Being the first story in the Fairca Fantasy Series
Section 1: Five posh human kids
Spring, the 42nd, 879
This is the story of five posh kids who grew up with a
treasure map, bought in an old bookshop. Born in Lwgar,
and approaching twenty years of age, they were soon
to disperse, one to the University of Almans, other to
follow their parents in their shipping trade, the third
to study Law at the city-island of Eis, a fourth to run
for his first election as Magistrate of the Republic of
Lwgar and the fifth, Doredai, just had not the faintest
idea of what to do with her life, which as far as she
was concerned, it was "perfectly perfect", except that,
sadly it would come to an end by the first days of Fall.
So she called his best four friends for a last and real
adventure: follow their treasure map. It couldn't be real;
none of them had believed on it since they hit 14, becoming
since then just a tool for their imaginations, in games,
stories and pictures. So they were all mightily amused by
her friend's idea.
"Doredai, come on, don't you think we're too old right
now?" This was Arteen, a fatty boy who loved books as much
as cakes and meats, and all things his old slave ursid
nanny would cook for him.
"No, Arteen, we're exactly old enough. We are adults now,
our parents are too busy and this is our leap year, to do
as we please."
"And our parents would be pleased it won't be too much
money". This was Bawa, a girl just as fatty, the one with
a destiny marked in the Courthouse as her father wanted
or at drafting new laws, as her mother would much prefer.
"Yes." Doredai Smiled. And then, to a young boy,
"Pip, more wine, chop, chop, chop."
A bit less fat, for he loved to swim at his large house
pool, Caud, the one destined to rule the largest shipping
industry in Lwgar, spoke. "But Doredai, Bawa, you know
the thing isn't real, do you?"
"Obvious! That's not the point. We are going there,
the forests! the hills! the places we all have dreamed
about! Big adventure! We'll dodge kidnappers, forest
goblins, face bandits, brave storms, hunt for food and have
all sort of adventure! Our last adventure together. Please,
do."
Pip, who was returning with a new wine jar, chilled at
the prospect.
"I'm not sure, Doree." That was Aeliar, a stunningly
beautiful young woman, the one destined for politics,
but one who had never left the walls of the city. "Will we
have slaves with us?"
"No." Pip almost gave away a breath of relief. "I'm hiring
the best ranger in all the North: Fairka. She has never
lost a client and knows everything you need to know about
"adventury" things. Come on, what you say, let's
do this!"
And it might be because of too much wine, but they did all
answer with their silly childhood battle-cry "this will
us do!"
"And Pip?"
"Yes, Young mistress?"
"You are coming with us. You'll be our party-follower
and torch-bearer!"
"This will us do! This will us do!" The friends repeated,
sipping more and more wine, while poor short, thin Pip was
already thinking in the ways he would suffer pain, cold
and death. His only hope was that all would be forgotten
by the morning. They were just a bunch of five posh kids,
weren't they?
When Fairka got word of his new job offer, she did not
waste a minute to consider. Some rich people needed a
guide for some pleasure trip, she could do the job and
she needed the money. No need to concern herself on
their motives. Probably the worst thing that expected
her was having to put up with all their demands and
complaints. Still, she would be happy as long as they paid
for the privilege. First of all preparations: she told
her new clients that she would make everything ready, no
need to buy any equipment that would end up being, she was
sure, too fancy, too heavy and more suitable for theater
than real life. Secondly, if they insisted on taking a
slave with them, they should agree that it would be her
who would be giving the others. To that second demand,
Doredai did not agree, making a point that she would not
take the slave with them, then. Which was fine for Fairka.
And so, with preparations done, on the dawn of the 48th
day of Spring, 879, they were meant to meet by the northern
gate of Lwgar. However, it was not until almost midday that
the five posh youths, deprived of servants, arrived at the
meeting point.
Fairka had been there for a long while. She
was dressed in tough canvas and a woolen cape, equipped
with the contents of a haversack and a bedroll. As for the
clients, even after having been told not to bring anything,
they presented themselves with four mules loaded with:
* brown clothes, because "brown means adventure"
* four baskets of raisins, "yummy bits"
* a barrel of salted meat, "explorer food"
* books, "we are civilized, we are!"
