grew on her face.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Really, really?"
"Really, really."
"Really, really, rea-"
"Stop talking and get on before I change my mind."
Pellonia clapped her hands, then reached up. Arthur hoisted her up by her waist and set her on his back. Arthur, the half-unicorn centaur wizard, gave his first ride to Pellonia, the innocent elven child. She was positively glowing as they returned to the group, sitting astride Arthur, no radiant orb required.
"Hey, you offered me the ride," Melody said, smiling.
"Sorry, Melody," said Arthur. "This seat's taken." Pellonia wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a squeeze.
Episode Eight
The Berserker and the Trolls
"Gurken," said Arthur. "It really would assist the quest if you would deign to mount the horse." Arthur stomped a hoof in frustration, his long white tail swishing from side to side. He stood just outside the corral of a horse trader, holding onto the reins of a horse. The horse looked bored.
Gurken shook his head.
"Come on, Gurken, it'll get us back to the mines faster," said Pellonia, sitting on Arthur's back, grinning stupidly and petting Antic. Soft clicking sounds came from the ant as it purred appreciatively.
Gurken continued shaking his head, lips pursed.
Melody sat on another horse, a chestnut brown mare with white socks. "It will only be for a short time," Melody said. She smiled.
"I'm afraid not," Gurken replied. "Dwarfs and horses don't get along. I'd sooner eat one." Moog, the knoll dwarf mender, peeked out from behind Gurken, eyes wide with fear. "Don't worry, Moog," Gurken said, patting him on the head. "We're not riding one of those beasts. We'll have to get a carriage."
"There are no carriages in the entire village," Melody said. "It's not like we're in a large city. If we had the Orb of Skzd, I could open a portal and we'd be there."
"If we had the Orb of Skzd," Gurken replied, crossing his arms, "we wouldn't need to go there to get it."
Melody smiled. "If you won't get on a horse, I'm afraid you'll have to walk. It's only a seven day ride."
"Walking suits me fine. If Arthur's walking, so can I." Gurken shouldered his pack and started walking.
-- Fourteen days later --
"There. That's the cave where the trolls came out," Pellonia said. They peeked through the bushes down the narrow canyon, looking past an overturned mining cart. Rusting tracks ran into the tunnel. The sun was overhead, beating down on them. There was no sign of the trolls.
"Now," said Gurken. "Here's the plan…"
"Gurken," Melody interjected, smiling and speaking gently. "I've been around for over a hundred years - you've been alive for, what? A few dozen at most? I'll come up with the plan."
"But…"
"If I might interject," Arthur said. "I do believe Melody has a point, my dear fellow. Perhaps we should take advantage of her experience while she is with us."
"But…"
Moog ran over and wrapped his arms around Melody's leg. "Moog," he purred, rubbing against her.
"Fine," Gurken said, "let's hear this famous plan of yours. Then we shall see."
"Thank you," Melody said. "Since we are facing a small number of large foes, we should prevent them from fully exiting the cave, and strike them from a distance. Gurken, you and I shall take point, endeavoring to prevent them from exiting. Moog, stay behind us, ready to mend. Arthur, Pellonia, climb up to the top of the cliffs and find some large rocks to push over on the trolls."
"Ridiculous!" shouted Gurken.
"Sounds great," said Pellonia.
"Yup, it's good to have an actual plan for once. I'm in," Arthur agreed.
"Moog," said Moog, nodding.
"What?" Gurken asked, incredulous. "Fine, but it's a terrible plan."
"Gurken," Melody said. "Why, I'm surprised at you. Are you pouting?"
"I'm not pouting."
"I know pouting; I've got a little sister."
"Hey!" Pellonia said.
"See… pouting."
"Let's do this," Gurken said. Arthur, with Pellonia riding on his back, trotted up the path to the
"Really?"
"Really."
"Really, really?"
"Really, really."
"Really, really, rea-"
"Stop talking and get on before I change my mind."
Pellonia clapped her hands, then reached up. Arthur hoisted her up by her waist and set her on his back. Arthur, the half-unicorn centaur wizard, gave his first ride to Pellonia, the innocent elven child. She was positively glowing as they returned to the group, sitting astride Arthur, no radiant orb required.
"Hey, you offered me the ride," Melody said, smiling.
"Sorry, Melody," said Arthur. "This seat's taken." Pellonia wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a squeeze.
Episode Eight
The Berserker and the Trolls
"Gurken," said Arthur. "It really would assist the quest if you would deign to mount the horse." Arthur stomped a hoof in frustration, his long white tail swishing from side to side. He stood just outside the corral of a horse trader, holding onto the reins of a horse. The horse looked bored.
Gurken shook his head.
"Come on, Gurken, it'll get us back to the mines faster," said Pellonia, sitting on Arthur's back, grinning stupidly and petting Antic. Soft clicking sounds came from the ant as it purred appreciatively.
Gurken continued shaking his head, lips pursed.
Melody sat on another horse, a chestnut brown mare with white socks. "It will only be for a short time," Melody said. She smiled.
"I'm afraid not," Gurken replied. "Dwarfs and horses don't get along. I'd sooner eat one." Moog, the knoll dwarf mender, peeked out from behind Gurken, eyes wide with fear. "Don't worry, Moog," Gurken said, patting him on the head. "We're not riding one of those beasts. We'll have to get a carriage."
"There are no carriages in the entire village," Melody said. "It's not like we're in a large city. If we had the Orb of Skzd, I could open a portal and we'd be there."
"If we had the Orb of Skzd," Gurken replied, crossing his arms, "we wouldn't need to go there to get it."
Melody smiled. "If you won't get on a horse, I'm afraid you'll have to walk. It's only a seven day ride."
"Walking suits me fine. If Arthur's walking, so can I." Gurken shouldered his pack and started walking.
-- Fourteen days later --
"There. That's the cave where the trolls came out," Pellonia said. They peeked through the bushes down the narrow canyon, looking past an overturned mining cart. Rusting tracks ran into the tunnel. The sun was overhead, beating down on them. There was no sign of the trolls.
"Now," said Gurken. "Here's the plan…"
"Gurken," Melody interjected, smiling and speaking gently. "I've been around for over a hundred years - you've been alive for, what? A few dozen at most? I'll come up with the plan."
"But…"
"If I might interject," Arthur said. "I do believe Melody has a point, my dear fellow. Perhaps we should take advantage of her experience while she is with us."
"But…"
Moog ran over and wrapped his arms around Melody's leg. "Moog," he purred, rubbing against her.
"Fine," Gurken said, "let's hear this famous plan of yours. Then we shall see."
"Thank you," Melody said. "Since we are facing a small number of large foes, we should prevent them from fully exiting the cave, and strike them from a distance. Gurken, you and I shall take point, endeavoring to prevent them from exiting. Moog, stay behind us, ready to mend. Arthur, Pellonia, climb up to the top of the cliffs and find some large rocks to push over on the trolls."
"Ridiculous!" shouted Gurken.
"Sounds great," said Pellonia.
"Yup, it's good to have an actual plan for once. I'm in," Arthur agreed.
"Moog," said Moog, nodding.
"What?" Gurken asked, incredulous. "Fine, but it's a terrible plan."
"Gurken," Melody said. "Why, I'm surprised at you. Are you pouting?"
"I'm not pouting."
"I know pouting; I've got a little sister."
"Hey!" Pellonia said.
"See… pouting."
"Let's do this," Gurken said. Arthur, with Pellonia riding on his back, trotted up the path to the
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