The Wayward Apprentice - A WoW Classic Story

[Xantros]

• khmm “Oh Abiiigaiill! I got something you will like!” Lem charmed, with an unexpected voice that could melt butter.

Abigail turned halfway towards him, with arms folded and a squinted look on her face. She acted cold and distant but not altogether unapproachable.

• “I’m angry with you now!” she puffed at him.

• “I know and you should be. But allow me to make it up to you!”

• “I don’t know…” she shrugged her shoulder and turned away.

• “I said I could make you a new robe. How about I double it up and make you an even better one? A robe that the students here could only dream of. A robe woven with magical linen!” Lem’s voice had now taken on a mystical tone.

• “WHAT, REALLY? cough I mean… maybe… I have to think about it!” Abigail lost her composure for a brief moment and her eyes glistened. He certainly had a way with words it seemed.

• “If you don’t like it, you can tear it up or do whatever you feel with it. But I promise it will be special! How about it? Deal?”

• Hmm “Well… I don’t… okay fine… but I’m still angry with you!” Abbie gave in grudgingly.

• “I understand… and you are right. But I gave you my word and with THIS I intend to seal that promise.”

Lem triumphantly produced a bolt of linen cloth from his pocket. Abigail was unable to continue on with her pouting. Her curiosity had completely overpowered all other emotions and she was already ogling the piece of cloth. It was unlike any she had seen before. The weave of the cloth shimmered and twinkled in a variety of ways from every angle she looked.

• wow “What is it?” Abbie asked with childlike wonder.

• “Enchanted linen, my girl.” Lem tugged at the neckline of his robe with pride. “I won it off a drunken dwarf in a card game back in Ironforge! Easiest game of my life!” hah

• “Honestly… that’s not very nice of you Lem. Taking advantage of someone like that… Is that even fair?” Abigail frowned.

• “Oh… I mean dwarves are always drunk. He was just a lousy player.”

Abbie was looking intently at the cloth again. The enchanted fabric had completely mesmerized her and she felt a sense of calm when gazing at it. But something was bugging her and her eyebrows had woven together in another frown. She turned to her companion.

• “So… how… umm… how are you gonna make a whole robe out of this lil thing here?”

• “I’m glad you asked. To put it simply, I will weave your robe first using normal linen. Then I will embroider it with the magical one.” Lem explained. “This will give your robe special properties and just by wearing it, your own magical abilities will be improved.”

• “But… I have no magical abilities.” Abbie said with a somber tone.

• “All it takes is proper training girl. And perhaps, the robe itself will help you discover some of your natural talents by yourself.”

• “Really? You think so?” the somber tone shifted over to hopeful.

• “It is a theory we shall have to test out when it is ready.” Seeing Abbie rocking back and forth slightly in an excited way, he added: “It will take me some time to make it though. At least several hours.”

• “That’s okay. My other robes should be dry by the time we are back so… I can wait.” Abbie beamed with a happy smile. She actually could not wait.

[Xantros]

The gnome jumped into his large travel bag and tossed out several heavy looking tools and other metal equipment. Among them were a pair of calipers, a tiny stepladder, a pair of electronic goggles and a tape measure among other things.

• “What is all that for?” she asked.

• “I have to take your measurements.” Lem put on his goggles and turned it on. whiiiirrrr “How else would I know what size to make it. You don’t want to end up dressed in a baggy robe, trust me.”

• “What?! Out here? No way… I’m not undressing… It’s too cold!” she whined.

• “Who said anything about…?” he shook his head. “All I need is this here tape and calipers and my goggles will save the numbers for later. Sheesh! Now get over to that stump so I can reach.”

Abigail did as she was instructed and stood awkwardly on the spot indicated. The gnome planted his stepladder on top of the stump and began climbing. She almost burst out in laughter when she observed the whole ordeal. A gnome in robes, with pink-lens goggles over his head, climbing a ladder on a stump. It was too much.

“Okay, now arms up! This won’t take long.” Lem put the tape around her. “Let’s start with the waist.”
Abbie assumed a T-pose and a serious face on the command. Her discipline did not last long, however, and she began snickering. A sense of frustration began growing inside the gnome until he had enough.

• “Will you stop your fidgeting? How am I supposed to work here?”

• “Sorry! giggle I’m ticklish!” she laughed.

• “That’s just grand… well, hold it in! I’m almost done here… AND ARMS UP!”

She threw herself in a T-pose again, this time making concentrated effort to not snicker. It was almost as good as soft torture. Luckily, she had spotted the robin they heard chirping earlier and her eyes fixated on it, leaving all ticklish sensations behind. Some time had passed and Lem had moved on to her elbows, standing tiptoe off the highest step of his ladder. Abigail had quickly gotten bored of standing in the pose. She had always felt the need to move and could not stand to be in-place for more than a few minutes. Her attention began to wonder around the area and unfortunately, her upper body tended to follow suit.

• “Stop squirming!”

[Xantros]

• Sigh “Are you done yet?”

• “The answer is still no… for the third time!” Lem knew he was already done with the whole thing but sadly he also knew he was not done with the measurements. “If you don’t keep still, we will be here all day!”

• “But I’m boo-oored!” Abigail whined.

• “Oh, for the love of… What should I do with you?”

• “Umm…”

• “I was thinking to myself.” Lem corrected.

• “You could tell me a story…”

• Ugh “I don’t DO stories, girl…"

• “But I wanna hear a story about you.” She smiled innocently.

• “You already know my feats and titles. What more is there to tell…”

Abigail thought for a second. And then another couple more seconds. Eventually Lem went back to his measuring. He had moved over to the other arm, his goggles making snapshots of all the important values. It was a calm and relaxing thing for him; to calculate and zone out completely.

• “FRIGGLEFRAGGLES!” Abbie shouted suddenly.

Lem got such a fright, he had to latch onto her not to fall off his ladder.

• “Wha-… pant What the heck… pant Are you crazy?!!”

• “I remembered!” said Abbie with no small pride in her voice. “My sister told me when we were little: Gnomes work in clanky workshops. They make doohickeys, thingamabobbers and frigglefraggles. Tell me about those!”

• “I haven’t the slightest clue as to what you are referring.” Lem was perplexed.

• “Well… those… umm… gadgets you use and… make.”

• “Oh, I see! You wish to learn about the technological wonders of Gnomeregan! I’ll tell you now, I’m no professional engineer but I may have dabbled in it a bit in my younger years.”

Lem was on the pedestal again. All to please his adoring fans. Of which, there was only one. That one at least listened now with intent, which made his performance a lot easier.

[Xantros]

I had way too much work in the last 2 weeks, so for my absence you get a Double page post this time.

[Savionight]

Wow! Really nice, those arts were made by you?

[Xantros]

Yes they were. :) I write my own story and make my own artwork for it.
Happy you like it!

[Xantros]

• “Okay, so I’ve got this short story for you Abbie. Me and my old pal Pip, we used to build electronic devices as a hobby. I must say, we were quite the recombobulator amateurs.” heh

“Aha. Yeah.” Abbie was nodding in excitement, although she had not the slightest idea what any of that meant. All she got was ‘Pip’.

• “So, one day, Pip was running a metallurgic scan on a cave and it picked up a signal for GOLD! But not just a vein… It was a CHEST!”

• “Wow. That’s lucky! What happened next?” now she was on the same track.

• “We made double sure of this finding and we went to check out the cave for ourselves. Trouble is, the entrance had collapsed.” Lem continued. “Good thing I was prepared and brought along my gyromechanic drill!”

• “Honestly, that sounds… pretty cool!”

• “Doesn’t it? haha You should really see one in action. You fire it up and that diamond tip will drill through anything!” for once, there was no audible exaggeration in the gnome’s voice.

