Chapter 6 ~ The Party's Over

[jcftao]

Back to Susanna....

Hadrian shows the paintings to Susanna.
"The man who raised you had no marks. He wasn't of our tribe and not your real father. Was he a good man? Did he teach you to hunt and follow signs of the elk? Can you read omens and signs from the All Father?"
He pauses a moment as his hand traces an image on the wall. It is a child. "I have lost my daughter too. I have journeyed far from my home to find her. No one could help me until I found you."

Thoughts run rapid in Susanna's head. The man who raised her in the forest, did not have any marks, but he taught her how to defend herself. He was a good man, yet seemed different from her. She has no earlier memories. Could what Hadrian is telling her be true?

I will help you find your friends. One of them is a powerful shaman. She can help us return to our home.

[jcftao]

Back to Otis....

Queen Titania smiles and the King nods his head at the compliments to the keep.

When Otis mentions Fungo, the Queen puts her finger to her lips and shushes Otis, "You must'nt mention that vile creature's name. He was only pretending to be your friend, dear Orvis. I hate to tell you this, but since we are the very best of friends, I want you to know the truth. The hobbit tried to kill our beloved king! He doesn't love you and was only pretending to be your friend. I am your Queen and your greatest friend in all the world. My love for you is stronger than any other...and she whispers...even more than that of my own child here.

Orvis, be a good dear and forget about that nasty hobbit. He will be forgotten soon. Your dear friend, Erwin, however, is resting in the tall tower, where our handmaidens attend to his every need. They shall mend his wounds and bring him back to full health. I hope that Erwin will like living among the fairies. He is touched by the Green Man and we respect this.

Now, I want you to think hard on the next question...do you think you can find that elf? The one that tried to kill King Oberon with her arrows?

If you can do me one small favor...tomorrow, set forth into the forest and search for the elf maiden. Bring her to me, alive if possible. If she fights you, then you'll have to kill her...

[jcftao]

Back to Fungo....

The hobgoblin jailer smiles at Fungo. "Me name's Carondolet. I'd like to be your pal, but seein' that you'll have your head off in the morning....well...let's just say you'd better keep petting that rat."

"Now, pipe down! Or I'll come in there and introduce you to my boot..."

[jcftao]

The fairie handmaiden leaves Erwin, "rest now, servant of the Green Man. I shall return anon with victuals."

Erwin moves painfully from his bed. His wound is cleanly dressed, but a little blood seeps through the bandage. The door is stout oak. The room has a comfortable bed, a wash stand, pitcher, wardrobe (empty), and a window. You notice that you are in a linen nightshirt and your gear and clothing are gone.

Throwing open the shuttered window, you see the courtyard far below. You are in a tall tower. The stone is quite smooth and climbing would be a likely death. In the moonlight, the forest is visibile around the keep and the dark line of the river snaking through forest and meadow. Distant torchlight marks the village of Everspring to the south.

[badams30]

Otis - Charmed FIghter

Otis nods obediently to the Queen. When she says "Orvis" he says "Otis. You mean Moonglimmer? Sure, I kin' find her. You aint' gonna hurt her, are you? I'm sure she's sorry about them arrows. I kin' find her, for sure, and I'll bring her back." A sad expression crosses his face and he says "I must have been wrong about Fungo. I thought he was my friend. Oh well. Say, kin' I visit Erwin before I go? I just want to say hello and check on him. But I'll leave as soon as you want me to."

Otis nods politely, although he's a bit sad to hear that the hobbit he liked apparently didn't like him. Something doesn't seem right, but for a guy of little brain, he shakes it off and sets out to see Erwin or to leave to find Moonglimmer, depending on what the Queen tells him to do. Before he leaves her presence, he bows slightly (in what he feels is respectful behavior, however awkward) and says "My Queen, I feel outta place here in my old duds, can I git' cleaned up and find some more respectful clothes? If it's not too much to ask?"

One way or the other, Otis will leave when instructed.

[greyarea]

Oh come now, Carondolet, we can still be friends, says Fungo, whose stomach drops at the news of his impending doom.

In fact, I was once great friends with a goblin who was himself headed for the axe. Once I got to know him, I spoke to our shire's sheriff and he not only exonerated the poor fellow, but made me a deputy. My job was to help the goblin become a productive member of society. Yes, that was my job. And you know, Carondolet, I did that job well. Yes siree, that fellow became an upstanding citizen. Turns out that his incarceration was due to him not knowing the rules and customs of the shire. Once he knew them, well gee willikers, he followed them to a tee, yes he did.

