A Rude Awakening

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Wynna
Dungeon Master
Posts: 5734
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2004 10:09 am
Location: Seattle, WA (PST)

A Rude Awakening

Post by Wynna »

Waking in luxurious stages, she knew by the sun flickering on the far side of closed eyelids that she'd overslept again. She had a sleepy, delicious impression--not actually a memory; somewhere in this soft warm state of existence she knew that she wasn't awake enough to claim memories--an impression that there'd been revels in the Bridge District and windows to climb into and out of and scandalous boys of low-wealth class and none of that changed the fact that Ama would have her head.

A double-sided axe, crunching into bone and sinew above armored shoulders, blood spraying the canvas side of a wagon...

Her head. Her head...hurt. A red ink hurt. A crimson ink pain. Caused by said revels? Of course. But not in the Bridge District. At Papa's pied-a-terre by the lake, one of his practically lavish functions for the merchant houses of Athkatla where--who knew?--maybe one of the Six might be her next dance partner beneath a mask of anonymity.

A mask, a dog-faced mask leaping in and out of the light of a campfire spilled from its rocks, flames licking at the wheels of a wagon...

Papa could hope so at least. And Ama, too. Chula certainly didn't. It wasn't fair that that was her first conscious thought this morning. But there, she'd had it and it was ruining her warm detachment, replacing it with recognition that she'd been dreaming. Disturbing dreams. Nightmares, she thought, but for the moment she could only pull up a fragment that seemed to be about dancing with a masked Master Blakely. Which absolutely proved it for a dream because Papa would no more let the caravan master and his muddy boots dance with any of his daughters than he'd let the grizzled veteran teach Chula to use a rapier.

She'd had to take care of that latter for herself with some judicious bribery and cajoling. Master Blakely had never been able to withstand the full force of her pleading, not since she'd been in pigtails and ribbons, which coincidentally had been about the time she'd started her campaign against propriety. He might have thought secret sword training had been his last and worst infraction against his employer, but that had been before she'd emerged from a crate meant for cardamom a few days ago, halfway to Nashkel. She felt the weight of the ornate hilt he'd trained her on against her palm now.

Why was her rapier in her hand? If Papa saw it--

Her eyes flew open. It hadn't been the sun on her face. A circle of night sky glittered with hard stars, high above the clearing. Amid shadows shifting on tree trunks, the wagons had just about been reduced to charred planks. A merry little remnant flickered beyond her outflung hand, on the coals that remained of a draught team's yoke. They burned as a fiery crosspiece across the 'Y' of the chains that led back to the collapsed wagon tongue. A corpse lay astride the beam of the wagon tongue, face-down. The stylized HL within a coin on the back of his livery had been left mostly unbloodied by the stroke that had taken his head.

Shapes moved against a more distant flame, shapes that moved on two legs, and glittered with armor. She heard a horrible snarling, as of wild animals fighting over meat. A dead horse blocked her view of whatever they might be fighting over.

She crawled for the trees, hand over hand. The hand with the rapier had blood on it, to the elbow, like a single red glove.
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Mikayla
Valsharess of ALFA
Posts: 3707
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2004 5:37 pm
Location: Qu'ellar Faen Tlabbar, Noble Room 7, Menzoberranzan, NorthUnderdark

Re: A Rude Awakening

Post by Mikayla »

I knew I would see you here again before the end. Welcome back.

P.S. Whether you are back for a day or back for life, its good to see you around again.
ALFA1-NWN1: Sheyreiza Valakahsa
NWN2: Layla (aka Aliyah, Amira, Snake and others) and Vellya
NWN1-WD: Shein'n Valakasha
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Wynna
Dungeon Master
Posts: 5734
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2004 10:09 am
Location: Seattle, WA (PST)

Re: A Rude Awakening

Post by Wynna »

Before the end? I've been playing for two weeks with up to 10 folks on BG at a time, and started HEEGZ's lowbie campaign last night. Quit yer moanin' and get in game, my old IC frenemy. Rumors of any demise (except my first PC's) have been greatly exaggerated. We're having fun!

P.S. Good to see you, too.

P.P.S. I'm in chat most days at some point. Come on by and be hugged.
Enjoy the game
Mikayla
Valsharess of ALFA
Posts: 3707
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2004 5:37 pm
Location: Qu'ellar Faen Tlabbar, Noble Room 7, Menzoberranzan, NorthUnderdark

Re: A Rude Awakening

Post by Mikayla »

Haha I am glad to hear it. I've been busy with real life, so I haven't played since mid-August when I was playing in Ronan's Vilquari campaign. But I have a PC on BG, and I just logged in for the first time in .. I dunno .. 4 months? So, see you in game.

Ha! Good Fun!

Oh wait ... that's not my tag line. Uh .. hmm .. oh right ..

Ciao!
ALFA1-NWN1: Sheyreiza Valakahsa
NWN2: Layla (aka Aliyah, Amira, Snake and others) and Vellya
NWN1-WD: Shein'n Valakasha
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Ithildur
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Joined: Wed Oct 06, 2004 7:46 am
Location: Best pizza town in the universe
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Re: A Rude Awakening

Post by Ithildur »

8)
Formerly: Aglaril Shaelara, Faerun's unlikeliest Bladesinger
Current main: Ky - something

It’s not the critic who counts...The credit belongs to the man who actually is in the arena, who strives violently, who errs and comes up short again and again...who if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement, but who if he fails, fails while daring greatly.-T. Roosevelt
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