Pavek and Nipper patiently watch as the troll and his companions leave the area. 'Ch-chink'. Leantha is gently slipped into its comforting sheath and replaced with Pavek's double light crossbow. It is then nocked and trained on the remaining gnorc who seems to be stuck deciding between leaving with his friends or investigating something on the far side of the meadow. However, Pavek feels more compelled to leave the area now while it appears to be safe than stay, investigate, and get in some truly serious trouble.
"Well Nipper, I suppose we should find a safer place to rest before we decide upon what to do. Hey! I should ask the Lady. Let's go boy."
Minutes later, the two find a large overturned oak tree with the root system acting as an ideal cover.
"This should do, eh Nip?"
The dog, as always, does not respond...nor understand for that matter, save for the word 'Nip'. He just lays down and munches on a few of Pavek's figs. A heartbeat and three pounds of figs later, the two are doubly thankful that they now have a safe, if not temporary, haven. After regaining his breath and jaw muscles, Pavek reaches deeply into his backpack and withdraws an round object which is meticulously wrapped in several layers of soft brown cloth. He then folds the wrapping and lies it down on the soft, moist moss beside him...with the 'Shroud' insignia facing up. He then delicately transfers the transparent glass ball from his palm to an indentation in the ground. Looking into the ball, he speaks,
"In the name of the Shroud and through the blood of the last remaining Highcuty, I seek counsel Lady."
Pavek, as always, finds the wisdom he seeks -- the elder female high-elf known simply as Highcuty - the first Preserver and founder of the Shroud, a group dedicated to the defense of all elves and a group to which Pavek is the only surviving member. Apparently waiting for Pavek's beckoning, the Lady, Highcuty speaks,
"Pavek, it has been so long...however, I see distress on your face. Tell me your worries."
"I find myself lost Lady. I am in a new land, summoned by a Violet Elf, and I fear that I do not have much time to waste before evil strikes the elves here. I do not know where to go...can you help me?"
"A moment, Pavek."
The image in the glass ball wavers for merely a single moment.
"There is a strong presence of good southeast of where you are now. That is the most that I can do from here, Pavek. Is there any other way I can be of help?"
"Well, yes. Who is Varathiel? I believe someone has confused me with a bladesinger."
"Varathiel...yes, I remember that name. It has been so long. He is probably dead now...a bladesinger he was and the very best in all of Zemok! It's a shame he was so impulsive. You know Pavek, you remind me of him when he was at your stage in life. Keep that in mind."
"Yes, of course Lady. I thank you for your help. Goodbye."
"Farewell and fare well, Pavek."
The glass ball grows transparent again.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, Nipper had ended up finding another damned pompous Cooshie and was rapidly becoming enraged at the snitty elf-dog. In fact, the bitch (see the dictionary, it IS a word Mom...REALLY!) had gone so far as to call Nipper a grrwl-yip,yip-arooo (I had to write it in dog because of the strict censorship guidelines concerning coarse language...and sorry to all of the dogs out there). What NERVE!!! Thankfully, Pavek had finished his conversation just in time to snatch the brittle ball before Nipper tore into its previous resting place.
"Foolish dog...you're lucky I'm so alert from my twenty-year rest or else you'd be walking home. Anyway, I know now where we must go"
He points in the direction the Highcuty gave him with both arms.
"...and so, let's be off. We shouldn't have many problems. Sunlight's only an hour or so away. Plus, the starlight is bright tonight. Good rhyme, Pavek."
So, the two head to the southeast munching on even more figs all the way. However, it is a short feast as Pavek spots another gnorc in the meadow. Skirting the edge of the forest, Pavek and Nipper stop about 100 feet away. Fearing for a possible ambush, Pavek once again loads two bolts into his crossbow and loosens Leantha. Strange though was that the gnorc was carrying no weapon and was not moving his left foot, despite standing normally in the meadow.
Before moving into the clearing, Pavek whispers,
"Nipper - Stay - Protect."
Now in the clearing, Pavek's senses were optimally alert. He felt warm -- perfectly warm. He sensed nothing out of the ordinary save for the peculiarity of this solitary gnorc. As Pavek moved quietly moved closer, he noticed that the gnorc was rather preoccupied with his left foot but was still reluctant to move it. He closed to within one-third of his original distance when the gnorc looked up and noticed him.
"Shoot."
"H-hey ya 'uman...go 'way or'll kick yer head right off!"
"With which foot?"
"Uh...umm...shudup! Go 'way or I'll get me buddies!"
"Hmm...you mean the ones who left less than an hour ago?"
"Mmm...uh...er...ahhh....hmmpf..."
"Thought so. My name is Pavek Highcuty, Last of the Preservers and you, sir, are in some fashion of trouble...I can tell."
"No 'm not! And, and you are if you don't start runnin'!"
"And YOU are going to catch me? Hmmm? Eh?"
"#@$!*..."
"Now tell me, where are the plans to the secret rebel base?"
"huh?"
"Never mind...what I meant to say was that 'resistance is futile' "
He makes strange hi-tech noises as he moves his crossbow around and starts beeping incessantly when he trains it on the gnorc.
Looking at the surrounding ground, Pavek notices the gnorc's huge metal axe merely five paces in front of the poor beast's path. Almost instinctively, Pavek cocks his left eyebrow and the warmness inside him grows...
Suddenly, the gnorc's weapon rised from its resting place and floats gracefully into Pavek's open left hand. Satisfied with his performance, he hammers the blade into the ground.
"Well, I can help you get free if you help me with some questions I would like you to answer."
"I ain't talkin'...y-you don't scare me! Ima gnorc!"
"OK then, b-bye."
Pavek turns to walk away
"Wh-wh-hold on dare mister 'uman. Uh...only if you let me loose ferst."
Overconfident and brash, Pavek answers,
"Hold on then. Nipper! - Come! - Protect!"
Pavek then begins a hideous transformation. He begins to warp his shape, his size and starts to grow wings, a beak, and then plumage. Several moments later, he has become the single largest hummingbird that the earth has ever seen. Nipper watches calmly, unlike the poor gnorc. Thrashing wildly now, the gnorc mixes screams of pain with his cries for help as his foot tears loose from whatever held him from the ground. Regretting that he chose a combat-useless bird, Pavek cocks his hummingbird eyebrow again and the gnorc promptly ceases to move. Pavek then cocks his other bird-brow and silences the gnorc's noisy fit. Pleased thus far, the massive 150 pound hummingbird hovers above the immobile gnorc and grabs ahold of its thick-skulled head.
--POP!
--POP!
Now in the middle of the meadow, Pavek/hummingbird releases the gnorc and sends him crashing ten feet to the less than soft ground below. Out of necessity, Pavek lands. He now just hopes that his previous showmanship doesn't cost him his life...he hopes that the gnorc is still immobile when he finishes what he is about to begin. Powerless when morphing, Pavek starts to return to his normal, human form. Senses dulled, Pavek silently prays as hour-long minutes pass during his changing. As he regains sight and sound, he senses an enraged presence...too soon to act. Looking down on the meadow, a man and a dog stand side by side...one shaken and one bloodied. A silent gnorc lay in front of them. A gnorc with stone daggers in both hands, and half of a throat.
"Good boy."
As the two slowly head southeast, the man pulls something from a small pouch. The dog earned his fig this time..