[IC] Dragon Dance : The Frozen North (Hi-Casual) (Action-Adventure and Survival Horror in a Dark Shared Fantasy World) (Always Open)

[MrDidact]

299 DA

Winter Howl, the seat of House Wolfe in the North

The last gleam of sunlight was starting to wane. The red light of the setting sun grew fainter and fainter as dark clouds gathered and white snow began to blow in earnest. The air was strangely still despite the howling of the wind and the crunching march of the mighty host making its way across the deep snow. The rising snows blanketed everything and shrunk the land, obscuring the majestic mountains and vast forests to replace them with winter as far as the eye could see. Winter, when it should have been Spring. After weeks of marching, the Northerners finally caught sight of Winter Howl. The stout old fortress of House Wolfe was a welcome sight to the weary travelers. Despite the dark and bitter cold, the thousands of gathered Northmen felt hope.

Lord Wiglaf had called this Conclave, sending word to every holdfast, castle, port, and town in the North. Almost the entirety of the Northern nobility answered the call, from House Wolfe's principal bannermen to the lowest petty lord, human, elf, and dwarf alike. Even leaders of the Beserker tribes and Wildmen clans had come. Every major trade guild and merchant family had sent representatives. The captains of the mercenary Icebreakers had gathered, along with every free-rider, sellsword, and hedge knight for hundreds of league around. Both the College of Enchanters and the Faith had sent forth delegates, though the mages and sorcerers and templars and clerics were more than suspicious around each other.

Even the Nightsguard were there, figures wrapped in black cloaks riding black horses that stood out in stark contrast to the overwhelming white. Absent however were the Snow Court, Winter Coven, and Ice Clan. Alexander had brought Vampyr, Magi, and Werebeast into his kingdom but they were still largely not accepted and aloof from politics. And like any large gathering, camp followers, performers, merchants, and ladies of the night were in abundance. Refugees from across the North seeking shelter joined them, those whose homes were no longer safe in light of the dark winter.

The Northerners were not alone. The engagement of the Crown Prince to the Princess of the Rus demanded the involvement of most of Europa's nobility. But Lady White, Lord Beast, Prince Charming, and many others had heard talk of ill omens in the North and sent their own men to investigate. Lady White, Lady Paramount of the Winterlands bordering the Rus, had a vested interest in the affairs of her neighbor and Lord Beast as Alpha of all Were-people sent his men to inquire after his brethren in the North. The Charmings were involved because they very much believed in being involved with everything.

With three Great Houses involved, other nobles and knights had seen this as an opportunity for glory or gain. Ser Erik Villenueve, Beast's second son, had the command but Lady White had sent along her sister's bastard, the youth commonly known as Red Snow and Prince Charming had sent along his cousin young Brandon and some men. Their procession had joined the Northerners and all made their way to Winter Howl. The footprints and hoof-marks of this great procession was the only evidence of their passing and even now the snow was starting to sweep it away.

Finally the march arrived on the outskirts of Wolfe land. The fortress overlooked the sprawling city surrounding it, all encircled by a stone wall with a number of farms nearby. And almost immediately a tent city sprang up as the soldiers and servants of the host erected their temporary dwellings, the most important of the delegates would no doubt find room in Wiglaf's vast hall. The was crammed with the local townsfolk as well as smallfolk from the surrounding farms and holdfasts, and travelers across the province and elsewhere who sought shelter from the surprise storms. Soon every inn was full to bursting and every house was crammed. At least here the stillness of the snow was torn by the sheer vivacity of life. The population of Wolftown multiplied rapidly.

With little fanfare, the delegation was shown into the Wolf Hall. Lord Wiglaf, tall and stern, sat at the high seat with his retainers around him and his wife at his side. Already present were representatives of the Grendel clan. Their forebear had been killed by Beowulf but the reptilian family had connections to the Dragon Court and were the de-facto dragon lords of the North though they had no real dragons. The tension in the air between the descendants of the mortal foes was palpable.

However, Wiglaf elected to skip the pleasantries and addressed the crowd, "I gathered you all here today because the winds of winter are holding our land. Blizzards and snowstorms ravage us in the midst of spring, we have lost all contact with our people on the shore and in the east. Entire villages have disappeared and there are reports of mysterious bands of raiders and beasts of sinister nature. There has been no word from the Imperial Navy and Winter Watch remains silent. Even the Aesir have not answered our calls. You are all lucky to have arrived before the worst of the storms." Wiglaf gestured at Ser Erik, Ser Brandon, and Red Snow, "Can we expect any more aid from the Capital?"

Ser Erik shook a massive head, "No. It is with regret that I must report that the Fire Throne cannot send anymore aid than our families have already provided. The King is dead." The shock reverberated across the hall and Wiglaf had to shout for quiet. Erik continued, "The Prince has not yet been wed and the Court in a flurry. There are a thousand stories as to how the King died and Inquisition is struggling to get to the truth. The Chancellor, the Queen, and the Lady Marshall are fighting over regency and none have been permitted to leave the city since the King's death. Red Snow received word from his aunt just yesterday through sending stone." The Lady White was a talented sorcerer, inheriting her gifts from her mother as well as powerful artifacts in the wake of her death, "All the armies of Alexandria and the court mages are unavailable. We are on our own for the foreseeable future."

