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SCARS THAT ARE HIDDEN...

ACT 1

PART 1

She soared over the trees watching the ground below for the wagons that she was searching for. She had heard of a group of travelers being lost in the mountains she lived in. She knew these mountains like the back of her forelegs, this time of year it was not safe to be stuck in the mountains with little to no shelter save for the wagons.

She saw a glint of shiney metal off to her right and turned towards it. She spotted what looked like a shield being waved in the air. One of the wagons guards perhaps? She flew over head banking left as she started a circling descent to the ground. As she landed the took note of the symbol on the guards armor. It was indead one of the wagon trains guards. "Hold there Guardsman. Where's the rest of your troop?" she asked the man.

"Farther into the woods down this trail. The wheels of the lead wagon are stuck behind a large tree. The men are trying to remove the tree but are having trouble." the Guardsman said. "You wouldn't happen to be the Lord of these mountains would you?" he asked.

"I am not a Lord, I am a Lady. Now show me these wagons. We need to get your troop out of these mountains before the storms move into the area in the next week." she said. The guard turned toward the forest and started down a path that was just barely there. She followed.

PART 2

The walk was short, barly fifty meters down the path the found the wagons. She could see the problem, a huge tree had falling in the way of the wagons. The men were working hard to remove the tree, hacking away at it with swords and axes. "Hold. Move the wagons back."

"My Lady are we really that late that we warrented your attention?" asked the leader of the wagon train.

"I just happened to over hear that you were several hours late. Now move back let's be rid of this dead tree." she said as she molded a ball of magic in her right hand then fired it at the tree, the magic splashed on the tree like acid causing the tree to disintigrate leaving nothing but dust behind.

A few minutes later the wagons were once again moving. She flew over head guiding the caravan to the town down in the valley. As she flew over head she kept an eye out for potential problems that could slow the journey down to the valley. She could see nothing that could go wrong for them.

As she looped around to check the last wagons for problems she took note of the two children sitting in the back of the middle wagon, they were pointing at her and talking to each other. She smiled as she rolled over and then continued toward the final wagon to check it. She caught the tiny sounds of the two children laughing and smiled again. These people would be safe.

But others had not been so lucky. When she had first arrived in this region the wagons avoided the trails that lead through the mountain pass. Many a fool had tried to lead caravans through, many had died because of those fools.

But her arrival in the region had changed that. She being what she was could fly over the entire mountain range in a few hours while searching for lost travellers and see them safely to the towns in the valley. She turned back toward the lead wagon and rolled again for the children as she past overhead. This was her home now. She had come a long way from her sad beginings. A very long way.

PART 3

The Lady of the Mountain landed near the leader of the caravan as he watched his group pass into the town. "We're safe now. Thank you. I know I made a mistake with not sending scouts ahead to check the path. Thank you. My Lady." the leader said.

"Just don't make the same mistake again. I don't mind helping lead travellers to safety. But it would be nice to see a wagon train make the journey without my help. I worry the towns people will get too used to me saving them. I am but one being, I can not be everywhere at once." She stated with a small smile. "As much as I love these mountains and these people, I don't want them to become so dependant on me that they can not safe themselves should it ever be needed." she continued. She smiled at the two children in the wagon.

The leader looked at her then to the children as they past by. "They will have a bright future here. As many before them have had. Thanks to you." he said. "You don't remember me do you?" he asked.

She turned her head to look at him. "No not really. You seem familar but I can't place your face to a name." she answered.

He smiled. "Twenty years ago it was I that was a child in a wagon watching you fly overhead rolling and making passes to check for trouble. Do you remember? That first wagon train that you saved. That was the train that brought me to this very town." he said.

She smiled at the fond memory. Yes she remembered that day very well. "Yes I remember. That first day that I arrived here. I overheard that the wagons hadn't arrived, that they were almost a week late. The towns folk believed you all dead. I had to check. When one of the elders mentioned the poor children, I had to help. Even if only to bring the bodies to be buried. Even if it meant I had to revel what a I was to the town and the wagon train. I couldn't standby and do nothing. I remember that you and your sister and younger brother jumped from the wagon as it pulled past me and ran up to hug me in thanks. I do believe that was the first time that I had been hugged by anyone." she replied. She looked at him, he had grown strong and proud. A fine man. She smiled. "Well I'd best be off. It's getting late and I still have to hunt. A good evening to you. Pass on to the others my welcome to the valley, won't you, James?" she asked as she turned and leapt into the air.

"Of course I will, Lady Storm Firestar." James answered.

