Unexpected Encounters [Roketto & Devilstrike]
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Roketto on 20-03-2009, 04:59:41</h2>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>20-03-2009, 04:59:41</strong>
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				Coppery colored eyes scanned the surrounding areas, watching, monitoring, observing.&nbsp; The mindless slaves to the Lich King seemed to be merely ambling around, occasionally running into each other or other objects.&nbsp; In their undeath, the creatures seemingly lost any grace and agility they'd had in life, trading it now for an unholy strength and tireless determination to follow their master.<br><br>"Dis don' make no sense," the Troll grumbled, adjusting his hold on his bow, "Dey don' look any different den de last time we come t'rough here."&nbsp; Glancing down to the large black worg sitting next to him, he shook his head causing his long, wild mane of purple braids to follow the movements.&nbsp; "I know, Dax," he grumbled as he leaned back against the tree he was using for camouflage, "T'ings rarely be what dey seem... 'specially out here..."<br><br>He'd been helping to clear out the tiny ghost town of Corin's Crossing in an attempt to recover some books and scrolls for one of the Argent scribes when he'd been recalled back to Light's Hope.&nbsp; Upon arrival, he'd been briefed on the strange reports that were flooding in from the Western Plaguelands concerning the activities of the undead residing there.&nbsp; While traveling the roads leading through the blighted land was generally safer than traveling through the wilds, apparently the servants of Arthas were getting more daring, large groups moving to the roads to attack any who tried to pass.&nbsp; Previous scouts sent to check things out hadn't returned in several days, and the others at the small chapel were beginning to worry.<br><br>So here he was, Kurzahn the Hunter, hiding in a small outcropping of withering trees off the path to watch and observe the actions of the undead.&nbsp; He'd been there for a few days now, and the only real activities he'd witnessed were the occasional fights between the undead and small groups of the Scarlet Crusaders coming down from Hearthglen.&nbsp; Sometimes they seemed to make progress, but every time, the crusaders would fall to the onslaught of the ghouls, skeletons, and other assorted undead of the area.<br><br>Letting loose a heavy sigh, the hunter picked his traveling pack up off the ground, "C'mon, ol' boy, we best be movin' on.&nbsp; Maybe we gots ta go closer ta dem ol' ruins, o' somet'in."&nbsp; Hefting the large pack up over one shoulder, he quietly started off toward the ruined remains of the city of Andorhal.<br><br>There wasn't any signs of trouble until they approached the crossroads near one of the decaying farmsteads.&nbsp; As they approached, Dax growled lowly with his ears pressed flat back against his skull.&nbsp; A warning the hunter had long learned to recognize.&nbsp; "Scourge," he growled, quickly moving forward toward the large group amassing around something at the crossroads.&nbsp; <em>Some traveler, no doubt,</em> he thought, dropping the pack to draw an arrow from his quiver, <em>Maybe there's still time...</em>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>20-03-2009, 05:24:30</strong>
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				It was a nightmare. He'd been the servant of the Lich King Arthas for all of his memory. Then at the battle of Light's Hope Chapel, High Lord Morgraine had declared the knight of the ebon blade no longer served the king. He was grateful that his purpose had been restored though, in finding that he'd had a life before his service to the Lich King. At the High Lord's behest, he'd gone as an emissary to the Alliance and found himself emboldened by the sense of the purpose instilled in him by the human king.<br><br>Unfortunately, he'd yet to return to the Exodar, mostly because the human king had immediately sent him to the Plaguelands and fight the forces of the Lich King. His first orders were to eradicate the scourge presence in the ruins closest to the Alliance camp in the Western Plaguelands. He just hadn't realized how much of the scourge's forces were amassed there. Before he knew it he was surrounded by the ungainly corpses. "Bone Cruncher, aid me." He called out to his ghoul minion, as a blow drove him to his knees. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>20-03-2009, 05:46:47</strong>
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				There was a high pitched shriek as an arrow pierced the pallid flesh of a nearby ghoul's throat.&nbsp; The creature froze, almost as though it were in shock for a moment, until the arrow exploded in flames, launching the decaying head several yards off as the corpse fell lifelessly to the ground.&nbsp; Several more arrows flew through the gathering&nbsp; of undead, drawing some of the attention away from the injured Death Knight.<br><br>As a few of the ghasts turned to face their new assailant, a blood curdling howl loosed from the large black worg that tackled no less than two of the creatures off to one side, tearing into them with it's long tusk-like teeth.&nbsp; A pair of fierce roars sounded to either side of the Death Knight as two leopard-like big cats leapt into the fray, rending the rotting flesh of their opponents with vicious looking claws and teeth.&nbsp; One's fur was white as snow and covered in black ringed spots, while the other was the color of darkest night with it's white spots resembling the flecks of light that were stars.&nbsp; Both beasts had bright glowing eyes, the black one's eyes glowing a crimson red, while the pale one's shone with a toxic green color to match the same-colored mist pouring from the sides of it's open maw.<br><br>Several more arrows were fired before the blue skinned hunter launched himself into the battle.&nbsp; Using one of the injured creatures as a spring board, he vaulted over the Death Knight, twin axes shining in the low light as he lay into the servants of the Damned Prince.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>20-03-2009, 06:13:28</strong>
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				Zenz looked around in surprise as the ghoul that had driven him to his knees stumbled back with an arrow pierced it's throat. All he saw was a small army of animals taking out the surrounding ghouls. He had no idea who had taken it upon themselves to save him from death, and he didn't take the time to find out as he picked his sword up and sliced the head off of the closest ghoul. He didn't see the Troll leap over him as he went to work killing the walking corpses. For the next several minutes, he hacked through the living corpses until the last one finally feel to the ground.<br><br>Zenz breathed a sigh of relief as he sheathed his sword and looked around for his minion. He found the ghoul he'd called Bone Cruncher lying under the bodies of some of the other ghouls, apparently taken down by the other ghouls or the animals that had aided him. "Ah, Bone Cruncher, the messes ya get yourself it to." He said as he pulled a pinch of corpse dust from a pouch at his side. "Rise and aid me, Bone Cruncher." He intoned as the ghoul pushed itself up from the ground.<br><br>Zenz turned around looking for his savior. At first he saw the animals that he'd seen leap in and help him, though he didn't see their master. Bone Cruncher's gurgles of alarm drew his attention around fully behind him. He saw the Troll and anger flared in his chest. Even though he'd trained and fought alongside trolls while in the service of the Lich King, he'd never cared for them any more than he cared for Orcs or any other members of the Horde. He renewed pledge to the Alliance had only engraved that dislike deeper into his heart.<br><br>"I thank you for your aid, Troll." He said stiffly, giving a slight bow. "However, I suggest that in the future, you keep to yourself, or I will kill you." He started to turn and walk away when stabbing pain drove through his side, driving him to his knees. "Shit." He cursed in his native tongue as he brought a hand covered in blood up in front of his face. Not a moment later, he collapsed to the ground and Bone Cruncher collapsed to the ground no longer animated by Zenz's spell.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>20-03-2009, 07:20:19</strong>