Wiglaf sighed, "So it is. My council and I fear this to be some sort of fell curse or dark magic, and it could be of any origin. There are monsters and raiders in the country and more of the smallfolk vanish every day. I fear we may be attacked by some foe we cannot readily discern, hence the need to call my banners. I need every resource I can to discover the nature of this dark winter and how we can stop it. With the continued war with Neverland and our uncertainty of the Rus, we must be ready for anything. As such, I decree that the majority of our gathered force will remain here to prepare for a possible incursion and as a position from where we can begin restoring order."

"However, if this be some dark magic then we need Nightsguard. We have a few of the black brothers and sisters here but we have had no word of the main garrison. I need a small force of a thousand or so to ride forth and investigate. The roads are no longer safe and the winter winds make travel all the harder. But it must be done. My daughter will lead the force, I need volunteers to accompany her. Let it be known that any and all skilled adventurers are welcome on this undertaking, and there is a reward. Ser Erik, you and your best men shall accompany my daughter along with whoever among my bannermen are not needed in the defense of the North. We must act quickly for the cold is advancing rapidly." He turned to a dark-haired woman as tall and hard as himself, "Jennifer. Gather your men and march today. Before it is too late."

Ser Jennifer gathered the knights, mages, and rangers who could be spared but soon the word spread throughout Wolftown. Any soul who was brave enough, skilled enough, or fool enough to join was welcome to accompany the knight on her journey. The promise of gold and glory proved just enough to tempt a few souls to leave the comfort of Wolftown while duty compelled others. Through heralds and official postings the word was spread until the whole city knew. The recruits were gathered outside the city gates, an eclectic force with men and women of all races from all walks of life, mages, scholars, sellswords, rogues, clerics, and more were among them. They spent frantic hours preparing before the nobles mounted their horses and lead the march, followed by coaches and wagons full of passengers and marching soldiers. They would reach Winter Watch by nightfall but until then the travelers had time to themselves.

[Bubsy 2]

As Naziha's horse picked her way through the snowy plains to Wolftown Naziha found herself reflecting glumly on her own poor choice of destination. She was wrapped heavily in furs, purchased for some small pittance from a hunter along the way, and she was still cold to the bone. She chose not to travel with the large host, not for want, but for fear of some Alkebulan agent picking her up along the way. She was indeed entirely alone on her chosen path (Or so she thought) and did not hesitate to voice her frustrations aloud "Damn this endless chill!" She shouted to no one in particular. For an Alkebulan native snow that came in large droves like this, or any variety of snow for that matter, were not accustomed, nor the cold that accompanied it. "It's Spring here just like everywhere else, right?", once again questioning no one in particular, but somewhat quieter then last time. Her skin thirsted for the prickly heat of the desert, and she found that she preferred her dunes a sandy brown rather then white. She hugged close to her mount, the beast at least giving her some small degree of warmth.

She at least had the distant sight of Wolftown to encourage her: The hope of hall and hearth, and perhaps some stout Northern brew, had tempered her conviction. The thought of money to be made also had a similar effect. But as she pressed on she began to realize that her road was not quite as desolate as it was before. A pair of footed men were taking the path before her, advancing slowly upon her, and they did not seem the sort that were merely innocent wanderers. There hands rested on their sword pommels, and they had the trademark mischievous grin of ne'er-do-wells. She quickly stiffened, and turned behind her, looking for some other pathway. She came to the realization that another pair were advancing on her from behind. A man from the pair before her called out, "You there! You're aware there's a toll on this road, aren't you? I'm going to have to ask you to hand over a little silver, for the Noble Lord Wiglaf, of course." It did not take a fool to see that these men were no lordly envoys. It was a hustle.

She dismounted. She was aware that through her furs neither her gender nor the fact that she was armed was discernible. She lowered her hood, revealing the face underneath. The before lax men visibly stiffened, perhaps in more way then one. "Oh, dear, I'm sorry boys, but I'm afraid I'm without coin..." She let her sentence trail off before approaching the man, "Perhaps you might let me off easy?" She said, taking the tall man into her arms, himself yielding willingly, flashing a seductive smile. He was slow to reply, "We-well, maybe we can work out a little agreement?" She smiled, the folds of her furs peeling back to reveal the glint of her knife, "That would be nice." She said, thrusting it into his stomach. His compatriots, onlooking from a distance, were as slow as him to realize what had happened, only being tipped of by the drizzle of blood that stained the white snow. She threw the man into the on that stood next to them, knocking him over. She quickly pushed the now-corpse of and pushed the man back down as he attempted to rise, bringing the knife to his throat and ending his life.

Now the pair from behind began their charge. Now she threw off the heavy furs, revealing her voluptuous form wrapped in vibrant purple silks from her homeland. She also revealed the crossbow strapped across her back, which she drew quickly. She took aim at one of the men charging and let her bolt fly, killing him in only the matter of a second. The other man was a problem that she would deal with close. She reached for another bolt but as she began to reload he was already upon her. She caught his sword on the steel stirrup of her bow and then quickly leapt backwards, beginning to reload in the air, and finding the bolt successfully chambered on landing. She took aim in less then a second, and squeezed the trigger, lodging the bullet in his head.

By the time the confrontation was over she found herself freezing worse then before without her furs. She quickly reholstered her weapon, and then ran for her furs, quickly wrapping herself in their partially ineffectual warmth. She retrieved the pair of blots she lost and cleaned the men's blood from them before returning them her quiver. She mounted her horse and resumed her course.

