"Shall we be on our way and," he pauses to really emphasize with excitement that anyone can see is faked, "Slay some stuff!"
Alara nods in agreement. She starts bouncing from one foot to the other in sheer anticipation.
"Let's get a move on!"
Masamune smiles at the elf's anticipation.
"I don't think those goblins are going anywhere soon, but I can see your point."
As they get ready to travel Masamune approaches William.
"William I have a question for you. After we are done with these goblins, and if we have some free time would you mind a small duel? I feel it would be a good way to learn each others fighting style, and learn how to better compliment each other in battle."
Piper eventually calms down and at Ash's question, he nods with determination.
He writes: 'Masamune, William. I don't suppose that I could join in, could I?'
"I'd love to have a sparring match Masamune, and Piper after I spar with Masamune I'll spar with you. I'm interested to see what fighting skills you posses after going to a bard's school. Now lets go kill some Goblins! To the Swamp!"
Piper nods at William and writes: 'Let's go then.'
"I'd love to have a sparring match Masamune, and Piper after I spar with Masamune I'll spar with you. I'm interested to see what fighting skills you posses after going to a bard's school. Now lets go kill some Goblins! To the Swamp!"
Sharrd indignently says "Hey, what am I? Chopped Liver. With four you could get even brackets."
"Lets go!"
"Right there."
Masamune looks over where Alara points.
"Is there something wrong Alara?"
"This... this is where Shalelu and I first met."
Piper looks towards what Alara is pointing at with a somewhat confused look. When she mentions Shalelu, he gives a knowing smile and crosses his arms at her pink tint.
As the group leaves town, they pass by the jailhouse. Piper stops and looks at the building for a few seconds before turning to catch up with his friends.
@Alara
"So what's the story behind your meeting?"
@Piper
Masamune points towards the jail.
"Know anybody in there?"
Masamune's question catches her attention; her hands drop to her sides before she clasps them together.
"Well, see, do you remember how William said that goblin attacks on Sandpoint were, well... rare around here, thanks to her?"
She starts shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot, staring at the ground. "I... kinda sorta decided to cut through here. I thought it'd get me to town faster. Almost got me turned into goblin food instead."
She glances up, staring past the party into the distance. An excited smile appears on her face as she speaks, her hands gesturing along with her words. "Then she appeared. Picked off a few of them with arrows from the trees first. Spooked them. Made them forget about me. They all decided to go after her, but not a single blow of theirs even hit, she was flipping & tumbling everywhere! And after she sent the last one running for his life, she put an arrow through the back of his oversized head!" She's practically bouncing on her feet at this point.
"After all was said and done, I... I was just, well... awestruck." She stops moving & gesturing, the look on her face one of sheer awe. Her blush seems to have gotten pinker, if such a thing was physically possible. She then gives a small, sheepish laugh. "I felt kinda guilty afterwards, though. I mean, she did all the work and I just sat there like a gormless, lovestruck idiot."
Her brain must have realized what she said just then, because her eyes widen to the size of dinner plates and her blush promptly turns redder than ever. "I-I-I mean AWESTRUCK! Awestruck!"
Piper looks at his friend and writes: 'My birth father. He's been in there ever since the incident. Last time I saw him was before I left for Absalom. Said I wouldn't make it. I'm wondering if he's still in there.'
Piper's grin turns into a genuine smile. He thinks to himself, 'So that's how she fell in love. Don't worry, Alara. For with Shelyn guiding us, you will find your love and happiness.' Piper then walks up to Alara and places his hand on her shoulder, the gesture showing that he will support and aid her.
** spoiler omitted **
@Alara
Masamune chuckles at Alara's slip of the tongue.
"So you are in love. I think that might explain some things. Hopefully we won't have another thing like last time somebody revealed their love."
Masamune smiles and decides to pull Alara's leg a little. He reaches over to her, and shakes her hand.
"Well good luck with Shalelu, and may she be happy with whichever one of us wins."
@Piper
Masamune starts actually looking at the jail.
"Well I don't know much about him, but if he is as bad as you say that jail might be a bit too much kindness in my opinion."
Alara is, evidently, too flustered by her memories of Shalelu to tell if Masamune is joking or not. Her blush doesn't fade, but she returns your handshake before asking: "Why, what happened last time?"
Alara offers Piper a shy, closed-eyed smile as he pats her shoulder. You're not entirely sure how, but her blush appears to have become slightly redder.
"You know, I have never heard of a male winning Shalelu's eye, perhaps there is a reason for it," he gives her a soft smile, trying to be warming.
Piper smiles and removes his hand from your shoulder. He writes: 'Thanks for sharing your tale with us. It truly shows how much you trust us.'
Piper looks back and, after staring for a while, walks towards the jail and to one of the barred windows. Standing a good couple inches away, he whistles as if trying to get someone's attention.
@Piper
Masamune simply sits back and watches as Piper whistles. He rides up on Duty next to the cells, and stands up. He looks through the cells, and if he sees Piper's father he motions to Piper at whichever cell hold hims.
