Playing Catch-up

Once again I have proven that the murder of one person (See previous post: Success!) has benefitted us all on a whole. I have decided that it was about time that I finally catch up to Joneus and hopefully I won't fall behind again.

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As we re-entred the inn I began contemplating just what those men wanted with Kalinka. It likely had something to do with her power over nature, but how could they have known about her? Rather than worry the others, I decided to keep that information to myself.

I glanced over to Llyd, he was introducing himself to Jesse. Smart, I thought, get on her good side while you can. I silently chuckled to myself at that thought.

Just then Kalinka jumped up and yelled. "Hey! What's that over there?!" While pointing towards the floor across the room. Her, Jesse and I all went over to check it out, while Llyd stayed behind rubbing his ears, the latest victim of Kalinka's boundless energy and sponteneity. But he too, eventually followed us over.

Kalinka picked up a piece of metal off the floor, I was unmistakably the symbol of the White Helms of Mangard, a red eagle. Had one of those men dropped it? I didn't have time to ask the question of the others. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small blaze making it's way to the barrels of alcohol.

"We have to leave," I said, "Now!"

I pulled the three of them out of the inn as quickly as I could. Almost emmidiately after we left the building the barrels caught fire, and it wasn't long before the whole building was ablaze.

Jesse looked very upset over the fire, mostly fearful that she had lost her father. Llyd did his best to comfort her. Just then a figure leapt out the window of the inn. It was definately Jesse's father, and I saw her face lighten a little at the sight of him walking down the road.

"Okay," I said, "mount up, Kalinka. I've got some questions, and we're going to Gilden to get some answers."

And so we rode off to Gilden. Llyd and Jesse decided to come with us, and I welcomed their company. To save time, I chose to take the Dark Mountain path, not my favourite of places and for good reason.

"Steel yourselves," I warned the others, "The shadows here are very dangerous."

Not one minute after I had spoke those words there cmae a cry for help in the distance. Llyd seemed almost inticed to go to the aid of whoever called. "Llyd!" I called to him, "the mountain makes you hear things that aren't there, don't worry about it." But he still looked as though he would run off and try to be a hero.

"What if there really is someone in danger?" He asked, confirming my presumptions. I knew how he felt. I had riden through this path before, and every time I heard the same voice calling for help. Were there actually someone in that kind of danger here he or she would be long dead by now. It cut to my very soul to ignore it, but my heart knew full well that my logic was sound.

I first tried to bluff him, "Go off if you wish," I said, "I won't be there to save you if your soul is devoured by the spirits of the damned." He stopped for a bit, as though withdrawn into his own thoughts. For almost a second I foolishly thought that I had swayed him.

Then He yelled to his horse an rode headlong toward the source of the cry for help.

"What do you think you're doing?!?" Yelled Kalinka. "You be killed! Get back here this instant!" Llyd just seemed to shrug her warning off. In seconds he was too far away to be seen.

"Should've known better," I said quietly, "it didn't stop me from running off the first time I was here. Why would it work on him?" I looked over to kalinka and Jesse. "C'mon, we're following him."

We rode as fast as we could, only to find a small avalanche had blocked our path. "This was definately the work of the spirits here," said Jesse, "you two go ahead, I'll watch the horses and try to clear the road."

Thanking Jesse for her help, Kalinka and I climbed over the rocks as quickly as we could. After clearing the landslide Kalinka heard Llyd's battle cries dead ahead. So we ran in that direction, praying that we were not too late.

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I hope you enjoy this and that it's not too long.

Marr Vell

P.S. Oh! And Kalinka, if you read this, I posted a thank you comment for your "Cheer up Marr" commets from before. Just incase you haven't seen it yet.