Move 136: Shots in the Dark
The Gleaming Glade--Night, 29 Eleasias 1374 DRRumer found her sword and picked it up, although she took another hit from her shadowy assailant in the meantime. Falgout held his weapon in a defensive position and began backing away from the glade. Blacky and Daelen pulled back as well. Their attackers did not pursue beyond the edge of the trees.
Etienne cast a healing spell on Echo while Jana wrapped her in a blanket. A rush of wind was all the warning they got before they were under attack as well. Something hit Jana, and hit her hard from the looks of it, although none of them could see anything in their midst.
Rumer kept fighting.
"Orcs and ogres I can handle, but how are we supposed to fight something we can't even hurt, or even see!?" Daelen asked as he tried to invoke his sword's magic fire again once he had scrambled back to where Snow had stopped.
"Hell if I know. Just keep swinging and move backward!" Blacky replied.
"Corellon's sword," Rennirolas cursed as the unseen foes attacked. "I know not if this should work, but hopefully it shall reveal. Avert your eyes," Rennirolas called as he began the workings of a prayer.
The spells completion brought about a globe of light, twenty feet in radius, centered to light the area about as many of the company as possible.
Jana, kneeling beside Echo holding her backpack, went sprawling across her before she realized she'd been hit. "Ooof!" Jana said, or something like that. "C-c-c'mon," Jana panted, trying to loop the pack over one arm, stand and pick up Echo all at the same time. "We've gotta get outta here!" She prepared to run, fully intending to carry Echo if she couldn't run herself. "Run!"
"We must fall back!" shouted Aloysius as he covered his eyes. "Take Echo from this place. We can not
leave Falgout and the gypsy behind."Jyothki quickly grabbed Echo's arm and faced Jana. "I'll take her," she said softly. "I'll take her to Horse."
Jyothki hauled Echo as best she can into the closest tree.
Jana nodded to Jyothki. She thrust Echo's pack into her hands. "Don't come back," Jana said to the two. "No matter what." She pulled her bastard sword and turned, doing her best to shield the two as they made for the nearest tree, delaying her flight until they'd left.
"Rumer! Come On!! We're leaving!" Blacky shouted and held position until she responded.
At the edge of the glade, Falgout stopped his retreat when he saw that Rumer wasn't coming. He moved back up, taking another wound that nearly finished him off for his efforts. Rumer's sword was no more effective than Blacky or Daelen's had been. Her attacker gave her another hard hit, twisting her left arm to a grotesque angle and snapping the bone. The shock of the pain stopped her movements altogether. Falgout took the opportunity to try to pull the girl back away from the edge of the glade and what was looking more and more like certain death. Kuiper headed in their direction at a full run, the silvered longsword in his hands.
Jyothki pulled the still disoriented Echo into a nearby tree and disappeared. Renn cast a spell, lighting up the area where the bulk of the group was standing. Whatever was in their midst remained unseen in spite of that. Again, the only sign that it was present was a rush of wind before it turned its attacks on Renn, dropping the elven priest to the ground.
Rumer fell to her knees, still trying to hold onto the sword as it slipped through her fingers. She landed on her belly, head turned watching the blood flow from her shoulder.
Aloysius slung off his pack and dug a vial out. He removed the stopper and dropped something into it,
muttering an incantation.Jana saw Renn fall but maintained her shielding position until Jyothki and Echo were gone. Then, her sword still drawn, moved in a low crouch to Renn's side.
"Come on, let's go!" Blacky shouted and sheathed his sword. He ran over to pick up Renn and carry him to safety. Where ever that might be.
Etienne looked back and saw Renn fall. He shuffled for a minute before he saw Blacky pick him. He then continued to lead the group back to the horse as fast as he could.
As Blacky moved to pick Renn up, the invisible assailant struck again. Blacky staggered from the force of the blow but managed to pick up the priest and run. The group moved back through the woods without Rumer, Falgout, or Kuiper, with Aloysius, who had slowed to cast a spell, and Arachne bringing up the rear. Between the light of Daelen's sword and various light incantations, the group was a veritable beacon in the dark night but their attacker did not seem to pursue. By the time they reached the horse, who had been left where they had found Arachne after her scouting mission, it seemed fairly certain that they were not being chased.
Etienne looked around the group as if do a head count. Coming up short he frowned, "I'm going back after the others. Rumer's a fool for staying and fighting that which she can't see. If I'm not back in 15 minutes or so, just get out of here. There's no sense in everyone dying. Just go." He looked at Jana once, winked at her, "Blacky, keep Jana safe please," and took off back into the woods toward the glade.
Jana noticed the head count. "Oh, shit," she moaned. "Why the hells didn't they just run? Dammit, dammit, dammit...." She winced as she straightened up and tried to stretch her back out. It didn't seem to do much good. "Well, hell," she sighed and started rummaging through her horse's saddlebags, producing a few torches. She tucked two in her belt and held one, ready to light. "Echo?" she asked quietly, walking over to her. "Watch my horse, okay?"
Daelen shook his head as Etienne went back towards the glade. "The man's got balls of steel, I'll give ye that...but they're not gonna be much use to him if he gets himself killed too."
"None of the stories mention invisible monsters guarding the fair maiden... though I suppose none of us really fit the part of the knight in shining armor..." he said, holding his sword up both to light the group and to serve as a beacon for those still in the forest.