Anyway, so what I'm saying is that we can be buddies. If I can make ya smile for even the one day that I'm still with ya, then you will have been a better hobgoblin for it. And who knows, maybe you'll shed a tear when my noggin goes a-rolling down the courtyard. You'll maybe think, Well, he's gone and deserved that but he was a heck of a little feller. Ain't no hobbit ever put a smile on my face like that one.

I tell you what, we become friends and I assure you that I'll be the most friendly and positive hobbit you ever did meet. You might even want to take a trip to the shire someday. You could bring my head along and regale the sheriff and the goblin and all of my friends and family there about how brave I was when the hatchet came down on my neck. You could tell them, "He was an idiot of a hobbit, but at least he made me smile for that last day of his life." You could even bring them my head so it gets buried all proper-like.

I do miss the shire. Ain't been home for a while, no siree. Yep, left because I was going to have adventures. Ever want to leave for adventures? Go see the world? Enjoy the outdoors?

If you go visit the shire--it ain't part of Elfland if you know what I mean, but those stones can take you there. Anyway, if you do go to the shire, you could tell them you met me and all. Like at Boffo's Tavern, I bet you could get a nice haunch of lamb there for mentioning you know me. I bet it's better than that bowl of stuff you're eating. Anyway, the more stories you tell, the more mead and grog and ale they'll serve you. They're suckers for good stories.

Heck, you could tell them how good I was a frisbee and how I could toss a platter like no hobbit you'd ever seen before. So good that even the King of Elfland himself was so impressed that he fell over backwards.

And you could tell them how I always sought to help out the little guy. The less fortunate. The imprisoned. Even if it meant my own hide.

Now, you don't have to tell any of them any of that, but maybe if we became friends you could consider it some time.

Because that's what friends do.

So Carondolet, it's a pleasure making your acquaintance. I wish it was under better circumstances but that's what it is. You got any family back home? Someone you can call your own? Some little hobgoblin kids there, who love to greet their pappy at the door when you get home? Do you bounce them on your knee? Teach them frisbee? Take them places to see neat things? Hey, maybe you could take your kids to the execution tomorrow? I heard it's gonna be a good one.

You know I could teach them how to throw a platter myself. It would have to be early, cause I won't have a head for it after the day gets going. But while I can, I could show them a few techniques or maybe a trick or two. Get those plates flying.

Anyway, them's nice boots you got there...

[herself]

Fungo smiles and pets the rat that runs by him (if it lets him), looking at his jailor, I've always wanted to know what a hobgoblin home looks like. This is much nicer than I imagined. Name's Fungo. What are you called?

Hehehe. So good.

[herself]

Back to Susanna....

Hadrian shows the paintings to Susanna.
"The man who raised you had no marks. He wasn't of our tribe and not your real father. Was he a good man? Did he teach you to hunt and follow signs of the elk? Can you read omens and signs from the All Father?"
He pauses a moment as his hand traces an image on the wall. It is a child. "I have lost my daughter too. I have journeyed far from my home to find her. No one could help me until I found you."

Thoughts run rapid in Susanna's head. The man who raised her in the forest, did not have any marks, but he taught her how to defend herself. He was a good man, yet seemed different from her. She has no earlier memories. Could what Hadrian is telling her be true?

I will help you find your friends. One of them is a powerful shaman. She can help us return to our home.

Slowly she will say, "He was a good man, and 'till he died he treated me better'n anyone else in the village. He didn't tell me about elk and such but I can hunt," she raps on the chest of her battered platemail, "though not in this of course." She shrugs. "He always seemed sad, though, and I never knew why."

She looks again at Hadrian. She's guessing that he really isn't her long-lost father, unless they *do* have some similar features?

"Did your child come to this place?" she asks. "How old would she be? Did the Elf Queen take her personally?" She frowns and bites her lip and tries hard to think. "Mebbe when we find my friends we can look for your daughter as well."

[mythictom]

(Sure, I go out for the day and miss all these plot points!)

Moonglimmer sees Bizenghast and Bengar trail after the faerie troop, so she decides to parallel their trek, remaining hidden within the safety of the woodlands.

[tumblingdice]

(Sure, I go out for the day and miss all these plot points!)

Moonglimmer sees Bizenghast and Bengar trail after the faerie troop, so she decides to parallel their trek, remaining hidden within the safety of the woodlands.

OC: I'm not quite sure where Bengar is. I thought he was trailing Moonglimmer. Also, why is he soaking wet?