The gnolls had taken the bait and charged into battle with the party. Kaileer's rallying cry brought everyone to action with the exception of Aloysius, who continued to look in the other direction. Torro fired two arrows toward the gnoll coming in his direction. The gnoll took an arrow in the gut with another yipping howl. He slowed, but then continued to move toward Blacky and Lasiar. Blacky threw a small axe at him and Lasiar slung a stone. Both men missed.
Kaileer tossed his bow from his hands and readied his shield and spear. The gnoll that continued to chase him had almost reached him when Gala's prayer to Lathander was answered. The moor grass twined around that gnoll's legs as well as the legs of the one that had Torro's arrow in its stomach. Both of them were held fast.
Aloysius, still distracted, barely had time to notice the gnoll with a long sword that seemed intent on cleaving his head from his shoulders. The gnoll did not succeed in that, but he gave the mage a massive wound with his blade anyway. Azrun swung at the gnoll with his staff but missed.
The fourth gnoll went after Gala and Jana. He targeted the bastard sword wielding Jana and dealt her a slash with his glaive. Infuriated by the pain, Jana swooped inside the reach of the long weapon the gnoll wielded and cut him with her sword as well.
"Brigand's bones," cursed Aloysius, grimmacing in pain from his wound. He dropped his daggers and glared at the offending gnoll. "Did thou mean to so treat a friend?" A twinkle glittered in his eyes as he gestured towards the gnoll.
With a satisfied nod, Kaileer turned away from the immobilized gnoll and looked around. Seeing the wounded Aloysius and the (possibly) outmatched Azrun, the ranger took a few quick steps and thrust his spear at (and hopefuly into) the gnoll's back.
Eyeing the entangled Gnolls with a hard gaze, Lasiar returned his sling to its holster, and drew his mace. He darted towards them, and swung his moon's hand at the gnoll nearest to him.
"Oh, what a brilliant idea this was," Jana snarled, as she took another two-handed swipe at the gnoll in front of her.
Seeing that the gnoll he had hoped to shorten was entangled by the grass and not wanting to share its fate, Blacky turned and aimed a massive blow with his large axe at the creature that had wounded Jana. His humming stopped as he turned and he broke into song.
"From the bonny bells of heather
They brewed a drink longsyne,
Was sweeter far than honey,
Was stronger far than wine.
They brewed it and they drank it,
And lay in a blessed swound
For days and days together
In their dwelling underground."
Kaileer and Azrun tried to finish off the gnoll that had wounded Aloysius to no avail while the wizard cast his spell. The gnoll raised his sword to attack again just as Aloysius completed his incantation. The gnoll lowered his sword and looked at the purple-haired mage with what might be regarded as fondness.
Gala, Jana, Lasiar, and Blacky surrounded the other hapless gnoll. He tried to keep his numerous opponents at bay with his glaive, but there were too many of them. Blows from both Gala and Lasiar stunned the beast, and Jana delivered the killing strike.
Lasiar eyed the slain beast grimly, and snorted, "They don't seem as menacing now." With a sigh, Lasiar turned to look at the other gnolls. "What should we do with them?" he inquired to no one in particular, gestured at the entangled gnolls with a nod of his head. "Aloysius seems injured, so I'm going to go check on him." With mace in hand, Lasiar briskly walked over to the mage, and eyed the ensorcered gnoll with a curious glance as he circled it to kneel next to Aloysius. "Let me take a look at you."
Aloysius waved off Azrun and Kaileer. "Fear not this one, friends. He be naught but a happy pup." The mage grinned at the gnoll and reached up to scratch him behind the ear. "Mayhap the others be more in need of thy assistance," he said, glancing over at the ranger and the bard and winking.
The mage was clearly pleased with his new associate. He scatched the gnoll's ear and patted him on the snout. "There be time for me later, Lasiar. It has been a long time since anyone . . .er, or anyTHING has looked upon me with such kindness." The mage looked distant for a moment. "Too bad it be the result of my arcane skill."
Jana looked down at the wound she'd received and muttered, "Well, that's just friggin' great. Ruined yet another set of damned clothes." With a hrumph, she looked at Gala. "So, what shall we do with your friends," she asked, nodding at the entangled gnolls, "when your spell wears off?"
Gala looked at Aloysius briefly, slightly hurt. She then turned back to Jana's wounds.
"Couldn't we just leave now?" asked Gala, even as she began to tend Jana's wounds. "Or maybe have Aloysius's new friend ask them to leave us alone?"
Aloysius caught Gala's look and smiled warmly. Speaking a little more loudly, he said, "The kindness this creature looks upon me with be warm indeed. Howe'er, 'tis a warmth most insubstantial when compared with that radiated on me by the light of the rising sun, my daily reminder that all be not foul in this world. Aye, the sweet greeting of dawn lifts my spirit more than anything e'er I have known."
