Cithembi nods solemnly, though he keeps his wide smile in spite of the soberness settling over his expression. "Yes, I will help with this, too, friend. Thora should rest well here now."
With the church re-consecrated, everyone lays down to rest in the not-quite-so-ruined church, the remaining walls and Cithembi's blessing giving the place an air of comfort and peace. A brazier from the altar is re-purposed to hold the evening's fire, a rotating watch is set, and the night passes in peace. Nadya offers to take the final watch; as dawn's first light creeps over the top of the trees, she begins her work, digging in the church's yard with a small shovel. With everyone working together, Nadya's prediction proves correct, and Thora's final resting place is ready by the third hour of the morning.
The little girl's still form is unburied from where the sled's contents had concealed it. A blue-and-white quilt serves as a shroud, and a large rug from the church proves the simplest way to lower Thora into the small grave. As she helps to lay her daughter to rest, Nadya weeps openly, not even caring to conceal her tears for the moment. Orm and Mjoli, however, are oddly silent, especially compared to their usual larger-than-life personalities. Just before Nadya prepares to throw the first shovelful of dirt back into the grave, Mjoli stops her; reaching into his pocket, he withdraws a small doll.
Far from the refined, bejeweled porcelain through which you first met what remained of Thora's spirit, this doll is cobbled together from sticks and twine. Its head is a small scrap of canvas, a remnant of one of the ruined paintings inside, tied into a small globe and stuffed with moss; the painting's subject, a young Tien girl, still smiles her painted smile on its surface. I made it for Thora...so she'd have something to play with, he explains almost bashfully, before carefully leaning over the grave's edge and releasing the improvised toy to drop softly on Thora's chest.
Cithembi feels like he should say something, but is not certain just how Nadya feels about Desna. And so he looks over at her and quietly asks, "Would you like me to pray?"
If...if you wouldn't mind, she answers Cithembi with a nod, falling quiet as the catfolk offers a prayer to speed Thora on her journey. With the ceremony complete, the shovel's impacts once again fill the air, and soon a fresh mound of dirt lies for the moment uncovered by snow. Let's go, then, Nadya finally says, scooping Orm up into her arms; Kashka gathers up Mjoli, and everyone takes a few moments to eat an early midday meal. The mood starts out somber, but when Nadya trips over a sled runner and lands face-first in the snow, the twins restrain themselves for only a moment before the giggles emerge, and the cloud of sadness lifts as the party sets underway.
----------
Just around the corner, Nadya chimes in, pointing over a small rise silhouetted against the pinks and purples of the sunset. See the chimney smoke? That means we're getting close to Ellsprin - we've made good time today. With the rest and comfort the chapel had afforded and the late start, there'd been less need for pauses than usual, and the hard freeze last night has left the road smooth and easy to travel. Indeed, you've hardly stopped moving since leaving the abandoned chapel behind.
The main part of the town's a mile or two off yet, but there's a few cottages outside of town a ways - trappers and the like, that prefer to live closer to where they're hunting. If it was just me I'd see about asking after one of their hearthstones to sleep on, but with this many we'll be better off pushing on to town, seeing if there's some space at the inn. Good little inn they have - we'll stretch them, I don't doubt, but - Suddenly, her words drop off as she looks ahead. What's that?
Ahead, one of the outlying cabins Nadya had mentioned stands against the snow, surrounded by a small grove of hardy shrubs and a pair of trees. The smoke she'd pointed out before rises from the chimney, but it's the only thing that moves - there are no signs of occupation within the small wooden house, and the window shutters are closed tight, with not even a crack of light visible around them. Several strides away from the house, a figure lies in the snow...a humanoid figure, clearly unmoving, possibly facedown. And surrounded by a dark stain, crimson even in the slowly fading light.
Cithembi gives a solemn prayer for Thora, then helps with the rest of the burial.
His subdued attitude just barely lasts long enough for them to leave before his usual cheerful self rebounds, and soon enough he is telling Orm and Mjoli stories of far-off lands and strange people as he walks lightly on the surface of the snow.
