Re: MOK #2
Kree looked at Justin as Ivy looked then looked away. Kree's eyes looked at the others as he began,
I*by and I were..less then focused on the Lives of the Black Timber.. we would do our turns as patrols, goign through training for the Army-such as it is....and Warden Training... My Mother was a Warden as was my sister.... My FAther was the CAptain of Razorhawk Company of troops and archers that would be called to defend the Timber..or...if needs be , go to the aid of the High Peak Dwarves, Trace Wood Elves..and , of Course Ironmound.....we , of course would aid the other Towns Trok and Bowshot to be sure.. Tou, only because our treaty demands it.. they are rather, unwelcoming of elves, unless they are being attacked, then we are quite, welcome.
We did find , Much pleasure in runnign the streets of Ironmound. we volunteered as caravan guards any chance we had... Ivy, was, and is, more skilled in the towns then I...
..Kree..is better in the wilds, but we both are good enough, to get the job done, in either instance..
... A Halfling... and it did not look like a Red Isle HAlfling..he was shorter...and did not where boots, Like the Red Isle HAlfings do.... was a scout hired by Caravans that either came up the Tou river, and would come to the Timber....or,,, ford the Lather River and be led into the Forest for trade..Right before Autumn Fest.... Ivy and I went to Tou to get supplies and..of course.. sample the local entertainment...and..perhaps , come away with more coin then we had entered with... Our Mentor, in the ways of the streets...a Gnome, named Snapjack Ribbons...knew his craft well..but he stayed in the Timber, to help with the Fest...
The 'Trusted' Halfling, who ha d led many a caravan, through many seasons... led a group or slavers in, who had Killed the caravan people, and used thier wagons to cover thier entry..
Ivy handed Kree a mug of wine , which he downed in a Gulp and the cousin went to refill it.
..Ivy and I were late... we stayed a night longer inTou.. and were making out way back the next night... there was smoke coming from the tops of the Ironwood trees...that is somehting one does not see in the timber...they we saw some people break from the trees.. mostly women folk, clutching a Child....Then we saw them... Three SAndfolk with thier heads wrapped, Two Catfolk, bounding out of the trees.. we Killed one of the SAndfolk and a CAtfolk as we ran into the forest... screams of fear , shouts of anger, and barks of Orders grew as we near our Village.. the bright lights of burning huts and houses .. a light never seen before, since Ironmound tried to lay siege to the Timber...but?.. we were LAte.... the Slavers had escaped...they had taken scores of out people prisoner...and killed scores more... Timber Home... that lies further down the forest.. sent Wardens and troops to help, but they only saved a few,, and killed fewer of the enemies...
when it was over?... I found my Father standing ove rmy Mother..she had taken 6 arrows before she fell...at her feet, was Snapjack, His long knifes blood to his elbows.. and 8 enemy bodies aroudn them... At the steps to my house... Ivy's lady lay with two crossbow bolts in her back... she...was also....expecting...
Ivy had truned away at this and looked over the starboard rails at the water.
..my sister was wounded and TAken... My FAther, has not yet forgiven Ivy and Myself, for not being there?....
..The Three Elders called all those who were still in the Village, and offered the task to those from Timber Home as well...The Black Hunt was to start....
He Took another Mug of wine from one of the sailor who was listening with rapt attention The Black Hunt is a pledge.... where warriros will take up the Hunt for someone..or something that has caused harm to our people, or The Timber...13 people step up....they must slay 13 of our enemies...or..save 13 of those who were taken....of thsoe 13 who started the Hunt...only Ivy and myself still hunt... there are two in Timber home that quit after handing in thier proof of the HUnt..the rest were slain...
Ivy , still looking at the water, we save, but two... we have killed doz3ens of CAtfolk...and scores of sandfolk, and we will continue to do so...
In the meantime?... Razorhawk Village started the Mercenary group called the Arrows... it was a way to have people we trusted, bring in caravans and escort our own, since, most folk fear to come into The Timber.... Ivy and I stayed in Ironmound for close to 10 years... I joined the Guard. he joined the Golden Horn Thieves guild... I became CAptain of the palace guard..he became a Trust Lt in the Horn... I left the guiard, when i saw, people getting spots because they had Coin....The Emperor still calls on us..when he needs something..'taken care of'.. he snorted.
a friend of ours , Reedrick Orebender, a High Peaks Dwarf... met up with us, and we started a Arrow Company, in Ironmound.. we bought an old beat up Inn, and refurbished it... it is now our Headquarters in teh City..some of youy, have seen it....We changed the name to Crimson Arrows... with the motto of 'be the fire, that fights the fire"... there is nothing...NOTHING....too harsh to do unto those, who have done unto us...when we are able?.. we carry the Black arrows with the Red Fletchings... when we stake slavers and other such enemies to trees.. we might leave a broken shaft in them, so others will know... or? I will harve the rune for my name in thier forehead...
..as to finsih Justin's question..we have yet to find the HAlfling...if we do..it will take him , many months to die..... we have only found the Body my sister...but we did find the Home of the Slave Master, who lives well past Olant, down river... he has....had.... a compound..at least 30 slaves, of many races... what was most sickening, was the dozen or so Slaves who wore Gold collars, and served him as his house guard... Iby. me..Reedrick and a half full or Crimson Arrows went in.. we free the slaves.. some came back to live in the timber... dwarves, humans..Elves from many clans....
for a purse of gold, a pack of goblins aided us...they are a strange folk, , but those who run businesses..seem to be worried more about Coin, and less about eating folks....
..at elast half the gold collar slaves were killed in the fight.. the other Half, we hung from thsoe collars, as slaver friends....Then,, we brought the Slave master out... his wife, and two daughters... his daughters.. were very pretty..one was to be married to a Merchant Lord in Hargen..... we truned the women over to the Goblins, and made the Slave MAster watch... all the time, explainignto him, this was the things that happened to slaves...
..the younger daughter..was...somewhat spared, in that she ws not eaten, after wards... Then.. we handed the Slave Master over to the Goblins...you see?.. they had thier raw meat...not they wanted somehting ....cooked....
Ivy spoke from the railing.....they tied him over a camp fire and roasted him alive, like the pig he was......
..when the fellows stopped screaming... we told the Goblins to deliver the Young Daughter, over the mountains to the first HArgen troops they came upon..with the Ring from the older sister, and a Note from me.... I claimed everything that happen.. Ivy insisted on signing it as well.... There was a description. Of what had happened... and that the next slavers we caught, would not be treated with as much mercy as we did them....
..Hargen sent unit of rangrs and troops to find the Goblins... they attacked thier Village, and the High peak dwarves helped to Kill off all but three of the raiders.....but the Goblins suffered for thier aid.....so? those goblins now, live at the end of Black Timber...close to the River.. they run a small ferry service where the Tou Meets the Storm.....they will still kill and eat Humans, of course..but have refined thier meals to slavers and pirates.... sometimes?.. good people will attack them, and then they suffer the same fate...but the Goblins have been of great aid to us... they are , our eyes in the river and in the swamp...
and that..My friends... is the story of the Crimson Arrows...we are as dsark as the Evil we hunt...and..thatv is what scares them.