[Mkguild] Echoes of the Dead Wood Part 1

[Stealth]

More Haunted Woods and an Outpost follow up.

Echoes of the Dead Wood
Copyright (c) 2009-2010 Christian O’Kane & Michael Nastov


	“No.” Stealth said and pulled the covers over his head.

	“No?” Edmund asked from his position at the end of the bed.

	“No.” The lump in the bed sheets mumbled, “I’m not going back there.”

	“Oh come on! Are you going to deny the chance for adventure?!” Edmund
said boldly and loudly. His tailed lashed back and forth wildly.

	“Ed, it’s a dead forest and I’ve seen it twice.” Stealth pulled his
head out again, “And after the last time, we almost never made it
back.”

	Edmund shook his head slowly and pointed a finger at the bed. “So
that’s it? You are not going to do anything? The last time you were
there you gained your armour and dagger didn’t you?”

	“Ed, I’m a cat; I’m supposed to do nothing," came the answer from the bed.

	“You’re also a Keeper and people of Metamor Keep are adventurers! Now
get out of bed or I’ll pull you out by your tail," the feline paladin
ordered.

	“You do that, Ed.” Stealth yawned.

	“All right!” Edmund answered and grabbed hold of Stealth’s tail. “Now get up!”

	He was answered with a thrown pillow.

	Edmund dodged the pillow and pulled Stealth’s leg slowly dragging him
from bed. Stealth slid down the mattress, his thumb claws stuck to the
sheets, slowly dragging them out too. the entire mess hit the floor
with a muffled thump. But Still Stealth did not get up. Instead he lay
in the middle of a ball of blankets and sheets.

	“You really are a nut," The pile of sheets mumbled.

	"Oh for heaven’s kindness. Get up you lazy sluggard!”

	“Fine...” Stealth yawned, from the floor, “Just a sec...”

	“Now!” Edmund snarled. “I know that old “one-more-minute-trick”.”

	Stealth stood up and stretched, he then placed his arms on the bed
head and his feet several feet further back and stretched again until
he was almost lying on the floor, before he stood up and stretched
again. “Can we please get a coffee or something from the town first?
Please?”

	“Of course! I know a mess hall in the keep where they make good,
strong coffee and fine tasting pastry!” Edmund chirped happily.

	“You wouldn’t happen to mean that charming little place called THE
mess hall, downstairs?” He gagged, “Ed, let me buy us breakfast in the
Lower Ward.”

	“What’s wrong with the food in the mess hall? they have some fine
cooks there.  But if you insist we could eat there?”

	“Wonderful!” Stealth said, putting on his shirt, “Can we stop off in
Euper too? And Tarrelton?”

	“This is an expedition to the Haunted Wood, not a shopping trip” The
cheetah paladin pointed out dryly.

	  Stealth shook his head. “Ed, I don’t want to go back there!” He
said and threw his pants on the floor and turned his back.

	“Why?” Edmund asked. “Was it that terrifying?”

	“Daedra.” He whispered. “Daedraenlui.” He hissed the word as if it
pained his mouth. “I wonder how many more of those trolls the Moranasi
sent.”

	“I see. And by hiding here in the Keep you think you will be safe?”
Edmund countered sarcastically.

	“What happened to that thing anyway?” Stealth asked without turning around.

	“Well he was tried and found adjudged guilty," Came the explanation.
"The curse has since claimed him and reduced him to a child again.”

	“A child? An anti-paladin child and he’s held here, in Metamor?”

	“Indeed.” Edmund answered. “But he is safely locked away where he can
hurt no one.”

	“Ed, we’ve got an ‘evil’ battering ram and now there’s a creepy
Daedra kid in the keep.” Stealth countered bluntly, “You know what? I
wouldn’t mind taking a trip through the woods after all, let’s go.”

	Edmund nodded. “See. It is a good day to go out into the wilderness.”

-------------------------------------
	They bumped into Bridgette in the lower levels of the keep. The maned
wolf was happy to see Edmund and he her but the other feline
accompanying him looked to be in a foul mood.

	“What’s wrong?” She asked and stroked his chin.

	Stealth blushed, much to Edmund’s delight but his friend was quick to
get his revenge, “We’re going to Edmund’s favourite place in the whole
world.”