***********
The smile fades from his face as he looks at what Nadya had pointed out. He then looks around the area warily, searching for signs of danger.
During the funeral service Freyja offers a song. If Nadya accepts she sings a low ballad of rest and happy reunions in the ever after.
***********
Seeing the humanoid figure in the snow Freyja moves forward quickly, letting others worry about ambush. She kneels to check him or her for life.
"Oh No!" Evelina exclaimed. Throwing caution aside, she runs up next to Freyja to see what happened.
Maddy's eyes flick to the body and then focus on the surrounding area. She draws her sword and makes sure that her twin and sister are close.
"Freyja, can you tell what happened?"
Martok stayed slightly behind withe boys as Freyja checked the humanoid, "Is he alive?"
The dwarf looked around to make sure this was not some elaborate trap.
---------------
Matt stood at Maddy's back, scanning the area behind her, looking for danger.
As your footsteps crunch through the snow to the body, one tiny crack of light peeks from beneath the shutters, as if occupants inside had pulled aside a thick curtain or moved some kind of blockage. Wait...look out! you hear from the house - and from behind a mound of snow, you hear a tiny scuff of movement. Suddenly, a blur streaks past, a gash opens in Evelina's trouser leg that begins to well with blood, and a harsh, mocking voice rings through the garden. Stupid-humans-always-wanna-ruin-games! From the other side of the group, Maggie suddenly lets out a cry of warning, just in time for Matthew to duck a spear that emerges from a nearby bush.
Before anyone even has a chance to think, the strange assailants are back again. This time, the spear emerges from a bush near Evelina, brandished by a small creature that seems to be made of twigs bundled together with vines. It times its attack perfectly, so that its spear point darts forward just as the blur of motion flashes past Evelina again. Can't-play-like-me-though! This time, it's Evelina's side that opens in a wide gash, but before she can bring her sword to bear, the...whatever it is has disappeared again.
Cithembi moves forward and readies himself, watching the fast creature, ready to give it a faceful of starlight when it approaches again.
"Gah!" Evelina yelps out, clearly in pain. She stumbles backwards towards Maddie and Freyja, hoping her friends will at least get a clear shot if they run at her again. As she does so, the pair almost needs to catch Evelina from falling over. Still, she braces herself and prepares for another attack.
Freyja begins to sing, using a point of mythic power to enhance her song. She draws her sword and imbues it with arcane power.
Martok's Lord of Fire stirred as the fey hurt his companions, "These little guys are bad news. be careful."
He then goes on to explain what he knows about them as he nears the twigling.
He belched and breathed a cone of fire on the hapless fey.
--------------
HP 49/49
AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14
Conditions: n/a
Melee (+1 spear): +4 = +1(magic) +3(base)
Melee Damage (+1 spear): 1d8+1, x2
5/5 mythic pool, 4/4 touch of flame, 2/2 channel energy
Spell used: firebreath
Martok seems to be more familiar and knowledgeable about the fey creatures. Even though it's good to know what they're fighting, all Maddy needs to know is that they're hurting the others.
With her sword at the ready, she takes a swing at the twig-thing. "Matty, if you can slow that other one down it would be most helpful. I'd also be staying away from any bushes or shrubs to make it harder for the other one to get at you."
Matt shook his head as Maddy asked for a spell of slowing. "I can't cast that, it's still beyond me. But he won't be running so fast if he can't see!" Turning rapidly to track the speedy foe, Matt made a "V" shape with both hands, and swiped the V's across his eyes. He then clenched his hands into fists, an thrust both fists towards the blurry fey, crying out, "Faracoss!"
Faernip: 36/36
Tindlecrick: 50/50, -9, -5 = 36/50
As Evelina stumbles back, Madison steps forward to take her place. Swinging mightily at the bush, she cuts through the leaves that obscure her vision and crunches through bush branches and twigjack branches alike, and the fey yelps in pain. When Martok's flame bellows forth, instantly turning snow to steam and singeing the bush it uses as cover, the twigjack leaps from its perch to avoid the worst of the fire, using the branch's tension to launch itself unnaturally quickly for the bush behind Matthew. Evelina tries to strike at it as it takes up its new position next to her, but she is not so lucky as Evelina, and the mess of branches obscures her vision. Faernip - here! the twigjack cries out, turning to fling a spray of sharp splinters at the knot of women behind him.
