[Mkguild] Second Steps part 2

[Christian Okane]

Here is part 2 of Second Steps. it features the return of a character whose
unknown fate always bothered me. My thanks to Ryx for letting me use her.


Chris
The Lurking Fox




   The hospital was a small one; meant only for caring for the sick and
wounded of the town and the surrounding villages. So the place was crowded.
People from all over the town and castle were running around tending to
twenty three people. These were huddled in chairs, others stood wrapped in
blankets as Keepers hovered around them. Still more lay on beds.

   Seated on the bed closest to him was a young man dressed in a clean,
fresh tunic and whose had recently had a bath as he was clean. But there was
little flesh on the man's frame and there scars and wounds were very new. On
the bed next to the man's was a female Keeper whose species was some sort of
gray colored feline.

   "Who are they?" Misha asked trying to keep his emotions in check.

   "Keepers," Marcia answered. "All of them."

   "NAMES!" Misha snapped more harshly then he intended.

   Marcia handed the fox a sheet of paper. "This is a partial list."

   Misha examined the list intently for a moment. "George I see several our
people." Suddenly he muttered several curses. "She's dead. She has to be
dead."

   "Well you're wrong!" Marcia countered. "I checked all the names."

   "Oh my god," Misha whispered. "She's been a prisoner for almost two
years." He tapped a name on the list. "Her. I want to see her now!"


***********************


   Misha found her huddled in a bed in the far corner of the hospital. She
had a blanket tightly wrapped around her body and her head down close to her
chest.

   "She's in fairly decent shape physically," the healer said. "But she has
not spoken more then a dozen words since she arrived."

   "Narsanna?" he asked softly.

   The figure stirred a little but did not look up.

   The scout stepped closer. "Narsanna? Is that you? It's Misha."

   The fox morph sat down on the bed next to her. She jumped and looked at
him with panic filled eyes. The fear was replaced by confusion and then
recognition. "Who?" the bundled figure asked. Her head had two large
triangular ears set atop a head that ended in a short, blunt muzzle.

   "Misha Brightleaf. Llyn's leader."

   Her face brightened noticeably and she slow unwrapped the blanket
revealing that she had wrapped her wings about her as tightly as the blanket
had been. Misha noted that the flesh on the wings was tattered and torn in
places. He also saw many scars both old and new all over. The bat had seen
some very hard times. His fingers traced a complex magical symbol tattooed
onto the skin of her left wing. "That keeps me from flying," she said in a
harsh, raspy voice.

   Misha nodded. "I'll get Rickkter or Teria to remove it."

   "Remove it?" she asked in a confused tone.

   The fox scout examined the tattoo closely. It was an immobilization
symbol. Meant to keep something or someone from moving or in this case
flying. "We can remove it easily enough."

   "Nestorius has already examined it, "Marcia said speaking for the first
time. "He will remove it this afternoon."

   Misha nodded. "Good."

   "What happened?" Narsanna asked. "No one came to rescue me."

   Misha shivered noticeably and shook his head. "We tried. We searched all
over. We tried to follow your last flight but all we found was a large pool
of blood. We thought you were dead like Heurn," he explained.

   She slowly shook her head. "I wasn't that lucky."

   "You're safe now," Misha said.

   "What happened to Llyn? Did she escape?"

   "She succeeded in stopping the towers," the scout answered without giving
the whole truth.

   "Then she is alive?" the bat asked. Her voice raising in emotion. Whether
that was good or bad Misha was unsure.

   Misha pauses for a moment unsure how to explain it to her. "Llyn is
dead." He said flatly. "She was killed during the Yule attack."

   "Then she didn't escape."

   "No. I guess she didn't," Misha admitted in a whisper.

   "My family?" Narsanna asked.

   "Fine. Your parents and your youngest sister were in Long House during
the Yule attack. Your brother Andrew acquitted himself well and was promoted
and decorated. His wife lost part of her foot but fought well."

   "When did Alisa learn to fight?"

   "When four Lutins charged into her home on Yuletide eve and tried to kill
her," George answered calmly.

   The bat nodded. "She was always a tough woman."

   "Not as tough of you," Misha countered.

   "Me?" she asked in a confused tone. "I wasn't tough. All I did was live."

   "Dying is easy," George said solemnly. "Living is hard."


*********************


   Misha and Marcia stood outside the hospital. The fox was leaning against
a wall his tail dropped along the floor and his one ear was laid back. His
whole body was trembling.

   "Are you all right?" Marcia asked.

   "No," came the flat answer.

   "Who is Narsanna and why are you so upset to see her alive?" the woman
asked.

   Misha stopped trembling and stood up straight. "Narsanna is dead," He
said and looked at the closed door to the hospital. "At least I thought she
was." Misha sat down on one of the benches near the door. "Two years ago I
sent Llyn out on a mission along with two other scouts, Heurn and Narsanna.
Things went wrong. Heurn was killed and Llyn only escaped with the help of
Muri."

