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Ember's Tale 76: Back to Nature


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#1 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 08 July 2007 - 03:07 PM

Chapter 76: Back to Nature


The trip from Athkatla to Windspear Hills would normally take two days on foot, but at the rate they were going, Ember expected it to take at least three. The months they had spent in captivity had taken their toll; she couldn't walk much farther or faster than she could the day she'd first set out from Candlekeep, and she had to use her staff as a walking support most of the time. By the time the trio reached a small inn, long after nightfall, Ember was exhausted; once she got settled in her small room, it did not take long for her to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

A few hours later, she was woken up by a large hand on her shoulder. "Little Ember?" Minsc's voice asked.

"Minsc?" she asked blearily, pulling her hand back in under the covers; she'd automatically reached for the dagger on the nightstand. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," he said, "but it is time to get up!"

Ember rubbed her eyes, blinked a few times, and looked towards the window. "It's still dark outside," she said.

"It is not that dark! The sun will come up soon, and little Ember should watch it, like she used to! Come now!" The large ranger lifted her out of bed, covers and all, and carried her out of the room. Ember tried to protest, but he ignored her, and didn't put her down until they were under a large tree that stood just outside the inn.

"See, isn't it pretty?" Minsc said, pointing to the east. "Minsc and Boo thought you'd like it."

"It is pretty," Ember conceded. A red glow was building on the horizon, lending a tint to several streamers of cloud. So much time had passed since the last time she saw a sunrise... I'm not ready for this. It's been too long! She turned to Minsc to tell him she couldn't do it, but the smiling, expectant look on his face stopped her. He only wanted to help her, and she wasn't even trying. She couldn't disappoint him like this.

She turned her attention back to the sunrise.

There were little streaks of orange gold on the clouds, and the light was growing stronger. Songbirds were warbling from the bushes and trees around them; Ember listened to how their songs changed as the land brightened around them, with different tunes fading in and out of the chorus. Some she recognized from home, others were unfamiliar, but they all seemed to fit together, forming an everchanging river of sound.

For a short while, she just sat beside Minsc, listening to the sound of dawn. It was a pleasant morning; the air was warm, and it carried with it the scent of dry earth. The horizon was gradually turning into bands of gold. Around them, flowers were preparing to open.

I can do this.

Drawing a deep breath, Ember tentatively reached out to the life she could sense all around her.

It felt like coming home.

---

The following morning, Minsc woke Ember before dawn again, and sat with her as she meditated. She managed to wake up before dawn on her own the next day, but he still accompanied her. That morning, she finally felt ready to pray for spells again.

The forest thinned around them on the second day of their trip, and in the afternoon of the third day, they reached a hilly region with barely any trees at all. Instead, the landscape was dominated by hills, gullies, caverns, and vast stretches of gravel. Grey rocks the size of small hills jutted out of the ground at irregular intervals.

"This must be the Windspear Hills," Yoshimo said, "but I must confess that it does not look like the home of a dryad queen."

Ember pulled the acorns out of her pocket. They were glowing slightly. "She has to be here somewhere," she said, showing the acorns to her companions. "There must be something we're missing."

The sound of harsh, gibbering laughter came from the north, carried towards them by the wind. It was soon accompanied by clashing metal.

"Gnolls!" Minsc growled, and sprinted in the direction of the sound.

"Our large friend doesn't like gnolls much, does he?" Yoshimo asked.

"No," Ember replied, alredy starting to run after Minsc. "Hurry, or we'll lose him."

They caught up with Minsc on the crest of a hill that overlooked a gully. Six men stood on the gully floor around a trampled campfire. The bodies of at least three times as many gnolls were strewn around their feet.

One of the men looked up at the small group on the hill. "I did not think we deserved an audience," he called out. "Dispatching these creatures was well and truly easy."

"We heard the gnolls," Ember called back.

One of the other men laughed. "Gnolls are nothing! They're just desperately stupid canines. No sense of self worth outside of combat."

"And how would you know," a third man sneered. "You've never engaged one in anything but combat."

On the hillside, Minsc gave Ember a very confused look.

The man who had laughed snorted. "You can see it in their bearing, in the way they hold their tails."

"Oh, you cannot," someone else said. "The only thing in their tails is what they sat in yesterday. Filthy things."

"I think we should leave," Ember muttered to her companions.

"You are one to talk," the sneering man said. "Smell yourself in the morning lately?"

The one who'd laughed raised his sword, which was still smeared with gnoll blood. "That's it, I'm going to kill him!"

"I think you are right," Yoshimo murmured to Ember.

"No you are not!" the first speaker shouted. "If you must have blood then take it from those whelps there. They are the kind we are hunting, after all." Six pairs of eyes turned towards the hill.

"Run!" Ember shouted, all but shoving Minsc ahead of her. She looked over her shoulder at the men, and almost lost her footing.

It was not six men that were climbing out of the gully. It was six large, shaggy beasts, covered in brown fur. They grinned ferally, displaying long, sharp teeth.

"Werewolves," Yoshimo panted.

Ember made herself run faster. We can't die here; Imoen needs us! Part of her - the taint - wanted to go back and fight the creatures, but she had learned to not heed that particular inner voice, and the three of them couldn't have handled their pursuers even if they'd merely been the humans they appeared as at first. No, their only chance was to outrun the pack.

How could mere humans outrun werewolves?

At the base of the hill, Ember stopped and began to cast a spell on the bracken and and small, woody shrubs that grew between the rocks. Moments before the werewolves would have reached her, the plants blossomed into a twisted mass of branches and vines, entangling the snarling creatures.

"Bought... time," she told Minsc and Yoshimo, who had also stopped. "Go!"

If we survive this, we're getting Minsc a bow, she thought as they ran up a gentle slope. Her spell would not last long; their only chance was to find a cavern or a large rock or some other easily defensible spot, but there was not as much as a tree to climb. And they could set a tree on fire. Then, she noticed her hand. Her fist, still clenched around the enchanted acorns, was glowing as though she held a candle flame. Were they drawing closer to the dryads? She hurriedly looked around, but saw only a few bushes, some scattered boulders, and a massive wall of smooth rock that rose ahead of them. There was nothing to indicate the presence of forest spirits, but the acorns in her hand burned brighter with every step she ran.

"They're not coming," Yoshimo gasped.

Ember glanced behind them. The werewolves had broken free from the enchanted plants, as she'd expected, but for some reason, they'd stopped following them and were standing some distance from the rock wall, howling and snarling.

"Boo thinks... they don't like the big rock," Minsc panted.

"It is forbidden to them," said a voice that sounded like rustling leaves. A dryad with dark green skin and pale, almost translucent hair stood behind them. "The queen will not allow it. You, she awaits. Follow."

"Look, Boo, we found the forest ladies!" Minsc said happily, and followed the dryad along the rock wall. Yoshimo just stared at the dryad, mouth agape.

Ember laughed with relief. By the Lady, we're saved! "It's only a dryad," she told Yoshimo, nudging his shoulder.

The Kara-Turan blinked a couple times. "I... I will never have occasion to refer to one as 'only a dryad', I don't think."

Grinning broadly, Ember took Yoshimo by the arm and led him after Minsc and the dryad. They walked along the wall for a few minutes until they reached a point where the smooth rock curved slightly inward. A large patch of creeper vines grew up across the face of the rock. The dryad spoke a few syllables, and the vines parted, revealing a tunnel. The dryad gestured for them to enter.

On the other side of the tunnel lay a valley unlike anything that surrounded it. The rock wall enclosed a deep blue lake that was surrounded by a myriad of trees of every shape and size, all of them vibrant with life. Butterflies flitted through the air, alighting where they pleased on colorful flowers. The place seemed unreal, but at the same time, it felt more real than the barren wilderness that surrounded it.

"Boo wants to know if the Afterlife looks like this," Minsc whispered to Ember.

"Maybe it does," she whispered back, staring wide-eyed at the beauty around them.

A tall woman with hair like a sunrise approached them. "I have been waiting for you, little sister," she said with a gentle smile, her eyes sparkling like the sunlight on the lake. "My sisters' acorns call to me. Give me them."

Ember obediently handed her the acorns. They shone as brightly as they had when the captive dryads had created them; she was almost surprised that they didn't scorch her fingers.

The dryad cupped the acorns in her palms, and blew gently on them. "Ulene. Cania. Elyme," she whispered.

"My Queen!" a faint voice, little more than a breath of wind, cried. "Can our trees be saved? Has Irenicus doomed us?"

"Nay, my sisters, you are not doomed," the queen said. "I shall protect you forever more."

"Thank you, my Queen," came another faint whisper.

The queen turned to the dryad that'd escorted Ember and her companions into the grove. "Come Llyna! Plant our sisters' seeds, that they may again taste the wind."

