"It has been said that we all have fates and destiny's to some point, and the rest is up to us.  The final point being that fate, or destiny. Everything between being the choices you made to prepare yourself for that end, or perhaps new beginning."  The bard takes a breath and looks at the children surrounding him on the hill of green grass just outside of Greenswardine.  "Now do you understand that?" A couple of the children scratch there heads and nod with confusion, as another bellows out "Heck no, we are just growing up, tell us a story!"  With that said they kids all nod in agreement, "come on a story, on of adventure about hero's a villians!"
The bard looks up and roles his eyes at the blue, cloud filled skys and says "Alright fine, a story about the lesson it is." The bard takes a look from the hill to the village of Greenswardine and smiles.  He stretches and finds a more comfortable grass patch to pop down on.  He reaches over and fiddles around his bags and pulls out an old book.  The children struggle to see it better, "whats it called? huh!"
The bard removes his brightly colored cloak and asks everyone to settle down and prepare for the story, one that begins in Greenswardine.  "Our own town has a story" one of the kids blurts out.

The bard clears his throat and begins.  The children hush up and for a minute there is nothing but the sounds of nature, the wind, a birds chirp and the smell of fine baking comming from the town.  It seems everyone took it in for a minute.
"So its was the festival of the Harvest, that day it was.  The day was much like today, puffy clouds in the blue, blue sky, a nice breeze and so on.  The streets were filled with people, many new faces and lots of the old one."
The day passed by well and I will skip into the night.  At Tovern's inn, the Silver Secret to be exact...

The largest inn and tavern located in Greenswardine. As much of the buildings in the village, the Silver Secret is made of logs with a wooden roof. Obvious renovations have been made in the walls, and the building looks very kept.  It is two stories high and windows are located all around the outside of the upper level of the inn.  The chimney located in the center of the building blows smoke out giving off a rather warm smell of fresh food.  A sign is posted above the door.  "Toven’s" in small letters above the larger letters saying "Silver Secret".

The crowd was rather large that night, many of the regulars, who were use to Toven's ways of being loud and somewhat rude.  Then there were some new faces, some cloaked others just there to be social, it would seem.  Particular to Toven's eyes was an attractive young elf about 5 feet tall. She is draped in a black robe that conceals most of her body...all except for her face. Her hair is long and blond, her eyes are a deep green named Asuka as we would later find out.

Another which stood out was Gilden, his appearence that night was as so.  A rather more than stout gnome, wearing an odd mismatch of gnomish and dwarven clothes. A large pack rolls across his back, bulging even past his sides. He walks with a staff in one hand and a sling looped around his belt.  He ate nuts at the bar and took notice or Asuka aswell or perhaps the other way around.

As usual, Sandreen was on guard.  A member of the village militia, he post was to keep the peace during the late night gatherings.  Sandreen_Midia wears an open off-white cloak with a crimson triangle pattern along the edge lining, and unusual gold pattern symbols on the shoulders and sleeves, a hunter green shirt, with tan leggings and a painted long bow runs up the length of back. A simple hand axe rests in a loop on her belt. She has sandy blond hair that runs shoulder length and conceals most of the right half of her face from view. (picutre availiable at http://www.worldpath.net/~magestar/characters/cards2.jpg)

Another that caught Toven's eye of seeking new faces was a man named Philip.  Who as the story says was already becoming, silly, is the word I will use. He has brown hair and blue eyes though.

Now the reason Toven was picking these people out was for his drinking game.  It had many names, though the most common was "Toven's Mug Ale Race" The selected bunch was Gilden, Philip and Asuka, who was allowed wine instead of the standard ale.  Being an elf.  Elves tend to prefer the well tasting and usually more fancy drinks.  Sandreen was of course asked to participate but didn't, she was on duty it would seem, and not even Toven could convince her otherwise.  A dwarf named Jeb entered in her place.

