Marcus Kobra
Regular Grenadier
Cove Command
Covian Legend
Karma: +27/-20
Posts: 1261
"Death is certain, When is up to your Medic."
|
 |
« on: February 09, 2007, 01:11:57 am » |
|
[OOC: The following are bit of a memoir kept by Dyril after arrriving in Cove which ooc took place NEARLY 1 year ago.]
It was cold this far north, even on this mid-summer's eve. I'd never left Brytan, knew little of the wilds, yet here I was wading through a swamp. It smelled worse than a pig farm and things slitherd and crawled just beyond my sight. Glad was I that the sun was on high that day as I made my way through the swamp, lest i shouldn't be writting this. It was slow going the mud held my boots like stone and my axe was no match for the thick vines. The sun was but a blazing horizon by the time made the far side, and not a bit too soon. The whole swamp was stirring and there to my horror where lizard men stalking towards me. I ran, ran for all my worth and did manage to get away... lazy creatures.
Twas midnight when I came upon a way-post. It covered the intersection of three roads and stood probably 2 or 3 stories off the ground. I searched the place well but found it deserted. By the looks of old banners and shields it had been a post of the Royal Guard. This was my refuge and there was little food to be found in the stores. The meat had long gone afoul and fungus grew where loaves of bread had once rested, though some wine was to be had, and better was it for all the cold dark years it had spent amongst the stones. Cold stone, like that of prison, it unsettled me but the noises. Howling and hissing just beyond the entry are what kept me up all night, I simply could not sleep in this wild place. Thankfully I was not attacked and at first light made east towards cove. Cove!! A place where royalist did not exist, and Lord British had no sway. The common man was treated fairly and had fair chance to rise up in society and make a name for himself! I laugh bitterly at night when i think of those foolish dreams. Ah but that would be for later.
It was an uneventful day except for skirting a few bandit parties and some very ugly looking wolves. So by nights fall I had come upon another way-post, this one smaller and more recently abandoned. It seemed that Covish forces and some other had been here, judging from torn banners and the rent Shields.... battle too. But not a soul stirred inside and I thus spent another night with only a little wine to comfort me. I made the outskirts of what is the Covian shire a night later. I stumbled into town practically banging into the portcullis, luckily the night watch had yet to bar the gate and i managed to stumble onto the docks were i didst sleep against a mooring for the night. The next day i was awoken by fisher men. They fed me some and gave me a blanket they said I could keep. The ywere nosy as could be though. Had to know where I'd come from and all this, and what my purpose was.... treated me like i was a blasted spy.
Thus, A few weeks did pass as I made small business of cutting wood for boats and fishing poles and was giving the food i so desperately needed to live, but on the street still did i sleep. Covians are NOT a trusting lot and I suppose with enemies on all sides, without and within they have to be, and in that comes the prejudice so lightly concealed by a thin lacquer. Those weeks passed and one day as I happen to be cutting treas a horrible creature did attack me, it must have been two men tall and wielded a mighty club. In desperation did I battle for my life!! It was as my body weakened and my swing slowed that I heard soft muttering somewhere near by and then new vigor returned to my limbs and my swing was twice what it had been! The beast fell and a man stepped from the tree line, Military for sure.. for I know their type. Well groomed and well adorned.. officer. A one Commander Arkay, Eric Arkay to be precise. Hi thanked him though with caution.. mages do bother me some. He shrugged and grinning said he had done nothing. I grinned myself and he soon invited me to the Barracks for a talk. I was somewhat afraid... thinking perhaps vagabonds were to be arrested , but honestly what would I do run? No he was a mage... they know so many tricks! The Commander proved to be quite amiable indeed! He told me more of Cove, of her Baron, the Army, some war but soon he were to press me for information. I explained to him my road much as it is explained to you. I still can only assume that he at first also thought me a spy for some war didst rage with Kaldorians? I saw fliers proclaiming the victories of Cove and that men should join the ranks, but also some yewish threat? The details to this day escape me, I'm no soldiering man. It surprised him most that I came through what is the Altemere line without being stopped or attacked by soldiers. His only thought was that the war must have had both sides assuming the other owned the outpost i had stayed at. He said that it was happy luck or else the army would have slain me.. it being the midst of night. We talked for many an hour and did retire to The Green Goblin where I had a brandy . I do believe he had water, ah soldiers.
He gave me a job he did, said that there was a wall to be built. To defend cove! I immediately took the task and after a few weeks of cutting I had a good number of logs and construction did start some time after that. I was awarded a handsome sum for my efforts, but soon I faded back into the crowd and talked no more with Him or anyone else from Cove for that matter. I watched and I worked for little or no pay. The next time I really talked with anyone was at the bar, I do not remember the guardsmans name... not now. But I remember the brute who did enter sometime later with his crossbow! A one Sir Hugo, didst aim... i na room of women and civilians his crossbow at the bar and break both myself and the guardsman's glass. A miss could have hurt someone, A woman even!! I was hot to say the least and jumped to my feet knocking the stool over. Sir Hugo simply said "Sloth is a Sin, get back to work" He departed and I would have gone and axed him myself had not this guardsman restrained me. He told me how the church works, and I realized it was like life under the guards back home. A sad story indeed. Soon fliers of Victory in Minoc and Kaldor came, and i faded away again catching fish to feed myself, bartering for most of what i needed. My dreams of a Mill are gone. Morvain's Mills shall stand never again. No land to build it, and no one to trade it with... all lands are hostile to Cove now. I cant afford the mercs to guard my shipments, I do not have the status talk a guardsman into it. I sit back, and realize that I shall die here, old and poor. All of my dreams a still-birth. It turns for the worse now, these many years since I have come here. I am older now, and the cold aches my bones. Elves are being let into the guard now... they need the corpses. They burned one a few days ago....
The church has more problems than it can handle, cant say it hurts me. I may leave Cove... Minoc, Vesper, Yew but never back to Brytan. I'm almost too old to change... The next years shall be as the last and those before them. I am not long for this world, or for Cove. May her barmaids bossoms grow larger! Her beers Stouter! and her fighting men learn peace, a living peace. I see now I shant live to see peace in Cove. That is why each night I weep for Cove, and for me. Its late, and I will have to leave off. for at least a few more years till theres more to write.
|
Author