[coronatiger]

Thoughts on December 5th

“Attack!” Olivia activated Surkalpi, and I looked around for whatever she’d seen, bow at the ready. The others appeared on the scene, and this time, Ilzo spotted someone and took off; Va’lyndra summoned ice daggers, shooting at someone I couldn’t see. A short while later, she shouted that Ilzo had caught up with someone and ran to help him. I asked Lady Karita if I should follow, and she said she’d guard the camp. When Va’lyndra and I got there, Ilzo was struggling to lift up two unconscious boogeymen. Something had happened to his arm; it dangled limply and got in the way. In the end, Ilzo pulled the two bodies back to camp. I asked why he was so keen on bringing them, but he didn’t reply.

Since Ilzo isn’t exactly Olivia’s favorite person at the moment, it was up to Va’lyndra to see to his arm. Under her ministrations, he got it working again. He tied up one of the boogeymen, and decapitated the other. I watched wide-eyed as he set the head on a spike. Then he went back to bed. Pale Olivia’s hands were on her stomach, holding it in place. I dragged the corpse out of the camp and dumped it behind some bushes.

The prisoner woke up, and I asked why he tried to sneak into our camp. He didn’t reply, he only bared his teeth at me. I went back to Olivia, who was feeling fragile, and put my arms around her. After a while, I noticed that the boogeyman tried to get out of the ropes, but he lay still as long as we watched him, so I told Olivia to keep an eye on him and went to wake Ilzo and tell him that his prisoner was awake.

Ilzo tried questioning the boogeyman, but got nothing sensible out of him. I asked the orc why he had brought the creature back to the camp, and whether he was going to eat him. He said no. When I said I wanted my rope back, Lady Karita cut the prisoner’s throat. I washed the blood off the rope while Ilzo mounted another head on a spike.

After we had traveled for a couple of hours, Va’lyndra signaled for us to come fast, so we broke into a gallop. I strung my bow while we closed the distance. There were two burgh lions ahead of us, and they’d seen us. I leaped off Lightfoot. Lady Karita dismounted fashionably. Olivia took the reins and pulled back. Va’lyndra leaned her staff against a tree and prepared her bow.

I took aim at the nearest lion and fired; the arrow struck the beast, but it kept coming. Va’lyndra and I both missed with the next arrows, but I hit twice more before the lion was upon us. Like the previous burgh lion we fought, it took a giant leap and swooped down on Ilzo and Lady Karita, who stood ready with sword and naginata. Ilzo swung and missed, and dove under a huge paw. Va’lyndra shot the largest ice dagger I’ve ever seen at it, and Lady Karita slashed with her sword. Blood gushed from the wounds, and the lion dropped to the ground. The snake tail, on the other hand, was still active. It bit Ilzo.

As the snake was attached to the unmoving lion body, I figured the first monster was out of the combat, and took aim at the second one. It had moved faster than I had thought possible, and I didn’t think I’d have time for a second shot before it engaged us in melee. Luckily, the arrow sank deep into the lion’s chest, and it shuddered, but managed a controlled landing a short distance away before proceeding on foot, slower. I shot again, but missed.

The burgh lion slammed into Lady Karita just as she landed a powerful blow on it. She fell down, unconscious. Va’lyndra fired an ice dagger at the lion, and I struck it with another arrow. With a strong staff blow to the skull, Va’lyndra felled the beast, and I saw the snake tail go limp.

Ilzo hadn’t had the wits to get away from the first snake tail, and was trying to punch it, but wasn’t having much success. Venom glistened on his bone armor, and blood dripped from puncture wounds on his unprotected neck. I approached the lion head, pulled Scorchmark, and plunged it through the eye, into the brain. The snake tail fell to the ground.

I tried to give first aid to Lady Karita, but somehow made things worse, so I called for Olivia to take over. She applied two healing salves to the fallen lady. Then I asked Olivia how to treat snake bites, pointing at Ilzo, but Olivia claimed he would be fine. I think she still bears a grudge for him scaring her so badly a few nights ago, but she wouldn’t condemn him to die if there was anything she could do to help, so I supposed Ilzo would be all right. Va’lyndra gave him several healing potions, though.

