There are 3 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
!. [DL-C] A familiar face?
From: Katie <wildcat10984@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
2. [DL-D] Take Back the Tunnel (JP)
From: "Arlene" <wondermom@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
3. [DL-J] There is a tavern in the town
From: "Mel Mason" <goldfired@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 14:19:59 -0800 (PST)
From: Katie <wildcat10984@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Subject: [DL-C] A familiar face?
Day 6
Morning
<Snip>
"Perhaps when you've helped us out here, we can return
the favor and
send some riders to help Daere with the Wyvern
problem?" Caly offered.
Both riders nodded but Caly knew they probably weren't
the ones that
made those kinds of decisions. A few moments later
Maria came back and
Caly and Eth'n left them in the capable hands of the
Assistant
Quartermaster.
<End snip>
Akety shook her head lightly, she wouldn't want others
to deal with what they had. Those things back home
were unholy. K'nord and Akety followed Maria as she
looked at the map of the available rooms.
As she followed her she looked out to see how things
were out in this warren. Everything seemed so dry and
open...she didn't like open. So many ways to get
surrounded. She easily could image the things from
Daere surrounding someone quickly out here. Though
they wouldn't be able to hide so easily. She wondered
what the s**** thing really looked like...how big
could a s**** be?
"Here we are..." Maria looked to them. "Akety, this
apartment is yours." She pointed up, Ishtar jumped up
there to so she would remember which one was theirs.
"And K'nord yours is over here....." She lead him to
his.
Ishtar came back down from the ledge. [Seems very
nice... almost like home.] she touched her chine to
her riders head. [Look how funny the humans dress
here.... ]
*Ishtar... that's not nice.* But it was true, the men
and women were dressed different. *Would you like walk
around get a feel for the place?*
[Sure.]
After unpacking they headed down. Once on the green
Akety heard strange talking and people were looking at
her. *I can't understand what some of them are
saying.*
[What do you mean... don't all humans speak the same?]
*I guess not, I don't like not knowing what's being
said.*
[Well now you know how I feel when you all are talking
and I can't understand you.]
*Oh, blah...you hot?*
[Its a bit warmer here then back home.]
They strolled around a bit more, both of them taking
in as much as they could in as the walked around. Both
of them noted again how open it all was. Ishtar
stating how this would be a good place for running and
running. There would be nothing to stop you or for you
to run into.
*You like to run, huh?*
[Well, its a bit different then flying.]
She rolled her eyes. Akety was never the much for
running if she could get away from it. *If you say
so...maybe when its all done you can run before we go
home.*
The ebony dragon looked up towards the sun. [I think
it will be a long time till we go home.]
She too look around. *This is the only time I hope
your wrong.*]
It was afternoon when Ishtar tapped her on her
shoulder with her tail. [Is that not the huntress?]
She pointed with a claw. There not to far away there
was a familiar face, but she wasn't suppose to be
here.
She looked over. "Weya!?" she said was she started to
step in that direction.
Tag Carys ... I'm ready for their meeting when ever
you are.
Submitted by
Katie
Aka
Akety, Ishtar
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 2
Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 19:54:48 -0500
From: "Arlene" <wondermom@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Subject: [DL-D] Take Back the Tunnel (JP)
Day 130
The alarm put the warren into a panic. Dragons wanted to go after
their
nemesis but their fear for the hatching dragonets caused them to hang
back. Their riders were helpless against their foe, but still they ran
to offer whatever aid they could.
Roxie had been helping to usher the searchlings toward the hatching
cavern when the word had gone up that the babies were hatching, when
the
alarm went up from Samson and the other dragons.
"What is going on?" The searchlings clamored as they gathered about
Roxie.
Alden had managed to climb down from Dante's apartment, he wanted to
help. He ran into the other searchlings as Roxie moving them to the
caves. "Roxie!" Alden pushed through all the searchlings to get to her.
He got to her side. "What's happening, are the eggs hatching?"