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				The battle went quickly, the undead being cut down with incredible speed and efficiency by the Death Knight, his minion, the beasts and the Hunter.&nbsp; Axes flashing, sword swinging, beasts roaring and howling as they tore their opponents apart, and that one lone ghoul fighting against it's own kind.&nbsp; When all was done and the last corpse fell to the ground, the various beasts all crowded around their beloved master, sniffing and licking as though checking on his well being.<br><br>He hadn't really paid much attention to who, exactly he'd come to the aid of and he turned to check as he wiped some of the gore from his face.&nbsp; Hearing the accent the other spoke in, Kurzahn knew immediately that it was a Draenei, and as he faced the man, his instincts were true.&nbsp; Standing amidst the carnage, he watched Zenz as he went about raising his ghoulish minion before turning to face him.&nbsp; About to offer a friendly greeting, he blinked in surprise at the less than amiable response of the Draenei, then let out a heavy sigh as the Death Knight turned to leave.&nbsp; <em>Oh well, at least he's alrig-</em> "Ah!"<br><br>Though he moved forward to try to help Zenz as he fell, the hunter's reflexes weren't quite fast enough to catch the larger man before he hit the ground.&nbsp; "Oh, dat's no good," he grumbled, moving over to crouch next to the unconsious Draenei.&nbsp; "Hey," he placed a cautious hand on the other's shoulder, nudging him slightly, "Ya alright, mon?"&nbsp; The lack of immediate response, as well as the dark stains around his injuries told the Troll all he needed to know.&nbsp; The Death Knight was injured, and pretty badly at that.<br><br>Looking back to his loyal companions, he sighed, "Mon... Wish I'd t'ought ta bring Joran wit' me..."&nbsp; Shaking his head, he instructed the worg to retrieve his traveling pack back down the path while the two cats guarded the hunter as he did his best to drag Zenz off to a somewhat safer location.&nbsp; Somehow, he managed to get the larger man to safety without exacerbating the injuries he'd sustained, and once Dax had returned with his pack, he immediately went to work.&nbsp; First he stripped the Draenei of his armor, then went about cleaning, treating, and bandaging the various wounds that he could find, finishing things off by getting as much of a healing potion down the injured man's throat as he could.<br><br>After a while, he moved off to the side a few feet away and got a small fire going to provide heat and a place to cook, then sent Dax off to find some sort of food to cook.&nbsp; The beast had a keen sense of smell and had a knack for finding the one edible creature in a field of blighted monsters.&nbsp; As he removed his own armor to tend to the few wounds he'd received, Kurzahn couldn't help the low chuckle that escaped his throat at the sight of the large black cat curling up against the side of the slumbering Death Knight.&nbsp; "Don' be gettin' too comfortable, dere Emony...&nbsp; I don' t'ink he'd like dat."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>20-03-2009, 07:38:25</strong>
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				Zenz came awake in a haze of pain and confusion. The last he recalled he'd been fighting a group of scourge, then he'd been overwhelmed by them and aided by a troll hunter, before everything went black. He took stock of his surroundings as best he could without moving, or hopefully alerting anyone to his status. He felt the soft, warmth of an animal laying by his side and could smell the smoke of a fire by the coolness of the air it must be close to evening meaning he'd been out for a couple hours at best. Finally, he sat up, his hand instantly going to his side. He was surprised to fin it bandaged and his armor laying in a pile near his pack. "Shit." he cursed in the draenei tongue as pain lanced through his side.<br><br>"Uh, did someone get the number of the elekk that ran me over?" He said, looking around a bit groggily. His normally deep blue skin seemed a bit pale probably due to blood loss, and his eyes seemed to be glazed with pain. He sat there for a moment taking in the fact that a large black cat was laying next to hit, and he had to resist the urge to pet it. He noticed the Troll from before, and realized that the Cat must be one of his pets. "It seems I owe you a debt, Troll." He said wearily, as if he was too tired to care that he owed a debt to a troll. "I have no desire to follow you around until you feel my debt is paid, but I am willing to pay you with gold."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>20-03-2009, 07:56:09</strong>
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				Kurzahn couldn't help but chuckle at the comment about the elekk, watching the Draenei with a hawk-like scrutiny as he tried to gage just how bad the injuries still were.&nbsp; The wincing was a good indication that they were still pretty bad.<br><br>"Hey, relax," he stated in the common tongue of the Alliance races, seemingly fluent with a heavy accent, "I don' want yer coin, mon.&nbsp; Jus' glad ta see yer not dead."&nbsp; He paused, blinking a few times before grinning sheepishly, "Well... Ya know what I be meanin..."&nbsp; He hadn't really had much in the way of dealings with the Death Knights that had been freed from the Lich King's control, but he knew enough about how they came to be.&nbsp; It was a tortured existence, he was sure, but since they'd been able to break free they had been invaluable allies in the fight against the Scourge.&nbsp; And despite the disdain Zenz showed for him, the hunter wasn't about to turn his back on someone who was in need of help, lest they fall to the hoards of the undead.<br><br>The sounds of her master's voice caused Emony to raise her head to look at him, though her attention was quickly drawn back to the injured man she'd decided was in need of her furry kitty care.&nbsp; She nuzzled the Death Knight's arm with a sound reminiscent of a purr before licking his arm next to the bandages a few times for good measure.&nbsp; Despite the crimson glow, her eyes held an expression of kindness and concern, a sign of her obvious intelligence.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>20-03-2009, 20:24:04</strong>
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				Zenz looked down at the cat that seemed to have taken a liking to him, his hand running over the bandages wrapped around his waist. "Why did you aid me and not kill me? Even when I was in the service of the Lich King your people were not helpful to mine. We didn't have the urge to all out kill each other, like I have rediscovered since renewing my allegiance to the Alliance and the human king, but there was still the ingrained distrust and dislike from our previous lives that the Lich king could only redirect."<br><br>He looked the troll over as if waiting for Kurzahn to rise and finish him off. "And won't your people have a problem with you helping me?" He knew that certain factions in the world welcomed members of both the Horde and the Alliance, but they were few and far between. It was very unlikely that a member of one of the oldest racial members of the Horde would go out of his way to help a lone Draenei in over his head.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>21-03-2009, 02:17:18</strong>
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				Kurzahn sighed, his broad shoulders sagging slightly, "Listen, mon...&nbsp; I don' care what nobody else t'ink.&nbsp; I helped ya 'cause ya needed it.&nbsp; It ain' my place ta judge who be wort'y o' help, an' who ain'."&nbsp; Shaking his head, the Troll turned to gaze across the withered clearing at the blighted landscape.&nbsp; "When it come to de Scourge...&nbsp; Well, dere's dat ol' sayin' 'bout '<em>de enemy o' my enemy, be my friend</em>' or somet'in' like dat," he gestured absently with one hand as he spoke, then turned to face Zenz again.&nbsp; "Dey wanted ya dead, so I figure ya ain' on dere side.&nbsp; An' de only enemies I really be worried 'bout be de Scourge an' de Legion."<br><br>Getting to his feet, he stretched his arms above his head and back a little, causing his back to pop several times before he settled back into his usual slouched posture.&nbsp; "I be back in a few, mon.&nbsp; De fire be needin' more wood.&nbsp; Emony," he glanced over to the large cat who met his gaze, "You be on guard duty till I get back."&nbsp; <br><br>Without bothering to put his armor back on, the hunter grabbed one of his axes and headed out into the fog surrounding the nearby trees.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>21-03-2009, 05:16:02</strong>
