The stories so far, Edited and ready to roll. Options

[Troika]

OK, this thread will contain any and all stories that are posted on the geocities site and labelled as edited. These babies we don't have to worry about until it actually comes time to stick em in the game.

I will sort out this thread... in other words, please do NOT post up stories yourself... it could lead to multiple copies which could prove problematic later.

Also, please keep posts in this thread to a minimum. This is mainly just a place where people have quick and easy (although not necessarily organised) access to the stories already finished with.

[Troika]

Section: Stories

Written by Ralik (Perseus)

Love reversed.

Written by: Ralik

"You are sure of this?"
The answer came after quite a while. It was as if the other had to think hard of an answer that would fit the question.
"Yes, indeed I am." A simple reply that did not seem to satisfy his companion. "If you do not know for sure, we cannot..". He stopped, looked around him but found no reason to be suspicious of his environment. He moved his hand away from his sword. "If we are heard talking about this, we will surely die." Ralik shuddered and thought about what made him betray his master and those he had called his friends. Even his most trusted friend, Eryet who would have followed him to the moon had there been a ladder long enough.

Ralik
Once, everything had been so simple. He served master Arthan, a man with considerable wealth. Arthan had worked hard to get there. He had often told his servants of how he, his father Arec and his mother Sedrin had worked day and night to sell otherwise useless objects found by the wayside to traders. Sedrin one time had been seized by a thief, mistaking them for wealthy travellers. When he found out about the woman's bleak existance, the thief ended her life. Arthan's father Arec drowned in a river, trying to pursue her killer wearing armor. Indeed Arthan had fought hard for his money and only had his daughter left to bring joy to his life. His wife Chira had died of an unknown disease.
Master Arthan had gotten him out of prison, where his innocent mind was trapped between the guilty. He owed him his service. He owed him his life. More than that, he owed him his friendship.
A man who believed in his innocence, set him free and became his friend. All that had changed.
Aseli. There was nothing he would not have done for her, when she told him she loved him. Nothing he would not do, except betray his master. "None but a nobleman may ask for my daughter's hand." A painful memory. "Those who betray me will die." Equally painful. He knew Aseli was out of his reach. Even if they ran away together, disappeared into the night, master Arthan would come after them. Riding a horse called Anger and carrying a sword called Vengeance. Arthan had no such belongings but would not hold back his wrath. He would do all in his power to find his daughter. And kill her captor.
Ralik had told no one but Eryet. Aseli was beyond his doubts, never would his trust in her fail. Jostil, the maid, Isslar the stable boy and Vitti he could not tell. Though they were friends, they would never understand him. Wodin and Klaen, tall men, he had never trusted. They would seem kind and gentle in conversation, but Ralik knew they would instantly tell master Arthan about his plans. He felt guilty, not because he would break his vow to Arthan, but because he had dragged Eyret into it.
Master Arthan would know he was involved and unleash his wrath on Eryet.
Ralik could not allow that. Eryet would have to come with them.

Eryet
After hearing Ralik's tale, he had promised to help. He understood what he would have to do. Love after all, was more important than loyalty. His mother always told him the importance of things. Love, loyalty, honor. Always in that order. He had lived by that code for as long as he could remember. Even as a child, he had never strayed from his beliefs. He did want to talk about it anywhere near Arec manor however. He lead his friend to places in the woods.
Master Arthan was very friendly to both of them, but he would neither let his daughter marry a mere servant nor let his daughter's kidnappers live.
Beneath the trees, they completed their plan. Whispering, making sure no one followed, plotting. Things Eryet had despised. Things he had lowed. Things now necessary to be true to his friend.
If love, friendship and honor were diseases that could not be cured easily, life itsself had to be a plague of some sort.

Aseli
She had seen how Ralik looked at her. Still she was in doubt. If she was wrong, she would look ridiculous. Moreover, he would tell her father, who would not be kind. She decided her love for him would be worth a beating and told him during a horseride. Ralik, surprised and amazed nearly fell from his horse. They started slipping away from the manor together and their love grew. At some point, they realized they could never be together this way. Only one choice remained after careful consideration. They would have to flee from the manor and master Arthan and travel far in little time.

"So master Arthan will not come back for a week?" It wasn't a question, merely an observation. "It matters not if it were a year, as soon as he finds out, he will follow us Eryet. We will have to find a way to make sure our names will not be known where we will go. And I have a plan."
Eryet mounted his horse looked at the darkening sky and shook his head. "Somehow, some way, this is just", he spoke loudly as they rode back.

None of master Arthan's servants was awake when the three got on their horses. They took a dirtroad into the woods, riding slowly, towards the creek. They would be following it for quite a while, making sure there were no tracks to follow. After that, they would travel south along a cobblestone path though they would not be entering the city at its end. He had listened to other prisoner's tales and knew no hunter would find them if they also left their names behind.

Klaen and his brother Wodin, who shared a small room behind the stables had seen them leave. "We have no right to keep this from the master, yet...", Klaen paused. "Yet what brother?" Klaen hung his head. "Yet, Aseli specificly asked us to make sure master will not find out. That her heart chose Ralik instead of me, or you, does not make any difference. We will do as she asked." Wodin glanced at the clearing sky. "Very well, but we will not clear the tracks they made. Instead, we will ask Isslar to come with us and make our own."

As Ralik predicted, master Arthan hired riders to find his daughter. He would not think of business or anything else. "I will reopen the damned shop when I find my Aseli", he had shouted. "My finest two servants and best friend. No, they will not go unpunished." His servants dared not agrue with him. He had questioned all of them, thoroughly, yet learned nothing. The trackers he paid had little to go on. There were so many tracks around the manor, that they feared the Ralik and Eryet had released three horses to make sure they weren't followed.
Thus, they only had a description of Arthan's daughter and her name. Knowing Arthan's former servants would not give their names, they would ask villagers if they knew of any new people around, hoping to hear one of the names they were looking for.

After months of looking, Arthan had given up on his daughter who would surely be beyond his reach by now.
"I am sorry to disturb you", Candar started, "but a woman told me you and two others just settled here. I represent the magistrate and wish to know your names for our records." A woman with dark hair looked up and lead Candar inside.
Outside, two horses stopped near the farm. "Ilesa? Could you come and help for a minute?." The woman walked to the door and asked both men, who had just arrived to come inside instead. "This man stopped by to record our names for the magistrate", she said. "I have never heard of such a thing."
"There can be harm in knowing our names", one of the two men said, "welcome to our farm. I am Kilar, this is my wife Ilesa and my best friend Teyre. Do you require anything from me?"

He knew, it was risky to keep the conversation going, but he saw Candar look more at ease. As if he had dropped his guard. "Again, I am sorry", Candar spoke, "I work as a tracker for a man known as Arthan, son of Arec. I am trying to find his daughter Aseli and two of his former servants, Ralik and Eryet. Master Arthan called off the search yesterday, but I had to check all possibilities."

Kilar stood up. "If that is all, I would like to get back to my crops."