Tag: Lynesse x 22

Wooden floorboards warped and creaked under her feet as she moved through the ruined building. It was as holy a space now as it had been when first built, though she was sure “holy” wasn’t the intention of it. There were no prayer nooks, no altars or shrines — but it was, all the same. Each of the now ruined planks that made up the floor had been laid and secured by someone with hopes and dreams of a better, safe life. Hearth stones had been stacked and a chimney made to keep the past occupants warm, dry, and fed. People had lived here, maybe loved here, and this place had become a memorial to the time they had put in to protect themselves from nature.

The people, however, had long been gone; whether through diaspora or violent...

It’s been a very long time since I’ve had to actively consider my mortality. Standing in a walled pit with a knife that might have well have been a short sword in my hand, shackles still on my wrists, a myriad of Vrykul runes burned into my skin preventing me from accessing my magic, and staring down a very angry Shoveltusk apparently triggers that in me. 

This didn’t strike me as a particularly survivable situation; I was out of it and trapped. The Vrykul had spent time riling the bull up before putting him between me and the gates. I was going to do my level best. In theory there were people waiting on me and wondering where the fuck I was. 

Honestly, the whole thing went on too long. The thunderous yells and jeers of the...

Everything was the bad kind of fuzzy when I finally came to again. My shoulders burned fiercely and it didn’t seem like I could feel my hands. I’d upgraded prisons from a cage to a straw lined floor in a single outbuilding. Flaming sconces lined the wooden walls. I’d seen places like this burn down in less than an hour and panic set in. 

There was no fleeing, though. My arms were bound by shackle and chain to either side of the narrow space. I didn’t know how long I’d been like that, but I still felt drained. My fingers felt too thick as I went to move them and pain shot through my arms. Angry, red runes had been burned into the backs and palms. I couldn’t draw any magic to heal them. The panic rose. 

Hours passed, I...

Running is one of my favorite things. 

There’s a thrill in it, my blood sings as my feet pound the dirt and I vault over fallen branches and tumbled rocks. I waited until things got quiet to go and I just ran. Well, that’s not entirely true, I paused for a moment to free a throwing axe where it had been left in a tree (honestly it’s big enough to be held with two hands, but great axes have always been my favorite weapon), and then I ran. 

It seemed like most of them had gone up to the longhouse, everything else was fairly deserted and the sun was going down. In retrospect I should’ve ditched my cloak, but I didn’t. Sentimentality was slowing me down. Horns started to sound about five minutes into my flight. Then...

All things considered, the Vrykul aren’t terrible hosts. I was given three whole candles to keep me warm overnight in an open cage and they didn’t take my fur cloak. 

I didn’t really sleep, it was too cold to sleep. Plus, any time one of the hunting worgs would howl the wild ones would howl back. You could hear them loud and clear over the growling rush of the waterfalls nearby. I hadn’t gotten a great look at the area as I was being dragged in, but towards and across the river would definitely be the way to go before heading due north and back east to Winterhoof itself. 

Morning came late, the sun bringing to life the old bones of a prisoner who’d come before me. Heavy shackles with rough runic carvings in them bound...

The first day of camping was an absolute delight. I always get sort of obscenely giddy when I’m off doing something new alone. One day I’ll figure out why that is; Sometimes I desperately need to be around people but other times just being alone out in the wilds is the greatest thing I can imagine. 

I visited the Dryads. From a distance, of course – They have this tendency to lure in wary passers-by and share their food and drink with them. It seems like a good thing but I’ve heard otherwise. The Frost dryads were a delight. They have impromptu snowball fights and have laughs that sound like tinkling, shattering ice. 

The Chill Dryads, not the best name as they are far from “chill”, walk through the sparse brush of...

Elodi hadn’t been wrong and neither had ZJ. The entire road up to Camp Winterhoof had been incredibly quiet and exceedingly boring. Increased activity of Vrykul my ass. She and I did see a Scout and for a moment we both wondered if we were going to see action but I think after a few moments of thought we all realized that was going to be a terrible idea and really we all just wanted to get somewhere comfortable to eat dinner.  I almost wished it had come to some sort of conflict so I could get off the wagon, move around, and warm my blood up. 

The land was beautiful, at least. Teeming with wildlife and the grasses growing a lush green after a winter under snowpack. Other shoveltusk ran around and bellowed rough calls at our...

The ship had, unsurprisingly to everyone but me, arrived half-a-day early into the port at Vengeance Landing. Strong tailwinds hand helped push the cargo ship and no serious storms had waylaid our travel. I didn’t ask what the rest of the crew was heading up for, small talk when I’m on a mission really isn’t something I focus on. Also, frankly, two and a half days on a ship with people I don’t know and food that’s not mine might as well be torture. I was friendly enough, so were they, but I think we could all tell that none of us really wanted to be going where we were going. 

