Path: usenet.ee.pdx.edu!cs.uoregon.edu!reuter.cse.ogi.edu!hp-cv!hp-pcd!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!jussieu.fr!univ-lyon1.fr!news.imag.fr!ciril.fr!muller!julienas!EU.net!uunet!not-for-mail From: guido@rbg.informatik.th-darmstadt.de (Guido Roessling) Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.archives Subject: STORY: Qelrik (part 32) Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc Date: 29 Jun 1994 15:45:02 -0400 Organization: UUNET Technologies Inc, Falls Church, VA, USA Lines: 75 Sender: smm@uunet.uu.net Approved: smm@uunet.uu.net Message-ID: <2usivu$p5e@rodan.UU.NET> NNTP-Posting-Host: rodan.uu.net *************************************************************************** This story is a collaboration of seven people: one German, two Canadians and four Americans. Comments about particular characters should be forwarded to their character's "owners": Finn Ambrose - Sheryl Ann Galchutt* - fi48@sol.acs.unt.edu Gernodt - Guido Roessling - guido@rbg.informatik.th-darmstadt.de Dahlarin - Brent Hughes - bhughes@student.business.uwo.ca Kyle - J.E. Mason - ** no current mail address ** Fox - Barbara French - bcfrench@mailbox.syr.edu Will appear in future chapters: Gladrial - Jennifer Immel - bhughes@julian.uwo.ca Sir Percy - Bret Rudnick - rudnick@cfatrw.harvard.edu For missing chapters etc., send a mail to guido@rbg.informatik.th-darmstadt.de (If you don't get an answer within 3 working days, try it again -- my mail server sometimes ignores mails) *************************************************************************** Into the forest =============== After ten minutes of traveling, they turned onto a well-marked path intersecting the road and leading deep into the forest. Certain that nobody could see, Dahlarin gasped, and sat down at the edge of the path, rubbing his temples with his good hand. Seeing the illusion still in place, the others looked at him in confusion. Dahlarin quickly explained. "The illusion will continue for a couple of minutes. If you look closely, you will see it beginning to fade already." He closed his eyes and leaned against a tree. Finn crouched beside him. "Are you all right?" He opened his eyes and nodded. "I'll be fine in a minute. Illusions are difficult for me, and I'm not used to holding one for that long, especially not an illusion that complex." Gernodt tapped his armour, and found his hand passing through it to thump on his chest. Despite his curiousity over the spell, he found himself relieved to be rid of it nonetheless. It was too spooky for his liking. Growler, who had been suspiciously absent at the farmhouse, reappeared as the magic fell apart, obviously sharing Gernodt's mistrust of the magic. He immediately started to growl at Kyle. Gernodt noticed Kyle start slightly, but the boy didn't seem overly afraid of the large wolf, just cautious. 'Good.' he thought, 'At least the boy is accustomed to seeing the ordinary creatures of the wild. That's one point in his favor.' "He doesn't seem too friendly." Kyle commented. "I wouldn't expect him to be.", said Dahlarin. "He _is_ a wild animal. His affection for Gernodt is strange enough as it is!" They explained how Gernodt found the wolf and that they had a certain bond between them. "Well, as long as he doesn't bite me, and since you have some control over him, I'll let him come along..." Kyle said, keeping an eye on the nervous wolf. After a brief rest, Dahlarin stood up again, and they set off down the dark path into the forest. ***************************************************************************** Next time: A brief interlude... *****************************************************************************