Subj: [ffml] [MW] Re-enter Frog
Date: 98-09-21 05:17:31 EDT
From: jandoc@hawaii.edu (Schala)
Reply-to: ffml@onelist.com
To: ffml@onelist.com
From: Schala
A pair of eyes peeked carefully above the bushes, looking at the
Moogles' camp.
Frog moved slowly to a different bush to get a better vantage
point. He couldn't see much, just a whole bunch of tents and Moogles
wandering about.
He kept moving around slowly. Finally, he saw in the distance one
tent that was heavily guarded. "That must be where the lady Schala is,"
he thought. "And thus...that is my goal."
But how to rescue her? Not only were there Moogles, there were
also the more powerful Moogleboars scattered all over. He squinted and
saw three such creatures emerge from the target tent. They took positions
up near the entrance, and he could see they were laughing and talking.
Their movements were too fluid, but sometimes jerky. "Drunk," Frog
thought in disgust.
He saw another figure emerge from a closer tent. Frog shrank
back, but his eyes narrowed. He recognized that character. "Tis the one
they call the Darklord," he thought. He pressed forward to get a better
view...
...And stepped on a twig. It made a loud snapping sound.
The Darklord turned around. He was the only one there; no Moogles
were around to also hear the sound. Frog cursed his luck and began
bounding away, heedless of any noise.
"Stop."
The authoritative voice suddenly came from all around him, and
Frog looked around, confused, trying to locate to source of that sound.
The Darklord appeared before him. Frog drew out his Masamune. "If tis
battle you intend, thou shall not soon forget this one!" Frog challenged.
The Darklord raised a hand, and Frog suddenly found himself
frozen in place. "If you give me the information I want, then perhaps we
won't have to duel," he said. "As you can see, you would probably soon be
the loser."
"I shall say nothing," Frog said resolutely.
"Quite." The Darklord assumed an easy posture. "Now, why were
you spying? You don't seem to be one of Bacca's troops, I've never seen
you there before."
No response.
"Come now, there is no need to be so reticent. Perhaps we
can...help each other."
Frog croaked in disgust. "Accept help from the enemy that holds
my lady?! Never!"
The Darklord raised a brow. "Your lady? You must be talking
about Schala or Kaitlin...No, Kaitlin already has some protection from
Lorinan. It must be Schala." Frog was silent, appalled at how much he'd
reveled by just two simple words.
He walked around, his chin in his hand. "We may not be operating
at cross purposes here, frogman," the Darklord said. "I may be able to
help you, if you agree to do as I ask."
Frog remained silent, staring at the other man, while the Darklord
returned the gaze. Finally Frog sighed and said, "What is your proposal?"
"Simple. I want to get Schala as far away from the war as
possible. I think sending her off with you might be just the thing to
do."
Frog's eyes narrowed. "And how can I trust what you say?" he
queried.
The Darklord tossed his head and answered wearily, "I have no
intention of capturing you, frogman. I have never seen you with Bacca's
forces before and so you wouldn't be able to give me any information on
him. And if I were to try and ransom you or something equally insane,
I doubt Bacca will know you enough to care. So there would be no point in
holding you prisoner." He looked at Frog. "I assure you, my only
intentions are to keep the women away from the war. So, do we have a
deal?"
Frog was cautious about making such a deal, so he hedged. "What
about that other woman you say you have...Kaitlin?" he asked.
The other man rubbed his chin again. "Hmm...I haven't quite
figured out how to get HER out...but I think that separating them is the
best thing. Alone, they already have formidable magic. Together, who
knows what havoc they might wreak on their own." His tone softened, and
Frog had to strain to hear the other's words. "I care about them both...I
don't want them to..." He set his jaw. "So, do we have a deal?"
Frog felt his insides churning with frustration, embarrassment,
and partly anger at the situation he was in. There was no doubt about it,
he was at a disadvantage, and fighting the Darklord would come out to no
good end...at least for him. If this was the way to rescue Schala, then
it must be the way to take.
He said reluctantly, "So be it. I agree..."
He saw the Darklord relax visibly. Frog was startled to see it,
wondering what kind of emotion he could have been in, in order to be so
tense. But it was not time to question such things.
The Darklord gestured, and Frog was able to move again. "I will
bring her tonight at midnight. We must be a good distance away from the
camp to avoid being seen. I trust you know the forest?" Frog nodded.
"Good. We will meet by the bend in the stream."
Frog sheathed his Masamune and faced the Darklord with burning
eyes. "If this turns out to be a trick..." he began.
"Have no fear," the Darklord responded with eyes just as fiery.
"I, unlike the Moogles, have honor." With that parting shot, he vanished.
Frog stood there awhile. Then he abruptly turned around and began
preparing for that night's encounter.
The way to meet your fate
is to try your hardest to avoid it.
---
Wilma Jandoc aka Enya *ICQ: | "Life can only be understood
jandoc@hawaii.edu *14710984 | backwards. But it must be lived
nabiki_tendo@geocities.com | forwards."
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~jandoc | - Binkley,
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/9800 | "Bloom County"
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From: Schala
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Subject: [ffml] [MW] Re-enter Frog