Character Sheet:
| Name |
Level |
Class |
Adyraveth
Saighdiuir |
40 |
Shadow Warrior |
Professions
The Story of Adyraveth
Adyraveth meets Hallen
Adyra knelt comfortably on one knee by the scraggly scrap of an oleander bush and short bristly pine. She watched a young buck cautiously emerge into the glen. Streams of afternoon sunlight streaked diagonally into the clearing, illuminating the rather thick pollen and dandelion tuffs floating on the dawdling breeze. Taking a deep breath she could almost smell the green and gold of the glen.
The scene before her was like a dream in light of recent battle she'd been thrust into. Traveling with the merchants caravan as a hired guard had given her a keen awareness in the abrupt and crafty skirmishes that comprised the typical patterns with warriors of Destruction, but not in large open field battle or siege defense. Merely four days earlier the Forces of Order had called for a rally to defend Riekwald Fortress. The battle cries were still fresh in her ears, as it had proved to be the most brutal assault she'd ever been aid in. The deaths and wounded she'd witnessed had all but dashed her ideas of how near immortal her fellow elves were.
Shaking the memory from her sight, she heard a small flock of starlings rustle with protest in the distance behind her. They took their flight through the tree tops above her bursting out into the open sky. The buck alerted, bolted back into green darkness that was the wall on the other side of the glen. Adyra turned because originating in the same direction came a violent thudding of hooves rampaging through the underbrush. A bloodtusk warsnout, for sure, and not just running, but very madly running her way. Adyra bound to an immature oak nearby and swung herself up onto the lowest branch, which gave under her weight. Suddenly the warsnout launched into view trampling the spot she'd occupied moments earlier.
Adyra could hardly believe her eyes for the large horned boar carried a rider, tormenting him. In a single fluid motion she slid from her perch and drew her bow, notching an arrow. The beast, reaching the radiance of the clearing, seemed dazed in the light. The man, clinging wildly to the beast's back with all four limbs, took the opportunity to wrestle the creature to its side. Adyra then aimed at the blur of appendages, tusks, and hooves ready to send arrows to the human's aid. She saw the silver glint of a blade and then red. A rather large amount of blood began to appear smeared over the two of them. Adyra was unable to determine from which of the two it came, the hunter or the prey. The massive boar made a twisting lunge, freeing itself. The human, back on his feet, relentlessly threw himself at the beast, tackling its side with such terrible force, they went end over end. This pinned the man's head on the grass beneath the boar, his arms and legs still intent on wrestling to victory. Adyra aimed carefully at the writhing boar, letting a powerful arrow fly, followed quickly by two more. All three in the beast's gut, hitting their target at an angle.
Silence fell over the immediate area save the labored breaths of the human. Adyra stood watching as the man righted himself hands on knees and surveyed his prey. Frowning at the arrows he turned to see their source while he reached down feeling a tare along his right hip and pulled back blood reddened fingers. He extended the hand in show to Adyra. Gruffly he stated "Gutsy shot, Elf, be glad this is superficial." "As for my kill here," he pointed, "you've stolen the thrill of the hunt." Adyra blinked, annoyed and looked not too obviously puzzled at man, brushing himself off. Ever since Father had brought them to Altdorf, she had studied the Empire histories and customs. She ever marveled at the human's simple lives and fickle fates. It was clearly beyond her why a man would wrestle down a vicious warsnout and in common clothes at that. Adyra nodded at the slain boar, "I'll not be contrite for helping fell the beast." Looking directly at the man she questioned "I inquire, you would risk mortal wound for the thrill of a hunt?" "Does your amusement merit more than your aid to the Empire's cause on the Battle Front?"
"What would an elf know of thrills?" He countered. Adyra allowed a slight shrewd smirk pierce her lips as her eyes narrowed at the man. "Plenty, one you ruined with your little tromp through the woods." Faining remorse he replied "Truly sorry, Adyra Galsiladien Shadow Warrior guard of the merchants caravan out of Altdorf." He stood confident and smiled knowingly. "It'd behoove you to spend more time getting to know those whom you serve with Shadow Warrior, instead of spying on the wild life during your granted repose." Adyra stood at attention and snapped a salute to the man whom she now recognized as second in command of the traveling guard, Hallen Riese.
quest to bring solace
Adyra, with one hand, loosened the knot that tied her en-spelled journal to her belt. Running her fingers over the glistening silver filigree she marveled at how brightly its ocean-blue gems reflected the full moon's light. She looked up from where she was nestled in between bear-size bushes and a small but well-girthed pine. Hidden there on the scruffy hill top, she had a perfect view of the moonlit path below. It'd be a while before her recipient of Justice would go on midnight patrol.
And so, she'd take the time to write in her journal. With a whispered word its lock unlatched and she delicately turned to the next blank page. There in an elegant script she inscribed a prayer, not only for her own well being, but the swift fall of her target and the family of her friend...that this justice would serve some solace. Re-tying her journal, she surveyed the path below. There would be just enough range that if each arrow flew true, her target would be a pin cushion and fall before he would see her step out of hiding. Surely it was folly to think an ambush of arrows would go exactly as planned, but the Light was strongly with her and she was sure if Justice winged her arrows, it would.
The encampment nearby was tiny outlying and menial at best, serving only as a small stop in the chain of supply for the forces of Destruction, hence the trivial amount of patrols. Adyra had scouted the midnight solo-patrol for several days and there He was, as expected. A hulking half armored shadowy marauder began trudging down the dry rocky path. "poor Hallen," Adyra whispered to her self. "I never want to know how it was they broke you into submission. Here comes your Release!"
Readying her arrow, she felt a slight breeze pick up and aimed high. The arrow came down into his neck but not with enough force to produce the arterial bleed she'd hoped. Quickly she had let two arrows fly as he turned toward his assailant. They dropped in apparent down draft to hit either side of his exposed breast bone. Swiftly with a leaping slide down the hillside brought her closer for a poisoned arrow to hit deep in his gut. Still he lumbered mindlessly toward her. She could hear the angry wet gurgle of air escaping his now collapsing lungs. The grotesquely dis-formed Hallen half raised a weapon, but Adyra in a ready stance pulling out her long sword spun around bringing a powerful slash down across his throat.
In that moment all was quiet and still, Hallen's eyes brightened, blinked and he fell to the ground.
Now Adyra bent over the seemingly steamy corpse searching for a trinket of proof. And there on his swollen hand still he wore his family's signet ring. The finger had partially grown around it. With the point of her sword at his knuckle and a quick jerk the finger and ring was hers for the proof of Justice done. Quickly she dropped it in a small leather pouch and stood tying it to her belt.
Then she looked once more at the form that used to be her human Friend Hallen. "goodbye, Hallen, I know you would've done the same for me."
Then she heard from behind the tell tell sound of arrow in air but not in time to dodge the blow. A glance over the shoulder hit confirmed a squig herder on the hillside above.
This wasn't good at all she thought, not when he has the range on me. And with all the strength she could muster she sprinted toward the thick woods to the north. The greenskin musn't have really wanted the chase as she lost it fairly easy in the piney woods. Her task at hand was the trek back to Nordland, and present Hallen's father a bit of rest and solace.
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