“You talk about fearless….I’ll tell you about a fearless rogue. “ Chalker interjected into the brag session the three rogues at the table had been engaging in over dinner. Gesturing with his spicy buzzard wing, the paladin continued. “I was in Strangelthorn Vale a few months ago and as I’m at the rebel camp, you know, the one just north of the jungle and south of Duskwood? I was reporting back to Brother Nemitz after having found some troll tablets in both the Zul’kunda and Bal’lal ruins as well as the one in Vile Reef. I’m feeling pretty full of myself for having defeated a large bunch of trolls, and glad to have completed the mission, when I hear a young woman talking to Lieutenant Doren about going after Colonel Kurzen in his lair.
“I recognize she’s a fellow Stormcrow. Beautiful rogue named Peekabout. I strike up a conversation…” at the sniggers between Taffy and Joppa, Chalker paused “Nothing like that, you….rogues. She’s a younger member of my own guild. A little sister. Somebody you help, not take advantage of…” Turning on Mac, he gestured with the buzzard bone admonishing, “Don’t you say a word, giggles.” before his friend, eyebrows raised, could utter a sound.
“Anyway, even though I’m not as aware of guild day-to-day as I should be, I can easily see that she is way too inexperienced and underequipped to take out the colonel in his lair. I’m thinking that she’s just collecting as many missions as she can so that if opportunity presents itself she can take advantage. A strategy I often use when adventuring. I introduce myself and ask if she needs any help and without batting an eye, she says she can handle all of the missions except the work in the cave. I tell her that’s understandable, the cave will be the toughest assignment and that I’ll be around and happy to help whenever she’s ready. Without any hesitation she says ‘Can we do it right now?’”
“I’m stunned. She’s got to know that the colonel is going to be surrounded by layer after layer of his followers, that after fighting through them all there would be reinforcements to fight on the way out. I ask if she’s sure she wants to do this now and she just smiles and nods.”
“Now, if I were taking the laughing boy here”, indicating Mac, “He’d bring two sacks with him- one full of blinding powder to get out of battle and the other full of flash powder to vanish when he got caughtstealthing. If it meant he didn’t bring any weapons but his sap in order to make space for more powders, he’d be fine with that.” Mac gave a unashamed nod acknowledging the accuracy of Chalker’s analysis as the waitress cleared the plates and set down another round of tankards. “Peekabout, on the other hand, walked along with me as if she were wearing full plate armor and carrying a great sword instead of wearing leather and carrying daggers.”
“We get into the cave, I’m fighting stealthed commandos and dodging headshrinker spells and she’s right beside me, battling away. I mention that she should use her stealth ability and let me draw the enemy’s attention, she downs a healing potion and says “I’m ok” and just keeps right on coming.”
The paladin paused to take a sip of his drink and noted the rogues exchanging looks. “Yes. You’re beginning to see the point. There is a difference between daring and fearless. Daring rogues, like your own good selves, take on risky assignments. Fearless rogues battle without a care for their own well being. Peekabout is a fearless rogue.”
Pausing as he took another sip, the paladin continued “In the Stormwind library I read once about the blade saints. Fighters whose virtue was so complete they fought without armor, using any weapon that came to hand. They had no attachment to their physical bodies, using them to defeat their opponents regardless of the cost. Watching Peekabout in battle reminded me of the blade saints. Battling Shadow Hunters, Sub-chiefs and elite commandos when all of them were way beyond her level, she worked her way through the entire cave complex. Before I chopped off his head for her, she hit Kurzen himself with some deadly blows.”
Sighing, Chalker concluded. “And that, my friends, is a fearless rogue and I’m proud to say, a member of the Stormcrow guild.”
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