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Back to Empire on the HPe3000
... and ...
"Frost Giants." Telenstil said. "They've come down from
their frozen heights before to raid. This is different. What did we find
last night?"
"Those snow white pelts." Harold spoke up. "And chitin plates from
an Ice Worm."
"How did you know?" asked Gytha. "I thought you but a city
dweller."
"I am a thief." Harold said proudly. "Where do you think your
furs and precious hides end up? I know the goods that I purloin, such furs
adorn the oligarchs and their kin, those chitin plates command high price.
I know their going rate, as of a month ago, " He sadly said "oh to be back
in Greyhawk once again."
"So, " Telenstil went on. " Another link between these Giants and
their frozen kin. What else?"
"The cloaks of Hill Giants from many tribes," the large Harald
declared. "I saw three sets at least from as many different clans."
"How can you tell, their smelly cloaks look all the same to me."
The halfling said.
"You judge what weight in gold these skins can bring, I find
mor worth in knowing who I fight. The northern clans, they wear the skins
of great brown bears, the same as Nosnra's kin keeps as pets. One tribe
leaes the skull attached, they use it as a clasp. All others make a
hooded cloak and cut the bear skull off. Another sews a second skin inside
the first, so they can have soft fur against their skin. Another uses an
aurochs bull...." Harald went on, but stopped at Gytha's laugh.
"I feel no shame at my poor telling now." she said.
"Will you make us sit through a lesson on giants cloaks throughout
the day?" Harold asked bemused.
"Such a lesson could well save your life." the greybeard firmly
warned.
"And it is information we have come here for." The High Elf spoke
up. "So Hill giants of many tribes, those who wear the skin of bears are
not welcome in these lands, but here they are. Frost Giants are made
welcome and guested at a Hill Giant hall. Some gathering of giant kind
or worse."
"You know more than you say." The old gnome said.
"Guesswork and suspicions." said Telenstil. "We need not share the
private words that our patrons have entrusted us to keep. I can say that
my queen suspects what our holy priest has said. Nosnra is the nearest arm
of some grasping plot that reaches out toward our respective lands. If
we ut it off...I will use plainer speech. If we kill Nosnra, if we
destroy his clan, it will not be enough." From a pouch he pulled forth a
wooen board, he slid a sharp fingernail between its sides and split it
open in two even halves. One piece he put down and the other he held up
to show the gathering. A silvered mirror it appeared, but no reflection
could be seen within its face. "With this device I relay our discoveries
to my Queen, such as those things we found last night, she is sworn to
tell your Duke, and he the others in this alliance of realms that we
embody."
"Pholtus knows all that I do, by his grace and radiant light"
voiced Henri.
"The Saint hears my prayers." Gytha said not to be outshown.
"As he hears all who seek his aid."
"But what good is such?" the halfling asked.
"We need not fear that our efforts will be lost." said Telenstil.
"I for one plan on telling my tale before a gathered crowd back
home." Harold did not like such talk of loss and fear.
* * *
(To Be Continued)