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Echoes
Nov 4, 2007 15:40:03 GMT -5
Post by Annalira Delshannon on Nov 4, 2007 15:40:03 GMT -5
((Standard OOC intro post:
This is going to be a guided/semi-open RP - if you want to get involved, send me a PM and I'd love to have you play along. I do have some overall direction that I'd like this to go.
Also, the beginning of this was written awhile back with some friends that no longer play the game. The first posts have been rewritten to bring them up to date, to some extent, and to remove the irrelevant bits. I have permission from Valand and Athorius to repost the first few posts that started the story, but while Athorius will be continuing to play, Valand is no longer interested. I'll put a note at the end of the "repost" section to let you know where the current story is beginning.
Consider the first six posts to have happened around two - three weeks ago.
Thanks, and I hope you enjoy!
Anna))
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Echoes
Nov 4, 2007 15:41:11 GMT -5
Post by Annalira Delshannon on Nov 4, 2007 15:41:11 GMT -5
The apartment was in shambles.
Chairs knocked over, the table upset, crocks of flour and sugar smashed all over the small countertop, vials of ink cracked and oozing on the counter and the windowsill. Her herb cabinet had been flung open, its contents strewn about the floor, making small gritty, crunching noises as she stepped through. The bookshelf had been toppled over on one side, all the books now scattered on the floor, some covered with flour and sugar, all with bits of herbs around them. Small flakes of fine ash floated in the air as the breeze from a broken window stirred up the long dark fireplace.
With a small squeak, Anna called out over her little gnomish buzzbox – hoping someone would be around to help her make sense of this senseless mess. Athorius was around – his voice concerned – and Vangelis and Valand. Was she alright? Yes, she was fine – just startled. Why was it that she lived in Old Town again? She sighed. Was it ruffians? She didn’t know. What was missing? Books, mostly.
Books… HER books – and not hers. She had a borrowed copy of the ever esoteric Magical Enchantments of the Kirin Tor to see if there were any more useful bits of knowledge buried under the jargon and spidery handwriting… stolen. Anna hurriedly set the table upright and began to take stock of her books. Holy Light and Song… Advanced Shielding… Channeling the Divine Spirit…Healing through Herbalism… Most were there – if dirty. Some of her own books were missing as well, though - The Power of Words to Strengthen and Destroy, and several other harder to find books of spells. Her notebooks were gone too – including the one she’d been using to write notes about her most recent adventures and books, including the Kirin Tor book.
“Anna? Was there anything dangerous in the books that are now missing.” Valand’s voice crackled through her Com, level as always, but with an edge – something was bothering him.
“Dangerous?”
“Yes, anything that could be deemed any sort of threat to you or those around you… or anyone else, for that matter.”
Anna thought for a moment – all of those books were about advanced spellwork, particularly healing and priestly spellwork. Other than Nethergarde, they’d be a bit hard to decipher, even for an experienced mage. Perhaps some young, thingyy idiot might find something to help him blow up a trashcan, but…
She leaned on the kitchen counter briefly, squelching her left hand into some half-dried purple ink. Sighing, she washed it off, looking around for something to use to start a fire in the quickly darkening room. Then she noticed the fireplace.
Sitting, half burned on the edge of the hearth was the corner of a letter. A letter from her younger sisters, written in their girlish scrawl, with hearts over the ‘I’’s and bubbly exclamation points. Frantically, Anna overturned the piles of papers strewn about from the collapse of the bookshelf – her letters were gone.
“Letters?” Valand’s voice again, “what kind of letters?”
“From my family, mostly – my only real contact with home. And a good number from other friends.”
His voice darkened, “Anyone in particular?”
Anna wracked her brain for the contents of the letters – some were over a year old now. She knew one had been from Emizael, and short ones from Angoleth and Aelflaed. At least one from Athorius and probably several from various other friends. And the letter she’d gotten from Lord D’ana’no, before his… well… before all that mess – when she was first beginning her journey, first moving into the now abandoned Defender’s Hall. All of her history, memories – ash.
She shivered, brushing tears from her face. Dusk crept slowly over the city, and the cool afternoon breeze had turned into a brisk evening wind. She went back to her bedroom, stopping short at the door.
