The Woodelf Bard

By Larkee

Chapter Three T he day was bright and clear with birds chirping when Larkell woke. She stretched and then rubbed her eyes enjoying the fresh morning air, when her reprise was disturbed by the sounds of battle. Larkell barely was able to keep from jumping out of her skin. All of the excitement of yesterday was such a blur and seemed to have been just a dream. Larkell had expected (and had wished) that she would wake up in her own bed in the back room of the bard's guild. 'So much for dreams' she muttered to herself as she grabbed her sword and ran out side. Just as she was to step out of the guard shack she was pulled to the side by the strong hand of Kemili. "Stay out of the way child," he barked as he threw her between him and the wall of the tower. "You are not ready for the likes of this creature." Larkell peeked around the bulk of her friend to catch a glimpse of the largest bear she had ever seen. Before she could even phrase the question, Kemili spoke "Yes child, that is a grizzly bear and normally, out of my respect for the wishes of the citizens of Surefall, I would not attack any bear in these hills. Yet, I do believe this bear to be stricken with rabies and there for it knows not what it does and needs to be taken out of its misery." The guards worked hard with the help of Kemili to dispatch of the rabid grizzly before any more damaged could be done. Off to the side Larkell noticed healers trying to help those that the bear had attacked and transferred the sickness to. 'How can I ever do this,' she thought to herself as she saw the grizzly finally fall to the mighty blows of the men. 'I am but a small elf with no real knowledge of fighting or living off the land. I have songs to play but they are not nearly as powerful as they should be and I will surely die before I learn enough to be able to survive.' Her friend left the kill to the guards and wiped clean his blade as he nonchalantly walked back into the guard tower to collect his things. When he noticed Larkell still standing flabbergasted at the door he spoke, "Larkell come here." She shook herself and walked into collect her things as he continued "I know that you have a few tiers of knowledge in that bards guild of yours or you would not have been sent out on your own, but this will still be overwhelming to you. You must remember that everyone has to start somewhere and it is always scary to start out, but only the ones that think they know everything end up dying." She stopped packing at looked at him sharply. "Yes child, it is written on your face. It is very easy to tell that you are second guessing your decision to come and train." Kemili handed Larkell her bedroll as he continued, "You could live your life secluded up in your safe bard's guild, but what kind of songs could you write then. You must grab life by the tail and hold on. There is more to this life than just killing or being killed. You will meet people and see places that some of your so-called great bards have only heard of in the songs and stories of others. You have a calling in life, and you can turn around now and go home, or you can come with me and learn how stay alive long enough to enjoy it." He smiled at her reassuringly. "You will not die while in my care child. That is my promise!" With that the two adventures headed out again with Larkell more eager to learn than before. Her chance meeting with this seasoned barbarian was as if by the hand of Tunare and was for a reason. Who was Larkell to argue with the Mother of All? So they picked up the beat, with the jig, and headed on to Black burrow. As they came close to the entrance Kemili stopped and drew a diagram in the dirt. "Once we get in there I am sure we can navigate our way over to the cavern heading towards Everfrost, but just in case you need to just play that drum and sing your jig. Just get yourself to this cavern; do not look back until you see the opening into snow. There will be camp fires lit and barbarian guards there that will protect you." He traced the route in the dirt and used the stick to point out areas that were important. "Once to the guards stay there and I will join you shortly." "But what if there are to many for you." She protested "I can at least help you." He glared at her with a sternness she had not seen even in her guild master. "Larkell, I told you to run to the guards and don't look back. This is not anything you have seen before and you are no where even close to being ready for the likes of these. The gnolls here are evil and despise all that is human or even closely related. The only creatures that they do not kill on sight that even resemble human in form are the Dark ones. Your dark cousins have been known to make packs with the gnolls and had a huge hand in the making of the Great War. Now, if you wish me to be your teacher, you will listen and obey. Do not stop for anything until you get to the guards. Is that understood." His eyes drilled into her as she dropped her head and mumbled 'yes.' Kemili reached in his bag and brought out a chain coif and donned it on his head. Unsheathing his sword and resituating his gear, the barbarian strode towards the cave entrance that was obviously marked by it looking like an open maw of a gnoll. Larkell shivered by reaction as they walked into the depths and her eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness. They came out cautiously out into a large clearing with a waterfall cascading down into a large pool of water. At first there was no sign of trouble and in fact looked very serene, but all of a sudden the shouts of elves, humans, and barbarians alike announced "Train incoming". Larkell stopped in her tracks not exactly sure what to think. Kemili grabbed her shirt collar and threw her in the direction of the cave he mentioned. "Run damn you girl. A train is a LARGE group of blood thirsty gnolls heading topside for anything that gets in their way."

