Bloodlines: Forest Meeting Pt. 1
Fen has the second watch when he stumbles into their camp. It's very late, and he looks like a drunken fool the way he swings his head around and stares at her, and her swords, wide-eyed. He immediately starts to babble, waking the others.
"No, wait, don't. Please. Um... hello, please don't kill me."
Galen gets up, rumpled but impressive looking in his once white robes. He frowns at Fen and pushes her sword aside, glaring at her when she starts to protest. It doesn't stop her any more than it ever has.
"What will you do when he turns out to be a decoy sent to distract us?" She asks coldly.
"This man is disoriented. If you're so sure of attack, shouldn't you be checking the area for soldiers?"
She storms away, muttering to herself. The newcomer stares after her, his expression confused and slightly awestruck. Galen watches him with a frown, attempting to diagnose his insanity. Iliana joins him, smiling reassuringly, with Devlin's cloak in her hands.
"Perhaps you would be more comfortable if you were less exposed to the elements." Her gaze falls to his chest, and she raises an eyebrow. "You bear the mark of Fenlaraine, are you a devotee?"
He accepts the cloak and glances down, seeming to forget it for a moment as he stares at the mark. "That wasn't there before... I don't even... Where are we? I... there isn't a forest for leagues around my father's inn. How can I even be here?"
Devlin joins them, followed by Fen. "Seems you're a bit lost friend. There’s not an inn for miles in any direction. What's your name? I'm Dev."
"Perion." He glances at Fen, then flushes abruptly and pulls the cloak around himself, holding it closed to cover himself. Fen just rolls her eyes before walking away again. Dev watches with a grin. "Don't worry about her. She's suspicious, but she isn't a murderer."
Galen nods and draws Perion to a seat near the fire with a hand on his shoulder. "That's Fen, this is Iliana, and I'm Galen. Where is your father's inn located?"
"In the village of Reslin, on the eastern border. Where are we, exactly?"
Devlin looks surprised. "Close to the North-Western edge of Negalein. Have you taken a blow to the head or something?"
"No. I'm sure I haven't."
Galen breaks in. "What is the last thing you remember?"
"Yesterday. I unloaded a shipment of ale, and spent the rest of the day in the inn, serving customers. I went to bed after closing, like always." He looks around. "If I'm here, it's possible Dari is too..."
Devlin shakes his head. "Nobody here but us, and you weren't here before I went to sleep, I would have felt you."
Fen glares at the group around the fire. "We're going to get killed before we leave the forest at this rate. Honestly, a naked man wanders into our camp and you welcome him with open arms? Is there something I'm missing?"
Dev glances at her. “You’ve apparently missed the fact that your namesake’s mark is on his chest, and I don’t feel anybody else for miles. He wasn’t here before I went to sleep Fen.”
Iliana nods. “It’s like the mages Corby is always warning about, isn’t it? They go to sleep one night, wake up somewhere else with a godmark on them. Can’t you see it?”
Fen snorts at them. “I see it only too well. It’s too convenient. He’s a spy for Corby, and he’ll get us killed.”
“I am neither a spy nor mage. I can assure you, this is just as distasteful to me as it is to you. I just want to go back to my father’s inn.”
“You had better hope you are a mage, so you can magic yourself some clothes and boots to wear.” Dev says with a grin.
Galen watches them with a contemplative frown. Finally he seems to have decided to say something, when Perion’s gaze turns inwards, and several pieces of clothing fall from the trees to pile on top of him, one boot narrowly missing the fire.
“Well, that seems to have answered the mage question. Let’s table this discussion until Perion is dressed, shall we?” Iliana says quietly.
His arms full of clothes, Perion scrambles away a bit into the forest. Devlin grabs a fallen boot to follow him at a gesture from Fenlara.
Galen, Iliana and Fen take the moment to discuss what to do.
Fen starts the conference. “I say we tie him to a tree and leave. We can’t have him getting in the way of what we intend to do.”
Galen shakes his head. “Leaving him may not be a bad idea, but surely we needn’t leave him here to die.”
“Eventually he’ll figure out how to magic himself out. Remember that magician when we were kids?”
“Those ropes were trick, if you recall, and he was no mage. He bears Fenlaraine’s mark. If he is her chosen, can we afford to earn her anger by leaving him to die?”
Iliana nods. “He doesn’t seem to be a threat Fen, I think we should at least let him come with us to the nearest town, he could help somehow.”
Fen looks angry. “He will get us killed.”
The conversation is ended by the noisy return of Devlin and Perion.
Devlin is, as usual, cheerful. “So are we going to get any more sleep tonight?”
Galen shakes his head. “Pack up; it’s close enough to dawn that an early start won’t hurt us. We’ll take Perion to the nearest town and let him find his way from there.” The others move to do as told and he turns to Perion, completely serious. “Do anything to endanger us or slow us down and I let Fen do whatever she wishes to get rid of you.”
Except for Fenlara, the rest of the party flinches at his tone. Perion looks grave. “I’ll bear that in mind."