	“The Haunted wood is far from a place I take any joy in visiting but
I am happy to help the people there, as too you should be.” The
paladin lectured.

	“I wasn't talking about the woods, Ed.” He answered with a devilish
grin, turning his eyes up slightly, “I meant that little brothel.”

	Edmund gasped, more so when Bridgette asked, “What is a brothel?”

	The cheetah paladin began stuttering, confronted with explaining such
a thing to his lady friend and one under his tutelage.

	“Go on Ed, tell her about that place. You were sooo excited to
discover it.” Stealth purred, nudging his friend.

	“Were you?” The wolf asked, cocking her head.

	“NO! I mean I was but I didn’t know what it was!” He shouted, “We
must go!” He hugged Bridgette quickly and dragged his friend down the
hall.


-------------------------------------

	“Ed, you missed the turn.” Stealth called out, looking back over his
shoulder and pointing to the south.

	“You are mistaken,” Edmund countered. “The turn is up ahead!” He
pointed to the north.

	Stealth shook his head, “Nothing up there but the Dike and...” He
paused, “Why are we going to Hareford?”

	“We are going that way to meet with Nestorius. He has uncovered some
information," Edmund answered in an annoyed tone.

	“I see.” Stealth said slowly, “Do I have to be there?”

	“Yes," the Paladin answered forcefully. "It involves the haunted
woods. And all 3 of us are bound up together with the spirits there.”

	The feline pinched his nose bridge, “I’d really prefer to wait outside.”

	Edmund shook his head. “And miss all the adventure? Besides you liked
Hareford the last time we were there.”

	“The town. Not the pompous, arrogant, snooty lion mage.” He spat, “I
want nothing to do with him.”

	“Stealth, Nestorius did apologize for his rude behaviour. And he is
my best source of information on the haunted woods.”

	“After you threatened to leave.” Stealth countered.

	Edmund shrugged his shoulders. “It was all a misunderstanding. One we
easily cleared up.”

	“It was NOT a misunderstanding, the arrogance I endured was very
deliberate," Stealth snarled. "And from what you said, he was quick to
change his tune ONLY after this animal-figures-on-a-map thing came
up.”

	“Enough, we’ve been through this before.” The paladin said sharply,
“I’m asking you to trust me, at the very least, stay your emotions.”

	Stealth snarled softly and waved his hand in disdain, ignoring Edmund
for several minutes as he muttered under his breath.

	Edmund moved up the trail a short way. Then stopped. “Well. I think
we missed a turn back there.”

	“We didn’t miss a turn, we took a wrong turn 500 yards back.”

	“We did? Why didn’t you tell me?” the paladin asked. He turned and
looked at his friend.

	“I thought you did it on purpose!”

	“Why would I take the wrong road on purpose?” Edmund asked, confused.

	“Ed, you missed the Haunted woods turn off and didn’t tell me!”

	“I didn’t tell you?” Edmund asked. “I was slightly distracted.”

	“This road goes to the glen... let’s go to the glen! Get some muffins.”

	“No. We’re headed to the Forest. But first we need to meet
Nestorius," Edmund ordered sharply.

	“ED, I DON’T want to go back there!!!” He screamed. The feline jumped
off his horse and tied the reins to a branch.

	“Are we going to have this argument again?” Edmund snarled as his
tail whipped back and forth in agitation.

	Stealth unsheathed his short sword and hacked at the bark of a tree
trunk. “You going to drag me?”

	Edmund shook his head. “My friend. Why are you acting like a child?
What is wrong with visiting?”

	He thrust the sword into the bark where it stayed and turned around
with his fangs bared, “He... he...” The cheetah cowered and turned his
head down, “He scares me.” He finished in a whisper.

	“Nest scares a lot of people. He likes putting up the tough, scary
wizard face to the world.”

	“Whatever.” He mumbled and turned his back, “It was like being in the
presence of Death. He frightened me, intimidated me in a way I can’t
describe.”

	Edmund was quiet for a moment. When he spoke it was in a soft tone.
“In the wild, lions hunt cheetahs. Perhaps it’s some feral instinct?”

	“But I’m a predator!”

	“And a lion is a larger predator," Edmund countered.

