The Party was falling into a routine of getting their camp set up, as they tried to make some decisions about the future. They where able to pile some branches together making a crude lean-to to help relieve themselves from all the rain and damp that comes from being so near to the coast.
The leather from the boars would take a couple of weeks to cure so the party could turn it into something useable. El-Dris was able to scrounge some useable plants from along the coast. All in all they felt better than just a few days before.
Sasha asked the rest of the group “Well do you think this is the Realm of Tears?”
Doric replied. “If it isn’t, why go through all the trouble to send us here. What or who did we piss off enough to send us to this forsaken place.”
“What is the Land of Tears?” Cedris asked.
El-Dris scoffed “My, you must of been locked away in a hole if you have not heard of that place. It is a land mass, approximately two weeks by fast ship, out in the middle of the ocean.” El-dris continues “The civilized realms sends all their vagabonds and trouble makers there to either survive or die. It is said that you may never leave once you have touched foot upon its shore’s.”
Sasha broke in “It is also the place where all the dark and dangerous things of the world live free. There is word of cities of elves or demons, with ancient halls of gold and silver. Temples full of magic are just waiting for those brave or stupid enough to go seek them out.” Sasha snorted. “We could be in the Realm of Tears, but all is not lost. My fathers house did some trade in the items available from Escar, as the nobles of Delves Palm called the land.”
Doric sighed “And which way shall we go to find that out? I don’t even know where here is, let alone where ever we might find a place to go home once again.”
El-dris put in ” We should go along the coast. We may find someone or somewhere.”
Sasha said “We should get off the beach and head inland, find a hill or something and then we can make a decision as where to go.” The party started to sum up the pros and cons of each approach and put it to a vote….
A Crash in the Night
A great stew of boar meat and herbs allowed the party to be content for the first time since their arrival. With full bellies they arranged themselves around the campfire and soon fell asleep.
Deep in the night, a sound pulls Cedris out of his meditations. He listens again and hears a deep snuffling sound in the distance. He hears great huffing noises as it approaches. A soft clang causes Cedris to retrieve his trusty club. He mumbles a prayer and light springs from his hands.
In its radiant glow, he is startled to see a black bear pawing the remnants of their stew. The bear is just as startled and in its surprise bolted, frantic to return to the safety of the woods, yet found itself trapped in the camp they so diligently set up.
Cedris charged forward to protect his companions, rousing them with a cry of, “Up friends, there is a bear among us.”
Cedris brought his club down right between the shoulder blades of the bear. More out of reflex than anything else the bear struck back, biting deeply into Cedris’s leg. Cedris screamed out in pain as Sasha quickly came round behind and swung with the blunt end of the spear just barely catching the bear on its back. With a roar, the bear fled back into the woods away from the screaming party.
Awake now, the party looked around for any other intruders. Just as they began to laugh off the absurd little interruption and to begin to settle down to allow themselves to relax, El-Dris spoke up. “Beware! Something else is coming!”
No sooner did the words leave his lips than howling of wolves shattered the stillness of the night.
The rustle of paws hitting the ground announced the wolves as they crashed into the clearing, yipping and growling. The pack was on the hunt. Perhaps they too were attracted by the scent of boar meat much like the bear.
Doric and Cedris grab their shields and prepare for the onslaught. They stand shoulder to shoulder as the pack leader and his mate crash into them. They are able to take the wolves’ strikes on their shields. Doric thrust his spear up into the unprotected belly of the first wolf, while Cedris swings wildly, just missing the top of Doric’s head.
“Careful there, son.” Doric shouts and Cedris has the good grace to look abashed. Distracted by the swing the pack leader grabs onto Doric’s unprotected leg. The bite is deep and he feels the wolf’s teeth grate across the bone.
Doric goes to one knee, the shock of the pain taking his breath away. El-Dris chants words of power to begin an attack, but his concentration is broken when one of the wolves crashes in to him. Its snapping jaws barely missing his face.
Sasha leaps atop a crate and jumps behind the final wolf, but she misjudged the strike and missed, startling the wolf into jumping back. Doric dazed and bleeding misses another strike and tries to rise again to both feet, his face white from the loss of blood.
Cedris cries out, “By the light, please aid us!” He brushes his hand across Doric’s leg. His wound glows and starts to close. El-dris re-centers himself and waves a hand at the nearest wolf, lighting its fur ablaze. The injured wolf drops unconscious at his feet.
The pack leader, in a fury, attacks again snapping his teeth at Doric, this time ripping a large strip of flesh from his arm. His injured mate snaps at Cedris, catching his foot , biting into it and knocking him down. Sasha, able to approach the wolf unaware, plunged her spear into its spine and with a mighty twist, severs it.
Cedris stands, prays aloud again and his ankle stops bleeding. Doric pushes the nearest wolf off of him and stabs down with his spear, pinning it to the ground. The wolf’s ribs snap and blood spouts from its mouth as his spear pierces its heart. Releasing the spear, he draws his knife, ready to strike.
El-Dric weaves webs of magic and a flame sputters around the pack leader. As a result and with a dreadful howl, the alpha turns and attempts to rip out Doric’s throat. Doric is barely able to get a hand between him and the wolf’s blood soaked jaws. The wolf bowls Doric over and clamps its jaws onto his arm. From his injuries and the impact, Doric loses consciousness. Sasha jabs at the lead wolf but misses, stabbing a crate. Her crude spear snaps, its shaft folding in her grasp.
Cedris steps up and swings with all his might, connecting with the muzzle of the lead wolf, the impact breaking its jaw. The giant wolf drops.
Cedris then prays over Doric. “Mithras great protector above and spreader of light, please help my friend’s light stay in this world.” Though his eyes remain closed, Doric sighs and his brow relaxes, seeming to breath easier.
El-dris chants and waves in the direction of the final wolf, causing a bright flash in front of the beleaguered enemy. It jumps back right as Sasha kicks at it. Her kick misses cleanly but places her between the last wolf and Doric.
She screams a challenge, “Come at me you dog, Come at me!” The final wolf leaps forward to attack Sasha, crashing into her. She feels a rib giving way from the blow. She reaches down and grabs Doric’s knife and with it she is able to rip into the wolf’s belly. The wolf pulls away managing to leap to one side but then falls to the ground, dead.
The party is bloody and torn to shreds from sharp teeth and claws of the wolves. Now all they can hear is ringing silence and the crashing of waves on the shore.
This, their new home is a place of tears and death. This is not what they joined together to seek. There was no fabulous wealth and glory to be had. Just suffering, pain and hardship. But they where together still…
Doric coughs and opens his eyes. Looking at this shredded group of comrades, he smirks, closes his eyes again and falls into a deep sleep.
El-Dris coaxes the camp fire back into a meager flame, a small ring of light in the darkness. He whispers, “If we live, we will do great things. If we die, no one will hear our song. Such a pity would that be, for we would have such a wonderful song to sing.”