So as Thor kept watch Billy was healed and had his words with Siliwen, Thor could kind of understand both sides but felt it best not to get involved.When Siliwen said she was going to gather up horses Thor turns to Riddle Hey Riddle why don't we just take a very quick moment and check the fallen for any thing that may help us on our way.
Thor is not against the checking of the dead foes if they might give up something of value to the party, so he will quickly do as he asked Riddle to do and check over the two closest dead foes.Once done he will mount up (if his horse has returned by now)and once again call out All right let us resume our march following the route of the ring.

Billy listened to Riddle and it gave him a moments pause. True what was done was done and there certainly wasn't anything any of them could do about it. he had no problem with a mage traveling with them and she had proved herself useful. It was just that mages should honor the way fighters like himself did things. Tagerting groups was fine and even other mages. Heck even targeting fighters who were not engaged in single combat was acceptable. Certainly a mage was justified in fighting back if attacked. It was when two fighters meet eye to eye in a test of skill and stamina that he took exception to a mage targeting his opponent.

Perhaps later he would talk to Siliwen and come to some sort of understnding about the matter.

Location: Wooded Area - Destination: The Grey Mountains
Date/Time: Day Six - Mid morning
Billy dropped his sword and fell to a knee. He glared at Siliwen, "Never do that again. If I fall in combat so be it but my honor is my life and I had promised him a warriors death; he had called off his archers when they easily could have slain me. You stole an honorable death from him and he will never sit at table with his ancestors."

The first thing Thor does is raise his fingers to his lips and he gives out a sharp shrill whistle this should bring his horse Lighting back to him as long as the horse has not wandered off to far.

As he waits for his horse to return he he places himself in a position to be able to keep a watch on the area where the other men had rode off to and as he does he speaks to the others. I don't know if those others are coming back or not but I think we need to get our selves together and hightail because if they aren't coming back they now know our whereabouts and may be on their way to bring back reinforcements and I think we should be long gone by then.

Billy nodded at Thor's words. "We should probably leave. I am not sure that I could take another fight like that for awhile. That fellow knew how to fight and I am still hurting pretty good." Billy looked around for his horse.

The screams of injured horses shattered Siliwen’s thoughts and brought her back to the moment.

"Will someone please put those horses out of their misery." She looked around the scene at the fallen Perhaps they night have something on them that is useful,a map or something. I will help to gather the horses." Siliwen rode off she was not up to putting the horses out of their misery nor looting the bodies. She then sighs and turns her mount towards helping to gather the other horses. Even some of those of their opponents.

Alea wished she had enough spells to heal the enemies horses, but Billy would need more healing and other might be in need also.

"Billy, you could use more healing."

Riddle calmly walked up beside his big friend. "I truly believe that he deserved a warriors death of honor, but what is done is done my big friend and we can not have any hostility amongst us. We are but a small group fighting a larger force we need to work as one. Perhaps he sits in the halls of his god despite."

With this said riddle found his horse and quickly mounted it turning it to face the group he says "We need to get moving, and now they will be back soon enough and we need to put space between us and them"

So as Thor kept watch Billy was healed and had his words with Siliwen, Thor could kind of understand both sides but felt it best not to get involved. When Siliwen said she was going to gather up horses Thor turns to Riddle Hey Riddle why don't we just take a very quick moment and check the fallen for any thing that may help us on our way.

Thor is not against the checking of the dead foes if they might give up something of value to the party, so he will quickly do as he asked Riddle to do and check over the two closest dead foes.Once done he will mount up (if his horse has returned by now)and once again call out All right let us resume our march following the route of the ring.

Riddle’s call brought his horse galloping back as it was trained to do, Rayne rode out an in a few minutes had the party’s horses back and two others she was able to round up. The others were either dying or ran off. Quickly the screaming horses are put out of their misery and the day is quiet once again.

Alea finds Billy still in dire need and it takes her two remaining healing spells to get him back to almost normal (minor) but he still feels drained from the experience as do others that were injured.

The Priest tends to the wounds of the others with her bandages and even though it doesn’t help repair much of the damage it does stop any further bleeding.