	“I’m a predator and I have no instincts... I shouldn’t have
instincts.” He pulled the sword out of the tree and hacked violently
at the branches, startling his horse. “WHY?! WHY do I have to go to a
dead forest? Why do I have to be imprisoned in a dumb animal body? Why
do I have to have anything to do with a lion-mage?”

	“Why? Why?” Edmund asked. “WE were chosen to help all the lost souls
in the haunted woods. And to help them we need Nest’s help. As for
your instincts you have simply exchanged human instincts for feline
ones.”

	“I make the choices in my life, ME, do you understand? ME, not you or
your...” He paused.

	“My god?” Edmund finished. “Life can be unfair. We all have things
thrust on us that we don’t want.”

	“Aye, Edmund, aye, YOU’RE thrusting it on me, how can you make me do this?”

	“All right Stealth. I won’t thrust it on you. Go ahead and go back to
the Keep. Give in to your fears and your feline instincts.”

	Stealth’s jaw dropped and he stuttered as he was taken aback. He
turned his back and walked away.

	Edmund sighed silently and followed. He walked down a small decline
past low branches until he stood on the bank of a small stream,
Stealth’s back was still turned to the paladin, he looked at the
rushing water in silence.

	Edmund placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “My friend. We all
have our own inner daemons to fight. I have the same instincts you do
but my human mind helps me to overcome them.”

	“I want the choice,” Stealth said with a clenched fist, “I want no
one to choose for me.”

	“You do have choices. You can choose to fight the instincts trying to
control you and be yourself," Edmund said softly.

	He brushed the Paladin’s hand away and walked back up the incline.
Edmund followed after a moment.

	“Don’t tell anyone about this.” Stealth said softly while untying his
horse, “Please.”

	“Of course not. I never tell a secret and I am a good listener.” Edmund said.

	“You put up with a lot from me, Ed.” He sighed remorsefully.

	Edmund shrugged. “You're my friend!”

---------------------------------

   Boom! The deep low rumble made the entire castle shiver and sent
plates and cups dancing on the table in front of her. The young woman
was some twenty nine years old and in spite of trying to raise three
children she was still trim and fit. Or perhaps because she was
tending to three children she was in good shape. Her hair was braided
and pinned tightly to her head. The dagger that hung from her belt was
no decoration and had a razor sharp edge.

   "Mama!" the little girl next to her cried. Amelia scooped up the
girl and held her closely. "There, there. Mama's here."

   "Cassandra!" the woman called out.

   A young girl of about fourteen came running into the room breathing
heavy. "My lady the whole castle shook. Was it an earthquake?"

   "No honey," Amelia answered calmly. "That was one of my husband's
experiments. Please watch Samantha while I see if my husband has
burned off his mane again." The woman had more worries then just
Nestorius' looks but she did not show it publically, afraid it might
cause a panic. Cassandra was a good servant but she was still a young
girl whom the curse hadn't taken yet. She handed her daughter to the
young girl and slowly headed out of the room. When Amelia was out of
sight she took off  at a dead run.

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


   In her husband's private workshop she pronounced a few short words
in a whisper and the outline of a small door appeared in one wall. The
door swung open silently revealing a set of circular steps leading
downward.

   These stairs were new, having been installed less than a year
before. After a minute the nature and colour of the steps changed
suddenly levelling out into doorway.  The stones themselves here were
older and of a darker stone. Wear on the floor revealed that it was a
lot older then the castle above it. This stonework was a Seuilman
construction. How old was something even Nestorius could not tell.

   Amelia found her husband in the doorway. The black furred lion
morph was leaning against a wall. His clothing was in tatters and his
mane was smoking.

   She rushed forward and hugged him tightly. "Are you all right?"

   Nestorius nodded his head. "I'm fine. I just had a sharp reminder
of how powerful a protection spell the Seuilman could be. Even if it
is almost 700 years old."

   "Haunted woods?" she asked.

   He nodded slowly. "Yes. Even seven centuries after the city's fall
the spells around it are as strong as ever. But I did learn a few
useful things."



-- 
My Fur Affinity page - http://www.furaffinity.net/user/stealthcat/

My Deviant Art page - http://stealthcat15.deviantart.com/

!DSPAM:4be77fd3129011804284693!