Post by elvenking on May 1, 2005 19:43:55 GMT -5
Chapter One: The Sea is Not Safe And Huor
~~Jeod~~
Jeod woke with a start. Looking around, he realized that he must have fallen asleep in his room in the castle. He stuffed the scroll he had been reading an hour before into a shelf and left the room. Ne quickly exited the building, intending to go back home and deal with Helen. He never got there.
He was walking along the outer wall towards his house when three guards ran into him. They all fell in a heap on the ground. The guards jumped up and ran onto the wall by means of a stairway nearby. What's the matter with them? Jeod stood and went up the stairs after them, and no one was guarding the top to stop him. He went along the top of the wall until he came to a group of about ten guards, all of which were looking out to sea. Jeod glanced down and saw several dark, looming shapes moving slowly but steadily through the water towards the city wall. As he watched a little circle of light popped up, revealing an inappropriately dressed man holding a wicked sword and a torch. Pirates! He thought angrily. The guards saw them, too.
They shouted hoarsely and ran towards the citadel. The pirates apparently knew they'd been spotted, but idn't plan on leaving. More torches appeared, and Jeod saw that there were almost thirty large ships filled with disgusting pirates, and the ships were speeding up now, nearing the shore. Jeod wondered what they hoped to accomplish. The people and riches of the city lay behind a hundred-foot wall, and two large gates. The pirates were probably outnumbered as well, though Jeod couldn't be sure in the dark. As he watched men ran up onto the wall to look over, both soldiers and rich businesspeople who wanted to be sure they were safe. They were all still looking when they heard a scream.
Jeod whirled around and saw a rich trader fall dead. Behind him were pirates with weapons. On the wall. The soldiers in the group attacked the pirates, while the others ran from the wall shouting that pirates were upon them. How are they? Jeod wondered. He pulled out his rapier and rushed over to help the few soldiers that had already climbed onto the wall. He swung at a pirate wearing only a loincloth and felt the sword connect. The pirate fell. As Jeod turned he saw a single large, crude ladder resting against the wall, which the pirates had placed and crept up while the guards watched the ships. He tried briefly to reach it, but there were not yet enough soldiers on the wall. I can't belive I wish I was surrounded by soldiers.
Jeod ran from the fighting and down the stairs toards the citadel. There were about one hundred soldiers at its entrance, along with Risthart, the lord of Teirm. "What is happening?" He asked as Jeod came up. "The men wouldn't tell-"
"The pirates are on the wall. They had a ladder high enough." Jeod said quickly. "We need to get rid of it.
Risthart nodded and motioned for the soldiers to follow. They ran back to and up onto the wall, and attacked the pirates. Jeod didn't really fight, mostly he was just shoved around in the mass. Finally, he ended up next to the ladder with Risthart. "We can't push it down, we have to destroy it!" He shouted. The Lord looked around, then took a torch from a soldier and caught the ladder on fire. It burned to the ground and was gone in seconds, though the fire didn't spread. Then the two turned and fought their way back to the stairs. By the time they reached them,, the pirates were gone. They went to the west wall and looked over. The ships still sat filled with men, and more had been revealed on the shore.
"We won't be able to leave." Jeod said suddenly. "We can't get out, and right now there aren't many soldiers here. We can't go for help."
The ships sat silently in the sea. Waiting.
~~Sloan~~
"C'mon, Morn! We have to leave soon!" Sloan roared.
"Hold on, I have to make sure no one steals from me," Morn said, locking the doors to his tavern. "Okay, let's go." The two men walked over to three others standing near the edge of the town of Carvahall: Horst, Albriech, and Baldor. They all carried hunting knives and bows. Now they all crept from the town, heading for The Spine.
Lately animals had been disappearing. Yesterday, Katrina had been milking a cow when someone shot an arrow at her, cutting into her arm. She was still not doing well and in Gertrude's care, but she had said she saw something move in the mountains right before it happened. The five men were going to find out.
They reached the forestry slopes and began their slow climb, following a sparsely used trail. When they were about two hundred feet up, a hoarse shout rang out: "SHUT UP YOU FILTH!" The men ducked down and looked back the way they had come. What the saw cause them to gasp. Hundreds of urgals were moving through the trees. Hundreds of them. They carried weapons, some of which looked quite wicked, while others looked stolen.