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				Zenz looked at Kurzahn uncertainly. He wasn't used to dealing with those of the Horde on pleasant terms. Distrust and apathy he could deal with. But having the troll not caring about what faction he belonged to went against everything he knew about them. Before he could even begin to question the troll about his motives more, he risen and gone off in search of more firewood.<br><br>After the troll departed, Zenz turned to the cat at his side. "Is he really a man of his word?" He asked the cat, as if he expected an answer. "Cause I'd rather face an enemy face on, rather than from the shadows. It is more honorable to face someone head on and give them an equal chance to fight, in my opinion." He sighed and looked down at the bandages the troll had used to bind his wounds. "By the Light, why is it so difficult for me to accept the aid of one who has never done me harm personally?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>21-03-2009, 06:56:59</strong>
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				Looking up at Zenz, Emony tilted her head to the side as if to question why he was so confused.&nbsp; This strange creature seemed to dislike her master, which was perplexing to the large feline, as she knew her master to be a good and kind being.&nbsp; While she was far more intelligent than most beasts of her kind, the exact meaning of the Death Knight's words was beyond her, but she had a feeling that while his words toward her master were harsh, that he wasn't likely to cause the hunter any harm.&nbsp; So instead, she settled for resting her head on the Draenei's lap to try to cheer him up.<br><br>A few minutes later, a dragging sound could be heard from just beyond the fire's light.&nbsp; Tilting her ears toward the sound, Emony tensed for a moment before relaxing as the sound registered in her memory.&nbsp; Slowly, the large black worg from before entered the campsite on the other side of the fire, dragging the lifeless body of a small deer, it's neck clamped between his powerful jaws.&nbsp; After depositing the night's dinner next to the fire, Dax trotted over to where his companion and their ward were located, plopping down on the side of Zenz not currently occupied by a large cat.&nbsp; <br><br>Sniffing briefly at his leg, the dark furred beast looked at him confused for a moment, as though he thought something were missing.&nbsp; After a moment, he seemed to come to some sort of conclusion and got back up to dash off into the darkness in the direction they'd first found Zenz earlier that evening.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>21-03-2009, 07:08:37</strong>
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				Zenz gave the cat a friendly pat on the head. She really was beautiful, much like many of the creatures of this world. Even when he'd first come with the crash of the Exodar, he'd found the multitude of life forms inhabiting this world to be a joy. He wasn't paying as much attention to his surrounding, knowing that the cat would be able to hear or smell anything coming before he could. <br><br>He started when he heard the sound of something being drug through the forest. He hissed in pain when his movements caused pain to shoot up his side. He was still grimacing when the Worg dropped his prize by the fire. The canine appeared to be more deadly than the cat was, so he was surprised when he laid down on the opposite side from the cat. He watched in confusion as the worg took off again a few minutes later.<br><br>"Where is he going?" He asked the cat.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>21-03-2009, 07:36:25</strong>
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				Emony loved the attention and rubbed her face and chin against his hand and leg in response.&nbsp; Despite her large size, she really was very much a housecat at heart.&nbsp; At the hiss indicating the pain Zenz was feeling, she looked up at him with a worried expression, gently nuzzling his side as if she was trying to make it better.&nbsp; However, the only answer to his question she could give was a rumbling mewl and a lick on the palm of the closest hand.&nbsp; <br><br>Several minutes later she looked up and off into the darkness behind Zenz.&nbsp; Though her gaze was fixated in one spot, she didn't seem to be alarmed or agitated, she simply stared off into the blackness.<br><br>With all the grace and silence of a hunting cat, Kurzahn emerged from the shadows with several chunks of log under one arm, his axe held in the other.&nbsp; As he moved closer to the firelight, several fresh cuts and scratches could be seen on the bared skin of his arms ad back, though he didn't seem to pay any attention to them.&nbsp; Glancing over at the two of them, the hunter smiled, "Guess ya didn' have any trouble, eh?"&nbsp; Dropping his weapon by his own pile of armor, he moved to put one of the logs on the fire before going over to inspect the kill Dax left by the fire.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>21-03-2009, 08:04:21</strong>
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				Zenz followed her gaze, being more careful this time of his injuries. He was only slightly surprised to see Kurzahn hop out of the trees. He was more surprised to see the injuries on the troll's back. <br><br>"No trouble." He confirmed. "Your canine dropped that off and then went off in that direction." He pointed in the direction the Worg had disappeared in, before pointing towards the troll. "Don't you think you should take care of those injuries on your back?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>21-03-2009, 08:28:05</strong>
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				Gazing off in the direction Zenz indicated that the great black beast had headed off in, he shook his head with a look of mild confusion, "Sometime... I jus' don' understand dat mutt...&nbsp; Eh," he shrugged, "He be back eventually."<br><br>When reminded of his injuries, the hunter chuckled, "Dese?&nbsp; Not'in' to worry 'bout.&nbsp; Jus' ran into a small group o' skele's.&nbsp; B'sides," he gave the Draenei a bittersweet grin, "A few scratches ain' gonna do much.&nbsp; Trolls ain' dat easy ta kill."<br><br>Pulling out his skinning knife, Kurzahn went to work on the deer, removing the pelt before preparing the meat to be cooked.&nbsp; As he went about his task, the wounds he'd received began to close, healing with the speed of regeneration Trolls were well known, and feared, for.&nbsp; He worked quietly and efficiently, not wanting to disturb Zenz if he preferred the silence.<br><br>The silence, however, was soon broken by the familiar sounds of something being drug across the ground nearby.&nbsp; This time, however, it was not an edible creature the worg brought back, it was the lifeless corpse of the Death Knight's ghoulish minion.&nbsp; Dragging the limp remains over to where Zenz was seated, he dropped them at his feet, wagging his tail and panting happily with his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.&nbsp; The beast looked rather proud of himself as he moved over to the spot he'd previously taken beside the Draenei, looking up at him with an expression that looked suspiciously like a smile.<br><br>The Troll stared at the worg with an utterly baffled expression on his sharp features, "Dax, ya crazy mutt, whatcha be bringin' one o' dose t'ings here for?"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>21-03-2009, 08:41:28</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz nodded his acceptance of the troll's words. If Kurzahn thought the wounds were nothing, who was he to contradict the troll? He sat in silence, watching Kurzahn as her prepared the deer for dinner. He wasn't sure what he could say to the troll, that wouldn't offend him.