"How badly is everyone hurt?" he turned to ask Blacky, "I don't want to be showing our position if we're in no shape for a fight... who knows what else might be lurking in there."
"I had a backup plan for Echo," Arachne whispered, still closest in the group to the Glade. She turned to go back. "No sense wasting a perfectly good backup plan with Rumer missing," she said to herself. "And Falgout. And the disdainful Kuiper. Or Etienne," she continued as the elf went by her. "That's an awful lot," she sighed. "Might as well at least find out what's become of them -- No, that's not it. Jyothki could do much better than I at discovery, but she could get only one at a time out. _I_ can do a group..." She trailed after Etienne.
"Janathell, wait!" said Aloysius as the warrior dug through he saddlebags. "Use this," he continued
handing her a vial full of glowing liquid. "It should continue to radiate for another half hour or so."A look of hesitation and shame spread rapidly over the mage's face. "I've but one incantation left, and doubts have I that the creature would take of it any heed. Think me not a coward, but methinks I would
serve best to remain behind and assist those who remain here."The mage swallowed hard and walked over to Echo and Jyothki, his eyes fixed on the ground.
"Thanks," Jana said, taking the vial. She handed the torches to Aloysius. "Here, you may need these. And I'd appreciate it if you'd stay here. Going back would be pretty much suicidal." Jana looked over at Renn. "I wish Etienne hadn't left so quick," she muttered.
Aloysius took the torches somberly, walked over next to Daelen, and set them on the ground. He then walked away a short distance, sat on the ground, and held his head in his hands.
Daelen took one of the torches, cut the butt end of it to a point with a few swipes of his sword and stuck it into the ground.
"No sense starting a campfire if we're not staying long," he said, touching his sword's flame to the oily rags then sheathing his weapon after putting it out with a word.
With a sigh and somewhat of a sour look on her face, Jyothki moved alongside Jana. "Stay with Echo," she said. "No one has fought this creature successfully this night. Arachne and I will get the others." Without waiting for a response she trotted after the gnome.
Jana watched Jyothki go, an odd expression on her face. "Thanks," she whispered, seeming to mean it. She watched for a moment, then knelt down beside Renn. She looked to see if there was anything obvious she could do for him.
"Arachne, I can get us in, then you can get us out," Jyothki said. "If need be I can stay and get Etienne." She moved to a tree just ahead of the gnome and held out her hand. Smiling she said, "Besides, you would love to try this at least once."
"You know I would," Arachne agreed.
Those who left to head back toward the glade met Kuiper moving through the darkness alone before they had gone far. He motioned for them to follow him.
"There's no reason for anyone to go anywhere," Kuiper said, as he made it back to the group. "I suspect it will take silver weapons and a powerful priest to cleanse the glade and recover their bodies. And the chests are gone. I saw them go."
Once she'd checked on Renn, Jana returned to Echo. "C'mon," she said gently. "I'll help you get into some clothes. There's some in your pack, I think. I've got some too, just kinda big for you..." Jana trailed off, then said, "Oh, I bet you're thirsty. Here," she said, handing over a 'skin of water. "Let's get you dressed and I'll get you something to eat, okay?"
"Something to eat?" Echo repeated. "Rumer's dead?" she asked in a small voice. "She was just a kid...and someone else? Who else?"
"I dunno," Jana said, not having been paying any attention once she realized she wasn't leaving. "Etienne went back for them... I didn't really see what went on. I think they ran into the glade or something." Jana frowned. "I told 'em not to, dammit. I know Rumer knew for sure. I told them about the dream..." Jana trailed off, her expresion a bit shocked. "Dammit..." she whispered.
She looked at the blanket covering her and agreed with Jana quietly, "I need my clothes. I need a bath too. There's orc and other filth on me." She pulled the blanket around her tighter and shuddered. She glanced uncomfortably at the unconcious man and the man holding the lit sword, "Who're they?"
"It's okay," Jana assured her. She gently directed Echo so that she and her horse were shielding Echo from the others while she changed. "The guy with the incredibly subtle sword is Daelen. He sort of invited him
along. He's got a dog with him, too. The dog," Jana added in a whisper, "seems to have far better sense. The other guy is Renn. He's a priest. He helped us clean up the temple, back in the keep. There was another man there, named Falgout. I don't see him, so I guess..." Jana trailed off, looking a little sick.Arachne sighed and turned to go back with Kuiper. "I'd risk it if I thought they were alive," she told Jyothki. "But if they're already dead... I'd have a hard time hauling them through my doorway anyway."
She sighed. "I guess I'll have to experience the tree travel some other time."Jyothki turned back from the glade, a sour look on her face. "It is regretable that they must lie in that place," she said softly. "Perhaps someone could return in the daylight and recover their bodies." She adjusted her pouch and knife sheath. "But I agree with you Etienne, we should leave. The sooner this night is behind me the happier I shall be."
With a quick glace at Arachne, Jyothki said, "Yes, some other time I shall take you through the trees."
Etienne sheathed his swords and turned to head back to Kuipers, "Let's go."
After Jana spoke with Echo for a bit, Aloysius stood up and shuffled over to where the two women stood.
Reaching into his bandolier, he withdrew a pair of daggers and dropped them on the ground next to Echo.
With his head still hung low, he slowly moved to the edge of the light from Daelen's torch and sat back
down on the ground.
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