Llyna's eyes lit up as she accepted the acorns. Cradling the precious seeds in her hands, she headed into the trees.

"The pretty ladies are safe now?" Minsc asked.

"Yes, little brother, they are safe," the queen said. "I thank you all for your aid; you have braved the evil that dwells in this land for our sake. We will not forget. This forest will always welcome you." She pressed her pale green lips to Minsc's forehead, then to Yoshimo's.

The dryad queen looked into Ember's eyes. "Be true to yourself, and you may claim your truth," she finally said. She kissed Ember's forehead. "Stay a while, little sister, and heal."

---

They stayed in the quiet world of the dryads for a few days before returning to Athkatla, arriving in the city a tenday after they set out. Ember had felt slightly guilty about delaying their return, but the way it had rejuvenated her was more than worth it. Minsc seemed happier as well, and had regained much of his lost strength.

"Ah, the city," Yoshimo exclaimed with relish as they passed through the bridge district.

"Glad to be back?" Ember asked with a grin. He had seemed out of sorts in the grove; she wondered if it would have helped if they'd been there during the dryads' revels.

Yoshimo smiled apologetically. "My skills are of little use in a forest."

"Boo likes the forest," Minsc said.

Ember looked around. The main bridge of Athkatla was all but a market square in its own right, crowded as it was with street vendors and their customers, sailors on leave, soldiers and scholars; she even saw and heard a grey-haired Red Wizard, arguing loudly with someone outside an inn.

"So, how do we find this contact of yours?" she asked Yoshimo.

"Coo!" someone called out from an alley. "You'd be the one I be looking for, if I not be mistaken. Ember be yer name, aye?"

The speaker was a cheery looking man, slightly shorter than Ember and dressed head to toe in faded browns. A mottled red liripipe hood hid his hair.

Yoshimo grinned. "It appears that he has found us."

#2 Guest_CrazeeFfan_*

Posted 08 July 2007 - 03:46 PM

The trip from Athkatla to Windspear Hills would normally take two days on foot, but at the rate they were going, Ember expected it to take at least three. The months they had spent in captivity had taken their toll; she couldn't walk much farther or faster than she could the day she'd first set out from Candlekeep, and she had to use her staff as a walking support most of the time. By the time the trio reached a small inn, long after nightfall, Ember was exhausted; once she got settled in her small room, it did not take long for her to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.


I'll bet she did!

"It is not that dark! The sun will come up soon, and little Ember should watch it, like she used to! Come now!" The large ranger lifted her out of bed, covers and all, and carried her out of the room. Ember tried to protest, but he ignored her, and didn't put her down until they were under a large tree that stood just outside the inn.


Luckily she doesn't sleep in, I don' know, only a shirt or Minsc would likely have been whacked repeatedly over the head, which Goodness only knows he does not need!

There were little streaks of orange gold on the clouds, and the light was growing stronger. Songbirds were warbling from the bushes and trees around them; Ember listened to how their songs changed as the land brightened around them, with different tunes fading in and out of the chorus. Some she recognized from home, others were unfamiliar, but they all seemed to fit together, forming an everchanging river of sound.


;) Beautiful description!

It felt like coming home.


Aww!

The sound of harsh, gibbering laughter came from the north, carried towards them by the wind. It was soon accompanied by clashing metal.


At first I thought this was supposed to be dryad laughter and I was: :twisted: , but now I know it's Gnoll, I am like: ;) Werewolves are never fun for low level parties.

One of the men looked up at the small group on the hill. "I did not think we deserved an audience," he called out. "Dispatching these creatures was well and truly easy."


First time I read this dialogue in the game, I found it really funny. I was confused as Hell, but I still found it funny.

"Oh, you cannot," someone else said. "The only thing in their tails is what they sat in yesterday. Filthy things."


Favourite part of this particlar scene ;)

At the base of the hill, Ember stopped and began to cast a spell on the bracken and and small, woody shrubs that grew between the rocks. Moments before the werewolves would have reached her, the plants blossomed into a twisted mass of branches and vines, entangling the snarling creatures.


That spell was *so* much more useful in BG1. I mean, why would I want to entangle *myself*!?

"It is forbidden to them," said a voice that sounded like rustling leaves. A dryad with dark green skin and pale, almost translucent hair stood behind them. "The queen will not allow it. You, she awaits. Follow."


Dryads! I love hearing how everyone describes them individually.

The Kara-Turan blinked a couple times. "I... I will never have occasion to refer to one as 'only a dryad', I don't think."


:) Heh heh!

On the other side of the tunnel lay a valley unlike anything that surrounded it. The rock wall enclosed a deep blue lake that was surrounded by a myriad of trees of every shape and size, all of them vibrant with life. Butterflies flitted through the air, alighting where they pleased on colorful flowers. The place seemed unreal, but at the same time, it felt more real than the barren wilderness that surrounded it.


Beautiful place *and* a beautiful description!

"Yes, little brother, they are safe," the queen said. "I thank you all for your aid; you have braved the evil that dwells in this land for our sake. We will not forget. This forest will always welcome you." She pressed her pale green lips to Minsc's forehead, then to Yoshimo's.


I bet Yoshimo is going to remember that for a long time.

The dryad queen looked into Ember's eyes. "Be true to yourself, and you may claim your truth," she finally said. She kissed Ember's forehead. "Stay a while, little sister, and heal."


I'm guessing this is being set up for some future plot point?

"Boo likes the forest," Minsc said.


;) Always thought that was a stpid line.

"Coo!" someone called out from an alley. "You'd be the one I be looking for, if I not be mistaken. Ember be yer name, aye?"


Gaelen. *eye twitches* Gaelen Bayle.

Yoshimo grinned. "It appears that he has found us."


It's money-scrounging time!

I loved this chapter, in particular, the descriptions, which were all very well done. Keep up the good work.

#3 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 08 July 2007 - 04:28 PM

"It is not that dark! The sun will come up soon, and little Ember should watch it, like she used to! Come now!" The large ranger lifted her out of bed, covers and all, and carried her out of the room. Ember tried to protest, but he ignored her, and didn't put her down until they were under a large tree that stood just outside the inn.


Luckily she doesn't sleep in, I don' know, only a shirt or Minsc would likely have been whacked repeatedly over the head, which Goodness only knows he does not need!


Well, anyone except Minsc would have received Words, no matter what she's wearing. Suffice to say that my party does not tend towards indecent sleepwear.

There were little streaks of orange gold on the clouds, and the light was growing stronger. Songbirds were warbling from the bushes and trees around them; Ember listened to how their songs changed as the land brightened around them, with different tunes fading in and out of the chorus. Some she recognized from home, others were unfamiliar, but they all seemed to fit together, forming an everchanging river of sound.


:) Beautiful description!


Thank you ;)

It felt like coming home.


Aww!


Meditation's a big thing for her, both for spellcasting and for the sake of her own inner peace.

The sound of harsh, gibbering laughter came from the north, carried towards them by the wind. It was soon accompanied by clashing metal.


At first I thought this was supposed to be dryad laughter and I was: :twisted: , but now I know it's Gnoll, I am like: ;) Werewolves are never fun for low level parties.


They kinda suck at all levels, especially the greater werewolves. One of the last times my husband played, he ran into one of those and just couldn't kill it.

One of the men looked up at the small group on the hill. "I did not think we deserved an audience," he called out. "Dispatching these creatures was well and truly easy."


First time I read this dialogue in the game, I found it really funny. I was confused as Hell, but I still found it funny.


Hey, it's still funny :)

"Oh, you cannot," someone else said. "The only thing in their tails is what they sat in yesterday. Filthy things."


Favourite part of this particlar scene ;)


My favourite is the one who wants to kill one of the others or at least something :)

At the base of the hill, Ember stopped and began to cast a spell on the bracken and and small, woody shrubs that grew between the rocks. Moments before the werewolves would have reached her, the plants blossomed into a twisted mass of branches and vines, entangling the snarling creatures.


That spell was *so* much more useful in BG1. I mean, why would I want to entangle *myself*!?


I almost never use it, but it is turning out to be good for story purposes.

"It is forbidden to them," said a voice that sounded like rustling leaves. A dryad with dark green skin and pale, almost translucent hair stood behind them. "The queen will not allow it. You, she awaits. Follow."


Dryads! I love hearing how everyone describes them individually.


Mine are very Serious Dryads :)

The Kara-Turan blinked a couple times. "I... I will never have occasion to refer to one as 'only a dryad', I don't think."


:D Heh heh!


Well, he's a city boy.