* a large tent
* and a huge chest filled with not even the wisest of
goddess knew its contents
Each one appeared armed in the manner of the warriors
from novels and plays: helmets, bows, a huge axe,
swords, but not a single spear, more sword and a mace,
because "maces kill undead".
However, they might had forgotten a few useful things.
None carried a cape, nothing to sleep on or under, and no
canteen. In their games, they never worried about those
little things.
Fairka kept her feelings to herself and gave out the
kit she had separated for each of her charges. All to be
carried by one single mule that she would lead herself,
including the fodder for her mule, something that none
of the friends had remembered to take with them.
"Dear 'excellences'," she said. "I am terribly sorry
but I cannot seem to find the fodder for your animals."
"It's not necessary." Doredai proudly answered."We are
saving weight, you see, the animals can graze as we go."
Fairka was tempted to leave it at that and have her laugh
later, but she was too considerate of the poor... mules
not to press her point." I am sure that is possible, Madam,
but some grain would save the animals a great deal of time
having to graze for food. It is cheap, and you'll have more
time for adventures."
Fairca spent the next hour sorting out her client's
gear, using all the patience and politeness she could
master. By preference, she would've preferred kindness
over politeness as a tool for this task, but, truth
to be told, she was generally disposed against wealthy
people.
As for our five posh kids, they also had used politeness
to mark their own frustrations. And being wise enough
to acknowledge, with some effort and little words, that
it was probably wiser to heed for their guide's advice,
they conceded to be parted of some of their cherished
luxuries. No worries for them, a servant was called
to transport those back home.
Once all was done, Fairka asked, almost chuckling.
"So, where's this adventurer party going?"
"Northwards to the forest," Doredai answered.
And northwards they went, with equal measures of fear
and excitement. Fairka consciously chose to keep all out
of the roads, as soon as it was indeed possible. Firstly
to avoid been seeing with her charges, and secondly
to test their resilience. This had been, in one simple
word, none.
Already by midday of that day, two of the
boys, Arteen and Caut had grown blisters on their feet.
Doreday had avoided due to softer shoes, which were
beginning to crumble. And then it was the issue of clothing
themselves, which they usually left to their slaves, and
so these proud persons appeared with buttons that were
not fastened to the right hole and even a coat that was
worn outside in, for the best part of the day.
Still, they were all very happy, very proud of themselves,
having slept by an open fire for the first time and not
dying in the attempt. Quite a remarkable feat.
Three major events for the day. First, Aelian, had finally
won herself to "go to the bathroom" in the wilds, and clean
herself all alone. The pain in her belly had worked marvelously
in that regard. Secondly, they had reached the great forest,
an event for which Fairka was so very happy, for that meant
their adventure or whatever it was was much closer to the end.
Yet, soon enough, she felt something iffy on her back. So
she left her clients attempting, and I do mean attempting, to
set camp, and went to the rear, to spot who are what were
following them. It was a very young boy, a human, badly
dressed in every sense of the tern, all wet by the rain,
carrying nothing and too weak to flee or hide.
"Hello."
"Hello."
"Are you by any chance called Pip?"
"Yes, madam."
"Are you their slave?"
"Yes, madam."
"And I am not your owner."
"Not, madam."
"So why are you calling me madam?"
"Because I can't speak in any other way, mother, I mean madam."
"Orphan?"
"A bit."
"Anyway, Pip, orphan, can you make a little favour to me?"
"I cannot obey your orders madam, any of your orders."
"Fair enough. Then I will have to bear up with you boy."
"I'm so sorry, madam."
"No worries, I have worse, really."
* * *
As Fairka returned, she made a point of taking the boy on her
shoulders, despite the amazement of Doredai, who protested at
once.
"Hey, that's my slave? What's he doing here?"
"That I can only wonder." Fairka replied.
"Pip, oh what have you done little rascal? Didn't I tell you
not to come that our noble guide didn't want your slave skin
around?"
"Yes madam, sorry madam."
