Turn 40 -- Little Adventures

"Ha! Keep your knowledge, boy," says Gnore as he gulps the rest of his tankard dry. Ignoring the growing anger from Lyntern, Gnore turns to the rest of the group, "If the whelp shares wounds with us, the Count'll make us suffer our very own Scourge!" As Gnore finishes he lifts his mug calling for a refill. He quickly drinks half after it is refilled as he ponders the situation. After a moment, he says to Talimar in a whisper, "The brat shows spirit though, found usually in dwarven kin. I'll take him on a little adventure while you all sleep. If you all agree, of course." He then flashes a rare smile of genuine interest.

Talimar rubs his still healing arrow wounds, "Adventuring," he muses. "Hours of boredom followed by a few minutes of sheer terror."

Upon hearing the young lad's exclamation on wanting to be an adventurer, Kersath leans forward to speak his mind, "Young boy," he says, "Being an adventurer takes more than brute force alone. It takes years of study, practice and learning before you go out to the real world. Some of us turned to adventuring only because we had no other choice." Kersath sighs deeply before continuing, "But you, you have all you could ever want! Riches, education..." he pauses and thinks a moment before continuing, "On the other hand, if you really want to be an adventurer, why don't you ask one of the guards to start teaching you the arts of the sword? Or tell the court wizard you wish to learns the ways of magery?"

After hearing Kersath, Lyntern steps forward again, "I have had some practice with the sword. Dalaes says that I've got promise. My father won't let me practice as much as I want though, he says I need to study to become a leader, not a common warrior. I don't want to be a diplomat. I want to be a great warrior and have bards sing songs of my deeds!"

"Exactly how much practice have you had, boy?" asks Dain from his chair beside Talimar. "I was apprenticed to a mage for four years and I left with not much more knowledge than when I came. It took years after that to perfect my skills, and don't think that warriors have the easy path. The elves and dwarves have spent more years learning their craft than you have lived, possibly more years than your father has lived. And you think you can become one of us overnight? Now may be the time to begin your career as an adventurer but all begins with hard work and sweat."

"I am not afraid of hard work!" exclaims Lyntern.

Randor leans over to the boy and says, "My dear boy we are not refusing to let you adventure with us for our own good but yours. True, if anything happened to you your father would have our hides. It is this though, have you ever had to kill anyone? Have you every seen what it is like? Have you ever been wounded? Had a sword stuck through your arm and felt the flow of your own blood?" Randor pauses for dramatic effect, hoping to frighten the boy but the opposite seems to have happened, Lyntern is only more intrigued by the words of Randor. "Still, if you are to be a lord over people you will have to learn these kinds of things. I would like to know just what kind of little night adventure you want to go on, and if you insist on going I will accompany you."

Randor then turns back to his meal to finish eating.

Lyntern turns back to address the entire group, "You don't understand. I don't want to go on any 'little adventure', I want to go with you to the mines! I want to go down into a dungeon and fight evil!" He concludes with a swishing motion as if he was swinging a sword.

Attempting to suppress a smile, Talimar takes a sip of his wine before speaking to Lyntern, "We understand now, we must discuss the matter in private though. As we do all business of the Company. Please leave us and come back when the meal is finished."

"Yes! yes! Of course," answers Lyntern. "I will return shortly." He then almost runs from the room with excitement.

After the boy has left the room, Kersath turns to speak to Talimar, "Gnore has a point. The kid might have something. I would wish to go along with this 'adventure' with Gnore." He then looks at the dwarf, "If, of course, Gnore would agree."

"Two teachers are better than one," Gnore says as he nods at Kersath.

Kersath then turns back to Talimar, "This is turning to be an initiation for the boy. I'm sure he'll like it, and so would I, seeing if he has some potential. The only question is how his father is going to react when he hears about it. Although, if we decide to go, I say we keep the numbers low, not to attract too much attention."

Talimar turns to regard Gnore, "Just what did you have in mind, Gnore?"

Stroking his beard, Gnore thinks for a moment before his eyes widen with excitement, "Let's see, the boys wants adventure so we'll give it to him. We equip the lad with some gear and tell him that his father told us of ruffians who operate at night and rob unsuspecting, innocent folk. His father wants us to get rid of them so three of us can take the boy along; an initiation into our group, if you like. He gets all excited and we take the boy out." Gnore stops to take a long swig of his ale, his throat unused to this much talking at once. Especially without a curse word or three thrown in!

"I doubt we'll meet any brigands out there so the night will be somewhat of a letdown and we tell the boy this is how most of our night go. Bored with nothing to do but to sit and wait. Oh we'll do all the fun stuff like sleeping on the dirt, finding our own food, combat practice where we could throw him around a bit, he can gather all the firewood and water that is needed and all that. You know, good, clean adventurer fun."