With that knowledge, Larkell picked up her drum that had fallen to the group and hastily tried to play the jig. At first she could not get the magic with her, she was so scared that she kept missing the beat and losing concentration. Finally as she neared the cavern that she needed to run through the music took form. The magic surrounded her as she prayed to Tunare to not let her miss again. The cavern started to fly past her as she tried desperately to maneuver through the pass and not slam into any walls. The sounds of the pack grew louder behind her as she ducked this way and that. Every turn or so she swore she could see the white fangs of the evil that dwelled within this cursed place. 'Oh Tunare, give me breath to keep this song going' she prayed as she jumped over an unrecognizable body that lay in her path. 'I can not stop, I can NOT stop.' She repeated to herself as she kept running. This way, that way, turn after turn the cavern seemed to go on indefinitely when all of a sudden she broke out into the open mouth of a cave with a couple of campfires burning off to the side. Sure enough, there were two burly barbarians talking next to the fire (if there was such thing as a barbarian that was not burly) who perked up at the sight and sound of Larkell barging into their area. They ran over to guard her and usurer her back to the fire. One stayed with her as the other continued down the tunnel she had just emerged from. "Don'cha worry elf." The barbarian spoke in a very choppy dialect; "Kulan will surely clear the way." He smelled of old fish and looked as if he had not seen a bath in his lifetime. Yet, to Larkell, he was the most wonderful thing she had ever seen. The noises of the battle echoed through the cavern as her guardian looked longingly towards the sounds. "I canno wait for it to bes my turn to kill them dogs." "I am sorry," she questioned him. "But I do not understand. You wish to fight those…those … things?" The barbarian looked at her as if she was crazy. "'Corse little elf, don't you. Oh, right. Ye be of the nature lovin things." He shook his head in disbelief at the thought of peaceful living. "I am Blackherth and it is our place in live to be the strongest in the land. To domineer by sheer force, that is the way of the barbarian." Larkell felt like a youngster for being so naive. "I did not mean to offend, I am just now learning the ways of the world and am not making light of your beliefs." "'Tis okay, you know no better." Blackherth stated plainly as he looked back towards the tunnel just as two barbarians stepped out of the darkness. It was Kulan, the other guard, and her friend Kemili. Larkell felt so relieved that she forgot about being proper and ran up to her large friend and gave him a hug. Kemili was so shocked that he dropped his sword. Realizing that she had shown too much emotion she dropped back down to the ground and apologized. "Goddess no child," Kemili corrected her, "you have no need to apologize. It was a surprise, but the hug was nice. You could do me and my brethren here a favor and play a song that will speed our recovery." With that Larkell bounded over to the fire where her backpack still lay and put away the drum. Instead she pulled out her lute and did a quick tune to make sure the magic would be summoned. She started first with the lute and then added in the words to a lovely ballad that brought forth-another blue light. Except this light did not make your feet light or your stamina boundless, it instead brought the powers of nature to speed your body's own normal healing process. The two barbarians settled down next to the fire and broke out a flask of mead to share. Soon enough both men were feeling in top shape impart to the song and also to the mead! It was still early in the day but Kemili, after getting the current gossip from the guards, decided that they needed to make a change in their plans. They went over to the other fire that the guards maintained and set up camp. Once they were settled in he went into her bag for the gnoll meat they had from the pup and placed in next to the fire to cook. While it was cooking he told her what he had learned. His cousin was on a hunting party in the permafrost area looking for mammoth. Since this was under the direct supervision of the elders there was no need to rush to get him for training. Kemili and Macullok had already done some training together and this was Macullok's test of man hood. Once this was accomplished, Macullok would set out to prove his worth much like Larkell was doing now. The new plan was that they would stay in this area and Larkell would be tested on gnoll pups, goblin whelps, spiders, and even polar bear cubs. "I thought you said that you did not hunt bear." Larkell questioned Kemili between bites of an actually good steak. "No, not exactly." He corrected her as he took another swig of mead. "I said I did not fight the bears in Qeynos hills due to the respect for the citizens of Surefall. This is not Qeynos hills and bears here are a main stay." He closed up his flask and put away his gear as he started to settle down for sleep. "Get some sleep song bird, for tomorrow your training really begins." With that he turned over in his bedding and feel asleep. Larkell sat up a little while longer and actually went to talk with the guards. They were wonderful fellows as long as you overlooked their smell. She got told of the local customs and also where the best hunting was. After a time with the men, Larkell yawned as weariness took her and she had to excuse herself so that she to could get some sleep. The two barbarians bid her good night and she curled up in the bedding that was to be her home now. To Be Continued...