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iii. Clarissa awoke and found a blade at her throat. "Be quiet with you there." a voice rasped at her. Fearful, Clarissa remained quiet as she was told. It was dark, and she couldn't focus. She was tired, and her arm hurt. She had trouble thinking why. "What is your name?" "... Melina." Clarissa replied. "I doubt that very much, but Melina will suffice for now." A curtain came back and she found herself in a room with a small but fast looking man of middle age. He moved back with his blade and revealed a plate of food. "You must be starving. Please... eat." "Where am I?" "Never mind for now. Just eat. I insist..." said the man, his blade still not sheathed. Clarissa ate. She paused, still groggy and half asleep... Safeton... but... "Am I being sold into Slavery?" she asked the man. The man said nothing. His face said nothing. Clarissa finished eating. "Please tell me what is happening... pleeease..." "Come with me then," and with that, the man walked out of a nearby door. Mystified, Clarissa followed. Looking outside, she found that she was inside what looked like a small fortress. Was this man one of the men who cornered her? And how long ago was that? She couldn't remember, and she wanted to go back to sleep... worry about it all later. Clarissa and the man walked across a small courtyard and turned a corner... Clarissa found herself staring at the most unusual gathering of people she had ever seen. There was something like twenty men and women, all armed and each stood near a horse. They all wore armour and seemed to be armed with many weapons. The looks on their faces ranged from scowls of contempt to looks of genuine surprise, and they all seemed to be staring hard at her. Faces like she had seen on entering Safeton. She looked closer. Many of them wore cloaks of arms. She didn't recognise many of them, but she saw that a few bore the symbol of Trithereon, and a slender and handsome warrior wore the symbol of Kord, this much she did know. A few others had the regal look of clerics. She could spot them! She didn't recognise some of their badges though: a circle of swords? They all seemed to return her scrutiny. Did she recognise any of them? Some seemed familiar, but she couldn't place the faces. One of them stepped forward: a regal looking elf with long dark black hair with silver streaks. He looked very cruel, which Clarissa thought unusual for the few elves that she had seen. He was dressed as an elf wizard, in black and silver, but carried a short-sword at his side. Clarissa certainly thought this odd. Was this fellow one of those fighter-mages that she had heard about? Wizards weren't supposed to carry swords, or so she had heard. "Who is this scruffy waif?" The elf declared, and not at all discretely. "I imagine that she is the entertainment before we set off! Here girl, this copper is yours if you will dance for us!" replied one of the other adventurers, a non-descript man in leather. Many of the group laughed, but the elf didn't. Clarissa saw those who wore the garb of Trithereon become very unsettled. "The girl is here at my request," a voice said from behind Clarissa, startling her. She turned to look at whoever had just spoken. Behind her was a tall man with a powerful build and a bald spot who looked much like a pirate (he even wore a leather eye-patch and elaborate hat! The bald spot was still obvious, though.) He had a snobbish way of holding himself, thought Clarissa, and looked as if he would tolerate no nonsense. She looked into his uncovered eye. It was a deep and piercing grey. Clarissa couldn't shake that gaze, it seemed hypnotic. The man spoke, but he was talking to the group, not to Clarissa. "Well, my colleagues felt the need to pick her up. What could I do? I thought we should throw her back!" Many of the group laughed, and everyone seemed to relax. Clarissa didn't notice this, as her eyes were locked onto the uncovered eye of the stranger. He was studying her, but was staring at her face and eyes. Did she know him? She was sure she had never seen this man before, she was sure she would never forget a face, and yet there was something about him... He seemed very powerful... dangerous even... "We must be away soon. Finish the necessary preparations." said the man, to no one in particular. "Nev Ironbar," challenged a mean looking man among the group. Many in the group turned to look at him, and not with much kindness. "Let us be clear, we go to face a tribe of humanoids today?" "Yes," said the man with the eye-patch, "and for as many days after that as we can manage..." "And...?" "My employer has requested that they are to be killed without mercy. Do any here have a problem with that?" If anyone did, they failed to reply. "And if we encounter any of the Slavers?" asked another in the group "We should leave them well alone." replied the man with the patch. Many of the adventurers shuffled notably at the mention of that. One of the men wearing the rune of Trithereon stepped forward, "now Ironbar, I am not sure that I would be able to agree with that. If anything, I would prefer to confront..." "You are not being paid to express your preferences, Gleeson of Dyvers. This mission has but one goal. Anyone not willing to commit to that goal should leave now." "We agree with the goals as discussed previously. But if any Slavers are directly in our path... If they actually have slaves in their custody, I would be unable to ignore that... nor could my colleagues." With that, some of the others of the group mumbled an agreement. "We will deal with that as we come to it. If it doesn't immediately hamper the mission, if we didn't have to go out of our way and if we could 'disrupt' any Slavers with minimal risk to the party, then so be it. Will that be satisfactory to you, Gleeson? Remember, the militia is out there in force!" The man identified as Gleeson nodded slowly. Clarissa was even less certain she knew this man called Ironbar. But something about his eyes was hypnotic... Had she seen him in the Quarter? The elf stepped forward, "All is readiness. We can ride at your command." "Thank you Ehlranth," replied Nev Ironbar. Clarissa saw the group start to load equipment onto their steeds and mount up. They looked well organised and dangerous. She started to feel dizzy and sleepy again. "Ironbar, what are we going to do with the girl." It was the man who held a blade to her throat that spoke. His voice was hushed, but Clarissa heard it clearly. "She is under our protection for the moment. Don't worry about it, Romanar... Call for Dinizael to come over here for a moment..." responded Ironbar. Clarissa saw Romanar walk over to the elf, and they both turned to join the larger group. Nev Ironbar drew close to Clarissa. Clarissa was uncertain what to do or think. "Well, Melina? I am sorry for dragging you into this, but I am going to have to bring you along for the ride." "Where are we going?" "We are going on a dangerous expedition. I don't expect that we will all return alive. Does that sound like fun?" Clarissa felt the blood run from her face. Nev Ironbar laughed, "Here, put your mind at rest. You will be perfectly safe." He draped a cloak around her shoulders and slipped a ring on her finger. Clarissa stood very still as he did this. She expected him to caress her in some way, but he did not. A slender man approached, "You asked for me?" he said. "Yes Dinizael. Please send word to our benefactor, Lord Emirian. Please send thanks for his ongoing patronage and for the kind use of his facilities." "That is all? ...fine." Dinizael looked very put out by this, and sloped off to do as he was told. As Dinizael walked off, Nev Ironbar turned and found that Clarissa was slumped over. He regarded her for a moment, then nodded slowly, he turned to the group and saw that only a few were looking his way. He was taking a huge risk bringing her along. This might yet work though... To be continued... The Wild Road seldom travelled (Clarissa makes some friends, and everyone relaxes for a while... or at least, most of the group does!)