"Your idea of fun is very interesting," says Kre to Gnore.

Gnore ignores the remark from the young thief and continues, "Besides, if we do meet some brigands, there'll be three of us there to protect the brat and I doubt he'll be able to hold his supper after his first experience of real combat. Look at him, he's never done labor in his life, let alone sword play. I don't care what he says about his work with this Captain Dalaes."

Gnore huffs and takes another long gulp of his ale. Clearing his throat, he continues, "We get the information we need and the boy gets spooked or bored out of his wits with a whole bunch of nothing but menial labor. Anyhow, if worst comes to worst, we can always tell the count that his boy wants to run off and adventure with us. I'm sure the count'll put a quick end to that dream." He snickers slightly as he finishes.

"Let's see, Kersath, Brother Randor and myself make three, but perhaps one more soul who doesn't need that much sleep would like to come along?" asks Gnore. "Four should be a nice enough number to protect the kid." Gnore smiles as the surge of anticipation of being a part of the kid's first adventure fills him.

Beleg, a broad smile on his face, has remained quiet as the boy made his declaration and his companions responded. He nods his head in approval at Gnore's suggestion of a late night adventure for the lad. After hearing Kersath's plan to join Gnore on the expedition, he speaks up, "Unless you need someone to play the role of 'giant monster'," he says with a wink and a grin, "Then I will take advantage of the Count's hospitality and get a good night's sleep. To tell you the truth, I'm looking forward to sleeping in a bed!"

"I wouldn't mind you coming along," answers Gnore, "In fact, it would make the whole night safer. Then again, we might need you fully rested when we once again take to the road filled with real danger. Either way is fine with me," Gnore finishes with a grin.

"Then the bed it is for me!" answers Beleg.

After listening intently to Gnore's plan, Druckner says, "Sounds good ta me. That way we'll make a friend that might give us good information. Be sure to question him about the Scourge and the area. And I'm sure the kid will have an interesting night." He grins and nods toward Gnore as he pulls out a small notebook from his backpack. "I'm gonna take advantage of our rooms to update my notes on what we know about Haranshire. I figure that seeing them written out in plain runes would help me see clearer."

Randor scratches his chin as he thinks about Gnore's plan a moment longer, "That sounds like a very good idea friend Gnore but let's give him the FULL feel of adventuring." Grinning broadly, he continues, "If we don't get attacked we could possibly have someone from the group burst into the camp yelling and screaming. They could grab something like a sack or waterskin and fill it with blood and possibly entrails from some animal freshly butchered, then they would take a dagger, cover it thickly with the blood and slap the flat side across the boy's face so that it stings and maybe push him into the mud. Then they should have the sack strapped to their chest or stomach and someone out with the boy could split it and let the boy see the blood spill out. The boy would get a full taste of adventuring gore and terror. But we mustn't humiliate the boy too much or he might not decide to help us." Randor then takes a sip of wine as the party contemplates his idea.

Talimar shrugs, "Very well Gnore. Dain wishes to go back to Tauster to help with the identification of the ring, why don't you escort him down? I am sure Kre could make a convincing attack on the boy."

"That would work out great," says Dain. "Provided you wouldn't mind spending the night in an inn once you reached Thurmaster?"

Smiling at the rest of the company, Gnore finishes his drink and slam the tankard down. "Done!" he shouts.

"Escorting Dain back to town sounds like an adventure to me. This way we won't be false in taking the boy on a job, so to speak. With our company's luck, as it is thus far, we won't be needing a fake attack since a real one is probably waiting for us outside the keep." Gnore muses. Turning to Talimar he continues, "Talimar, you are our leader. Perhaps you could declare our decision to the boy saying what the adventure will be and who you will send with him. And throw some of that flowery elven speech into it just to inspire the bra..ah...pledge and we'll take care of the rest." Gnore smiles then clears his throat and averts his eyes from Talimar as the embarrassment of telling the leader of the company what to do finally silences his tongue. "Eh...assuming this is all ok with you, Talimar."

"That is fine with me," says Talimar in reply.

"Aye, it sounds like a reasonable plan," begins Garth, "but either way we should inform the father. Twouldn't do to be accused of kidnapping. Of course, we don't have to let the boy know his father knows. Or let the father know that the boy is offering us information in exchange. It is a win-win situation all the way around."

Beleg nods thoughtfully as Garth speaks, "I agree that the Count must be informed of our plans and, unless any of you object," a side glance toward Talimar, "I will inform his lordship of our plan."

"I have no objections to that either, noble Beleg," answers Talimar.

"It is decided then," says Talimar. "Let us finish our meal and await the boys return."

A few moments after Talimar finishes speaking, Lyntern returns to the room. "Well? Can I go?" he asks excitedly.