The journey to Wolftown continued without incidence and she was glad to reach the gates of the town. She found entry a bit before the assorted host to her back and made her way in. She quickly found the most expensive and luxurious inn available and purchased drink, seating herself by the more then welcome heat of the hearth. The stout Northern brew was not what she was accustomed to but it nonetheless helped warm her. She whiled away some odd hours in the common room before a crier entered the room, declaring before the bustling inn that an incursion of soldiers are to head further north, and all adventurers were welcome. Naziha was not interested until she heard the words 'worthy reward'. She was ready to go within the hour, and took her horse to meet the march. She feel along with the small host, mostly made up of hapless adventurers. She lazily followed the march, still cursing the cold.

[thegreenleafe]

Wrapped in his luxurious fur cloak the Count wound way up the, surprisingly well kept, road north. He had just came from the Lady White's holdings, somehow every year the lowly Count has been able secure small feasts with her and her councilors. With lips red as a rose, hair black as ebony, and skin white as snow; Lady White was truly the fairest of them all and Aleksei often told her of her great beauty. But most of all the Lady enjoyed compliments to her other qualities as it can only become a bore to hear the same line over and over. So the young Count always seemed to show interest in the Lady's intellectual prowess and talk about how she has secured her power in the Land of White. Aleksei often pressed her for a story or two from earlier times, while Aleksei saw it as somewhat depressing when the twinkle in her doe brown eyes appears. In the end, its all about keeping up relations between the great Rus Tsardom and the surrounding Houses. An added bonus was a small piece of information that the Lady had let fly after a glass of wine or two. Lady White had said that she sent some of her loyal men to investigate rumors of "ill omens" in the City of Wolftown. She said with with a smile, she seemed to emanating beauty from her pores, and said,

"Young Count Aleskei, I need you make way to Wolftown with great haste. For I trust my men, but there is something about you that I trust," with the honey dripping from her tongue Lady white had to be enchanting the Count, " and if this task is complete I shall owe you a favor." Aleskei unaware of the masterful magic that enabled him to be a mere pawn in this strange game of manipulation instantly accepting saying that, "Of course I shall help you Lady White, it would be my pleasure." And almost immediately he sent word to Igor, his life long servant and remaining father figure, to meet him in Wolftown with a modest amount of coin and bring with him three of his most skilled men ready to investigate for Lady White. The magic, still working him, almost made him set out while the sun was setting and the already harsh winter becoming harsher. Luckily for him Lady White was known for her compassion and asked him to stay the night in one of the guest chambers before setting out on the morrow.

The sun did not shine that morning, but instead grey clouds ran across the sky as if to warn travelers of danger in the land. Aleksei was oblivious to this as he had woken slightly late and had to rush out of the castle practically still pulling on a bit while he mounted Eva, his horse. She, the horse, was a glorious sight. The horse was pure black and seemed to give off power due to her size. One of the few things in the world that Aleksei loved was his horse and he often found her the best stabling before he checked her hooves to make sure she didn't have a hidden irritant. Setting off at a good pace the Count and his mare made there way north, toward the city of Wolftown.

It was closer to nightfall now, the skies somehow became darker as the winds picked up and snow began to drop with it. The cold did dig into the Count, but he was not yet too uncomfortable; there have been some harsh winters in Rus, just not this harsh. With Wolftown in the distance Eva was spurred forward hoping to make the next hour or so shrink down into something more manageable.

They were making good time till the Count and his midnight mare were stopped in their very tracks by a ghastly sight. On the ground lay four men, each of them surrounded by the crimson color of blood. Aleskei muttered to himself, "This is horrid, what marauder did this?" He continued to investigate the bodies of the men, noting their wounds."The first was stabbed in the gut and left to bleed out while the one behind him had his throat slashed and it left a macabre grin. The other two seem to have been shot with an perhaps a bolt and then ripped out which left a very gruesome hole, but they seemed to not have suffered. They were the lucky ones who didn't suffer." He mounted Eva again and gave a second look to the messy scene. " Perhaps this was an ambush. Interesting." Aleksei put the thought on the back of his mind no longer caring for anything besides a fire.

The gates of the town were iron wrought and told of the heroic story of Beowulf, the iron work must have cost a small fortune for the figures were detailed. Aleksei had mentally noted that hopefully he may have at least gate telling the story of his life. As he entered the city he was startled as he heard his name yelled at the top of somebody's lungs. He rotated on his saddle and saw a man waving wearing fur cuffed leather armor, it was the youthful Alexandr, one of his top men. "Master Aleksei, follow me this way, Igor has a room for you out of the cold and some promising information."

Once inside Aleksei shook off the snow and hung his cloak on a hook. Still following Alexandr through the strangely crowded inn he arrived at a room and Alexandr firmly rapped on the door. In the room was a familiar loud voice that brought Aleksei back to his childhood, "Go away, in the name of all the gods, I do not need another drunkard." Aleksei smiled before he opened the door to see the bemused face of Igor and the other two travelers, Vlad and Maks who are both men in their early forties. "So shall I go Igor or..." Aleksei trailed off the smile on his face going from ear to ear. "No no, but there have been a multitude of drunks knocking on the door like it owned them money. How goes your work? Wait no time for small talk, there are small troop movements north and if you are still interested in helping the Lady White I suggest that we follow them. In fact there have been promises of reward and any of that can help your... plans..." Intrigued at the news Aleksei suggested they get mounted now and if they do no tarry they could catch the rear end of the column of troops. At the suggestion of their lord they left the paid room and ventured into the cold following a young Count fueled by desire and greed.