On the other side of the tunnel lay a valley unlike anything that surrounded it. The rock wall enclosed a deep blue lake that was surrounded by a myriad of trees of every shape and size, all of them vibrant with life. Butterflies flitted through the air, alighting where they pleased on colorful flowers. The place seemed unreal, but at the same time, it felt more real than the barren wilderness that surrounded it.


Beautiful place *and* a beautiful description!


Thank you :)

The measly little spot of rock that they get in the game just isn't appropriate for a dryad queen.

"Yes, little brother, they are safe," the queen said. "I thank you all for your aid; you have braved the evil that dwells in this land for our sake. We will not forget. This forest will always welcome you." She pressed her pale green lips to Minsc's forehead, then to Yoshimo's.


I bet Yoshimo is going to remember that for a long time.


They all will.

The dryad queen looked into Ember's eyes. "Be true to yourself, and you may claim your truth," she finally said. She kissed Ember's forehead. "Stay a while, little sister, and heal."


I'm guessing this is being set up for some future plot point?


Dryads just like saying cryptic things to Ember.

"Boo likes the forest," Minsc said.


;) Always thought that was a stpid line.


I always thought it was kinda cute.

"Coo!" someone called out from an alley. "You'd be the one I be looking for, if I not be mistaken. Ember be yer name, aye?"


Gaelen. *eye twitches* Gaelen Bayle.


I usually turn the computer's sound off when I meet him :)

Yoshimo grinned. "It appears that he has found us."


It's money-scrounging time!


No, not until the next chapter :D

I loved this chapter, in particular, the descriptions, which were all very well done. Keep up the good work.


Thank you :)

#4 Guest_Ananke_*

Posted 08 July 2007 - 05:28 PM

The trip from Athkatla to Windspear Hills would normally take two days on foot, but at the rate they were going, Ember expected it to take at least three. The months they had spent in captivity had taken their toll; she couldn't walk much farther or faster than she could the day she'd first set out from Candlekeep, and she had to use her staff as a walking support most of the time. By the time the trio reached a small inn, long after nightfall, Ember was exhausted; once she got settled in her small room, it did not take long for her to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

For a nature-person, not being to walk a long time must be frustrating... :)

"Minsc?" she asked blearily, pulling her hand back in under the covers; she'd automatically reached for the dagger on the nightstand. "What's wrong?"

And here, it's either jumpy paranoid!Ember or experienced adventuress!Ember... or both.

There were little streaks of orange gold on the clouds, and the light was growing stronger. Songbirds were warbling from the bushes and trees around them; Ember listened to how their songs changed as the land brightened around them, with different tunes fading in and out of the chorus. Some she recognized from home, others were unfamiliar, but they all seemed to fit together, forming an everchanging river of sound.

Aww...

I can do this.

Drawing a deep breath, Ember tentatively reached out to the life she could sense all around her.

It felt like coming home.

...in other words, no more angst? ;)

I'm happy for Ember!

The following morning, Minsc woke Ember before dawn again, and sat with her as she meditated. She managed to wake up before dawn on her own the next day, but he still accompanied her. That morning, she finally felt ready to pray for spells again.

I'm sort of wondering how Minsc is taking his return to freedom... But this trip is beneficial for them both, I see. :)

Also, within this half a chapter, he's become much more of a person than he's been in the large party, spread across one-liners as everyone there was, I think... I'm sort of seeing what you meant when you wrote that you intended to focus on him - either slightly more, or much more, I don't remember which... but focus on him, anyway. ;)

(Just an observation.)

"Gnolls!" Minsc growled, and sprinted in the direction of the sound.

"Our large friend doesn't like gnolls much, does he?" Yoshimo asked.

"No," Ember replied, alredy starting to run after Minsc. "Hurry, or we'll lose him."

(Although his Racial Enemy has been changed, oh-so-conveniently, to Vampire... :sigh:)

"No you are not!" the first speaker shouted. "If you must have blood then take it from those whelps there. They are the kind we are hunting, after all." Six pairs of eyes turned towards the hill.

"Run!" Ember shouted, all but shoving Minsc ahead of her. She looked over her shoulder at the men, and almost lost her footing.

;) I love that dialogue, and Ember's reaction is classic!

It was not six men that were climbing out of the gully. It was six large, shaggy beasts, covered in brown fur. They grinned ferally, displaying long, sharp teeth.

"Werewolves," Yoshimo panted.

Heh. Ember hasn't been to the werewolf island...

At the base of the hill, Ember stopped and began to cast a spell on the bracken and and small, woody shrubs that grew between the rocks. Moments before the werewolves would have reached her, the plants blossomed into a twisted mass of branches and vines, entangling the snarling creatures.

I still remember how she cast it on a potted plant. :)

But, yes. That spell is great to write. To cast... less so.

"Boo thinks... they don't like the big rock," Minsc panted.

"It is forbidden to them," said a voice that sounded like rustling leaves. A dryad with dark green skin and pale, almost translucent hair stood behind them. "The queen will not allow it. You, she awaits. Follow."

Ah. Mystical Barriers. I love them.

The Kara-Turan blinked a couple times. "I... I will never have occasion to refer to one as 'only a dryad', I don't think."

Just call them a tree kami, then... ;)

On the other side of the tunnel lay a valley unlike anything that surrounded it. The rock wall enclosed a deep blue lake that was surrounded by a myriad of trees of every shape and size, all of them vibrant with life. Butterflies flitted through the air, alighting where they pleased on colorful flowers. The place seemed unreal, but at the same time, it felt more real than the barren wilderness that surrounded it.

Mmm... Magic!
That's a great description... :)

"Maybe it does," she whispered back, staring wide-eyed at the beauty around them.

The druidic/ranger one, perhaps. :) (And... err. Insects Inside, I guess? Then count me out.)

(Err... Whose druid is Ember, btw? She prayed in the Undercity labyrinth, but I forgot to whom... :) )

They stayed in the quiet world of the dryads for a few days before returning to Athkatla, arriving in the city a tenday after they set out. Ember had felt slightly guilty about delaying their return, but the way it had rejuvenated her was more than worth it. Minsc seemed happier as well, and had regained much of his lost strength.

Yup. They needed it. But you forgot to add that on the dryads' nuts, Boo's fur became shinier and his cheek pads were... whatever. :D

"Ah, the city," Yoshimo exclaimed with relish as they passed through the bridge district.

"Glad to be back?" Ember asked with a grin. He had seemed out of sorts in the grove; she wondered if it would have helped if they'd been there during the dryads' revels.

The dryads' revels? :twisted:

But I love how Yoshimo's such a city boy!

Ember looked around. The main bridge of Athkatla was all but a market square in its own right, crowded as it was with street vendors and their customers, sailors on leave, soldiers and scholars; she even saw and heard a grey-haired Red Wizard, arguing loudly with someone outside an inn.

Now that be Degardan, I guess...

"Coo!" someone called out from an alley. "You'd be the one I be looking for, if I not be mistaken. Ember be yer name, aye?"

The speaker was a cheery looking man, slightly shorter than Ember and dressed head to toe in faded browns. A mottled red liripipe hood hid his hair.

Yoshimo grinned. "It appears that he has found us."

I learnt a new English word today. Coo'!

That was an extremely heartwarming chapter! :)

#5 Guest_Keldan_*

Posted 08 July 2007 - 07:04 PM

"It is not that dark! The sun will come up soon, and little Ember should watch it, like she used to! Come now!" The large ranger lifted her out of bed, covers and all, and carried her out of the room. Ember tried to protest, but he ignored her, and didn't put her down until they were under a large tree that stood just outside the inn.


Yay for Minsc being wise. ;)

There were little streaks of orange gold on the clouds, and the light was growing stronger. Songbirds were warbling from the bushes and trees around them; Ember listened to how their songs changed as the land brightened around them, with different tunes fading in and out of the chorus. Some she recognized from home, others were unfamiliar, but they all seemed to fit together, forming an everchanging river of sound.


I envy your nature descriptions.

It felt like coming home.


Yay! Back to druidness. Not that she stopped being a druid, but... you know.

"Our large friend doesn't like gnolls much, does he?" Yoshimo asked.


Sure doesn't. Who can blame him?

"No you are not!" the first speaker shouted. "If you must have blood then take it from those whelps there. They are the kind we are hunting, after all." Six pairs of eyes turned towards the hill.

"Run!" Ember shouted, all but shoving Minsc ahead of her. She looked over her shoulder at the men, and almost lost her footing.


That's exactly the kind of thing you shouldn't do when faced with werewolves, I'll bet. They're canines after all.

How could mere humans outrun werewolves?


Um... you can't?

"Look, Boo, we found the forest ladies!" Minsc said happily, and followed the dryad along the rock wall. Yoshimo just stared at the dryad, mouth agape.