From the cell window that Piper's facing, you hear a light groaning, then shuffling. Soon, the face of a man appears in the window. The man appears to be in his late 40s. His face is pale and sunken. His hair is black, long, and dirty. He has deep and prominent bags under his eyes. He looks around and, seeing Piper, he gains a venomous look. "YOU!! What are you doing back here?!" He then gets a malicious grin. "Did you get kicked out of that fancy school? Let me guess. You didn't get 5 miles out of Sandpoint. You've just been hiding out in those caverns that those cultists were hiding in. Face it, you're worthless." Seeing Masamune, he shouts, "You! On the horse! You look to be like a noble warrior. Why don't you do us all a favor and kill this... thing in front of me. He's a menace. Murdering, corrupting the sheriff, placing Lady Kaijitsu under his foul spell! Surely, he should be put to death."
On her way out of town, Alara spots Piper and Masamune over by the jailhouse. She wanders over with a confused look on her face, as though she's pondering what's delaying you.
"Something up?"
As Alara walks up, Piper points at the window. Taking notice of Alara, the man turns his head towards her. "Who's this? Some other woman that you've placed under your spell? If you still have your senses, woman, then kill him!"
Masamune looks at the man in disgust.
"And why do you assume he is a menace. He hasn't done anything wrong."
"Aww, but he's so cute, though! I want to take him home with me!"
She turns to Piper and winks at him before leaning down to whisper in his ear.
The man slightly glares at you. "Done nothing wrong?! He murdered my wife! He's placed a spell on Lady Kaijitsu! Because no woman in their right mind would be seen with him! He's manipulating the sheriff! That enough deserves death!" He scoffs. "Bah! You're starting to sound like the old Heroes of Sandpoint. Fighter refused to kill a child. Elf said she wouldn't accept gold covered in the blood of a mute man. Sorceress just doted on him, like his mother or his wife. AND THE CLERIC! The cleric just wasted her time, by trying to find a way to restore his vocal cords through her faith and magic!" He grumbles incoherently at the end of his rant.
Piper blushes from the close contact and your statement. After hearing your idea, his stares at you for few seconds before he gains an equally devious grin. He wraps his arm around your shoulders.
His father, on the other hand, is shocked at the sight before him. He then vehemently screams, "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!! IT'S NOT ENOUGH THAT YOU CORRUPT LADY KAIJITSU, BUT YOU HAVE TO PLACE OTHER WOMEN UNDER YOUR SPELL!!" He then forces his arms between the bars, as if he's reaching for Piper's throat. But his hands are only slightly out of reach.
|
You begin your travel along the Lost Coast road. A light breeze off the water combined with the morning sunshine make for a delightful spring day. After a short two hour walk you reach a small trail leading off from the main road. This is what the local fishermen call the 'new' fish trail (Area A), as opposed to the 'old' fish trail (Area B) which was abandoned over a decade ago, when the Licktoad's first arrived in the area, as too dangerous.
You can see off in the distance the palisades that form the southern edge of the marsh as the coast road continues it’s way toward Magnimar.
As you follow the trail into the swamp the light and noises of the day vanish, replaced by gloom as the sun is mostly blocked by the overhanging branches and moss covered trees that line the trail. An oppressive silence hangs in the air, occasionally punctuated by the buzz of a nearby insect or the croak of a toad. Other barely recognizable sounds can be heard as you journey farther into the gloom.
After about 10 minutes travel you arrive at a bridge crossing a small stream. the bridge seems in good repair although a couple of planks seem to be missing and the whole thing is covered in moss and mildew. (Area E)
Alara pauses before the bridge, her bow readied. She takes a moment to look around, trying to see if anything else is in the immediate vicinity of the bridge.
Evidently, the events of the walk through the marsh left her mind spinning enough that she's quite distracted.
"What a charming fellow. Almost makes you forget he's bats**t insane." Alara says to Piper. Her voice is icy enough to potentially cause foggy breath.
Ash tries to think of what he knows of this area and bridge to see if he thinks it is a known detriment, otherwise, he is going to look to his brother to see if he thinks it's reasonable to cross.
Sharrd wonders as to why everyone has stopped. "Is something wrong with the bridge?" he asks as he steps onto it and tests his weight on the boards.
Piper nods solemnly. After a while, he takes your hand and leads you away from the jail. Piper's dad is raving at this point. "THAT'S RIGHT!! LEAVE!! YOU BETTER NOT SHOW YOUR FACE AROUND HERE AGAIN!! WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE, I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!! YOU HERE ME, BOY?! PAY!! YOU'LL BE ALONE FOR THE REST OF YOUR DAYS!!" Piper has a downcast look as you leave. As you get farther away from the jail, Piper hugs you. After a minute or so, he releases the hug and writes: 'Go raibh maith agat'
Piper stops at the bridge and looks around, his hand on the hilt of his rapier.