Searching the bodies, they find their odd collection of weapons, most battered and ill kept and of little value, and only a handful of silver and gold coins; most of those upon the leader (12 gp, 23 sp). No food and little water was apparently carried by the attackers, leading them to believe that they didn’t have to travel far to find the party.

Once mounted, the group moves out again headed towards the direction of the Grey mountains, following the path directed by Siliwen’s ring. Their dark companion, Siliwen’s protector, runs along next to them keeping pace with ease.

They ride the rest of the day and in late afternoon they find a suitable group of trees within a small depression that seems to provide enough cover so they wont be seen easily. As they are all tired and still hurting from their injuries, they decide to make an early camp of it. A camp is prepared, a cold camp as a fire would be ill advised, and set watches for the coming night.

Sitting around the camp, repairing weapons, tending to bandages that have loosened from the ride, and conversing about the journey ahead, they relax and recover from the day’s battle.

(Room for interaction here)

Shortly after sundown, most are ready to retire for the night, the first on watch already on their station keeping watch over the horses and for movement in the copse of trees. Siliwen is sitting quietly by her bedroll, studying from her spell book when suddenly she feels a sharp pain stab up through her from the ground. The sudden pain causes her to leap up, crying out as she nearly falls on her face in her effort to get away from whatever had harmed her.

Looking, there seems to be nothing there where she sat, and she feels no more pain after moving and there was no sign of injury. Thinking on it, she realizes it wasn’t so much a pain, as a violent sense of wrong, a feeling of intense evil that stabbed up from the ground and into her.

As they stand there seeking the meaning of her crying out, and before she can fully explain, she feels another ‘stab’ of evil through the soles of her feet, so intense it makes her recoil again, nearly falling as she tries to get away from it. The evil is so potent that is almost makes her sick; it is as if she can feel it inside her gut and she can almost taste the bile in her throat at the sheer vileness of the touch.

(Edit: To get rid of that pesky camp fire that sprang up from nowhere.. bad fire.. I said cold camp.. geez )

Siliwen is glad for the early stop this night. Several of the others were still injured even though Alea had use up her healing spells for the day. She was glad for herself as well, these long hours of ridding hard and fighting left her drained. Coupled with several nights of broken sleep, she would be happy to get to sleep early tonight.

After making a cold meal and consuming it Siliwen sat cross-legged on her bedroll. Joriel’s spellbook was on her lap as she was studying it. She longed for the ability to cast some of his higher level spells. Then she could really help her friends. when she finished preparing her spells She took time watched as each of the others took care of their weapons and equipment with practice efficiency of a often repeated action.

She watched her silent dark companion as well. She wanted to reach out to him and gather him into the group. It was her nature, but she also realized that if he had wanted to he could have. However she did acknowledge his presence with a glance or nod or smile even. She thought that being here must be hard on him. Outcast from his own kind, outcast from other folk as well who did not realize he was not like his fellow Shelnak.

As she continued to watch the others’ preparations it came to her how she might get Billy to understand what she did was not so different form what he did. Siliwen rose up from her bedroll and cross over to Billy as he cleaned his sword.

“May I speak with you?” Siliwen waits for Billy’s response.

If given she sits down beside him. To another she looks like a delicate child sitting beside an adult. However that is what Siliwen wanted Billy to see.

“Billy, I know you were angered when I used my magics to strike down that man today. I am learning that you have a code of honor you follow with regards to friends and enemies.. I am sorry that I did not realized he had been vanquished before I loosed my spell, but I didn’t. I saw you badly hurt and wavering and being attacked by other. I did what I could to help you. Remember what was said when we first got here, ‘We must work together to succeed’. Alacran said it too. His group failed to work to gather and they were not able t o destroyed this thing of evil. We need to work together and that means all of us doing the best we can to stay alive. That is what I did today in my way. I did the best I could to help you survive."

Siliwen reached out her hand and puts it on Billy’s hand, for comparison. “Look at my hand. It can barely close around your sword’s handle. I doubt I have the strength to do more than raise it up and let it drop. So I will never be a fighter like you, but that does not mean I cannot fight. My weapons are my magic spells. I have worked as long and as hard on them as you have with your weapons. I am and must be as much a part of this fight as you are.

