Skulls: The journal Of Brenna Skallington

[ravin]

Heroes, Dragons and the Burning Rock.

Olaf is back! Words alone cannot express the extent of my elation. My Olaf is home, the war is over. Months ago I would have seen such a statement as impossibility. There is no doubt now, I am his. I will not speak for him, but it is, as I elaborated to Sywyn ,“official” in any way such things can be. I have resolved never to let him from my sight again, if it can be helped. I know he will have missions and duties that I cannot assist with, but it is my most fervent hope to become strong enough to at least be of some use to him. Of all of the things he is known as: Hero, Spellguard, Patriot…the best title I think for him and one he seems to appreciate is: “My Love”.

We traveled from Rivermoot into the hills, he and I alone, He brought me over steep cliff faces and rocky inclines to the top of one of the many peaks in the snow encrusted range. I was astounded to see what looked to be a stone statue of a fallen giant. A massive hammer lay in the snow nearby as if it had slipped from the behemoth’s grip as he fell. It was rough hewn, as if the snow had blasted it over centuries. Near the statue was a rock, it lay amid the drifts of snow and burned seemingly of its own accord. There was no apparent fuel, no wood or oil seemed to be present. Olaf said that he had never seen it before and he had visited the site a few times. My first thought was that the rock perhaps fell from the sky. It may be some piece of falling matter from the stars broken off and fallen to Toril. It’s a romantic notion, but if it is some manner of star metal I would like to collect samples, perhaps I could have something crafted for him from it. I took some samples and I will run some tests to find out. We shall see.

After we the sun rose and our romantic refuge was interrupted by a rather rude goblin that seemed intent on showing Olaf the quick way down the mountain we returned first to Rivermoot and then home to Silverymoon.

It was after nightfall as we passed the Great Druid Oak. I did not hear it at first, and then the sound of what might have been sails fluttering in the wind came from ahead. Olaf stopped in his tracks. There was a nervous tone to his voice when he told me to stay back. “If that is what I think it is we are not going one step further” needless to say an instantaneous cold chill went through me. He sounded...afarid. He went on “I am skilled but I’m no match for a dragon”

I was afraid I had not heard properly. Did he say dragon?

“It could be a Wyvern” he whispered.

I didn’t feel any better.

Then as if the hill above us suddenly came to life the creature extended its neck and flapped its gigantic wings. I could see the eyes gleaming in the moonlight. My heart thundered in my chest. It was at once the most terrifying and exhilarating moment of my life. Here, less than a few hundred yards away was a full grown blue dragon! My mind raced through alternating possibilities of scientific inquiry and survival. My body had a total breakdown of coherent function. What came out of my mouth was a whispered litany to the tune of: “ohgodsohgodsohgodsohgodsohgodsohgodsohgods”

Olaf took my hand and carefully led me away from the beast. We made it to the great oak by way of ducking behind every tree large enough to offer a semblance of shelter.
When we were near the oak Olaf Warned the druids of the creature I stared into the darkness waiting for the slightest movement, the faintest sound. Nothing came. Just as silently as it came the creature was gone leaving little trace that it had ever been there. I look back now and realize that had Olaf not been there, had he not taken my hand I would be dead. I may have given into my instincts to run or scream and alerted the creature to my presence and thusly become a small snack for such an epic beast.

He does not realize it. He thinks of it simply as “what is necessary”. But He really is a Hero. He saved me again. His concern for my safety even led him to give me this enchanted ring that I now wear. He thinks nothing of it; it is just his way to care for those around him. To keep that which is important to him safe even at the risk of his own life.
Growing up I read all of the fairy tales, I read of the great gnome heroes like Verpoolisch Popplepip and other heroes and among them now I count Spellguard Olaforalanon Beljuril. To me, I suppose he has become THE Olaf. My very own hero.

