Hawaii:Sessions:19910427:The Keep
THE KEEP
The main team traveled for two hours before they arrived at a keep. Hyllar stopped in front of a tavern. Once everyone had tied up their mounts, Hyllar, Darr, and Brodie went into the tavern. Darr noticed the man at the table in Earth 1991 clothes, and deduced that he was to be part of the team, and the lady beside him, also. Hyllar and Jake recognized each other. The two parts of the team joined up, and introductions were made all around. Brodie and Xumbala stayed outside to watch the mounts.
While the group was eating, a man wearing a helmet shaped like a falcon's beak came in and sat at a table on the far side of the room. Hyllar and Thurladeem suggested going to talk with the master of the keep. The rest of the team agreed that this was a good idea, so they left to visit him. Brodie had come in and bought some ale for Xumbala. At about that time, everyone who had a headset (which was everyone except Ariel and Xumbala) heard bird sounds on their frequency. Darr immediately did a radio check. As the group answered, Jake noticed that the falcon man looked at his brooch which was on his tunic. He pointed this out to the group. Darr then via net passed word that the comm might be compromised.
After much time had passed, Hyllar and Thurladeem returned with their news. They had succeeded in meeting the lord of the keep. He had accepted them as of the Light because the lei they were wearing was composed of herbs that those of the Shadow could not tolerate. The lord did not know about any ancient evil returning, but he seemed to remember some legend which he would check to get more information. While he was doing this, he offered them the use of some barracks and stables for the night. He had a grove for Thurladeem to use. Darr, in casual conversation, mentioned that they had two extra mounts. Jake said he didn't know how to ride, so Darr took Laura and him outside to try to familiarize them with the unique mounts. Jake immediately jumped into the saddle of one, unfortunately startling it. It took off at a run. Jake worked with the reins to try to turn it. Just as he was succeeding, Xumbala caught up with him and stopped the mount. Meanwhile, Laura had gotten on a mount and was moving around without much trouble. She had been successful in transferring her knowledge of horse riding to the new mount.
The team then followed Hyllar to the assigned barracks. They stabled the mounts. Darr fed his from the trail rations. When Jake heard that these mounts ate meat, he put up his Black Hole and had his autochef produce raw meat, which he split between all the mounts. Xumbala moved into the stable when he decided it was large enough. Thomas Black set up the main Black Hole in the barracks, and Hyllar set up his. Darr set up his Hole just long enough for Brodie to bring out his stuff. After taking his Hole down, Darr came back out of the main barracks assigned them, and gave it a complete inspection with a view toward defense. The building's only windows and doors were at each end. Darr made sure the far end was barred, and discovered the arrow slots. He then popped into Hyllar's Black Hole to clarify some information.
When Darr exited Hyllar's Hole, Jake got in touch with him. Jake had confirmed that the radios were just picking up bleed over from another frequency which he had identified. Thus, Jake felt they were fairly secure. Darr went over to Jake's Hole. Darr was fascinated by the random factor in Jake's autochef. He also looked at a robot (primitive) which Jake was setting up. He corrected a minor problem which it had. After a little while, Darr went back to the barracks and went to sleep in one of the bunks. It was decided that no guards were needed. Jake went out of the Hole to go drinking with Xumbala.
Fortunately, the night did pass uneventfully. At 10:00 am the next morning, one of the keep's men came to lead them to the lord of the keep for his promised discussion. Out of his knowledge that Thurladeem didn't like buildings, the meeting was to be held outside. He told the team that he had found out a little more. He found a reference to a group of strangers who would battle an ancient evil to the east. He also told them about the Falconer, and how he had become quieter during the last few weeks. He would be the one to guide them to the place to the east in question.
Once the meeting was over, it was about 11:00 in the morning. The team then scattered as each chose to spend the wait for Sukor to arrive. Thurladeem headed back to the grove to wait. Brodie and Ariel headed back to the barracks. En route, Ariel popped out. The rest of the team headed for the tavern. When they arrived at the tavern, they found a freight wagon out front being unloaded. Two horses were also tied up outside. They had their saddles removed, and the shields alongside them were blank. The team figured that they might belong to the two men assisting in the unloading. Jake and Hyllar began assisting in the unloading. Thomas Black carried (levitated) in one thirty-pound sack before taking a seat at a table. Xumbala helped by carrying items to the door, since he would not go in. Laura also went in and took a seat at the table, while Darr lounged around outside to keep a watch out for the scout and to scan the general layout.
Once the wagon was unloaded, Jake came in and took a seat at the bar with his dog (a Rottweiler named Daisy) lying at the bar beside him. Hyllar took a seat with Laura and Black. Jake took a bucket of ale out to Xumbala. Once Xumbala finished off the bucket, he began to practice his sword in the middle of the street.
After a while, Hyllar moved over and introduced himself to the two blank-shields. They were Brandon and Gerret. They were from High Halleck, and had come over with the Scholar and had stayed when he did. They seemed to recognize where Hyllar said he was from. Hyllar began negotiations to hire them to go with the team. They agreed, but wanted a sidearm (gun) like Hyllar's for payment. He agreed.
At about noon, Xumbala and Darr spotted an incoming falcon. Sukor then arrived not long after and went straight to the keep. The Scholar sent someone for Thurladeem, then with two guardsmen and Sukor he headed down to the town. When he arrived, Darr followed him in, with Thurladeem not far behind. Brodie also showed up. Hyllar came back to the main table, and the Scholar passed on some new information. He had found a reference that said that the Hero would be found in the midst of their enemies. The Scholar said that Sukor would guide them through the mountain pass. Then the Scholar took his ale and left. Sukor moved over to a table in the corner to wait for them until they were ready to leave. Darr wandered over to talk with him for a while. Darr got a general feel for him. Sukor questioned him about his communicator. Darr told him it was for keeping in touch. Darr said that they had a party member who would be glad to check out Sukor's communicators. Darr took his leave from Sukor and went to talk to Jake. As Darr left, so did Xumbala, who headed to the stables to start getting things ready.
Darr found Jake in Jake's Black Hole and told him of the discussion with Sukor, as well as Hyllar's bargain with the two blank-shields. Jake had the two extra 9mm guns, and Darr put up his Black Hole and got two extra clips as well as two boxes of fifty shells each. Jake tuned his frequency to match Sukor's, and told him to come to the barn and he would check out Sukor's communicator. Darr took Hyllar the weapons. Jake met Sukor and took the comm units into his workshop. After trying for about thirty minutes, Jake figured out how to open the units, and discovered that the Falconer's unit was corroded. Jake cleaned it, then took them and the cleaning solution out to Sukor. He showed Sukor how to open them and how to clean them.
Meanwhile, Hyllar finished the deal with the blank-shields, and took them out to acquaint them with the new weapons he had given them.