<br><br>When the Worg dragged the corpse of his minion into the camp, Zenz couldn't help but laugh. He leaned over and gave the worg a light pat. "It's fine, this corpse is my companion. Although it was unnecessary to dragon him all this way, as I can summon him from anywhere. But I do appreciate the thought." He reached into a pouch on his pack and pulled out a pinch of dust and sprinkled it on the corpse. "Rise, Bone Cruncher." He intoned bringing the ghoul to life again. He spoke to it briefly before it moved off into the trees.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>21-03-2009, 08:59:07</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Kurzahn blinked at them in surprise for a moment, before cracking a smile at the Death Knight's laughter.&nbsp; <em>Well, that's generally a good sign,</em>&nbsp; he mused, returning to his task.&nbsp; "Ya crazy ol' beast... Ya never cease to amaze me."<br><br>It wasn't long before the smell of roasting meat filled the air, the skillfully butchered meat lashed to long sticks suspending it over the now healthy looking campfire.&nbsp; The hunter busied himself with the cleaning and tanning of the new hide, preserving it for later use.&nbsp; After a while, he sat back and simply stared off into the night sky above them, since he was relatively sure any attempts at conversation would be unwelcome.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>21-03-2009, 16:23:58</strong>
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				As the smell of cooking meat filled the campsite, Zenz could help but lick his lips at the thought of eating. He looked over at the troll as he finished curing the hide. "You are very skilled, aren't you?" He asked, not really sure why he'd spoken up. Kurzahn had seemed content to sit in silence, so maybe he was gonna end up making himself a nuisance.<br><br>The thought crossed his mind that he shouldn't care what a troll thought of him, even if the troll was more a member of the Dawn than he was of the Horde. Trolls were still not to be trusted, right?
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>22-03-2009, 05:05:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Huh?" Kurzahn looked over at Zenz, surprised that the Death Knight had spoken up.&nbsp; After a moment, he grinned slightly, "Oh, dat?&nbsp; Eh, I been doin' dis sorta stuff fo' ages.&nbsp; My brotha taught me dat stuff a long time ago."&nbsp; For a moment, his expression was tinged with sadness at the memory before shaking it off as he got back to his feet to check on the food.&nbsp; After looking it over for a moment, the hunter grabbed one of the sticks and walked over to the Draenei.<br><br>"It may not be de best 'round, but ya should eat somet'in' ta keep yer strengt' up," he offered the chunk of roasted meat to Zenz with a somewhat worried look, "Dem wounds o' yers were pretty bad, mon..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>22-03-2009, 05:15:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz shrugged as the troll handed him the meat. "I can't say much against it, since it is most likely better than anything I could do at this time. The Lich King wipes all memories from his minions, or more specifically his commanders do. Other than my name and a few foggy memories, I don't recall much from my previous life." He nodded his thanks as he took a bite of the meat. He chewed it thoughtfully for a moment before swallowing. <br><br>He shrugged again in response to Kurzahn's worries about his wounds. "The minions of the Scourge have a tendency to strike rather hard. But it's not anything I can't recover from given a day or so. And you're a better cook than you give yourself credit for." He gave Kurzahn an uncertain smile. "I might have to get some of this from you before we part ways, or at least the recipe so that I can try my hand at it."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>22-03-2009, 05:53:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The hunter flashed him a bit of a smile, chuckling, "Sure t'ing, mon.&nbsp; De cookin's de easy part, it's findin' a beast dat be safe ta eat out here dat's de real challange."&nbsp; Crouching down he gave Dax a scratch behind the ears, "Dax here jus' seem ta have a knack fo' it."&nbsp; Dax just panted happily, tail wagging enthusiastically behind him, brushing&nbsp; against Zenz every so often as it swept back and forth.<br><br>Getting to his feet, the troll moved back to the fire pit to retrieve one of the larger chunks of meat.&nbsp; Using a dagger he pulled from his pack, he cut it down into 3 smaller pieces before handing them off to his various beasts.&nbsp; Dax got the first, and largest, chunk with the next going to Emony since she was closest.&nbsp; Moving off to the other side of the camp, Kurzahn placed the last piece just inside the lighted area of the camp before heading back to grab himself a chunk.&nbsp; Within a minute or two, the piece on the opposite side of the camp was snatched up by a white and green blur as his other cat dashed through the camp before disappearing off into the darkness once more.<br><br>Even though they'd managed to exchange some more or less friendly words, Kurzahn kept his distance from the injured Death Knight, not wanting to make the man any more uncomfortable than he already was.&nbsp; After taking a few bites of his meal, he sighed, glancing over at Zenz.&nbsp; "Listen...&nbsp; I know ya don' want me hangin' 'round, but I jus' don' t'ink it be safe fo' ya ta be wand'rin' 'round alone in yer condition.&nbsp; I could help ya get to Light's Hope, at least.&nbsp; Den after dat, ya wouldn' have ta put up wit' me again."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>22-03-2009, 06:04:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz finished eating his chunk of meat. He wiped his mouth off on the back of his arm as he threw his stick into the fire. He sighed as he thought about the trolls words, mostly the ones about him not wanting the hunter around. He looked up at the troll uncertainly. "The thing is is that I'm not sure that I should mind having you around." He said softly. "The guiding tenants of my people say that most creatures are good, or at least a balance of good and evil. Such that no one creature is going to be the same as another. The only real exception to that is the Legion, those demons are pure evil." He looked down at his hands. "Anyway, I believe that the only reason my people dislike yours so much is because our first contact on this world was with the humans. And their views colored our views of the other races of Azeroth. So, basically, what I'm saying is that I would not be opposed to you traveling with me as far as Light's Hope."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>22-03-2009, 07:08:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Heh," he shook his head, "Perhaps, perhaps not.&nbsp; Ev'ryone have dey own opinions.&nbsp; Heck, even most o' de Horde don' trust de Trolls.&nbsp; Dem Blood Elves been at war wit' de Amani fo' so long, dey's wary o' any Troll."<br><br>Looking back to the fire, the hunter seemed to zone out for a moment before finishing his chunk of meat.&nbsp; "Anyway, we see how yer wounds be in de mornin'.&nbsp; If yer good ta travel, den we should be movin' on.&nbsp; Don' wanna stay in one place too long out here."&nbsp; As he spoke, he checked on the remaining meat, deciding to let it cook down to jerky to preserve it for travel.&nbsp; After that, he pulled out a somewhat tattered looking blanket from his pack, offering it to Zenz, "It get pretty cold out here at night."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>22-03-2009, 15:40:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He nodded at the troll's words. He watched absently as Kurzahn finished cooking the meat down.<br><br>"I should be fine in the morning. Death Knights are rather resilient that way." Zenz responded. "So I'm pretty sure that I'll be sent to travel tomorrow." He knew the troll's words were true about staying in one place for too long. He waved off the troll's offer of his own blanket. "It's fine. I have my own." He said, pulling his blanket from his pack. "It doesn't do to travel without a blanket, cause you never know where you'll have to bed down for the night."