Abigail was never much of an engineer or mechanic. She had worked the family farm mostly. But her earliest memories as a child were that of playing with her father’s tools. And hearing these stories of bigger and more dangerous equipment, brought out a rare side of her.

• “So, there I was… diamond drill in hand, protective faceplate, everything ready… I fired it up… chunks of rock splitting into microbits, ricocheting off my visor…”

• “Yeah?” Abbie was all ears, eyes wide with excitement.

• “Then… the drill broke down!” Lem concluded.

• “What?? No way…”

• “I tell you just like it happened.”

• “But… but… diamond..tronic..mechadrill! It can’t break down!” Abbie was shaking her head in disbelief.

• “Tell me about it! I was even more surprised than you! I probably hit some really hard bit of rock. The moment the drill got stuck, it shook me and knocked me two meters back.” Lem shook visibly from that memory.

• “That must have hurt a lot.”

• “Oh yeah! You bet… but not as much as the realization that I had barely made a small dent. We were back to square one.”

[Jongyi]

We need more ppl like you so that the game can be more than meta and focus on stories of ppl involved including some rp with Npcs too

[Xantros]

Thank you Jongyi! I try to translate the game mechanics into a more realistic/fantasy form. :)
Later you will see more NPCs closely involved in the story.

[Xantros]

• “So… you guys gave up?” Abbie asked curiously.

• pfff “Do you take me for a quitter?!!” Lem held his caliper up in a threatening manner.

• gulp “I mean… hehe Nope… not you of course! It’s what I would do… hehe”

• “Good, because I never quit. Remember that!” Lem boasted. “So, where was I? Oh yeah, we had a broken drill now and no progress. Then Pip came up with the most brilliant idea ever!”

• “Go on! What was it?”

• “He said, why don’t we retrofit the drill as an energy channeling funnel and then hook it up to a recombobulator, with a new powercell and…”

• “Wait... hold on.” Abbie interrupted. “What does that Remumble-ator do?”

• “The recombobulator you mean?” Lem corrected her.

• “Yes… that!”

• “Well… it’s kind of hard to explain. It can do a lot of things. It can heal wounds, alter the molecular structure… umm… bake your soufflé… pretty much anything you can imagine.”

• “Oh… well that sounds pretty convenient.” Abbie concluded with some skepticism.

• “Yes well… you may think so… but it can actually do all that… and more. And it makes one mean soufflé to be honest. But back on track. So, we put all of that together and we got a device Pip dubbed, the Metallurgic Evaporator! Pretty cool, eh?” Lem winked.

• “Hmm… Okay that does sound cool actually…!” Abbie smiled. “What happened next?”

• “We turned it on and this beam of energy came bursting out at the rock. In mere seconds, there was nothing left but dust and smoke!”

• “Holy… How can that… Is that for real??”

• “It sure was!” Lem remembered fondly. “Too bad we also got half the cave with it… including the chest.”

• “Oh… I’m so sorry about your treasure … And what happened to your friend after all this?”

• “Oh, Pip? Ah, he almost tore out what little hair he had left on the spot. But later he made a plan to remake that contraption and make it more precise. He’s in Ironforge in Tinker town last he wrote.”

• “Have you ever thought of joining up with him again? To finish your gadget together?”

• “I had entertained that thought for a while… But… I started pursuing other interests… in magic ya know… and well… he did not approve…” the gnome paused for a while, then finished his measuring with a few last clicks. “I’m all done here.” Lem got off the ladder.

• “Mmm” Abbie was lost in thought for a few moments.

[Xantros]

• “You can put your arms down now.” He pointed out.

• “Oh right, heh … that’s a relief.”

• “I’ll begin making your robe once you are back at the Abbey.” He said, taking off his goggles and putting away his equipment.

• “Lem…” said Abbie in a quiet voice.

• “What is it?” he asked, still fussing over his tools.

• “Thank you.”

• “No problem. A deal is a deal after all.” He waved it off.

• “No, I didn’t mean that.”

Lem looked over in surprise. “For what then?”

Abbie’s eyes glistened over her innocent smile. “For sharing this amazing story with me. This whole day was awful but… I’m happy now.”

Lem didn’t know what say to her now. He had not expected this reaction and, though he tried his best to hide it, he got a bit teary eyed from the sincerity of her voice. Something, that Abigail did not fail to notice.

• Sniff “Well… umm… we should probably… get going now.” Lem suggested, in a weak tone.
  “How are we going to move your bag, silly?” Abbie pointed at the equipment with a distrustful frown. “It’s heavy again, remember?”

It took him a moment and considerable effort but the gnome managed to regain his composure. Only now did the realization hit him – she was right. He had completely forgotten all about the light enchantment wearing off. Scratching his head, he quickly weighted their options.

• “Hmmm…”

• “Well??” Abbie waited impatiently.

• “Can’t you hold your horses for a few seconds?! I’m thinking here!”

• “Oh… sorry…” she chirped and folded her arms, kicking a pebble to pass the time.

• “Okay, I think I have a solution!” Lem slammed his fist on his palm.

• “Oh!... What! What!”

• “Our best option is to leave it where it is…” he concluded with a nod.

• “Huh? That’s all you came up with?!” Abbie asked in disbelief.

• “Have you got a better idea?”

• “Well… umm… why don’t you… umm… charm it again?”

• “Hmm… I admit, that’s not a bad way of thinking there, girl. Unfortunately, I’m not an enchanter. I bought the materials ready-made in Ironforge.” Lem explained. “I had thought of learning the craft though. They say it complements the tailoring profession quite nicely.”

• “Well… geez that’s too bad but… why didn’t you learn it then? Would be swell right now!”

• “For many reasons. First of all, I don’t have the time to handle another profession. I’m still an engineer and I had only recently picked up tailoring. Besides… I don’t have the coin. You don’t know how expensive enchanting can get and it does not pay you back in the short term.

• “I wanna help you!” Abbie exclaimed with a genuine desire. “But I used up all my allowance earlier… and…”

• “I appreciate your intentions Abigail but we are talking about large amounts of gold in the long run. Not something I would expect even the both of us to pay anytime soon.” The tone of Lem’s voice shifted to convey realism. “No… no, I’m afraid it is best if we leave it here.”

• “Out here in the woods?! But… but… what if someone takes it or… it sure looks expensive!”

• “There is no need for any concern my dear girl.” Lem began postulating again. “Or have you forgotten who you are dealing with?”

Abbie opened her mouth to reply but quickly reconsidered, remembering her past experiences with the gnome called Lemagrag. She now knew better than to question his abilities and merely asked:

• “How?”

[Xantros]

• "Simple my dear. The contents of this bag are bound to me. Soulbound, I should say!”

Abbie frowned again.

• “You look like you have never heard of the term!” Lem exclaimed in his surprise.

She shook her head.

• “Don’t they teach you anything in that school of yours?! Sigh Okay, I will indulge you.” Lem began his usual rhetoric. “Simply put, soulbinding is a process that happens by itself, whenever anyone puts on an item with magical properties. You see, we are all connected through magic one way or the other. Even if one cannot use magic, we are still forming bonds.”

• “And magical items bind themselves to the wearer.” The gnome paused for a second to let Abbie catch up, then he continued. “Of course, you can remove them at any time but no one else may wear them. This is how it works.”

• “Wow… I didn’t know that!” Abbie was amazed at all the new things she had learned this morning.

• Heh “Well, I’m glad I could teach you something.” Lem proclaimed with pride. “Even so, best not to leave it out in plain sight. I would rather not have my equipment get damaged. Can you help me drag it to that hollow tree over there?”

Abigail nodded with a smile. “At least, I can do that.”