"Even though I apparently have been given the ability to destroy this object we seek, I cannot do it by myself. We need to do it together. We need to use all our talents and abilities to achieve this, to be strong, quick, clever, intelligent, wise, leaders and followers both. None of us has all those qualities or skills but together we do."

“I saw you attacked and injured and I did what I could to make sure you survived.. I offer no apologies for my actions today. I would do it again if I saw you in danger. However I will try not to kill any opponent you have vanquished if I know that they have been subdued.

“Please, let me do my part.”

(Response from Billy or anyone else)

Later after sunset.

After the sun went down Siliwen was still seated cross-legged quiet meditation resting while awake, her spell book still on her lap. Her had quieted her mind and focused inward. In this state her minded clear of mundane matters gained her insights and possible solutions, even though she was not actively thinking of them.

Siliwen suddenly she feels a sharp pain stab up through her from the ground. It pain causes her to leap up, and cry out in pain. She looks doen for th source of the pain but see nothing. She checks her body for signs of injury but finds nothing,. Thinking on it, she realizes it wasn’t so much a pain, as a violent sense of wrong, a feeling of intense evil that stabbed up from the ground and into her.

Around her as the others begin to react to her cry she feels another ‘stab’ of evil, so intense it makes her recoil again, nearly falling as she tries to get away from it. The evil is so potent that is almost makes her sick; it is as if she can feel it inside her gut and she can almost taste the bile in her throat at the sheer vileness of the touch.

It is an attack but she is not sure how it is being done. She looks around to see if there is something in the area. Casting detect magic

Siliwen asked to sit next to Billy and he motioned for her to have a seat. He hadn't really noticed before how small in stature she was. She spoke about what happened during the last battle and how she had only meant to help. Billy nodded as she spoke. When she finished her spoke in return.

"I know you were only trying to help. Sometimes I forget that my code of honor is not shared by everyone. Expecting you to fight like I do would seem to be less than fair. We must work together I agree. I really was in bad shape back there; but the enemy leader and I had a pact. We had agreed to settle our fight with steel and muscle and though you saw me in trouble and helped in teh only way you could; it broke that pact. Somehow we need to find a way to balance my sense of honor with your abilities. If someone had told me 2 weeks ago that I would be sitting here talking with a magic user I would have told them they must have been kicked in the head by a mule. We will just have to take it slow."

Before the attack on Siliwen

"Yes, Billy strange indeed is this whole adventure, but we have only ourselves to depend on. I daresay we will both try to balance our differences so that you can maintain your code of honor and I can do what I do to help us all survive.

After casting Detect magic and looking around. Siliwen fights to ignore the vile evilness that nauseates her. She gathers herself control and stand straighter.

"Something attacked me, a sharp pain of vile evil, It seems to emanate from the ground but when I stood it was still able to strike me yet again. Something may be close enough to directly target me but I do not now how."

Alea looks about at that declaration, she does not have the spell to detect evil, but she takes up her holy symbol and moves about the camp starting where Siliwen indicated she first felt the attack.

She looks about to see if there is a tree, if so she will tell Siliwen to get into the tree. If there is somethng moving underground then being up in the air would afford her some protection.

Billy woke at the scream and had just gotten to his feet when Alea suggested Siliwen climb a tree to get off the ground. Since it was faster, Billy picked up the mage and placed her on his shoulders. "Might not be a tree but at least you are off the ground now."

To Alea's question "

The first felt like it can right out of the ground into me, But I stood and felt it again. so I am not sure," responds Siliwen.

Billy's Move

Billy woke quickly and stood crossing over to Siliwen he grabs her like she was a small child up and swings her up off the ground onto his shoulders.

"Might not be a tree but at least you are off the ground now." Billy offers his explanation.

"Thank you, Billy. It was well thought out," comments Siliwen as she reorients herself up on Billy's shoulder and indeed it was because it felt as if something came through the ground itself to attack her. Had Billy lifted her off the ground as quickly as he did she was looking to climb a tree or mount her horse.