"Yes, but... something is wrong!" Roxie felt the fear flowing through
her bond from Zanne. Her eyes widened... "Wyverns!" She gasped.
"Wyverns are in the hatching cavern!"
Flashes from the cave came into view. "Oh, no... they can't be....
what's going to happen?" His voice cracked. "What should we do....what
can we do?" His mind trailed to his brother. "It's our fault... they
followed us out of the hole."
"The hole!" Roxie shushed him and the other searchlings, and
concentrated on what she was getting from Zanne. "That's it! Alden...
that's how they got into the hatching cavern. That's why the tunnels
were there! It might have been an accident that they came up under the
barracks... or they've been after the searchlings and the un-hatched
dragons from the beginning."
He was starting to feel panicky all of a sudden, it really wasn't him
but something else. He wanted to run, to get away from it all. Some of
the searchlings had already cut out, he was half a second from
following
them when he saw Dante and Alton standing close to the mouth of the
cave. For once Dante wasn't yelling at his brother, they were standing
there watching. He and Roxie ran over. Alton didn't look at Alden but
to
Roxie. "They followed us up...."
Roxie shook her head, "No, I think this was their target all along! We
just surprised them when we went down into the cavern. If we'd only
rooted them out then, we might have prevented this!" Her eyes blazed
as
her gaze locked with Dante's.
He looked back. "Don't look at me like that... it's not my fault that
we
didn't go and root them out... we didn't have time cause of these two
going down to stir them up!"
"If you'd listened to these two, maybe more of us would have gone down
there, and we wouldn't be facing this right now!" Roxie snorted. "You
were the one who didn't want to go down there, if I recall. We should
have gone back... we should have...!" Roxie stomped her foot. The
feeling of fear and anger was pervasive and affecting everyone. The
searchlings were beginning to fight among themselves, as well.
"I'm not a Wingleader, you could have gone back down there if you
wished
to... I wouldn't have stopped you." His face was getting red, he was
starting to get heated. "Don't blame me for what we couldn't have
stopped. If you wish to get yourself killed and others be my guest!"
"Right! Just like you not to care if anyone else gets hurt... or
killed!" Roxie snapped. "But we've got hatchlings in there! Little
dragons that could get trampled! We should... we *have* to... do
something! But you'd rather play it safe, wouldn't you? You, just
stay
out here and play it safe!"
Something popped inside his chest and he took a shuddering breath. "I'd
rather be in there than sit out here watching them." He pointed to
fighting searchlings. "I have always gone and helped in the fights.. I
never played is safe. Me and Jacks will always put ourselves in danger,
for this damned warren, not wait on the side lines,. How dare you even
say that about me." He snapped back.
Roxie glared, "Really? Prove it! Our dragons can't go into the
hatching cavern because of the eggs... but humans can't fight those
creatures. But... we can go back into that hole in the barracks and
come up behind them! Are you coming?" Roxie challenged.
"Fine! Lets go!" He pushed past Alton, who just looked at him. Dante
gave him a blaming glare.
Alton watched him for a moment and as Roxie started to follow he
stepped
forward. "How can we help?"
Roxie had turned to follow Dante, as she turned back, her red hair
flipping, her gaze took in all the searchlings, "Save the eggs!" Then
she raced off to find Zanne.
Alton nodded and rushed in followed by other searchling.
Dante found Jacks close by. *Come on we're going back into the hole.*
He
patted the green's hip as he started to go toward the barracks. "That
women better hurry up." He said to himself heatedly.
"I.. HEARD.. THAT!" Roxie shouted as she and Zanne caught up to Jacks.
Roxie had grabbed some torches and tossed one to Dante, looking a bit
smug, "I was getting these!"
He caught it and mouthed a few choice words. "Glad you thought of
something useful." *Jacks would you be so kind?* Jacks lit the torches.
He looked to Roxie. "Let's get this over with."
Roxie glared, then mimicked him, using a rather whiney tone, "Let's get
this over with!" She snorted, "You think this is going to be a
cakewalk?"
"No, I don't!" He yelled. He had broken his stress level had snapped.
