making them damp and vulnerable, relecting the rays of lights that penetrated down to the two woodsmen. A woodsman; such was the life he had become used to among the throng of bandits. He must now introduce Sorn to it, and they would live amid the trees inviolate from the law of any, and perhaps the girl, too, would dwell in the forests and the harshness of the seasons. Not far off lay the woods of Druadan, and Gurth thought of life amid the strange Woses of rumour. His mind and recall was developing fast after his liberation from the mead's yoke, and he remembered stories of Pukel-men with comparative ease. But now was the time for hunting, not thinking, and that was the message which the blade's bite brought bloodily back. The dagger's hilt was embedded, lower than the heart, in the flesh of his side, hampered somewhat by his mail. He bit the howl he would have naturally emitted, mauling his tongue, and through the smell of his own blood he caught a familiar scent. Not the girl's, as yet, but that of the other lackey. The sly one, the bearer of mead. "Wound from Scyld," he muttered in Sorn's ear. "Smell man. Slay? Smell near ahead..."

12-14-2006, 02:58 AM	#4
Taralphiel Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Swan Wood Posts: 649	Sorn looked down quickly and inspected Gurth’s wound. So it was Scyld, then. Sorn said evenly, and in a low tone "He will tell us where she is" Sorn knew that he didn’t need to tell Gurth more than that. He turned forward, and after a moment, rushed for where the dagger had sprung from with a yell. A dagger of his own was already in one hand, a curled fist his only other weapon. He inwardly cursed leaving his broadsword behind. The plans he had laid out were now unravelled. He would now be a hunted man. His wealth would never be as it was, as he had hoped. His family would fade and be little more than a small scratch in a ledger, dusty and forgotten. His rage rose higher at the thought of the King’s men wandering his estate, surveying his property. Fuelled by that repugnant thought, he swung around the stone obstructing his view and swung a wide arc with his thin, long blade… Below Sorn the sounds of horses and their men grew louder.