Frog Soup part II.

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Charlie used every trick her knew to move quietly through the light woods on the side of the road ahead of the wagon.  He was very excited to be part of something bigger than himself, but yet he had this nagging suspicion something wasn't quite on the up and up.  For one, why wasn't Elohanna and Miss Jen comin with the wagon if what they carried was so important?  It didn't make sense.  
 
 Skirting a fallen tree to avoid stepping on the brittle branches, it hit him suddenly.  The wagon, all the old heroes, they were bait!  Charlie paused and looked around fearfully for a moment before he shrugged off his fear and grinned.  He was still doing his part like Ma and Da.  It didn't matter none if they carried the cure or if the others did.  The important part was that it go to the folks in Hlint that needed it.  Charlie scanned around him once again then crept forward deliberately snapping a banch with his fingers as quietly as he could to leave a trail.

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"Da?" Charlie was surprised to find his father sleeping just inside the door of the Silver Buckle, sword close at hand. "Why are ya there of all places?"
 
 Daniel awoke almost instantly at the sound of light footsteps approaching the front door and reached for his blade, only to let his fingers glance off the hilt as Charlie appeared in the doorway. He studied the man in the dim light, there was something different about him then last they met. It took him a moment before it came to him, Charlie appeared more man than boy now. He had a slight swagger, like his mother did, and his palms rested lightly on the two shortblades on his hips. "Guard duty, there is trouble afoot here, Charlie." Daniel replied, "Yet I am needed elsewhere, orders from Vehl. Since, you have seen fit to return, I place this duty in your hands. It is only fitting after all, you seemed to have gained Andrew's favor." Daniel smiled slightly at the last, standing and sheathing his blade.
 
 Charlie nodded in the affirmative, no complaints, no grumbling only a question, "What's the trouble now, Da?"
 
 "Wererats, it seems there is an growing problem with such monsters in Mariner's Hold. " Daniel replied handing him a few bellandona leaves. "Take these before you fight, they will help ward off the curse. Now I must take my leave for Hempstead. If you should see Lana, tell her her song and magic is needed in Silkwood, eh? Good Lad. Now receive a father's blessing and remember what I told you. No trouble with the law, it would aggrieve me greatly to arrest you, but know that I would without hesitation." With that Daniel places his hands lightly on Charlie's shoulder and turns to leave.
 
 "Yessir" Charlie mumbled with a wave to the figure stumping along, walking stick in hand toward the dock. "I got yer back."

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Charlie had a good view of the goings on in the Hold Market. The fish sellers wares were in fine form this morning, the ocean breezes bringing the smells of cod, mackeral, and seabass to his nose. As he made himself comfortable on some nets he began to notice other activities than the fish hawkers. A smallish figure was moving slowly along the edge of the wharf, small bright eyes watchful of the guard and at the same time seemed to be scanning the patrons as well. With a wry grin, Charlie watched as the figure approached a fat baker and stumbled into the man. High pitched apologies followed - "Scuse me sir" and the small figure backed away. Making careful note of the alley the figure disapeared down, Charlie trailed after doing his best to appear as if he was simply a messenger on his way somewhere.  As he rounded a building, he grinned at the cry of "Thief!"

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A flash of dun colored cloak, a footfall, these were the signs he followed weaving through the back alleys until he was quite lost. Cautiously rounding yet another corner, he faded into an alcove, crouching slightly. His smallish person had met two others.
 
 In a langauge resembling boulders falling down a hillside, two squat heavily hooded figures stopped his prey, accusing fingers and a fist were shown, and her hood fell back revealing a halfling filled with terror. "I ain't got it! I swear by Pruny I ain't, now you let me be!" She backed up and began to looked more alarmed by the second.
 
 "Listen, gutter rat, me and my friend don't care about your purse, we want information and ye'll get it for us or else. Now, what do you know of Andrew Reid, proprietor of the Buckle?"
 
 "Nnothing. I swear, I ain't never been in there ever, " Charlie could tell she was lying but hoped the two dwarves couldn't.
 
 The larger dwarf moved much too quickly , raising his hand he sent the halfling to the dingy alley cobblestones with a brutal backhand slap. "I told ya that one was useless..let's get back ta the embassy quickly. All these humans and halflings give me a case of indigestion. His Lordship should"..the dwarfish words that followed sounded very offensive even if Charlie couldn't understand it. The Dwarf then spat, the globule of it narrowly missing the haflings legs. Turning, the duo backtracked.
 
 Charlie glanced at the halfling to make sure she was still breathing then thought quickly. Two dwarves, heavily cloaked, and an Embassy..that could mean only thing. Raelites. He scuttled back around the corner and began running for the Buckle.

