EPTThe Life & Times of John Brady, Brandesh & The Trolls
There was a scarlet colored sky that filled the vast horizon that lie behind the two images of the two young men standing before sunset. It was John Brady and Brandesh, quietly enjoying a cup of coffee in Captain Brady’s cabin. The Captain title had been bestowed upon him by the Crown, but he found himself better suited to matters of court. The color of the sky left Brandesh with a strange feeling in his heart. He thought absent-mindedly while he puffed on the pipes that he and John Brady were sharing.
Suddenly a courier rushed in with a message from the King. John Brady grabbed the note and read it quickly; there was trouble with trolls kidnapping some town’s girls and hiding in the North Woods. He was personally appointed along with Brandesh to take a squad of troops into the Troll’s hideout in the woods. To stop the threat, no matter the consequence.
Brandesh was no stranger to threats; he plotted in his games that he occupied his time with quite well, hide the ball, baggerdash, and other strange sports he had mastered. John Brady was a sweet man, and wasn’t prone to threats as often as the troublemaker Brandesh was.
John Brady said, “This is serious, Brandesh, the King wishes us to investigate these poor kidnapped girls, and to quell these wild trolls, with gnashed teeth and the buffoonery of apes. Hear me, young Brandesh, something is amiss in those foul woods.”
Brandesh composed himself and said, “If it’s true, then we had best be getting to bed early tonight, for tomorrow we will start the work of marshaling our empire’s forces, even if it is a small crew.” Brandesh paused, and investigated the King’s note and said, “Yes it will be around a ten man crew, plus us.”
John Brady absently smoked his pipe, he was a relaxed man, easily given to laughter, but as for the lost girls, he felt nothing but pity. The smoke calmed his mind. He flatly said, “We ought to kill them for what they’ve done.”
“But they’re foolish beasts,” Brandesh replied. “Easily given to cruelty in warfare, but I have heard they treat the women they capture on their ‘land’ with dignity in order to fetch out a ransom of gold from a wealthy farmer.”
“Many words you have Brandesh,” said John Brady, “Perhaps this is why we have been chosen to broker some sort of peace with the trolls.”
John Brady took one last drag on his pipe, and, setting it down, said, “Off to bed, with a bath and a meal!”
Later that night, while Brandesh bathed, he had a peculiar attack of night-restlessness as he pondered his basic magical abilities, and where that would lead him in his life. He took the white soap and lathered his underarms, and everywhere else eventually.
John Brady was brushing his teeth, while he pondered the strange situation he would be encountering with The Trolls. Much stress and anxiety flushed his veins as he knew this mission could either go very well or horribly wrong. He had confidence in Brandesh’s brawn as a stately soldier of court and in his ability to negotiate some sort of peace. His biggest fear lied in his own weakness and that threatened him; to which he said, “Forget worries, off to bed!”
The morning sun broke through the clouds to wake both participants in the King’s rally to the trolls. Brandesh Wellturn and John Brady met up in the morning with an amorous hug and walked to the stabling yard where they would be meeting with their men. A squad of men they would be encountering stood in the yard. Brandesh shook hands with each member of the squad and said “Let us be on our way!”
They set out into the milky skies towards the Northern horizon. Later on that afternoon as they marched Brandesh said to John Brady, “How fair ye’ good Captain?”, as they rode along on their horses.
“Should we stop for a meal?” said Brady.
“A meal will calm our spirits, but I need to calm my stomach, I believe I will take a draw from my pipe.”
“Take note, young lad, for I have filled your pipe with Navory tobacco. Enjoy it in moderation, dear sir!”
Brandesh took a long and subdued drag as he pondered. He drifted off to thinking of Master Winthrope. What would he do about the trolls? And how would he advise young Brandesh?
Master Winthrope was undoubtedly thorough about Brandesh keeping his body in good form. Brandesh recalled upon the many insights granted to him by the man.
Brandesh said, “This is as good a spot as any to stop for a meal.” They ate light trail bread mixed with honey and sugar and packed tightly. The meal was delightful. John Brady said, “A fine space you have picked for us under two Gillemere trees!”
Brandesh said, “Any company such as yours is always a delight, for we have our pipes!”
“How do you propose we investigate the incident with the trolls?” Brandesh said lightly.