:twisted: I like how Minsc isn't affected. Thinking of Minsc having any sort of libido is sort of... weird.

"Boo wants to know if the Afterlife looks like this," Minsc whispered to Ember.


Me too!

"Yes, little brother, they are safe," the queen said. "I thank you all for your aid; you have braved the evil that dwells in this land for our sake. We will not forget. This forest will always welcome you." She pressed her pale green lips to Minsc's forehead, then to Yoshimo's.


Bet Yoshi liked that. ;)

Ember looked around. The main bridge of Athkatla was all but a market square in its own right, crowded as it was with street vendors and their customers, sailors on leave, soldiers and scholars; she even saw and heard a grey-haired Red Wizard, arguing loudly with someone outside an inn.


Ooh, anyone Eddie knows?

"Coo!" someone called out from an alley. "You'd be the one I be looking for, if I not be mistaken. Ember be yer name, aye?"


Heya, Gaelen. Unlike most, I don't hate your guts. ;)

Yoshimo grinned. "It appears that he has found us."


Yay for Yoshi being useful! Besides being a thief, I mean.

#6 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 08 July 2007 - 10:31 PM

The trip from Athkatla to Windspear Hills would normally take two days on foot, but at the rate they were going, Ember expected it to take at least three. The months they had spent in captivity had taken their toll; she couldn't walk much farther or faster than she could the day she'd first set out from Candlekeep, and she had to use her staff as a walking support most of the time. By the time the trio reached a small inn, long after nightfall, Ember was exhausted; once she got settled in her small room, it did not take long for her to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.


After many months of imprisonment and torture, it is only logical that they are not in a top physical shape.

"It is not that dark! The sun will come up soon, and little Ember should watch it, like she used to! Come now!" The large ranger lifted her out of bed, covers and all, and carried her out of the room. Ember tried to protest, but he ignored her, and didn't put her down until they were under a large tree that stood just outside the inn.


Aww, it’s cute when Minsc does something like that, to anyone else this should earn a black eye. :twisted:

Drawing a deep breath, Ember tentatively reached out to the life she could sense all around her.


It felt like coming home.


Yay for Ember getting her druidy groove back! ;)

"Gnolls!" Minsc growled, and sprinted in the direction of the sound.


"Our large friend doesn't like gnolls much, does he?" Yoshimo asked.


You could say that they have a history. ;)

"You are one to talk," the sneering man said. "Smell yourself in the morning lately?"


The one who'd laughed raised his sword, which was still smeared with gnoll blood. "That's it, I'm going to kill him!"


Yup, I think this would be our cue to leave… silly werewolves. :)


It was not six men that were climbing out of the gully. It was six large, shaggy beasts, covered in brown fur. They grinned ferally, displaying long, sharp teeth.


Probably not a good idea trying to fight them just now. Later on though, they were pushovers. :)

At the base of the hill, Ember stopped and began to cast a spell on the bracken and and small, woody shrubs that grew between the rocks. Moments before the werewolves would have reached her, the plants blossomed into a twisted mass of branches and vines, entangling the snarling creatures.


Druids are just so cool… she could also now use the spell to make herself untrackable… alas, that wouldn’t help much to her friends. :)

Ember glanced behind them. The werewolves had broken free from the enchanted plants, as she'd expected, but for some reason, they'd stopped following them and were standing some distance from the rock wall, howling and snarling.


The dryads would not be very fond of them, no. :)

On the other side of the tunnel lay a valley unlike anything that surrounded it. The rock wall enclosed a deep blue lake that was surrounded by a myriad of trees of every shape and size, all of them vibrant with life. Butterflies flitted through the air, alighting where they pleased on colorful flowers. The place seemed unreal, but at the same time, it felt more real than the barren wilderness that surrounded it.


Oooh, so wonderful! I’d like to go and spend my vacation at a place like that. :)

The queen turned to the dryad that'd escorted Ember and her companions into the grove. "Come Llyna! Plant our sisters' seeds, that they may again taste the wind."


Wonder how long the whole process of regrowth takes and when they can rejoin their Queen and fellow dryads.

They stayed in the quiet world of the dryads for a few days before returning to Athkatla, arriving in the city a tenday after they set out. Ember had felt slightly guilty about delaying their return, but the way it had rejuvenated her was more than worth it. Minsc seemed happier as well, and had regained much of his lost strength.


Well, then it surely was worth it. :)

"Glad to be back?" Ember asked with a grin. He had seemed out of sorts in the grove; she wondered if it would have helped if they'd been there during the dryads' revels.


Depends of whether he would get involved or not. ;)

Ember looked around. The main bridge of Athkatla was all but a market square in its own right, crowded as it was with street vendors and their customers, sailors on leave, soldiers and scholars; she even saw and heard a grey-haired Red Wizard, arguing loudly with someone outside an inn.


A-ha. That must be foreshadowing for something Edwin-related. :)

"Coo!" someone called out from an alley. "You'd be the one I be looking for, if I not be mistaken. Ember be yer name, aye?"


*jumps* Yeeek, I didn’t expect him! ;)

#7 Guest_Futurist_*

Posted 09 July 2007 - 11:45 AM

A few hours later, she was woken up by a large hand on her shoulder. "Little Ember?" Minsc's voice asked.

"Minsc?" she asked blearily, pulling her hand back in under the covers; she'd automatically reached for the dagger on the nightstand. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," he said, "but it is time to get up!"

Ember rubbed her eyes, blinked a few times, and looked towards the window. "It's still dark outside," she said.

"It is not that dark! The sun will come up soon, and little Ember should watch it, like she used to! Come now!" The large ranger lifted her out of bed, covers and all, and carried her out of the room. Ember tried to protest, but he ignored her, and didn't put her down until they were under a large tree that stood just outside the inn.


Heh...

Seems like Minsc can be psycological when he wants to.

Drawing a deep breath, Ember tentatively reached out to the life she could sense all around her.

It felt like coming home.


;)


Ember made herself run faster. We can't die here; Imoen needs us! Part of her - the taint - wanted to go back and fight the creatures, but she had learned to not heed that particular inner voice, and the three of them couldn't have handled their pursuers even if they'd merely been the humans they appeared as at first. No, their only chance was to outrun the pack.


Those guys are so annoying in the game...

Ember laughed with relief. By the Lady, we're saved! "It's only a dryad," she told Yoshimo, nudging his shoulder.

The Kara-Turan blinked a couple times. "I... I will never have occasion to refer to one as 'only a dryad', I don't think."


;)



On the other side of the tunnel lay a valley unlike anything that surrounded it. The rock wall enclosed a deep blue lake that was surrounded by a myriad of trees of every shape and size, all of them vibrant with life. Butterflies flitted through the air, alighting where they pleased on colorful flowers. The place seemed unreal, but at the same time, it felt more real than the barren wilderness that surrounded it.

"Boo wants to know if the Afterlife looks like this," Minsc whispered to Ember.


Depends on which you are going to. There are a few dozen after all.

They stayed in the quiet world of the dryads for a few days before returning to Athkatla, arriving in the city a tenday after they set out. Ember had felt slightly guilty about delaying their return, but the way it had rejuvenated her was more than worth it. Minsc seemed happier as well, and had regained much of his lost strength.


Don`t worry Ember. Nothing actually happens until like you give the gold to the shadow thieves. :twisted:


"Coo!" someone called out from an alley. "You'd be the one I be looking for, if I not be mistaken. Ember be yer name, aye?"

The speaker was a cheery looking man, slightly shorter than Ember and dressed head to toe in faded browns. A mottled red liripipe hood hid his hair.

Yoshimo grinned. "It appears that he has found us."


I bet Ember is going to be happy when the 20.000 are brought into the conversation.

#8 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 09 July 2007 - 05:38 PM

The trip from Athkatla to Windspear Hills would normally take two days on foot, but at the rate they were going, Ember expected it to take at least three. The months they had spent in captivity had taken their toll; she couldn't walk much farther or faster than she could the day she'd first set out from Candlekeep, and she had to use her staff as a walking support most of the time. By the time the trio reached a small inn, long after nightfall, Ember was exhausted; once she got settled in her small room, it did not take long for her to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

For a nature-person, not being to walk a long time must be frustrating... :D


Yeah. Running is one thing, but when you can't even walk the way you used to... :P

"Minsc?" she asked blearily, pulling her hand back in under the covers; she'd automatically reached for the dagger on the nightstand. "What's wrong?"

And here, it's either jumpy paranoid!Ember or experienced adventuress!Ember... or both.


Mostly the former, with a little of the latter.

There were little streaks of orange gold on the clouds, and the light was growing stronger. Songbirds were warbling from the bushes and trees around them; Ember listened to how their songs changed as the land brightened around them, with different tunes fading in and out of the chorus. Some she recognized from home, others were unfamiliar, but they all seemed to fit together, forming an everchanging river of sound.