After a few moments Siliwen offers up her thoughts to the others., "It seems this Dark One contaminates the very ground around him. We have noticed and change in the environment as we move closer. I should perhaps thought about why it was so changed."

Siliwen tries to assess how she fells now she is off the ground. How much her feelings were left over from the vile touch and how much was the dizzying swing to Billy's shoulders.

She sat comfortably enough for now on Billy's broad shoulders. Much more comfortable than risking being on the ground. Siliwen sighs deeply.

"What we have to find is a way to prevents those attacks." she concludes.

Around Siliwen as the others begin to react to her cry she feels another ‘stab’ of evil, so intense it makes her recoil again, nearly falling as she tries to get away from it. The evil is so potent that is almost makes her sick; it is as if she can feel it inside her gut and she can almost taste the bile in her throat at the sheer vileness of the touch.

It is an attack but she is not sure how it is being done. She looks around to see if there is something in the area. Casting detect magic.
Siliwen’s quick spell reveals a glowing spot on the ground right where she was last standing when the ‘touch of evil’ struck her. She sees nothing else around the group, and the spot on the ground is fading even as she watches.


Alea looks about at that declaration, she does not have the spell to detect evil, but she takes up her holy symbol and moves about the camp starting where Siliwen indicated she first felt the attack.
Alea walks around seeing nothing but when she approaches the spot where Siliwen said she was attacked, she kneels down near the spot. She sees the same faint glow coming from the spot, yet to her, grasping her holy symbol, she sees it as a taint of blackness. Not knowing why, she reaches out and touches the spot and she can just feel a fading sense of ‘wrong’ a sense of sickening ‘malice’ that makes her want to gag. It slowly fades away to nothing. She can only imagine what it felt like to Siliwen when it was full strength. To her the spot almost felt like something was reaching through the ground to find something, probably Siliwen, for what purpose she could only guess.

When Billy hoists Sil up on his shoulders she feels no further ‘touches’ of the wrong she felt while on the ground. Billy feels nothing in the area and no stabbing pains of evil either. Only the slim light form of Sil resting on his broad shoulders.

(I should have mentioned that you are free at this point to post at will to each other. I will interject with anything you might find, or see, or feel at any point. )

Alea moves to the spot as indicated by Siliwen. "There is a residue of Evil here. I suggest we leave immediately and find a safer location where we can up Siliwen in a tree or on rock. That is until we learn even those places are noit safe."

Alea goes to gather her things and then to tack her horse, She pauses as she turns to go to her horse. "Billy can you hold her a bit longer, I will get her horse tacked and she can mount. At least she will be off the ground."

Alea is a bit disheartened that she can do nothing at her level in the way of protection for Siliwen. Being new to the service of Corellon she lacked the divine power need to do such a spell. SHe had the sinking feeling that simple prayer was not going to be of any aid. Very few of her divine spells were of any use except Bless and Heal.

Once the party stops for the night they eat a cold meal and pick out the watch order for the night. As they are relaxing before slumber Siliwen sits by Billy and tries to explain to him the reasons for her actions when she cast the magic at his foe. To Thor it makes sense but then he does not hold quite the same views as Billy seems to. Having been raised in a more dog eat dog enviroment among many different races some that would think nothing of stabbing you in the back even if unarmed Thor has learned to fight a little different which was probally aparent when he took out his advasaries horse than came back for the kill even as his foe was down.

All seemed quite, but that was suddenly shattered as Siliwen leaps up from where she was sitting with a yell and as she tries to tell the group what happened she felt it again in her feet. Alea quickly suggests she get up off the ground and to that end Billy grabs her and puts her on his shoulders, after which she feels no more attacks.

Siliwen then casts detect magic and she can see a a glow on the ground where she was last standing however it is fading fast.She ses no other signs. Alea on the other hand with her holy symbol sees the spot as a black patch with a residue of evil and suggests they leave this area.

