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[Gryhm Greymalkin]

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The wind was brisk and the sea was fairly calm. The Condor, by its namesake, was literally gliding through the waves.
The skeleton crew of eight men on the Condor went about their routines of stowing gear in the hold or other duties, and the chef preparing the lunch in the galley.

“All the barrels but these three be in the hold sir” piped up a crewman to Gryhm.
“Excellent. And the one I asked to be left alone?”
“It be right where ye asked it to be left sir” the salty old seadog replied. Gryhm smiled and nodded and waved the man on his way.

One barrel in particular caught his eye. All of the barrels loaded into the ships had the Dominion =D= Mark to signify their ownership. This barrel had no marking. This barrel was blank. And Gryhm had an idea as to why.

Gryhm walked up to the barrel and removed his gloves, clenched his fists and released the tension in them. Slowly he brought his hands to the cover and held tightly its sides, and with a swift clean jerk ripped it off.

“Oh Sh…!” exclaimed Burfoot inside as Gryhm grabbed his tunic yanking him clear out of the barrel.
“Good afternoon my little shadow, so nice of you to join me on my boat ride” Gryhm smiled as he looked the halfling over as he hung in the air.
“Yeah it seemed like a nice day for a ride, I figured I’d hang out until at least lunch then go nap in the crows nest. Something tells me that might be out of the question now… you know the lunch part. I’m hungry aren’t you?” Burfoot began yammering the way he does when he’s nervous.
“Talkative little bugger aren’t you. And sorry to say this my shadow, but there will be no lunch for you.” Gryhm lowered Burfoot to the deck but did not release his grasp. “You have been following me since Cove, perhaps even before then, and I wish to know why”

“As much as you look like the old man, I don’t think I can tell you that without making him upset. And I REALLY don’t want to mop the floors in Kenderholm again. That’s a big place, lots of floor space things to move. And then the…”
“Silence! You imbecile. You have been following me for weeks and not a word and now I have you I cant get you to shut up!” Gryhm began to get enraged.
“Yeah, I have that affect on people” Burfoot shrugged.
“Who is this ‘old man’ you speak of? How do you…? Ah, I understand now. Jonathan sent you, you are one of HIS flock aren’t you. My dear brother sent a spy. I’m impressed actually. I didn’t think he had any tactical knowledge to send a spy” Gryhm began to smile as things began to fall into place.
“I don’t know about flock. You mean like sheep or cows or something? You ever have mongbat on pizza? Its good stuff if seasoned right. A few little spices and then…”
“Quiet!” Gryhm threw Burfoot across the deck in anger and Burfoot made the best of it. He scrambled to his feet turned and was ready to run when the point of an arrow looked at him between the eyes.

“Shadow, this is my archer friend Celebrakka.” Gryhm walked over slowly “ And where did you hope to run to my little friend? We are in the middle of the deep blue sea… and there is no place to run”
Burfoot weighed his options, he had a crazed madman on one side, and an archer whom he hoped didn’t have to sneeze anytime soon on the other side.
“Well I guess I wasn’t going anywhere then. And if that’s the case, maybe you can tell me where we are going?” Burfoot thought asking questions would buy him time to think.

“I never said you were going to be sticking around my little shadow” Gryhm again grabbed Burfoot by the tunic and dragged him to the starboard edge of the boat. “If the Krakens don’t eat you my little shadow. Send my brother my best. I’ll see him soon enough”
Gryhm then tossed Burfoot overboard and waved as he surfaced and sailed into the distance.

“Do you think he knows anything sir?” Asked Celebrakka.
“Doubtful, and in the end it wouldn’t matter much anyway.” Gryhm turned and walked to his quarters where lunch was being served.

[Greyskull]

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Greyskull occupied the private office in Kenderholm. He was going over many old documents from years gone by hoping to have something to help decipher the book he found in the Wisp dungeon. Unfortunately he had no clue if he did and would have to head to the Lycaeum in Moonglow soon.

He turned his head after hearing a dripping sound. In the doorway stood a wet and really upset halfling in Burfoot.
“On bath day my little friend. We remove our clothes” the old man chuckled and shook his head and continued on his research.
After a moment of silence, which was odd when Burfoot was around, the old man turned again and knew the situation was serious.
“If you have something to report, please take a seat, and forgive my folly. Its just not everyday I see you sopping wet.” Greyskull stood up and both sat at the long meeting table.
“He found me” Burfoot said softly “I was on his boat, and hidden real well, but he found me.” Burfoot stood up and paced the room “He then threw me overboard after telling me if I saw you to send him his best. If that fishing trolley hadn’t come by a little while ago… I’d probably have to beat up sea serpents with my shoes. There were two nearby and they looked mighty hungry”

“Calm down Bur, tell me what happened. I haven’t gotten a report from you in weeks and Shanla was getting worried. As was I” the old man got up and walked to him and helped him back to a seat.

“He’s beginning to amass an army. He is gathering those pit fighters he deemed ‘worthy enough to be in his presence’. The rest he’s using for slave labor or as sailors… or both. I was careful, he didn’t know I was around most of the time. But he’s smart, real smart. He almost found me twice before this but I had moved at the last minute” Burfoot was still quiet for the most part, almost too ashamed to speak. “There was a girl from cove, he took her and, well… I don’t know for sure what happened. But she grabbed my boom pots and took her own life. This man is evil, not a single shred of a conscience in him”

Greyskull nodded “Back in our day, he was trained in the arts of war, he had a teacher that taught him that’s ‘mercy is for the weak and children’, and he was taught that nothing should stand in his way… if it was, obliterate it.”

The old man stood up and collected some books “I will be heading to Moonglow in the morning to the Lycaeum. When I get back, we will figure out our next plan of action.” He smiled at the halfling as he walked out the door.

Burfoot sat in his chair, staring at nothing, and knew he was lucky tonight. “Next time” he swore to himself “We’ll see who’s afraid of the Krakens”