[Demon's Hand] Chapter 14: Duplicity?

[Ifreet]

Ifreet throws a look over his shoulder that almost seems impatient, which is fairly surprising to most of the group who know him. His horse, picking up on his mood, turns and paws the ground agitatedly. Ifreet's eyes lock onto the halfling, and he gestures towards the plains, waiting for him to indicate the direction to town.

[Argall]

"I tell ya true, Talonn, me boy. Them lasses are fixin to learn ye some manners. If ye don't mind, try not to walk too near me. Kaa, the town is beneath the notch in the horizon. If we keep heading fer that we should reach the road in about a league or so."

[Ifreet]

Ifreet nods slightly, as though he expected the answer, and turns his horse in that direction. The horse dances forward every so often, but Ifreet reigns it back in. As they travel, Ifreet produces his harp once more and begins to play a song that seems proper for the landscape, or for himself. Quiet and barren but hinting at a hidden strength. He glances briefly at Sala to see how she's coping with all of this, then returns his eyes to the strings of his harp.

[Sala]

Sala moves over to Talabrina and giggles as she hears what she Talabrina has planned. She mock glared at Talonn and said, quite righteously, "I am not a trollup! Shame on thee for resorting to such blows." She scowled cutely at him all the while trying to keep from laughing. Since she had nothing to pack she had nothing to worry about when they left the shelter. As usual she kept to the middle of the group, knowing that she wasn't a fighter. She pondered whether or not she should ask Kaa or Talonn if they had an extra weapon of some kind, but she figured that the others would keep anyone away from her allowing her to do what she could to help them.

As they crossed the barren landscape Sala felt something nagging at the edges of her mind. It was as though the weather were about to change, but she saw no signs of what she felt. She shrugged it off to nerves and kept up with the pace of the group, listening to Ifreet's music. It really was beautiful and fitting. Almost unconsciously she stroked Pine turning him into a very small dragon. Pine perched on her shoulder and creened in a perfect complementary harmony to Ifreet's playing. Sala wondered if Talonn would be mad at the way she was going along with everything. Then she wondered why she would care if it mattered to him at all. The things going through her mind made no sense to her right now. She walked along lost in her own thoughts.

[Talabrina]

Talabrina mounted Muffy and rode her without any reins of any sort, guiding Muffy with her knees. She moved up beside Talonn, although staying well out of arm reach of him. "Boy Talonn," she said in a mocking tone. "It doth seem to me that thee doth not appreciate the nature of whom thou doth deal with. So `tis up to me to educate thee to hath more respect for Lady Sala and I." With that said she grinned evilly at him and waved her hands and sang in drow. Immediately ghoulish purple flames leapt from the ground and quickly spread over Talonn without burning him and neatly outlining him. Then Talabrina spoke with an air of command about her and gazed imperiously at him. "Thou art now cursed Talonn, whenever thou shall speak ill of any woman thy voice shall become as a woman's voice! Know that I, Talabrina, hath pronounced thus!" With a gesture the flames died away leaving Talonn physically unharmed. Talabrina nodded once solemnly at Talonn and rode away to the rear of the group. Her eyes watched Talonn mockingly as if daring him to test her curse.

[Talonn]

Talonn was looking to the north when Talabrina rode to his side. He tried to leap away when he saw the flames but soon realized there was no escape. Talonn stared flatly at Talabrina wondering just what she was up to with this show of her power. When the flames vanished and she smugly rode away, Talonn started walking again. For a moment, he wondered if she had truly cast a spell on him. Perhaps in retribution for when he had tossed her drunk to the floor at Nagard's before they left? He didn't feel any different and the "Rage' wasn't reacting as 'It' normally did when he was spell affected. Talonn decided to bide his time. He cast a quick glance at Sala and Talabrina and made an oath to dunk them no matter what. The scowl returned to his face and he simply grunted his displeasure.

