Here are my comments!
Chris ************************* Link2: Deliverance Thesun had set hours before the last torch was extinguished and the occupants ofthe room left the ermine to his rest. They had made no progress as every poke and prod, whether from Balrog orLucy, had revealed nothing more than what they could see at the surface. They had continued their work well beyond thepoint of exhaustion, but they had finally been forced to admit defeat. They hoped, perhaps vainly, that they couldfind the missing piece in the morning. >>>Sometimes a good nights sleep is the best medicine Nathanfollowed Balrog at a distance as the man walked slowly through the halls. The human scratched at his chin and twirledthe braids of his beard around his thick fingers. Nathan was unwilling to shatter hiscontemplation in most cases, but he had detected something in his friend’smanner that made him decide to violate that tendency. “Youhave an idea, don’t you?” he asked pointedly. Balrogturned halfway, still walking, as though he had forgotten that he was not alonein the halls. After seeing his commanderhe turned his attention once more to the path of his feet. “I did not see anything foreign amidst theweaves of the spell,” he replied. “Thatis not the answer to the question I asked,” the wolf noted. Balrogsighed heavily. “You read me too well,my friend,” he admitted. “Andyou avoid the point like the—like a priest avoids a brothel.” Nathan winced at how near he had come tomaking a comparison in bad taste. Balrogclearly detected his change of direction, but he was not inclined to mentionit. He had other inclinations. >>>>>LOLOL “Theydo?” He snickered. “I’m happy I never considered the occupation.” Nathan was about to deliver a scathing retortwhen his companion raised his hand to forestall him. “Yes,I am avoiding the point. You are, ofcourse, correct.” He sighed as he madethe admission, but continued on. “Although I cannot see any evidence of tampering in the curse, theeffects are clearly identical to those of a fetish stone. I would surmise that the shaman attempted tocast the spell held within the stone as a last defense, evidently a successfulmeasure. My only questions are how itworked, and why there is no evidence of it afterwards.” “Noprogress on those answers, presumably?” Balrogsighed with a shake of his head. “Logically, there should be no way it would continue to function. A fetish stone should be necessary as fuelfor the spell, or the worst that Lois should have experienced would be amomentary disorientation. Much like apyrock must be present to sustain a magical blaze when a mage is not present,the fetish stone needs to be present or the effects of the countercurse wouldreassert themselves immediately.” Nathanshrugged. “Well, as you said, a pyrockis needed to magically sustain a fire spell, but only fuel and air arenecessary for a fire to spread after the spell has been cast. The actual spell may be gone, but the fireitself could continue.” Balrogstopped in his tracks as his commander spoke. He turned with an odd look on his face. “Sir, that is a fascinating comparison,” he said, a hint of admirationin his voice. “’If fuel ispresent…’ What sort of fuel could thisspell consume, though?” He shook hishead, pacing the short distance from one wall to the opposite in contemplation. “Well,as fire burns wood, so magic burns mana, or so I’ve heard. Perhaps he was simply near enough to a magicnexus for the additional mana to further the spell?” >>>>>Metamor is at the intersection of 7 leylines “No.” Balrog shook his head and increased hispace. “If that sort of thing couldhappen, any spell cast near Metamor would have the same inexplicableproperties. Using a nexus requiresconscious effort, and if this was a dying last defense as I have postulatedthen he wouldn’t have had the time to perform something that complicated.” He paced a few more steps before turning tolook at the wolf. “Keep talking,though. You have at least made someinteresting observations.” Nathanshrugged. “I think I played my trump tooearly, I can think of no theory more suitable.” Balrogchuckled quietly, slowing his pacing as he turned back towards the blackwolf. “There is something there, Ithink. At the very least, it gives me aplace to start.” He sighed. “You are correct about one thing; mana is thefuel for magic. How this bearssignificance is the elusive point.” Heshook his head and kicked at the stone of the floor in annoyance. “Unfortunately, I don’t think that pacingaround the area is likely to provide us with the answers.” “Wecan try again tomorrow,” Nathan advised. “I think Victor has been left to his own devices for a little bit longerthan I would generally advise. I wouldlike to check on him before it gets too much later.” Balrognodded. “I hope he has found the bathsand a good meal or two. And, hopefully,he has managed to keep himself calm. Theplague certainly had him shaken this morning.” Nathannodded. “I often miss them, but timeslike these I am happy that my family stayed in the