Both of them grabbed a leather strap each, lifted it up and began hauling the dead weight over to the hollowed tree. Abigail realized that – though it was still heavy – with two, it was not so bad. The gnome was a lot stronger than he looked. The tree was only a few meters away but after they had reached it and tucked the bag inside, they really had to pause and catch their breath.

The girl suggested that they should cover up the hollow with some leaves and twigs, just in case. Lem nodded, silently concluding that this mere farmgirl was quite a crafty survivalist, though she lacked only in field experience. Once the hole was “plugged”, the gnome sorcerer took out his map once more.

• Hmm “Okay, if we continue the way we have, then we should be seeing the Abbey soon. Let’s go!”

• “Are you sure?” Abbie frowned.

• “You doubt my…?”

• “Yes!” she said, with some degree of assertiveness in her voice now. “I think we are going the wrong way!”

• “And just how would you know that missy? Hmm? I’m the one with the map!” he proclaimed in a loud voice.

• “Well… you see this here moss?”

• “I see it, yes.”

• “Moss always grows on the north side of trees. And we rolled down that hill to the north of the Abbey. So… that means we have to go the opposite way from the moss!” She gave a happy, proud smile. “I read that in a geography book.”

• “That’s rubbish!”

• “Nuh-uh!” she protested.

• “According to the latest research of the Gnomish Institute of Natural Sciences, moss grows on the south side!”

• “Research shmeasearch!” said Abbie, mocking him.

• Hmmph “I would rather trust an official Institute over some school book!”

• “Yeah… well… ya know what… gnomes dunno anything anyways, so there!” she pouted.

• “You can puff up all you want but science speaks for itself!” her attitude did not work on him this time.

• “Youuu… I… ugh okay I give up. Maybe you are right.”

• “Of course, I am right! Now quit complaining and follow me!”

* * *

[Xantros]

Chapter III: Echo Ridge

Lem started with surprising speed and the two found themselves climbing under upturned roots, wading through bushes and muddy earth. Abigail had never felt so dirty and scruffy in her whole life. She was really in need of a long bath and a change of clothes. She noticed that her gnomish companion’s pace had increased to such a degree, she almost had trouble keeping up. That he could pass under branches she would hit herself with, did not improve her situation either. They stopped for a brief moment and Abbie wiped some sweat off her forehead. It was getting rather damp under the dense canopy and as she looked up, she realized that she could just barely see the sun.

The filtered golden light, made the tree leaves appear as shimmering emeralds up above. For a brief moment, time had ceased to exist for her, as she walked on, gazing at this sight of natural beauty. She almost tripped over Lem when the gnome stopped abruptly in front of her.

• ouch “Didn’t I tell you to watch your big, clumsy feet?!” the gnome whined.

• “Why you… don’t just stop like that!”

• “I had to… we are lost!” he exclaimed.

• “Yeah...? Well… next time you… wait… WHAT??!”

• “Look at the moss around those trees… we were both wrong.” Lem confessed.

The trees around them had moss growing on different sides, standing blatantly against Gnomish Science. The gnome scratched his balding head in disdain.

• “I am at a loss now…” he admitted. “I can’t figure out where we are, even with this map, so I guess we better just keep going until we reach a landmark.”

• “That’s it? That’s your big idea?!” Abbie was confounded.

• “You got anything else up your sleeve, girl?”

• “Actually… umm… not really…” she confessed.

Lem waved it off “Ahh, don’t worry about it, let’s just stick to the direction we are headed.”

* * *

[Mantigora]

It makes me happy to see two sides of your work come together!
(Since I already read the story, I would love to see the drawing for the final scenes!)
It is nice if you can draw like that! I need to make do with Screenshots etc.

[Xantros]

What a nice comment, thank you.
They did, didn't they? And I'm happy for it and more to come! :)

[Xantros]

They continued on their trek through the forested valley until they noticed that – for the first time since hours – the tree line was getting thinner. Turning around the next large tree, they came to a clearing. They could finally see the small mountain ridge surrounding Northshire Valley. And straight in front of them, was the landmark Lem was hoping for.

Carved into the mountainside, was a deep, dark cave – an old gold mine to be exact. A large wooden structure, supported by sturdy, thick beams, served as the entrance into the shaft. They approached it with peaked interest.

• “Woah! Cool!” Abbie was awestruck. “I heard there was an abandoned mine here somewhere. It looks spooky!”

• “Finally, something to orient ourselves by. Let me check the map real quick and…” said Lem, getting lost in his concentration. Hmm “Alright girl, looks like we are up north at Echo Ridge. All we have to do is turn around, walk south and we are in the clear! … Abbie?” but she was already gone.

While the gnome was looking over his map intently, his companion had moved closer to the mine entrance. She had never seen a mine up close and her curiosity had gotten the better of her. She was standing next to the mouth of the shaft, balancing on one leg, leaning in to take a peek.

• “HELOOOOOOoooo!” her voice echoed deep within the cavern.

• “Shhhhh! Are you crazy?!” Lem burst out in a subdued voice.

• “Listen, it’s pretty deep.” She held her hand to her mouth. “EEEECCHHHHHOOOOoooo!”

• “Will you cut that out?! Shush!”

• “Wha…? It’s fun!” she smiled. “I know why they call it Echo Ridge now!”

• “I heard this mine was abandoned because it is infested by Kobolds!” Lem looked around with a nervous expression on his face.

• “What, really??”

• “Yes… so keep your voice down!” He whispered.

Abbie peered inside the cave again. It was pitch black in there. She could only make out the silhouette of an old, musty minecart and some rusted rails. She turned back to her companion, who was visibly more agitated than usual.

• “It’s pretty dark in there, can’t see a thing.” Her smile widened to a grin. “Wanna go in?”

[Xantros]

• “What?! No way, have you completely flipped?”

• “C’mon, you could use the excitement. Besides, you said you would protect me, so I’m not afraid.”

• “I don’t think I have need of that right now. We should keep moving.” Lem protested.

• “Aww… c’mon, it will be fun and… uhhh… L-LLLe-Lem…”

• “What’s wrong? You don’t look so good, you’re shaking.”

• “B-Be… Behhhinn… K-Ko… KOBOLD!!!” she screamed, pointing behind the gnome.

A cold shiver ran down Lemagrag the Magnificent’s spine, as he turned around, his hands wavering. He let out a scared cry and swung his staff around only to realize he hit nothing.

• Hahaha “Gotcha! Look at you Mr. Scaredypants.” She laughed it up.

• “That... was not funny!” Lem was still half shaking from fear.

• “You should have seen the look on your face!” she giggled. “So scared of the big bad Kobolds! Uuuu!”

• “Oh yeah? You are one to talk!” Lem raised his voice. “Last time, you were ‘done for‘ at the mere mention of the creatures!”

• “Yeah… well… I’m not now!” said Abigail in defiance.

• “You can talk big all you want! But when one does show up, then we will see who has the last laugh! What will you do, if I’m not here to save you?” the gnome’s words were foreboding but Abbie was not convinced.

• “I can handle myself! I’m not a kid anymore, ya know!” she whined.

• “Fine! Go and crawl around in that cave all you want then! See if I care! I’m going back to the Abbey!”

• “Fine! I will! Bleeehh” she pouted and stuck her tongue out at Lem, then immediately turned away.

[Xantros]

Then the two of them separated. Abbie stormed off for the mine entrance and Lem began backtracking towards the forest. He stopped and looked back one more time, only to see Abbie disappear inside the gold mine. He sighed in frustration, shook his head and walked on. He stopped briefly to check his map again, thinking to himself, how the girl was going to make it home all the way through the woods without it. If she was even going to survive the mine.
He shuddered at these thoughts. He did not want to abandon her here all by herself but she was just impossible to deal with. Perhaps waiting around here, out of sight, until she learns her lesson would be a good idea, he thought. And so, he waited… and waited… for what felt like an eternity, until…

• “AAAAAHHHH! LEEEEEEMM HELP ME!!!!”