I do hope that these attacks on Siliwen are not in some way related to the earlier attacks from the Shelnak, she is supposed to be blocked from them, but once again she is somehow targeted by some evil. I agree that we should move on even though it is dark and maybe even look for a place where we can rest not on the ground don't know.
Thor will busy himself gathering up their horses and as he does he will see what Siliwen's protector is doing since she has again been attacked.

Location: Wooded Area - Destination: The Grey Mountains
Date/Time: Day Six - Late Night

The group quickly decides that maybe they are being tracked through the ground somehow and decide to break camp as fast as possible and ride on and find another camp site. They gather their horses and as soon as Sil’s horse is ready she is set in the saddle. She waits while the others stow the rest of the gear and mount up. The whole time this is going on, their dark companion stands idly by as if nothing is going on.

Once ready, they check the ring’s pointer and soon ride off into the night. There is a waning moon out tonight so they have some light as they ride quickly across the plains. The ground around here they notice is more barren as they ride closer to the mountains.

After riding an hour, without seeing anything, they find another larger group of woods where they can conceal themselves from prying eyes. They ride into the woods for a few minutes and then find a suitable area to camp. While they rode, they noticed the vegetation here is dying or dead ; only the trees remains and they look old and shriveled as if the life is slowly being sucked out of them.

The area they pick to camp doesn’t even have any grass in the open area, they do however find a couple of trees close together where they might be able to rig some type of hammock for Sil if they wish to keep her off the ground.

By now it is late at night and they are all tired from the battle earlier and the longer than anticipated journey this day. A good nights sleep is just what the doctor ordered for all of them. Watches are set and once again they settle down to try and recover from their injuries.

They night passes without incident and the day break dark as heavy clouds seem to fill the sky. A large storm seems to be moving in from the West, coming from the mountains.


(Continue to post at will... I will intercede if necessary)

Siliwen was tired by the time they reached their new campsite. It thankfully had a copse of trees though they did not appear in good condition, still they offered a place where she might be able to stay off the ground. The other signs of degradation of the land itself was the bare ground without a blade of grass on it. It confirmed the growing evidence of the general miasma of the land itself the closer that got to the mountains and the territory controlled by the Dark One, as he was called.

Perhaps he could reach through the very ground itself. Siliwen shivered at bit at the though, and hoped that the scheme of rigging her a resting place off the ground was going to work.

However, first things first, Siliwen slipped off her horse and undid her pack and saddle and bridle slipping on the halter. She was worried about the fact that there was not grass for the horses to graze on. They could not keep going at the pace they were pushing them without food. She voiced her worries.

“What are we going to do to feed the horses, there is not a bit of grass around here?”

Siliwen tied up her horse after laying out her saddle blanket over her saddle to dry out and finding a branch to hang up her bridle on.

Siliwen walked over towards two trees that were close enough together that she could rig something like a hammock between them. Taking her winter blanket she knots each corner to male a tie point for her rope. She find a branch to hook her rope over then wraps it once each on the around the tree to tie it to the knots on the short end of the blanket. She does the same to the other short end as well. Hopefully by using a branch to keep the rope up it will not allow the blanket to slip down the trunk. Once she had tightened it up a bit she tentatively crawls into it to test it out. She didn’t sling it to high but it was still tricky to get into. Once she was in it wasn’t so bad. She gets out long enough to pull out her sleeping bag and lay it in her improvised hammock.

Finally Siliwen crawls up into the hammock and into her sleeping bag. She took some pride in what she had accomplished a small victory it was but better than nothing. With a deep sigh she closes her eyes, already heavy with fatigue and over due sleep, and is soon oblivious to the world about her. Her last thoughts were a prayer to Corellon for strength to see this through and a plea for protection for her and the others from this evil that seeks to stop them all.

Alea, too, was happy to have found some sort of refuge. SHe does much the same as Siliwen in taking care of her mount and digging out rations for cold supper.

"We do not dare light a fire, for there is not enough cover and the light and the smoke from it would be a lure to the evil about here."

At Siliwen's comment about the lack of grazing, Alea nods, "You are right, the horses will need food and our supplies are not unlimited. We might have to locate human habitation to resupply, as I am loath to eating any food found in this area of contamination."