Faendryl Hero
"Pass the last coffer, Jadow"
"Aye, just a second Arlie." Jadow replied.
Jadow Shati glanced at the young rogue sitting next to him. Lady Arlenna DeArturno was of average height for a dark elf, but was proportioned in an almost waifish way. She was far from unattractive, in fact her eyes and easy smile could lure just about anyone into her arms. She was as quick with her tongue as she was with her pick. He felt easy around her as most did so he often found himself in her company.
"Come on old man. I wanna get back outside someday!" Arlie complained as she quickly covered her giggle with a little hand.
Jadow grunted and pulled the final coffer from his cloak, handing it to the rogue. Arlenna carefully examined her coffer and found no sign of any traps. Smiling slightly she pulled her diamond tipped lockpick from her silk bodice and began to manipulate the locks tumbler. Seeing it to be a relatively easy lock she turned her attention back to Jadow.
"Whats got your tongue tonight, hon? Your mind seems to be all over. Wanna talk about it?", "Dont you ever want to go home, Arlie?"
"This is my home, sweety. What are ya talking about?" Asked the rogue.
Jadow sighed, "No, our ancestral home. The lands of our ancient Faendryl brethren." Jadow thumbed the black rose crest on his chest. "I want to experience my heritage, stand where my forefathers stood."
"Thats crazy, Jadow. You know that, right? Nobodys seen nor heard from those lands for an age. The birthlands are as good as lost to the wilds."
"I need to try Arlie. This has been on my mind for a long time. I need to see if my true home is out there."
With a click the coffers lock surrendered to Arlennas lockpick. She handed it back to the ranger legend. Arlenna stood and said, "You clean that out and get some sleep. Tomorrow morning Rheign and I will meet ya outside the gates. We may not find our home, Jadow. But, we'll turn Elanthia upside down looking until youre satisfied."
With that Arlenna stood up and exited the Inn leaving a beaming Jadow in her wake.
---The Next Afternoon---
The three adventurers had set out at dawn and walked for hours. They were quite high into the Trollfang by now and signs of Summer were clearly evident. The trees along the path were brimming with bright green leaves and flowers of every color. Rheign had forced them all to stop several times so she could admire the view of nature in its prime. The smaller animals of the forest around them often came out to watch the three adventurers pass by. In fact, a tiny squirrel had run up to Rheign with a jade flower in its mouth. As it scurried off Rheign picked up the flower and placed it in her hair. She looked like a princess Jadow thought to himself as he studied his lady love. Rheign Lollac had worn her most elegant suit of arctic leather armor adorned with the symbol of Leya. Her cloak was pulled back to reveal the giantwoman in all her beauty. She was well over seven feet tall, but everything about her seemed to be proportioned perfectly. The armor was obviously altered to reveal as much as possible without revealing anything at all. Just looking at her made Jadow week in the knees and sometimes mind as well. Jadow glanced at his own Faendryl war armor and wondered why it didnt have the same effect on her. He chuckled quietly to himself. A mystery for another day he thought.
A whistle from far ahead made Jadow glance up a little bewildered. He saw Arlenna up ahead at a turn in the road making hand signals.
She signed, "Get down here, quietly"
Jadow whispered the message to Rheign and they both crept quietly to here the demure elven rogue waited.
"Look." Arlenna said as she nodded off to the east and around the corner.
Jadow poked his head out and saw one lone troll a little way down the road butchering a deer. He seemed to be pulling pieces of flesh away to carry back to his warparty.
"Ill handle it" Arlenna whispered.
As Jadow reached for the rogue to stop her he realized shed already disappeared.
"Damn" Jadow cursed silently.
"Why didnt you stop her, love?" Rheign asked.
"I didnt get a chance to grab her bef.." Jadows words trailed off as he noticed the markings on the troll's chest. A troll king..by the gods, Arlenna was going after a troll king alone.
Rheign noticed the same thing a second after Jadow and began to invoke a spell to bind the mighty troll. As Rheign muttered her enchanted words of magic, a small form leapt from the shadows before the troll, katana aimed at its giant head. Arlennas aim was true, but she wasn't near strong enough to land a killing blow. The troll reeled for a split second as Arlies blow removed its ear.
Jadow, already moving toward the combat screamed, "Arlie get out of there!"