We disembarked in the early morning of the eighth day of the month; A wagon was waiting for me, I guessed that ZJ had either sent word ahead or...

I am not soft.

That being said I am also not heartless. I knew what my actions would do to the people of the Golden Thorn after Imriel’s death. When you challenge a leader of a company, if you set the terms for all of their assets, that company becomes yours. I was their Captain now, their leader. It was up to me to see that they prospered, or they could do what I’d done same as I did it.

There was a lot of “hurry up and wait” after. Allegiances were sworn. Gold changed hands. A pyre was built. You never get used to the smell, it doesn’t matter how many you’re around. His Second pulled his documented last wishes out of one of their lockboxes; Imriel had no living family. He wanted to be burned immediately; He’d seen what...

Isra dragged out a pipe in her agitation, lighting the thing with a quick flick from a matchbook. Meryn’s shoulders bunched up a little in irritation, just like mine did. Something the witch had said earlier filtered back to me from the depths of my mind. ‘You favor your father so much’. My hand bunched in the quilt underneath me; I knew my mother hadn’t been faithful to my dad. It’s why he’d killed her. Our hair was similarly colored, Meryn and I. My dad had black hair.  My mom was blonde. I’d gotten her skin tone and freckles.

He’d looked familiar because he looked like me. My mouth was dry as I looked back over at Isra. It took a few attempts to start but I managed it. “Does he favor his father too?”

Her green...

Calebbe,

As the person I am sending this letter on behalf of has been incredibly unhelpful, I have sent two copies. One by owl, one by post. From what I have gathered it is more than likely that the one by owl will reach you first, if this is the case her name is Luna and she would enjoy a mouse as payment for services rendered.

I have in my company Lynesse Gloamingdawn, whom I found left for dead at the bottom of a ravine a few days past. She mumbled your name in her sleep, that is the closest I have gotten to getting any information out of her regarding whom to possibly contact regarding her state and situation. She does not seem to trust me -- highly unfortunate but not unexpected. Rest assured that if you are too busy to retrieve...

There was a steady, throbbing pounding in my head as I slowly woke up. I hurt. Gods did I hurt, and I didn’t remember why. I tried to push myself up but I didn’t move so much as twitch, full bodied, my lungs burning as cloying air full of smoke and what smelled like lavender filled them. Talk about panic inducing.

Even my vision was spotty and blurry, what light crept into wherever I was only illuminating so much. There was red paint across the wooden supports that arched along the ceiling, faded to a dull rust. Little motes glowed bright in the sun shafts before vanishing into the darkness. A woman laughed outside, having a genial conversation in an older version of Thalassian with words and tenses I didn’t understand, mixed in...

Thankfully, I didn’t die.

My toes hit something sharp and I pushed up and off, my chest feeling fit to burst and my body torn between fighting and just stopping. I broke surface and took a gasping, spluttering breath but there was nowhere for any air to go. The sounds of my splashing and retching filled the small cavern as I beached myself and heaved seawater out of my body and onto the sand.

I rolled onto my back and stared up at the illuminated rocks and wheezed, my head spinning and making me feel like the ground was rolling the whole time. There were lights, someone was probably here.

Sure enough.

A goblin loomed over me when I opened my eyes again. I could barely see him over the pistol barrel pointed square at my face. I...

Ratchet. 

I’d hate the place if I didn’t love it so much. All rough and rumble, corrugated steel and haphazard wood. Haven of pirates and cartel. A mercenary in good standing with Steamwheedle could make a killing, killing here. Khaeris made sure to mention that the Tart – Dicenne? – the fire staff (and whip, apparently) guy had his forge here. Damn shame I didn’t have time to make it by. Still, it only enamoured the dirty, dusty town by the sea to me more. I reminded myself that I was here for work, not play.

My job was simple – A whole supply of Grog had been stolen from the Laughing Zhevra tavern. This was bad. Pirates need their libations or they get ornery and it wouldn’t take long for news of a shortage to spread....

“I’m sorry, Lyn,” Tem said. He licked his lips briefly, and then shook his head, “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to come. I didn’t want you here for this. Fuck.” But he couldn't make words that easily anymore. His eyes moved to his blonde comrade-in-arms, and his friend nodded in understanding while moving to turn his back on the situation. He didn’t leave, but he moved away, affording them a bit of privacy in those last few moments. 

“Lyn,” Tem said again as he reached out to touch her hair. He’d always liked her hair. “Lyn, you are amazing. Fuck this shit about being stubborn, or angry, or anything else. You are amazing, and I don’t think I ever said just that. I probably could have fallen for you, you...