"Anyway, Pip, make yourself useful, come and..."
Fairka interrupted her." Sorry madam we do have a contract."
"But I said..."
"But you signed it, and he was not supposed to come, or either,
follow my orders."
"Bawa, it's the Law! Tell Miss Fairka is the law to make with
my slave as I please."
"Sorry Doredai," Bawa was a better friend to Law that to
nothing else in life. "But Fairka's legally right. A slave
is like any other thing you have, true, but you are esentially
renting him out to Fairka. Besides, it's not your slave, but
your mother's and I'm sure she's not happy having missed him
to you without you telling her."
And so happened that Pip shared Fairka's shelter, the best
fire, a soft bedding of leaves and a good tarp on his head,
while "mistresses and masters" were struggling to shake off
the cold and wetness.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Section 5: Doredai's diary
The 51st of Spring, 879
Dear Goddess of Love, Your Glory, we are very deep into the forest. This
is a real adventure. We are so close to the treasure, I smell it.
To this date, our map has proven to be precise. Tomorrow, if we
find the old ruined farm, it would be very exciting. That's only so
far from the cave that leads to the tunnel that need to the bronze
statue that signals the spot where the treasure is hidden. And we
shall find out and the ring of wishes, and we all be young kids
again, and then forever and ever. This will us do!
* * *
Dear Goddess of Love, sorry to bother Your Glory again. Pip's calling
that guide of ours "mom", trying to make it sound as "madam".
I shall correct him for that most disrespectful attitude, when
we're back home. And that Fairka seems to encourage the brat!
Only proper of a penniless wild girl who have never guided a servant
boy, or anything. Ha! His mother. Like if slaves needed mothers.
Sorry if I'm sounding haughty, dear Goddess of Love, but just as
Your Glory punishes mortals, it is my duty to correct my little one,
though I still love him dearly.
We haven't found the old ruined farmed yet. Which might be your
blessing. Indeed, in our games, goblins were always there, ready
for an ambush and, I'm afraid that I am not as combat-savvy as my
player-character. But it was all kids make-believe and fantasy, wasn't it?
The 52nd of Spring, 879
Dear Goddess of Love, Your Glory, we found it!, found it!, found it!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much. We just found the
ruined farm. Double twenty! We have set up camp inside its walls,
what remains of them. Life's so sweet now.
NOT REALLY!
I'm so dirty and miserable, as are all my friends. Our guide is
happy, and Pip too. It's like he's in mommy-romance.
I mean, what's in his kitty head? What does he know about mothers?
He can only see the good parts, my wee wren, not when they mothers
follow you all day, spying, nagging you to no end.
Anyway, I'll be good and not spoil it for him, these days. He's
nice deep down and all that. Oh, Goddess of Love, but only for
Your Glory. So this is the deal, my sweet Lady, I'll be good to
the kid and, you'll bring me my adventure. Or at least make my
friends believe it's all real, until everything crumbles away.
Thank you!
But I'll have to correct him when we're back home. It's my duty to
Lady Justice, your dearest sister, to which in my heart is second
only to you, Lady of Love.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Section 6: Goblins! An army of them!
The 53rd of Spring, 879
Fairka was very glad at her whole business. To this point,
everything had gone as smoothly as it could possibly go. To
their merit, those posh kids had started to adapt remarkably
well to their new environment. She had only needed to walk
ever so slowly. And Pip had woken up something very deep and
warm in her being. She would get him if you could buy a son,
or she had the money, even. Pip, for his part, was very happy
to call Fairka mom. It was his game: call any nice or even
half nice woman he met mom, but only this one had come any
close to playing along. But it would all come to an end, and
he was old enough to know that. Unless he died before their
return. That would be a sweet end, if only it would make Fairka
sad, and that's the last thing he would ever allow on Earth.
Yeah, it was just a game, but a better one than that their
"excellences" all speaking about goblins all the time. Boring.
Yeah, everybody told stories about how cunning and astute
goblins were, but every goblin he has ever known were slaves,
and scared of us, pure humans of "one blood".
