The Tales of Rusty - 5

The Princess of the Stillpines

A few days later, I was ready to keep my promise to the Princess. I crept througt the buhes, and stopped, as the camp came in sigth. My heart almost stopped as I saw two perimeter guards behind me. I almost melted into the ground and held my beath. I stood still until the guards had left, and my ragged breathing became normal again. I sneaked forwards, out of reach of the gurads and watched the camp, but detected no unusual activity. The guards walked the perimeter and inside the camp quite usual activities were going on. The only thing that gave me an idea that it was chieftain Bristlelimb’s camp, was the great number of shamans hanging around. From what they said, praise the Naaru and Arugoo for my fluency in Furbolg, I understood that he was nursing a hangover in his hut. Nothing could have sounded sweeter. I sneaked up behind a guard and after a short, intense fight, he bit the grass. Their guards were not formidable for a chieftain’s camp. I was able to lay out three of them cold before anybody noticed anything.
A couple of shamans tried to surprise me with their fireballs, but I am tough in that respect, so almost no harm dome there. Also I was able to stun them most of the time when they started on their strange gestures and chants. The only real bad surprise were their totems. Vicious little things, that grew up from the ground and spat fire at me. But a single broad sweep of my blade mostly made them tumble, so I made my way to the middle of the camp before Bristlepine high chief woke. As I had heard, he was in a bad way. He squinted in the sun’s sharp glare, and had trouble co-ordinating. Shortly I pitied him, but then my mind went to the princess and to Arugoo, my teacher in Furbolg back in Azure Watch, who also had suffered in the hands of the Bristlelimbs. I decided the most practical thing was knocking him out, and this migth also be the way leading to lesser trouble with the Bristlelimb furbolgs, I hammered the butt of my sword into his skull and he staggered. He must have a hard nogging for he even then tried to maul me with his paws and succeeded in making some long scratches along my legs. I gave him one more, and as he fell, I gave him one more for good measure.

The key was in his pouch belt together with some other stuff and another cheese! I hurried back to the Princess’s cage. Their guards were as sloppy there as in the rest of the camp. So I cut a clear path also for the Princess, and opened the cage. She told me to tell ambassador Frasaboo what had happened. I don’t know where the princess went, but she was armed with a giant staff, so I had no worries for her safety.

Freeing the Princess. She's a mean figther.

Then I took my weary self to Stillpine Hold where I was greeted with gratitude. Gurf received the pouch with an expression of disbelieving thankfulness. He opened the pouch without the slightest shyness and tried to put the patch back in place. I hid a smile with a yawn and accepted some coins and a new pair of pants, he just had the smith finish. I stayed in the Stillpine camp until their shamans were satisfied that my legs were healed again, I even got to see them stitching poor Gurf’s skin back in place.

In-game notes: Levels 12-15.