PART 4

Storm flew over the mountain peak when she felt a sharp and sudden pain in her left wing, she turned her head and looked at what caused the pain, sticking through her wing was an enchanted arrow. Another pain flared this time in her right wing. "Damnit!" she said and tried to change her direction but couldn't due to the arrows. She looked down to find who was shooting at her and saw another arrow flying toward her, but this arrow was different it had a ball on the end which exploded into a huge net before her eyes. The net expanded and wrapped around her and caused her to fall into the pond below her.

As she was hauled out of the water by the smale group of armored men. A man stepped forward, he was wearing mage robes and had a staff in his right hand. "Yes you will do nicely." he said to her. "Bring the chains and place them on the beast." he ordered. She struggled but the pain from her wings seemed to increase. "You might as well give up beast. Those arrows are enchanted to increase your pain the more you struggle." he explained. She sighed and stopped struggling.

The chains were placed and the mage cast a spell to summon a large floating cage around her. A single tear fell from her eye. For the first time since her birth she was a prisoner of a mad magic user. And this time, there night be no escape for her. As the cage floated behind the mage she felt a single feather fall from her tail and float away. Perhaps someone from the towns would find it and search for her. She doubted very much that they would find her alive, but at least they could lay her to rest. A small part of her dared hope that the towns people would find her sooner rather then later.

PART 5

Almost six months had past since Storm had left the town. No one in the towns of the valley had seen her since that day. James Albertson had searched the places he knew she visited often only to find no trace of her. Not once had anyone seen her flying over the mountains as she often did. He was getting worried, as were most of the other towns folk. He stood in the towns watch tower looking off toward where she had flown that day a month ago.

Then he saw one of the hunters riding a horse at full speed towards the town. James rushed down the ladder of the tower and ran to meet the hunter. "What have you found Geoffry?" he called out. Geoffry pulled out a large bright red feather and handed it to James. "This is... Where did you find this?" James demanded.

"It was in a tree near the eastern river. There was signs nearby of foot travel leading into the east range. It's a good thing we've not had any rain. The snow protected the trail. I followed the trail as far as I dared there were armored beast men guarding a ruined castle. I also saw what looked like a cage, though I couldn't see if there was anything inside it. But there is something going on up there. I don't like it." Geoffry said. "What will we do? If the Lady of the Mountains has been captured some how? What do we do?" Geoffry asked.

"We gather everyone in the valley and we go save her. She has saved us so many times these past twenty years. It's time we repaid some of our debt to her. Go spread the word to everyone in the valley, tell them I am issuing a call to arms in the name of Lady Storm Firestar, everyone able is to gather here in a week. Also spread the word to the blacksmiths to start making lots of weapons and armor. We will need it. Go we have no time to waste who knows what is happening to our Lady of the Mountains." James answered.

PART 6

Within the week everyone in the valley had gathered in the valley town of Tikesh. Nearly five hundred men stood waiting for the final two scouts to return with news. Five hundred men armed in full armor with various weapons waited to go rescue their Lady of the Mountains.

The mountains of Arkesh encircled the valley, seperating and protecting the valley that they had made their home. And they all felt their home would not be safe without Storm Firestar to help protect it. So if she really had been captured they would fight and die to save her. Many of them could remember the time, one year after she arrived and helped the wagon train that had gotten lost in the mountains many trails and passes, when the baron from the east challenged the king to the west and tried to use their valley as a battlefield. Storm had fought both the baron and the king to save the valley, she had stopped both armies in their tracks with a series of walls made of flames so hot that even the rains couldn't put the fires out.

She'd ordered the king and baron both to leave the valley in peace, threatening that if they did not she would spread her fires and melt their forces til nothing, not even ash remained. The baron had not heeded her warning and had tried to attack her with arrows and spears. She killed him but left his forces alone. The king however ordered his forces back and had stayed with only his general to discuss the valley with Storm and the elders of the valley. Storm had been named the Lady of the Arkesh Mountains. And the valley had been at peace with the king ever since.

Two horses came rushing into the town, their riders jumped down and ran to talk to James.

"We found where our Lady is being held, just past the ruined castle is a mage tower, she is at the top of the tower, we couldn't see much of her just her outline. But we did see a path behind the tower that we can use to sneak some troops in while the main force deal with the beastmen that the mage has as guards. There were four guards I think we will have trouble with. One was a giant lizard man almost as big as our Lady, two had large turtle shells and they were huge taller the our Lady, the last was a minotaur the same hieght as the turtle shelled men. There were several other guards but they didn't look as big of a problem as those four. I also over heard one of the more human like guards say something about the next full moon, and the experiments ending then. That's all we have to report." said the lead scout.

"Right. We leave in an hour eat up and check that you have everthing you need. Healer Anders we may need your help you're the only one Lady Storm has ever allowed examine her, so you know how to tend to her wounds if she has any. Will you be able to travel?" James asked the elderly man.

