Path: usenet.ee.pdx.edu!cs.uoregon.edu!sgiblab!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!not-for-mail From: guido@rbg.informatik.th-darmstadt.de (Guido Roessling) Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.archives Subject: STORY: Qelrik part 44 Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc Date: 6 Oct 1994 15:16:58 -0400 Organization: UUNET Technologies Inc, Falls Church, VA, USA Lines: 145 Sender: smm@uunet.uu.net Approved: smm@uunet.uu.net Message-ID: <371ifa$7jk@rodan.UU.NET> NNTP-Posting-Host: rodan.uu.net Finn and a panther ================== The panther crouched in the shadows of the underbrush, listening and smelling the night air. She wrinkled her nose in brief disgust. She could smell the nearby orcs from here. Keen eyesight and ears picked out the shape of the human being tied up by a tree. Very faintly, she detected the smell of blood. The human was wounded. Bright green eyes moved continually, searching for danger. She should find the other one who left earlier, but the other one made her uncomfortable. Although the panther did not know what Finn was, instincts told her that Finn meant death. Without a sound, the panther rose and padded silently away, her nose quickly picking up the fading scent of death that Finn left wherever she went. It did not take the panther long to find Finn. As Finn raced through the forest, hunting, the panther flowed silently behind her, barely able to keep up with the vampire. As Finn fed, the panther waited patiently by the edge of the clearing, the scent of blood awakening hunger in her as well. Finn finished feeding and turned to face the panther. Instinct shouted in the panther's brain to run from this creature, but the panther willed itself to continue. Finn froze as she watched the big cat stare directly at her. It was odd that the panther actually approached her. Most natural creatures ran away from vampires. She studied the cat for a moment. This was no ordinary panther. It looked back at her with intelligent eyes. It then deliberately turned away from her and began walking into the forest, glancing back at her after a few steps. Taking the hint, she followed it. Every couple of minutes, the cat would turn around, checking to see if she still followed. It was only a couple of minutes before they arrived at their destination. In the clearing where she had left Dahlarin were now more than a dozen orcs. Two of them were lifting Dahlarin, bound and gagged. Quickly, she shifted her senses and looked at him with her Sight. Dahlarin's familiar colours were still visible, but muted. He was still alive, though barely. As an orc moved aside, she got a brief view of blood staining one side of his head. She winced slightly. He must have taken quite a hit. She hoped it wouldn't affect his spellcasting. Her first instinct was to attack the orcs, but she reasoned that there was too many of them. Although her speed and skill would be enough to kill most of them, their numbers would eventually overwhelm her. She thought of Gernodt and Kyle, and decided her best plan would be to warn them and get their aid in rescuing Dahlarin. With Gernodt's help she would put herself at much less risk. She disappeared further into the woods and began to search for Gernodt. She noticed the panther followed her with apparent ease. Trees whipped by in the darkness, the two night creatures flying by at speeds few creatures could match. Within half an hour, the panther came to a sudden halt, and dropped to a crouch. Finn crept along side it until they looked over a low hill to another clearing. Finn looked on in dismay as Kyle made a valiant attempt to fend off four large orcs, who teased him with their swords. Off to the side, Gernodt was being held in a gladiator's net by six heavily muscled orcs. Before she could react, Kyle was disarmed and one of the orcs grabbed him in a bear hug that he couldn't escape from. Finn reached for her sabre, intent on rescue when the panther growled beside her. She realized that she was badly outnumbered, and it would take a long time to even the odds, even if she managed to free Gernodt and get his help. Also, the orcs might decide to threaten the lives of her comrades unless she yielded, and that might result in her getting caught as well, and perhaps she would then be unable to escape the first rays of sunlight... Shuddering involuntarily at the thought, she decided that she could not help them at this particular moment; she would just have to see where they were taking her... However, her thoughts kept racing. How was she to help them? Although she was accustomed to looking out for herself, she found that she felt obligated to help the others. After all, they had accepted her companionship even knowing what she was. She would not likely find a group to equal them ever again. Suddenly, she realized someone was missing. Where was Growler? She scanned the area for his body. Although these orcs seemed intent on taking prisoners, they would have no reason to spare a wolf. Not seeing him, she decided to circle the clearing. Immediately, she noticed the panther was gone. While she was absorbed in the scene below, it had crept off just as silently as it had arrived. She quickly circled the clearing and soon came across the wolf. He lay at the base of the tree with an bolt wound above his back leg. Although the bolt had only scraped across him, the wound still looked painful. Hearing her approach, he growled at her. She felt the wolf's fear, but also saw that he recognized her. She wondered if he would trust her. Cautiously, she approached him. He growled more, and made it quite clear that he did not want her any closer. She then realized how she would find the others in the evening. Growler was certain to follow Gernodt, and Finn could simply follow Growler's tracks. Although she was not trained in tracking, she was certain her night vision, and the scent of Growler's blood would be enough to follow the large wolf's trail. And, given the wolf's acute sense of smell, he should be able to follow the trails without much of a problem. Anyway, it did not seem like Growler would be going anywhere in the next hours, so she might as well get as much rest now as she could, even though the night was barely past its middle... She would need all her wits about her the next evening, that much was sure. Looking with an appraising expression at the oak tree, she approached it, making sure that she stayed well clear of Growler, so as not to further irritate him. Concentrating, she slowly sank into the earth, embraced by the oak's tangled roots. Fitfully, she slept while dawn rose overhead and the orcs dragged their new prisoners to their lair. *************************************************************************** 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 - dida@pu.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 If you have WWW access, you can also read the chapters there. The site is http://rbhp62.rbg.informatik.th-darmstadt.de/~guido/qelrik.html ************************************************************************** ************************************************************************** Legal stuff about Qelrik All characters contained in this story are the sole and exclusive property of their authors. They are the copyrighted property of the authors, and may not be used for any reason without the express written permission of the authors. Qelrik is (c) 1993, 1994 Guido Resszling, Brent G. Hughes, John E. Mason, Barbara C. French, Jennifer Immel, and Bret Ryan Rudnick. Gernodt T'Slorung -- Guido Roessling Dahlarin -- Brent G. Hughes Growler --