Submitted: 26 November 1999

Heroes Four; and other Possibilities.

by Faelkal

The s'kra, I could smell that much, but I couldn't see him ... grabbed my fur, my lovely mane, with his gloved hand, the sharpest point of the blade caressed the pulsing point of my neck. "Do not ever let the fear of your precious fur being stained get in the way of helping her again."

"I... I won't." My nerves were still raw. "Sir." I added that because it seemed the appropriate thing to do. "See to it youngling, for I may not always be here to help her ... our paths do not cross as often as they once did. And if ever I hear that your fur came before her life ... I'll have a new pelt on my wall."

"Yes, sir." The young prydaen trembled a bit in the s'kra's grasp. "I'll remember."

Snick. The pressure of the blade retreated instantly, and all I could see as I turned my head was the black vagueness of a cloak that hid all the s'kra's features save for the blade disappearing with his hand beneath the cloak. But none of the others saw it! Nor did they hear. I guess for they were still struggling to bring the elf back to consciousness.

Elven blood still dripped from the black shadowsilk cloak the s'kra wore after he scooped up the elf I had been dragging. But I'll let Kervyn tell the tale ... my throat is a bit ... parched. Faelkal drew a ragged breath and turned to the young paladin, gesturing for him to tell the story of the heroes.

Smiling Kervyn looked at Baresh and began.

"It was really quite simple I didn't do much but offer my energy, so I'm not really a part of the tale ... but it began when Fae here headed up to Dirge to find The Jester. She'd gone in search of learning the sarhhtha and had been gone for some time. Anyway .. that's another matter. Fae had gotten her a stuffed gidii for her next puppet show in hopes of ...." Peering at the Prydaen shaking his head wildly at him Kervyn stopped.

"Hmm ... well anyway the lad was looking for her and find her he did, almost clawed in two, near a mound. She was still breathing so the lad determined to drag her to Northern Trade Road to find help. That's where he found us. Well, actually he found me tripping over my metal casing, and a barbarian warrior who was doing her best to help me up."

Pausing a moment, the tall, lanky Human brought his black eyes to bear on the Prydaen who was now drinking water as fast as he could. "I believe the lady took pity on me because I have yet to learn enough to even be called a squire, I could tell by looking at her that she is a no-nonsense woman ... probably thrash an idiot as put up with them."

"Anyway, her name is Isgerd ... and she took one look at the body Fae was dragging, then immediately knelt to try and staunch the wounds. Looking up at us she said what are you standing there for? Gweth for help! Fae and I both said at the same time, 'I can't.' With a muttered curse that I wouldn't repeat even in non-polite company, she told Faelkal to keep dragging north while she kept pressure applied to the worst of the wounds."

"Isgerd apparently has a strong mind and sent out some kind of appeal over the gweth. But it was obvious we were losing the elf. I couldn't even stop a tiny scratch from bleeding and the elven woman was almost torn apart with diagonal clawmarks from one shoulder to the other hip. The elf must have had luck on her side for out of nowhere came this huge s'kra who picked her up as if she weighed less than the feather of an owl."

A strangled gurgle came from the Prydaen as he listened, still drinking water, which Kervyn deftly ignored. "Obviously the s'kra had one of those gwethdesuans. He moved like lightning northward, leaving the three of us standing in the dirt just north of the Caravansary, bewildered."

"It was then Isgerd told us both that a healer by the name of Zakiel, her brother, in fact, was nearby in some place where the BlueBelly lizards live. In no more than a blink of the eye the mercenary grabbed us both by the hand and ran as fast as she could northward, following the sticky, red trail left behind as the s'kra moved with the elf. Giving us just barely time to breath Isgerd got us to where her brother was. We arrived to find the s'kra applying pressure to bandages on two wounds the healer couldn't get to."

Now, this Zakiel, let me tell you ... he was working fast and furious. An Elothean by the looks of him, the tarnished silver ring he wore was so covered in blood that you could barely make out it's engraving with an oddly stylized Empath's guild crest."

"Lad!" He called out to me immediately. "I need your energy, she's too deeply hurt, I need to touch your heart." I didn't think twice, it was obvious the man was healing himself, feeding her vitality and he was starting to weaken. You could see it on his face. I stepped closer to him so he could tap my heart."

Kervyn pauses again for a moment. "It's frightening to feel your heart skip a beat ... and pulsate irregularly, but it helped ... for the healer was able to focus on healing himself for a moment so he could continue taking her wounds."

"I remember stumbling a bit, but found myself staring into the tattoo of a golden hawk with its wings spread wide on the shoulder of Isgerd as she stepped next to me to steady me. I don't know if she did it on purpose, but I was gouged by her thigh quiver, that bit of pain helped bring my focus back."

"Fae valiantly tried to bandage a lesser wound, but got his tail stuck in the wrappings, which brought a hiss from the s'kra. Isgerd and I worked to dislodge the Prydaen's tail from the mess."

A cough and sputtering is heard from further down the bar where Faelkal is still nursing his water, Kervyn grinned roquishly. "Anyway ... still tapping my heart, the healer was finally able to bring the blood flow to where the s'kra could maintain the bandage without the fierce pressure he'd been applying."

"So, Zakiel took a moment to release my life's beat, shoring himself up a bit more. Isgerd stood guard, for we were by no means in a safe place. I've got to say ... she looks a handsome woman with that broadsword in her hand, though she did mention something about ogres that I didn't quite understand."

Kervyn shakes his head. "But I digress. When it appeared that the elven woman would no longer bleed to death, the s'kra pulled Fae to one side ... but never did I see a blade in his hand .. of course, I was still looking mainly at the elf. That ebon of her skin was something I'd never seen before."

Another cough from the Prydaen stops Kervyn for a moment, and he shrugs at Fae. "Perhaps it was your imagination Faelkal." The Prydaen glared at Kervyn for a moment then hiss-spluttered "Of course .. it was +my+ imagination."

"Anyway ... the lass was delirious I must guess. Certainly she was not in this world yet, for she shrieked out, "Cloche! No! Not the Snake! No! Watch out!" and Zakiel called out the to s'kra "Magnews! Come here .. she's rousing ... I can't keep her quiet ... hold her still." The mercenary stood guard over all three and ...

"Well, Baresh, Zakiel sent us here to get some drink ... Trothfang's tequila and some Holy firewater because he says when Arhkenya, that's the elf's name, is fully conscious she'll want something for her throat. Can we get some please?"

Holding the containers in his hand Kervyn whispered to Fae as they walked out, "You know Fae, I'm not yet a knight, but there was something odd about that elf's soul .. it's like there's something clinging to it. Perhaps, it's all the excitement, with the healer touching my heart .. I could have just imagined it."

Fae twickered an ear at the paladin-to-be and merowpped. His mind raced, as he and Kervyn returned to where the others were, ~I was only protecting my fur! Any self-respecting kit would have dragged her ... not picked her up!~. Still he stayed a good distance from the s'kra who still hovered over the now conscious elf.

The Prydaen made a mental note to stay as far away from the ebon skinned, platinum haired Jester as possible, pondering how that would affect his deliveries to the bard's guild. Another encounter with the agile s'kra was not part of his plans. From the looks of things, with that elf's head snugged next to the s'kra's chest as her eyes flickered open, it was going to be a bit more difficult than he anticipated.