"I will be able, and just in case Chalin my apprentice will come with as well. I have taught her as much as I could about our Lady." the old healer answered. "I have most of what I might need packed. I go pack the few bits I may need." he said as he turned and walked back to his shop.

James turned to face the eastern mountains towards which they would be marching soon. "My Lady I hope you will still be alive when we find you. By all the Gods I pray we find you alive. I pray we are able to defeat the monsters holding you. And I pray for the strength to endure the future if you are dead." James whispered.

PART 7

It took a week for the troop to make their way through the mountains to the tower that they hoped held Storm. They had fought several beast men guards including one of the turtle shelled men. As they neared the tower they were meet by more beastmen which they managed to kill with a few injured. Once they had made their way into the tower they were faced with the other turtleman and the minotaur. They divided into teams of twenty and switched out the injured and in fresh troops until they managed to kill both huge beastmen.

James took his team of ten men and made their way up into the tower unnoticed by the beastmen that rushed to fight the others. James and his men climbed up to the top of the tower where they were forced to dodge magical attacks. They had found the Mage.

The forces below fought and killed all the other beastmen including the lizardman who had killed 8 of the men and injured another 12 before they could kill him.

James dodged another magical ball before stepping out and fireing and arrow at the Mage who just laughed as the arrow bounced off his shield. "Fine you want to play it that way. Let's see how you like this. Findrick lob that smoker at his feet." James called. Findrick nodded and through the smoker causing it to land right in front of the Mage. Smoke billowed out and filled the room for several moments hiding everyone.

James silently made his way through the smoke and behind the Mage. He waited for the smoke to clear some then grabed the Mage and stabbed him through the back straight through his heart. The Mage stopped laughing and looked down at the bloody sword that had sprouted out the front of his chest. "Burn in hell you bastard." James whipsered to the Mage then removed his sword and let the corpse drop. As the Mage died the magic that created the beastmen faded to nothing and they returned to what they had been.

They searched and found Storm in the dungeon, in a cell and chained down with enchanted chains. She was covered in dried blood and looked as if she hadn't had food in months. She was thinner then James or anyone had ever seen her. She was so weakened she didn't even try to raise her head to look at them. When one of the healers started towards her she trembled in fear. James looked her in the eyes and only saw terror in them, he reached out and stopped the healer."Don't not yet. She's terrified of you. She most think you will do to her what the Mage did. Where is Anders? She knows him better then any other." James said. Rushing feet could be heard heading for the stairs, one of the townsmen off to find Anders no doubt. "Just see if you can get the chains off her without hurting her for now." James told the healer.

Anders arrived a few minutes later Chalin close behind him holding a stack of books. "James I hope you killed that bastard mage." Anders said with a scowl.

"I did. Why?" James asked.

"The things he did to Storm should never ever be done to a living being. He repeatedly ripped her wings off had her regenerate them and then ripped them off again. And that's just a small part of what he did to her." Anders said tears in his eyes and a frown on his face. He looked up at Storm and looked into her eyes. "It might be kinder to kill her rather then have her suffer the proccess of healing she will go through." he said under his breath.

"Anders you should try to check on her while we work on freeing her of these chains. Unless you've found the key to the chains that is." James stated

"I have indeed. Just a moment." Anders answered then walked over to a large symbol carved in the wall. And hand motion and a few words had the chains releasing Storm and retracting back into the walls. "There now." Anders said, he turned to Storm and watched in worry as she just lay there not even trying to escape the cell. "She so weak now she may not make it. She most assuredly will not be able to travel on her own power. We need to use magic to get her out of here and into one of the heavy hauler wagons we brought along. I'll see about getting her ready you go get the wagon and send a rider ahead to Tikesh we will need someplace warm and safe for her to stay, we also will need lots of water, soap, and broth for her, she can't take solid food not soon after having not eaten in several months." Anders ordered. "Now my Lady lets see about getting you out of here." he said as he moved into her cage.

Storm trembled as Anders approached her, she was terrified of him. He stopped when he noticed how she was reacting to him. "James come here. You try going near her." he said. James turned from the door and walk towards Storm, she watches him but otherwise doesn't react. "I was afraid of this. James you will have to try to approach her, she will not let anyone with magic near her right now." Anders said with a sigh.

James slowly approached Storm. She had her head laying on her front feet, she looked up at him, her eyes dull at first but as she watched him approach life seemed to come back to them. "James?" she whispered tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Yes. I'm here My Lady." He replied. She closed her eyes and for a moment he thought she had died, he rushed forward and touched her cheek. She opened her eyes and tried to smile at him but was simply to tired to do so, she closed her eyes again and whispered his name once more then fell into a deep and healing sleep.

END ACT 1