Everything in the bedroom had been overturned. Her tiny wardrobe had been opened, clothes strewn about haphazardly. Even the trunk, padlocked, had been wrenched open with a prybar, its contents rifled through and left lying on the bed and the floor. Nothing seemed to be missing, other than the letters and the some old papers that she’d had around since her time at the Cathedral. Pushing aside a few of her light summer robes, she sat down on the little bed, springs creaking with the sudden weight. She couldn’t stay here – not tonight, after all of this, and in the midst of this mess.
Athorius’ voice crackled through the Box this time – concerned. “Have you called the Stormwind Guard?!”
“I know, but… it *is* Old Town – and they didn’t really steal anything… just made a mess. Even my fanciest clothes are still here.”
Valand finally offered the solution. Next door was the Pig and Whistle tavern; he had a room reserved there. He’d stay the night in her little apartment, if she wanted to stay at the inn. As tired as she was, she grabbed her quilt off its stand in the corner – if nothing else, she still had that – and made her way over to the Pig and Whistle. On her way out, she stopped to talk to Mrs. Stone, the wife of the swordmaker whose upper room she rented, but the woman hadn’t heard anything. Anna wasn’t surprised, considering the amount of noise that the grinder made most of the day in the shop.
Valand was going to meet her at the inn, so Anna stepped inside to get warm. Almost immediately, the barmaid bustled over and poured her a glass of brandy, bustling about how she looked a fright and needed something to “keep the chill off her bones”. And so, stepping outside to meet Valand, the alcohol buzzed through her head and she nearly fell down the steps.
As they stepped inside, Valand yelled over to one of the barkeeps, whose name was apparently Reese, and who was apparently somewhat hard of hearing: “Reese! This young lady will be staying in my room tonight, no one but her and I are to be getting in or out that door, can you do that for me?”
Reese muttered something incomprehensible. Anna staggered again.
“No, I won’t be staying with her, thanks for asking. Just make sure someone watches the door, ok? Thanks Reese”
Valand led her up the stairs to a small room on the southern side of the inn. It wasn’t big, just a bed, an end table, and a table in the corner strewn with books, but it was clean, and a fire burned low in the fireplace. Anna flopped the quilt down on the bed and peeked out the window. She could see “Honest Blades”, the Stone’s swordshop, next door.
“Anna – keep those blinds closed, if you want to peer out. Nobody knows you’re here, I don’t think, but still, I’d rather you be careful. There’s a dagger in the mattress as well.”
She smiled, pulling the curtain closed. After all of that, she was pretty sure she’d not be up for spying on her own apartment, but it was good to hear the voices of her friends and to have Valand there. Val muttered something about not needing to warn her, and got up to leave.
“Thank you, Valand. It’s… been a trying day.” Anna blinked back tears again, willing herself not to cry here, now, where someone was already concerned for her. He was going to stay the night in the shambles of her apartment, with a member of the Stormwind Guard to help. She wasn’t sure what good it would do; nobody had expected her back so soon, and only a very few knew she was in town, but it wouldn’t hurt, and she *was* in his room at the inn.
Valand made to leave, showing her how to bolt the door, and suggesting she run a chair under the doorknob. “I’ll be out for a little while yet, Anna, but Reese and the rest are downstairs if you need anything.” He brushed her shoulder softly. “Be careful, and get some rest. Goodnight.”
Anna called goodnight to him, closed, bolted, and chaired the door. She thought about letting the fire burn down, but decided she’d rather be too warm than in the dark, and stoked it back up until it was crackling merrily. The bed wasn’t hers, but it was comfortable as she lay on the rough spread, wrapped in her mother’s quilt, with fragments of letters running through her mind and down her cheeks with icy tears. After awhile though, exhaustion took over, and she fell asleep.
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Echoes
Nov 4, 2007 15:41:58 GMT -5
Post by Annalira Delshannon on Nov 4, 2007 15:41:58 GMT -5
((originally posted by Athorius))
Athorius peered across the street through the twigs and leaves, watching the apartment next to the Pig & Whistle intently, though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred in the several hours he had been there. His ears twitched suddenly as footsteps clattered on the cobbles, but it was only a some hurried traveler about their nighttime business, for he scurried past the apartment's entrance without so much as a glance. Feeling rather silly the druid settled back.
