Death of a Bard

[Wyrda]

Airin Merrymount walks into the tavern late at night, as he usually does. He pulls out his lute and starts to play. As an orc walks into the room he starts to sing. The orc insults his singing, calls him a "filthy oomie", and accuses him of mating with trees. Airin then turns his attention to he orc and sings to him as he continues to play his lute,

"little orc who's not so big, he thinks he's tough but mates with pigs. He fights the fight and walks the walk, and with the ladies he's all talk"

The orc then throws a stool away from him in rage and charges towards Airin. Before Airin can say a word the orc drives an axe through his chest. The orc then walks out the door without a look back. As Airin is bleeding to death his thoughts wander to the times he spent in Gobiath and the few friends that he had made.

He thinks of Voldar, guildmaster of the Academy of Gobiath. He remembers how Voldar was like a father to him and taught him most of all that he knew. He showed him kindness and love, and Airin loved him in return.

He remembers Roze, a student at the academy. He thinks of how he had started to fall for her, though she had never known. He admired how she was not the typical girly girl, but was able to hold her own in a fight and was able to hold a conversation like no other.

He remebers Dusty, not that he was a great friend, they had only met a few times. He remembers how he became a citizen of Greenbriar and how he looked up to Dusty above all others. He remembers how that little halfling made such a name for himself and how much he loved his little town. Airin then thinks of how much he grew to love the town also.

He remembers how he had made a commitment to sing at Achae and Mark's wedding. He then frowns as he realizes he won't be able to make it. He was really looking forward to it. Mark, he was also supposed to create a ballad for the knights of Kallahorn. He realizes he will not be able to do that either.

He thinks back to all the times in the tavern and all the songs he had sang. All the beers he had drunk. All the merry times in the tavern...

As he takes his last breath, he whispers, "goodbye" to all of his freinds.

[someone]

A young woman, hooded in a black robe was sitting nearly every evening in a dark corner of the tavern and watching the people around her. Sometimes, her emerald green eyes glanced at the door, examined every person whitch entered the tavern. She did look like shes waiting for someone.

Where is he? Why he never comes back?

She smiled sardonic to herself.

Stupid girl! You better should make your work. Dont hang around here in such silly dreams! He s gone, he maybe isnt anymore in this town.

She glanced a last time around, then fixed with her emerald green eyes a young man, sitting alone in the tavern. She did take off her black robe.
Some minutes later, she did seat beside this young man, with a goblet of vine in her hand and a ravishing smile on her full lips. While her eyes did glance at the young man, she did remember one of the songs, someone did sing for her here in the tavern some times ago.

"i have not been lucky in a while, but tonight i am, for i see this womans smile..."

For a short moment her green eyes did gleam mutch more than normaly.

[Dren Da' Ruhk]

A dark figure conquers the doorway of the tavern.
He lingers for a bit as he studies the dark scene. He enters hesitantly walking to the bar, the vibrant orange light claims half of his weary body. He comes to the body of the fellow bard and kneels before the blood coated body.

In the winter of mortality, the vibrant plains grow drab with frost and discouraging chills. The darkened forest weeps against the melodic twilight, mourning the pass of many. The snowcapped mountains red, as the wind nips and taunts cruely daring a weary body. The trails are apperant only by the surfeit impressions, abandoned by the elders. At the dawn of the new day, birds sing as the lost child studies the last sign, filling it with his own diminutive replica. In the spring the cheerfull ghosts sing balads of undiscovered adventure at the familiar youth, concious of the damp, eventfull path that lies ahead

[Achae Eanstray]

Achae glances toward the entrance near the cross at Greenbriar occasionally, wondering where Airin is. Seeing him in town almost every day, even at the town meeting, she missed his beautiful songs. They had talked at length of ballads and stories they protrayed while Airin seemed very excited at the thought of writing one for Mark and the Knights. As time passed a frown can be seen on her face and she appears more worried. No one coming to Greenbriar seems to have seen him in awhile.

[Wyrda]

Airin crawled out the door, as no one was in the tavern. He crawled toward Eliza's, a trail of blood in his wake. He was pale, he was almost dead. "Water.... i need water," he thinks deliriously. As he sees the well on the way, he stops and, from the floor, reaches up to grab the bricks, trying to pull himself up. He slowly raises, gets to his knees, then leans onto it standing. As he looks down, he grows faint and loses his balance, tumbling down. He hits the ground with a heavy "THUD" and lays there, out of breath. To his amazement there is plenty of room down there and he crawls to a corner. He lays there for many weeks, eating various bugs and moss, and drinking from a pool of water. He begins to think that he will make it after all, though his wound is badly infected. As he gains strength he finally climbs out of the well and heads for the house of the Druids. There he finds a mysterious druid, one who does not give a name and he has never seen before. The druid takes him to a house that Airin had never seen, even though he has been to the location many times. For many months he stays in the house, and the old druid takes care of him. The druid then sends him on his way with the words, "Keep spreading cheer, keep singing, it is the only reason i saved you."

With those words in mind and a brand new lute from the druid, he heads to Trollsbane with a smile, hoping to see his old friends again.