Aww...


Here she was, so worried about not being able to do it, and then when she finally sits down and listen, she's sensing flowerings open without even thinking about it ;)

I can do this.

Drawing a deep breath, Ember tentatively reached out to the life she could sense all around her.

It felt like coming home.

...in other words, no more angst? :)


Not much, anyway :) (She did want to angst in this paragraph; I spent saturday afternoon weeding it out :D )

I'm happy for Ember!


Me too :)

The following morning, Minsc woke Ember before dawn again, and sat with her as she meditated. She managed to wake up before dawn on her own the next day, but he still accompanied her. That morning, she finally felt ready to pray for spells again.

I'm sort of wondering how Minsc is taking his return to freedom... But this trip is beneficial for them both, I see. :D


Minsc is focused on taking care of his witches, as always. The main difference is that they need his help more, and there are no other old friends around to help them (little Imoen had the Evil Wizard, and Kivan helped teach little Ember about nature and heroing). So, he's going to step up to the plate :)

Also, within this half a chapter, he's become much more of a person than he's been in the large party, spread across one-liners as everyone there was, I think... I'm sort of seeing what you meant when you wrote that you intended to focus on him - either slightly more, or much more, I don't remember which... but focus on him, anyway. :)

(Just an observation.)


I've never really done him justice in the past - he's been getting his weird lines and the occasional sentence about him spending a week with Ember in the forest. For this part of the story, I want him to be more important; I'm actually going to avoid adding at least one NPC to my party because although I like them, I feel their presence would ruin things for Minsc, characterization-wise. It's his turn to grow now, too.

"Gnolls!" Minsc growled, and sprinted in the direction of the sound.

"Our large friend doesn't like gnolls much, does he?" Yoshimo asked.

"No," Ember replied, alredy starting to run after Minsc. "Hurry, or we'll lose him."

(Although his Racial Enemy has been changed, oh-so-conveniently, to Vampire... :sigh:)


Mine still hates gnolls above all :D

"No you are not!" the first speaker shouted. "If you must have blood then take it from those whelps there. They are the kind we are hunting, after all." Six pairs of eyes turned towards the hill.

"Run!" Ember shouted, all but shoving Minsc ahead of her. She looked over her shoulder at the men, and almost lost her footing.

;) I love that dialogue, and Ember's reaction is classic!


:D

It was not six men that were climbing out of the gully. It was six large, shaggy beasts, covered in brown fur. They grinned ferally, displaying long, sharp teeth.

"Werewolves," Yoshimo panted.

Heh. Ember hasn't been to the werewolf island...


Nope. This is her first experience with them, other than what she's read and heard.

At the base of the hill, Ember stopped and began to cast a spell on the bracken and and small, woody shrubs that grew between the rocks. Moments before the werewolves would have reached her, the plants blossomed into a twisted mass of branches and vines, entangling the snarling creatures.

I still remember how she cast it on a potted plant. :D


I'm glad that little moment paid off :D (How else to use that spell indoors?)

"Boo thinks... they don't like the big rock," Minsc panted.

"It is forbidden to them," said a voice that sounded like rustling leaves. A dryad with dark green skin and pale, almost translucent hair stood behind them. "The queen will not allow it. You, she awaits. Follow."

Ah. Mystical Barriers. I love them.


I just figured a queen should be able to restrain some uppity little werewolves :)

The Kara-Turan blinked a couple times. "I... I will never have occasion to refer to one as 'only a dryad', I don't think."

Just call them a tree kami, then... ;)


Yoshimo: Perhaps, but I do not believe I will ever speak of 'only a kami', either.

On the other side of the tunnel lay a valley unlike anything that surrounded it. The rock wall enclosed a deep blue lake that was surrounded by a myriad of trees of every shape and size, all of them vibrant with life. Butterflies flitted through the air, alighting where they pleased on colorful flowers. The place seemed unreal, but at the same time, it felt more real than the barren wilderness that surrounded it.

Mmm... Magic!
That's a great description... :)


Thanks :D

"Maybe it does," she whispered back, staring wide-eyed at the beauty around them.

The druidic/ranger one, perhaps. :D (And... err. Insects Inside, I guess? Then count me out.)


Yeah, I'd definitely want a functional cabin to live in, even in a place like that :D

(Err... Whose druid is Ember, btw? She prayed in the Undercity labyrinth, but I forgot to whom... :? )


Mielikki.

They stayed in the quiet world of the dryads for a few days before returning to Athkatla, arriving in the city a tenday after they set out. Ember had felt slightly guilty about delaying their return, but the way it had rejuvenated her was more than worth it. Minsc seemed happier as well, and had regained much of his lost strength.

Yup. They needed it. But you forgot to add that on the dryads' nuts, Boo's fur became shinier and his cheek pads were... whatever. :P


:P

"Ah, the city," Yoshimo exclaimed with relish as they passed through the bridge district.

"Glad to be back?" Ember asked with a grin. He had seemed out of sorts in the grove; she wondered if it would have helped if they'd been there during the dryads' revels.

The dryads' revels? :twisted:


Yeah, you know, when they spend the entire night cavorting around and luring hapless males and all that crud.

But I love how Yoshimo's such a city boy!


Me too. It just randomly occured to me that he wouldn't be the foresty type, so I'm going to stick with that :D

Ember looked around. The main bridge of Athkatla was all but a market square in its own right, crowded as it was with street vendors and their customers, sailors on leave, soldiers and scholars; she even saw and heard a grey-haired Red Wizard, arguing loudly with someone outside an inn.

Now that be Degardan, I guess...


You guess correctly.

(I've never actually seen that part of the quest. The only party I've had Edwin(a) in so far was left high and dry in the Underdark without ever meeting Degardan, mostly due to my habit of not letting them sleep enough - the game time requirement was never met! ;) )

"Coo!" someone called out from an alley. "You'd be the one I be looking for, if I not be mistaken. Ember be yer name, aye?"

The speaker was a cheery looking man, slightly shorter than Ember and dressed head to toe in faded browns. A mottled red liripipe hood hid his hair.

Yoshimo grinned. "It appears that he has found us."

I learnt a new English word today. Coo'!


Unlearn it! Unlearn it!

That was an extremely heartwarming chapter! :D


Thanks :D

#9 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 09 July 2007 - 07:08 PM

"It is not that dark! The sun will come up soon, and little Ember should watch it, like she used to! Come now!" The large ranger lifted her out of bed, covers and all, and carried her out of the room. Ember tried to protest, but he ignored her, and didn't put her down until they were under a large tree that stood just outside the inn.


Yay for Minsc being wise. :)


He understands that Certain Things Must Be Done ;)

There were little streaks of orange gold on the clouds, and the light was growing stronger. Songbirds were warbling from the bushes and trees around them; Ember listened to how their songs changed as the land brightened around them, with different tunes fading in and out of the chorus. Some she recognized from home, others were unfamiliar, but they all seemed to fit together, forming an everchanging river of sound.


I envy your nature descriptions.


I owe it to a lifetime of having nature as a major hobby/interest.

It felt like coming home.


Yay! Back to druidness. Not that she stopped being a druid, but... you know.


Yeah, I know ;)

"Our large friend doesn't like gnolls much, does he?" Yoshimo asked.


Sure doesn't. Who can blame him?


I don't. They're ugly, and they smell bad.

"No you are not!" the first speaker shouted. "If you must have blood then take it from those whelps there. They are the kind we are hunting, after all." Six pairs of eyes turned towards the hill.

"Run!" Ember shouted, all but shoving Minsc ahead of her. She looked over her shoulder at the men, and almost lost her footing.


That's exactly the kind of thing you shouldn't do when faced with werewolves, I'll bet. They're canines after all.


Well, what else can she do? It's too late to hope they won't notice them, and it's definitely too late to hope they won't attack them...

How could mere humans outrun werewolves?


Um... you can't?


That's the problem.

"Look, Boo, we found the forest ladies!" Minsc said happily, and followed the dryad along the rock wall. Yoshimo just stared at the dryad, mouth agape.


;) I like how Minsc isn't affected. Thinking of Minsc having any sort of libido is sort of... weird.


I think it comes with his rangering. I think he sees A Tree That Is a Pretty Girl, not Whoa Hot Green Chick.

"Yes, little brother, they are safe," the queen said. "I thank you all for your aid; you have braved the evil that dwells in this land for our sake. We will not forget. This forest will always welcome you." She pressed her pale green lips to Minsc's forehead, then to Yoshimo's.