Too late, The troll king slashed at Arlenna with his mighty battle-axe. The blow landed solidly across Arlennas stomach, with no air to scream she crumpled to her knees, midnight black katana falling to the dirt from numb fingers as she tried desperately to keep her entrails from spilling out onto the ground. Jadow stumbled as he saw the blood fly out from either side of her body. So very much blood. Rheign finished her spell and as her hands gestured to cast it at the troll king it brought its ax down a final time on the weeping elf at its feet. His body began to freeze as the ax cleaved her body almost in half from shoulder to hip. Arlenna DeArturno slumped to the ground..the life gone from her once bright violet eyes.
Rheign screamed. She began to run to her fallen friend already preparing the spell to keep Arlennas soul from fleeing its body. Jadow reached the bound troll king and loped its head off with his warblade. He knelt beside the still form of the fallen rogue, tears welling in his eyes. Rheign reached them and cast her spell, preserving Arlennas body. The tall cleric fell to her knees cradling Arlenna in her arms.
"I'm so sorry, love." Rheign repeated over and over, her own face streaked with tears.
Suddenly, deathly silence was broken by the sound of first one deep chuckle, then another. Jadow and Rheign looked up to see thirteen Troll Kings emerging from the trees and cover around them.
"Swo ywouvbe kibbled ower brruwber!" The tallest of the trolls uttered in a gross mockery of common speak.
"Blood and bloody ashes" Jadow whispered to Rheign. "We've walked into a damn trap."
The two remaining companions stood silently over the body of their friend as the troll kings surrounded them. Rheign readied another bind spell, the last she would have time to cast and Jadow placed his back to hers. If Lorministra was ready for them this day, so be it Jadow thought.
The trolls attacked as one. Size and strength were on their side, but they could only attack three or four at a time barely making use of their advantage. To the trolls, the dark elf and giantwoman were a weave of metallic death. Their weapons flowing from one stance to the next. The first troll fell as Rheign bound it and ran it through with her scimitar. She kicked the body off her blade and cursed as two more replaced it. She had no time for any more spells.
The fighting was fierce. Jadow slew a troll with a mighty riposte, removing its head from its shoulders. Rheigns blade flew from one attacker to the next, she changed techniques and ran another of the hated trolls through. As she tried to recover her air wall spell gave out. Rheign was far less protected now. The dead troll's partner seized the moment and slashed Rheign across her left arm. Rheign twisted away in time and suffered only a minor cut. Jadows warsword rained death as he cleaved through the leg of one attacker and slashed another through its throat, severing the windpipe. Seconds later, both trolls were dead.
Jadow risked a glance at his lover through blood filled eyes. She seemed to be all right. Pride filled his heart as her blade ripped across one attackers chest, giving her an advantage. As Jadow turned his head back he heard a thump and a muffled cry. Spinning away from his attackers to see the source his eyes widened. The troll Rheign had slashed was all but dead on the ground, but its friend had slapped her on the temple with the flat of his broadsword. She was unconscious and her body was twitching slightly. Jadows face turned grim.
The trolls backed away now to study their final pray. They circled him slowly measuring him up. Jadow counted nine trolls remaining. The dark elf ranger closed his eyes and said a silent prayer to Andelas. As he prepared for his own death something happened. His body began to glow a misty blue. Jadow didnt notice it until the troll kings stammered backward. Jadow gazed at his hand as it morphed into something else, some sort of claw. The trolls muttered prayers to their own gods as Jadows nose and upper lip merged into one and his eyes narrowed, the pupils becoming a deep yellow. He resembled a catlike human, his eyes glowed eerily, defying the daylight.
Jadow heard a voice on the wind, "Fight well, fight as my claw Jadow Shati."
Jadows muscles filled with renewed strength as the full effect of Andelas blessing took to his body. He raised his ancient Faendryl warblade, troll blood running along its edge and pooling at his feet. Silently, Jadow the assassin beckoned to his prey, fight or flee.
The Troll Kings recovered from their initial shock and regrouped. Nine to one was good enough odds for any troll and they again surrounded the dark elf. Four attacked at once. Jadow didnt budge from over his wounded lady until the last second. Stepping aside swiftly he allowed two trolls to ram into each other, blocking the third from him. He spun on the fourth and removed its shield arm and then its head. Bringing his warsword to bear Jadow crushed the windpipe of a troll on the ground and cleaved open the chest of the other. The two on the ground dead or dying he turned his attention to the fourth. The troll charged Jadow and was rewarded with a stunning blow to the gut from the ranger's shield. The troll reeled and finally died as it fell on a companion's axe, Five left Jadow thought.