Alara is rather surprised by your hug, but returns it until you let go. Looking into her eyes, you can see she's... focused. She appears to be contemplating whether or not she could get away with killing dear ol' Dad in his cell.
She eventually turns her gaze back to you, apparently having decided against it. "You're welcome." She takes you by the hand and leads you further away from the pitiful wretch at the jail window.
When you've gotten out of sight of the jailhouse, Alara speaks up. "You know, it's times like these I'm grateful for having a Dad who isn't a prospective convert of Lamashtu."
Piper gives a small smile at you, squeezing your hand, as if asking for comfort. He then looks at his hand and slowly gains a small smirk. Still holding your hand, he moves in front of you so that he's facing you. He then holds up your still connecting hands, showing you that you haven't let go. With the smirk still on his face and a raised eyebrow, he writes: 'So, you think I'm cute? Cute enough that you want to take me home? May I ask if this is truly what you think of me or if you said to, as you put it: "jerk my father around a bit"? Don't worry, I won't get mad.'
"Yes." She tilts her head sideways, appearing confused.
You can tell she's just playing at being confused... and consciously trying to avoid blushing. "Why, don't you get that often?"
Piper's smirk turns into a shy smile, his face gaining a pink tint. He writes: 'Not all that much. I can only remember two people who called me 'cute'. You have no idea how much my confidence and self-esteem went up hearing you say that. I've been told I don't have much to begin with. And given my past, that would be understandable. So, thank you for that.' He gives you a smaller, lighter hug than the one before. After he releases you, he looks to the side at the jail, where his dad is still shouting. You can hear only glimpses like "boy", "useless", and the mention of a lynch mob. Piper then looks down, his face starting to resemble the color of an apple and shuffling the toe of his foot in the dirt, tracing small circles. He writes: 'So, if I may ask, what about me do you find "cute"? What is it about me that you like? What makes you want to "take me home"?' He closes his eyes while looking down, his body language indicating that he's nervous about what you'll say. Piper's thoughts: "What's going on? Why am I feeling like this? I've only felt this way around Ameiko." He then smiles and writes: 'Just so you know. I think you're rather attractive yourself, my dear."
Masamune simply rides across the bridge trying to stay close to Sharrd.
Hopefully this won't end badly.
Noticing Masamune riding towards the bridge, Piper sees Sharrd on the bridge. He sighs, rolls his eyes and moves a bit closer to Sharrd. "If the kid's not careful, it'll be like the hornet's nest all over again."
Masamune notices the Alara, and Piper going off. When they are completely out of sight he smiles and looks back at Piper's dad.
"You know they say that the truth will always come out, but I don't think you will ever see it. Whoever made you into a monster was a genius I will give them that. I hope you enjoy your last days in prison. I know that you deserve them."
Piper's dad glares at you, practically foaming out of the mouth. "What truth?! What in the nine hells are you talking about?! And you have the gall to call ME a monster?! To place me on the same level as HIM?! How DARE you! I don't know if you're under a spell or not. But I will NOT tolerate being spoken to in such a manner!"
** spoiler omitted **
At your compliments, Piper is now resembling a ripe tomato, his green eyes widened in shock as he stares at you. He's completely silent for a few minutes. He writes: 'Thank you, Alara. I honestly have no idea what to say. If you wish to know how to play an instrument, I could teach you... if you want.' Piper's thoughts: 'By the Eternal Rose! Breathe, Piper. Breathe!' He also adds: 'If you wish to know, I like your smile. It's so full of life and joy. Though that is not the only thing I like about you.' He then turns his head, his face a deep red in coloring. 'By the Gods, what's wrong with me?!'
"...we should probably get back to the others. If we take too long to show up, Ash'll probably send someone to look for us." She says, offering you her best, embarrassed smile. She takes you by the hand again and leads you back through town at a brisk pace, trying to get the rest of the team faster without looking like being in too much of a hurry.
It's fairly obvious to anyone watching that she's in a hurry.
Her quiver of arrows bounces and jostles around on her slender, well-toned hips as she moves forward.
Piper lets you lead him, with a blush still on his face. He tries to hide his blush.
It is very obvious that whatever happened between Piper and Alara that left him flustered.
He sees the quiver bouncing on Alara's hips. His eyes are attracted to the sight of her hips. After a minute or so, he turns around, deep red, flustered, and embarrassed. Piper's thoughts: 'What am I doing?! I can't just ogle her like a piece of meat!'
.
Incidentally, the strap on her quiver is pulling her studded leather armor taut across her hips and backside.
|
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As Masamune and Duty ride over the bridge, the boards underneath creak menacingly but hold under the weight. Releasing a breath you didn't realize you were holding you all cross the bridge one at a time so as not to tempt fate. Once on the last of you steps off the bridge you notice movement in the underbrush followed by a loud splash in the stream.
As you arrive at the river bed you notice strange three toed footprints, each filling with water, in the mud leading to the water.