Bet Yoshi liked that. :)


It wasn't that kind of kiss :)

(And I wasn't aware that you were on that kind of terms with Yoshimo ;) )

Ember looked around. The main bridge of Athkatla was all but a market square in its own right, crowded as it was with street vendors and their customers, sailors on leave, soldiers and scholars; she even saw and heard a grey-haired Red Wizard, arguing loudly with someone outside an inn.


Ooh, anyone Eddie knows?


Edwin: (I'd rather not.)

"Coo!" someone called out from an alley. "You'd be the one I be looking for, if I not be mistaken. Ember be yer name, aye?"


Heya, Gaelen. Unlike most, I don't hate your guts. :)


I don't hate his guts, just his voice and his catchphrase :twisted:

#10 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 09 July 2007 - 07:37 PM

The trip from Athkatla to Windspear Hills would normally take two days on foot, but at the rate they were going, Ember expected it to take at least three. The months they had spent in captivity had taken their toll; she couldn't walk much farther or faster than she could the day she'd first set out from Candlekeep, and she had to use her staff as a walking support most of the time. By the time the trio reached a small inn, long after nightfall, Ember was exhausted; once she got settled in her small room, it did not take long for her to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.


After many months of imprisonment and torture, it is only logical that they are not in a top physical shape.


Yeah, you're not exactly going to come out firing all your big guns. (Incidentally, in doing research for the story by playing the game, I am finding all kinds of interesting, low resource ways to win fights. I could already do Rayic Gethras and the slavers without a wizard; yesterday, I used four people and two spells (hold person and insects) to wipe out the large group of slaver guards (the ones you meet first if you follow the tunnel) with very few injuries to my group :D


"It is not that dark! The sun will come up soon, and little Ember should watch it, like she used to! Come now!" The large ranger lifted her out of bed, covers and all, and carried her out of the room. Ember tried to protest, but he ignored her, and didn't put her down until they were under a large tree that stood just outside the inn.


Aww, it’s cute when Minsc does something like that, to anyone else this should earn a black eye. ;)


Yes, and yes :D

Drawing a deep breath, Ember tentatively reached out to the life she could sense all around her.

It felt like coming home.


Yay for Ember getting her druidy groove back! ;)


:)


"Gnolls!" Minsc growled, and sprinted in the direction of the sound.

"Our large friend doesn't like gnolls much, does he?" Yoshimo asked.


You could say that they have a history. ;)


Minsc has a history. Gnolls are history.

"You are one to talk," the sneering man said. "Smell yourself in the morning lately?"

The one who'd laughed raised his sword, which was still smeared with gnoll blood. "That's it, I'm going to kill him!"


Yup, I think this would be our cue to leave… silly werewolves. :)


Well, that conversation is pretty priceless :D


It was not six men that were climbing out of the gully. It was six large, shaggy beasts, covered in brown fur. They grinned ferally, displaying long, sharp teeth.


Probably not a good idea trying to fight them just now. Later on though, they were pushovers. :)


They'll meet again. :twisted:

At the base of the hill, Ember stopped and began to cast a spell on the bracken and and small, woody shrubs that grew between the rocks. Moments before the werewolves would have reached her, the plants blossomed into a twisted mass of branches and vines, entangling the snarling creatures.


Druids are just so cool… she could also now use the spell to make herself untrackable… alas, that wouldn’t help much to her friends. :)


Besides, it doesn't matter much that she's trackable if she's still in visual range.


Ember glanced behind them. The werewolves had broken free from the enchanted plants, as she'd expected, but for some reason, they'd stopped following them and were standing some distance from the rock wall, howling and snarling.


The dryads would not be very fond of them, no. :)


Any canon reasons?


On the other side of the tunnel lay a valley unlike anything that surrounded it. The rock wall enclosed a deep blue lake that was surrounded by a myriad of trees of every shape and size, all of them vibrant with life. Butterflies flitted through the air, alighting where they pleased on colorful flowers. The place seemed unreal, but at the same time, it felt more real than the barren wilderness that surrounded it.


Oooh, so wonderful! I’d like to go and spend my vacation at a place like that. :P


There should definitely be more places like that around :)


The queen turned to the dryad that'd escorted Ember and her companions into the grove. "Come Llyna! Plant our sisters' seeds, that they may again taste the wind."


Wonder how long the whole process of regrowth takes and when they can rejoin their Queen and fellow dryads.


At least they're not physically running around before they're even replanted...


They stayed in the quiet world of the dryads for a few days before returning to Athkatla, arriving in the city a tenday after they set out. Ember had felt slightly guilty about delaying their return, but the way it had rejuvenated her was more than worth it. Minsc seemed happier as well, and had regained much of his lost strength.


Well, then it surely was worth it. :)


A slightly plausible excuse for them being able to kick vast amounts of various butts in the near future :D


Ember looked around. The main bridge of Athkatla was all but a market square in its own right, crowded as it was with street vendors and their customers, sailors on leave, soldiers and scholars; she even saw and heard a grey-haired Red Wizard, arguing loudly with someone outside an inn.


A-ha. That must be foreshadowing for something Edwin-related. :D


I can't see why... :D


"Coo!" someone called out from an alley. "You'd be the one I be looking for, if I not be mistaken. Ember be yer name, aye?"


*jumps* Yeeek, I didn’t expect him! ;)


Nobody expects COOOOOO!

#11 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 09 July 2007 - 07:45 PM


"It is not that dark! The sun will come up soon, and little Ember should watch it, like she used to! Come now!" The large ranger lifted her out of bed, covers and all, and carried her out of the room. Ember tried to protest, but he ignored her, and didn't put her down until they were under a large tree that stood just outside the inn.


Heh...

Seems like Minsc can be psycological when he wants to.


When the going gets tough, Minsc drags you out of bed :(


Ember made herself run faster. We can't die here; Imoen needs us! Part of her - the taint - wanted to go back and fight the creatures, but she had learned to not heed that particular inner voice, and the three of them couldn't have handled their pursuers even if they'd merely been the humans they appeared as at first. No, their only chance was to outrun the pack.


Those guys are so annoying in the game...


I kinda like 'em :twisted: They're a nice warm up fight for the dragon. It's the vampires that annoy me.


Ember laughed with relief. By the Lady, we're saved! "It's only a dryad," she told Yoshimo, nudging his shoulder.

The Kara-Turan blinked a couple times. "I... I will never have occasion to refer to one as 'only a dryad', I don't think."


;)


Can you blame him? ;)


On the other side of the tunnel lay a valley unlike anything that surrounded it. The rock wall enclosed a deep blue lake that was surrounded by a myriad of trees of every shape and size, all of them vibrant with life. Butterflies flitted through the air, alighting where they pleased on colorful flowers. The place seemed unreal, but at the same time, it felt more real than the barren wilderness that surrounded it.

"Boo wants to know if the Afterlife looks like this," Minsc whispered to Ember.


Depends on which you are going to. There are a few dozen after all.


Mechanus, for instance. Or Gehenna.


They stayed in the quiet world of the dryads for a few days before returning to Athkatla, arriving in the city a tenday after they set out. Ember had felt slightly guilty about delaying their return, but the way it had rejuvenated her was more than worth it. Minsc seemed happier as well, and had regained much of his lost strength.


Don`t worry Ember. Nothing actually happens until like you give the gold to the shadow thieves. :(


Funny how that works, isn't it? ;)


"Coo!" someone called out from an alley. "You'd be the one I be looking for, if I not be mistaken. Ember be yer name, aye?"

The speaker was a cheery looking man, slightly shorter than Ember and dressed head to toe in faded browns. A mottled red liripipe hood hid his hair.

Yoshimo grinned. "It appears that he has found us."


I bet Ember is going to be happy when the 20.000 are brought into the conversation.


You could say that, yes...

#12 Guest_Keldan_*

Posted 11 July 2007 - 03:17 AM

:( I like how Minsc isn't affected. Thinking of Minsc having any sort of libido is sort of... weird.

I think it comes with his rangering. I think he sees A Tree That Is a Pretty Girl, not Whoa Hot Green Chick.


This is true. Still, I imagine that a more... sexually-minded ranger would be just as easily smitten. That's just me, though. I figure even nature-lovers have to be subject to its various whims.

Bet Yoshi liked that. ;)

It wasn't that kind of kiss ;)

(And I wasn't aware that you were on that kind of terms with Yoshimo :( )


:twisted: "Yoshi" is easier to type. Plus, hey, he's charming. ;)

Ooh, anyone Eddie knows?

Edwin: (I'd rather not.)


I'm sure you realize how much this intrigues me. INTRIGUES ME. Ahem.

#13 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 11 July 2007 - 05:37 PM

:( I like how Minsc isn't affected. Thinking of Minsc having any sort of libido is sort of... weird.