   "You mean Muri the skunk mage?" the woman asked.

   Misha nodded slowly. "He was living alone in the mountains when Llyn
stumbled onto him."

   "What happened to Narsanna?" she asked.

   "I sent out people to find them," the fox paused and shook his head.
"They found most of Heurn but all they found of Narsanna was some scraps of
flesh and a lot of blood. We searched for her but not hard enough."

   "There was no way you could know she was alive," Marcia countered. "The
lutins don't usually take prisoners."

   He shivered a little. "I do not want to imagine what she has suffered
through these last two years."

   "All the prisoners have suffered," Marcia commented. "And many have been
held a lot longer than just two years."

   "I'm sorry Marcia. I realize that. It's just that this one effected me
harder then I expected."

   "If you think it is hard for you imagine what her family will be going
through," Marcia commented.


********************


   Misha finally found what he was looking for outside the town walls. A
large group of a dozen lutins were seated around tables drinking and eating.
They were surrounded by at least twenty soldiers, some mounted, others on
foot. Standing close to the lutins was a Keeper. the ram morph was dressed
in full armor and was carrying a large kite shield. A long sword in a sheath
dangled from his belt.

   The fox morph walked up to the ram. "Sir William," he said and bowed
lightly.

   William Dupre' gave a nod of the head. "Sir Misha."

   "How are our green guests?" Misha asked.

   "Quiet," the ram answered. "How are the people they brought in?"

   "All are in rough shape to one degree or another but they're getting good
care," Misha answered. "My people should be arriving soon more help and a
wagon load full of supplies."

   William nodded without taking his eyes off his guests. "Good. We do not
have the people or resources to help them all."

   "George also has thirty more scouts spreading out in the valley," Misha
added. "Also all the soldiers are on alert and the patrols doubled."

   The ram nodded. "Good. So have I. This might be a trick."

   Misha turned his gaze to the lutins. Most of whom were relaxing and
enjoying the food and drink Nestorius had provided. He found the person he
was looking for quickly. One of the lutins was seated at the end of the
table. Unlike the others he was not eating or drinking, just sitting there
looking around.

   Misha recognized the lutin immediately. "Excuse me Sir William I need to
speak with someone."

   The fox made his way over to where the one lutin was sitting. "Hello
Aldrick." This was the oldest son of Althrig the chief of the Silver Knives.
He was an important leader in his own right and a very good tactician and
had the scars to prove it.

   "Good to see to Aldrick. Congratulations on taking Wraiths tower at
Wraiths Stronghold," Misha said. "Very nicely done."

   The lutin smiled bearing a set of stained teeth.. "Thank you. I was
inspired by your attack on Stepping Rock Castle."

   Misha had mixed emotions on that. He knew that several tribes were trying
to imitate his Long Scouts but hearing it first hand from a lutin was an
unnerving experience. The idea that the Lutins might use his own tactics
against Keepers worried him. Still it did boost his ego to know that someone
finally recognized what he and his scouts had been doing. Even if it was the
enemy. "Thank you, I think."

   "I thank you for the hospitality you Keepers have shown us," the lutin
commented.

   "What did you expect? A ravenous mob with pitchforks and torches?" Misha
countered. "We do try and be civilized. And you did come bearing gifts."

   The lutin didn't speak but just smiled.

   Misha gave a yip of laughter. "I do have to admit a lot of Keepers are
against even considering even talking to you and your chief," Misha
commented as he took a seat across from the lutin.

   Aldrick nodded slowly. "There are many with hard feeling among my people.
They see talking and not fighting as weak and cowardly."

   Misha gave a small bark of laughter. "The same here. Unfortunately, many
think this is just some trick."

   "Do you?" the lutin asked looking him directly into Misha's eyes. Misha
looked at Aldrick's face. He saw curiosity and perhaps a touch of doubt.

   "I believe it. It is too elaborate to be some subtle trick on your part.
At least I hope it is."

   "Oh?" Aldrick asked. There was a surprised look on his face. "Do I detect
a weakness in the image of Misha the slayer?"

   "Weakness or wisdom?" Misha countered. "The life of a slayer is violent
and short."

   "And glorious," Aldrick shot back.

   "But still short."

   Aldwick shrugged. "I think you're getting old."

   Misha gave a bark of laughter. "That too. I think we both are. What do
you think?"

   The lutin shrugged. "What is that old saying? An eye for an eye leaves
everyone blind."

   "That's profound," Misha said, surprised. "I wish I'd understood that
years ago. It would have saved me a lot of pain."

   "Saved all of us a lot of pain," Aldwick added. "Do you think this could
lead to something more? An alliance perhaps against Nasoj."

   Misha nodded. "Someday perhaps but there is a long way to go before that.
These 'gifts' were a good starting point."

   "The chief wanted to send gold and jewels but I told him these would be
better," the lutin said proudly.

   "You were right!" Misha commented and slapped Aldwick on the back. "This
is a much better gift."


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