“We should study their history”, John Brady said. A deer came by and started to nibble on their food, until Brady politely shooed it away.
John Brady said, “Fine lunch we’re having,” as he took a drag from his pipe. “It’s only two days ride to the troll’s camp if our reports are correct. Brandesh’s mind flashed to an encounter between the ten men and the trolls and the combat that would ensue.
John Brady could see that Brandesh’s mind was all over the place. He remembered a little poem his mother had told him once that spoke of a fair prince, adventuring into a dark encounter with a dark beast. He laughed as they picked up camp and rode away towards the North Woods.
“Shame we’re not having tea.” Brandesh said
The crew of men gathered their strength as they approached what appeared to be the troll’s camp, buried in a copse-free area of Birchwood trees, lending the trolls sunlight.
Brandish politely said, “This is where John Brady and I must off to, before we think about shedding blood, we should ponder whether we can form a peace-treaty.”
Brady and Brandesh’s mares rode off towards the camp, towards certain danger.
“I think we should think about what we’re going to say, for I fear I may have a problem harnessing my magic, and the stone, in that respect, but I will do my best.”
John Brady said, “We ride off into uncharted land. And the outcome could be rocky. Let us be brave and head towards the trolls, while there is still daylight. Use your magic wisely young lad, and don’t forget that pink stone.” He said with a smile.
As they approached the camp, horse’s whinnying, they found another flock of Gillemere trees to tie up their horses on. A troll peaked out of the woods, and ran off into the darkness under the trees.
“Off we should go to their camp,” Brandesh said.
A troll warlord approached the group, outfitted in the finest cruel garb he could muster, two large earrings hanging down his ears, dangling like bats in a cave. He picked up his chest and eased on a “OOaa” expelling the air in his lungs.”
“Do you speak the common tongue of Triarch?” Brandesh said.
The trolled yowlped and called a crew of soldiers to defend his ransom of the stolen women. Seeing things were about to get flustered Brandesh raised both his hands in the air.
“Peace, we wish peace against you.” John Brady said, still not fearing to unleash his blade in preparation for combat. Brandesh did likewise and the two lone men were ready to fight.
John Brady snapped his fingers and the squad of men jumped out of the woods, and watched, with a glimmer in his eye, as they gathered into a V formation ready to push back the aggressing trolls.
“If you don’t want to spill blood, surrender the women, or we will have to cut you down.” John Brady said. “Now might be a good time to use that crystal.”
Brandesh unveiled the stone and held it in his hands in a presentation John Brady, who said, “With the magic in this stone, we have the power to smite you from this land. Surrender the girls, and forget your ransom, or we will obliterate your home.”
The trolls backed away, easily scared by the faint light emitted by the pink jewel that had been gotten from the elf Queen in Towinia; they were naturally coddled yet frightened by the energies in the stone.
For it was a mysterious stone and Brandesh could hardly begin to imagine the different energies locked within. But he knew if he put his mind to it, the stone could be used to wreak havoc.
The trolls ran away, and surrendered the girls.
Brandesh and John Brady walked to where the girls were kidnapped, and seeing that they were unharmed, cut the ropes that binded them with their swords, with John Brady saying, “Bless your hearts, you are now free, I can assume you are unharmed.”
One kind-faced girl in a dress raised her voice to say, “We are fine, they did not hurt us at all.”
“Well, there’s two mares waiting for you under two Gillemere trees that you can take back to your farmlands. Saddle up and be on your way. We will walk you home.” Brady said.
And so the two merrily strutted off to the place where they had rested their horses, staring off into a red sunset once again, as the skies of Triarch were given that color in the evening time.
On the way to their respective homes, the men of the crew became curious about the young women who had been kept in captivity. Along the way different crewmen would try to engage the young women in conversation while simultaneously riding horseback. The women were polite in their engagements but didn’t have much to say regarding their experiences with the trolls. More often, the young women took to the company of John Brady and Brandesh, as the two men strolled and puffed on their pipes while telling merry stories to cheer the girl’s spirits.
When the girls were reunited with their families, Brandesh and Brady were given a greeting of tear filled mothers. Brandesh and John Brady graciously handed them over.
They dismissed the men and slowly began to walk to Castle Norah on a trail of Gillemere trees as a light rain began to pick up.