The gnome jumped out from behind the stone and sprinted for the mine, his entire body shaking.

• “I’M COMING ABBIE!!!! HOLD ON!!” he screamed back.

He didn’t know what to expect. Just how many kobolds were there? Five? Twenty? A hundred? What was he going to do? His mind raced along with his body. He would try to get the girl away as quickly as he can and make a run for it. It was the only option. He was nearly out of breath when he reached the mine. He quickly turned round the corner of the entrance only to slam head first into something hard and fall back to the ground, completely dazed. As the blur in his vision cleared, he could see what had blocked his path. It was Abigail’s knees.

• “kmmpphhffff… hahahaha…” she burst out in laughter at the sight of him, holding her stomach, her knees knocking.

• “Gotcha! Again!” hahahaha

• “Wha…?” Lem’s vision was clearing up but his head was still in a swirl of pain. “Ouch!” He touched the bump on his forehead. “Wha’cha do that for!”

• giggle “Can’t… help it… ehhhehehe you ran… into me!” she could not stop laughing.

• “I thought you were… in trouble! Owww… I ran back as fast as I could!”

• “Looks like… you actually did care about me ehehe!” said Abbie, wiping the tears out of her eyes.

• “You are… an awful little girl!” Lem was now in pain and angry.

• “Hey! I’m not a…”

• “YES, YOU ARE! YOU ARE A CHILD!” he exploded. “WHAT HUMAN GIRL YOUR AGE BEHAVES LIKE THIS? HAH?”

• “Oh, c’mon. It was just a jo…” she began.

• “NO! I’ve had it with you! You have tricked me AND made fun of me! TWICE! And this was the last straw. No more help from me. And you can forget about your robe too!” he was furious.

• “But… but… that was a deal!” Abbie protested.

• “No more deals, no more robes! You don’t deserve it! I’m done with you! I’m taking the map and going back.” With that he turned his back on the girl and started walking away only adding. “You can find your own way home.”

Abigail was only now beginning to comprehend what situation her actions had put her in. Because of her childish behavior, her only friend had turned his back on her, leaving her far-far away from home, with no food and no map. She was left standing at the threshold between the warm sunshine with her friend and the cold darkness of the mineshaft. It made her feel lonely and ashamed. She did not know what to say and only reached out for her friend, who was growing more distant with each second. Tears began to gather in her eyes.

• “I’m… sorry…” she tried to yell but only a choked whisper made it out.

[Xantros]

Lem had only walked a few meters and most of his anger had already subsided but he would not turn back. Not after all that. What he wanted right now, more than anything, was to get away for awhile and just… clear his head. Forget all about this whole ordeal. Suddenly, a loud scream came from the direction of the mine.

• “LEM! HELP ME!! SOMETHING’S GOT MY LEG! AAAHHHHH!” Abigail screamed off the top of her lungs and audibly hit the floor.

The gnome shook his head in disbelief. That she could do this again? Even throwing a tantrum on the ground?! Unbelievable. He yelled without looking back.

• “I won’t fall for it again girl! No matter how hard you try! I’ve had enough!” and he walked on.

• “AHHHH! PLEASE!! SOMETHING’S REALLY… I CAN’T GET… AAAAHH!!” she screamed again even louder.

Lem decided to ignore her. If she could truly sink so low then she was not worth his time. He walked on a few more steps until… there was the loud clanking sound of metal and a very distinct gurgling yelp. He turned around with some degree of curiosity. She could not possibly be that desperate for attention, could she? What he saw then made his heart leap into his throat.

Abigail was on her back, kicking a thrashing around, throwing quite a dust devil in the air. Without hesitation, he immediately began sprinting to her. Gone was the anger and frustration, replaced by a sense of terror and urgency. As he got closer, he could just make out the silhouettes of two kobolds pulling the girl by her legs inside the dark cavern. She was in a state of panic, clawing and grabbing for anything she could reach for. It seems, she had managed to grab hold of a rusty pickaxe and tossed it at the kobolds. It hit one, then landed on the rails.

Lem wanted to cast a spell to scare away the vermin but he could barely see them through all the dust. He could not risk hitting Abigail. Instead he rushed into the cloud and readied his staff. Abbie was kicking and thrashing when he got there, coughing out her lungs in the dusty haze.

• Auwuuhhauha “LEM! HELP ME! uhhaauh THEY WON’T LEMME GO!” she yelled in panic.

• “I’M HERE ABBIE! GET BACK YOU VERMIN!” he screamed and swung his staff at the closest Kobold he could see.

The creature yelped and shook its ugly head. Lem swung again, harder this time. It snarled back at him but would not let go of the girl. Their claws were scraping her skin and her back was dragging on the mine rails.

• “Oouwwahhaaoou!” she yelled with a sob. “MAKE THEM STOP! THEY’RE HURTING ME!”

The gnome knew that time was of the essence. If they managed to drag her into the darkness, she would be a goner. But he was no warrior. His attacks were too weak. He knew he had no choice but to resort to his magical abilities up close.

[Xantros]

Holding his staff in his left hand, he reached out with his right, muttering an incantation. As he touched the kobold’s arm, the creature’s grasp weakened and he dropped the leg he was holding. A panicked kick to the nose was his reward and it scurried back into the darkness, leaving its friend by itself. With one less kobold to deal with, Lem was feeling more confident and swung his staff at the creature’s hands, only to accidentally hit Abigail in the shin.

• “OOOUUUUWWWW!” she yelled out in pain.

• “SORRY!” Lem shouted.

A piece of rock found its way into Abigail’s hand and, with adrenaline flowing through her, she tossed it straight into the kobold’s left eye. The creature howled and reached for its eye, allowing Abbie to crawl away to safety. Lem gave it one final swing and hit the kobold on the side of its face, forcing it to retreat back like his companion.

The gnome backed away slowly from the mine entrance, waving his staff as a threat to the two pairs of beady eyes sneering at him from the darkness. Once he was in the clear, he turned his attention to Abigail. To his surprise, the girl was nowhere to be seen. He looked carefully around the area and sighed in relief when he spotted a flock of blondish hair poking out from behind a nearby rock. Lem put away his staff and walked over.

Abigail was sitting with her back to the cold stone, her arms wrapped around her legs, sobbing quietly. The gnome did not quite know how to handle this situation. To him, a crying human girl, was more of a challenge, than facing the entire kobold mine by himself. He stood there, looking her over, unsure of what to say or do. As he did so, he could see what a sorry state his companion was in. Abigail’s white clothes were not in the best of shape when they had first met but now, they were half-torn and brownish from their journey. Her hair was dirty and shaggy with bits of twigs sticking out. And her skin was covered in red cuts and purple bruises. She finally noticed and looked up at him, with tears flowing down her cheeks.

• sniff “L-Lem… I… I’m so… so sorry!” she sobbed.

• “There-there Abbie…” Lem gave a warm smile. “You are safe now…”

• “I deserved that!” she could not look him in the eyes anymore. “All of it!”

• “It’s okay…” the gnome started.

• “No! It’s not okay!” she cried. “I laughed at you and tricked you! My only friend!”

Lem was surprised… he did not expect to hear that last part.

• “You were right about me… sob I am childish and mean!” she hid her face in her knees and continued in a muffled voice. “That’s why nobody likes me here. I just get in everyone’s way and… sniff and… mess things up… I’m a bad person.”

• “Abbie… listen to me…” the gnome began in a calm and caring voice, putting his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. She murmured something in response.