[Kaa]

Kaa kept one eye on Argall while he watched Talabrina do her show. The halfling tried to hide his reaction but it was obvious that he was not envious of Talonn's predicament. That and the look on Talonn's face pleased Kaa to no end and he burst out laughing. "Ye see there, laddie. I told ye one day the lasses would have their fill of yer callous talk. Well, ye made yer bed and now ye gots lie in it. Alone!" Kaa continued to chuckle as he walked along.

[Argall]

"Hell's bells! I ain't nary seen anything like that in me whole life. I tell ye, Talonn. You sure know how to pick yer enemies. Lady Talabrina, do me the kindess of remindin' me never to git on yer bad side." Argall cackled. He walked for several paces in silence and scanned the area. He swung his shield casually at his side as he shuffled through the grass that was nearly chest high on him. "Ifreet. Do ye know any livelier tunes? Somethin suited fer a march such as this. Any tune that will get the feet movin on their own and while the leagues away will do, methinks."

[Ifreet]

Hearing Argall's request, Ifreet looks up at him with a gaze that would freeze most in their tracks. He then bends back down over his strings.

[Sala]

Sala tried to keep from laughing as Talabrina worked her spell, but then she saw Talonn's glance and watched him walk on scowling. How much of that was part of the acting? Was he really angry at her? Sala felt absolutely awful. She started to speed up to talk with him, but then slowed wondering if she ought to. After wondering for a few minutes she slowly speeds up until she's walking beside him. She looks over at him looking for some sign as to whether or not he was angry with her, but doesn't say anything. Pine hissed violently at Argall when Ifreet stopped playing to look at him. Pine liked this form and loved to creen to music that was well played. He launched himself off of Sala's shoulder in disgust and circled in close around Argall's head, hissing at him before spiraling skyward until he was almost lost to the eye.

[Hammer]

Hammer took the rear guard position once again, watching the terrain behind them, as well as the halfling in front of them. He didn't much care for the tune Ifreet was playing, and was quite suprised by his reaction to Argall. Something was bothering the man, that was easy to see.

[Qki]

Now this would be something to see - Talonn talking like a woman! Qki walked over next to Talonn and looked up at him. "Talonn! Say something nasty so we can hear your voice!" Qki smiled innocently and expectantly up at the half-elf.

[Granite]

Granite strode slowly along behind most of the group. While he was not, at present, saying anything, the strange behavior of the group since the smaller organic had appeared was puzzling. However, from what he had been able to deduce of the organics' methods, they would become upset if he were to inquire into the situation at present. So, he waited, more and more questions forming in his 'mind'...

[Kaa]

Kaa glanced over his shoulder to check on the rest of the group. He grinned and stifled a laugh as Pine expressed his feeling to Argall. The halfling capered about but made no attempt to defend himself, except to raise his shield. Kaa almost wished Argall had tried to harm Pine. If Pine or, more likely, Sala hadn't squashed the halfling, he was sure one of the others would have. Kaa shrugged off his musing and spoke to Argall. "Where are ye coming from, Argall? Have you travelled far to join the hunt?"

[Argall]

Argall heard the hissing and immediately threw up his shield. He skittered around as the small dragon-kin circled his head and tried to keep his shield between them. He stumbled on a gopher mound and nearly fell before he righted himself. He looked around frantically but relaxed when he saw that Pine had climbed higher into the sky. "By the hair on me toes, I don't think that thing likes me." he gasped before he regained his composure and his pace. "Kaa, my friend, I was heading south when I heard of the hunt. Had passage on one a them river traders that do business on the Moss Stone river. No better than river rats, the crew were. Caught word of the hunt at the town of Widebridge. That was, ah, near ten days and bout three score leagues ago, I figure. Thought I should get paid fer what I'm a good at. Last I heard, the bounty was near 30 gold a head for the hunt. What was the bounty that ye heard?"

