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Twas early saturday morning....
Posted: 19 Jun 2004 04:33 AM |
...the sun had not yet risen & the five, a dwarf, gnome, human and two elves, ate their breakfast in a back room at the 'Unicorn'. The innkeep furtively looked about, as he brought in the plates heaping with hot food. The room was deadly quiet, but for the clink of the utensils on the plates. No one was willing to break the sombre mood with mundane conversation. All to quickly, the food was gone and the moment had come...It was at this time that Jax broke the silence.....
"Hyar ye landlubbers, it be no funeral we goin t'...jes anoth'r 'venture. The 'Merry Raven' be ready down on th' dock ready t' go. All we gots t' do is throw this hyere last bit o' our gear aboard an' we be off....So le's hear one last time, whut yer vote be.....Dah! Whut say ye?" "Aye", said Dah as he threw his towel onto his plate and pushed his chair back. Jax then turned to Nagi', "An' whut be yer vote Nagi'?" The man stood up saluted Jax and said, "Im ready to depart." Next, Jax looked upon the most unsure of the five, the one with a mix of fear and confusion on his face, "Well Lad, hae ye made up yer min'?" Kangi grabbed his bag from the floor near his chair, threw it over his shoulder and nodded "yes" to Jax. He did his best to smile, and almost had himself convinced it was real. Lastly, Jax looked to Myx and asked him, "Whuts yer vote matey?" Myx' answer came slowly, but with a strength that belied his stature, "Aye Jax, Im ready for the journey."
With that, Jax said, "Well lets be off Lads, an' ketch th' mornin tides...." & left a hundred gold on the table for the innkeep and led his crew out of the 'Unicorn'. They crossed the city without meeting a soul they knew, just the usual Midoran Guards, which was just as well...none wanted to deal with the curious and their questions. They said good-bye to a few Thugs down on the docks, when they wake up later, they'll remember what hit them. As they may very well be the last of the Midorans to see the small band off.
They walked up the gangplank and were greeted by none other than Jax old buddy Mac, still cooking and tending the crew of the 'Merry Raven'. "G' morn to ye Cap'n", he says as he saluted Jax. For you see, Jax had pooled all the gold the small band had amassed from sellin all their gear, and bought the ship he had sailed on for so many years. Mac led them below & showed them their quarters (Jax already knew where his were). By the time they had stowed their gear, the ship was ready to sail. They all joined up on the fantail, where Jax started issuing the orders that would get them underway.
With the good steady offshore winds, it only took about 15 minutes to clear the harbor. They were well underway as the sun started to rise, & they all took their last look at the golden towers and walls of Midor, as she slowly seemed to settle into the sea. |
After my 'tour of duty' in Vietnam, I truly learned what the following phrase means...."I'd rather be 'Lucky' than good...." |
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