As the crowd cheered, Jexus a local entertainer explained the confusing rules and began playing his flute.  It sounded similar nice and upbeat.  The contested prepared themselves each in different starting positions.  Though it would seem Asuka knew best as she even bested the dwarf on this occasion.  Prizes were given out, and the contestents were able to sit at a table of there own, each recieving a free nights rest and some gold, which was spent on a few more drinks of water, some ale and wine.

As the Secret began to wind down, Toven and Tally and other's of the kitchen staff began to clean up, as a new face walked in rather late at night.  He was known as Garreck.  He was granted a free room, the benefits of meeting Tevon on a good night and with Tevon's last few heavy steps up the stairs to his own room the night went silent.

The patrons acted quickly seeing the fire.  For whatever reason, they decided to help the people of Greenswardine, some because they lived there, others because of there good heart.  Gilden, seeming the one the least interested in being burned rushed to join the pale line with Toven & Philip.  Meanwhile, Sandreen, and Asuka ran forth to learn more of the situation.

As the town battled the fury of the fire, rumors of soldiers trapped inside spread through the crowd and the pale line up.  Philip jumped into action.
Now the building was just a boring square building, only one story high, a small actic likely and no more then two or three windows, two of which were located on the rear, facing to the south west.
At this point the windows were now broken and you could see Asuka looking in, almost intranced by the flames one might say.  In any case, with a quick cast, Philip was surrounded by a hazy blue aura, and without a thought, he charged into the flames through the back entrance, almost at the same time as an unprotected solider named Sandreen.

Meanwhile back in the line, Gilden worked furiously to keep the pales going, as furious as a gnome of his personality will work.  Inside the burning building, neither hero could see a more then two feet infront of them.  It seemed the back of the buildings roof was caved in as they fought through the thick smoke, and heat to arrive around the center of the barracks.

The center of the barracks wasn't as bad, though pillars had fallen, and smoke, trying to find a means of escape had overwhelmed some of the remaining soldiers in the building.  The two managed to locate three, one in a corner, one to the right and another trapped under a pillar, which neather alone could lift.  During a fire, there is much confusion, smoke everywhere, flames racing up walls, loud cracks and other such noises.  Your sense of direction is clustered and your ability to perform well is hindered.  With eyes stinging and skin burning they each helped the last soldier they could find out from certain death.

Philip using the powers of his faith, saved the life of one of the soldiers, as the fire slowly burned the back half of the barracks down.  An hour or so past and the water line had ended as some stayed to watch the last of the flames go down.  Gilden went to eat, not to botherd by the event thus far.

About an hour later, as the Mayor, the Captain and the Smithy surved the area on there own, Philip, Asuka and Sandreen all noticed a quiet elf standing at the back of the burned barracks, just staring blankly.  It just so happened that they were discussing how it was started when they noticed him.  It isn't often that you pick someone out of a crowd, usually when it happens, they have been up to something.  It just seems as though they stand out in the crowd, this quiet elf was one of the those cases for the party.

The elf ran for the woods as Philip and Asuka pursued, Gilden watch the contest and followed by marching to the gates.  After a small encounter, another occured in the alley across from the barracks, it was taken across market stand roof tops, onto a beam leading across to another building and finally ending in the next alley.  After a few punches and tackles the elf was subdued.

It turned out the elf only understands elven, and doesn't want or cannot speak.  He took a liking to Asuka and explained that he had seen, Hobgoblins set the place on fire.  Hobgoblins looks like large goblins with a hairy body.  They are cruel and evil for the most part and happen to frequent the Greenswardine area rather often, though no attacks have been made in many years.

Sandreen went to get the Captain and tell of there discovery.  The captain wanted to meet this mute himself.  After some translations and such things he decided that Sandreen, being off duty for next few days would have to go scout and confirm this elfs thoughts.  The captain found it hard to believe Hobgoblins could do this, or would do such a thing.  With some maps, gold and the towns key stolen, this was a mystery to him.  He ended with that alone.

Gilden stood at the gates as a child began talking to the "funny looking" gnome.  The party grew hungry as the stoves of the Silver Secret offered the sent of lunch.

