Bale looks over at lin. its just an orchid lin. Bale says inspecting the flower.
The Sentinel replies to Abd,
Depending on who you ask, she'd be right. The woman you met was the Warden of this forest. A former mortal who was spiritually bonded with the forest itself.
Eventually, Josiah just stops listening to Bale, frustrated by his conviction and zealotry.
Actually, Bale, that is a Fire Lily. It is my favorite flower.
Says, the Hill Troll with a wide smile. He sees Lin's terrified face and asks,
Is everything all right?
Just then, Josiah spots something further down the path. There is a body lying in the center of the trail about a hundred feet ahead. The Bowman Josiah instantly shouts to the Sentinel before the two of them run toward the still figure.
You all stand over the body and observe the grisly spectacle.
Lying in fetal position is a charred figure, blackened by fire, still gripping his bloody bastard sword.
Lin calm down, the severed arm looks nothing like this, there a lot more red, blood and demons..... Bale says calmly he motions with his hand, a simple motion telling everyone to give lin some space.
Josiah, go home immediately and tell the Chieftess that Crag Hand is dead. We'll be back by nightfall.
Orders Sentinel with a grave voice and a furious face.
Yes, Sentinel.
Replies Josiah, who obediently runs through the trees and disappears.
Thern, pick up the body. We're going back home.
Thern complies and with a grunt he heaves the burnt corpse onto his back.
It must have been that Witch you spoke of.
Sentinel spits.
What's wrong with him?
Her hand falls to the axe at her side defensively.
Oh by the black blade! bale curses....and runs after Lin....
Lin! What do you think you're doing?! Shouts Gotama as he runs after the Warlock.
Thern, you go with Josiah! I'll catch up after I help these travelers.
The Sentinel orders her ally away before running after Lin, close behind Abd.
Thern the Hill Troll, tromps into the downhill woods in the same direction as Josiah.
Bale runs after lin, trying to keep up with him barreling through anything that gets in his way
Bale rushes through the trees, past the panting Sentinel and up the hill with unnatural strength, leaping over fallen logs and smashing low hanging branches that block his path.
Rook struggles to keep up, but he maintains his distance nimbly clambering over rocks and dodging obstacles as they come.
Lin looks over his shoulder with a terror-stricken face just in time to see Bale overtake him.
Bale run and tackles Lin to the ground pinning him.
Now we are going to stay like this till you start making sense again lin
Abd, Gotama and the Sentinel catch up to Bale and Lin.
What's wrong with him? pants the Sentinel, out of breath.
Rook stands beside Bale, looking frightened.
you alright there lin? bale asks.
Bale tries to keep Lin from breaking free.
if anyone has any good ideas I'm all ears
Abd reaches out his hand holding a flask, but Bale is still pinning Lin to the ground with his hands on Lin's wrists.
Lin gets one hand free to swipe at Bale's face with a dark shadowy dagger before he raises his left foot and plants a hard kick on Bale's stomach. Bale is sent stumbling off of Lin, who clambers to his feet, dark daggers in hand. His face is stricken with intense terror as his eyes dart left and right detecting unseen dangers.
The Sentinel draws her axe with one hand and readies her painted shield with the other.
Rook stares at Lin with wide and frightened eyes as he stands behind Bale.
Gotama holds out his only hand and slowly steps toward Lin.
It's going to be alright, Lin. Just calm down.
He speaks in a soothing voice, but his words cannot reach Lin.
bale brings his arms up to block lin, but the his daggers bite deep into his flesh. bale looks at lin.
Lin, That is enough.
bale says as he bashes lin with his shield and draws his blade bringing it to bare on lin in one fluid motion
The Sentinel shouts,
Alright!
And advances toward Lin, who seems painfully disoriented by Bale's shield bash.
As she come nearer he lifts his head and reveals his expression. The wild, animalistic fury that was in his eyes before is replaced by confusion and fear.
The Sentinel ignores his surprising change in demeanor and strikes Lin with her shield.
The Sentinel strikes Lin across the face with her heavy painted shield in a downward movement, knocking him to the ground.
Rook tries to run to Lin, but Gotama holds him back,
Let me go! You're gonna kill him!! Stop!
The boy cries.
uh. you had kinda gone all kill everyone on us there lin, you sure you're ok? maybe we should tie you up just in case.
bale says as he lowers his weapons...
Sentinel catches the rope and move slowly towards Lin.
No sudden movements.
She commands.
Gotama is still standing with his hand on Rook's shoulder. Rook's face is covered in fear and sadness as warm tears fall down his cheeks.
Gotama looks frustrated and says,
Sentinel, stop. He's fine now, there's no need to tie him up.
