Lord_Of_The_LEGO wrote:Barbod nodded. As he and the Lone Falcon follow the elf, he thought to himself It has been to long since I slept in a proper bed...
Grid: M-8
Location: Dining Hall
Bjarn, Barbod, the Lone Falcon, Gonderin and the other high-ranking Forestman officials sat at the large head table, eating their breakfast with varying degrees of wakefulness. Bjarn had slept deeply and without dreams, and he was now eating his mushroom soup steadily with comment. Barbod, on the other hand, had slept barely a wink, and when he did sleep, he had horrible nightmares revolving around Reno, who had blood on his hands in the dreams. Therefore, Barbod was continually yawning over his soup, and once or twice he nearly drowned in it when he fell asleep and almost plunged face first into the gray mixture. Luckily the Lone Falcon was sitting right next to the Bull King and was able to poke him from time to time.
To Bjarn's discomfort, neither Rosa nor Shainya had come down to breakfast. He decided to not worry about it, and returned to his meal.
After breakfast, Gonderin gave Bjarn, Barbod and the Lone Falcon a tour of Drullen Bell Keep. The tour lasted for almost three hours, and by that time Barbod had woken himself up enough to ask when lunch was served. They were just about to return to the kitchen to get Barbod a snack when a breathless Forester rounded the corner and gasped out, clinging to the wall for support, "My Lord!"
Bjarn waited until the youth had stop heaving to ask what was the matter.
"Sir, a group of scouts have just returned to Drullen Bell Keep, but something terrible has happened!"
Barbod and Bjarn looked at one another, but said nothing.
The youth continued, "When they had set out, they were a party of twelve, but when they returned they were naught but nine! Three men called Harris, Flaud and Jascus were killed, according to the others!"
"Take me to the surviving scouts!" snapped Bjarn.
The youth rushed off, and Bjarn, Barbod, Gonderin and the Lone Falcon followed.
They soon entered the infirmary, where two Foresters, a man and a woman, lay on bunks, bandages over their eyes. The rest milled about in the corner, muttering to themselves. There was also three motionless on the floor, sheets covering them.
The milling Foresters snapped to attention when their leader entered the room. Bjarn surveyed the gathering and snapped, "What has happened here?"
A woman stepped forward. "Sir, we were on a designated route through the swamps when we came across a trespasser. We surrounded him and order to return whenst he came, but he would not obey. Suddenly a bright light flashed and the next moment this person had Flaud pinned by his sword. Flaud ordered us to fire, but another flash erupted from nowhere and blinding Jex and Myl here pretty bad. After we recovered, we found Harris and Jascus shot by our own arrows and...and Flaud...had been stuck though by a thin blade..."
The woman began to shake, her eye glistening. The other scouts around her make noise of remorse.
She continued, "You see, Flaud was my man an'...an'' we were going to get...hitched this week..."
Bjarn stepped forward and placed his worn hand on the woman's shoulder. "Get some rest, all of you. Our Forestmen kin died in defense of our lands, and this unknown foe will not stay hidden for long..."
Bjarn exited the infirmary, as did Barbod and the Lone Falcon.
"Barbod," asked Bjarn, rubbing his head, "Did something like this happen on your first day as leader?"
Barbod smiled grimly and without humor. "No, my friend, when I became King, my father was dead, my army was gone, my lands seized, and my people slaughtered. Consider yourself lucky."