Role

Chapter 3

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Pass hierophants she walked, deeper into the Holy Grove through which she had
so often journeyed. Again she shook her head, yet the whispering voices
remained calling and beckoning her. She could not distinguish from those
voices benevolent and malevolent and they joined in chorus assaulting her
from a million directions as she begin to run through the ancient grove. Her
soul tugged and pulled, her spirit was dragged toward something unseen as if
caught in a rip tide that constantly pulled at her.

Running, she scrambled over trees and unders branches, falling and hitting
hard on a rock.Shaking off her fall and blow, she slowly got up. She
turned to her bearded giant for help and there stood not her companion, but
Thrugald whom long ago had parted. Overcoming astonishment was difficult and
suddenly with a simple, "Harumm", he turned and ran with massive strives
deeper into the Holy Grove.

Struggling to match pace with his long and deliberate strides, she knew he
was lost when she broke into a glade that was as beautiful as it was peaceful
with no sign of Thrugald to be found.. Yet there before her lounged two
friends, both long ago and recently departed. Aeria shook her head in
rejection of what could not be as Tredyn and Bolen smiled in joy at her
arrival.

"This can not be! You have departed and must return to the Cycle!" she
stated.With a yawn, Bolen simply smiled and layed back, muttering something
about lack of nymphs tonight but still needing sleep. Tredyn, on the other
hand, stared at her with a wry smile that would not relent. "For many this
is true Aeria Starblaze, but it is here for us, that Innis gives us respite.
Do you not remember well the depths of hell and the powers immortal who
interfere?"

Suddenly the tranquil peace of the glade was shattered and the cries of a
Maran War Party pierced the air, "We are close, the wicked forest witch is
this way!" Aeria spun around seeking the direction of the voices that
outnumbered her. Turning to the Bards of Innis she said, "We must prepare,
they will be here soon!" Yet the wry smile faded from Tredyn's face as he
said simply, "It is not our fight, Aeria. Later we will speak with the
dwarves and maran and hope they better understand our ways." And with that
he simply turned away as Bolen sank more deeply into his bed of leaves.

Into the clearing broke three whom Aeria could not forget. Leading the
charge like an Avalanche came Alriac, eyes focused and his charge prepared
for Aeria. Stalking behind him, eyes determined and face grim, came the
fierce Gryshilniar. And last behind the two warriors came Brinrok who
against seemed to be screaming."She is all that is wicked! Burn her so
that innocents may live and the world be less evil!" Gasping, Aeria turned
and fled yet whenever she began to use her superior pathfinding to escape
farther away, Brinrok would utter a prayer and back she would be summoned
into the charging crush of Alriac. Yet she must try to escape!Again she
ran, and again she was summoned back and thrown down! Gryshilniar stared on
grimly, escape unattainable. When all seemed loss, a nightgaunt dove with
horrible speed from the evening air and snatched her up and into the sky in
its inesc