• “You are not a bad person… far-far from it. You have a kind heart and you mean well… Believe me, I can tell. But you are inexperienced, young and headstrong. This can and will get you in a lot of trouble and you have to be prepared to face the consequences.” Lem’s words seemed to calm her down a bit and her sobbing stopped. “When I saw you were in trouble, I rushed back to save you, twice. Why? Because… truth be told… even if you are a bit too much at times, I have grown quite fond of you.”

Abbie finally looked up and her red, puffy eyes saw a genuine smile gleaming back at her. She smiled back.

• “Thank you, Lem. I… I will never do such a thing again.” She apologized once more.

• “I know… Come on, let’s get out of here, okay?” The gnome beckoned, holding out his hand.

Abigail sniffed one more time and wiped her eyes with her palm. “O…okay.”

• “Are you able to stand?” he inquired. “I know I hit you on the leg back there… sorry.”

• “It’s alright.” She stood up slowly. “I had that one coming.” She let out a shy laugh.

Soon, the two of them made their way back into the deeper woods once more and having found the mine, Lem could now map out their precise location. They tried to get as far away from Echo Ridge as they possibly could and put the events that happened behind them.

* * *

[Xantros]

Chapter IV: The Burdens of an Apprentice

Abigail spoke very little during their return trip. The pain from her cuts and bruises made it difficult for her to walk. Lem had offered her his staff as a walking stick but she refused. She still felt a bit ashamed of her actions and wanted to punish herself a little more for it. Limping alongside her gnomish companion, she thought of what had happened to her at the mine. Her body tensed up a little. If Lem had not been there… She looked over to the gnome in question with a fondness in her eyes. He was a good gnome.

Once her wounds had gotten better, they were able to pick up the pace and make significant progress. Within a mere half hour, the red roof of Northshire Abbey was in sight. Abigail was completely exhausted at this point. She was ready to fall flat right then and there and just… sleep. Then she suddenly realized that it was way past lunchtime and a myriad of questions rushed into her mind: Would she still get food? Should she eat, wash or sleep first? Or in that order? As she pondered these difficult thoughts, her friend came to a halt and rolled up his map.

• “Finally, we are here!” he concluded with relief. “It was a tough little walk but I can’t say I didn’t enjoy some of it.”

• “It was good to be outside for a change…” Abbie added. “Let’s get some lunch before they close up!”

• “Thank you, but I’m afraid I will have to pass on that.” There was audible aversion in his voice, which Abigail failed to notice.

• “Don’t tell me you’re not hungry. We have some real food here, not that… bleuh.” She held her nose, while jokingly making a gesture of disgust.

• Hahah “It’s not that bad really.” Lem laughed nervously. “And besides, I don’t think they would want me around here…”

• “Why not? Are you in trouble?” she asked with concern.

• Heh “Nothing like that. I’m not part of this place and… well, why should they serve me food? But I should really check on my bag again you know…”

• “Oh! I almost forgot about that. I guess I’ll see you around here later then.” She smiled.

• “When I see you next time, I will probably have your robe ready for you!”

And with that, they parted. Lem went along the top of the hill they had originally fell down and Abbie made her way towards the Church. She had concluded that she would first take a bath… a much needed… looooong bath. She snuck inside the entrance, trying to avoid as many eyes as she possibly could. Looking the way she did, she would no doubt attract attention soon.

[Xantros]

After taking a peek in the entrance hallway and seeing that the coast was clear, she quietly slipped inside the Abbey. Though determined to take a bath, she would check on her robes first. Hopefully, they would be dry by now. She walked along the hallowed corridors of this ancient stone structure, feeling quite content, now that she was back in a familiar place. As she turned the corner to the washroom, she bumped right into another student. It was Olivia, the priest initiate.

• “Hey, watch where you are going you…! Abigail??” she exclaimed, before looking her over. “What in the world happened to you? Hahaha Have you been cleaning the pig pen again, farmgirl?”

• “None of your business Olivia!” Abbie raised her voice. “I have to go and take a bath!”

• Olivia stood in her way laughing. “Why even bother? I thought you enjoy being dirty!”

• “I don’t care, I’m busy! I don’t have time for you!”” she pushed past the initiate.

• “Oh, so tough are we now?”

Abigail truly despised this brown-haired girl. She always acted so perfect and talked down to her, teasing her whenever she could. This time, however, not even her undesired presence would get to her. Not after the mine.

• “You know I could tell on you for frolicking in the woods without permission.”

Abbie was not listening; she was determined to take a bath.

• “But it seems I don’t have to. You are already in deep.” her words oozed. “Brother Paxton is looking for you… and he is furious!”

She left Olivia without another word and rushed to the washroom. Better to face her fate being clean rather than in her current state. As she took the last step to the door, she heard a ripping sound. Her left shoe had breathed its last. She took it off and examined it. It had torn at the seams between the sole and the top. Her mouth quivered a little… it was one of her favorite pairs even. What a day she thought.

As Abigail opened the door, she could hear Olivia snickering at her from the other end of the corridor. She quickly disappeared behind the wooden door, slamming it shut and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she was alone.

[Xantros]

She walked over to the rack where she had left her blue, apprentice robes drying. A content smile materialized on her cheeks. At least one of them was dry already. Taking it from the rack, Abbie moved into a smaller room, which was separated by a sliding, wooden frame. This was one of the bathing areas. A large cauldron was neatly heating up on the stove already. How nice of the wash lady to leave it here, she thought. The cauldron was hoist up on a metal rack, just behind the tub, with a calm fire burning under it. Putting the robe down on the stool, she grabbed the iron pick used to dump the water into the tub.

A dense coat of steam rose up, as the hot water filled up the wooden tub. Abigail resolved to try and find a cobbler for her worn shoes later and not toss them in the bin. She slipped down her torn, dirt-covered clothes and immersed herself in the water. After the ordeal of this crazy and grueling day, it felt like a piece of heaven. She comfortably stretched her stiff body in the steaming water. All the pain and aching from her exhausting journey was beginning to ease. She washed the grime out of her face and hair and even splashed around a little, just because she could… and leaned her head back. She was in her own world right now, no one would disturb her here.

As she lay there – embraced completely by the hot bathwater – her mind wandered. She thought of the kobolds and of Lem. How sudden and scary it all was. And yet, it was so distant now. She was safe and sound here… where no kobolds could hurt her. If Lem had not been there… She found herself staring at the ceiling, where dark, flamey shadows danced on a warm, orange stage. Something else was bothering her.

Why was Brother Paxton angry with her? What did she do now? She frowned and tried to think really hard but she could not put her finger on it. She eventually let that trail of thought go and meandered onto another one. She closed her eyes and imagined the scuffle at the mine again. But this time, it was Lem who was in trouble. Calling out for her to save him. And she – the powerful mage that she was of course – would teleport to him and blast away the nasty vermin with a wave of fire… no wait… with a cone of frost… yes… that’s right… And her friend, Lem would thank her and… and… reward her with her favorite food… and carry her heavy bag for her… And with that cleansing thought she kicked her head back and fell asleep.

* * *

[Xantros]

When Abigail’s eyes popped wide open, the first thing she realized, was being very cold. The second was, how dark it had gotten. In fact, it was so dark in the bathing room, she could not see past her nose anymore. As she sat up, the final realization had hit her. She had fallen asleep in the tub and the fire had gone out. How long had she been there, she wondered. The water had become way less than lukewarm and getting out of it felt like an impossible challenge. She sat there for a while longer, contemplating the obvious decision of getting out, looking around blindly in the dark.

Finally, she had mustered the courage to face the chilling, hard reality and stood up. Brrrrrrr. Getting out of the tub was way colder than she had expected. And the worst part of it was, she could not see or feel her towel. Abigail felt around blindly for it but it was not where she had placed it. Her wet feet slipped and sloshed along the cold marble floor, her entire body was tense and freezing. She sighed a trembling ‘There you are’ in relief when she picked it up from the ground and quickly dried herself off. Luckily her fresh clothes and robe were where she had left them and, though awkwardly, she managed to get dressed. Grabbing her ruined shoes, she slopped out of the bathing room barefoot, the slightly oversized robes dragging behind her.