Midlands. It gives me less to worry about in themeanwhile.” He waved to Balrog andcontinued down the hall. “Come; let’s gofind Victor and get some rest. Perhapsthe answers we need will come to us over the night.” Balrogstood still for a few more moments, but he finally nodded and followed afterhis patrol commander. The two of themwere already under suspicion from Lois’ patrol. Even if he thought he had some revelation about the spell which hisfriend was suffering, returning tonight would only result in more suspicion, ifnot outright hostility, from their hosts. He would have to renew his efforts in the morning. Atleast he had been able to maneuver around Nathan’s probing for now. * * * Victorhad managed to fall asleep before their arrival by some miracle. It was clear by the chaotic state of thebedding, however, that his was not a restful sleep. His face twitched back and forth from fear torage and back again, never seeming to resolve itself as though even he had noclear idea how he should feel. Nathanshook his head in concern for the younger scout, but he had no power overdreams to be able to aid the young man in whatever internal struggle he wasfacing. He silently gave Balrog afriendly pat on the shoulder, and left to go to his own bed across theroom. Balrog nodded to his commander,but turned to watch the boy for a few moments more. He could barely imagine the thoughts thattainted Victor’s dreams this evening. Victorcontinued to toss, occasionally muttering in his sleep, raising and loweringhis voice as though trapped in an argument with an unseen opponent. Finally, as his nightmares reached a feverpitch, he leapt from his bed with a strangled gasp, his hand sliding uselesslyacross the plain surface of the small bedside table before his momentum tippedhis body over the side of the bed and sent him tumbling to the wooden floor ina heap. He was quick to rise back to hisfeet, eyes flashing about in panic as he searched the table desperately. “Lookingfor this?” Balrog, who had taken a seatand made himself comfortable nearby, held out a short knife in a plain leatherscabbard. Victor eyed him for a fewmoments before his face was briefly colored by anger. He turned away, coughing drily as he tried tocatch his breath, frowning and ignoring the older scout for a few moments as hewalked over to where a basin of water had been provided for the use of thebarracks. He removed the top in acareless gesture that almost sent it rattling to the floor, a fact which heignored as he splashed his face with the cool water once, twice, and again. He leaned over the small tub for a fewmoments afterwards, chest heaving as he tried to calm himself. At least his awakening had not roused any ofthe others in the barracks. “Whatgood would the knife have done you?” Balrog asked gently. “Idreamt I was being attacked,” the age regressed young man insisted. He wiped his face with one hand and shook itto remove the droplets of water that still clung to his skin. He turned to look at Balrog, the bitternessin his expression readily apparent to the older scout. “Youand I both know that you’re hoping to protect your fearless image,” Balrogscolded. “As it is a vain hope, Isuggest you answer my question again, honestly this time.” Victorsoftened a bit. Although Balrog’s tonecertainly suggested a reproof, it was spoken as one man to another, and not asa man to a child as Vic had heard so often before. The fact that Balrog still knew how to treathim as a friend and not as an infant to be punished cooled the fire in hisbreast, and he took one more moment to settle himself before he respondedagain. “Youare correct, of course,” he admitted in low tones. He turned away from the basin of water,leaving its lid to the side, and sat on the edge of his bed. He glanced about the large room, glad that noone seemed to have been disturbed by his sudden waking. “I dreamt of the plague.” “Whatwould the knife have done to stop the plague?” the older man asked. Victorshook his head. “I don’t know. The things I dreamed, the horrors… I couldn’t let them go one. I had to do something, anything to stop it.” “Thatis why plagues are best dealt with by healers,” Balrog advised. “Against such an enemy, force of arms isnothing. Men like us have our usesduring a plague, but against the plague itself we have no power. You and I are in the best position we couldbe in at this time. We have theopportunity to aid the healers by quelling panic without risking the maladyourselves.” >>>>It is very hard to admit you are helpless and cannot do anything to help. “Youtold me of this already,” Victor observed. Balroggave a crooked smile. “Sometimesrepetition can help make the first telling easier to recall.” Victornodded, but his head remained low. Heshook briefly where he sat and looked up at Balrog. There was far too much of the frightened boyin his eyes. “Isaw my family taken by the plague, Balrog, and I saw myself returning to theKeep only to find that no one even knew where to find their bodies. I said my goodbyes