He was not entirely certain how he was going to explain this to Anna if she found him hiding under the shrubbery. He knew she had a friend looking after her, but another pair of eyes couldn't hurt, right? Right. The break-in at her apartment had shocked him. There wasn't anyone he could think of who could possibly want to hurt Anna. She had her differences with the clergy in Stormwind, sure, but he couldn't see them ransacking her home.
Come to think about it, he wasn't certain what he was going to do if someone was interested in the apartment he was watching. He had some vague idea of barreling out of the ornamental bushes and knocking them over with 250 pounds of feline indignation, but where to go from there was less clear. Probably it would be polite to ask them a few questions before considering more terminal action, but to do that he'd have to shift and lose the only real advantage he had. Some druids could manage partial transformations; Athorius wasn't one of them.
Well, if it happened it would work itself out. Probably.
Probably badly, a voice at the back of his mind snickered, and, pointedly, he ignored it.
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Echoes
Nov 4, 2007 15:43:10 GMT -5
Post by Annalira Delshannon on Nov 4, 2007 15:43:10 GMT -5
((Originally posted by Valand))
He didn’t know how, or why, the only thing that reigned in his mind was what to do now. He stared blankly into the glowing orbs across from him, the hunched form of a man, casting a silhouette from the moonlight backdropping the Landscape of Stormwind. He didn’t pretend to know what he was looking at, other than whatever it was had gone through a great deal of work. How an undead monster could find its way into Old Town was beyond him. Tonight was turning out to be an eventful one indeed.
*
He had left the Pig and Whistle earlier that evening, Anna was distraught, but she would be fine. By all accounts he should simply consider the break in at Anna’s to be a simple robbery, not uncommon to this part of town. But with the letters… the destruction was too specific to be mere coincidence, but maybe that was his hard bred paranoia kicking in. He hadn’t slept very well in the past few days anyway, maybe it was catching up with him.
There wasn’t time to think about that now though, paranoia or no, it was the right decision to get Anna out of that room anyway, and give her time to calm down. Just up the road at the Command Center, Davis should be waiting, sitting and talking all sorts of rot with the other guards and soldiers.
Davis was there all right, and stone cold drunk like he figured.
Val grabbed the taller man by the shoulder.
“Davis?”
He lurched and turned around slowly, the others at the bar were staring at him intently.
“Just who in the hell is… Val!”
His inebriated smile revealed two missing teeth; Davis was perfect for Old Town. He was a less than stellar guard, but one hell of a brawler. Plus he grew up in Old Town, or so he told Val, he could have been lying about that too.
He turned back around to his posse and pointed at Valand.
“Good guy this one.”
He reached down and drained the last of the booze from his mug.
One of the others at the table looked up, he was a bearded fellow, hunks of food were still strewn about in his wild beard, and he looked more akin to a ravenous dwarf than a human, and could have passed off as one if it weren’t for how big he was.
“Sho…. What happened to yer eye?”
Valand grimaced when he mentioned his eye; he shot a glance over at the beast of a man.
”Trust me, if it were any of your business, you’d have known by now.”
The man stared for a few seconds to register the remark; them slammed his hands down on the table and stood up.
”I’ve got right mind to brain you right here!”
He started to pull out a hatchet from his belt, Valand reached back to the single shot pistol he had hidden under his belt.
Davis put his hand up.
“Sit down Piggy and shut yer mouth, you aren’t gonna do anything, Val back here would kill you about fourteen times before your lardass could even get over to him.”
The rest of the drunken bunch bellowed out an uproarious laughter. Davis, finally realizing Val wasn’t here for idle chat.
”Ok, I suppose your calling that favor now, eh?”
*
”My shift starts in about a half an hour; I’ll keep my eyes on Old Stone’s workshop for you.” Davis said, he was tying back his hair and fitting on his helmet.”
Valand stood with his back to him staring at the post board for wanted criminals, most just petty crimes, a few murderers and rapists, your basic variety of slime. “If it isn’t bad enough with having war with the Orcs, you’ve still got dirt bags getting smashed and killing someone.”