As Abigail slid the wooden frame to the side, she was greeted by the weak, reddish-orange light of the setting sun barely reaching the window. Gosh, is it already that late? She wondered. After tossing her dirty clothes in the bin, she walked over to her shoebox and replaced the ruined pair with laceless slip-ons. She never liked socks anyways. Pushing the box back under the shelf, she noticed the word ‘Farmgirl’ chalked on the box. AGAIN! Ahhh whatever! She thought and let it be. She had no time for this now, she had to eat something, as her stomach had so kindly reminded her of that fact. Maybe she could still catch dinner.

[Xantros]

The whole Abbey felt rather quiet and abandoned and merely the footsteps of one lone apprentice magician echoed through its great stone interior. Where was everyone, the apprentice wondered as she skipped down the chiseled steps, making her way to the diner. Her hand was about to turn the doorknob for the mess hall when she heard a loud noise, like the roar of an old lion behind her.

• “ABIGAIL MOLSEN!!!!” Brother Paxton bellowed.

• “Eeeeeppp!!!” the girl jumped in fright.

• “Where in the world have you been girl?!!”

• “I-I… w-was… in the umm bath and… and…” she peeped.

• “Indeed?! It seems you enjoy wasting precious time while neglecting your duties!”

Now Abigail realized what she had forgotten. She was supposed to clean the mess she had left in the library. With all the things that had happened to her today, it had completely exited her mind. She knew she was in real deep now.

• “And on top of that, leaving the Abbey grounds to take a stroll in the woods to the Light knows where!”

• “I’m s-sorr…”

• “It is FORBIDDEN to leave without permission! Don’t you know how dangerous it can be out there?!” he emphasized his point with his finger. “You must clean up the library at once!”

• “But… but… dinner!”

• “No more excuses and no dinner young lady!” the Brother scolded. “You will take a bucket of water and brush, and clean that mess of yours before the day is over! And after that, go to the bell tower to see Brother Neals, he has a chore for you. Did I make myself clear!!”

Abigail stuttered a quick ‘Yes Sir!’ and rushed off to the library as quickly as she could. She grabbed a bucket of water and brush from the storeroom and splish-splashed along the corridor to the hall of learning. Indeed, her handiwork of a mess was all the more visible in the reddish gleam from the windows.

[Xantros]

Chapter V: A Reckless Quest

The bell tower was the highest point of Northshire Abbey. It could even be spotted from certain far parts of Elwynn Forest. Abbie had only been up there once and it was not to her liking. As she climbed the hard, marble steps she wondered what the old priest, Brother Neals, wanted at this hour. She hoped she did not have to clean the tower too.

It was quite the climb, and Abbie was relieved to hear the creaking of rickety wooden stairs. But that relief was quickly replaced by the dislike for the tower. It was dark, old, smelled funny… and it was full of dust and cobwebs. ‘I really hope I don’t have to clean this…’ she prayed.

When she reached the top, she was greeted by the sight of the old bell. This was perhaps the only part of the tower she liked. It was an aged brass bell, with some neat engravings upon its surface. She thought it was perhaps more ancient than it looked. And speaking of ancient, she spotted the priest in the far corner, reading some musty tome under a single candle light.

• “Umm… Excuse me… Brother Neals…” she greeted but got no response.

Abbie crept closer.

• “Uhhh… Good evening! Brother Neals?” she spoke louder this time but got nothing.

Abigail was now but an arm’s length away from him and then saw that the old man had dosed off. He was faintly snoring too. ‘Must have been a boring book.’ She chuckled a little. Abbie did not want to disturb the old priest but she had to find out why Brother Paxton sent her up here. She shook him a little.

• “Brother Neals, please wake up!”

• Huh “Wh- What? Who’s that?” the priest started speaking in a slow tone.

• “It’s me Abigail… Abigail Molsen… Brother Paxton sent me. He said you needed something.” She explained.

• Yawn “Oh! Yes, haha I must have dosed off… What an old, boring book that was.” Abigail smiled to herself. “Have a seat, make yourself comfortable, please.”

Abigail pushed a dusty, oak chair to the table and sat by the candle light, a little restless, while she waited for Neals to put away his book and spectacles. Somehow the aging man looked as if he had been a part of this bell tower since it was built.

[Xantros]

• “Now then…” he licked his lips as a habit. “Oh, where are my manners… I know I shouldn’t tempt you youngsters but… cookies?”

Abigail was speechless, she had even forgotten that she was hungry. But now, it had returned in full force. Her stomach felt like a deep well… and well… she snatched it without thinking and down it went.

• haha “My… my you must have skipped dinner… it’s a little stale maybe.” He winked.

He was right. Abbie regretted taking it without thinking. It tasted stale and… a bit moldy even… just like this whole place. Yet another reason why she didn’t like it here.

• “Would you like more?” the old priest pushed the plate closer.

• “No… hehe thank you, I shouldn’t eat so late…” she lied.

• “Ah well… I like to share it or I’ll never finish them.” He chuckled heartily.

• “Umm… Brother Neals…”

• “Yes?... Oh! Right… I told Paxton to send you to me.” he remembered. “I have something very important to ask of you.”

‘Please don’t be cleaning…’ she crossed her fingers.

• “I would go myself but… I can’t climb the stairs too often you see.”

• Abbie sighed in relief. “What do you need me to do, Sir?”

• “I heard you are friends with Milly Osworth… the late vintner’s daughter?” he asked.

Abigail was surprised. She did not expect this. Milly was her friend… actually, they were much more than friends. She was like a sister away from home. She lived over the creek in a small shack right next to her late father’s vineyard, which she inherited.

• “Yes, we are sir but… umm… she usually writes a letter when I can visit and I didn’t get one for a month now…” she remembered morosely.

[Xantros]

• “Well, you see… that is exactly why I called for you! I’m supposed to get a manifest from her about her grape harvest this year.” There was concern in his voice. “I don’t mind that it is overdue but I need to know how many barrels we can expect, for making the wine you see. And now you say she has been out of touch with her close friend… hmmm”

• “Do you think she might be… in trouble, sir?”

• “I honestly don’t know my dear…” he confessed.

• “So… you wanted me to go and check? I-I can go right now and…” her voice was bursting with eagerness.

• “By the Light, of course not! You can’t leave the grounds, it is forbidden.”

• “… That’s what Brother Paxton said too…” said Abbie with great disappointment.

• “It is only for your own safety.” The old priest proclaimed. “Don’t you know there are bandits camping out in the woods somewhere?”

• “Really?” she remarked. She never really heard much about bandits.

• “Oh, yes. I heard from one of the guards a while back. Some of their men were attacked a few days ago. I’m worried that perhaps your friend…” upon seeing the concern building up in the young girl, Brother Neals stopped himself short. “Ahhaha… don’t mind the rambling of a foolish old man… She must be too busy around the house that’s all.”

• “What can I do then, sir? I wanna help Milly!”

• “Since I can’t go myself, I wanted you to inform the guards. They will take care of it, don’t worry.” The priest reassured her.

• “Oh… that’s all? Well… I-I will go do that sir!” she stood up.

• “I would appreciate that, my dear. And come see me anytime if there is anything, I can help you with.” Brother Neals smiled.

Abigail politely placed the chair back in its place and made her way to the staircase. As she walked down and the steps transitioned from wood to stone, the hollow tapping of her footsteps gave a sound to her growing concerns. She had made up her mind. As rude as it may be, she was not going to inform the guards. Bandits or no, she was determined to go check on Milly, whatever happens.