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>22-03-2009, 20:53:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"True 'nough," he nodded, retreating to his usual spot before slinging the blanket over his shoulders.&nbsp; After tossing a few more logs on the fire, he laid down near the fire, his back to Zenz.&nbsp; "Sleep well, mon," he yawned with a small wave over his shoulder.&nbsp; Within minutes he was out like a light.<br><br>Emony, the eternally friendly fuzzball that she was, was slowly attempting to work her way up onto the Death Knight's lap.&nbsp; First it was resting her head on his leg, then it was adding a paw, then the other, then a little wiggle to move farther up onto his lap.<br><br>Dax, on the other hand, worked his way up to his feet to trot over to where Kurzahn had chosen to sleep.&nbsp; He walked around in a circle a few times before plopping down with a 'Harumph!' sort of noise, laying back to back with the Troll.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>22-03-2009, 23:43:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz nodded in return as he wrapped his blanket around his shoulders. He chuckled as Emony slowly worked her way into his lap.<br><br>"You're a friendly one aren't you. Well, I don't mind you laying close to me, but my legs are likely to fall asleep if you lay there tonight." He patted her head gently before pulling his pack closer to use as a pillow. "My legs can't be that comfortable anyway." He laid down with his head on his pack and patted the ground next to him in invitation for her to lay closer to his head.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>23-03-2009, 08:52:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The large cat gave him a somewhat confused look for a moment, before getting up to move up to where he patted the ground.&nbsp; As she lay down, she curled up against his side once more, turning to lick him right across the face before settling down with a pleased sound.&nbsp; She liked this creature her master saved, she decided.&nbsp; He was interesting.&nbsp; Though he did taste a little strange.&nbsp; Perhaps that's what this creature's race tasted like?&nbsp; She wasn't sure.&nbsp; She would have to test this theory another time.&nbsp; But for now, it was sleep time.<br><br>The night, seemingly uneventful, passed by in relative silence and the only real sign of dawn was a slight lightening of the sky.&nbsp; The perpetual gloom lingered over the blighted land, lending it a hazy quality to the surroundings.&nbsp; The fire had long since burned to ashes, a few specks of ember resting in the pit.&nbsp; The meat had long since shriveled and dried into a jerky-like state, perfect for travel despite it's tough texture.<br><br>A light snoring sound drifted up from the side of camp inhabited by the hunter.&nbsp; During the course of the night, he'd ended up on his back, sprawled out with the blanket tangled around one arm and under his back, trapping it to his side, while the other lay up next to his head.&nbsp; The hand of his restrained arm was in the mouth of the great black worg, being drooled and slobbered on as he lay across Kurzahn's waist, trapping the troll beneath him.&nbsp; While Dax seemed to be having a pleasant dream about perhaps eating something, the hunter's expression was that of disgust, as if he'd just had to reach into an ooze to retrieve something.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>23-03-2009, 17:52:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz woke to the sound of Kurzahn's snoring, although he wasn't aware that it was Kurzahn yet. He sat up slowly and felt only a twinge of pain in his side, sucking in a deep breath of air against the slight pain as well as to clear his head of sleep. When he finally registered what had woken him up, he looked over at the troll and couldn't help but smile at the scene of the troll all but bound up by his blanket and pet.<br><br>He looked around ground near him and found a small branch and dragged it closer. He then started breaking off small pieces and tossing them at the troll's forehead. A small grin tugged at his mouth as he attempted to wake the troll from a distance.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>23-03-2009, 18:27:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The first piece of stick that connected caused the hunter to flinch a little, but he seemed otherwise unperturbed.&nbsp; The second caused a somewhat more noticeable reaction as he not only flinched, but scowled a bit as well.&nbsp; Each piece after that became increasingly annoying until he finally brought his free arm up and across to swat at the cause of his discomfort before just laying&nbsp; his arm across his face.&nbsp; With the bridge of his nose resting in the crook of his elbow and the back of his hand resting on the ground above his shoulder, Kurzahn had effectively shielded his eyes, but not really managed to stop the annoying little pieces of stick from hitting him in the head.<br><br>Grumbling something in his native tongue, he attempted to move his other hand to help deal with this nuisance.&nbsp; The major problem with this was, however, that his arm was still restrained by the blanket and Dax still had his hand trapped in a rather slobbery prison.&nbsp; Unfortunately, the more the hand moved, the more irked the worg seemed to get until finally the beast lost his patience and bit down on his imaginary prey to try to get it to cease it's infernal squirming.<br><br>This, of course, set off a rather rapid chain of events.&nbsp; The sudden pain in his hand woke the troll immediately with a loud yelp as he sat straight up.&nbsp; This in turn, startled Dax into a semi-conscious panic that had him leaping to his feet to defend against a perceived danger.&nbsp; The sudden upward movement of that mass of black furred beast managed to catch Kurzahn in the chin with enough force to knock him back down to the ground.&nbsp; <br><br>At this point, Emony looked up and over through sleep hazed eyes just in time to see the worg scrambling to get away from the flailing blue limbs of the being below him with just enough agility and grace to land one large paw in the middle of the hunter's stomach in the chaos, winding the troll in the process.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>23-03-2009, 19:06:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz winced in sympathy as the chaos insued from the worg's bite onward. "I wasn't expecting that to happen." He muttered. He looked down at Emony. "Is he going to be ok? I would hate to know that my trying to wake him up caused him unnecessary injury."<br><br>He was somewhat surprised that he really didn't want to cause harm to Kurzahn even if he was a troll. He tossed the stick away, knowing that it wouldn't be of any further use to him at this point. One because the troll was effectively awake, and two if the troll sought him out for retribution, well the stick wasn't going to be much use against him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>23-03-2009, 19:25:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Emony simply gave her reply in a yawn and a stretch before getting up and trotting off into the morning fog clinging to the ground as it billowed in from the lake several yards off.<br><br>It was about the time that the tossed stick tumbled through the brittle plants nearby that Kurzahn's brain caught up to his senses.&nbsp; Still somewhat disoriented from the morning's excitement, he jolted into action as pure instinct took over.&nbsp; In an instant he was on his feet, weapon in hand, and ready to attack whatever it was that was trying to sneak up on him.&nbsp; It took him a moment to realize the biggest threat he had to worry about was the injured Death Knight sitting on the ground on the other side of the camp.&nbsp; Blinking in surprise as he suddenly came to his senses, recalling the events of the previous evening, the hunter shook his head slightly to clear it of the rest of his sleep induced daze.<br><br>"Uh...&nbsp; Mornin?" he offered with a sheepish grin, "Hope ya slept alright."&nbsp; Moving to set down the weapon he'd so hastily grabbed, he finally noticed that the item he'd grabbed was not one of his trusty axes, but one of the sticks used to cook the food from the night before, the dried chunk of meat still lashed to the end.