Gala blushed suddenly at Aloysius's words, then she continued to bandage Jana.
"Have your new friend ask them to promise to give up their evil ways and we'll let them live." Blacky said interupting his song "Otherwise I think its time they meet whatever god they worship and their bodies can provide fertile ground for Chauntea."
Aloysius looked up at his new friend. "Hmm . . .know not do I if I can speak with this creature. Creature? Do you understand my words?" Then, the magic-user addressed the gnoll in the same lyrical tongue that he had used in speaking with Kaileer in days past.
The gnoll stood towering over Aloysius, although he stooped down when the wizard reached to scratch him behind the ear. When the man started talking to him, he cocked his head slightly to the side but gave no indication that he understood what was being said in either language.
After the battle Azrun stood looking down at himself, "Wow....not even a scratch. Most of the time I'd be staring at the sky bleeding right now." He shook his amazement off then turned back to the group, "Aloysius how long does that spell of yours last? And if Sir Chops Alot over there, "pointing to Blacky," whacks his friends, how happy will he be?"
"Sir Chops Alot?, Why I didn't even blood my axe. The only 'sirs' I have known have been villains and I don't qualify." Blacky replied to Azrun "This axe is mighty, but it swings a bit slow sometimes. I'll have to work on that. I would suggest that these gnolls would be better targets for our archers." He said eying the twinning grass.
"I'd rather they not follow us," Jana said not unkindly, wincing just a bit as Gala checked her wound. "At the very least, we ought to take their weapons and tie them up. By the time they get free, we'll be too far ahead to bother chasing." She glanced over at the trapped gnolls. "Uhm, just how much longer is that spell going to hold them, anyway?"
Aloysius looked up from his attempts to speak with his gnollish buddy for a moment. "Mayhap if I can speak with this one, he can be of assistance in some of the ridddles we pursue." He glanced back at the two tangled in the grass. "I suspect that justice would be best served if they were transformed into compost as Blacky has suggested. If need be, I can send them to Morpheus if that would be of assistance in that task."
The mage considered Azrun's questions for a moment. After giving the gnoll a comforting pat on the arm, Aloysius replied, "Hmmm . . . .Have doubts do I that this beast be of exceptional intelligence. I'd guess my enchantment should last a few days at least, and mayhap a few weeks. 'Twould likely be a bad idea to slay his companions in his presence. Mayhap I could take him for a short stroll downriver and you could join us later?"
"You not go alone with gnoll," Kaileer said, "if spell stop when you alone, gnoll kill you." The ranger shook his head. "Gnoll be evil, magic just make it evil friend... I think it kill other gnoll if you ask..."
Aloysius smiled at the ranger. "Appreciate do I thy concern, brave one. Howe'er, quite certain am I that my spell will not end anytime soon. I would be quite safe alone with him, I assure thee." The mage then adressed the entire group. "Although my spell makes him fond of me, it hath not ended his association with the others. Slay them he'll not. I could enspell the others to Morpheus, then take a short leave with this one." Aloysius looked somewhat pale for a moment, and then took a deep breath. "'Tis a simple thing to slash the throat of those who sleep. Accept the word of one who knows."
"Pray tell, mage, what shall we do with your pet? " Lasiar piped in as he rubbed the pommel of his mace while watching the gnoll. "I suspect that once your spell ends your new friend here will revert to its instinctive nature, and presumely look upon us as its enemies. Perhaps, you will place another charm on it when the time comes? Whatever you decide, rest assure that I, Lasiar Brightmantle, Silverstar of Selune, will support you." Lasiar cocked his head and brought his gloved, left hand to his chin to scratch the stubble. "But now's not the time to decide its fate. Those two deserve our undivided attention for now. Perhaps while you take your stroll, you could learn to communicate with it. It would be wise for us to know if there are more of them in the area. They could be a scouting band of a much larger group."
Aloysius considered the statements of his companions. "Methinks . . . ." he looked at his newfound companion for a moment, " . . . .Spot and I shall take a stroll down the river a bit. Do with his litter mates what you will. Don't worry, I'm quite sure I'll be all right." With that, the mage took Spot by the arm and motioned for him to follow along.
The mage and the gnoll then walked eastward along the river until they could no longer see the others and the remaining gnolls.
Gala turned away from the slaughter about to happen. She walked a short distance away from the others. She ignored Jana's question about her spell.
"Perhaps Gala should join you, just to be on the safe side." The look he gave Aloysius indicated that this was a suggestion he would do well to agree with.