When Lady Karita woke up, she asked if we got them, and I explained that if you inflict enough damage on the lion head, the snake stops moving. I didn’t mention bungling my first aid attempt.

Ilzo pulled through, although he was shivering for the rest of the day, so travel was slow. I tried to get him to ride, but he fell off the horse. If he hadn’t been so heavy, I could have ridden double with him to make sure he didn’t fall, but as it was, no horse of ours could handle him and another person.


Thoughts on December 6th

After the two encounters with boogeymen and burgh lions yesterday, I was thankful for having an uneventful trip today.


Thoughts on December 7th

A rustling noise caused me to turn towards Va’lyndra’s tent, and shortly afterwards, she emerged, clearly unable to sleep. She has these episodes periodically. That was the most interesting thing that happened today. Well, except for what Olivia and I just did.


Thoughts on December 8th

Olivia yelled that we were under attack, and activated Surkalpi. I leapt up and looked around. Goblins! Two arrows slammed into Olivia, and she dropped to the ground. I drew Scorchmark and moved over to her, ready to protect my lover from the melee fighters that were approaching. An arrow zipped past me and disappeared into Lady Karita’s tent. There were at least ten goblins, attacking from all directions.

Ilzo emerged from his tent and grabbed the nearest enemy. Lady Karita and Va’lyndra appeared as well, seemingly unharmed by stray arrows, and moved in my direction.
I slashed the first goblin that approached; the heat from Scorchmark cauterized the wound as he fell. Another goblin moved in to strike at me, but missed. He jumped out of the way of the return strike. Olivia started crawling away.

Moving towards one group of archers, Ilzo shield rushed one of their guards, using their friend to great effect.

Three goblins swarmed me, and tried to hit me with their crude weapons. I dodged and weaved out of the way, and had to use acrobatics to remain untouched; I parried the last attack with Scorchmark, for that seemed easier. Now, one of them had come between Olivia and me, so I somersaulted over him, again placing myself protectively above her. I tried slashing at the goblin while in the air, but I didn’t have much hope of actually hitting during such a maneuver.

Va’lyndra entered the fray and whacked one of the goblins. Lady Karita drew her sword and parried an arrow. Wow, she was fast!

I slashed the largest goblin, presumably the leader, and he collapsed. Va’lyndra and Lady Karita attacked the last enemy in this group, but failed to take him down. Olivia crawled into the nearest tent to take cover.

One of the goblins that had fallen earlier got back on his feet, but I ignored him. Doom was about to fall on the archers that shot Olivia; I dropped Scorchmark and drew an arrow. Va’lyndra whirled her staff, felling the two standing melee fighters. I put an arrow in the first of my two targets, and he crumpled to the ground. Lady Karita ran towards the other one, lashing out with her sword. I shouted to her that he was mine, but she didn’t listen, so now we both ran for him. He turned and fled, but we were faster. Lady Karita attacked, and the goblin stumbled. Scorchmark leapt into my hand and I finished him off. I stopped by the first archer on the way back and drove the blade through his eye. I withdrew Scorchmark and took out the other eye, too, for good measure. It’s too bad we won’t leave any survivors; I want word to spread of what happens to those who harm Olivia.

Ilzo had plowed through his group of goblins without much difficulty, I presumed. He was still standing, and I really only had eyes for Olivia. In the privacy of our tent, I stripped off her clothes and bandaged her wounds. Then I gave her a healing potion, and although she claimed to be fine afterwards, I coddled her for the rest of the watch.

We continued through the forest. I hovered over Olivia until I was completely sure she felt no pain from her wounds. After we pitched our tents for the night, we said good night to the others, and I made a thorough inspection of every inch of her body. The healing potion had done its job; I felt no scars marring her soft skin. I had no objection at all when she reciprocated, and put my lips to hers, losing myself in the moment.