The Woods of Eternity

[Barb]

Credit to: Barb, Legolas, Larry_OHF and mistral4543

It was a dark cold night and a band of adventurers set off from a tavern on the outskirts of Darkwood, a forest said to be enchanted with spells put upon it long ago by the dark wizard of Thinmoors.
The snow glistened on the ground and the forest had an eerie look about it in the light of the moon.
Very few people dared go near the forest let alone venture into it, but theese were more than just ordinary people.

The entire party left only one set of footprints, which were clearly visible in the snow. It was the shortest of the group who left the prints, the others seemed to float across the snow. Clad in grey, they seemed to be a ghostly appiration, mournu=ing spirits on a funeral march perhaps. But they were alive. The group moved as one, and thought as one. All that mattered was finding the grail.

Chapter 1: Journey into the forest
They were specifically chosen to work together and venture into the forest. The one who had hired them payed well in advance, and promised much more upon the completion of their task.
They were not given specifics on why they were to follow out these simple commands. But they knew they could handle any trouble that might befall. Each man was a seasoned warrior, capable in his own way and proven many a time on the battlefield. Their reputations were that of great adventurers and men that had no fear in them.
Thus, this band of capable men ventured into the forest.
The forest loomed menacingly before them now, its jaws wide open to reveal a dirt track ahead. All was silent... too silent. Despite their reputations for being fearless, these men knew the wisdom of caution. They had survived earlier ordeals, not only with their physical fitness, but also mental cunning.
Silently, they gazed at one another; communication would have to be soundless. As the minutes ticked away, they grew restless and turned to their leader, their eyes radiating loyalty and trust.
All too soon it seemed, a rustling in the bushes was heard, toward the party's left flank. Everyone was aware of the sound, yet did not make any unthoughtful moves to show that they had heard it. If they were truly being stalked by something, better for them to pretend to not be aware of the disturbance. They continued on, mentally prepared for anything that may lash out at them. They knew that their feign of ignorance would play to their advantageA strange beast emerged from the bushes and chargedat the group, no sooner had the group seen the beast when a flaming arrow came out of a nearby tree and the beast fell lifeless on the floor.
The men closed in on their ranks, and made a defensive stance against whatever had fired that arrow. Nobody in this place would have cared to help them, so maybe this invisible archer wanted the pleasure of attaking the group himself...
The men watched the trees, wondering just when their hidden follower would show himself. A short, plump figure jumped out of a tree. It landed on it's feet waist-deep in the snow. Climbing out, the group could see this one had a bow. Some of them considered an attack. Some of them considered talknig. All of them kept motionless ad quiet, waiting for what would happen next.
All around the band, the snow started moving. The wind playfully carried some of it away, but most was shoved aside by pure strenght. Three-dozen cloaked, hooded, bow-armed creatures no more than four feet high surrounded the adventurers.
The tallest of the beings stepped forward, drawing a sword and pushing the hood back at the same time, in one weird looking but well-practised motion. The feature that struck te group first was an unproportionately large, hooked nose
It was pointless to attack on unfamiliar ground; but perhaps their current disadvantage could be removed with a few carefully chosen words...
The leader stepped forward, his left hand placed against his back, motioning for his men to remain calm until any further signals were given. Taking a deep breath, he addressed the large figure in front of him ~ "Do you speak Common?" ~ His voice sliced through the silence, resonating in the woods.

[Larry_OHF]

OOC>>>I like it!
I hope that others will take part in the next scenes...

[Ares]

Sounds like fun...i would be willing to reply and go along with the flow of others' minds [img]smile.gif[/img] . I was actually in suspense about what would happen... Good Job for all involved so far

[mistral4543]

(ooc: Since no one else has taken further action so far, I'll post ahead...)

The only response that he gets is a series of wheezing and grunts. As he glances around, he notices that the creatures circling himself and his men seem to be just as curious as they are.

Clenching his fists, he begins to wonder how they may extricate themselves from this tight situation. Grimly, his left hand reaches into a hidden compartment of his cloak and draws out a few gold pieces. ~ Let's hope this works... ~

This time, he makes no sound and unclenches his fist to reveal the offer of truce. His sharp ears detecting the murmurs of his men, he whips his right hand behind to silence them.

Once again, the seconds tick away. Beads of perspiration begin to form on the temples of his head...

[ 11-17-2001: Message edited by: mistral4543 ]

[Barb]

the creature looked at the gold and ran, not turning back. His men followed him. All that is exept 1. One knealt down bowing his head, and placed his sword on the floor.

[Legolas]

Amazed at the effect the gold had on the little people the leader looked down to his palm. There was nothing but gold there. Shiny, valuable, round bits of gold. Surely this could not cause the group to flee in fear?
Then he noticed the creature on the ground. If it were slightly human, it would seem it offered it's services to the group. But one could never be sure.

Either way, the group had no need for further members, not even a guide. It operated like one, moved as one, fought as one. The members knew what the party's next action would be without speaking a word, reading a face. This little one would only hinder their movements. The creature would desturb their protective mantle, the shadowing effect of the grey clothing. It should not come along.

[mistral4543]

Yet the creature would not be ignored. As it opened its mouth, a string of intonations poured out, none of it intelligible. Its arms began to gesture wildly, its eyes ablaze with a flaming passion.

At length, it got to its feet and ran up to the leader, jumping up and down, pointing towards the northeast direction of the woods.

The party could barely see the unsuspicious-looking path in that direction.

[mistral4543]

It appeared that he had to make another difficult decision.

The leader turned back to face his followers, mouthing the words ~ Let it tag along... for now, at least. ~ Hurriedly whipping back to address the creature, he nodded and raised his left arm, extending his palm ahead ~ "Lead on... friend." ~

A toothless grin formed on the creature's lips and its slanted eyes flashed for a moment. Retrieving its sword, it made towards the path hastily, occasionally looking back at the group and gesturing with impatience.

The group began to move again, treading carefully after their strange acquaintance.