to the ashes of a funeralpyre, to the ashes of dozens burned to save the rest. In other nightmares I can laugh because Iknow that such things are ludicrous, but this dream I know can be real and itterrifies me.” He managed to avoidsobbing outright, but the tears were already running down his cheeks. He waved his hand as though he wouldcontinue, but despite the movements of his lips he could not manage to say anythingmore before terror stole his voice. Thetwo sat there for a long while, Balrog quietly giving his friend the time heneeded to compose himself, and Victor doing his best to keep from crying aloudand disturbing the others who slept in the nearby bunks. Balrog did notice a few people taking noticeof his hysteric companion, but a withering glare turned them away in amoment. Victor was far beyond the pointof caring by then, but his companion did not believe that he deserved to be thesubject of any negative attention from others. Many of the others in the barracks were likely feeling similar emotions,but had hardened themselves against the full weight of the situation throughtraining, alcohol, or a combination of the two. Ittook some time, but Victor finally calmed down enough to stem the flow oftears. He took a few more moments tomake certain that they would not begin again, and then returned to the basin towash away the marks left by the tears. “Howdo you do it?” he asked, his voice weak. “Myfamily is far from the Keep, and even if they were not I would find it hard towish the best for them. For myfriends?” He shrugged. “I have several friends still in the Keep,yes, but last I saw them they were well. I suppose that I simply do not think that there is any sense dwelling onthe worst unless the worst should come.” Victorchuckled quietly. “I suppose that I amnot gifted with quite so much apathy as you are, my friend.” He covered the basin once more and returnedto the bed, slumping in exhaustion. “Myfamily… I don’t have anything beyondthem! You and the Commander, you’refriends but that’s a professional necessity, no offense to either of you. Besides patrols and training, my family is myentire life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. How I would live without them…” “Theyare still there, Victor. They are stillin the Keep, and they are alive,” Balrog said. “Howdo you know?” Balrogsighed and played with his beard between his fingers. “I don’t know,” he admitted quietly. “I don’t know it any more than I know thatthe Keep’s walls still stand. I don’tknow them, but I believe that both things are true.” Victorshook his head. “You’re beginning tosound like a Patildor,” he groused. Theolder man shrugged. “It has often beensaid that every religion was founded on at least one indisputable truth, andthe challenge lies in determining what of the rest is also truth. I suppose I would say that faith is one thingat least that they have right. It ispatently impossible to live your life believing only in the things that you areable to see. At some point it isnecessary to believe in something unseen.” Theyoung man bobbed his head in agreement, although he was clearly stilldoubtful. Still, he had calmed enoughchange the topic of discussion. “Did youmake any progress with your efforts?” Themage shook his head. “We weren’t able tosolve the problem, no.” He paused. “Do you even know what it is that we aredoing?” Hisyounger companion chuckled and shook his head. “Commander Nathan was in too much of a hurry to tell me, and you werejust trying to keep up with him. Idecided it wasn’t important for me to know.” Balrogsmiled, happy to see his friend return to better state of humor. “We are trying to help a man who has had hiscurse returned to its full force. He istrapped in the form of an animal, and we cannot find the reason.” Vicfrowned. “I’m sorry that I cannot be anymore help,” he remarked. “I have noknowledge of magic to be able to even discuss its use, though. Perhaps the best way I can help you is simplyto let you get some rest. I’m certainthat you need to be up early tomorrow to try again?” Balrognodded. “Yes, we will need to try againtomorrow morning. Are you certain thatyou will be all right alone?” “No,I’m not certain,” Victor admitted. “Still, there are some things you just have to believe, right?” Theolder scout chuckled and clapped a hand on the younger man’s back. “That you do. Rest well, my friend. You willsee your family again soon.” He set theknife which he had taken back on the bedside table before standing and walkingquietly towards his own bunk. “Balrog?” He turned to see Victor still sitting on theedge of the bed. “Thank you for stayingby me. I really needed someencouragement tonight.” “Don’tmention it. If we can’t depend on ourfriends, then who can we trust?” AsBalrog walked away, Victor stayed on the edge of his bed for a fewmoments. Finally, after some more thought,he finally managed to lie down and find some more peaceful rest. >>>It's nice to have friends who care!
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