[Talonn]

Talonn noticed Sala had come up beside him. He chuckled inside as she tried to decide if he was really angry. While Pine was distracting Argall, he looked up and gave Sala a quick wink and a grin before the scowl returned. Talonn was scanning the northern horizon again when Qki came bounding up. Talonn motioned Qki closer and whispered to him. "Qki, we are playing a game. We are all acting like we don't like each other very much to fool Argall. He is a stranger and we don't trust him very much right now. Understand? It is also kind of fun. Do you want to have fun too? I am going to same some mean things to you in a moment that I really don't mean. It is just part of the game. If you want, you can say mean things back to me. I think we are going to play this game for a little while so if you like you can act mean with us. I will tell you when the game is over, o.k.?" Talonn gave another wink to Qki then lightly thumped him on the head and said, "I'll say somethin' nasty, you walking cook wagon! If you don't get away from me I will rip off your head and piss in it. Ha, did you hear that Talabrina? Your spell didn't work, you witch." The last word came out in a high pitched screech. For a moment, Talonn wasn't sure if it was his doing or if there truly was a spell. He muttered the phrase again under his breath and found that it had been his doing after all. He stole a quick glance at Talabrina and nodded his head slightly.

[Talabrina]

Talabrina giggled loudly at Talonn and then gave him a superior look. "That was the barest flickering of my power boy Talonn. Keep that firmly in thy mind and we may get along better after this." Talabrina looked at Argall. "Politeness is a virtue milord, one can never be too kind to another especially to a woman." Looking back to Talonn she smirked. "Perhaps if thou doth appease Lady Sala and myself, I may consider removing the curse. What doth thee think Lady Sala, be that fitting enough punishment?"

[Sala]

Sala sighed when she saw Talonn wink and grin. Good, he wasn't mad at her. When his voice squeaked she panicked until she heard him repeat it to himself. At Talabrina's suggestion Sala got what was for her an evil grin. It looked more mischeivious than evil though. She said calmly and condescendlingly, "I think that would be wonderful. I know what I would like to see before he is loosed form the curse. I wouldn't mind seeing this 'boy' act like he wasn't raised with the pigs. Perhaps a good show of courtly manners for the rest of the trip. I think he should treat us as ladies ought to be treated. Then perhaps you should lift it...." She grinned sideways at Talonn, "No, I think that wouldn't be enough for him to learn. I believe he should be at our beck and call AND on his best manners until the town....oh and perhaps a bath...."

[Talabrina]

Talabrina's eyes lit up in joy and she clasped her hands together girlishly. "Oh yes!" Talabrina exclaimed with delight. "That is an absolutely wonderful idea! Truth to tell I hath been tiring of his rude manners this trip and think a little humility wouldst serve admirably to strengthen his character. I bow to thy wisdom Lady Sala," said Talabrina as she bowed as well as he could from the saddle. Talabrina laughed merrily as they rode along.

[Ifreet]

Seeing Pine circle overhead, Ifreet shifts slightly in his saddle so that one of his shoulders is available as a perch in case the creature wishes to be closer to the music. Ifreet seems vaugely annoyed by everyone's capering and dancing about, but doesn't allow it to affect his music. Speaking of music, that song is about finished. The one he begins is likely unappreciated by the halfling as well, but that matters not to Ifreet. It is a whispering tune that brings back ancient moments and forgotten memories, a bitter-sweet melody that plucks heartstrings as deftly as Ifreet's fingers plucks the harp's strings.

[Qki]

Qki was taken aback by Talonn's talk of the 'game' they were playing. Why would they need to be mean to each other? He really didn't understand any of what the half-elf was talking about. Then, suddenly, Talonn whacked him on the head! This was too much! He didn't want to play this game! The golem fell on the ground, and then ran around Talonn to hide behind Talabrina. She wasn't playing any nasty game. She still liked him. "Talabrina! Talon is trying to take me apart! He's being nasty on purpose!" To a casual onlooker, it might have looked as if Qki was going along with the game, but in reality, he took it all very seriously.

[Kaa]

"Aye, that is the same amount that I heard. I don't believe that will be the rate when we arrive, though. Twill likely have been much less all along. After travelling this far, there won't be many that will leave no matter the bounty." Kaa answered. He was beginning to tire of the chatter. Kaa turned slightly and, within a matter of paces, was nearly twenty paces fom the group. He tried to make it appear as if he were doing so to better scan the party's flank. He removed his helmet and scratched his head near where the demon ring was woven into his braids. As he placed his helmet back on, he tried to discover why he was feeling so jittery. A covey of birds burst from the grass at his approach. By the time he had realized what was happening, he found his axe in his hand. Something was not right. Seasons of warfare had taught him to trust his instincts. He kept his axe in hand.

