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Saminel Oveel was a thin sandy-haired boy of twelve years. The sun peaked in through the rickety planks of his father's fishing lodge. The breeze wafted in the sea's scent as a single sliver of light touched his sleeping lids. He rolled in the comfortable confines of his bed. The tide rose with the sound of the breakers reaching the beach. His eyes opened, and he yawned. A smile crept onto his drowsing features. It was going to be another day of fishing.
Some few hours after Zalmo's group had left, a dark cloaked figure strode amongst the fresh reeking goblin corpses. It stopped to survey the scene, its face enveloped within the shadow of its hood. Leaves rattled nearby. The figure moved towards the sound. One of the goblin's lay crumpled upon the roots of an oak tree as its foot twitched intermittently.
The phantom's cloak dragged the brush until it stood over the broken creature's body. The goblin's listless eyes spoke of hopeless agony. It knew it's life was fading fast.
A clawed hand emerged from swarthy vestments to dig with thumb and forefinger into the fallen's eyes. Blood and puss oozed as the images of Malphus and the other three appeared in the specter's mind ending with a flash of light. The pale fingers found their way into the goblin's bloodied ears until the heart surrendered its last beat. The sorcerer stood upright and spoke, "Lessssser Faaaaydark."
The four continued their trek into the tall trees of the Lesser Faydark. Their compact formation consisted of Baelerwyn in the front, and Zalmo in the middle trailed by the two dwarves. The wood elf came to a dead stop, and the others followed suit. Gregabor's gravelly whisper broke the silence. "What'd you see?" There was no answer and the three gave each other inquisitive looks. Malphus nodded, and they approached with caution. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the elf, their question was answered. A unicorn lay on the grass. Its white hide shone in between the countless black charred punctures covering its corpse.
"I remember him from my youth. I had only seen him once. It had given me much pride then." Baelerwyn's tone was distant.
Malphus rested a hand on Baelerwyn's shoulder. Elves and dwarves did not share each other's company well, but the circumstances over time changed all that. "I'm sorry lad. I'm sure he was a majestic sight."
Zalmo spoke up, careful not to upset the grieving elf. "What do you think happened to him?"
Baelerwyn stirred, seemingly broken of the spell. "What does it matter. He's just another victim of the curse that has befallen this once great forest." The elf moved in closer and palmed his axe. "We must not let the same fate befall us." The blade came down hard severing the solitary horn. He offered it to Zalmo without looking at the gnome. "I suppose this will add nicely to your collection."
Zalmo quietly took it. "Thanks..."
"Put it to a good use." Baelerwyn recommenced his lead.
Zalmo stood unsure of how to respond. Gregabor clapped him on the back, "He'll be alright. Honor his words."
Zalmo responded, "Its value is obvious, yes. Although, I'm not sure I know the first thing about it."
Gregabor looked annoyed, but recollected himself. "You'll get it, Zalmo." The dwarf's ruddy face brightened in a smile. "You must. You're the only hope we have, little gnome."
Zalmo stood bewildered.
Malphus shot a disappointed look at Gregabor. "We'll not rest here. Onward with ya's."
Gregabor nodded and the troop continued deeper into the forest.
The dwarf's words rolled over in Zalmo's head. What did he mean, "only hope?" He remembered the smile. Surely he must have been joking. The look Malphus gave the other dwarf didn't bode well, though. Had Gregabor said something he wasn't suppose to? What do they know that I do not? Perhaps he only wished to remove us from the potential surrounding danger. The expression on Malphus's face haunted him. It would restart the dialogue in his mind again and again.
Baelerwyn slowed as Zalmo and the others spotted an old tower tucked in amongst the tall trunks. They lowered themselves and after a nod from Malphus, their Feir'Dal scout had disappeared into the overgrowth. The remaining three waited.
A few minutes later Zalmo noticed movement in the trees alongside the stony structure. The slender elf hopped from high branches in through a window. Again, Baelerwyn was out of sight.
They waited for what seemed like an eternity to Zalmo until a rustling noise broke the suspense.
The wood elf reappeared. "It's completely deserted."
Malphus gave one stroke of his beard. "You sure nobody's coming home soon?"
Baelerwyn continued, "looks that way."
Malphus looked to Gregabor and raised an eyebrow.
The bladed dwarf's raspy voice answered, "A few hours ago we didn't even know we were being hunted. You sure about it this time, elf?"
Baelerwyn couldn't be too offended. Gregabor was right, and the scout hadn't stopped chiding himself since the fray. "As sure as I'm going to be. Is that good enough for you, dwarf?"
"Why don't you sleep in it, and I'll stay right where I am." Gregabor retorted.
"Your mother had a beard."
"Yours had a twig up her arse!"
Malphus sighed. "We stay together." He looked to Zalmo. "What says ya Mr. Zalmo?"
Zalmo hesitated as long as he could, but their stares never wavered. "I think that every time we stop something seems to find us. But, we have to rest some of the time." He paused to glance at the others continuing to listen. Zalmo went on, "I agree with Malphus. We stay together. And it might as well be in the tower. It's a more defensible location." Zalmo had no idea if it was actually a more defensible location. He had always despised warfare.
Malphus nodded. "It's done then. No fires. We eat, then we sleep."
Gregabor harrumphed.
Malphus pointed at the dwarf. "You'll take first watch. Then I'll take over for ya."
Baelerwyn protested, "Let me have the first watch. I owe all of you that."
Grimgander's hand made a cutting motion through the air. "No. You need your rest. You've been awake too long and you're slipping on your duties. A sleepy scout will mean the end of us."
The group's silence registered a decision. "It's settled then. Stay on your guards until we're all of us inside."
To be continued...
