Chapter 8: Whisper!
The Twenty-Ninth of Greentide, D.Y. 500
-----The form is human-sized just short of six feet and wears leather armor with colors of gray, green and brown. A hood hides the person's features as well as a grayish scarf like material shielding the lower half of the face. The stranger's form is thin though the physique is well developed.
-----In one hand a bow is carried while a short sword hangs from a baldric.
-----The new stranger simply stands and looks back at the adventurers.
-----Sol stares at the stranger impassively. The second stranger had made the move to approach, so he must have something to say, and so the Gorian waited.
-----Raven's wolf sniffs at the air and keeps its eyes on the stranger.
-----The old man's expression darkens as he also stares at the newcomer. For a moment, the old man somehow seems less confused. He then relaxes and stands quietly leaning on his staff.
-----"I take it he's not a friend of yours," Garrison says to the old man as he grips his axe. Strolum, Dilton and Pil draw their swords though they keep the blades pointed down.
-----"Bah!" Lovan suddenly exclaims in a disgusted tone, "We will never leave this place."
-----Rinda looks at the stranger with an expression of interest and concern. Hesitantly, she asks the newcomer, "Are you a follower of the Great Hunter?"
-----The stranger shook his head. From the depth of his hood, he stared at the drawn weapons, and made a sharp slashing motion with his free hand, a dismissal of threat and concern. With that he shouldered his bow, and brought his fists together with a dull thud in front of his chest, before pointing to himself, and making a sweeping gesture at the party.
-----An eyebrow now raised in response to the non-verbal reply given by the new stranger. Did the clash of his fists mean that he sought conflict with the party? Sol thought that unlikely, considering the bearing of the man was less than aggressive. Perhaps the reasons were more religious in tone, "Rinda, I don't suppose that's some sign o' th' Great Hunter? If this fellow doesn't speak our language, or whatever, then . . . " He shrugged, not prepared to take more than one step at a time.
-----Raven says to Sol, "For a deserted town, sure is busy here." Raven approaches the new stranger with open hands in front of him, "Do you understand the common tongue?" Raven speaks a few words of what must be elven. Raven says to Sol, "I asked in elven if he was friend or foe."
-----The stranger nods distinctly at the human called Raven, and then threw back his hood, revealing his white hair, currently with the upper portion pulled back into a pony tail, and the lower hanging relatively free.
-----He snagged the scarf with a finger and pulled it down from his nose and mouth, before leaning his head aside, and pulling on the scarf further, revealing a portion of a long horrid scar running across his neck.
-----He let his haunted blue eyes drift over the company steadily. And then focused back on the woodsman. He mimicked clasping forearms, using his own two arms.
-----Indeed it is a strange appearance for an elf!
-----"Good day t'ye . . But what do we call ye?" Sol asks curiously. Acknowledging with a casual wave of his hand at the elf's apparent inability to verbally reply, the warrior still asks another questions, "An' what exactly can we do fer ye? After all, ye did approach us . . . "
-----Whisper's shoulders heaved in a sigh. He resettled the folds of his scarf, and then crouched down, his leather attire barely creaking.
-----Reaching out, he began to draw the elven characters for his name in the dirt. Finishing, he looked up, and gestured at the writing.
-----Easily resting his elbows on his thighs, he waited for someone, possibly this Raven, to read and give back his name.
-----Before Raven moves he scans the area for hidden foes. Raven then walks over and looks at the writing. It takes Raven a minute to read the characters. A puzzled Raven then says, "Soft talker? No wait ... Whisper. His name is Whisper." Raven says to Whisper, "The name fits you as I take it you're unable to speak? You can understand the common tongue though right?"
-----"If his name's Whisper, then he can . . . whisper?" Sol asks of Raven, uncertainty plainly written on the young Gorian's face. He shrugs as if either question or answer is not the most important issue. He looks back at the one now identified as 'Whisper' and points out, "Well, if we can talk t'ye by writing, that's fine. In that case, perhaps ye can answer my second question. What do ye want of us?"
-----An enigmatic smile touched Whisper's lips, a smile that did not reach his eyes. He again gives a distinctive nod at the Ranger, looks at the rest of the group, and makes an odd motion with his hand: hand flat, palm down, pivoting in small arcs a couple of times.
-----He pointed at the prisoners, and then pointed at himself.