&nbsp; "Huh."&nbsp; He blinked at it a few times before deciding coffee was an absolutely fabulous idea. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>23-03-2009, 19:41:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Morning." Zenz replied returning the trolls sheepish smile. "I did sleep well. And sorry about the wake up call. I didn't expect the canine to react like that. But you were snoring and I wasn't sure the best way to wake you."<br><br>He looked toward the hazy eastern horizon. "Looks like it's going to be a wonderful day in the plaguelands."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>23-03-2009, 20:05:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Whu?" the&nbsp; hunter gave him a confused look, still not having put two and two together.&nbsp; Shrugging the comment off as morning weirdness, he moved over to his pack, rummaging through it until he found a battered metal coffee pot and a dark colored container.&nbsp; Within minutes, he'd managed to get the fire going again and had the pot filled with some of the contents of the container and a flask worth of water.&nbsp; <br><br>Setting it carefully on the embers of one side of the firepit, he turned his attention back to Zenz.&nbsp; "Well, 'bout as wondaful as any day out here."&nbsp; Pleased to see that the tension between them was significantly less than when he'd first encountered the Death Knight, Kurzahn's gaze landed on one of the many bandages he'd wrapped the night before.&nbsp; "How ya feelin'?&nbsp; Any better?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>23-03-2009, 20:13:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz watched the troll prepare whatever it was he was making. "I'm feeling good, quite a bit better than last night. But still not at one hundred percent." He looked down at the ground for a moment. "I'm not sure if I told you my name last night, but I'm Zenz."<br><br>He figured that it was only right that he give his name to the person that rescued him, in case they ever ran into each other again.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>23-03-2009, 20:29:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The hunter nodded, a smile working it's way across his pointed features, "De name's Kurzahn.&nbsp; An' I be glad ta hear ya doin' better.&nbsp; If ya t'ink ya be up ta movin' 'round, we should see how close ta Light's Hope we can make it.&nbsp; Dun wanna strain yer wounds, though.&nbsp; We move only as fast an' as far as ya can manage."<br><br>"Speakin' o' which," he moved over to his pack, withdrawing a roll of bandages and a few assorted vials, "Should probably change de bandages.&nbsp; Don' want dose t'ings gettin' infected."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>23-03-2009, 20:40:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz nodded. "We can probably make good time if you have a mount of some kind. I have my horse which is particularly fast, if you have something to keep up with it that'd be good." He folded his blanket as well as he could and shoved it into his pack. "And changing my bandages would be a good idea before we move out."<br><br>While the troll pulled the first aid supplies form his pack, Zenz took a moment to look over his armor. "By the Light this is going to set me back a bit to get this all repaired." He sighed running his hands over the dents in the metal plates.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>23-03-2009, 21:12:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Well, as long as he ain' got 'imself in too much trouble wand'rin' 'round, I gots one dat can outrace even de swiftest o' de Frostwolf clan's prized Howlers," he grinned, recalling the astonished expression on that Orc's face when his raptor easily sprinted past the great white worg.&nbsp; "But if we gonna mount up, best be makin' sure everyt'in's secure, first."<br><br>Kneeling beside the other man, Kurzahn grimaced as he took a quick look at the damage the armor sustained.&nbsp; "I know whatcha mean...&nbsp; Last time I came back from de Plaguewood..." he shook his head with a slight chuckle, "Dere was almost not'in' left holdin' de scraps o' chain toget'er."<br><br>Offering up one of the vials he'd grabbed, he reached somewhat hesitantly for the bandages binding the worst of the wounds at the Death Knight's side.&nbsp; "Dat should help wit' de pain," he grumbled, untucking one end of the bandage and slowly unwrapping it, being careful to avoid tugging too quickly or prodding any areas he knew had to be sore.&nbsp; Despite his apparent ease at conversation, the hunter was so used to being alone that he found dealing with others awkward and uneasy at the strangest of times, most often when it involved close proximity to someone other than his usual animal companions.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>23-03-2009, 21:42:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz shrugged as he took the vial from the troll and drank it. "I don't know much about the Frostwolves' howlers, but it sounds like we'll be on relatively equal footing with our mounts. Bleh, why does this kind of thing never taste good? Is it some unwritten rule that says stuff that's good for you has to taste worse than week old bread?" He asked with a slight chuckle.<br><br>"I've seen people come in with armor like that." He nods towards his armor. "Seein' it like that makes me really consider taking up the craft myself, just so that I don't lose as much money." He lifted his arms as Kurzahn started unwrapping him, only hissing a couple of times. "How bad does it look, Doc? I'm not gonna lose anything am I?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>23-03-2009, 22:10:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kurzahn couldn't help but grin at the commentary on the potion's taste, "Hey, I didn' make 'em.&nbsp; Ya got problems wit' de taste, you can take it up wit' de ex-pirate dat made 'em."&nbsp; He paused a moment before adding, "Don' be gettin' me wrong, mon, I'd trust dat crazy elf wit' me life.&nbsp; Even if he be a bit of a flake whenever dat Paladin o' his shows up."<br><br>"Armor workin' take a lot o' skill.&nbsp; I be pretty good wit' leather an' chain, but dat cloth stuff be too fancy an' plate jus' be too heavy fo' de likes o' me."&nbsp; Grateful for the slight distraction from his nervousness, the conversation seemed to help him focus a bit better as he checked the injuries.&nbsp; "Well," he sighed, "De good news is dat de stitches held an' not'in' looks like it got infected.&nbsp; De bad news is...&nbsp; Well," he made a bit of a face as he tried his best to apply some salve to the worst of the wounds, trying desperately not to cause Zenz any more pain than he was already in, "We's jus' gonna have ta get one o' de priests ta have a go at dis.&nbsp; Otha'wise ya gonna end up wit' some pretty nasty scars."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>23-03-2009, 23:30:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz shrugged. "I think it'd be worth the time, even if it will be expensive. I figure that if I can handle wearing it, and it helps keep the blows away from my skin, then I'm better off wearing it." He looked at his arms and chest which were covered scars. Some were fresher than others. "I don't know if it matters much. I have plenty of them already, but having a priest look them over will at least make sure that they won't get infected.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>24-03-2009, 00:15:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				After applying a bit more salve to some of the injuries, Kurzahn grabbed the roll of bandages and re-wrapped the area with&nbsp; slight amount of constant pressure.&nbsp; "Hope dat ain' too tight," he tucked in the stray end of the bandage, securing it as best he could.&nbsp; The rest of the re-bandaging and checking of wounds went relatively quickly, the hunter eventually sitting back to check his work with a nod.&nbsp; "Well, dat should holdja fo' de ride as long as we ain' ridin' hell fo' leather, dat is."<br><br>About the time he finished with Zenz, the small pot on the coals started to rattle and shake as the liquid contained within reached it's boiling point.&nbsp; Quickly and carefully, he removed the container from the heat, setting it off to the side as he started packing other items into his satchel.