I think it comes with his rangering. I think he sees A Tree That Is a Pretty Girl, not Whoa Hot Green Chick.


This is true. Still, I imagine that a more... sexually-minded ranger would be just as easily smitten. That's just me, though. I figure even nature-lovers have to be subject to its various whims.


Well, if the dryad had gone full Charm mode, I think Minsc would have succumbed, too.

Ooh, anyone Eddie knows?

Edwin: (I'd rather not.)


I'm sure you realize how much this intrigues me. INTRIGUES ME. Ahem.


:(

#14 Guest_arabellaesque_*

Posted 11 July 2007 - 07:09 PM

(I have been reading -- lack of time when it comes to regular commenting, however ;) )

The trip from Athkatla to Windspear Hills would normally take two days on foot, but at the rate they were going, Ember expected it to take at least three. The months they had spent in captivity had taken their toll; she couldn't walk much farther or faster than she could the day she'd first set out from Candlekeep, and she had to use her staff as a walking support most of the time. By the time the trio reached a small inn, long after nightfall, Ember was exhausted; once she got settled in her small room, it did not take long for her to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.


Well, at least it is dreamless.

"It is pretty," Ember conceded. A red glow was building on the horizon, lending a tint to several streamers of cloud. So much time had passed since the last time she saw a sunrise... I'm not ready for this. It's been too long! She turned to Minsc to tell him she couldn't do it, but the smiling, expectant look on his face stopped her. He only wanted to help her, and she wasn't even trying. She couldn't disappoint him like this.

She turned her attention back to the sunrise.


Awww. There's no power like a Minsc trying to help.

There were little streaks of orange gold on the clouds, and the light was growing stronger. Songbirds were warbling from the bushes and trees around them; Ember listened to how their songs changed as the land brightened around them, with different tunes fading in and out of the chorus. Some she recognized from home, others were unfamiliar, but they all seemed to fit together, forming an everchanging river of sound.


I don't know how you manage to be so good so consistently when it comes to descriptions, but... they were excellent in this chapter ;)

I can do this.


Yes... yes you can.

"Gnolls!" Minsc growled, and sprinted in the direction of the sound.


Paladin gnolls?

One of the men looked up at the small group on the hill. "I did not think we deserved an audience," he called out. "Dispatching these creatures was well and truly easy."


Ah... no ;)

On the hillside, Minsc gave Ember a very confused look.


Teehee! When I first encountered these guys, I was very confused... but then I started giggling...

"I think we should leave," Ember muttered to her companions.


Might be an idea :(

How could mere humans outrun werewolves?


Three pairs of Boots of Speed! If only it'd been ToB, you could have had that many by now... ;)

"Look, Boo, we found the forest ladies!" Minsc said happily, and followed the dryad along the rock wall. Yoshimo just stared at the dryad, mouth agape.


Now, now, Yoshi -- you'll catch flies.

"Ah, the city," Yoshimo exclaimed with relish as they passed through the bridge district.


Wow, his powers of observation are unrivaled :(

Ember looked around. The main bridge of Athkatla was all but a market square in its own right, crowded as it was with street vendors and their customers, sailors on leave, soldiers and scholars; she even saw and heard a grey-haired Red Wizard, arguing loudly with someone outside an inn.


Haggling over prices? Typical Red Wizard... ;)

"Coo!" someone called out from an alley. "You'd be the one I be looking for, if I not be mistaken. Ember be yer name, aye?"


Strangely.. he's not being as irritating as I'd prepared for...

Still -- it'll be interesting to see who else ends up joining forces with Ember and Minsc -- and how they all get along, of course :twisted:

Can't wait for more!

#15 Guest_VigaHrolf_*

Posted 11 July 2007 - 08:08 PM

Cel,

Last couple of chapters have been really great, and I apologize for not individually responding to each one or doing a line by line. But I've been socked in by pretty much everything lately... Life happens like that, huh?

The reality of Ember's responses to everything have been great. Her loss of Imoen and the toll that's taken on her. The realistic loss of ability due to imprisonment and torture, both of these have been great touches. Your descriptions, have, as always been impressive. You've got a real touch for nature and the 'real' display of magic.

Also, I love what you've been doing with Minsc. His inner wisdom and kindness has really been coming out and well illustrated. Him scooping up Ember and taking her out to the sunrise because he KNEW she needed it, no matter what she said... priceless. And very very Minsc.

The dryad scene was also well done. :(

And of course, my favoritest side character of the whole saga is now upon us! Mr. Gaelan Bayle! YAY!

Great work Cel! Keep it up, especially for us authors who've been sadly neglecting our characters. Like myself. :(

VH

#16 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 12 July 2007 - 06:43 AM

(I have been reading -- lack of time when it comes to regular commenting, however :( )


It's good to see you around again, though ;) (Is your story gone from the Attic for good?)


The trip from Athkatla to Windspear Hills would normally take two days on foot, but at the rate they were going, Ember expected it to take at least three. The months they had spent in captivity had taken their toll; she couldn't walk much farther or faster than she could the day she'd first set out from Candlekeep, and she had to use her staff as a walking support most of the time. By the time the trio reached a small inn, long after nightfall, Ember was exhausted; once she got settled in her small room, it did not take long for her to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.


Well, at least it is dreamless.


Yeah. The dreams come later :(


"It is pretty," Ember conceded. A red glow was building on the horizon, lending a tint to several streamers of cloud. So much time had passed since the last time she saw a sunrise... I'm not ready for this. It's been too long! She turned to Minsc to tell him she couldn't do it, but the smiling, expectant look on his face stopped her. He only wanted to help her, and she wasn't even trying. She couldn't disappoint him like this.

She turned her attention back to the sunrise.


Awww. There's no power like a Minsc trying to help.


Indeed not!


There were little streaks of orange gold on the clouds, and the light was growing stronger. Songbirds were warbling from the bushes and trees around them; Ember listened to how their songs changed as the land brightened around them, with different tunes fading in and out of the chorus. Some she recognized from home, others were unfamiliar, but they all seemed to fit together, forming an everchanging river of sound.


I don't know how you manage to be so good so consistently when it comes to descriptions, but... they were excellent in this chapter ;)


Thanks ;)


I can do this.


Yes... yes you can.


The little druid that could!


"Gnolls!" Minsc growled, and sprinted in the direction of the sound.


Paladin gnolls?


Not quite :(


One of the men looked up at the small group on the hill. "I did not think we deserved an audience," he called out. "Dispatching these creatures was well and truly easy."


Ah... no :D


Oh yes :(


On the hillside, Minsc gave Ember a very confused look.


Teehee! When I first encountered these guys, I was very confused... but then I started giggling...


Yeah, was first confusing, then amusing, then ohshit werewolves :D


How could mere humans outrun werewolves?


Three pairs of Boots of Speed! If only it'd been ToB, you could have had that many by now... :D


I think in my last ToB game everyone but one had a pair of those boots or some other speed enhancing item :)


"Look, Boo, we found the forest ladies!" Minsc said happily, and followed the dryad along the rock wall. Yoshimo just stared at the dryad, mouth agape.


Now, now, Yoshi -- you'll catch flies.


Heh :)


"Ah, the city," Yoshimo exclaimed with relish as they passed through the bridge district.


Wow, his powers of observation are unrivaled ;)


Shh, let him enjoy being back in his element :)


Ember looked around. The main bridge of Athkatla was all but a market square in its own right, crowded as it was with street vendors and their customers, sailors on leave, soldiers and scholars; she even saw and heard a grey-haired Red Wizard, arguing loudly with someone outside an inn.


Haggling over prices? Typical Red Wizard... :(


IF that is what he's arguing about :twisted:


"Coo!" someone called out from an alley. "You'd be the one I be looking for, if I not be mistaken. Ember be yer name, aye?"


Strangely.. he's not being as irritating as I'd prepared for...


Probably because he's only said COOO once.

Still -- it'll be interesting to see who else ends up joining forces with Ember and Minsc -- and how they all get along, of course ;)


They'll join with *blank* and they'll get along *blank* :D

Can't wait for more!


I'll try to write it, then :( (currently feeling a bit overwhelmed at all the moneygathering quests that should be done, and how to string them together...)

#17 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 12 July 2007 - 06:46 AM

Last couple of chapters have been really great, and I apologize for not individually responding to each one or doing a line by line. But I've been socked in by pretty much everything lately... Life happens like that, huh?


Yeah. I'm kinda glad I'm not the only one that's happening to.

The reality of Ember's responses to everything have been great. Her loss of Imoen and the toll that's taken on her. The realistic loss of ability due to imprisonment and torture, both of these have been great touches. Your descriptions, have, as always been impressive. You've got a real touch for nature and the 'real' display of magic.


