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| - The Stronghold had never been so lonely, as the large wooden gates were guarded by at least six gnomes at any one time, and human interaction was kept to a minimum on the King's orders. "And change!" called out a round-faced gnome with bright rosy cheeks. The group of gnomes abandoned their post, and this position was occupied afterwards by another six gnomes, each carrying miniature halberds and sporting a thick metal armour that made them stumble about a bit. "I'm sweating under this," said a thin gnome in reference to his armour. "Well then Sir, you may have the pleasure of taking it off now. And give my regards to Cynthia, it can't be easy having just given birth in these difficult times," replied the round-faced guard. "No, it's not, and I know I should be with her but I feel like I'm betraying everyone whenever I'm one step away from those gates." "I understand what you mean, there's so much duty with this job, it can make a man forget what matters most you know." "Still, no sign of humans these past two days, I suspect that their little riot at the gates was a one off." The round-faced guard did not reply. "Don't you think? Eh? It was probably a one-off, wasn't it?" The round-faced guard turned to his thinner colleague and said; "It won't be over 'till there's blood upon the floor." The thinner guard gulped, and made his way in the direction of his home, his stomach gripped with a tightening pain of worry. King Boelryn stood on a balcony surveying his kingdom. Only a few meters away, Veedi Limstrood was slowly opening her eyes, having slept on a large bed placed cozily against the rounded interior that was the trunk of the Grand Tree. "Ah, you awake at last," Boelryn said, not even having to turn to look at her. "Yes, I was very tired, the last thing I remember was that somebody spoke, and I went into a dream," Veedi replied, rubbing her eyes. "If only I could sleep as well as you." Veedi rose from the bed, feeling slightly light-headed. "Aren't you wondering, Your Majesty?" she asked. "Wondering what my dear?" Boelryn replied. "What I dreamed." "Yes, go on then, if you are ready." "Well it was the Seer again, wearing exactly the same clothes standing on the other side of the room." "Did he do anything?" "No, his face was faded, slightly blank I think, He didn't seem to want anything, he was just there." "Your dreams are growing weaker." "Is that not a good thing? Perhaps the threat grows weaker too..." "I suggest we locate the Seer, and bring him to the Stronghold, he is our only way of keeping ahead of the enemy!" "There are tens of Seers, in Seers' Village alone, I don't want to have to risk going into the outside world for such a risky thing." "You won't be at risk, we'll send you out in broad daylight and I want you to take Paula and Ronthin with you." "You really do believe things are only going to get worse." "You started all this, you warned us initially. We've learnt that we can never take things to lightly, and Veedi, you are wrong, I don't believe things are going to get worse; I know they are going to get worse." There was silence for a moment. "Believe me Your Majesty, knowing that relieves me more than anything; we're both on the same side it means." Paula awoke to the sound of birds in the trees, and yawned before rolling on to her side. As she looked at the small wooden chest of drawers at the side of her bed she noticed a small note. It read: MEET ME AT THE STRONGHOLD GATES, VEEDI Paula groaned, wondering what her friend could possibly want at this time of morning. She had a full day of work ahead of her, or so she thought, selling off a batch of jumpers to the gnome children of the Stronghold. Getting dressed, she went to the ladder to exit her home when she found another note on the top step of the ladder. OH, I FORGOT TO SAY, WE'RE GOING ON A DAY TRIP, SO BRING SUITABLE ITEMS "For goodness sake, I can't keep us these silly little meetings and plans with Veedi, some of us aren't living off the expenses of gnome royalty," Paula grumbled, almost certain she was going to have an argument with Veedi. As she furiously strutted down the steps of the ladder she found a final note pinned to the bottom step. I KNOW YOU WON'T WANT TO COME, BUT THE KING ORDERED ME TO INVITE YOU "Fair enough then, I suppose," Paula said, heading back up the ladder to gather what she needed. Paula picked up food, a tiny box of matches and a Grand Tree seed pod she had been saving for a time of need. She had gotten it before Wintumber, as at this stage the Stronghold had began distributing them on a much smaller scale to prevent outsiders gaining easy entry to the Grand Tree. She headed down the ladder again and walked in the direction of the gate leading out of the Stronghold which took several minutes as her backpack was weighing her down holding all her items. "Well how was I to know the King