The quickling turns at the twigjack's call - just in time to see Matthew's fists jut forward, a susurrus of energy between them. But Faernip doesn't flinch even for an instant as the spell's energy washes over him - he simply rushes forward as quickly as ever, a mocking expression just visible on his face. See-Tindlecrick? Big-folk-magic-not-good-enough! he crows triumphantly, closing the distance and lashing out with his claws to open a huge gash in Matthew's side. Cithembi tries to disable the creature with a riot of starlight, but it travels through the flashes and bursts unfazed.
Freyja, quick enough for once, manages to avoid much of the sharp splinter damage. She steps up and attacks the twig jack further imbuing her weapon to be bane agains fey. Enough! she says as she cuts through the creature.
Ready this time for there assault, Evelina is able to dive out of the way this time, though she still feels a few of the splinters catch the side of her leg.
Spotting the fast one zip by again, Evelina narrowed her eyes. "Y'know...You ain't the only one whose fast!" Leaping forward with a burst of speed, she pushes aside the pain she's in and rushes at the creature.
Maddy winces as the sharp splinters penetrated her defenses. Her body begins to quickly heal itself as power she'd never experienced before courses through her body in response to the sudden onslaught.
She then changes direction to follow the fey creature who moves too close to her twin. She interposes her body between the two as her sword comes down on the splinter-throwing nuisance. "Matty! Get away from the bush!"
Matt obeys Maddy, stepping back just enough to allow her to move in. He then spun flung both hands towards the speeding fey, calling out "Nerais nairraira!" Two glowing points of magical energy flew unerringly towards the fey, disappearing into its body, causing a flinch.
Martok moved towards the most damaging of the fey, "Hey fast guy, how about you take a load off your feet and take a little nap, eh?"
----------------
HP 49/49
AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14
Conditions: n/a
Melee (+1 spear): +4 = +1(magic) +3(base)
Melee Damage (+1 spear): 1d8+1, x2
5/5 mythic pool, 4/4 touch of flame, 2/2 channel energy
Spell used: firebreath
Faernip: 36/36, -33, -10 = -7/36
Tindlecrick: 36/50, -19, -16 = 1/50
The quickling Faernip turns around to gloat again - only to see Evelina rushing madly for him, wreathed in a nimbus of light from the missiles of energy that follow from Matthew's hands in her wake. The two energy bursts diverge, one to each side of Evelina's waist, and crash together at her rapier's point, sparks crackling down the blade as she drives its tip deep into the fey. Blade and magic together overwhelm the quickling, and it falls to the ground between the cabin and the road, strange silvery blood echoing the red stain to the west.
Tindlecrick cries angrily at seeing Faernip fall, but it has its own problems to deal with - Madison's sword once again crashes through the bush to sever several twigs in its torso, and Freyja's sword pulsates with a gold energy that causes the fey to cry out in pain as the wound begins to smoke slightly. Grabbing onto one of the bush's branches, the twigjack uses the crown as a catapult and launches into midair, landing in a distant bush loaded with red berries and running to the north. In the distance, you can just see the edge of a long-disused barn.
At the quickling's fall and the twigjack's disappearance, a loud sound, halfway between a cheer and a sob, erupts from inside the cabin. Wait - wait just one moment - The shutters begin to rattle, and chinks of light appear between the slats.
Cithembi, never one to kill without need, is content to let the fey flee. Being deaf he doesn't hear the person talking.
Instead he sighs and looks to his companions. "A pity we did not arrive sooner," he says mournfully, looking at the corpse.
At the fast fey went down, Evelina's adrenaline rush wore off. "Urf..." she groaned out as she moved up to the cabin and leaned against it, not even thinking about running after the twigjack. Hearing the voice, she looks up into shutters. "'Ello..." she replies weakly.