Thanks! :(

(I've always been a naturesy person, so it comes easy to me. Ask me to write a thieves' thief, on the other hand, and I'm stumped :twisted: )

Also, I love what you've been doing with Minsc. His inner wisdom and kindness has really been coming out and well illustrated. Him scooping up Ember and taking her out to the sunrise because he KNEW she needed it, no matter what she said... priceless. And very very Minsc.


He deserved the chance to step up in Kivan's absence. So I gave it to him. I've known I'd be writing that scene for over half a year ;)

The dryad scene was also well done. ;)


Thank you ;)

And of course, my favoritest side character of the whole saga is now upon us! Mr. Gaelan Bayle! YAY!


:( Coooooooooooooooooo!

Great work Cel! Keep it up, especially for us authors who've been sadly neglecting our characters. Like myself. ;)


I'll try!

#18 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 12 July 2007 - 05:32 PM

Ember rubbed her eyes, blinked a few times, and looked towards the window. "It's still dark outside," she said.


Harlequin: (Yawns)

Raven: "I thought I told you to get some sleep, Im."

Harlequin: "Sleeping's the easy part. It's the getting up that's hard. I've always had trouble getting up when it's dark out."

Raven: "We're in space. It's -always- dark out."

Harlequin: "I know." (Sighs wearily) "I know."

"Our large friend doesn't like gnolls much, does he?" Yoshimo asked.


Does anyone really like gnolls? C'mon, really... anyone? Didn't think so.

Ember laughed with relief. By the Lady, we're saved! "It's only a dryad," she told Yoshimo, nudging his shoulder.

The Kara-Turan blinked a couple times. "I... I will never have occasion to refer to one as 'only a dryad', I don't think."


Hot chicks are hot chicks. This will always be true. :(

And yeah, second on the commentary that Minsc with... well... drive... is kinda scary for some reason. Not as scary as Minsc/Immy porn, but...

And yes, I've seen that.

No, I'm not kidding.

(Shudder)

"Boo likes the forest," Minsc said.


Which is... kinda odd since I don't hear much about hamsters in the wild. :twisted:

Yoshimo grinned. "It appears that he has found us."


Imoen (Falynn variant): "Gaelan Bayle."

Falynn: "Easy, kiddo. We wouldn't have found you without him."

Imoen: "I know that. But that didn't give him an excuse to grab my butt like that... next time he tries it, he's losing fingers." :(

#19 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 12 July 2007 - 08:35 PM

Ember rubbed her eyes, blinked a few times, and looked towards the window. "It's still dark outside," she said.


Harlequin: (Yawns)

Raven: "I thought I told you to get some sleep, Im."

Harlequin: "Sleeping's the easy part. It's the getting up that's hard. I've always had trouble getting up when it's dark out."

Raven: "We're in space. It's -always- dark out."

Harlequin: "I know." (Sighs wearily) "I know."


;)

I so know that feeling! (Especially in december and january, not so much now)

"Our large friend doesn't like gnolls much, does he?" Yoshimo asked.


Does anyone really like gnolls? C'mon, really... anyone? Didn't think so.


Good point ;)

Ember laughed with relief. By the Lady, we're saved! "It's only a dryad," she told Yoshimo, nudging his shoulder.

The Kara-Turan blinked a couple times. "I... I will never have occasion to refer to one as 'only a dryad', I don't think."


Hot chicks are hot chicks. This will always be true. ;)


I'll take your word for it ;)

And yeah, second on the commentary that Minsc with... well... drive... is kinda scary for some reason. Not as scary as Minsc/Immy porn, but...

And yes, I've seen that.

No, I'm not kidding.

(Shudder)


:(

Where on earth do you people FIND that kind of crazy?

"Boo likes the forest," Minsc said.


Which is... kinda odd since I don't hear much about hamsters in the wild. :)


They're more desert type things, I think ;)

Yoshimo grinned. "It appears that he has found us."


Imoen (Falynn variant): "Gaelan Bayle."

Falynn: "Easy, kiddo. We wouldn't have found you without him."

Imoen: "I know that. But that didn't give him an excuse to grab my butt like that... next time he tries it, he's losing fingers." :twisted:


Butt-grabbing? Now, really :(

#20 Guest_BlueNose_*

Posted 13 July 2007 - 05:19 PM

Chapter 76: Back to Nature


The trip from Athkatla to Windspear Hills would normally take two days on foot, but at the rate they were going, Ember expected it to take at least three. The months they had spent in captivity had taken their toll; she couldn't walk much farther or faster than she could the day she'd first set out from Candlekeep, and she had to use her staff as a walking support most of the time. By the time the trio reached a small inn, long after nightfall, Ember was exhausted; once she got settled in her small room, it did not take long for her to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.


A staff is pretty useful anyway for a walker. I carried one with me all the way first time I walked the Pennine Way. Blisters are another matter. You'll have some, no matter what, unless you somehow retained your boots in Irenicus' dungeon.

"Minsc?" she asked blearily, pulling her hand back in under the covers; she'd automatically reached for the dagger on the nightstand. "What's wrong?"


Good instincts.

There were little streaks of orange gold on the clouds, and the light was growing stronger. Songbirds were warbling from the bushes and trees around them; Ember listened to how their songs changed as the land brightened around them, with different tunes fading in and out of the chorus. Some she recognized from home, others were unfamiliar, but they all seemed to fit together, forming an everchanging river of sound.


Sounds like a beautiful spring day coming up.

I can do this.

Drawing a deep breath, Ember tentatively reached out to the life she could sense all around her.

It felt like coming home.


I feel the same way whenever I smell beer. But I was born in Burton on Trent.

The forest thinned around them on the second day of their trip, and in the afternoon of the third day, they reached a hilly region with barely any trees at all. Instead, the landscape was dominated by hills, gullies, caverns, and vast stretches of gravel. Grey rocks the size of small hills jutted out of the ground at irregular intervals.


I've sometimes wondered what type of environment they were trying for there. It just seems really unnatural. Most of the other areas seem plausible, but I can't work out how the Windspear Hills work.

"This must be the Windspear Hills," Yoshimo said, "but I must confess that it does not look like the home of a dryad queen."


Maybe she's an anti-social dryad queen?

"Gnolls!" Minsc growled, and sprinted in the direction of the sound.


He can tell that from harsh, gibbering laughter? Those ranger favoured enemy bonuses really add up.

They caught up with Minsc on the crest of a hill that overlooked a gully. Six men stood on the gully floor around a trampled campfire. The bodies of at least three times as many gnolls were strewn around their feet.


Right, we need the rubber ball and a rolled up newspaper.

It was not six men that were climbing out of the gully. It was six large, shaggy beasts, covered in brown fur. They grinned ferally, displaying long, sharp teeth.

"Werewolves," Yoshimo panted.


How can you tell? :shock:

How could mere humans outrun werewolves?


Throw the rubber ball in the opposite direction. Any that ignore it, smack on the nose with the rolled up newspaper and say in a firm, clear voice, "Bad Dog."

Ember laughed with relief. By the Lady, we're saved! "It's only a dryad," she told Yoshimo, nudging his shoulder.

The Kara-Turan blinked a couple times. "I... I will never have occasion to refer to one as 'only a dryad', I don't think."


Take an axe to one of their trees, and then try using the phrase, "It's only a dryad." Not that a druid should be doing such things....

On the other side of the tunnel lay a valley unlike anything that surrounded it. The rock wall enclosed a deep blue lake that was surrounded by a myriad of trees of every shape and size, all of them vibrant with life. Butterflies flitted through the air, alighting where they pleased on colorful flowers. The place seemed unreal, but at the same time, it felt more real than the barren wilderness that surrounded it.


Is this a place in Faerun, or have they crossed into Faerie?

"Boo wants to know if the Afterlife looks like this," Minsc whispered to Ember.


Which afterlife? I could believe it for Minsc and Ember, but there are some who wouldn't get it.

A tall woman with hair like a sunrise approached them.


She uses a lot of hair dye, doesn't she. ;)

"Yes, little brother, they are safe," the queen said. "I thank you all for your aid; you have braved the evil that dwells in this land for our sake. We will not forget. This forest will always welcome you." She pressed her pale green lips to Minsc's forehead, then to Yoshimo's.

The dryad queen looked into Ember's eyes. "Be true to yourself, and you may claim your truth," she finally said. She kissed Ember's forehead. "Stay a while, little sister, and heal."


Don't think that'll happen in a few days, at last not all the way.

"So, how do we find this contact of yours?" she asked Yoshimo.

"Coo!" someone called out from an alley. "You'd be the one I be looking for, if I not be mistaken. Ember be yer name, aye?"


And you're Gaelan Bayle. Half man, half pigeon.




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