&nbsp; At some point, he also removed a small, battered metal cup from the depths of the bag only to set it off to the side as he worked on packing the rest of&nbsp; his few possessions.&nbsp; Glancing over to the Death Knight, he grabbed the cup, holding it up somewhat, "I be afraid I don' have no more cups, but if ya got one, ya be welcome ta some o' de coffee.&nbsp; It's strong, kinda bitter," he grinned, "An' it's got a kick dat'll keep ya awake all day."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>24-03-2009, 00:47:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz shook his head as he twisted around a little. "No, this will work. It's tight enough. And I'm not planning on going all out. I just plan on going as far as possible, but I'm not planning on pushing myself." He lowered his arms when Kurzahn was done bandaging him. He sniffed the air as the smell of the drink floated towards him. "I have no issue staying awake during the day, and I've never been fond of coffee." He said with a small shrug of apology.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>24-03-2009, 04:45:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The hunter shrugged, pouring himself a cup of the still scalding liquid, "Jus' means more fo' me," he grinned before downing a gulp.&nbsp; Kurzahn rather enjoyed his coffee on the cold mornings that greeted him in the Plaguelands.&nbsp; The hot bitter substance helped to get him to a higher state of alertness sooner than he would normally.&nbsp; Though he didn't indulge in a cup very often, he made sure to enjoy it when he did.&nbsp; He usually saved the pick-me-up for days he expected to see a lot of action on the field, or if he had to be particularly alert for a scouting run.&nbsp; Today was no exception.<br><br>He hoped the extra boost would keep him from nodding off while riding, as he sometimes did when he was alone.&nbsp; The last thing he wanted were dulled reflexes and instincts while running escort to an injured person.&nbsp; The troll wanted to make sure that if those arrows were fired, he'd be able to drop them before they came anywhere near Zenz.<br><br>After he poured the remainder of the pot's contents into his cup, he set it aside while getting into chain armor, fastening the leather straps with a practiced speed and ease of motion.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>24-03-2009, 05:06:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz nodded as he grabbed his armor and started putting it on piece by piece. He took his time, knowing that Kurzahn would probably be a bit behind him. He hissed a little as his movements aggravated his wounds. By the time Kurzahn was finished getting into his armor, Zenz was slowly climbing to his feet. "I'm ready to go when you are, Kurzahn." He said, closing his pack and looking around.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>24-03-2009, 05:21:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Right den," he nodded, hefting his pack up onto his shoulder, withdrawing a small silver whistle from one of the side pockets.&nbsp; Raising the small item to his lips, he sounded the whistle, though it seemed as though it were silent.&nbsp; Within minutes, all 3 of the hunter's previous companions gathered.&nbsp; Dax coming up to sit at his heels with Emony slinking up from the direction of the lake, completely soaked.&nbsp; The last of the beasts, the seeming opposite of the black cat stepping forth from the mists closest to the road.<br><br>It wasn't long after the three had gathered before a reptilian sounding shriek sounded from up the road.&nbsp; It sounded a few more times, the creature drawing closer at a rapid rate, until a huge black raptor sporting dark maroon armor plates and feathers sprang forth from the tree-line on the opposite side of the road.&nbsp; The beast charged toward them with another shriek before nearly skidding to a halt before Kurzahn, who seemed utterly unsurprised by it's behavior.&nbsp; As soon as it stopped, however, it proceeded to nuzzle the hunter with enough zeal, it nearly knocked him over backwards.<br><br>He laughed in response, greeting it in his native tongue before glancing over to Zenz.&nbsp; "Ready ta go, mon?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>24-03-2009, 05:58:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz followed Kurzahn's example and whistled for his mount. Zenz watched in surprise at the raptor burst from the trees. He prepared to draw his sword, thinking the lizard a new predator to the area, until it stopped and nuzzled the hunter. He sighed as his own mount came through the trees. He smiled as the horse mimicked the raptor in nuzzling him.<br><br>"I'm ready to go when you are, Kurzahn." He replied, climbing onto the horse's back and calling for his minion.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>25-03-2009, 07:25:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Let's head out," he grinned, pulling himself up and swinging a leg up and over to seat himself in the saddle.&nbsp; Grabbing the reigns, he guided the large reptile over to the other side of the camp.&nbsp; The hunter's pets started to move about a bit more, Emony plodding over to drip all over the remains of the fire, dousing the embers while the white cat dashed out and up to the road to act as a forward scout.<br><br>Kurzahn couldn't help but laugh as Emony shook her fur to try to wring out some of the moisture, ending with her damp fur sticking out in all directions.&nbsp; Despite being wet from neck to tail, she seemed rather pleased with herself.<br><br>Giving the two dark furred beasts a few commands in his native language, he glanced over to Zenz as he nudged his raptor up to a walk.&nbsp; "Don' know how much ya been out here, but we gots ta keep an eye out fo' both de Scourge an' de Scarlets.&nbsp; Wit' de undead bein' more active, ya can bet de Scarlets be out in force too."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>25-03-2009, 16:29:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz nodded as he pulled his horse up next to the raptor. He watched with a smile as Emony effectively turned herself into a fluff ball and laughed at the pleased look on the cat's face. "Does she do that every time?" he asked, watching the cat for a moment longer.<br><br>When started his mount at a walk, Zenz nudge his in the ribs and kept pace. "I know what you mean. The Scarlets were a pain to when I fought with the Lich King, and they're still a pain now." He sighed as he heard the sounds of his minion coming up behind them.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>27-03-2009, 08:17:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				In response to the question about Emony, Kurzahn laughed and shook his head, "Pretty much.&nbsp; She make a good fire extinguisher..."<br><br>"Jus' goes ta show ya.&nbsp; Scarlets be a pain no matter who ya are," he grinned, glancing off into the distance to keep an eye out for trouble.&nbsp; Ever vigilant, the troll had every sense on high-alert in the hopes that he'd catch wind of any problems before they got within range.&nbsp; The sounds of the ghoul coming up from behind had the hunter drawing his weapon to defend before he'd even turned to look at it.&nbsp; When he recognized the Death Knight's minion, a feat he was surprised he was able to do, he let out a sigh before relaxing and turning back to watch the path ahead.&nbsp; "Dat gonna take a while ta get used to," he grumbled, returning his axe to it's previous station in the holster at his waist.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>27-03-2009, 21:39:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz followed behind the troll, not really sure what to talk about. For all he knew, the troll would be just as happy to ignore him. He wasn't surprised that he didn't see much of Kurzahn's pets, figuring that they were probably scouting ahead. He looked down at his minion, half interested in the ghoul's unintelligible speech.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>31-03-2009, 04:32:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kurzahn turned to look back at the ghoul, honestly surprised that it could make any semblance of speech at all.