Maddy takes a couple steps towards where the twigjack disappears but stops when she realizes the others are content to let it go. Instead she keeps her sword at the ready and makes sure that Matty is ok before she goes to check on the other fey's body.
She then moves back towards the cabin to join the others who are already trying to speak to whoever was inside.
Content to let the fey run Freyja returns her attention to the dead man. Sheathing her sword she gathers him into her arms and lifts him up and begins to walk towards the house.
Holding the bleeding wound in his side with both hands, Matt follows Maddy towards the house, hoping they would be safe until they got inside. As he watched his twin, her wounds knit shut, leaving barely a scar. "How...how did you do that?" he said, his mouth dry with pain. "That thing got you, I saw it. But now..." he reached out and touched the healed wound. "Can you heal me as well?"
"I can heal you, friend," Cithembi interjects, walking over and calling on the power of Desna with a silent wave of his hand.
Maddy looks surprised at her twin's comment. "You know I can't heal you. That thing must not have hurt me as badly as you thought." She pauses before adding hesitantly, "Or maybe it's one of the gifts I got from our oath to Baba Yaga. Your magic got better, maybe my body got better."
Finally seeing the extent of Matty's wounds, Maddy begins to get frantic. "I'm sorry, Matty. I should have been faster." She begins to dig for one of her potions when Cithembi speaks up. With a voice full of gratitude she says, "Thank you, Cithembi. And thank Desna - for keeping him in one piece." Glancing at the others she adds, "Maybe you could also take a look at Evelina."
As Evelina slumps against the house, the sound of movement inside continues; after several moments, the shutters clatter open, puncture marks in the wood and bent nails evident. The cabin's occupant turns out to be an Ulfen woman just rising into middle age, with a sturdy green dress worn thin in the elbows by work. Her hair is speckled slightly with red drops, and the effort of releasing the shutters isn't enough to explain her heavy breaths. Th- thank you, she huffs, consciously taking a few deep inhalations. I would never have been able to - oh! You're hurt! she exclaims as she takes in Evelina and Matthew. The door, I'll get the door - come in, rest, please.
A few steps pound on the floorboards inside, a heavy door bolt turns, and the interior of the cabin is revealed. The house is small, but neat and welcoming. A metal stove and a handful of chairs crouch on the south end of the house, while the north corner is taken up by a wood-framed bed. Ensconced in the blankets of the bed are two children, a boy and a girl who gasp in surprise and fear at the sight of Evelina covered in blood. Hastily, the woman ushers you inside, then looks out to the road. The others - they're your companions, too? Get them in here, quickly - that quickling has a mate! There's nothing I can do for the dogs, I'm sorry, but I have to get this door closed again... At her call, Nadya and Kashka look at each other for a moment as if sizing up the situation, then hurriedly drive the sled next to the house and walk inside with the twins in tow. Madison diverts to examine the dead quickling, but it takes only a cursory glance to see that the fey carried no possessions. One sword thrust ensures it will never rejoin its mate.
As Freyja trails the group with her burden, the woman gasps and sways on her feet for a moment before steadying herself against a large chest, and the children take one look and turn to clutch each other, whimpers beginning to emerge. Please, yes, bring him in, the woman says after a long moment, here, on the tr-trundle bed... She reaches beneath the bed and pulls out another small platform on rollers, topped with a blue ticking mattress stuffed with straw. He knew...Borvald knew he didn't have a chance...but he told us to go, wanted to give us a chance to hide... Those thrice-damned faeries! she suddenly shouts, kicking the bed's frame so hard that it shakes before she sinks to the floor next to the now-occupied trundle bed, sobbing. This is all my fault...all my fault, Borvald, my Borvald...I should have said no, it would have been kinder...
Cithembi, once he realizes someone is talking in the house, wathces his companions, and when they start heading into the house he follows.
He smiles just a little at Madison. "Desna watches over travelers... and those fighting evil where none else stand up against it, especially, for they are like the stars."
He watches the woman's words carefully, then makes his way over to Evelina. Seeing how serious her wounds are, he draws more deeply on Desna's power to heal her.
