Angel's Love, Halfling's Trials

Prompt Week 36: Bane's Accusations, Hoar's Hunt

 

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Forgotten Realms setting of D&D, but the characters in here are from a game and of my own creation. Any player characters from the game have been loaned out with permission from their players. I receive no money for this endeavor.

 

Notes, explanations, and reply responses will be at http://www2.adult-fanfiction.org/forum/index.php?app=forums&module=forums&section=findpost&pid=228040.

 

Thistle found herself running as her pursuer hounded her trail relentlessly. This was a poor time to curse the suggestion to split up in order to discover and gather more information about the locations of the Beggar God's cultists. The halfling found herself grateful for the boots of striding and springing that allowed her to at least not be overran. Still, she would have loved to be able to jump through the shadows themselves precisely at this moment. Her traveling gear and celestial chain shirt with leathers at least didn't hinder her movement as she found herself climbing and jumping over a rather tall fence before ducking into an alcove with the intent to scale the wall before her. This wasn't the day she envisioned as her small band arrived in Mulmaster. Although, she shouldn't had expected differently considering this was the Moonsea; Zhent territory for the most part. It seemed the rumors of Mulmaster having joined forces with Zhentil Keep were quite true. She'd have to be more thorough about investigating those other rumors later.

 

There was a small problem with running for your life in unfamiliar territory, the unexpected stops and dead ends. The tall buildings and overcast skies gave her precious few options of escape. To be honest, damn well near none. Seth was elsewhere, reluctantly searching the Astral Sea and Plane of Shadows for possible bolt holes. Nicos and Amra would be attempting to gather what they could on the eastern side of this gods-forsaken place. Arveene was on the western side, watching as she stayed on whatever hunt she found for herself: the whisper gnome monk could be an enigma like that. Still, all of that was of little help (if great comfort) to her now. There were still her moon bracers that looked like pearl bracelets she could fall back on. Their dimensional door ability would allow her a quick exit to some safer place, should she be able to locate one quickly. That wasn't looking to promising at this moment unless she could manage to scale the wall before her. She didn't know if she enough time to down a potion of spider-climb as well as moving up the wall before her with the rate of speed that her hunter seemed to be using. It was a risk she'd have to take in order to make any escape it seemed. Well, it was always a risk being a Harper in an area friendly to the Black Network really.

 

Her risk did pay off enough for her to make it to the roof of the five story building, just enough time to see her pursuer come to the edge of the urban canyon she'd been trapped in. It was when he started to move slowly that the master harper realized she might have found herself headlong in a planned trap. Three men stepped out of the shadows, each wearing a dark leather coat with a black gloved hand holding a two-headed face silver coin emblazoned on it; Hoar's insignia. Thistle stepped away from the edge of the slanted roof, trying to back up towards a ledge she could jump from. Why were members of Hoar's cult after her? Regardless of that, escape was going to be difficult.

 

The efficiency of those who'd trapped her was soon proven, as the one that had led her into this now obvious trap slipped up behind her. Her slight frame and only slightly better than average strength did her little service as the larger man grappled her to the tiled surface of the roof beneath her. Any attempt she made to struggle or wiggle free was ruthlessly squashed by the man who held her down long enough to have a few rather cold and sharply pointed blades dig in around her neck. She softly cursed in Hin as she felt the caress of Beshaba touching her this moment. “Telr ud ecc dy dni ruri niccm. Mnud. Pimnepe pi telrit.” Her voice scarcely audible even to herself.

“Long black braided hair, fair skinned, halfling female. She fits our quidam from the warrant. Gave us a hell of a chase to be fair. No wonder the Zhentarium approached us about finding her. ”

 

The deep hood of their cloaks prevented her from seeing the faces of her captors from her precarious posture. Bounty hunters. Thistle had to bite her tongue to keep from cursing further. This wouldn't be easy to escape from, a little help would be appreciated at the moment. She closed her eyes to focus on sending a stilled and silenced message spell. Captured. Bounty hunters of Hoar. Need help immediately. The message was simple, but all she could manage at the moment. She could feel her limbs starting to be manacled as she was sending her desperate message to Amra. Surely the other harper could use her woodland tracking skills in the city, well it would also help that Nicos could cover what she couldn't. Her fervent hopes that it would be enough.