commanded it?" Paula asked as she approached Veedi and Ronthin. "Nevermind, you're here now, and it's still early. Hopefully the Moss Giants at the bridge will still be sleeping," Veedi said. "Where exactly are we going?" "Boelryn wants us to find the Seer I've been dreaming about, me and Ithacer met him last year." "You mean we're going to Seers' Village?" "Well, yes, when I said a day trip involving a search for a Seer I thought you might have guessed-" "But Veedi, we're walking straight into humanity, and they want to kill us." "Not all of them Paula," Ronthin intercepted. "Well enough to kidnap us on that lonely road near Hemenster, doesn't Boelryn know what he's putting us into?" "Safety in numbers was the idea," Veedi said. "Well I hope so." "Come on then, better now than never." And on that note the group passed through the gates to the open world, Veedi having shown the guards a parchment sealed by King Boelryn. The three of them made their way east for some time, finally reaching the southern entrance to Hemenster over an hour later. The road was barren apart from a travelling man in a cape. "No," Veedi muttered to herself. Just as Veedi had felt after her encounter with the bitter man referred to as "Husband", she began to fear every passing human. As the man grew closer, her breaths became faster, and suddenly she felt the ground spinning beneath her feet as she collapsed to the floor. "Is everything alright?" asked the man. "Yes, our friend here is suffering from mild sunstroke," Ronthin said. "Gnomes, seeing you lot is a rarity these days, and rightly so, there's a lot of awful people out there with a prejudice against you. Walk safely." The man began his walk again, while Paula cushioned Veedi's head who was now laying on the floor, slightly faint. "You've not been outside the Stronghold properly since it happened, have you?" Paula asked. "No, and he was the first human I've seen in a long time," Veedi replied. "Don't let that fear take hold of you again, remember, we've come out here to find a human, so being scared of them isn't the best approach." "Yes, yes, you're right." "Right, I'm certain Seers' Village is north-east exactly," Ronthin said. "I'd rather we stick to the road," Paula said, "there's all sorts in the woods." "So what does this Seer look like?" Ronthin asked, trying to immerse Veedi into conversation who was now seated on the floor. "His face used to be very distinct in my dreams, but over time it's begun to fade, I'd have to see him to recognize him," Veedi replied. "You still haven't explained to me, why does Boelryn want him so badly?" "Seers can see the future, he'd make the perfect weapon for the gnomes." "Except he could use any Seer for that. There's more to it, isn't there?" "This Seer in particular is connected to me, because Seers can see anything, but this one sees what I am going to encounter specifically." "And therefore those around you?" "Exactly." Paula went to pick up what looked like a newspaper lying in a tiny field of wheat which supplied more than enough for the tiny village of Hemenster. It was a newspaper, and was entitled The Ardougne Chronicle. "You two, I believe this may be of importance to us," Paula said, her throat going dry. The front page story detailed the kidnapping of several gnomes in Ardougne and the area to the south. Ronthin snatched the paper off her and quickly read through the article while Veedi glanced at it, worrying her even more. A plank of wood banged nearby, and all three turned to face an old man in the corn field who was holding a rusting dagger made from a weak metal. "Damn gnomes, what d'you want here? You money-grabbing pests, always seeking profit you shifty lot! Get out! NOW!" snapped the man as he marched towards the group. Not wanting trouble, Paula and Ronthin helped Veedi along and made their way further along the road in the direction of Seers' Village. As they disappeared around a corner, the old man stopped, and pulled out a piece of wheat to take to the Ardougne mill. His clothes were ragged and he wore a crumpled hat. The field was like an enclosure being so small, and from behind the old man came a slightly younger man with an angry expression seemingly etched on to his face. "Are those gnomes troubling you my good man?" asked the man. "I think they wanted to take the wheat, so I sent them away. They're no good, I don't trust them - not one bit!" the older man exclaimed. "I'm part of a group of people trying to take back that which is rightly ours, would you be interested in getting involved with us?" "And how do you plan to 'take back what is ours'?" "We are going to have to do things for the greater good, for the progression of humanity." "Well I haven't trusted gnomes since I was a lad, and since that economy disaster I can't help but not trust them even more than I did." "Excellent, my name's Augustus." "And I'm Harold, I moved here to get peace, but