"I'm tired... I just want to get it over with, to end everything
quickly. It's just been one thing after another, my sister almost died,
now she is gone to some place I don't know. Alden almost died 'cause of
his brother, Jacks could have been killed.... Weya could of have died!!
And now this... it's just one thing after another!!" He started
breathing hard. He turned away. "Come on, we have hatchlings to save."
Roxie stopped in her tracks. Now that they had moved further away from
the hatching cavern, the pervasive fear and anger was fading. "Dante,
wait! I'm... sorry. I think it was those things back there... making
me feel all crazy. Let's slow this down and think it through. We need
help. We can't just go in there, the two of us! We've no idea how
many
wyverns there are down there!"
---
SUMMARY:
Day 130
[What time of Day?]
As Roxie begins to gather the searchlings to bring to the hatching
cavern, she hears the alarm sounded by Samson and the other dragons.
The searchlings begin to panic when she informs them that there are
wyverns in the cavern.
Dante and Roxie argue, as Roxie blames Dante for curtailing the
exploration of the tunnels beneath the searchlings' barracks and
rooting
out the wyverns. Dante and Roxie challenge each other to go back into
the tunnels.
---
Respectfully submitted by:
Katie Mae
AKA
Dante & Jacks
Alton
Alden
~and~
Arlene Jacobs
AKA
Roxie & Zanne
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 3
Date: Sat, 5 Nov 2005 03:40:07 -0000
From: "Mel Mason" <goldfired@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Subject: [DL-J] There is a tavern in the town
The Stuck Pig Tavern
Cabral
Before Dawn, Day 2
Sometimes she thought it would be easier if she were really as stupid
as the
name they called her.
"Stupid. Come here, Stupid. Get those pint pots, Stupid. Wash the
floor,
Stupid."
Pig-man shouting at her as he leaned over the counter of the bar, his
big
face red and sweating from the heat of the tavern. And his hands
clenching
into fists when she came near, or fat fingers twisting, ready to pinch.
And now ... now she was beginning to be afraid that the name was taking
her
over - that she was indeed becoming as stupid as they believed her to
be.
Day by day, it seemed, her grasp of thoughts, of ideas ... it was all
slipping away.
She had to keep it - she had to hold it fast, before it all slipped
away,
and the dull blank face she wore to endure the world of the tavern
became
the reality.
She was like ... ah, she had forgotten the name. A creature, small and
friendly, that shoved nuts into its face until its cheeks bulged.
Hiding
them away for the winter, she had been told ... long ago. In the
forgotten
time. Now she was like that little animal. Hoarding away words and
ideas
before they were lost forever in the winter of forgetfulness.
Although, she thought ruefully, some food to hoard would be nice too.
She wished she could remember a time when she had not been hungry. She
was
sure there must have been - or she would be inured to it by now. But
sitting
up under the counter, where she slept among the rags for cleaning, she
nibbled on the stale crust she had been saving - and thought again
about how
she could escape the tavern.
Because if she didn't, then these periods of blankness would grow and
grow
until they took over her life and nothing was left of ... of ...
But who was she? It was gone. Once, there had been a name. A word
that
had meant ... Stupid.
No, no, not Stupid. Never Stupid. A name that had meant her very
self. A
name that had meant ... quickness. The feel of the small stones of the
river side as they ran ... and she was ahead of the rest. The feel of
the
waterfall gu****ng down on laughing, up-turned faces. A hand stretched
out
through the stream of water ... sunlight glinting ... like light
through
crystal ...
A crystal, held up, slowly turning on a golden chain. Watching it ...
above
her bed. Watching the changing colours as they were reflected on the
white
sheets ...
Sheets? When had she ever had sheets? Stupid had sacking under the
counter, and cleaning rags that stank of sour beer and grime.
Sometimes she
could smell it - but not often. It was too close to her own stink to
be
noticeable.