[MarshiestMallow]

For the young woman, the young halfling, the cold north was something she had never seen before, and for her, something she wondered if she were foolish to experience. Use to the warm weather of the Summer Courts, Tori had become accustomed to it. Yet She had slowly grown...weary of it. She wanted to be able to see the world for herself, and yet, now that she was exploring these parts, she wished she were back...home? Was it home? Could she consider it home?

No. It was merely a place to go back to. A place where she could have a bed, and food, but beyond that, she didn't have much enactment to it. Perhaps, if she had met her mother, she would have. Although that certainly wasn't true for her fathers homeland. She wanted both worlds. And yet, somehow, she just wasn't able to figure out how.

]b]"Jeez, its cold. You'd think the walking would keep me warm, but no"[/b] She muttered to herself, sighing. Why hadn't she thought to pack some warm clothes? Going to the cold, you expect cold, don't you? She looked about herself, wondering if she could risk a little bit of magic, just to warm herself. Her jacket wasn't cutting it, and she worried she might freeze. She bit her lip, thinking.

She walked with a graceful stride. An almost dancing sway as she walked, clearly not looking where she was going, just following the road. Her eyes were bright, well, what one could see of them, as she had her spare shirt bundled around her head, covering her mouth, nose and forehead against the biting cold of the wind. As she contemplated whether to use her magic or not, she stumbled and wasn't able to catch herself.

That was all she remembered, until she woke a substantial time later. She realised she was moving, the sound and feel of hooves beneath her. ANd she was sitting up, tied against someone. And she was warm. A coat was bundled around her, and for a moment she couldn't figure out what it was made from, and then figured it was some sort of fur. She didn't care. It was warm. She must have moaned, or something, done something to alert the person who had helped her that she was awake.

She was shocked to realise they were a woman, dressed in black, as they looked back at her, their dark eyes serious. "Ma'am, you are either incredibly stupid, or you were attacked. Walking around like you were, barely covered enough to keep you warm They shook their head, and looked back ahead, "You must have hit your head pretty bad. Been out for a good long time. Probably going to miss some of the meeting now, but Couldn't just leave you there, could I?" They shook their head.

Tori noticed they didn't give a name. She didn't ask, nor supply them with hers. Instead, she muttered a "thank you" and managed to untie herself. She figured she would let this person take her where she was going, and save herself some walking distance. She figured it would be where people were, and that was all that mattered to tori. People that she could help with her magic. She shifted, feeling the comfortable weight of her staff against her back. It was short, but she didn't use it for anything other then magic and thus, didn't need length. It made her feel safe.

She soon saw the town, and that they had reached "Wolftown". Well, that made it clearer for her where they were. One of the places she had been prepared to stop at, at least. So she knew where she was. And that she wasn't being taken somewhere wacky. However, the rider didn't stop, instead she continued on their way, and Tori felt a wave of uneasiness, as they approached a fortress. It looked old, and suddenly, Tori wished with all her heart that she was in the Summer Courts.

[Zealous Blade]

While winters in the Imperium were notably cold, the frost that Baleno currently faced was a new demon altogether. When he had been told that they would be heading far north, Baleno expected a tragic shift in temperature but not anything such as this. He could feel ice crystallizing on the tails of his cloak as he trudged through the deep snow spread across Wolftown. It seemed like it was only yesterday that he was in the Olympus Imperium begging for work. Now here he was in the service of the prestigious House Charming. He was by no means a high ranking soldier. As a matter of fact, his status within the house's army was questionable. As a sellsword he mostly worked for his employers temporarily before being on his way. However, he had the feeling that this time around would be different. Given all the rumors he heard, he would be sticking around for quite awhile. An abnormality was afoot and it seemed to be spreading rapidly. It was supposed to be spring but it felt as if winter's grasp still latched onto the world. Perfect for a man of half-Alkhebulan descent.

Having only been in the service of House Charming for a short stent, Baleno had yet to secure a relationship with his would be comrades. He wasn't the most sociable man on the planet. Given that he encountered very few who were like him throughout his life, it was fair to say that Baleno himself was an oddity. He could feel the stares of those who passed by him on the white Wolftown streets as he went on his way. An individual of brown complexion wasn't native to these cold parts. One of Baleno's biological parents - as he concluded - had to be from the far southern land where giant reptiles reigned supreme. He only knew of his supposed homeland through mere tall tales and they certainly did not paint an elaborate image. All Baleno could piece together about Alkhebulan was that it more than likely wasn't suffering from an extended winter like the one plaguing the far north. He didn't mind going there at the moment but duty called. Distracting his mind from the bitter cold, Baleno imagined himself walking freely through a warm grassland as he made his way towards the inn were his squad was set to regroup.

Given the ongoing events, the town was exceeding its capacity and its streets were crowded. Baleno couldn't ignore the constant chattering that piled his ears even if he wanted to. He eavesdropped on countless conversations both blatantly and accidentally. Ergo, it was only destiny that he would find out about the outcome of the meeting and what was to come next. He was undoubtedly interested for he was in need of another chance to prove his worth. It appeared that a procession would be gathering at the edge of the town and anyone was permitted to join. Having not attended the meeting in person, Baleno judged that the resulting expedition was related to it. He didn't care at all about the politics involved. He was good at only one thing which was fighting and that was all he came there for. He settled down at the inn and took a brief respite from the cold. After awaking from a nap which he was reluctant to end, he got dressed and departed.