[Argall]

Argall, seeing Kaa distance himself from the group, moved closer to Sala. "Beggin' yer pardon, Lady Sala, may I speak with you a moment? I promise I shall be a might bit kinder than the half-elf there. I was hopin' to ask ye about yer pet. A shape-changer is he? Is that one of the things from yer master's, what did ye call it...yes, circus?"

[Talonn]

Talonn grumbled and spat while he listened to Sala and Talabrina discuss their punishment for his behavior. They were appearing to have great fun with this. They would no doubt take great pains to enjoy themselves since he would have to play along or ruin the ruse. He hoped there were a couple good sized water troughs available when they reached town. He vowed that he would enjoy dunking the two of them. Talonn absently scratched his left hand. The ring did not fit too snugly but had begun to irritate him. In the distance, the grass waved in different directions as the light winds shifted and drifted across the plain. The wildly waving grass gave the impression that something was coming toward the group. Talonn looked carefully but saw no evidence that there was anything crawling toward them. For as far as the eye could see, the entire grassland was theirs alone. Talonn looked to the west and noticed a dark speck appear in the sky.

[Sala]

Sala grinned back at Talabrina and then asked Talonn, almost tauntingly, "So what do you think about this, Talonn? Do you think you can handle it?" Pine saw that Ifreet had freed up a shoulder and flew down to him. As the new song started Pine crooned along happily. A couple times during the song he seemed to fidget on Ifreet's shoulder and swung his head around, but settled back down. By the time the dot in the sky appeared he was too engrossed in the song to notice. Sala was happy that Pine was relaxed. That meant that nothing was disturbing him. She liked the song as well and hummed along until Argall came up to her. Under her cloak she rubbed her hand with the ring against her skirt. It was itching awfully. She wasn't surprised by it though she tended to react badly to metals. She looked at Argall blankly for a moment, "Oh, of course we may talk. I'm sorry I was so caught up in the tune that it took me a moment to realize what you had said. Yes, Pine was a find of our master's, but he took a liking to me so I was allowed to keep him as long as I brought him back for the shows relatively often. As for the shapechanging he just does that every now and then, I have no idea why." She shrugged. This entire pretend thing was starting to get to her. Qki didn't seem to like it all that much either. It was hard to keep track of what she was supposed to say. That and she felt oddly nervous. She had no idea why. Her birthmark wasn't pulsing so there was no threat near her. She grimaced slightly and then glanced over at Talonn hoping he would distract Argall. She didn't really like him for some reason.

[Ifreet]

Unlike the others, the Ifreet did not notice a faint tingling from the ring. He's used to having that feeling where from the necklace he hung his ring on. He simply continues playing, not looking up even as Pine settles on his shoulder, and certainly not looking up to see the black speck in the distance.

[Talabrina]

Talabrina looked down to Qki from her position on Muffy's back as he ran toward her. Reaching down to pat him gently on the head, she spoke in kindly tones. " `Twill be alright my little Qki, I shall protect thee from Talonn." Hoping to distract Qki from his current problems and to make him feel better, Talabrina held out her hand to Qki. "Wouldst thee like to ride Muffy with me? `Tis quite an experience I assure thee." Talabrina smiled at Qki even as the ring on her finger began to itch. Talabrina wondered why it had suddenly decided to do so. Were they nearing the object of their quest? Talabrina looked about and let her inner senses scan the land about them and looked into the air. It was then she noticed the black speck in the air. What was it and what were its intentions? Just in the advent that danger was in the offing, Talabrina wanted Sala close in case she needed protection. "Lady Sala," she called, "wouldst thee come over here a moment? Methinks we shouldst discuss Talonn's punishment further."