[Xantros]

Having reached the bottom of the stairs, she crossed over to the main hallway and looked around carefully. Good, no one in sight. She rushed out towards the entrance as quickly and quietly as she could until…

• “And where do you think you are going at this hour young lady?”

Abigail flinched. It just had to be Brother Paxton again. Just the worst timing in all of history. She turned to face her inevitably scolding.

• “Well… I… umm…” she stuttered.

• “Yes… I’m listening.”

• “I w-was on my way to… eat something, yes.” She lied badly.

• “I see… Even though the mess hall is in the opposite direction…” Paxton was not convinced.

• “Oh… hehe… uhh silly me!” Abigail was red in the face. She knew she had messed up badly this time.

• “Abigail… I am very concerned about your behavior.” The librarian spoke in a disappointed tone. “You are not taking your studies seriously, hiking in the woods without permission and skipping your chores.”

• “But the libr…” she was cut short.

• “Yes, I know you have cleaned it up… After I had ordered you to do it for the second time. And now you are lying to me.”

• “I’m sorry… sir.” Abigail shut her eyes with shame.

• “What are you really doing here? Tell me, honestly.”

• sigh “I-I went to see Brother Neals like you said and… he told me to inform a guard about… about Milly… she’s my fr…”

• “Yes, I know you two are friends and she has not sent the manifest yet. Honestly, I don’t even know what Neals is thinking. I told him I would inform the guards. I guess at his age, he forgets a few things.

• “You… You did?” Abigail was surprised.

• “I did. Right now, they have their hands full but they will check on her when they can.”

• “But… what if she is in… trouble.”

• “There is nothing more I can do, my dear. I understand you are concerned for your friend’s safety but I can’t have you endangering yourself as well. Due to your recent behavior I have no choice but to ground you.”

• “Sir… please!” she pleaded to no avail.

• “It is for your own good. The best thing for you to do now, is to concentrate on your studies and leave it to the guards. Go and get some sleep now.”

Abigail felt completely helpless. She could do nothing to help her friend in need. Defeated, she dragged herself back to the dormitory rooms. She opened the door, ready to face all the teasing and the “fun” the other girls were going to make of her but she was in luck. Most of them were already asleep. She quietly walked over to her bed and began making it.

[Xantros]

The Dormitory was a fairly large hall dedicated for the many students of the Abbey. Upon arriving here, all students received their own bed, appropriate attire, trunk, cupboard and shoebox, and a seemingly infinite supply of candles.

The girl’s dormitory was divided by an archway and had multiple entrances, which was convenient for Abbie, as she could mostly avoid the ones she disliked. She had only begun her studies here a few months ago and did not make any true friends yet but at least, the girls right next to her, were kind and nice enough to her. Both Kristine and Isabella were fast asleep and Abbie did not want to wake them. She quietly slipped out of her blue robes and into the sheets.

Her bed was warm and comfortable; she could not complain. A faint snoring could be heard from the far side of the room and she closed her eyes. Only, as she lay there, in the quiet of the night, her mind raced. She could not stop thinking about Milly. What if she IS in trouble? What if the bandits got her and… and… a sharp pain pierced her stomach like a blade and she heard a loud cry for help.

Gasp! Abigail found herself tussling with her pillow and sweating. She had dozed off for a couple of minutes and had a nightmare. Shaking, she sat up and took a few deep breaths. There was no way she was going back to sleep now. She got out of bed as quietly as she could, took her robe and snuck out of the dormitory. If there was one place where she could still go and not be bothered, it would be the library. There she would think it over and try to calm herself.

She closed the library door behind her as quietly as she could and gave out a long sigh. Finally, she could worry in peace. When Abbie felt distressed, she would always find a secluded spot to think to herself, to calm her nerves or arrive at a conclusion. But she knew there was no conclusion to find this time. She was not allowed to leave.

Abigail paced nervously up and down the library carpet, wearing it out. But it was no use. She could not ease her mind. Either she is waiting too long and Milly will get into trouble or she is already done for… Abbie could not bear to think any more on that and shook her head.

With all this pacing around, she wore herself out faster than the carpet and got a chair to sit on by the window. She lit a candle and placed the brass holder on the window sill, put her elbows up and gazed outside. It was pitch black and the clouds were seemingly gathering for another storm. She let out a worried sigh and looked up at the gloomy puffs up above.

Just then, something caught her eye. The window was not locked. She sat up straight and her mind began swirling with new possibilities. “I could… No. No, I shouldn’t… I’m already in enough trouble… But… Milly… I can’t just…” she debated with herself. Feelings of fear and anxiety swirling inside her. Abbie really hated doing this. Having to choose between two things of such importance. Either way, she would not forgive herself but… let it be for something good. She made up her mind. At least, she can save Milly.

[Xantros]

The crazy scheme had now been hatched. Abbie remembered there was a piece of rope in the storeroom. She would tie that to the table and climb down quietly, rush over the creek to her friend’s house and… if she is okay, then she would… just come back home quickly… before anyone notices... yeah… that could work.

Everything was now in place. Abbie blew out the candle and threw the rope over the sill. Luckily the window was not too high up so she was a little more confident about her climbing skills. She climbed over the edge and began lowering herself slowly… a little bit more… just a tad bit further… and…

• “What the heck are you doing?”

Yikes! Abbie let out a tiny yelp and let go of the rope in fright, falling in the bushes. It was a good thing she had her robe on, otherwise her skin would have been riddled with cuts. She climbed out of the bush with some difficulty and looked around who had called to her. It was so dark she could not see anyone. She stumbled around blindly until…

• “Ouch!” she tripped over a stone.

• “Still Miss clumsy-feet I see.” said the familiar voice with a cocky tone.

• “Lem?! Wha- Where are you? I can’t see you!”

• “I’m right over here…” he beckoned impatiently.

• “How can you see me??”

• “We gnomes used to live underground ya know.. Your human vision is seriously lacking.”

• “Okay, I get it… but what are you doing here?”

• “I saw a light in the window… somehow, at this hour, I figured it would be you. Actually, I should ask you the same question.”

• “I have to get to my friend, Milly. She lives on the other side of the creek. She might be in trouble.” She removed the twigs and leaves from her robe.

• “Aren’t you getting yourself into a lot of trouble here, girl?” the gnome asked, pointing at her.

• “I-I know… I’m already in it… deep.” She confessed. “But I have to see her. Even if… even if that means I get tossed out.”

• “I thought you had no friends here. You two must be really close then…”

• “Actually, she is more like an older sister to me…” Lem could see her warm smile in the dark. “Could you help me get to her? I can’t really see a thing.”

• “Since I took the trouble to walk over here, I might as well make it useful…”

[Xantros]

The gnome pulled out his staff from his bag and put it on. The crystal at the tip of it emitted a faint blue glow. Abbie had not noticed this before during the day but she was grateful she could at least see something now. She followed the little bobbing ball of light into the darkness.

• “You left your bag behind?” she asked curiously.

• “Oh, right you can’t see me well.” Lem realized. “No, I’ve re-enchanted it. I had one feather left at the bottom of it.”

• “That’s so cool… sigh Wish I could do that.”

• “Don’t sweat it… If I had not bought two, I would not be able to do this either.” Lem reassured her. “So… this friend of yours… Why are you so worried for her?”

• “Well… the old priest said she has not reported her wine manifest lately and… there have been bandits around the forest so…”

The little bobbing light stopped abruptly and swirled as the gnome turned around.

• “Wait just a minute!”

• “Huh?”

• “You never said anything about bandits!”

• “So? What’s the big deal?” she asked in frustration.

• “What’s the big deal she says.” Lem rolled his eyes, though Abbie could not see it. “That they are BANDITS?? HELLO? Armed and Dangerous Ruffians! That’s the big deal.”