As the frightened men watched, about twenty Kull walked into view these wore heavy armor. After the Kull came a particularly nasty Urgal. He wore a black-steel helmet with four urgal horns besides his own two sticking out of it, prizes he'd won as an urgal chief was decapitated far away, north of Alagaesia. A blue rider's blade hung from his belt, which he had scavenged long ago not long after Vrael fell, and he held a long, wicked looking pike. This urgal was apparently the chief of this huge force, and was barking orders. "FASTER! HURRY UP! I FEEL THAT MY BROTHER HAS DIED! MOVE! I AM HUOR!"
At this point Baldor whimpered and sneezed. Huor froze, level with their hiding place. "Drat," Horst whispered. Huor looked slowly around, as if trying to sense their location, but failing. Then he spoke, or rather, he yelled.
"THERE ARE MEN ABOUT! FIND AND KILL THEM! WE HOLD NO FRIENDS IN THEM!" The urgals in the mass looked around and ran in all directions. Morn, Albriech, Baldor, Horst and Sloan jumped up and sprinted wildly away from the beasts. They ran until a half-starved and dirty man slammed into them and they all fell to the ground.
"Who are who?" Sloan asked.
"What are you doing?" Horst wondered.
"Are you a Varden member?" Morn Inquired.
The man looked at them for a minute. "I am Dormnad. Some idiot spy lured me out of Gielead and the empire attacked. Do you know a good friend of Noble Babblermouth Injuk? Never mind, come on!"
The man jumped to his feet and ran off. The five men followed. They had not gone far however, when two Kull emerged form the trees, one on each side. The people froze, pulling out hunting knives and-in Dormnad's case-a sword. The Kull lumbered forward, preparing to strike. Then..."STOP!" A voice yelled.
The Kull looked around, confused. The six men took the opportunity and ran. They dashed around the mountain for about an hour, before sprinting down it as fast as they could. They reached Carvahall just as the sun was rising and looked back. The urgals could be seen on the mountain.
The men looked at them, along with the other people in the town, and were horrified by what they saw. The beasts were coming down.
Author's Note: Please review 1-10 AND say why. Thanx!
~~Jeod~~
Jeod woke with a start. Looking around, he realized that he must have fallen asleep in his room in the castle. He stuffed the scroll he had been reading an hour before into a shelf and left the room. Ne quickly exited the building, intending to go back home and deal with Helen. He never got there.
He was walking along the outer wall towards his house when three guards ran into him. They all fell in a heap on the ground. The guards jumped up and ran onto the wall by means of a stairway nearby. What's the matter with them? Jeod stood and went up the stairs after them, and no one was guarding the top to stop him. He went along the top of the wall until he came to a group of about ten guards, all of which were looking out to sea. Jeod glanced down and saw several dark, looming shapes moving slowly but steadily through the water towards the city wall. As he watched a little circle of light popped up, revealing an inappropriately dressed man holding a wicked sword and a torch. Pirates! He thought angrily. The guards saw them, too.
They shouted hoarsely and ran towards the citadel. The pirates apparently knew they'd been spotted, but idn't plan on leaving. More torches appeared, and Jeod saw that there were almost thirty large ships filled with disgusting pirates, and the ships were speeding up now, nearing the shore. Jeod wondered what they hoped to accomplish. The people and riches of the city lay behind a hundred-foot wall, and two large gates. The pirates were probably outnumbered as well, though Jeod couldn't be sure in the dark. As he watched men ran up onto the wall to look over, both soldiers and rich businesspeople who wanted to be sure they were safe. They were all still looking when they heard a scream.
Jeod whirled around and saw a rich trader fall dead. Behind him were pirates with weapons. On the wall. The soldiers in the group attacked the pirates, while the others ran from the wall shouting that pirates were upon them. How are they? Jeod wondered. He pulled out his rapier and rushed over to help the few soldiers that had already climbed onto the wall. He swung at a pirate wearing only a loincloth and felt the sword connect. The pirate fell. As Jeod turned he saw a single large, crude ladder resting against the wall, which the pirates had placed and crept up while the guards watched the ships. He tried briefly to reach it, but there were not yet enough soldiers on the wall. I can't belive I wish I was surrounded by soldiers.