Davis chuckled.
”Old Town’s been here since before they rebuilt the city, and it’s always been this bad, orcs or not. People aren’t gonna just change for some Greenskins showing up and looting the place.”
Valand turned, in uniform, Davis looked halfway like a respectable soldier, but his toothless grin could still be seen shining through the visor of his helm.
”Besides, aren’t you Paladin Types supposed to be converting those dirt bags?”
Valand chuckled himself.
”Some of them aren’t worth helping.”
Davis strapped on his sword belt.
”Spoken like a true warrior.”
Davis motioned for the door and the two men made their ways outside. Once out, the sky was painted with a cascade of violet and red as the sun set down. Davis patted his lantern on his side.
”What time will you be back?”
Valand peered across at the Cathedral clock; it was nearly 9 pm.
”Three or so give or take a few.”
Davis nodded.
”I don’t owe you anymore, right?”
Valand nodded, he smiled and hiked up the road to the Pig and Whistle and untied his Ram from the post.
He had the fleeting feeling that he was being watched, but he passed it off again on the Paranoia, after all, he hadn’t been sleeping much lately.
*
The monster’s decaying fingers swung forward, pointing at Valand. Its voice creaked forward, it sounded like wind forcing itself across an empty bottle.
”You… are not one…. That I remember….”
It motioned to Davis lying on the ground; his jaw was gone, replaced by utter gore.
”…. Neither…. Was…. He…..”
The undead stepped forward. Valand grabbed the heavy war mace on his back.
”…. I’m not here for you….. I’m here for another….. Leave me….. Or suffer as he did……”
Valand pulled his heavily enchanted mace out, he could feel himself channeling all his power into its heavy Khorium head.
”Who are you here for then, why did you steal Anna’s books.”
The creature mocked a smile through his decayed face.
”You…. You may suffice….”
Valand stepped forward.
”What happened to Anna’s books?!”
”…. Not my goal…. Mutual agreement….. end is coming.”
The creature rushed forward and clawed out at Valand, Val sidestepped the lumbering dead and struck his mace across the creatures’ skull, sending it flying into a nearby wall. Valand’s hand cackled with the manifestations of the light. He saw the skull, crushed into pieces by the blow; the jaw was shattered into pieces. The creature was still.
Valand walked to Davis, he was far too gone to be brought back by the Light, nor did Val think that he would have wanted to be, half his face was missing.
”You don’t owe me anything anymore Davis, I’m sorry.”
He placed his hand on Davis’ chest and uttered a blessing, from behind him he heard a shuffling, and before finishing the blessing he turned to see the undead standing by an opposite window. He was holding the broken bone fragments of it’s head. A voice like a whisper drifted from it’s throat, it’s tongue wagged as it tried to articulate words.
”….will…. destroyed…..”
Valand was no scholar, but he could put together enough to recognize a threat, then the rage he was biting down came out and he raised his mace and moved in for another blow. But the creature pushed the glass of the window out and fell to the ground below. Valand moved to a sprint and looked down, he saw the corpse stand up, grab a few bones off the ground and sprint off into the night. Valand considered making chase, but realized there was enough here to worry about. The creature would be back, it had guaranteed as much to him.
He looked out the window, up the road, he saw the blinds pulled close and the fire in his room lit.
”I should go check on Anna.”
He looked back once more to Davis, he hated leaving his friend’s body like that… but times were strange.
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Echoes
Nov 4, 2007 15:43:55 GMT -5
Post by Annalira Delshannon on Nov 4, 2007 15:43:55 GMT -5
((Originally posted by Athorius))
At least staying awake wasn't a problem, he thought tiredly, as the hours wore on. Sleep never came easily anymore. He shifted slightly under the bush to relieve a growing cramp in his leg. The moon was rising, casting long unearthly shadows over Old Town, and turning every movement into something sinister. Or perhaps it was only his fraying nerves.
He'd watched the same man who had come out of Anna's new quarters go down the street, and return to the Pig & Whistle some time later for his mount, accompanied by another armored man who went up into Anna's apartment. Since her friend apparently had no qualms with this, Athorius let it pass. He admitted some curiosity about the state of the apartment, but the very thought of invading her home unasked made him cringe with embarrassment. No, it was better for him to remain out here, keeping watch.