Pip had gone to the well that belonged to a ruined farm around
which they were camping. Not too different from what he would
have done at home, but felt way better when mom asked him.
He hanged the bucket, lowered it down, and then he saw them.
Not in the well, like in the stories, but on the verge of the
trees: goblins!, an army of them!
He ran to Fairka's shelter. "{Mom! Goblins!"
"Pip... you don't tell jokes about... My dear! You saw them?!"
"Yes, mom."
"Then they saw you too. Quick, we'll wake those dolls up,
we'll run east."
Pip nodded.
"Take this one." Fairka unsheathed her second knife. "This
one is your dagger. And say nothing about being a slave, just
take it and stick to me."
* * *
Fairka shouted at the dolls for maximum effect. "Goblins! An
army of them!" Get shod and run after me?
"For real?" Asked Doredai.
"For death." Fairka answered. "Pip set the mules free"
"But our gear!", protested Arteen
"The goblins will have them. Fancy being a slave?"
"We'll follow our guide." That was Doredai's commanding voice.
She knew, they all knew what everybody said about goblin
captives.
As soon as Pip returned, they all run like crazy. The goblins
had hesitated, as their preference was always to ambush, never
to bump on their enemies, no matter how weak they appeared to
be. This could be some human ruse, couldn't it?
But Fairka knew they would soon send a party against them, if
only to keep them away from any human settlement that they
could warn. And in her group she was the only one who could,
perhaps, outrun their persecutors.
The Heart of Valor
The group had taken refuge in a camouflaged shelter behind a
natural circle of birch trees and thick barbed bushes, known
to Northern Foresters as "laavus". This one, in particular,
had been prepared, beforehand, by Fairka as to provide some
sense of "real adventure" to her clients. Of course, with a
band of goblins on their footsteps, they already had all the
sense of "real adventure" that they have ever dreamed and then
some.
Fairka attributed their life and freedom to some miracle,
perhaps in the form of a friendly goblin debate on who would
eat their corpses. Still, with her five clients, none in any
particularly good shape and three of them obviously fat, she
had to rely on hiding rather than fleeing for their continuing
survival. The "laavus" would shield them from prying eyes
through the night, and tomorrow she'll just choose some random
direction; hopefully to fool their persecutors.
As night fell, and her clients, cuddled together to keep their
warmth, felt asleep, Faika stepped out of the shelter.
"Mom, is something wrong?"
"Hush, Pip, follow me. I'm out for singing." Had Fairka showed
a sacrificial dagger with Pip's name inscribed on it, he would
have followed her out, just the same.
Laika walked to the utmost point of the "laavu", a wall of
bushes spotted with wildflowers, that were fading to brown
under the moonlight. Then she sat cross-legged on a carpet
of leaves and moss. Pip, who did the same but had much thinner
clothes, felt the cool wetness of the ground but made no
complaint.
"Hush Pip, it's soft magic we are going to make, you and me,
we'll sing, sing with no sounds, just look at my lips and sing
it as well."
In his brain, or perhaps in his soul, but not in his ears,
Pip listened to their shared song, feeling these were words
of magic: "Arai, aa, aai, aai. Lebai, baa, baai, baaai." A
little grebe, wet from the lake, flew over the bushes and
landed by Pip's feet. Then a forest pigeon, perched on Fairka's
legs, then a swift came about and hanged itself from Pip's
tunic. The boy's heart was pounding with joy, but he kept
himself perfectly quiet. Finally, a young black stork, landed
by Fairka's side
"Kiss your bird, Pip, I'll kiss mine. Softly, it's soft magic,
like a dance".
Pip did, getting a lucky tick in the process, one he didn't
notice, right then.
"Nice. Now tie these laces I'm giving you, one on each leg."
On those were written, Fairka had done but one year of school,
"!!! goBleens army near old ruind farm. Thend help."
The 55th of Spring, 879
Earlier than dawn, Fairka woke everybody up, abandoning the
"laavu", leading the party higher into the hills. That did
not fit well with her clients, who thought she was either
going Northwest or Northeast and neither felt particularly
safe. Didn't she know the cities lay to the south? Pip, on
his part, just stuck to her, with the greatest smiles on his
face. These could be the last hour of his short and sad life,
but boy, what an adventure!