Gotama walks to Lin and says, kindly,
Are you alright? Can you tell us what you saw?
Rook looks at Abd and asks,
Would you really not care if he died?
His eyes are red and his voice is hoarse.
shhh....rook, abd was just having a little fun and making sure that the sentinel knew not to get herself hurt fighting lin, he didn't mean anything by it rook bale says as he give abd a dirty look. and patts rook on the back.
he looks at lin. when you said you were going to do something crazy i thought you meant....I don't know what I thought you meant,
bale sighs as put his hand up to his face.
I didn't think you would start seeing things, just don't let it happen again ok lin? "One must be a master of his mind as well as his body", Book of blood maddox verse 3:41
The Sentinel seems conflicted, confused and very cross.
I'm leaving. I need to get back to my village. And I heard that one say he was a Reaver. Seems like he's a crazy one at that.
Says the Sentinel, obviously vexed and gesturing towards Lin.
I don't want anything to do with any Reavers.
With that she turns and begins to walk downhill towards the road and then the valley.
Gotama speaks up.
Regardless, we'd better find our way back to the road. We've wasted enough time here and the Flaming Woman has gained a lot of ground on us. If we want to have any chance of catching her we need to hurry. Plus we'd best avoid that Antlered Lady.
He thinks for a moment then looks at Abd and says,
I saw some milkweed when we were running by the way. We can pick some up on our way back to the path.
fine, lets just get moving bale says.
You quickly find your way back to the road. It turns out you weren't very far.
You all move quickly down the path and manage to cover a decent distance. By now, you're high in the mountains, and the air has become cold, though the wilderness around you is strikingly beautiful. You arrive at a fork in the road and Gotama tells you that the woman you've all been pursuing went to the right, up the mountain.
In the same direction as the right path, and over the sloped treetops you can almost see the peak of one of the Spine's mountains, about a days travel away. It's hard to see through the clouds but it looks like there may be some kind of building on the peak.
Gotama points and says,
If I'm not mistaken that summit is where the Flaming Woman has been going to. Makes the most sense given her choice of trail. She's been slowing down. I think her injury is wearing at her. There's a slim chance we can catch her tomorrow before she gets to the peak.
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With the Sentinel gone, Abd has no need to hide his injury. So he unrolls the carpet from his pack and begins to ride atop. He adopts a meditative posture, but still keeps an ear out for problems.
Once they collect the milkweed, Abd begs a moment of pause so he can mix a concoction and apply it to his infected leg.
Good enough for field medicine.
its fine, Lin, don't worry about it, sorry about the shield bash
You continue up the mountain path, following the Flaming Woman's trail.
As you all walk together, Gotama scratches his head and says to Lin,
If you don't mind me asking, what exactly did you think you were seeing?
Snow begins to drift down to the ground and as the sun sets and the night falls, you all chance to find a small cave. Its entrance is hidden behind trees, bushes and shrubbery. It seems completely empty.
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Gotama, I'm no tracker, but it seems a bit odd that a perfectly useful cave is unoccupied. Did you see any game trails? We don't want to be woken up by bears, or worse.
Then, after a pause,
Sorry I set the Sentinel on you like that, Lin. I honestly thought you were trying to kill Bale.
Is there any sort of remedy for this affliction? Short of tying you up or killing you, I mean. Something to speed you on to recovery the next time it happens?
As you arrive at the cave, Rook looks up at Bale and says,
I heard you say: "One must be a master of his mind as well as his body" Book of Blood, Maddox verse 3:41. I want to become a master of my mind. You've been training me to fight, but I want to train my mind too.
Gotama nods at Lin.
That sounds truly terrible.
Then to Abd, he says,
The cave is pretty well hidden. And most smaller creatures wouldn't stay here because it's too close to the road. The travelers would scare them off. Have a look around if you like, Abd.
Abd: You find that the cave is made of narrow entrance passage, a wider cavern (about fifteen foot diameter), and another small passage beyond that one that leads to a dead end. The whole cave seems completely empty. Just dirt and occasional stone on the ground. You don't find any signs that the cave is inhabited.
As you're looking around the dead end passage a pile of stones catches your eye. They seem to have put on top of each other. You lift the first stone and see something underneath the pile. You quickly uncover a dusty covered, plain, rectangular wooden box. It is eight by ten inches on the top and three inches thick. An old iron latch holds the lid closed.
Ok Rook we'll start working on...uh...
Bale grabs his black book from his belt, and unlocks it and flips to a early page.
do you know how to read rook? lets start with reading and writing......I hate math.
Bale settles into the cave and sets up his little camp....
to lin
do you have visions of demons often? what did the world look like, could you tell it was the hand or? ..... do you have dreams of demons lin?