• “We can handle it!” she protested.

• “Yeah, like we handled the kobolds? No way, this is too much for us Abbie. Better inform the guards…”

• “You are just like Brother Paxton! You don’t care! What if she… she…”

Abbie could not continue. She was irritable from not having had any dinner and now her fear for her friend was making her eyes water.

• “I do care…” the gnome admitted. “And I care enough for you not to make a stupid mistake. Look… Kobolds are one thing Abbie… These bandits are ruthless and a lot stronger. And you are not ready to fight!”

• “Then lend me your staff so I can see and I’ll do it myself!” she huffed.

• “Can’t do it. It’s bound to me…”

• “Then… ugghh go bind yourself to a tree… whatever!” she stumbled off in frustration.

• “Abbie, you’re going to trip and hurt yourself.” The gnome went after to stop her.

• “I know… sigh Please, help me Lem… I’m sorry… I can’t do it alone…“ she pleaded honestly.

• “Hmm… Okay. It is against my better judgement but… I’ll at least guide you there and then we will see. But you can bet I’ll be asking you a big favor for this later!”

• “Sure! No problem… Anything… thank you!” she said with her spirits raised.

The blue light resumed its bobbing and the unlikely duo set off once more into the dead of night on their daring quest.

[Xantros]

Chapter VI: Meet the Bandits

With her gnomish friend at her side, Abigail was a little bit more confident now. “If anything happens, Lem can handle it! He is a spellcaster too, so… and maybe nothing will happen… and Milly is just busy… yeah.” She reassured herself and made a half-smile but she was not totally convinced.

The duo had reached a clearing and the young girl sighed in relief. Finally, no more branches or roots to carefully step over; she could walk naturally. She looked up at the cloudy sky, hoping for a sliver of moonlight to peek out from under the dark sheets. Instead, a single raindrop landed on her cheek and a light gust of wind moved her blondish ponytail.
“Great… just what we needed…” she grumbled to herself. It was Lem who finally broke the silence.

• “I took the liberty of consulting the map and I believe we have almost reached the creek.” He spoke with a bit of pride. “No idea how we are going to cross it though…”

• “Huh?” Abbie was lost in thought but quickly came to. “Oh, there is an old wooden bridge there.”

• “Well, I hope it holds… didn’t plan for a swim tonight!”

• “Me neither… just washed my robe this morning!” she frowned.

• “Oh! That reminds me… your new robe is only half-ready.” Lem explained.

• “That’s okay, I didn’t get into trouble for my clothes at least hehe”

• “You really do seem to get into all kinds of trouble, is it not?” the gnome pondered.

• “Yeah… I know! I can’t help it, it’s just… I dunno… I always do the wrong thing and everyone gets mad at me…” she confessed.

• “I did tell you that you are a bit carefree and reckless at times. But I hope this one really is the limit!”

• “Yeah… I know. If Brother Paxton finds out, I’ll be expelled for sure…” she shuddered. “But… but I don’t mind anymore. Because… If I can make sure that Milly is safe then… then…” a wistful smile appeared on her cheeks.

The gnome walked on in silence. He did not know what to say or even if he had to say anything. Gnomes and Dwarves were easy for him; they always had the same attitude and they would change slowly over many decades. But the girl behind him had changed so much over the span of a day, he was at a loss on how to handle it. He had finally decided to keep his mouth at rest and focus on the journey.

[Xantros]

As they neared the creek, they could hear the rushing water racing towards the south. The clouds had also decided to dump their bucket over the two companions. The rain began pouring and with no cover, they quickly got soaked. Lem stopped at the bridge and wiped off his face.

• Pfff “Just what we needed…” he grumbled. “Well, we had better cross the bridge before the rain picks up and overflows the creek.”

• “I’m right behind you… I think.”

With all her wet hair hanging in front of her eyes she could not even see Lem’s glowy orb. She grabbed onto the wooden beam and edged her way forwards. The bridge was wet and slippery and the beam was not too reliable as a support.

Being able to see and sure-footed, Lem had already crossed the bridge and was now yelling over the rain.

• “You’re almost through Abbie! Keep going!”

• “I… pfff I’m COMIIIII…”

With just a couple of steps to go, Abigail began rushing and slipped on the wet boards. As her lower body went down, the wood creased her ankles. The sharp pain made her see stars and due to the suddenness of it all, she could not hang onto the wet beam anymore and dove under helplessly.

She splashed around in panic until she realized the creek was only knee deep and she was just sitting there. She clambered out to the side until she was on muddy land. Lem was waiting there, tapping his foot.

• “You really are a clumsy girl, aren’t you?” the gnome shook his head.

• “Hey! You’re big to talk Mr. Smartmouth… you didn’t fall in the water and… Uggh I think it went up my nose!” she complained.

• “No wonder you can’t cast any spells… you’re all washed up!”

• “Yeah, yeah, I get it!” she smirked.

• “Let’s hurry up before you catch a cold!” Lem rushed her.

• “Okay… hold on…” the girl felt around blindly in the mud.

• “What are you even doing?”

• “I… lost my… darn! I had laceless shoes and they slipped off!” she yelled in frustration.

• “Well, I don’t see them, so they must have washed away…” he concluded.

[Xantros]

Abigail didn’t know how to feel. She could hardly see, was doubly wet now and her prized slip-ons were history. Having her bare feet in the mud did not improve things at all. This whole day had just been one disaster after the other. She wondered if it would ever stop. Then Lem dragged her back to reality.

• “We have to get going… Now!” he commanded.

Abbie jumped to her feet, almost throwing a flip back into the creek on the slippery mud. Her feet dug deep into the muck as she regained her balance. It was a good thing she could not see or she would have been utterly despaired at the state of her “freshly-dried” clothes. She wiped the wet strands of hair to the side and followed the faint glow of Lem’s staff.

Even though she was born and raised on a farm, falling in the creek and getting her feet all muddy was about as uncomfortable of an experience for her, as she had ever had… Until they entered the bushed and she stepped on a sharp stone.

• “YAAAAHHH!” she cried out.

A sudden blue flash accentuated her voice.

• “SSSSHHHH! What are you doing?” Lem whispered loudly. “You are going to alert us to everything in this forest…”

• “Ow ow ouw ouw!” she hopped on one foot. “ssss Ow… That really hurt uuhhh…”

• “Follow me closer, I’ll try to get rid of the clutter.”

Abigail grit her teeth and limped on for a short while, until the pain had gone. She was now beginning to feel like she did when they returned from the Echo Ridge Mine. Bruised, dirty and tired. Somehow this life of adventuring did not appeal to her at all.

After a bit of trekking, they came up to a wooden fence. Lem looked around a bit in the dark, trying to map out the way. Abigail leaned on the fence with her back and petered out with a sigh.

• Phew “I’m done, this was too much.” She massaged her foot. “And it still hurts… ahh”

• “Okay, we are on the edge of the vineyard.” Lem concluded, not paying attention to her complaints. “Which way is her house?”

• “If I c-could see, I w-would t-tell you…” she rolled her eyes in vain.

• “Wait… I can just about make out a… lamp post?”

• “Yes!” Abbie’s face lit up in the rain. “T-The h-house is-s-s not t-too far!”

• “Okay… what are you doing?” Lem turned around impatiently.

He saw a young barefoot girl, in a doused muddy blue robe, holding herself… shivering in the rain. Yet that same girl was ready and eager to go see her friend no matter what. He felt pity at the sight of her but this determination also made him warm inside.

• “Alright Abbie, listen up!” his voice was commanding and calculated. “We have to get you inside and dry you off! But I don’t see any lights… We have to be careful and quiet, okay?”

• “N-N-No p-problem, L-Lem!” she shuddered.