The road leading out of town led through a small forest out into the hills of farmlands Southwest of the town.  Leaf brough everyone off the trail to where he last saw the two furry, large and  slouched figures run from the scene of the fire.

An obvious trail was made leading through the woods.  Small branches from little shurbs and trees had been broken and cracked in almost a straight line right through.  Twigs on the ground were broken again and little plants had been crushed by large boot prints.

The party followed this well made trail through the small forest leading right to the edge of a corn crisp golden corn field, ready for the harvest.  Leaf inspected the area while Sandreen followed inwards.  Leaf discovered a pile of corn stalks on the ground where it seemed the two hobgoblins had entered.  He held up a stalk having a trickle of blood on it steam.  Hand prints and a rough boot print were also seen here, but little of either were found as the party followed the rows.  Leaf seemed to be stalking a row or two over during the journey.  The party noticed a couple prints now and then, which kept them on track until the other side of the field in any case.

The end of the field brought them to a fence and a decision.  For the trail ended here.  No blood, no broken little branches, nothing.  The party had three ways to go.  To the left which would lead to more fields and back into the forest.  To the right which would eventually connect them to the main road.  Then they could hop the old wooden fence infront of them and cut across the cows pasture and into a farmyard.

The went across the fence after some in decision, as Philip's horse forced him to go all the way around.  At the farm the party encountered two men inside a barn talking about finances.  At first the younger farmer seemed hostile at the party, for good reasons too.  While the older, wiser farmer calmed him down.  It was explained that a few horses had been stolen this past night.

The party and the farmers exchanged stories.  It was told to the party that the horses were tracked down the road a ways until the trail became to cluttered with tracks to follow anymore.  The party followed that road now.

They kept a good pace, looking themselves to follow the tracks, just incase.  The trees grew thicker and the forest more wild as the fields and farmhouses fell behind in the distance.  On the horizan the sun began to bring forth a colorful blaze of red amoung the few clouds in the distance.  Nightfall was approaching.

With the sound of terrible voice, backed up by a rather nice melody and the smell of cooked beef not far in the distance the party decided to look into this place.  As they neared Leaf disappeared into the darkness of the woods along the side of the trail, while Gilden and the others just made there way up to the camp.  They noticed six figures, five looking rather rugged and scruffy, while the sixth played a lute and seemed dressed rather well and kept up as nice as one who travels can.

They invited the party into there camp to eat and sing and rest up for the night.  Safety in numbers was a popular phrase that night.  The stories of the hobgoblins kept the camp on alert.  Asuka didn't seem to trust the men, who claimed to be hunters.  The camp was huddled in a clearing just off trail, surrounded by tall trees and thick forest.  Two horses were grazing uptop around a wagon, obviously belonging to the five men.

The evening passed on into night as the group now layed back from some rest.  Sandreen and two of the five men, stood watch for the first few hours.  Then Thon and Rusty took watch with Jaden.
Perhaps it was the smell of food, maybe the noise, maybe the bear always used this clearing to attack camping travellers, which ever the reason it came in the late night.  At first it was a the sounds of heavy breathing, as it drew closer, the crackling of twigs could be heard.
Jaden quickly woke everyone up as the large bear made its way into the clearing sending almost everyone up trees.  It sniffed around a little and then made its way towards Asuka's tent.  Thon and Rusty attempted to make it leave, but it ignored them.  Perhaps use to that method of shewing.  It sniffed around Asuka's tent as she, Leaf and Jaden ran up saying "Go bear, go!"  The bear turned and hopped on his hind legs letting out a roar which sent the three back a few steps.  Gilden used his staff to bring his pack of food up to safety.
Then all of sudden the bear ripped into the tent and in moments tossed out the pack of food as Asuka ran to grab it.  Having luck the bear began to pursue but the noises of sword and shield caused by Leaf and Jaden caught it off guard and it left the scene, not to be seen for the rest of that night.

Dawn came and everyone seemed alright as the party began to cook a fine meal and set out towards the area they noticed fires deep in the woods a good, half a day to a days travel from there current location.
 

To Continue....

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