&nbsp; "What's he sayin?" he inquired with a quick glance over at Zenz, hoping the man could understand and/or translate the creature's words.<br><br>Perhaps they shared a bond like the hunter did with his pets?&nbsp; Though they couldn't speak to him with words, their bond was strong enough he could understand their special form of communication.&nbsp; He could read their emotions and body language with an ease only hunters and druids seemed to possess, and their high level of intelligence let them understand the troll as well.&nbsp; Though they may not understand his words directly, they knew what he meant and could read him as he could with them.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>31-03-2009, 05:51:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz shrugged. "I couldn't tell you. He could be saying he hates my guts, or that he wants fish for dinner." He cast a glance down at the ghoul as it ran beside his horse. "The only time I come close to understanding him is when he's warning me about incoming enemies, and that's only because he gets a bit more excited than usual."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>31-03-2009, 09:27:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Well, if he be wantin' fish, I'm sure we can arrange somet'in' once we get out to Light's Hope," he grinned sympathetically.&nbsp; The hunter couldn't imagine not being able to understand his companions, and really hoped that whatever the ghoul was trying to communicate wasn't terribly important.&nbsp; With it's loping gate, it was hard to tell what it could be trying to say, but Kurzahn listened to the jarbled words of the creature before turning back to Zenz.<br><br>"Unleash... Monkey... Overdrive?&nbsp; Should we be worried 'bout dat?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>31-03-2009, 16:18:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz laughed. "I don't think he really cares what we have for dinner. He doesn't eat, at least not that I've seen."<br><br>He shrugged when Kurzahn managed to apparently decipher what Bone Cruncher was saying. "I don't know, most of the time he just says nonsense. If he gets more excited, kinda like that." He said as the ghoul started jumping around and pointing into the forest. "That's when I know something's wrong." He pulled his horse to a stop. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>01-04-2009, 04:14:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Hmm," the hunter looked off in the direction the creature pointed, eyes narrowing as he watched for any signs of movement.&nbsp; Every sense on high alert, Kurzahn brought his raptor to a halt to decrease the background noise.&nbsp; In the distance he could hear the moans and groans of the undead, but nothing particularly out of the ordinary.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>01-04-2009, 23:54:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz followed the ghoul's pointing, staring hard into the forest. After a few minutes of not seeing anything, he shrugged. "Do you see anything?" he asked, looking at Kurzahn with curiosity.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>02-04-2009, 00:08:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kurzahn shrugged, "I don' see not'in'..."&nbsp; Keeping a wary eye toward where the undead minion had been pointing, the hunter urged his raptor back into a slow walk.&nbsp; While he didn't want to be caught unaware, if there was no real threat, the troll really didn't want to go gallivanting off and making any, especially with an injured traveling companion.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>02-04-2009, 00:10:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz nodded and nudged his horse to match Kurzahn's pace. "All right. Let's get going. I'd rather get to Light's Hope sooner rather than later." He looked at Bone Cruncher. "Let's go."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>02-04-2009, 01:13:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The ghoul's strange behavior made Kurzahn uneasy.&nbsp; While Zenz seemed to think the creature was a bit of a spaz, he wasn't so sure.&nbsp; There had to be a reason for the minion to act that way, and it bothered the hunter that he hadn't seen or noticed anything out of the ordinary from the direction it had pointed.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>02-04-2009, 04:07:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The ghoul seemed to smile as it trotted next to it's master. "No need to go causing trouble where there is none." Zenz said to the ghoul.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>02-04-2009, 07:05:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As they rode on, the hunter just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong and it wasn't until they'd started to pass the ghost town of Darrowshire that he realized why.&nbsp; As they drew nearer to the desolate town, a sort of gasping whispering sound filled the air from behind them.&nbsp; Glancing back to check, Kurzahn spotted several banshees floating up from the ground to follow them.&nbsp; They didn't seem to be in any rush to attack them like their kind usually did, but rather they stalked behind them like a cat following it's prey.<br><br>"We got company," he warned, an almost musical sound to the way he said the words.&nbsp; "An' dey's actin' pretty strange..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>02-04-2009, 07:11:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz followed Kurzahn's gaze and noticed the banshees as well. "Looks like it." He replied, his hand rising to the hilt of his sword. "Do we wish to fight them, or run?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>02-04-2009, 07:23:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Not sure," he grumbled, urging his mount to a faster stride.&nbsp; Following the speed of their movements, the banshees continued to follow.&nbsp; "Dun know what dey's up to...&nbsp; T'ink ya'd be up ta movin' a bit faster?&nbsp; Don' wanna make de injuries worse, but I don' really wanna have ta deal wit' de ghosties."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>02-04-2009, 07:25:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz lowered his hand to the reins of his mount. "I'm sure I can handle a faster pace. Probably better than dealing with the ghosties."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>02-04-2009, 07:30:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kurzahn nodded, turning his gaze back to the path ahead before tapping his heels against the raptor's ribs.&nbsp; Letting loose an airy shriek, the beast lurched forward into a fast paced run, lowering it's head somewhat.&nbsp; Glancing back to monitor the spirits following them, the hunter cursed under his breath as they sped up to match their movements, a few of them crying out in that chilling voice they all possessed.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Diabolus Lupus</strong> on <strong>02-04-2009, 07:46:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Zenz followed the troll's example and nudged his mount's ribs. He noticed the banshee's increased speed and cursed under his breath. He muttered a few words under his breath and threw ice covered chains around the banshee's. A smile crossed his face at their dismayed cries rang out. "I suggest we put as much distance between us and them, before they get free."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Unexpected Encounters [Roketto &amp; Devilstrike]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Roketto</strong> on <strong>03-04-2009, 04:56:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The hunter whole heartedly agreed to that plan, giving a quick nod in response.&nbsp; Eventually their frozen bindings would break, and Kurzahn had no intention of staying around long enough to be there when it happened.<br><br>After a few minutes of their heightened speed, the hunter relaxed a bit, bringing his mount back down to a more comfortable pace.&nbsp; "How ya holdin' up?" he called back to check up on the condition of his traveling companion.&nbsp; The banshees were worrisome, but the last thing he wanted was for Zenz to re-open any of his wounds.
			</dd>
		</dl>
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