Four trolls stood before him with one behind them. The one that stood apart had the mark of a slayer, the elite troll king guard on its head. He would apparently wait for Jadow to tire. Four once again attacked together. These four worked together well and Jadow was hard pressed at first. Each of his mighty swings was deflected by a troll battle-axe. He had to continually change stance to keep from being completely surrounded. If that happened all was lost. The cat-like elf slayed one, but was struck twice by expert swings from the troll to his left. Frantic for an advantage, Jadow elbowed the threat on his left and brought his warsword swinging around in an savage arc severing the head of the one on his right. The final two tried to stunt at the ranger and make him drop his guard. Once this was successful as they landed a blow to his leg. This only angered him. Jadow finished them off in a blur of motion. His body faded into a streak of brown and gray and when he came back into focus, the trolls were dead.
The slayer grunted and moved into position, in his hand he held a massive shimmering claidmore. Jadow Shati, Faendryl ranger, claw of Andelas stood, his battered and bleeding body erect as he raised his ancestral family sword above his head. He would win or die protecting the Lady Rheign. The slayer circled and Jadow pivoted around the unconscious cleric staying between her and the gigantic troll. Jadow studied his opponent, marking the tattoo of a swordmaster over its left eye. That claidmore was perhaps as light as an epee in the giant slayers hand. He was a mighty foe indeed. The ranger's warsword flashed in the daylight as he made the first move. A brilliant attack at the slayers legs. The troll flicked the attack away with his claidmore and brought his weapon around in a deadly counterstrike. His sword moved like angry lightning at Jadows head, but the dark elf ducked in time rolling away from his opponent. Again the troll pressed his advantage bringing his claidmore around in a flat bladed sweep aimed with pile driving precision at the elf. Jadow deflected the blow only second from disaster with his shield and brought his warsword to bear in a great riposte. His sword cut through armor and leathery skin alike, drawing blood. As the ranger's blow followed through, the troll ignoring his would grabbed Jadow by the throat and raised him up into the air, attempting to shake the life from him. Jadows warsword fell into the dirt, as did his shield. Enraged by the tiny elf, the slayer threw him to the ground. Dazed but still conscious, the ranger felt for his weapon. He glanced up and found the troll slayer raising up his deadly claidmore for a final, life-ending blow. Jadows fingers found the hilt of his family sword. He screamed as he made and incredible flesh splitting thrust with the warsword. The slayer gazed at Jadow and then the sword in his gut with total disbelief. The great claidmore fell to the ground as the troll fell to his knees and finally forward into the dust, his body twitching as if not believing the brain was already dead.
Jadow sighed with exhaustion as he felt the blessing of Andelas begin to leave his body, already his hands had returned too normal. Slowly, he crawled to the limp body of Rheign and kissed her gently on the lips. The cleric stirred slightly, but did not awaken. Jadow closed his eyes and concentrated for a second as if communication with someone far away.
Soon, a mist appeared and out stepped Hardok Bloodhealer, empath of Icemule. Hardok surveyed the scene. First he tended the wounds of Jadow and then those of Rheign taking them into his own body. The ancient healer began to bleed, but with a dismissive motion of his hand he cast a spell healing himself. Now, cleric and ranger, although exhausted, were ready to move at least. Hardok knelt before Arlenna.
"Silly rogue." The healer uttered.
Hardok placed his hands over Arlennas temples and began to chant. Slowly, oh so slowly, her wounds began to close and heal. Finally, her blood loss replaced and only scars remaining from her wounds, Arlenna looked whole again. Hardok collapsed to the ground and began to convulse in a pool of his own blood. Rheign removed some herbs from her belt pouch and fed them to the healer. He looked a little better, good enough to do the rest on his own.
"Thank you dear lady." Hardok said gazing up at the giantwoman.
Rheign smiled. "May I bring her back?"
"Aye. You may. She is more than ready."
Rheign knelt next to Hardok and placed her hands over Arlennas heart. She called upon the favor or Lorminstra and a bolt of blue lightning seared down from the sky striking the body of the young elven rogue. Arlennas eyes fluttered and then opened, air once again filling her lungs. Rheign leaned over and kissed Arlenna who promptly fell asleep.
"Shell need rest, Rheign." Jadow said.
"I know love. Hardok, can you fog us to an inn?" Rheign asked.
"Of course dear lady." Hardok replied.
With that Hardok gathered the three companions into his group. Fog obscured their forms and they vanished. The long day was finally over.
-- A story by the Lady Arlenna DeArturno