The night dragged on. The moon got higher in the sky. The druid continued to wait, his head resting on his paws, yellow eyes flicking vigilantly up and down the street at regular intervals. His mind slipped into a kind of poised stasis, ready to act if needed, but shut down until such time.
The moment came in a scraping sound from the alley.
His ears pricked, focusing on the sound. Some kind of movement, nothing he recognized. Something trying to be quiet. Wood creaked- the second entrance, narrow stairs winding up the side of the building. Then the muffled crash of a door being forced.
His gaze swung from the alley to Anna's window and back, a paroxism of indecision. His first reaction was to remain focused on his task. But there was a man up there, who might soon need help, and a chance to resolve part of this puzzle. But it was Anna's apartment, it was private.
The potential for harm warred briefly against the potential for humiliation, and won. Carefully, he snuck away from his hiding place, slinking through the shadows up towards her rooms.
The yell came, swiftly cut off, as he reached the top of the stair. He moved forward as quickly as he dared, but it was no use. With the instincts of a healer of many years he knew there was no life left to salvage here. A nightmare creature, fetid flesh falling from its bones in strips, stood over the corpse, its rictus of a face fixed in a permanent white grin. Athorius looked away quickly as it bent over the unfortunate man, somewhat squeamishly, though he could not block out the soft sounds of its feeding.
His thoughts ran rapidly. This creature was clearly dangerous, but it was also, at the moment, unaware. He could try to dispatch it, and while the idea of conquering it single-handedly was pleasing, with the grim reality of the prone corpse before him he was only too aware of his own inexperience at this kind of thing. Alternatively, he could run for help. After all, there might be more of them waiting...
The sudden thought made his blood run cold. There might be more of them...
One could be slipping into Anna's room while he sat here.
Cursing himself for a fool, he fled the room, jumping neatly over the stair railing down into the alley to save time. He landed lightly, transfering the momentum of the fall into horizontal speed. The cat flashed through the doors of the Pig & Whistle and turned towards the stairs, which was when the whole mad dash, up until this point almost admirable, especially considering the source, began to unravel.
His claws struggled for purchase on the worn wooden floor. For a moment, it seemed he had caught a crack in the floor that might arrest his movement, but the single claw holding him there was no match for his inertia and he went skidding into the wall.
The lone barmaid, wiping down the tables, blinked at him in astonishment.
Athorius shook himself, slightly woozy, his torn paw smarting horribly. To hell with this, he thought, and shifted back to his normal form.
"We're closing up..." the barmaid ventured hesitantly.
He dragged himself to his feet, rubbing his head ruefully, and steadied himself against the wall. Flashing her a bright and brittle smile, he said, "Don't worry. I'm just here to see a friend."
Sucking at his bleeding fingertip with a grimace, he made his way to Anna's borrowed room and knocked on the door.
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Echoes
Nov 4, 2007 15:45:00 GMT -5
Post by Annalira Delshannon on Nov 4, 2007 15:45:00 GMT -5
((Originally posted by me, Annalira))
Having slept fitfully for a few hours, Anna woke up. The fire was still burning with some force, but she sleepily threw on another good sized log, balancing it so as not to squelch those that were already burning. It was getting warm in the small room – almost too warm, but that was better than the dark.
She sat on the bed for a little while longer, wondering why she’d not thought to bring at least some bread and ale up to eat. Earlier, she had been upset, nauseated – food had been totally unappetizing. Now, however, some of that energy had burned off, and she found she was really in the mood for a sandwich. The clock downstairs chimed once, and then the large Cathedral bells chimed the half hour. Valand had a tiny clock on the side table that needed winding; she dropped the weights and hoped that it was right, and really only 1:30. Someone downstairs should still be serving something – even just leftover meat and bread.
Anna got up, smoothing her hair unsuccessfully, and then deciding to just go looking for food. The innkeeper had seen her earlier; he would at least know who she was. Pulling the chair out from under the doorknob, she opened it a crack.