[Qki]

"I could ride too? That would be great!" He'd never ridden on anything before. The metal man took Talabrina's offered hand up and sat in front of her. As he did so he started to have an odd feeling in his torso. It was somewhat like the dagger, but different. It made him even more nervous than the dagger did. Was it Muffy? It started to happen just as he sat down with Talabrina. Maybe he should walk again instead. He decided to wait, because this was really pretty neat. He was moving without having to do anything!

[Hammer]

Hammer was irritated by his ring. He scratched his finger that it was on almost constantly. He looked at the others positioning, and noticed Talabrina's and Talonn's attention were directed to the west. He also looked to the west, and noticed the black speck. Kaa had also sensed something, as he was now holding his axe. He tightened his grip on his War Hammer, and wandered towards Kaa. "Kaa, my finger itches. The one with the ring. No bugs can get through my Web tatoo, so it must be the ring. Something is coming, and I wonder if it is our prey." He wispered to Kaa. "Have you seen the black dot that Talonn and Talabrina are looking towards? Perhaps our new ... friend ... knows something?"

[Kaa]

Kaa spoke quietly to Hammer. "I too have an itch near the ring, Hammer. It must be true for us all. I had not noticed the thing in the sky, too distracted by the nattering halfling. I'm not sure if Argall is part of this or not but I don't trust him. I think we should prepare for the worst." Kaa stopped and called to the others. "Lets stop fer a moment so that Talonn can catch his breath. With all that snortin' and gruntin' that he is doing over Talabrina's little lesson in behavior, I bet he hasn't taken a full breath in 100 paces. Like it or not, he is the animal trainer of the group and we need him." Kaa sent a quick message to Talonn in rogue's code then shed his pack and stretched. He kept a firm grip on his axe.

[Talonn]

Talonn stopped and said, "Worry about yerself, you rockheaded squat." He looked at Kaa and nodded slightly when he got the message. Kaa had seen the approaching thing in the sky and wanted to be ready for trouble. Talonn scanned the entire horizon but saw only the wind tossed grass. He casually reached back and drew an arrow from his quiver. He pretended to adjust the fletching while he watched the speck in the sky come closer. The 'Rage' fed on his unease and grew quickly. Talonn lowered himself to one knee and waited.

[Argall]

Argall didn't seem to notice the approaching thing in the sky. He continued talking to Sala even after the group had halted. "Truly a remarkable animal, Lady. Do ye know what his true shape be? I think I would like ta have one fer a pet meself. Where did ye find him and were there more of them? I think my next adventure will be to fetch one of them." Argall dug around in one of the pouchs on his belt and pulled out a biscuit. He broke off a piece of the bread and popped it into his mouth. He chewed noisily while he waited for Sala to answer.

[Sala]

Sala didn't want to insult Argall, but she wondered what Talabrina had in mind. She had no idea that anything was wrong. She couldn't understand why Kaa had them stop so soon after leaving the shelter. It made no sense. She scratched at her ring some more vowing to try and change the composition of its metal as soon as possible if the demons would let her. She said to Argall, "I am not sure of his true form. The first time I saw him was when he was changing form. That's what caught my eye. As for where that was, I cannot quite remember except that it was to the south of here, quite a ways. Excuse me if you could, but Talabrina requires my presence." Sala started over to Talabrina.

[Ifreet]

Ifreet turns his horse about with his knees, still playing his music, which begins to trail off as he approaches Argall. By the time he has reached Argall, Ifreet has finished the song and put his harp away. After reaching Argall, Ifreet motions for Argall to close his mouth and be silent. Ifreet himself begins humming softly to himself and closes his eyes as they wait for the speck to grow larger as it approaches.

[Argall]

Argall nodded absently to Sala. All of his attention was on Ifreet. "A right pushy fellow, ain't ye, plainsman. I didn't mean no slight when I asked fer another tune." Argall spat into the grass and grumbled. The halfling shrugged his shoulders and looked around at the others in the group. When he finally noticed the approaching shape in the sky, he started to slowly walk backwards toward the rear of the party with his shield raised before him.