Growing increasingly weak, Evelina doesn't try to resist as the stranger moves her into the house. Instead she just sits where she is placed listening to everyone else in a haze. Finally, things start to get let hazy and she sees Cithembi's face hovering near her. Looking down she sees that some of her wounds have closed and the bleeding is stopped. "Thanks, friend", she signs to him. Still pretty sore, she elects not to get up from the chair just yet, but she does start listening to the conversation. She looks sadly towards the woman and what she could only assume was her dead husband. Clutching her side, she forces herself up from the chair and approaches the woman. Putting her spare arm on the woman's shoulder, she tries to console her. "C'mon now. It ain't your fault. It's them damn faeries like you said!" She looks again at the deceased man, "He did exactly what he wanted to do. He made sure his family was gonna be okay. I don't think he regrets it...'an I don't think he would want you to either..."
Too late to heal his companions, Martok resigned himself to listening to the sad tale.
Stoic as a rock, the dwarf offered what little comfort he could, "The evil fey will no longer trouble you."
He then asked, "If you don't mind e asking, what did Borvald asked you to do?"
Freyja lays the body on the bed and goes back out. I will stand with the dogs. I am not going to let them fall.
Martok saw that some of his companions were still hurt and gathered them around him.
"I need to cleanse my spirit. Too much destruction and violence just pollutes my body. Let's call on the healing spirits of the land."
A vibrant light softly emanated from his body, a light that cleaned and mended bodies and broken spirits.
------------
Evelina gives Martok a grateful look as the rest of her wounds heal and she is able to stand up straight.
Maddy looks concerned as the woman tells them that there was another quickling about. That coupled with the fact that the twigjack had fled did not give her any peace. "Why were the twigjack and quickling bothering you and why do you think the thing's mate will come back to hurt the dogs?"
He asked me t-to marry him - and you see what that's gotten him. Everyone told you Maret the faerie-fuc- the woman murmurs to her husband, cutting herself off with a glance at the children. The fa-faeries are here because of m-me. Because of my s-son - because he's one of them. The boy on the bed gasps and looks to her wide-eyed, but Maret quickly rises from the floor to hug him close. Oh, no, no, Jory, not you, not you. There's...something you need to know, my babies. Still uncertain, but trusting, the two children climb into their mother's lap, and she hugs them close as she begins her tale.
Jory and Katlina, they aren't my only children, she starts with a kiss to each forehead, and I didn't meet my Borvald until we were both well into our twenties. But there was another...just after my seventeenth birthday. Despite herself, her lips attempt to curve into the ghost of a smile, although sadness still hangs heavy in her eyes. My father was away on a hunting trip, and my mother was staying with a sick neighbor. I was gathering cedar bark in the woods when I heard music - and what music it was, the sweetest I'd ever heard. I followed the sound, and there was a man there, sitting on a stone playing a set of pipes. I should have run when I saw the tail and hooves...but by then I'd heard his voice. Satyrs always have voices like violins, it's said.
At this, she chuckles slightly. It's all the usual from there, really. I was beautiful as a dryad, the satyr said. He'd never seen my like among humankind, he could show me wonders beyond what I could imagine, we could have a night I'd never forget. The usual. And it didn't take the magic they're supposed to have to convince me. She starts to go on, but checks herself with a glance at the children. I'll spare the details - let's just say, he was truthful. We said our goodbyes, I went back home un-missed, time went on...and then the signs came.
An ordinary bastard would have caused enough gossip, but a faerie child - and it was clear what little Garen was, even before he was born. You could feel his hooves through my belly when he kicked. Of course, none of the boys I'd grown up with would have anything to do with me after that, though they'd accepted my kisses plenty willingly before. There wasn't any chance of marriage, not after that. Mother and Father let me stay with them for a while, when he was first born, but after a while I left...the stares and the whispers were just too much. There was a hunting cabin that had been abandoned, so I moved in there, fixed it up as best we could, and we lived there.