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Barechested and wearing only his breeches, Charlie worked his way through the stretching excercises his ma had taught him. Try as he might, he couldn't banish the thoughts that plagued him. Foremost was the recent troubles in Hlint and his percieved part in it. He wasn't a hero, he'd just been doing his best to see Katelyn and the others with him safe. Sure, he'd given a few 'suggestions' now and then, but that's how Da always did it..okay, Da gave orders in that command voice of his, Charlie never gave orders..just suggestions.
 
 Frowning, Charlie dismissed the thought and moved gracefully in his footwork, right leg sweeping left over right, maintaining perfect balance, his blades whispering to his ears, parry right, block, back and front again until unbidden the word 'frilly' came to his mind and he stumbled. Kat had finally relented and told him what it meant. Immediately after she told him in no uncertain terms that he would have the floor while she took the bed at the Inn in Hlint. Silly as it was, he was still intriqued why Grandpa Ben would put so much emphasis on such a word. It had to mean more, at least, he hoped it did. With a shake of his head, Charlie banished that thought to and corrected his footing, his concentration now entirely on the combat dummy in front of him. Mind firmly in the void, he lunged to strike a vital area, both blades leading.

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It had been an interesting couple of months. First, he'd taken up with a couple of elves, Caly and Kaelan and had followed a map he'd snitched from Da's desk. It showed an old patrol route from Lan's port to Kartherian. They'd made the trip, fighting hordes of trolls only to be stopped in a cave where they were forced to turn back by Kaelen's death. The stuttering elf had recovered, but they decided not to pursue spelunking without more help.
 
 Undaunted, Charlie rallied his friends, Kat, Robb,Breanna, and Melodious for another try. This time after many fierce fights with the resident trolls they'd made it to the bottom. During the fighting, Charlie even used his tripping trick a few times successfully, although he knew he'd need more practice to perfect it.
 
 Finally, they made it to a troll guarded chest and defeated all the trolls. Cracking his knuckles, Charlie eyed the chest for long moments before carefully disarming the trap and going to work on the lock that secured it. After a prayer to Deliar and Rofie-both, it never hurt to ask for help from more than one god, he'd been able to spring the lock. Inside was a treasure. A polished diamond! Deliar continued to be with him as he rolled the bones against Melodious for the rock. Grinning, Charlie knew he'd have a new amulet to wear soon.

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The old routine came back easily enough.  Running about and getting into mischief of one sort or another had always been easy for him, but this time the snickers were a bit forced.  Sure, he enjoyed Kat's and Robb's company and they made a fine team, but ever since he'd left Cat and the mercenaries in Alindor's Demise, he'd had this uneasy feeling.  Daniel might call it regret or guilt, but Charlie wasn't sure.  Probably was the way he left, no goodbyes to Cat, the halfer lass he'd grown to love with her mischievous if slightly twisted ways.  

Still, the crew at the Buckle seemed glad of his company which was why he was where he was..neck deep in dead pirates battling phantoms.  At least he had good company to go with the squirm of fear in his gut.

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Charlie tied the hawser knot off on the foredeck and stepped back to admire his handiwork, "Not bad." He muttered. "Make a decent sailor yet if not a pirate." He finished the thought with somewhat of a rakish grin. With a shake of his head he headed for the crows nest on the small schooner. He hoped the return trip to Hurm or Hempstead (he wasn't sure yet) would be as exciting as the trip out, but then, they had a slaver ship to intercept - it was bound to be!

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Charlie was frustrated.  It had been two weeks and no sign of his quarry, Rose.  He'd checked everywhere he could think of, her old apartment, the major inns in Leringard, the markets, docks, and even spent a day outside the Black Guards garrison hoping to hear a dropped word. He almost got into a fight with that baker he saw Rose talk to you all those years ago.  Fellow accussed him of being a no good sneak thief before claiming he hadn't seen Rose in months.  Charlie's retort had been to use his cover as a former mercenary and soldier sailor turned bounty hunter, something close enough to the truth to be comfortable with to turn the man aside and convince him he meant no harm, but still..no recent news or sightings..so nothing.  Rats!
 
 
 A bored Charlie is a dangerous thing, he thought to himself before forcing his mind back to the task his Da had given him.  Another two weeks, and he was going to have to give the old man, Storold, the bad news, but he'd wait like he said he would.  It was a job and by the pits, he had a reputation to keep.

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Charlie eyed the Knight of the Wyrm from the patch of shadow off the end of the Bullseye waiting for the man to finish his usual route along the road.  As the heavily armored man finally makes his way past the crypts, Charlie tacks a small folded parchment to the underside the bench quickly.  It reads:
 
 Storold,
 
 No sign of Rose in Leringard fer over a year.  Meet me in Mariners at the Buckle should ya want ta hear more.
 
 Charlie.
 

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A brief message written in a mix of ink and blood.  Overconfidence is bad.  We tried..and died.

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