Two hours went by as they pushed themselves through the wooded
hill. Fairka had stopped several times to check their back
for pursuers but, when she finally ordered all to stop, she
was looking forward, as if listening to the maple trees.
"Hush all. Lay down. Ambush. ...waiting for us. Hush."
One, two, three, four...
"Hush."
Five, six...
"After me, follow me, even if you think you can't. Just follow
me."
To their left, the hill fell into a steep slope, of the kind
that looks scary just to walk them down. Fairka took it
running, with Pip following close behind, as fast as he could.
One by one, fighting doubts and fears, the clients went after
them, as silently as that lot could, for three eternal minutes.
Fairka stopped then, to allow the youths to catch up with her.
Looking up, she discovered the beige skin of the goblins,
their poor padded armor, their fierce faces, their green oblong
shields and their bundle of javelins. What to do? Run! Where
to go? Anywhere they could barricade themselves, they would
never outrun their persecutors. She fought her instincts to
go and tell Pip to run for his life and surrender if everything
else failed, but not to get himself killed, no time for that
either. Then she saw it, salvation!
"To that cave! Follow me!"
Neither Doredai, Arteen, Bawa, Caud or Aeliar could believe
their eyes. That cave lay just above a rock with the shape
of a bat, just like in their treasure map from their childhood.
"The heart of valor!" They posh kids shouted out, leaving
Fairka puzzled and Pip worried about their sanity. But then,
with the first very quick strides, all was forgotten, for the
goblins were pressing in, closer and closer.
As they climbed into the mouth of the cave, Fairka
pushed everyone inside and drew out her short sword. Caud
hesitantly brought out his own mace, and Pip his borrowed
dagger. "Get something", Fairka commanded, "if even
the belts of your pants." Doredai searched for a rock,
where is one when you need a good one? Bawa just took
Fairka's word literally, while Arteen and Aeliar prepared
their fists.
The goblins chanted.
oh tue, spridushmareul,
aucultatsi noi!
vine cu noi, leu de razboi
te kiamamo-noi
si danoi slaba in
aceasta ziua!
"I know some Goblinesk", said Aeliar, meaning the Goblin
tongue. "They're saying something about blood."
"Hush, everyone, deeper into the cave."
"Droom-boom!!" Such was the goblin battle cry.
And then the narrow corridors of the cave turned into a
maelstrom. Fairka downed a green-eyed goblin. Another one
tripped and fell into the sharp rocks below. Arteen got
scratched by a flying javelin and fell back, deeper into
the cave, followed by Caud, Bawa, Aeliar while Fairka,
covered their retreat.
Meanwhile, Doredai and Pip had found themselves pushed back
into a narrow dwindling corridor and from this into a round
chamber leading to twelve dugout passages. What was even
harder to believe was that they still could see deep into
the caver, for a green light descended from the ceiling.
"Phosphorescences. Pip, I know this place! Follow me!"
Doredai and her servant kid disappeared into the third
corridor, the one marked with the horns of a bull,
just before. Running, and leaping and running again, the
goblins pressing on to their backs. A javelin dropped by
Doredai's side and she took it. The tunnel forked to the
left and right, and then up and down, and then into five
directions, and then again into four. This place was a
maze, but to Pip's surprise Doredai seemed to knew exactly
where to go, earning invaluable minutes before the goblins
could figure out where they had gone.
At the other side of the cave, the battle was turning worse
for the goblins, for the rich posh kids also seemed to know
exactly where to hide and fought as well as they could,
which was good enough only to give Fairka a good chance
to finish one goblin after the other.
"Pip! Doredai!" Fairka screamed in agony.
"Fairka, I know where they are!" That was Aeliar, the
only one among the youth who wasn't panting at this point.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm not, but it's all like in the game. Doredai has gone
for the Heart of Valor, and there's another exit to this
cave, they'll come out there. It will be much faster than
following them. Please, trust me."