now it looks like the gnomes are invading here." The road had been very long and tiring to follow, this was not helped by Paula and Ronthin having to help Veedi along to reach their journey's end. As the tall white bricked buildings of Seers' Village loomed, they were shocked at the number of Seers lining the streets. "I'm parched, I'll be back in the minute," Ronthin said as he stepped into the Forester's Arms. He looked around the cozy bar and then went to sit on a wooden stall, which he scrambled up on. "Do you do cocktails my good man-" Ronthin was interrupted as the bartender lifted him over the bar and placed him at his feet, holding one hand firmly over his mouth. "The man in the red cape would have your blood spilled over the floor before you could say 'Hail Guthix', you gnomes need to look out for yourselves," the bartender hissed. "I'm going to distract him and then I'd suggest you leave." "I don't even worship Guthix, that's a ridiculous myth about gnomes," Ronthin muttered. As the bartender went to deal with the man in the red cape, Ronthin hurried out of the door and back on to the street where Paula and Veedi were waiting. "I take it we're not very welcome here?" Paula asked. "You're right, and we really need to keep our guard up," Ronthin replied, slightly worried now as he surveyed his surroundings for anyone he thought could pose a threat. A Seer with a long curled grey beard walked over to Veedi and stared at her with piercing blue eyes, as if he was looking into her soul. "That which you seek is gone forever, but remains," said the grey-bearded Seer cryptically. "Where is he?" Veedi asked, her voice shaky. "Pardon? I do not understand." "Tell me, right now, where is he?" The Seer's eyes had become less intense, as his precognitive vision had stopped, and now he was of no use. The clouds were gathering in the sky suggesting a storm, and the light was dimming slightly. "I do not understand," the Seer replied again. "I demand you tell me!" Veedi shrieked. People in the area looked at the panicked and aggressive Veedi, prompting muttering about gnomekind in general and the species not being welcome in the village. From the bar came the man in the red cape, and he looked directly in Ronthin's direction before marching over to him angrily armed with a sword. "You backwards species! Don't you know when you're not welcome?" the man asked. "Kandarin supports a harmony between species!" Ronthin exclaimed. "Money, money, money, that's all you gnomes want. What's the latest plot? Harvest all our flax? Run our economy dry and buy us as cheap labor? Let's prove your greed, how much money's in your pocket, eh?" The man hoisted Ronthin off the ground with one hand and slashed his tiny cloak apart with his sword, causing coins to spill out over the floor. "Leave him," Paula said. "You're not welcome here! I've said it once, now clear off, the lot of you! Be thankful I only took your money and not your lives!" snapped the man, sending the group fleeing. The wind began to pick up a bit, and then the rain began to fall. It was not heavy, not at first, so the group entered the lonely graveyard outside the church at the southern tip of Seers' Village. The yew trees towered high and moss covered the majority of the graves and the stone blocks that the church was made out of. A lone coffin lay just near the lych-gate of the church, with the lid opened. The corpse was covered in a thin sheet of linen apart from the face, which was exposed to the rain now. "What unfortunate soul has died now?" Veedi asked. "Just another human, and from today we can conclude that's not a big loss," Paula answered. "Don't say that. Regardless of what we've seen today, humanity has a lot of potential, I know it does, I've just got to come to terms with the situation at hand." "I'll hoist you up," Ronthin said so that Veedi could see inside the coffin. He lifted her, and to her horror inside the coffin was the Seer; her Seer. The one she had dreamed about for so long, haunting her every night had seemed to be the key to the whole situation, but he was dead now. "It's him, my Seer," Veedi said, her voice shaking in fear. "Are you sure?" asked Paula. "Certain. I can remember that face, it's all coming back to me now." "Well what do we do now?" Ronthin asked, lowering Veedi down. "Maybe I can make him come back! Maybe he will come if I think about him," Veedi suggested. She stood in the middle of the graveyard beneath a Yew tree and began tapping her foot on the ground as if she was knocking. "I'm here; I'm here," she began. A gust of wind picked up, making the tree ease from side to side in a light rocking motion. The wind became stronger though, and it began to whistle among the lines of cracked gravestones and sunken graves. Veedi could feel something touching her hair; a hand! "You've come-" she began, thoroughly disappointed to be greeted by the branch of a tree blowing