It was hard, but truthfully I loved my little boy...though Garen didn't stay a little boy for long! It wasn't five years later that he looked of an age with me. We lived together, took care of each other - and then one day, he was gone. There was only a note, apologizing for being the reason Ellsprin would have nothing to do with me... At this, Maret's shoulders shake with another sob. I never told him to leave, but he thought that if he left, the villagers would take me back. It wasn't true, of course, but it just shows - he was a good boy! He never meant any harm! She sighs heavily, taking a moment to compose herself.
I met Borvald when he moved to make a claim in the woods near here, and we hit it off. He knew about Garen, but we agreed not to tell Jory and Katlina until they were older. I wasn't ashamed, but there wasn't any reason to get them involved, not until they would understand more about what happened. Besides, I thought Garen was never coming back...and then the quicklings came, with the twigjack and my Garen behind. The quickling said I'd p-pay for what I'd done to Garen...that we'd all pay, for being ashamed of fey relations when it's the fey who should be ashamed for mating with - with "verminous humans"... At this point, Jory and Katlina begin to cry again, and Maret shushes them with a comforting hand. I think Garen tried to stop them - they said something about making him watch what they'd d-do to me, if he wasn't fey enough to take his revenge himself...
They're crazed, these quicklings, so intent on their twisted revenge "for Garen's sake" that they won't stop. Not until everything I have is unmade, and then I'm afraid they'll move on to the village for turning on me and Garen. They've got to be stopped... Hugging her children close, she glances over Katlina's shoulder to her husband's still form. It's too much to ask, but you managed to beat one already. Please, stop them from hurting anyone else. Including my Garen, if he's still alive - I promise, this is not truly his doing. He's not doing this willingly, he can't be. He just can't...
Cithembi nods solemnly. "We will stop these evil fey."
He looks at the others. "Yes, friends?"
Freyja listens to the story thinking she must capture the tale in a song. It is a sad tale, but perhaps there can be somewhat of a happy ending if these evil fey can be stopped. I will help you. Freyja agrees.
The dwarf tried in vain to keep back a sniffle; his eyes glassy with tears.
"Aye, we will help. The fey need to know to stop. They need to know that you loved and still love Garen and that he did not leave because he was cast out."
He shrugged, "Maybe that will convince them that everything was done out of love."
Matt watched the others get all verklempt over the woman's story, but Matt had to hide an eye-roll. First that lady with the tail, and now this? For a land ruled over by wtiches, there sure is a lot of free love happening. But I guess there's little enough else to do on cold winter nights.
Still, he didn't mind going after some wicked fairies. "I don't know that they care much about the truth, Martok. But we'll stop them, you can trust in that."
Maddy listens to Maret's story thinking that it was a perfect example of how choices have consequences.
Not surprisingly, she agrees with her brother. "We just killed one of the quicklings. The other fey aren't going to care about anything we have to say. We need to finish what they started."
Maddy asks Maret directly, "Do you know where the fey are? Where the other quickling may be? I saw the twigjack go back towards the barn - is that where they are?"
If you saw where the twigjack went, you know more than me. I think that direction is where they came from - it may be the best place to start. I only wish there was more I could do to help...but I've nothing that would be any aid, nor any skill in fighting anything but the cold. I'm sorry. I can keep watch on your sled and your dogs, though, and the boys of course can stay with me too. Rising to her feet, Maret goes to the kitchen table and withdraws a pair of cookies from a jar, offering them to Orm and Mjoli, who take them gratefully.
The twigjack's path is not hard to follow - it seems Tindlecrick had little thought for stealth in his flight. The small footprints bound through the snow straight toward the abandoned barn that comes into view, unwavering in their course. As you draw close, a voice rises into hearing, shrill, rapid-fire shouting punctuated by short, sharp cracks and loud cries of pain.
We-did-this-for-you!
*crack*
Aahh! Please, stop -
For-you for-you for-you!
*crack*
Argh! I didn't want this!
*crack*
Aaah! I didn't mean to -
*crack*
Martok looked towards his more stealthy companions, "Do any of you want to take a closer look or are we just going through the front door?"
He added, "Perhaps we can stage a distraction and see if anyone comes out?"
They are beating the satyr child! Through the front door. Freyja says as she moves toward the door and beings singing.