He arrived where the procession was gathering outside of the city not much later. He was amazed by the sheer diversity of those who amassed. It seemed as if there was a representative from every major group plus more that was going along on the mission. Being the silent type, Baleno resolved to hang in the rear in order to get a feel of exactly what kinds of people he was going to be around. He felt that it would be unwise to trust them all. Just because their respective factions had all been gathered for the same cause did not mean they were necessarily on the friendliest of terms. Maybe it was just him, but Baleno could feel the early indications of tension brewing. He kept his hand rested on his sword's hilt even though they had yet to depart. When the march started, he failed to resist the temptation of scowling at those around him. He didn't want to be labeled as a small fish in the giant pond.

[fantasyfan28]

The snow fox crept forward, nose poised to sniff at the scents of many blooms. Flowers that should not have blossomed for many months were on display, the frozen white carpet of snow gave way to a veritable blanket of lushous green grass, this was the home of the druidess known as Little Red Riding Hood, she answered to the human name Lilly Rider. A third name, a secret name she herself did not know, was the reason why the little fox, who was not really a fox, was there to find her. But first, the little creature had to get past the wards.

Lilly sat in her small home, it was the same cottage that had belonged to her human grandmother, the same one in the story that had sparked off rumours behind her being named for the coloured cloak's hood she almost always wore. The tall woman's lithe and graceful hands flew over the sewing that she was completing, another quilted coverlet would soon be finished. It was one of the many ways the woman supplemented her meager earnings. Although she was by no means poor, Lilly was abundantly rich in other ways. She paused in her last stitch, a small smile crossed her lips. Something, no some one had triggered one of her wards, it was no more than a silent alarm. Yet Lilly knew that the intruder was almost at her door.

Almost to the door, the fox decided to drop the shapeshifting spell he had enacted. The white fur fell away and draped across the fast forming shape of an elven male. He strode up the steps with a fluidity in his stride that would make most animals envious. Yet he did not know what the outcome of his visit would be, several spells came to his mind just in case. As he reached out a hand to knock, the cottage door opened of its own accord. He too smiled, impressed that even his stealthly approach had been noted. It spoke volumes of how powerful the young woman inside the dwelling truly was.
He took a step inside and almost immediately had to back out the door as he came face-to-point with a very sharp looking arrowtip.

Lilly calmly spoke, secure in her own strength, especially in this place. "You have one chance to explain yourself, now state your business and be gone, otherwise you will find yourself truly acquainted with my arrow"

The strange elven male, caught off guard for perhaps the third time in his long life, took the threat seriously, he slowly held his hands to his throat and twisted a hidden choker, thus armed he answered, his grasp of the common tongue was unique, his lyrical voice conjuring words as he spoke them.

"Your true name is Lillianathalus of house Solaron. Long we have searched, far beyond the realms of elves. I had hoped to find my sister's child among our peoples but instead have found you here, you are one of the missing. I have come to ask you to return home and take your rightful place amongst the people."

Lilly knew the man was telling the truth, a lot of it made sense to her, she had always known she was different from the other people she had been brought up around, yet why had it taken them so long to find her?. She did not know how to react, did she want to leave her home, the place she had grown up in and the forest she loved?. Would she find her birth parents how she had imagined them as a small child?. Would she even be accepted? Before any of these questions could bubble to the surface and escape her usually controlled self another small alarm went off. Turning away from the elven messenger, Lilly somehow knew he would not attack her, Lilly looked out one of her windows that looked out onto the well tended garden she kept. The alarm had come from one of her moonpools. She quickly grabbed her cloak, stopped by her door to throw on her fur boots, and to grab her bags that contained many of the components she would need and ran out the door and through the ivy covered arch that led to her garden.

Lilly approached the moonpool with hesitant steps. Usually the placid waters were still and serene, holding the reflection of the moon and she would use them as instuments of healing sick animals and gauging the weather. Now however, the pools were frothing and foaming. Even this did not last long, a icy film gradually spread over the surface, calming the water beneath a frozen lid. Lilly gasped at this, the moonpools were enchanted by several powerful spells that should have prevented this. However, the fact that they had been frozen, and whilst she was still in the grove meant that something was very wrong. As she turned to leave, she almost collided with the male.

"I believe if you are searching for answers to this troubles, you might wish to travel to the great human fortress called Wolftown, some of our people are there already, they are to lend support in times of troubles. Something tells me this magic should not have had any effect here"

Lilly stopped to look back at the pools, already the ice had thickened and a frost was creeping outwards, the plants she had so carefully nurtured and helped to grow would soon be dead, but if she could not stop the spread herself then there was wisdom in the stranger's words.

"I will go to this place you spoke of, yet I do not know the way."

The elven male smiled at her, a smile that showed amusement and also if it was possible a sense of superiority.

"Do not worry little doe, I know the way. If you would like to prepare for the journey I can have us there in no time at all"

Lilly was not sure she was comfortable with the way the man spoke to her, she turned to walk past him, to prepare for their journey. She hoped that the clansmen and women would not have need of her for the foreseeable future, something told her this trip would be longer than just a week or two. With a sigh she went about packing a few essential items, as she packed the strange elf watched her. If she had not been so distracted by all the new events, she might have realised that the elf had not even offered his own name.