* * *
Everything had gone quiet. Pip couldn't say a thing,
for the lack of breath, and Doredai was just too happy to
see a culture they'd just found.
The figure was much rougher than she had imagined it. It
didn't look like a human king, but like some sort of dwarf,
and the bronze was all greenish and dusty. Its function
remained, for that small king was pointing to the opposing
wall, and on it there was a bronze box. Doredai rushed for
it, even as the steps of the goblins were heard coming in.
Pip hid next to the door, Fairka's dagger in hand.
What was the young mistress doing? Had she lost her mind?
Doredai took the box and opened it. She smiled, it
wasn't made of gold, as they had dreamed, elvish sky-metal,
diamond, or even obsidian. It was but wood, very dark and
ancient. "Look, Pip, the Heart of Valour!" Nobody could
ever be happier. "Good Goddess of Love, I'm Level 2!"
Two goblins then rushed in. Pip tried to stab one but
failed. Doredai charged in, javelin in her two hands,
as if it were a spear, stabbing one in the stomach, making
it withdraw.
"Pip! After me! I shall protect thee." The goblins
threw their last javelins. One hit Doredais in a leg,
but she kept on. Undeterred, the goblins took their maces.
"Pip, run away, go, quick!" And so began a desperate
battle.
Note: If you happen to be from anywhere north of Bulgaria,
east of Serbia, west of the Black Sea, and south of either
Hungary or Ukraine, smile, I was just in a playfool mood
at the time. :)
Fairka emerged to open from the secret entrance to the
cave, the one Aeliar had guided to, hastily carrying the
small body of Pip. The boy was still clenching his dagger,
stained with mahogany red, goblin blood, his tunic darkened
at his side. The other survivors were waiting for her.
"Make way, leave me space." Fairka laid the child softly
on a bed of heather, ripped a shred off her tunic, and
immediately put herself to dressing the wound.
"Doredai, where's Doredai?" Bawa's question received
no response as Fairka focused on containing the boy's
blood loss.
"Mom, help, it hurts." Those words, felt like the command
from an old god.
The four friends, understanding finally there would be no
answer, ran clumsily, for their exhausted bodies allowed
for nothing better to the cave. Back to the soft light
over dancing shadows, the youths wished what it couldn't
be; nothing to be heard: no war cries, no clashing of
weapons, no bodies falling on hard rock, no cries of pain,
no curses, not even the breath of a bat. The first warm
corpse was that of a goblin, its arm broken in a twisted
shape, the second body was another enemy, impaled with a
javelin, the third, you guessed it, the third was Doredai,
eyes closed, nostrils bleeding still, her face wearing
her last smile, the wooden Heart of Valor resting by her
injured leg.
When they came out with their friend's body, Fairka
approached them.
"Pip's sleeping now. He got a bad slash on his ribs, it
reached to the bone. I've patched him up... best I could,
but he may die... he'll die."
"Doredai's dead." That was Bawa.
"I know, I arrived just in time for Pip. Not for her."
Aeliar knelt on the ground, bursting out in tears.
"Listen. I must go now to find "sweet-kisses" and
"flowers of water-pearls", to fight pain and infection.
Stay with Pip, don't let him get cold. I'll be back."
The four who remained stood without words, perhaps out of
fear or simply bound by this nightmare, but then Aeliar
fought off her horror. "This will us do."
"This will us do", repeated the other, their childhood
phrase changed them into the hearts of legends.
* * *
A sundial would have seen one hour running on its stone
surface, the youths could have sword it was a lifetime
of angst. Two had taken positions as lookouts, Aeliar
and Caud remained with Pip, who woke up just as soon as
Fairka's magic had run out of its power.
"Mom. It hurts."
Aeliar approached him. "She's back soon, with medicine,
you'll be alright."
"Thanks, mom."
Aeliar felt a punch in her soul. "I'm not..."
Caud interrupted her. "Just play along..."
"Mom. It hurts."
"Shh, don't worry, experience points hurt! But they'll
make you stronger."
"Yep, you're level 3 now!" Added Caud as if that could
possibly mean anything to the house slave boy.
