Chapter 2: The Encampment of Orcs!
The Twenty-Seventh of Greentide, D.Y. 500
-----Before any more words can be exchanged, the Lord Wizard suddenly intones a spell that, by now, seems familiar, at least in tone, to Sarah. Suddenly, everyone in the adventurers' party gets a sensation of being slightly lifted off their feet as the inner chamber of Lady Evalyn's stronghold fades from their sight. A few moments of disorientation holds those not familiar with the ways of magic.
-----Just as quickly, the world comes back into view. This time the scene is very much more appealing to especially the hunters. The company finds themselves standing underneath the boughs of an immense tree line looking out upon a barren plain to the west. The plains seem to be bordered on their northern edge by rough vegetation of marshlands.
-----Underneath the canopy of trees, the air feels cool though a bit humid as the summer season is soon to arrive. The mid morning sun beams down through the leaves and branches of the protective forest.
-----As the adventurers glance about recovering their senses, they first notice Sarah. The young mage is once again clothed in her light yellow robe and black cloak; her curly blond hair tumbling down her back.
-----Rinda looks around with her club in hand and seems at ease among the wilderness they find themselves in. Garrison, likewise, takes a deep breath and smiles as he looks around. Lovan maintains a grim expression as he grunts, "By the Rager, where did that damned wizard send us to?"
-----Sarah notices the three warriors that accompanied Sol and Raven still seem a bit light headed after Zepharon's magical transport. The red-haired man actually stumbles and catches himself against the trunk of a thick tree. Another man with the short stubble of hair steadies himself while the bronze-skinned one exclaims lowly as he catches his breath.
-----Just off beneath some nearby trees, the adventurers discover they are not alone. First, Raven's wolf bounds out of the woods greeting his master while panting. The magnificent stallion, Thunder, stamps the ground approvingly as his eyes meets Sol's. Amazingly, all of the steeds are there, even Sarah's mystic mare, Marlexana!
-----Suddenly, an "oops" is given by the bronze-skinned man as he almost trips on something behind him. A high-pitched squeal is then heard angrily saying, "By my Uncle Namfoodle's dimples, do you big people have to be so clumsy?"
-----As the warrior hops aside and appears to apologize to someone closer to the ground, he stares in amazement. There, rubbing her foot as she sits on the ground is a small gnomish girl with skin the color of rich wood. Her light hair is pulled back from her face and falls down her back. She wears tan-colored leggings and a vest that is stitched with intricate designs.
-----She squints around at everyone in agitation with eyes the color of bright blue sapphires.
-----Like some of the others, Sol is just as disoriented. One hand reaches up to his head, which he lightly slaps with the palm of his hand, as if to knock some sense of reality back into his head. He then looks around quickly to make sure everyone has arrived.
-----To Lovan, he quickly quips, "That 'damned' wizard took us t'where we were headed, so mind yer manners."
-----This is quickly followed by another quip, this time to his horse. A smile breaks out and he laughs, "Yer just happy t'be on th' move again."
-----Sol's eyebrow raises at Pil's stumble and announces cheerily to the diminutive figure, "Yer either really unlucky, or yer Caranip."
-----Sarah finds Sol's defense of her father rather charming and quite in character with Sol's knight in shining armor that makes an appearance every once in awhile between the 'reckless warrior' and 'fearless dragonslayer' personalities he also displays. Sarah knows however that her father Zepharon has always been above such petty insults and, as the comment would not have bothered him, Sarah does not let it bother her. Rather she focuses on her apprentice.
-----Sarah holds the skirts of her dress carefully as she walks over to Marlexana and rubs the mares nuzzle in greeting. "Hey beautiful." She says softly. "Ready to go?" Marlexana nods her head. "I knew it." Sarah grins.
-----"Everybody, this is Caranip." Sarah introduces her apprentice. "She is my apprentice as of a few weeks ago. Hopefully I will be able to teach her a few things worth knowing about magic." The pride that Sarah has in her voice that she knows enough to teach somebody else is very evident.
-----"MiLady," Caranip addresses Sarah with a curtsey, though she continues to grimace in pain. "I beg your pardon, but your father said I was to first discuss with you any details of my employment."