[MrDidact]

Winter Watch

Even among the freezing cold and blinding snowfall, Winter Watch was unmistakable. The Nightsguard had cut down all the trees within ten miles of the castle and the stout fortress sat on a high hill commanding a view for miles around. Its' sturdy stones had guarded the North long before dragons had ever flown over the frozen landscape. There were almost a thousand men garrisoned in Winter Watch at all times, minus those black brethren who traveled the countryside. There were just more than hundred night brothers and sisters accounted for, there had been no word from Lord Commander Bofur Fortinbras for more than a month. No ravens had flown back from the castle, no mages had replied on the sending stones, and every messenger had gone missing. The storms had likely contributed to the silence but did not explain the complete lack of communication.

And under the dark clouds and white moon Ser Jennifer and her men saw why. As they approached the castle they could see no torches burning in the night and as they emerged from the thick forest, land surrounding the castle was a killing field. Bodies littered the approach, almost as far as the eye could see. Men, horses, and monsters. Furry frost trolls, giant jotuns, horned ogres and more sprawled dead on the ground next to black brethren. Spears and arrows and blades remained stuck fast or gripped in dead fingers. There a group of black brothers had their throats ripped out or their guts slashed out, the werebear next to them crushed under a boulder. There several bodies were just dried husks surrounding the burned carcass of a robed figure. One spot was just a giant red stain and puree of organs and bones under a twenty foot giant with arrows piercing every inch of his gargantuan body. There were dozens, hundreds, of scenes with the same brand of horror. The carnage was moderately covered with a few inches of snowfall.

The Nightsguard had fought and fought, there were more dead creatures than dead ravens but there must of been more than two hundred black garbed corpses. The Northern Nightsguard had defended their castle against jotuns, svartalves, drow, trolls, ogres, grendlekin, giants, vampyr, werebeasts, and many more kinds of fell creatures and dread beasts. There were other human bodies, without black cloaks or black robes or black armor. There were robed mages, fur-coated archers, and plated warriors, men and women both. And many of them. But none wore a device or emblem, no flags or banners flew on the field besides tattered Nightsguard banners. Who were these mystery men? Mercenaries? Raiders? In league with all manner of beasts?

Ser Jennifer called an end to the march half-way through the killing field. The castle was eerily silent, even as the silent screams of the dead etched every corpse. There were no animals and even the wind seemed to shun this place. The lady knight surveyed her forces and said, "I will lead the main host further on. We will then split into two groups, one to surround the fortress while the other enters through the gates. Another smaller detachment will enter through the underground tunnels the ravens built in case of emergency. Red Snow and Sister Alyss have the command of that detachment. We will all meet near the inner keep. Any black brothers you find alive will be tended to. Anything else will be cut down." Ser Erik, grunted and his large human frame morphed into an even larger furry bulk with the horns of a bull, claws of a wolf, and tusks of a hog. Red Snow drew up his crimson hood as Sister Alyss, the Nightsister who had brought Tori along checked her daggers.

The adventurers had the choice of joining either the clandestine team or the vanguard. Once groups were chosen, the host marched on to the gates while Sister Alyss lead a small group to find the escape tunnel. It was hidden in the nearby forest in the form of an old tree. Alyss knocked a tune on the old wood and the trunk retracted, the roots moving to show stairs leading underground. Alyss drew a dagger while shining a glowstone and walked in, Red Snow with a nocked arrow besides her. Meanwhile, the main host saw the castle clearer. The towers and battlements were heavily damaged, boulders embedded in the walls and the castle partially dismantled. The Nightsguard had a detachment of gargoyles who would awaken at night to defend them as well as golems at the gates. A pair of golems had been reduced to stone piles while all the gargoyle roosts were either empty or sat upon by rubble.

A frozen moat surrounded the castle and several bodies bobbed in the water, as the cold once again froze it over. However a long icy path had been formed to the gates which were smashed open and clogged with yet more bodies. Drawing her sword, Jennifer lead her men in. The mounted party and foot soldiers entered the courtyards and saw even more devastation and carnage, here the bodies of ravens numbered even greater than outside the walls with even more monstrous corpses besides them. The large tower keep had could be seen farther along. Erik sniffed the air as Jennifer looked around. The mess hall, black smith, and stables were all burnt down. Not a living soul besides them could be heard.

More bodies in anonymous cloaks and armor were espied and Erik finally said, "I smell many things. Elf, dwarf, man, troll. Many kinds of blood have been spilled here." Jennifer nodded, "Yes, we need to find survivors. Split up and-" she never got to finish as suddenly dozens of the mysterious raiders were suddenly not so dead and jumped to their feet brandishing weapons and shouting. Arrows started flying from across the courtyard on the roofs of the surrounding buildings and many kinds of shrieks, roars, and cries echoed as monsters clawed their way from under the snow or burst out of doors leading to the castle's innards.

