Bag of Cookies on the Mountain

(5 Fashanos 5115: The Landing)

Drektor asks, “You understand this trip is kinda like eatin’ a bag of cookies for dinner?”

I had to laugh at that. What an appropriate metaphor.

The mountain was Sentoph. The cookies were Storm Giants laid flat out on the ground, (relatively) harmless. And the dinner was for me on this adventure, we had just looted the first giant.

Seriously, I did know and understand that I honestly had no business here.

“Thank you so much for the cookies for dinner tonight,” I told him with a grin.

Earlier…

The big hunt was not without risks, and earlier many friends had helped me prepare for it with spells. It was like I had Miss Gingie, Mister Martieln, Miss Nairena, Mister Thaisis, and Miss Sareyna all there beside me, helping to keep me safe along with with everything in Mister Drektor’s bag of tricks. One unforeseen blink or mana storm, and there would be a dead bardess on the ground.

I’ve been known to blink or stand there like a deer with torchlight in her eyes at a surprise, too.

As I walked into Helga’s, I admit, my feet were getting cold. Whatever excitement I felt earlier had faded. My thoughts raced, none of them good. I am just not the hero stuff. I am content to sit somewhere quiet, or noisy, and play music or work on songs, as a rule. Maybe business had come up and he could not go.

That was not going to happen. He was ready, and waiting for me. Last minute questions were settled. Which weapon? No, the knife was in my locker. Sword it was. My songspells … will all be useless. I figured that.

For a moment I wanted to confess to the cold feet and just run away and soak them somewhere. But we were already moving and there is always something to be said for momentum, at least with me. Maybe he suspected that.

Back to the cookies…

There we stood, the first giant down, and the worst of the stomach-turning fears were behind me; I could laugh at the cookies crack.

The next storm giant arrived in a blast of wind, and before I knew what was happening, I was on the ground, helpless, but being pulled back up to my feet easily by my hunting companion.

There were more close calls, but no direct hits. Then then skeletal giant showed up. My sword is not blessed. I hid behind my shield as he juggled a room of giants, it was amazing. Once the spooky undead thing was under control, he laid the frost giants back down and I went to work on them.

I will not try to spin this into a hunt of epic proportions, because I think my hacking up the downed giants was anything but epic. But I had placed my trust and confidence in my guide for this trip, and he certainly more than lived up to them. The hunt was ended and I had nary a scratch to show for it. Hopefully he was not incredibly bored by this aspiring bardess’ efforts.

I thanked him again for the help, and the dinner of cookies, before he left for other business. Then I sank on to a chair back at Helga’s and, with my harp, played out the build up of my surging nerves from the white knuckle hunt.

 

“You understand this trip is kinda like eatin’ a bag of cookies for dinner?” he had asked me.

Yes. As long as it is not a last meal, right?

 

Author: GSBardess

A young bardess named Luxelle is currently learning her trade and hoping to one day make a name for her songs in GemStone IV. Follow along with her adventures in life and song.

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