------------
Downstairs in the Pig and Whistle, three dwarves sat huddled over a corner table covered with maps and empty beer mugs, talking quietly. They didn’t seem to notice the young priestess come down the stairs, though one threw a sidelong glance at her when she went up to Reese and asked him, loudly, about a sandwich. Two or three other tables held inebriated occupants – the type that had nothing better to do than pass out at the inn and hope to wake up in a bed that didn’t have lice or fleas. The barmaid, Elly, shuffled from table to table, smiling, but not saying much as she refilled the glasses time and time again.
Two men came inside from the chilly air, warming themselves by the fire for a few moments. A Stormwind Guard poked his head inside, waving at the bartender and grinning with several teeth missing.
“Everything alright?”
“Yep, just the usual, same as before.”
Elly scuttered over to him, refilling both his flask and a thermos of coffee. The priestess sat close to the fire, eating some of the day’s clam chowder and a small lump of cornbread with some of the tavern’s brown ale.
Half an hour or so later, Reece and one of his men began sweeping up the tables and drunken men. The dwarves picked themselves and their maps up, vanishing up the stairs. The priestess, startled by the sudden movement, got up, stood for a moment by the open doorway peering out into the blackness, and then slowly made her way up the stairs with a small skin of sparkling water and some muffins. The downstairs clock, and then the Cathedral bells chimed.
2:15
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Anna stumbled back into Valand’s room. She knew she’d been gone less than an hour, but something about the situation felt awkward now. She pushed the door shut, nestling the chair into it snugly. Outside, a man shouted something unintelligible, but there was no response. The sound hung in the air for a moment, and then disappeared, leaving only the crackling fire and the soft rustle of trees outside.
Anna thought of reading, but that only made her painfully aware of the state of her apartment next door. Besides, Val’s books were strewn about and opened – and she wasn’t comfortable just helping herself to whatever he was used to studying in the midnight hours. No, that wouldn’t be right.
She sat back on the bed, pulling off her shoes this time, and laying them neatly on the floor next to her heavy traveling belt. The buzzbox was quiet – nobody was around this time of night, or at least, nobody was doing anything that allowed for conversation. She loosened the lacing at the sides of her robes, pulled a chair up near the fire and, draping her quilt over it for some softness, sat slumped over - thinking and dozing.
_______
Downstairs, Reese scrubbed down the bar. He was worried about the young woman that Valand had brought in. Not that he usually made it his point to pay attention to such things – young men brought young women into the inn all the time. Valand was different though, and this seemed to be a different situation. She had been disheveled and crying; he was obviously preoccupied.
He scrubbed harder.
From somewhere outside came a loud shout and a muffled crash.
“No,” he thought, “Valand doesn’t usually bring in guests, other than books, and certainly not to stay in his own room.”
But then, it wasn’t his job to take care of the various guests and miscreants in his inn. No, not Reese. He just took care of the bills – what they did was their prerogative, so long as it didn’t cause anyone else any trouble.
Reese realized he’d been scrubbing the same spot on the bar for a few minutes and moved on, looking for something else to take his energy and his mind off the troubled woman upstairs. He heard another bump and thump and wondered if he should go and check on her. Silently, he made his way up the southern stairs to the passageway outside Valand’s room. Light shone brightly under the door; the hallway, silent.
Chastising himself for getting too involved, Reese dimmed the lamps in the passageway and went downstairs to close the shutters and damp the fire. Elly should’ve finished cleaning off the tables by now.
________
Startled from her sleep by an enormous crash downstairs, Anna stumbled up, knocking over the chair with a thump. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, cursing softly at the now singed corner of her quilt, wandered over to the door, and peeked out, trying to figure out what, exactly, was going on and whether or not she needed to re-chair the door and hide under the bed.
A wry elven voice muttered something about being alright, and Anna smiled. Athorius – nobody else could manage that tone of casual distance so insincerely. He came up the stairs, sucking at a finger, and shooting her a look that was somewhere between relief and embarrassment, he stopped at the door.
“Ath? You alright”
“Yes, just give me a moment.”
The Druid was obviously flustered by something, and Anna hastily offered him a chair and some of the spring water.