The gathered mages spread their arms and shielded the host from the arrows in a large dome, but the hostile swords crossed through easily enough, flashing steel. Jennifer shouted, "To arms! For the Empire!" Erik roared and charge as the Imperial Host meet their foe head on. Steel flashed as they fought against monster and man alike, keeping careful to stay within the dome or else be shot by the hail of arrows. For the moment they held fast, but more and more seemed to be coming and they were surrounded. Someone needed to take care of the archers or they would be pinned down and falter. Meanwhile twelve foot frost troll leveled the trunk of a tree and swung it down against the dome, roaring as he tried to smash their protection away.

Down in the tunnel Sister Alyss saw why none had come this way, the passage was absolutely choked with bodies. It seemed as if the secret passage had been compromised. They were under the castle after several minutes when Alyss held up a fist, throwing her glowstone on the path ahead. Red Snow drew his bow, "What is it?" Alyss gritted her teeth, "I know that smell. Draugr." The stench of decay suddenly rose to choke the breath out of them right before they heard an inhuman chorus of howling. Then eyes, eyes bluer than any mortals. And rank upon rank of dead things. Shambling corpses with rotted armor and rusted weapons. Draugr often haunted the barrows in the North, but there should be none here. They saw dozens. Red Snow loosed arrow after arrow, felling many but more kept coming. Alyss slashed her twin daggers in a flurry of slashes and stabs, black blood staining the walls. Above all the rest a seven foot corpse slowly advanced dragging a huge hammer the size of a regular man. Red Snow shouted, "Kill them all! Again! Do you want to be buried here?!?"

[MarshiestMallow]

Tori seemed to have been caught up in this nightmare, for that's what she wished it were. So suddenly everything has happened, all she had wished to do was see what was happening, hear what was happening, and suddenly she was marching to battle. She never expected to be here, to be with the nights guard attacking things that go bump on the night. How was this possible?

She ended up with Sister Alyss-she had discovered the night sisters name, not because the woman had told her, but rather in passing as one of her men addressed her. As the woman checked her daggers, Tori suddenly wished she had more then just her magic, staff, and the one small dagger she used for skinning meat. She still wore the cost that Sister Alyss had given her and was grateful for its warmth, even as she shivered. Not from cold, but rather from fear.

What was she doing here? Her, a commoners daughter, fighting with the nights watch. When she was barely competent in magic, barely able to hold her own in the Summers Court. Was she foolish? She didn't know. All she knew was that she was here, and that part of her was doing it because she felt like she owed this Sister Alyss, for quite likely saving her life. And she felt like she had a responsibility to do what she could, to aid these brave people.

After all, she had her magic, her power. Shouldn't she use it to protect people? Even if she was as green as summer grass? She felt like she should. Even if it scared the crap out of her, and she felt like she just wanted to go home. Even if she was shaking in the warm coat, her worn travel clothes, and her staff, somehow in her hands without her even thinking of grabbing it. She followed Alyss and her men as Alyss tapped on some sort of door way obviously and followed as they went though.

As they encountered the beings, the undead beings, and Alyss'a voiced carried to her, despite where she was in the ranks, Tori shuddered. Draugr. Undead beings, little more then rotting corpses with weapons. As they descend on them, Tori find herself pushing to the front of the ranks, besides Red Snow and Soater Alyss, even as she wanted to run away, as fast and as far as she could. She needed to be in front, where she wouldn't risk hurting the men and women of the nights watch.

Spells on the tip of her tongue, she threw the coat back slightly and held out her staff in front of her, muttering the spells. Fire formed like a blast, a stream that hit the Draugr. She had a few potions that could help replenish her energy, but she wasn't a fool. She slowed her attack, stopping for a few moments, stepping back to let someone take her spot, ready to step back in front when the Draugr drew near.

[thegreenleafe]

Aleksei was grouped with Vanguard, most likely due to his meager detachment of three extra men with war horses. Pulling up the rear the four compatriots in conspiracy, as well as in the small investigation that the Count was sent upon by the Lady White, saw the castle. Even from a distance the feeling of dread and smell death emanated from the cold stone castle and the feelings seem to grow stronger when the tower was viewed from head on. The piles of carcasses around Aleksei had little effect on him, but the tower seemed to make him uneasy; however he pressed on determined to keep up with the group.

The courtyard was desolate, the shadows of crows gave the smallest amount of trepidation of all the evil. Behind Aleksei was a whisper from perhaps Alexandr,

"What the hell caused this, by the gods look a troll eye." As soon as Alexandr made eye contact the eye blinked. At this moment ghastly shrieks of monsters penetrated the air. Eva ninnied confidently, not scared of the impending death. Aleksei pet his horse's neck briefly before the party, readying himself for the battle. In a split second all hell broke loose, arrows thudding into shields and bodies. An ice troll was threw a tree into the dome. The troll needed to be dealt with, but the archers prevent that. The chaos around him shrank to a dim roar as Aleksei thought on how to escape to the ramparts. A second later he had a plan. The count grabbed the spear of a near by infantryman and used the but to push him out of the safety of the dome. He became a pin cushion for the archers on the ramparts, seizing this moment the Count spurred his horse forward through the crowd and out of the dome.