against her hair. "Back," she finished sadly. The wind began to die down, and Veedi brushed the branch away. She then silently made her way out of the graveyard. Paula and Ronthin exchanged concerned looks before following their friend out into the green surroundings of a field which backed on to the seemingly endless forest which led to Ardougne. "It'll take too long to follow the path back to Hemenster," Ronthin began, "twilight is almost upon us, and we must get back before nightfall." "Then we'll have to go through the woods," Paula said, slightly nervous. The towering trees loomed ominously as the group made their way into the thick undergrowth, wading their way through patches of flax as they did. Walking through the forest, the group came to a small clearing where a large log lay on a slightly raised piece of ground. The surrounding trees towered over it, and only thin streaks of light penetrated through to the grassy floor. "Can we stop? I need to eat," Paula said. As they did, Paula delved into her rucksack, and with a tight knot in her stomach, she retrieved the Grand Tree seed pod. "I promise I'll get help," Paula said sadly as she disappeared in a flash. "I thought those pods were made illegal," Ronthin said angrily. "Well now what? So much for the idea of safety in numbers," Veedi said. "We've got barely any food, and I've no idea where we're heading. I think the Sorcerer's Tower is about a mile south from here, so I suggest we start heading south-west, we need to get out of this forest." A pile of leaves began to pick up from the ground nearby, and they started to form a small green whirling cylinder. It grew slightly, to the height of a man and then made its way towards Veedi and Ronthin who stood out of the way as it spun past them, increasing in speed. "What is it?" Ronthin asked. "How on Gielinor should I know!" Veedi replied nervously as the eerie phenomenon came to the log. It began to slow down, and formed a pile of leaves on the wooden log, the orange sky lit the silent haven. A strange glow appeared and the shape of a bearded man appeared sitting on the log. A Seer. "You," Veedi whispered. The Seer turned to look at her through his ghostly eyes and lifted his left hand. "You have listened to my warnings, this was a wise choice." "That which you seek has gone forever, but remains," Veedi said. "Precisely, I remain bound to this plane of existence with the sole purpose of helping you. It's a dire time for gnomekind and both of you know that." "How did you enter Veedi's dreams?" Ronthin asked, slightly scared. "There are some things in life which are mysteries," the Seer said. "We're lost," Veedi said, "our friend fled with a one-gnome teleport." "Your friend is weak, but I sense this is to change soon." "What does that mean?" "I am sorry for what you will witness within the next few days. Now come with me, I will lead you to the place you seek." The Seer faded and turned into the whirling circle of leaves. He headed into the undergrowth, with Veedi and Ronthin following closely, watching the sun setting above them. The gates to the Tree Gnome Stronghold had never been so welcoming to Veedi and Ronthin. The whirling pile of leaves scattered across the ground. The guards were changing again, as the rosey-cheeked one and his thinner workmate returned to their duty. "Where have you been? King Boelryn's very concerned," said the guard. "Stuck in a forest several miles from here," Veedi replied, marching towards the Grand Tree. "Maybe Paula can explain herself," Ronthin said. "She left us for dead, our own friend left us for dead." "She said she was going to get help. She promised." "She said, she said, makes no difference, saying something does not make it the truth. Sometimes I wonder Ronthin, how you manage to always find the best in people." "It's the only thing that stops you turning bitter, and in times like this I suggest you do the same." "Veedi! Ronthin!" called a voice. They turned around to see Paula accompanied with a group of guards. "I told you I'd find help," Paula said. "We didn't need it in the end," Veedi replied. "How did you find your way back then?" "The Seer guided us here." "He's alive?" "That which you seek is gone forever, but remains." "Well what does that mean?" The group walked through the Grand Tree, and approached King Boelryn's quarters. "The Seer is dead, Your Majesty, but he promised me that his spirit remains," Veedi called out. "That can wait Veedi," Boelryn said, "There's some people who want to see you." The three gnomes entered the King's large living space, with two men standing by his side. One was noticeably older than the other, and both looked up at Veedi as she entered. "Who are they Veedi?" Paula asked Veedi who stood astounded. "Paula, Ronthin, this is my father and brother," Veedi answered, not able to take her eyes off the two of them...
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