But how could she escape the tavern and Pig-man when she was the colour
of
the grey rags she wore, and smelt even worse? Who would take her in,
who
would help her? Not the shrill drunken whores who hung around the bar,
hoping to earn a penny by lifting their skirts for the sailors. The
whores
hated her - for when the sailors were blind drunk, Stupid was there for
them
to grab and use... without the need to part with so much as a brass
farthing. No, they wouldn't help her to escape - unless it was to the
harbour wall, where they might push her over to drown.
Sometimes, even that seemed better than staying in the tavern.
She sighed and rested her aching back against the hard wood of the
partition. The water she remembered ... if only she could find water
like
that again ... she could be clean, clean. Then she might be able to
escape.
She could appeal to one of the merchants who sometimes came in and
asked for
one of the private booths that they might discuss business. Not that
she
was ever allowed in those booths. No, it was Elisa with her fair
curls,
tossing her hair and wriggling her shoulders so that her ... her bosoms
bounced up and down. The merchants liked that ... but they turned with
grimaces from Stupid with her greasy dark elf-locks and her scrawny
arms,
marked with bruises and flea bites.
Why did Pig-man not let her clean up? Why did he keep her like this?
But she knew. Pig-man was at the mercy of his customers all day - and
all
night. Pig-man hated his customers ... but he had to be polite to
them. He
had to smile and laugh at the things they said, and listen when they
cried
into their sour beer. But he hated them all the same, and he hated
their
power over him.
And all that bottled-up hatred, all the anger he couldn't take out any
other
way, he took out on her ...
Sometimes she saw him watching her with a sort of greedy pleasure. He
looked
at her working - and it seemed to feed him in some strange way she
couldn't
even begin to understand. And the worse it was, the dirtier and muckier
her
chore, the more it seemed to delight him. The more she suffered, the
more
power it seemed to give him.
Stupid gasped. How did she ... know all that? How could she understand
Pig-man's thoughts ... and think so casually about power? Her, Stupid,
who
must be the most powerless creature in all of Cabral.
The bread was gone now.
She looked down at her calloused reddened hands, and wanted to cry.
Usually, when she was eating, she thought about what she was eating so
hard,
so strong that it was almost like eating a double meal. And sometimes
that
could nearly fill her. But this time she had been thinking about
Pig-man and
running away from the tavern - and she had forgotten to think about the
food
at all, until it was all gone and Stupid ... oh, stupid Stupid! ... was
still so very hungry!
She wrapped her arms around her gaunt frame and whimpered. The darkness
of
the sky was slowly turning grey. Soon it would be time to start work.
Another day, slaving for Pig-man. Another day ... losing herself.
Becoming
Stupid.
And suddenly she felt sick with fear. If she didn't escape soon ...
she
would lose herself just as completely as she had lost whatever name she
had
once had.
She stood up now, starting to walk across the floor, slowly, her hands
clasped before her, her head bent, resting on her folded hands. Escape.
How
could she escape?
Her left leg dragged on the floor as she walked. That last beating from
Pig-man - for not scouring the pewter pots with sand. But her hands
.... the
coarse sand had made them bleed. Surely no-one wanted her blood on the
pots?
Pig-man did. He liked to see her hands broken and bleeding. He liked
to
see tears streaking through the grime of her face ...
She raised those ugly hands to her face, and cried quietly as she
stood
alone in her stinking rags in the middle of the empty tavern in the
cold
before dawn.
"Stupid! Where's my water, you idle cow?"
She looked up fearfully. She was not the only one up early, it seemed.
And
even if Pig-man was unexpectedly early, he would still expect Stupid to
=know= by some mysterious means ... and rush to bring him hot water for
him
to shave. And she hadn't even lit the fire yet - for it was early, and
lighting the fire early meant a beating. But now it would be another
beating
for not having the shaving water ready ...
Stupid hated Pig-man. Stupid hated Pig-man so much ...
It was in that moment that she decided she would have to kill him.
Summary:
A nameless tavern drudge tries to make plans to escape from her brutal
life.
Respectfully submitted by
Mel
Player of
The Future Charis and Myriad
|