Jeod ran from the fighting and down the stairs toards the citadel. There were about one hundred soldiers at its entrance, along with Risthart, the lord of Teirm. "What is happening?" He asked as Jeod came up. "The men wouldn't tell-"
"The pirates are on the wall. They had a ladder high enough." Jeod said quickly. "We need to get rid of it.
Risthart nodded and motioned for the soldiers to follow. They ran back to and up onto the wall, and attacked the pirates. Jeod didn't really fight, mostly he was just shoved around in the mass. Finally, he ended up next to the ladder with Risthart. "We can't push it down, we have to destroy it!" He shouted. The Lord looked around, then took a torch from a soldier and caught the ladder on fire. It burned to the ground and was gone in seconds, though the fire didn't spread. Then the two turned and fought their way back to the stairs. By the time they reached them,, the pirates were gone. They went to the west wall and looked over. The ships still sat filled with men, and more had been revealed on the shore.
"We won't be able to leave." Jeod said suddenly. "We can't get out, and right now there aren't many soldiers here. We can't go for help."
The ships sat silently in the sea. Waiting.
~~Sloan~~
"C'mon, Morn! We have to leave soon!" Sloan roared.
"Hold on, I have to make sure no one steals from me," Morn said, locking the doors to his tavern. "Okay, let's go." The two men walked over to three others standing near the edge of the town of Carvahall: Horst, Albriech, and Baldor. They all carried hunting knives and bows. Now they all crept from the town, heading for The Spine.
Lately animals had been disappearing. Yesterday, Katrina had been milking a cow when someone shot an arrow at her, cutting into her arm. She was still not doing well and in Gertrude's care, but she had said she saw something move in the mountains right before it happened. The five men were going to find out.
They reached the forestry slopes and began their slow climb, following a sparsely used trail. When they were about two hundred feet up, a hoarse shout rang out: "SHUT UP YOU FILTH!" The men ducked down and looked back the way they had come. What the saw cause them to gasp. Hundreds of urgals were moving through the trees. Hundreds of them. They carried weapons, some of which looked quite wicked, while others looked stolen.
As the frightened men watched, about twenty Kull walked into view these wore heavy armor. After the Kull came a particularly nasty Urgal. He wore a black-steel helmet with four urgal horns besides his own two sticking out of it, prizes he'd won as an urgal chief was decapitated far away, north of Alagaesia. A blue rider's blade hung from his belt, which he had scavenged long ago not long after Vrael fell, and he held a long, wicked looking pike. This urgal was apparently the chief of this huge force, and was barking orders. "FASTER! HURRY UP! I FEEL THAT MY BROTHER HAS DIED! MOVE! I AM HUOR!"
At this point Baldor whimpered and sneezed. Huor froze, level with their hiding place. "Drat," Horst whispered. Huor looked slowly around, as if trying to sense their location, but failing. Then he spoke, or rather, he yelled.
"THERE ARE MEN ABOUT! FIND AND KILL THEM! WE HOLD NO FRIENDS IN THEM!" The urgals in the mass looked around and ran in all directions. Morn, Albriech, Baldor, Horst and Sloan jumped up and sprinted wildly away from the beasts. They ran until a half-starved and dirty man slammed into them and they all fell to the ground.
"Who are who?" Sloan asked.
"What are you doing?" Horst wondered.
"Are you a Varden member?" Morn Inquired.
The man looked at them for a minute. "I am Dormnad. Some idiot spy lured me out of Gielead and the empire attacked. Do you know a good friend of Noble Babblermouth Injuk? Never mind, come on!"
The man jumped to his feet and ran off. The five men followed. They had not gone far however, when two Kull emerged form the trees, one on each side. The people froze, pulling out hunting knives and-in Dormnad's case-a sword. The Kull lumbered forward, preparing to strike. Then..."STOP!" A voice yelled.
The Kull looked around, confused. The six men took the opportunity and ran. They dashed around the mountain for about an hour, before sprinting down it as fast as they could. They reached Carvahall just as the sun was rising and looked back. The urgals could be seen on the mountain.
The men looked at them, along with the other people in the town, and were horrified by what they saw. The beasts were coming down.
Author's Note: Please review 1-10 AND say why. Thanx!
