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Author Topic: Hlints last stand  (Read 799 times)

LordCove

Hlints last stand
« on: August 14, 2006, 05:13:33 pm »
AnnaLee hurried the children along the road, keeping them all together and pushing them onwards against the rising winds. The children didn’t mind of course, they chuckled and giggled in excitement, and would have skipped if the wind hadn’t been so strong.Anna did her best to shield them from the stinging dust and dirt which whipped about them and hurt the eyes, and hurriedly led them to the Wild Surge Inn, throwing the door open and practically pushing them in, then slamming the door behind her.
She gave a brief sigh inside, and began taking the coats from the excitable children and hanging them on a nearby rack. Doria the hostess came over and assisted, grinning at the children.
“ Come on me darlings, lets ave them coats off ya. Look, over by the fire there, Ive set out some seats for the best view. Be off with ya.” She said laughing, watching the children rush over to a cosy, warm corner, where several small stools had been arranged together, viewing a small raised podium and curtain.
AnnaLee smiled again, turning to Doria.
“A-a-are they here? D-d-did they m-make it through?” she asked.
The hostess patted her on the arm.
“ That they did….they be changing in the back. You go get yourself a seat miss Lee.”
AnnaLee smiled a polite ‘thankyou’ smile, and moved over to the window, peering out as best she could.
The weather today was worse than normal. The temperature had been much colder today than Anna could remember for any summer, DarkAge or not, and the wind had seemed to spring from nowhere, blowing even darker clouds from the north with persistence. The sun had set somewhere behind the perpetual dark clouds, and all that remained was a sickly yellow smudge on the horizon, made even worse in appearance through the window pane.
   She frowned a moment, remembering happier sights, when a cry of laughter from the children startled her. She glanced over by the fire to see Bumblebee, the little brownie, hopping from one childs knee to another, singing some kind of brownie song, much to their delight. Although the children couldn’t make out a word of the Brownie language, they clapped and giggled, even attempting to join in when they recognized the chorus approaching. Anna smiled and moved over to join them.

   The Inn was exceptionally quiet that night, and any regular, had there been any, would have wondered at this. But there were none to wonder, and the the freedom of the Inn relaxed the children more so. Bumblebee kept them amused for some time with his Hide and Seek game, amazing the children as he would walk into a shadowy corner, disappear, and then reappear on their knee, or sat on the table behind them. AnnaLee and Doria handed out sweet treats and Apple juice, then settled down infront of the podium expectantly.
   The curtain on the podium twitched and moved…..and the children gasped in anticipation and excitement. It twitched again, and again they laughed. Then suddenly, the curtain dropped to the floor, and Dulan leapt forward, guitar in hand, wearing the most ridiculously multi-coloured outfit the children had ever seen, and began singing his heart out. Despite seeing the rehearsals, Anne, Bee and Doria joined the children in uproarious laughter,
   Dulan kept the children entertained for some time, singing songs, playing games, telling stories. The children were enthralled, and couldn’t get enough.
   Anna turned mid laugh to see Bee sneaking to the door, and her laugh vanished. She hid this from the children, and leaving them to their game, crept over to Bee, who had leapt onto a chair and now stared out the window, a serious frown on his face.
“ I don’t think I can do it Anna.” He said softly.
Anna frowned.
“Y-y-you’ve been giv-given this charge B-b-bee.” She nodded out the window, “they m-m-must do theirs. Our responsibility is h-h-here.”
Bee shook his head sadly.
“ Its all for nought if they fail.” He said, nodding to the many figures now passing by the window. As he and Anna watched, more and more passed by, heading for the main gate, spears and swords at the ready.
“W-w-will it ever e-e-end?” she whispered, more to herself, then, smiling, placed a hand on Bees tiny shoulder. “But y-y-you must d-do what you m-must….as do w-w-we all.”
Bee returned the smile, so sadly from such a small person, that Anna forced back a tear.
Leaping from the chair, Bee went over to the small bin, where he had concealed his tiny bow and a quiver of arrows, pulling them out with an innocent look on his face.
Lee smiled again, and amidst a sudden burst of laughter from the children, he forced the door open a crack and headed out.

   Outside, the howling wind nearly blew Bee of his feet. He gripped the steps with both hands, the wind threatening to blow him down the road like a piece of paper and held tight, till suddenly, a strong arm grabbed him and carried him around the back of the Xin smithy, where the wind couldn’t catch him.
“Master Ozy!” Bee exclaimed, seeing his helped.
Ozymandias barely heard the brownies quiet voice in the howling wind, but smiled down and bowed slightly.
“ Mr Bee. You here for the show too huh?”
Bee nodded, adjusting his clothes and pouches which the wind had nearly ripped off him. He stabbed some arrows into the ground beside him, and held his bow firmly.
“ I surmise the children are totally oblivious to this as Anna requested?” he practically shouted to the brownie. Bee nodded, and both turned to look upon the gates.
A makeshift parapet had been built by the gates, allowing several people to climp up and view over the walls, and beside this stood to arrow towers, from which ready bows could be see aiming beyond the walls. Beneath the parapet stood many men and women, fully armed and armoured, huddled as best they could from the wind, their faces grim and determined.
“Lets give them a welcome then shall we.” He chuckled, and made his way up the steps to the parapet.
Ozy climbed the final step and looked out over the Goblin wastelands, now a ravaged place. Chanting filled his ears, the smell of smoke and burning flesh filled his lungs, and the sight of hundreds of campfires shone in his eyes, seemingly reaching all the way back to Port Llast. Ogres and Orcs milled about these campfires, there greedy eyes on Hlint, armed and prepared for war. They had obviously made several large catapults, and these could be seen, being dragged along the road by Ogres, moving them within distance of Hlints walls.
 Many Orc eyes turned to Ozy on the parapet, recognizing the ArchBard, and several readied their bows and took shots, though the arrows, even if on target, seemed to whizz harmlessly past him.
In a great flourish and typical display of importance, Ozymandias spread his arms to the air and spoke to the invading army.
“ Welcome to Hlint….this crazy town called Hlint.”


( I couldnt resist. I havent wrote anything in years, so bear with me.)
 

Rowana

Re: Hlints last stand
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2006, 10:09:00 pm »
Very nice telling. *smiles*
 

LynnJuniper

Re: Hlints last stand
« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2006, 10:15:45 pm »
*giggles a bit at it all* Lovely ending. Can totally see it in my head.
 

 

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