Path: usenet.ee.pdx.edu!cs.uoregon.edu!reuter.cse.ogi.edu!qiclab.scn.rain.com!psgrain!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in2.uu.net!not-for-mail From: Guido Roessling Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.archives Subject: STORY: Qelrik part 90 Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc Date: 3 Jan 1996 09:01:47 -0500 Organization: TU Darmstadt Lines: 171 Sender: smm@uunet.uu.net Approved: smm@uunet.uu.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <4ce28b$6kr@rodan.UU.NET> NNTP-Posting-Host: rodan.uu.net *** Sorry that it took so long until I was able to post this chapter. I fell ill and then was too busy with my own work to get around to posting... I hope you all had a merry Christmas and will have a happy New Year :-). Oh yes, QELRIK is also available on the WWW at http://www.pu.informatik.th-darmstadt.de/dida/qelrik/qelrik.html *** ======================================================================== The Shattering ======================================================================== Fox watched Percy go, shrugged and unslung a pair of wineskins from the horse and set them on the ground. A little searching through her saddlebags produced two bedrolls, a few extra blankets and a short-waisted crimson jacket. The jacket she pulled on; the extra bedroll and two blankets she handed to Dahlarin. "Here. One of those blankets is for him," she said grudgingly, with a nod toward Gernodt. "It's damp down here." Dahlarin accepted her offerings gratefully, albeit with some surprise. The idea of sleeping on the cold rock hadn't appealed to him. One of the wineskins landed on the pile in Dahlarin's arms, from where Fox had tossed it from by the fire. Cautiously, he opened the stopper and sniffed. A sharp, spicy alcohol smell warmed his nose. "Ginger mead?" he asked. Fox nodded shortly and aimed a stream of the apricot-colored liquid in her mouth. She swallowed, frowned again and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't know if I can." "Drink a little more mead. It might relax you. You're probably keyed up," Dahlarin said quietly. He took a long drink of the mead, somewhat curious about the apparent change in Fox's attitude. She took another drink, swishing it around her mouth and gazing at the ceiling in apparent thought. "We can't stay here," she said. "Percy says he hasn't been disturbed in weeks," the mage answered. "But I have to agree with you. However, we can't go anywhere until Gernodt revives and Kyle's strong enough to go." "Kyle. The boy," Fox murmured. "Who is he? Gernodt's brother or something?" "No. No relation. He's a local. He and Finn . . . connected." Fox looked at Dahlarin sharply, hearing what Dahlarin did not say. "A local. A farm kid?" When Dahlarin did not answer, Fox exclaimed, "Are you crazy? What in hell was he doing with you?" As Dahlarin tried to frame a good answer, he found he could think of nothing to rationalize Kyle's participation that would make it a sound reason to his new companion's ears. His lack of an answer brought a soft snort of contempt from Fox. "He has as much right to be here as you do," he said at last. "Rights," Fox echoed. "This isn't about rights. You mean, he's totally green? Up until you took him off on some adventure, he was milking cows and slopping pigs?" "He's a strong boy, both of body and of will. I doubt we could have stopped him, once he made up his mind." He shrugged. "It's safer having him with us than following us without keeping an eye on him." "Right. You sure as hell kept him safe this time, mage." Dahlarin winced, feeling Fox's harsh words like a burning dagger in his gut. "This isn't your matter," he said. "It sure as hell is my matter. Since our purposes seem to march together, it seems reasonable that we pool our efforts. I'm not going to risk my ass saving some farm-boy who doesn't know a dagger from a well-bucket." "And nobody's asking you to," Dahlarin said sourly. "Least of all Kyle." "Someone like him," Fox said, enunciating carefully as if talking to a small and stupid child, "can risk all our lives. The boy won't be able to handle himself out here. I've seen too many kids try this life who were better suited to tending horses and herding cattle, because the lives they've led are too soft and forgiving. I've seen too many of them like him. They die badly and they die young." "I think that's Kyle's decision, not yours." He glanced over at the sleeping Kyle. "I have to admit, I've had second thoughts about all this. But it's not my decision to make anymore." Fox scowled, shook her head and took another long drink of mead. She grimaced, stood and put her hand to the small of her back, leaning backward to work out a kink. "You look like you could use some sleep, too. You look like someone attacked your eyes with smudge-sticks." "Someone should stay awake," Dahlarin said doubtfully. "Just in case the orcs find us." Fox threw her sense-net, despite the red-hot knife which seemed to shoot though the top of her head when she did it. She pushed it harder, trying to extend it beyond the thick stone walls to where they had come. A small hiss of pain escaped her lips as she did so. "There aren't any orcs near," she said with difficulty. She stumbled, but recovered quickly and pushed herself away, toward a corner where she had tossed her own bedroll. Dahlarin's eyes widened, for he could see the color suddenly rush from Fox's face as she lost her balance. He stood abruptly to move toward her. Fox began walking away from the fire quickly, and decided to extend the sense-net just to be sure, so she could wheedle a few hours' extra sleep. "My talent would tell me. As a matter of fact, there isn't a --" Dark light exploded behind her eyes, as the breath-thin black glass of her brittle shields shattered. A strangled cry escaped her lips, as she tried to grasp the searing pain in her head. Breath rushed from tortured lungs. Splitting agony registered only the briefest of moments before her vision snapped closed, her whole world collapsing into itself. * * * Dahlarin lurched forward, trying to grasp Fox's arm and slow her fall. He didn't make it. She grasped for her head and crumpled like a broken doll. A seizure shook her body as she hit the stones, and then she lay still.