"She's saying you're a hero." Aeliars words came with a
soft voice, she didn't ever remember addressed to "one of
his status"and a caress."
"No, mom, Doredai is. She died for me, died for me
smiling, strange..."
"Hush, quiet, lil'one. "Caud tried to imitate Fairka's
voice.
"Mom, your song, your song, I want to sleep."
There was a hint of terror in Caud and Aeliars' faces.
A need to have him away if only to reassure themselves
the boy was still alive, but finally complied, the boy
opening his hands, peacefully.
Section 10: Alrighty, cleric
Night was approaching, Caud was still guarding Pip, who
rested under a blanket of dead leaves; Caud's idea.
"Tell me, tell me, is he breathing?" Aeliar had just
come from lookout duty, to watch for Fairka's return,
still without luck.
"He is," Caud replied.
"Not very well."
"No. If Fairka isn't here soon... May I ask you
something, and you don't call me mad?" Caud voice sounded
like a begging boy.
"I couldn't now."
"The Heart of Valor."
"You are nuts."
"But it's said to give health, in all our adventures it
always worked."
"Come on, that would be magic, and there's no such thing.
And we made it all up, besides."
"But, look where we are now! The map, it wasn't supposed
to be real either, everything just fitted! I know how it
all sounds... but... it wouldn't hurt him."
"Ah... alrighty, cleric."
Caud took the wooden heart from Doredai's corpse and placed
it by the boy's hand.
"Happy now?"
"Not."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Epilogue: A long, boring, sorrowful journey"
The 78th of Spring, 879
They had gone through very long, very hard days. The four
survivors of the adventuring party looked aged, older than
their years, were certainly exhausted and filled with dirt
and paint. Still, they were alive, for that they could
be thankful. The first three days after the battle at
the cave, the return of Fairka and the burial had been
awful, running from place to place, hiding under the
cover of night. All made much worse by having to carry
Pip around, for it that Heart of Valor worked healing,
it did it slowly.
Then knew of their salvation when the local Paladin
Squadron together with a hastily raised militia met them.
Amazingly, some scouts had discovered the Goblin Host
and warned the authorities, with the speed of a hawk,
"or a swift", by Fairka's own words. Their joy lasted a
day, and then they took, a long, boring, sorrowful journey
back home. And on the midday of the 78th day of Spring,
they found themselves at the walls of Lwgar. Pip could
walk again, though helped by Fairka. They both went so
very close together for it was meant to be their end, Pip
was still a slave, and he was to return to Doredai's home,
where a mother would soon find her heart broken.
Caud, Aeliar, Bawa and Arteen understood. "There's an inn,
it's not too posh". Arteen said. "Just say my name.
Wait for us, we want to approach Doredai's mother, you
see, no need for Pip to be around just yet. We'll tell
her we've asked him to do stuff. Don't worry. We'll be
back in four days".
Three days went by. Fairka did not stay at the inn,
but took a canvas and went to the Serpent Sea, by a cliff
where puffins and sea-wolves played, taking Pip with her.
They sang, they gamed, they told each other stories,
playing to be mother and child.
By the fourth day they went back into the city, solemnly,
in their tattered clothes and rough looks, to be met by
the survivors, these wonderful in their best suits, and
a scroll.
"Pip, we are sorry, you are not expected at Doredai's
funeral."
"I understand, young masters and mistresses."
"No need to call us that know. Here you have."
Caud handed the scroll over to Pip.
"It has letters."
"Yes, that's your name. We bought you for half a penny."
Fairka exclaimed, almost to the point of anger.
"But that's... you can't..."
"Doredai's mother did it in account of her daughter. We're
freeing you, you may go with Fairka, if you like."
And then, just as woman and boy marched to the forest,
where Fairka had her wooden home, Caud rounded his
friend in hug and said... "Now, I have an idea for a new
adventure, you'll love it, there's this prince and his
captured by goblins and taken to the arena, and you go
and release him, or try at least... and there's a 'kitteh'
involved."
"A kitteh?"
"Yay, a great, wonderful creature, a monster even, 200
experience points and..."
