Waiting until the castle was completely silent and Gwyn sound asleep; Murelle opens her door cautiously, looking both ways down the hall. No one about. She slips out, closing the door silently. She long learned how to walk silently, keeping to the shadows. Hearing voices, she leans against the wall in the dark. Two elves walk by not even giving her a glance.
She finds the stairs to the kitchens and heads down the steps. She opens the door to the gardens and grimaces as it squeaks a little bit. She closes the door and stops to look at the stars. It's cool, and the breeze is from the west. Warmer and carrying the scent of earth and early growth. Mure smiles to herself as she looks at the sliver of the crescent moon. The stars are more numerous here, and shades of dark purple and blue steak the sky. She loves the stars.
But that is not her task. There, next to the wall of the barn is a tarp that is covering a rather small shape. Dragging off the tarp it shows a transport with a few pieces of equipment on the floor. Hopping on the transport, she pushes the combination of buttons on the console. It purrs to life and rises off the ground. Deftly she turns the transport and heads out, the long way around the castle and over the pond. The water rippled under the power of the anti-gravity pulses.
The wind in her face made her smile once more. The freedom of riding the transport filled her with contentment. She loved it. But the contentment is fast replaced by the thoughts of her task. It was not going to be easy. She was afraid.
It was a better than an hour as she sped toward her destination. The Dark Forest came into view. It was larger than she thought it would be. It had to be miles long. When she finally came within view of the trees she slows and stops the transport. Clicking on a slender flashlight she opens the slender book that Teleperien gave her she read:
"It appears to be a forest like others. Trees are ages old and twisted. Long beards of moss hang from the branches with catching fingers."
She turned on a spot light and peered into the thick undergrowth. The ferns and twisting vines were still sleeping, the spring too early to bring them to life. Moss did hang like beards of old men. She shifted the equipment and turned it on.
Gasping she was amazed at what she saw. The energy readings were crazy. But...where was the center" Turning on the mapping gear, it immediately showed the flow of energy, the stronger, the darker it became. It showed caves, tall trees with immense trunks the arms of the trees spreading almost for almost a square mile. She smiles. It had to have been a beautiful forest before the infestation.
Suddenly she found the center. It pulsated with life. She felt a stab in her head. Grabbing her head she held it with both hands. With a shaking hand, she lowered one hand and pushed the sequence to start the mapping program. Then just as suddenly it left. Taking shaky breathes she opens the book once more, aiming a small light on the pages.
"The surveying company took shelter in a cave that night. There they decided to leave the forest, but they were not able to do so. We were surrounded by an army of creatures that resembled large spiders, the size of a dog. Tails curl with arrows that shoot like darts. Several rangers take wounds from the darts."
A rustle in the undergrowth startles Murelle. She turns off the light and waits. Her eyes accustomed to the dark and she saw, much to her amazement, one of the 'spiders". She quietly pulls out her blaster and aims. It freezes and at once focuses on Murelle. A projectile flew toward her and hits her under the shoulder. Hissing with pain she takes aim and shoots. It squeals then falls to one side.
Climbing off the transport she drags the 'spider" on the transport. It's heavier than she expected. She feels blood trickling down her side.
"I don't think it's poisoned, I don't feel sick." She thinks to herself. Pulling the dart out she sets it aside to study later. The mapping program is now beeping softly as it shows it was finished with its task. In spite of the stinging in her shoulder she smiled. She got the intel she needed. "I got you..you bastard.?
She finds the stairs to the kitchens and heads down the steps. She opens the door to the gardens and grimaces as it squeaks a little bit. She closes the door and stops to look at the stars. It's cool, and the breeze is from the west. Warmer and carrying the scent of earth and early growth. Mure smiles to herself as she looks at the sliver of the crescent moon. The stars are more numerous here, and shades of dark purple and blue steak the sky. She loves the stars.
But that is not her task. There, next to the wall of the barn is a tarp that is covering a rather small shape. Dragging off the tarp it shows a transport with a few pieces of equipment on the floor. Hopping on the transport, she pushes the combination of buttons on the console. It purrs to life and rises off the ground. Deftly she turns the transport and heads out, the long way around the castle and over the pond. The water rippled under the power of the anti-gravity pulses.
The wind in her face made her smile once more. The freedom of riding the transport filled her with contentment. She loved it. But the contentment is fast replaced by the thoughts of her task. It was not going to be easy. She was afraid.
It was a better than an hour as she sped toward her destination. The Dark Forest came into view. It was larger than she thought it would be. It had to be miles long. When she finally came within view of the trees she slows and stops the transport. Clicking on a slender flashlight she opens the slender book that Teleperien gave her she read:
"It appears to be a forest like others. Trees are ages old and twisted. Long beards of moss hang from the branches with catching fingers."
She turned on a spot light and peered into the thick undergrowth. The ferns and twisting vines were still sleeping, the spring too early to bring them to life. Moss did hang like beards of old men. She shifted the equipment and turned it on.
Gasping she was amazed at what she saw. The energy readings were crazy. But...where was the center" Turning on the mapping gear, it immediately showed the flow of energy, the stronger, the darker it became. It showed caves, tall trees with immense trunks the arms of the trees spreading almost for almost a square mile. She smiles. It had to have been a beautiful forest before the infestation.
Suddenly she found the center. It pulsated with life. She felt a stab in her head. Grabbing her head she held it with both hands. With a shaking hand, she lowered one hand and pushed the sequence to start the mapping program. Then just as suddenly it left. Taking shaky breathes she opens the book once more, aiming a small light on the pages.
"The surveying company took shelter in a cave that night. There they decided to leave the forest, but they were not able to do so. We were surrounded by an army of creatures that resembled large spiders, the size of a dog. Tails curl with arrows that shoot like darts. Several rangers take wounds from the darts."
A rustle in the undergrowth startles Murelle. She turns off the light and waits. Her eyes accustomed to the dark and she saw, much to her amazement, one of the 'spiders". She quietly pulls out her blaster and aims. It freezes and at once focuses on Murelle. A projectile flew toward her and hits her under the shoulder. Hissing with pain she takes aim and shoots. It squeals then falls to one side.
Climbing off the transport she drags the 'spider" on the transport. It's heavier than she expected. She feels blood trickling down her side.
"I don't think it's poisoned, I don't feel sick." She thinks to herself. Pulling the dart out she sets it aside to study later. The mapping program is now beeping softly as it shows it was finished with its task. In spite of the stinging in her shoulder she smiled. She got the intel she needed. "I got you..you bastard.?