SIGMARR AND THE SHIELD OF NJORDIST part 3

SIGMARR AND THE SHIELD OF NJORDIST ……….
(EPISODE 3)
Sigmarr led the way that mornings with Kergin close behind to
his side,, the rest of the men followed,, everyone was ready for
battle and could easily reach their swords or bows,, every eye
was watching,, looking for any signs of strange beasts or wild
animals that might be lurking in the forest,, an easy pace was
kept,, no one knew where to look for the beacon stones or the
Shield of Njordist…

The forest grew darker and darker as they journeyed into
its realm,, so torches were lit to help guide the way,,
everything about them was strange,, one tree looked like the next,,
no landmarks could easily be seen,, the forest had an eerie silence
about it,, there were no bird calls or animal sounds of any kind,,
the only sound that could be heard was the horses footfalls on
the dry white leaves,, it made a crushing,, snapping sound…
At night no campfires could be lit,, the leaves and any fallen
branches that could be found would not burn,, torches were used
to heat the evenings stew,, and the campsite was always ringed
with them,, three men at a time stood watch over the
sleeping men and the horses…

For three days and nights Sigmarr and his men wandered,,
looking for any signs or paths that might guide them to the
beacon stones,, each was like the last,, the scenery never seemed
to change,, perhaps they were going in circles around this forest...
The trek on the fourth day began as all the rest had,, but the
scenery now began to change,, the ground to what may have been
the west side,, now had a green glow to it,, and a low hanging
whitish/yellow mist hung just off the ground,, venturing near
the mist,, it was found to be a swamp area,, barely noticeable due
to the thick covering of leaves,, bubbles of gas could be seen rising
to the top and bursting in the air,, a foul rotting smell of dead flesh,,
a sickening smell… The men now had to be careful where they led
their horses,, they kept well back from the glowing mists edge…
Sigmarr and his men kept to the swamps edge and followed it as it
wandered thru the forest,, it must led somewhere they thought…
For two days they slowly followed the swamps edge… The men grew
more uneasy about this venture into the Starkdall forest,,
each night their grumping could be heard,, a fools errand they
thought it was,, there was nothing to be found here,, they would
be lost in this forest and perhaps never found,, they grumped
this is why the 20 men never came back… The morning came with
a chill about the air…

“Over here,, over here”,, one of the soldiers cried out,, there on the
ground lay one of the pack horses,, it had large puncture wounds,,
grouped in a pattern about its body,, each wound was as big as a
mans thumb,, and had a white sticky ring around it,,
the horses’ face was covered with the same white sticky threadlike
material,, it could be barely cut with a sharpened dagger...
Two smaller pack mules were also missing that morning,, no trace
of blood or struggle could be found,, all the men searched for at
least 50 yards around the campsite,, but nothing was found,, nothing…
Everyone was tense now,, the complacent nature that had started
to developed in the men was gone now,, death was in the air..
None of the guards posted that night had heard anything,,
no sounds of violence or struggle were heard by any of them…
Sigmarr and the men continued on,, each man had one hand apon
his sword or dagger and he held tightly to his horses reigns,,
the horses were very skittish that morning and had to be firmly led…
“Eiiiiiiiiiiiiieiei”…
“Helllppppp”…
Two urgent scared voices,, each man looked around to see where
the danger was,, there was nothing about them,, the last two riders
horses were empty and the men where nowhere to me seen,,
Sigmarr now gather everyone around in a tightly grouped formation,,
ready for an attack,, swords were drawn and bows at the ready,,
but done came…
“Helllppp……….the voice came…
“Look,, up in the trees”,, a solider shouted…
There in the blacken tree tops and among the leaves was what took
the men that day,, giant mutated black spinner-netters were hanging
above them,, their black bodies perhaps as big as a man,,
with legs 8 feet long ,, hanging from white silken threads were they…
And there were the two soldiers that had been taken,, now being
cocooned in silken webs,, the spinner-netters injected the victims
with their venom as they hung from the trees,, not a soldiers death,,
a ghastly death it would be... Arrows now were shot into the trees
at these monsters,, all missed except Kerjins’,, his arrows found
their mark,, one pierced the black body of a spinner and another
went thru the glowing red eye of a second,, Sigmarr ordered Kerjin
to shoot the two soldiers that hung from their silken threads,,
a merciful end for them…Movement was all about the tree tops now,,
the men put away their swords and bows and hurriedly left the
swamps edge,, fleeing to getaway from the terrors that dropped
silently from the treetops…
“Eiiiiiiiiiiiiieiei”… “Helllppppp”…another solider taken…
Faster and faster they went,, not caring where or how far,,
just to get away,, was everymans’ thought... For perhaps 10 minutes
the men raced away from the swamp,, then finally turning round
a bend in the forest,, the men halted and look about them and into
the forest blacken treetops,, nothing could be seen,,
no monstrous shapes or glowing red eyes,,
perhaps they were safe for now…

They found themselves among hand hewn stones that had fallen
from perhaps a long ago castle,, its stones were black and the trees
grew thru them like weeds,, only a few walls remained standing and
a tower off to the right,, perhaps this was the beacon stones that they
were looking for… Sigmarr ordered the men to set up camp there
for the night,, the guards were much more watchful and the torches
were doubled…The next morning found the men calm but uneasy,,
good friends,, good soldiers,, were lost,, not killed in battle,,
but taken by monsters than lay hidden within this forest,,
not a soldiers honored death...

END OF EPISODE 3....Oh boy that was exciting
INTERMISSION
COME BACK NEXT WEEK FOR THE NEXT THRILLING
EPISODE OF
SIGMARR AND THE SHIELD OF NJORDIST
Find out next week why AJ the Hungarian dwarf
was arrested by the ASPCA
… is RAPPER 50 cents only worth 15 cents
.....same BAT TIME,, same BAT STATION.....