“Sorry its not anything stronger. I’d had enough earlier, I think.” She grinned. “Elly, the barmaid, seems to find brandy a good cure for most anything…” He was wrapping a bit of cloth around his left index finger – apparently the “what was going on downstairs” had involved him losing a fingernail to something.
“What happened to your hand? And have you seen Valand?”
“My hand is… well nevermind that. Valand is your friend right? Was he supposed to be looking after your apartment? One of the Stormwind guards?” Athorius’ voice was suddenly dark.
“Well yes, and no. He’s not one of the guards – but I think there was supposed to be a guard with him. Why?”
The druid started to answer something, stopped, tried to start again, and then from outside came another enormous crash. They both ran to the window, peeking through the shutters, but even in the moonlight the alley was dark. The stairs up to the apartment next door were vacant – no light from within. Anna shivered. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something was very wrong. This whole night had been a series of various oddities from the strange to the downright disturbing.
“I think, before I get into any more of this, we ought to wait for your friend.” The druid’s face was nearly unreadable now. Anna threw another log on the fire, hoping that Valand would stop by at some point, and wishing that she had some more of that ale.
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Echoes
Nov 4, 2007 15:46:27 GMT -5
Post by Annalira Delshannon on Nov 4, 2007 15:46:27 GMT -5
((Originally posted by Valand))
When Valand made his way back into the Tavern he was greeted at the door by a rather flustered barkeep.
”He just kinda walked up there… I don’t know, Elly saw him, he was one of those Druids or whatnot.”
Valand glanced over at Elly; she seemed to be too busy with eating a loaf of bread to have noticed him glaring at her.
”How long has he been up there?”
Reese stuttered.
”Oh, I don’t know…. 5 minutes maybe?”
Valand nodded and walked past the barkeep and made for the stairs with a quick sprint.
The door at the end of the hall was closed; the dark hallway was all but black with the exception of the slit of light from under his door. He could hear voices mumbling in the dark, after the disturbing and ever confusing events he wasn’t about to charge in without some sort of intelligence on the situation. He pressed his body against the wall and slid next to the door, placing his good ear up against the door itself.
Nothing. The voices halted.
”Now or never.”
He reached up and knocked on the door. Anna’s voice squeaked from behind it.
”Val?”
”Yeah Anna, it’s me.”
The door was unlatched and opened quickly. Anna was standing there with a relieved look on her face.
”Valand, you’re ok! What happened, what was that noise?”
Valand stared at the tall elf, standing in the back.
”Who is that?”
Anna turned about quickly and nodded to Athorius.
“That’s just Ath, he’s a friend.”
Valand’s visible eye narrowed.
“All right… Anna, gather your things, we’re taking the tram north.”
Annalira shot back a strange look, then accompanied by a question.
”What was that loud crash outside?”
Valand shook his head.
”The security of the city has been compromised, we can’t stay here. I’ll explain more to you after a bit, ok?”
Anna nodded and started to gather her things, Valand looked back to the Elf now, trying to not notice the Druid glaring at him. Valand looked back at Anna as she was hunched over grabbing up a blanket.
"Anna, you probably ought to stay in Ironforge for a few weeks, so make sure you've got everything you need."
She nodded, he wasn't so sure if she was correct, but they weren't exactly holding a vast amount of precious time.
"Hopefully, we can figure something out there, but there’s a threat here that I don’t like.”
Anna stopped and looked back up at Val, her eyes narrowed a bit.
"What threat?"
Valand shook his head.
"I don't know the details yet."
Anna stood upright with a half smirk on her face.
"You still haven't told me what happened?"
Valand blanched a bit, he looked at the Druid in the corner now, who was staring back at him with the same eager intesity that Anna had.
"It's not something I have time to explain here, or now, I'll tell you on the Tram."
They left the Tavern, Valand gave Reese a fair amount of gold and thanked him with the loudest voice he could muster outside of screaming.
Reese smiled, it was a defeated smile, but a smile nonetheless.
As they neared the Tram itself, Athorius now looked at Valand.
"So, what happened?"
Valand recalled his story with every gruesome detail.
The tram ride was held in silence.
((This is the last of the "history" parts. Athorius or I will try to have a "catch everything up" post up shortly. I hope you enjoy, and remember, if you want to get involved, let me know!))
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