With the
waters of the Fern only just beginning to swelling with the cold runoff of the
thaw Lord Bi Lloddie had led his Sylvan forces back to the Vale of Fern. It
still felt cold to the bone and though the Winter watch they replaced had
waited out the coldest and darkest months on guard he still felt resentful towards
their retiring, going back as they were to enjoy the festivals of fertility and
light. But it was a new season and Spring Watch was here to witness and record
all that befell this crucial if usually quiet part of the Wood Kings realm.
No he must not grumble, in this world so often painted in gritty shades
of gray Lloddie had always prided himself that he was one of the Goodies.
 |
| Lord Bi Lloddie and the Wood riders of Spring Watch |
“And more
my lord”, the wizard replied, “I have cleverly disguised magic eyes covering
all approaches to the Vale all the way from the Ford at Capri to the lonely
Barrow. No beast of land or air can enter the Vale without my knowledge. See
here look deep into the crystal ball of Mo Niter.” The great lord peered deeply
into the shifting green mists of Sim’s crystal ball, at first he could make out
only a fierce blizzard, he hoped the snow would prove to be the last remnants
of Winter and began to turn to make plans for the coming storm. “Wait sir
I apologise, Interference only, I’ll just adjust the settings.” Sim passed his
hand over the crystal several times before allowing his liege Lord to look into
Mo Niter once more.
 |
| Xispa Kerm and his Kin, Sim O'Nking rides behind carrying Mo Niter. |
“Good I see
the Ford of Capri remains undisturbed, the people of Brent Wood can rest easy
still.” The vision shifted from view point to view point roughly
following the path of the Fern. He smiled as he viewed himself, his band of
wood riders and his hunting pack in the image and marvelled as it moved over the
rest of his host. He could clearly make out Xispa Kerm and his Kinband, Sim’s
fellow mage Mikael Astrachan and Kat Umbell and her bows followed by a troop of
war dancers. Finally his eyes rested on his glade guard scouts known simply as
The Viewers.
 |
| Kat and her Archers. |
“All is
good with the host”, Lloddie proclaimed,” with this Mo
Niter and with The Viewers telling us all that they see Spring Watch
will really have a good idea of what is going on in this country.” Watching
still, the vision displayed in Mo Niter shifted once more from glade to meadow
to village until finally coming to rest at the Lonely Barrow. In ancient
times Men had settled this area in an age when the Woodland Elves had lived in
great cities a time known even today as the Evil Time. Because of their necromantic
practices the vile nameless Men had been forced out by a grand alliance of good
a thousand years ago. The Barrow here was only of a lesser lord of the
old people and was not widely known to the world outside the Woodland
realm. Still it was rumoured that a great artefact lay somewhere in the barrow,
one that must not be disturbed and so the Seasons Watches guarded this area
with great diligence. “Something is wrong with your crystal Mage, the Barrow
looks like it is under excavation.”
Sim looked
into his crystal ball, “Um Lord, the Barrow is under excavation, it is teaming
with zombies and undead men from the Evil Time.” Loddies face went hard,
”teaming with men from the Evil Time you say? These men from a past time shall
not team all over our lands. I shall put a stop to this Evil Time Team.”
 |
| Lord Micka Ston and part of his excavation team. |
A robed
figure walked briskly between the earthworks covering the barrow. “This whole
operation is bust!” the necromancer grumbled. He knew full well he was in Wood
Elf territory and could almost feel a sharp steel arrow head punching in
between his shoulder blades. He wasn’t afraid of death. The great necromancers
of old fascinated him, he had studied there ways for so long. Had he not
practiced their arts, taking a terrible physical toll for his endeavours? When
he still lived in the cities of Men he had gone completely bald overnight
gaining forever the cursed moniker, “Bald Rick”. He had sacrificed so much for
the study of death, so no, death held no fear for him except perhaps his own.
And that is why he was so keen to rush this dig, they had barely been here a
day and he was already prepared to say the whole thing was a Bust Op. His Lord
and Master the ancient Vampire Scholar Lord Micka Ston told him that in his
youth before he had travelled down form Kislev and been gifted the blood gift
he had seen this very barrow mentioned in his masters Tome. This was the
resting place of a powerful Necromantic artefact and Lord Micka would have it.
However not one single artefact had been uncovered.
 |
| Philard Ding leads his warriors. |
Though the
ancient minions worked tirelessly they had not the imagination to see this was
all going nowhere. The grinning head of Philhard Ding the skeletal champion
raised itself from out of the earth. “What do you want simpleton?” the
necromancer sneered but the hollow eyes seamed to be staring through him.
Looking behind himself Bald Rick saw his Lord approaching. He addressed his
lord and master, ”Master Mika I must tell you we have found nothing, the whole
Op is Bust. And….” The necromancer paused reluctant to convey his inner
thoughts to his master. The Vampire raised a hairless eyebrow, ”Yes my
disciple?” It was useless, Mika already new his doubts, he was allowed few
secrets from his master, “Lord I worry about the Woodland Elves, I fear, for
the meagre rewards we have gained we have bitten off more than we can chew.”
The Vampire began to laugh, “Nonsense disciple, there are many, chewier, barrows than this, we will manage quite
well even if the fey guardians arrive.” Bald Rick bowed his head, he disagreed
with his master but from a sense of preservation did not want to show it. Secretly
inside he said to himself, ”Yes there are many barrows but I have doubts that they
are chewier than the Bust Op at Barrow in Fern is.”
Please do return dear friend when we shall see what happens when Spring Watch take on the Evil Time Team head to head. If you can stand the puns that is.