This move was unexpected by everybody from the monsters to his detachment who had to dart after him hoping to keep him alive while slashing at monsters. Aleksei maneuvered his horse past the monsters and using his spear the Count ran through the Minotaur in the doorway that lead to the ramparts. He immediately regretted his decision, now the young Aleksei was at a disadvantage. He dismounted his horse and drew Lenya, his father's sword. The minotaur that was run through picked itself back up and broke off the huge spear shaft. You could virtually see the steam coming from his nose as the minotaur gave off a mighty roar and took off, death was awaiting Aleksei who saw no other solution that to charge back. Out of nowhere three spears rammed into the minotaur picking it off of its feet and slamming the minotaur into the ground. Aleksei shocked to be alive took this moment to hack at the creatures throat. The blood covered Aleksei as the creature's last breaths finished short and gasping for air. Wiping the blood from his eyes a lucky, young Count Looked up the flight of stairs. Above him the archers fired off arrow after arrow. He ran up the stairs while his fellow countrymen grabbed their spears all the while hoping to draw the arrows off of the vanguard.

At the top of the ramparts the four peeked out looking for a way to stop the arrows. It was silent minus the the breathing and the sound of battle below. A torch of light might have appeared over the head of Vlad as he whispered to the group,

"Look there," he pointed to a soldier without a bow, "that's a commander, he tells when and where to shoot as a whole group. Its often used for large groups when individual archers are lacking in skill." If we take him out they'll run around like a chicken without a head." Everyone else wondered one thing, "How?" However that was the problem they had to either draw him over or kill him from a distance. With only spears that wasn't possible. Their best idea was throwing rocks at the commander, which would be hilarious if there wasn't deaths all around. One rock hit an archer on his head and he turned to see the group throwing the rocks. He immediately turned and fired his next arrow off. The arrow shattered against the stone and the commander yelled for for a group to run to the door way. Readying themselves, they waited for the first to come through the door.

[fantasyfan28]

Lilly and the stranger left her home within the hour. She had been appalled to see that the ice had already completely covered over half her garden, she could keenly feel all of her plants crying out in pain, yet she could not afford to attempt any more spells without knowing the origin of the ice. Her companion kept quiet throughout her packing, he did not offer any words other than to remind her they had need for haste when he saw her tarry at the hedgeline.

Several frantic hours later, and only a few miles away from their starting point. The strange elf held up a hand and motioned for Lilly to stop. She did immediately and reached to restring her bow, there was a sense of menace hanging in the air. The elf noticed this and scowled at her. Lilly returned the scowl but dropped her hand to her side. Not one for taking orders or being told what to do she was about to give the elf a tongue lashing that would strip off some of his haughtiness when a eagle-like shriek cried out through the darkness.

Reacting upon instinct, Lilly raised her staff in front of her, not having time the time to restring it into her longbow. She held it defensively and ran her hand across several carvings etched into the surface. Whatever was out there, just beyond her field of vision, held it's place. As if waiting for them to go towards it. The elf turned to her and shook his head at her reflexive need to react with violence. He started walking, muttering to himself in what Lilly could only imagine was elven. The words meant nothing to her yet they conjured images in her head with their lyrical quality. She hurried after him but made sure the staff was gripped firmly in case it was needed.

Moonlight peeked through the canopy and the trees themselves seemed to thin out, an almost perfect circle, and a clearing became apparent. Lilly gasped as she saw the creature that gave out the shriek. A Griffin, one of the majestic mounts of the elves stood bathed in the moonlight. The great beast gave itself a shake, the huge wings and chest feathers plumping up as it gave off a show, it was almost as if it enjoyed being admired.

"Usually the Griffins will not let anyone ride them unless they have bonded since birth, Swiftrunner here however has told me he will be more than happy to carry both of us to where our people wait."

Lilly walked past the elf, he had still not given his name. She approached the majestic animal with respect and awe, a small measure of caution thrown in as well because it was just good sense.

"You have my thanks beautiful one, I have never met one of your kind before and would not wish to offend you by giving the wrong title to you so I went with beautiful as it does you justice, if you grant permission I will call you by the name given by our travelling companion."

She gave a small curtesy, it seemed appropriate. As she turned to speak to the elf, she wanted to know just how she was going to stay on the great beast. A voice popped into her head, it sounded strangely birdlike coming from such a big beast.

Princess, you do not remember me of much of your people, it is a shame. I would be grealty honoured to carry you back to your parents.Long has my kind been in service to the elves, You, of course may call me by my elven name of Swiftrunner, if there is nothing else I suggest we take flight immediately, on my way here I spotted a great force amassing not far from out destination, even from my height I could tell that they were more monster than man.

The strange elf must have also heard the griffin's speech because whilst Swiftrunner was communicating with Lilly the elf had already pulled a saddle out of the concealing bushes and had almost finished fastening it in place when the Griffin gave a sharp cry. Lilly followed the gaze, although her eyes were not as keen, she had no trouble seeing the huge glow of a fire, its blaze that fierce it was lighting up the very night sky. She shuddered as the notion of them flying directly towards that very inferno hit her. She had never intended to get involved in any races squabbles, unfotunately it seemed like fate had other ideas.

She was helped into the saddle, given quick instructions on how to hold the pommel and brace herself correctly, when she asked about reins both the elf and Griffen laughed, an odd sound coming from both of their throats. The elf, satisfied she was ready, climbed behind her and wrapped his arms around her to grasp at the pommel, she was not used to males being so forward but kept her opinion to herself, as the mighty creature began to pace around the clearing she was glad for the extra support, when the huge wings unfurled and began beat, slowly dragging them all from the earth, Lilly was clinging onto the elf for dear life. She silently prayed to her goddess and asked for a safe journey, although when she realised what she was asking for, a nervous chuckle escaped her lips. Was anywhere safe?