[ravin]

We came to the moonshaes for a vacation. I think Olaf wanted visit the Yondallan festival and attend Madeline and Jonathan’s “wedding” . I wish it had all been joyful, festive laughter and dancing. I must admit, the first downturn was my own fault. Perhaps it was then new dress or the festive atmosphere but when Jonathan suggested that Olaf and I become handfasted for a year and a day ( not the life time binding ceremony that comprises a proper gnomish wedding ) I felt something in me go “what the hells”. Poor Olaf. Even now I feel like I forced him into this. He did not react with the enthusiasm I had imagined. Even knowing it was not a permanent arrangement. He was hesitant. And I…got hurt. He wanted friends present. I wanted something for us. I was not going to force the issue. I understood his thinking . It did not stop the pain though. I tried to reason it out. Tried to force myself to see the logic in it. I fear I failed. I am not good at hiding my emotions. Nor am I very apt at dealing with them. It causes problems. After Madeline and Jon’s ceremony the priestess , thinking that we were still going to be bound began to prepare the ceremony….I went over to stop her…and Olaf decided that we would continue. He asked me to forgive him for ‘dragging his feet”. I felt even worse. I felt like I had cast some guilt on him… forced him to make a decision by being unable to hide how I was feeling. I still feel this way. I feel that I somehow ruined everything for everyone.

The ceremony, which I barely made it through without crying, was brief…not what I had imagined and somehow my feelings of guilt made it seem like a stolen treasure. This was only compounded by the attack that occurred moments afterward. Swarms of rats came from the fields and began attacking us all around us creatures animals began attacking. Lives of both creature and villager were lost.

I came upon a rabbit who shouted at me ( yes it spoke) and asked that we stop killing them. For some reason it didn’t really strike me as odd. ( What IS odd for a forensic necrologist? ) I picked the rabbit up and questioned it. Apparently it was the brownie King and we were killing his people. They had come for food and when they asked the farmers had attacked. The following bloodshed had been the shrapnel of that exchange. Already feeling quite terrible I just wanted it all to end so I attempted to negotiate with the bunny king. It being of a bunny shape I attempted to soothe it with the same methods I use on Slinky. This, I found, was another mistake.
Next thing I realize the bunny brownie king is casting spells at me and my friends and a hole opens up below me. When I land, I’m in a small village of mushroom houses, tiny horses and little fey flitting about. There were half eaten mushrooms discarded in piles, as if they had been tested for nutritional value and deemed unsuitable. The Brownie king appeared, not as a rabbit but as a small winged humanoid. He offered to give me wings, to make me small. He offered me a kingdom, a place at his side…to be a queen. All I could think of was Olaf. He was going to be enraged. He was going to follow. He was going to unleash a missile storm in this cavern and destroy this little fey paradise because of me. He was angry because of me and there would be more blood…because of me.

It didn’t take long. I heard them in the tunnels the explosions, the shouting. Olaf appeared in the cavern. His eyes blazing with rage. He demanded my release. I had warned the fey king that Olaf would lash out…I tried but they didn’t listen. Spells flew all around me… Missile Storms, fire balls… somewhere amid the chaos I felt them sere into my skin..I was falling. I remember thinking that it was a fitting end.
I heard them yelling, through the haze of pain I saw Olaf. Fear on his face…I have seldom seen him afraid. I heard the fey king lamenting. Calling him bad fleeing into the castle, hiding. He had not meant for me to get hurt. Again, I had hurt someone turned a beautiful sentiment into a nightmare. When I could stand , the others , Jendari, Persephone , Aley , Fenrick and Jon came into the cave . I was trying to calm Olaf, to keep him from destroying the cavern. A young sylph, its wings crumpled crawled toward the small well calling out for her father. I wanted to cry. Olaf’s voice was cold as he said that her father was probably dead. It was Fenrick that healed the poor creature. I spoke to her. The poor thing was starving. I gave them the remainder of my dried loopberries. She told me that there were great worms that were destroying the forest and taking all the food. That is why they had gone to the village. That is why so many had died. Olaf was not convinced. His eyes were like steel. For the first time, I think I was afraid of him. I could not let this place die. No one had meant any harm. They were acting out of desperation and fear. I told the small creature that I would look for the worm, that I would make sure that they had food again.

Olaf did not come with us. I knew he would not. I asked him to go to the village. To tell them what happened. The rest of us set off after the worms. And we found them. Three giant purple worms. The battles were short. We were aided by a brigade of redcaps. It was all done…over. The forest would grow back, the fey would have food and the village would be safe. For now.

But what of the damage? What have I done to him? What price will there before my impulsive whim? Was this all just a Jest of Garl? I suppose I will find out soon enough.

[randomrper]

((Hey! Jendari healed the sylph! ))