--- Adventure 1 ---

Seeing that the Barbarian shut up, Ias looked at the others. He wasn't good at human faces, but he could tell that the Half-Elf was sulky and the Gnome - enthusiastic. His fall amused Ias and actually wanted to help, if Rissa hadn't been already there. She digged the snow away to make herself some place, and gave him a hand to help... strong fingers... with blood-red claws also.

Drogo blushed heavily. His face was almost color coordinated with his jacket. The girl hadn't even managed to come up with a reply, and he had stumbled. This was the curse of his life - to stumble in the most inappropriate moments. He tried to get a grip on himself. Argh, after all he was a gnome from an ever frozen land. He didn't quite get to figure out what happened, when he saw a hand being stuck in front of his nose, with claws that looked... dangerous. He raised his glance and saw that it was Rissa's. He hesitated a few brief moments before accepting her help.

"Wow.. thank you. You know... I... stumbled. Thanks a lot." He started to gather the things he had dropped from his bag and his belt. "Ach, I'm so... so..."

"... gawky", chuckled Thorn. He had raised an eyebrow in surprise, then he broke into merry laughter. He hadn't expected that. Had he bet, he would've lost, 'cause he would've set his money on the cat. The thought that the journey would hold many surprises lifted his mood. He was about to move on when he noticed something in the snow. He threw it up with the tip of his boot and caught it midflight: a tiny bottle. Well, well... surprises from the gnome, too. He put the little flask in his belt. A rogue can always use an invisibility potion. Drogo however... he would've stayed gawky even if invisible.

"Up with you" - she pulled him from the snow. "We should help each other, if we are to succeed." The were wanted to gathered his things, as well, but he had an incrediblE speed at packing all his inventory again.

Angy mergea

Drogo withdrew frightened. His blush had just gone away and he turned scarlet again. First the wolf, now the cat. And... anything but the bag! He closed its buckle, arranged its strap over his shoulder and gave the girl a shy smile.

"Oh, thank you. You are kind. But it's not very heavy... I can manage."

Several steps ahead, Thorn puffed in amusement. 'Typical gnome behaviour. Everyone knows they have magic bags, but they seem to always forget.' Truth be said, such bags were seldom seen being carried by anyone else than a gnome. He had had the occasion to study one before selling it for good money. Such a bag could hold much... much more than it seemed and it only weighed as much as the heaviest item in it. It was an interesting toy and most certainly its previous owner hadn't been too pleased to see himself parted from it. Well, tough luck. He should've paid for dinner if he lost the bet.

Drogo was completely lost. "Errrmmm... shall we go?"

M

Duro'than

"All my life was a battle, you know? I don't fear anything... maybe just to fight for nought. You know? When you struggle to touch your dream, and then, somebody makes it all in vain. Do you know what true fufillment is? To be there, near your dream, and nothing else mathers? You reached you life-goal - you are the king of the world... This is the ultimate purpose we are here. In life. Still... I refuse to believe this is the only reason we are here: power and riches. "

The Barbarian was silent again. So, Ias tried to chant silently something else... it was time for a new series anyhow. The few things that could be heard were like: *black night, winter sunset, with broken smile, where time dies, I'm sorry, she said...* and so on.

Soon, the little troop left the forest behind. Had they looked back, they would've seen beyond it whisps of smoke rising in the clear and cold air, the only sign of the little town nestled in between mounds of snow. At that time, the first customers would probably gather at the Slimy Toad Inn and, after convincing themselves that the strangers had left, they'd start eagerly discussing what business might have lead them there and what it would bring to the town.

The road went ever on, winding among hills covered in snow, yet keeping a steady northward direction. Two days later, it would enter another forest. Actually, it was more of a wood this time, old as the world itself. There were many rumours going about related to the Shilmista Forest, the enchanted Elven forest, many of which were contradicted by the next one and most of them not true. However, they had one thing in common: almost all of them advised travellers to stay away from it if possible and at any rate not to venture too far into the woods; and this in the past centuries, since the fall of the Elven kingdom.

There were still two days left until the travelers would have to worry about Shilmista. And as their journey would go on on (if it went on...), they would probably realise that the forest has been one of the least of their worries...