Keepers of the Glade

It had been a very long camp, Kimurell, Jaxnor and Iane were all weary of the smells of frogs and even the two dark elves longed to see te sunshine again. But they had promised Deinonychus that they would kill Raster and so they remained in Guk, killing the minotaurs that wandered by from time to time, trying to drive out the invaders to thier moist, mouldy home. The guild sibs occasionally chatted, but there were more often long stretches of silnce, filled only by the froaking of frogloks and the dripping of water.
Kimurell's mind drifted during these times, remembering how things had been on Stormhammer's world; she had always had a partner there, the Fier'dal ranger Ravinwind. She tired not to miss him too much now, after all Deinonychus had followed her here to this world, so she hadn't lost all the friends of her youth. The house in Rivervale she missed very much though; Ravinwind's mentor and guardian, Viertania Darkwillow had owned it and housed her daughters and extended family there. The young Tier'dal cleric had found herself included in this last catagory somehow and had enjoyed it far more then she ever expected.
One evening seemed to jump to the fore front of her mind during her meditations on the slick stone floor of Guk. She and Ravinwind had just returned from Velious for a few days rest and recuperation. A giant had taken extreme exception when they had tried to chop off his head and Raviwind had been so badly wounded that not even Kim's skill could heal him fully without a bit of time. Viertania, a druid healer of no small skill herself, had taken a look at the healed over gash on Ravin's upper leg and agreed with Kimurell's prognosis of rest for a few days. Ravinwind had been installed on a couch in the parlor to play with Viertania's young daughters and Kimurell had been recruited to help prepare dinner for that night. The druid and the cleric had worked for a while in efficient silence; knives chopping ingredients, spoons mixing sauces and spatulas swirling about in the pans on the stove. Then Viertania had chuckled to herself and begun to hum a tiny tune, breathing the words beneath her breath, smiling now then for some mysterious reason.
"What could be so funny about making dinner?" Kimurell had finally asked her.
"Nothing at all, my dear." Viertania grinned over her shoulder, while tossing back her coppery braid of hair. "I was just recalling a hunt in my not so long lost youth was all. Did you and Ravin ever make it into the Tower of Frozen Shadows?"
"Only the first floor. We just didn't have the forces to go any further at the time. What does that have to do with that song?"
"Well, I learned that song on an extended trip into that Tower. It seems that melody has some kind of power that attracts and draws the more powerfull and rare denizens of whatever area you sing it in." The druid paused to switch around the pieces of quatered rabbit she was browning and then sat down at the table for a brief rest."Would you like to hear the whole tale of how I learned it?"
Kim nodded, sitting down across from her and continuing in peeling the carrots to go along with dinner.
"Well, when I was perhaps just a bit younger than yourself, my guild No Tears and a some members of our sister guild Temerity learned of a magic robe that was worn by Tserrina Tsy'lor. She is the Mistress of the Tower and very powerfull indeed. The leaders decided that all those who could use this robe should have one and so we traveled to Velious to storm the Tower. There were about eighteen of us, though the only names that you would know are my own and Deinonychus', but the leader of this raiding party: Sir Effendi, was confident that we could defeat Tserrina.
"We fought long and hard, but managed to get into place at last. As Greon, Gonif and Milar; our clerics, were meditating, the call from Effendi came down the hall way: INC shaded bat! This brought everyone to thier feet instantly! Alll that is except Master Earenhylle, a necromancer and Twiinkerbell, a bard, these two were deep in conference in the corner and seemed unaware that Sir Effendi was bringing danger back to our camp with him. But once the troll shadowknight came thundering back to us , the bat wafting behind, Twiinkerbell was there beside him, dealing out damage and singing one of the most unusual songs I had ever heard."
Viertania paused a moment and sang a chorus and verse of that same song; a story about a young dancer who lost her love in a tavern brawl.
"It was a very catchy tune and before too long we were all singing along with Twiinkerbell. Eaarenhylle was all smiles too for some reason, I never did have the chance to find out why. One never knows if it's good or bad when a necromancer smiles. Well, according to what we knew, Tserrina liked to flap about her Tower in the form of a bat. If you killed enough bats, eventually she would show herself and she did! We kept singing that song and once the bat died, she appeared and we killed her. Lady Merksa won the dice roll for the wonderfull robe, she was a very beautifull enchantress before, but was twice as lovely in that midnight blue robe. And the whole raiding party was abuzz with excitement; up untill now we had never been able to kill creatures like Tserrina.
"Effendi wondered if we would be able to make her reappear that day. Most doubted it, she didn't like to come back soon after she had been killed. But he brought us another bat to kill and Twiinkerbell and Earenhylle soon had us all singing that same song again. And she appeared again!"
Kimurell's eye bugged and she almost dropped the carrot. "Again?! So soon? That's almost unheard of"
Viertania grinned fondly and nodded. "I know, I know! We began to suspect some magic in the song after Tserrina appeared for the third time. By the end of the fourth fight we were convinced. Eight times that day we sang the song, and eight times Tserrina answered it's call. Earenhylle and Twiinkerbell would never reveal why that song held so much power, but I have never forgotten it. I still sing it sometimes, when I am trying to find a specific creature mostly, or waiting for it to appear in it's home. The song seems to make the time pass fater, makes folks a bit more cheerful and never seems to fail to draw the powerfull monsters out of hiding."
"I will have Ravinwind teach me that song then." Kimurell said as she finished that last carrot. "I have no doubt that I will need to use it's call some day."
Viertania had nodded and gone back to frying rabbit, still smiling and humming.
Kimurell couldn't help but smile now when she remembered the time that Ravinwind had taken to teach her the soong. The tune was catchy enough, but some tof the words didn't quite want to fit at times. But it was important enough that she had perservered and finally learned it to Ravin's satisfaction.
She was startled out of her revery by the clattering of bones when Jaxnor's pet began to fight and a cry of pain from Iane; they had been discovered by a froglok knight, who died quickly to the cackling skeleton and all the spells cast on him.
While Iane looted the coin, Kimurell sat back down and began humming the song to herself. She sang a bit louder for the next verse and by the end the halls were echoing with her husky low pitched voice. "The song has magic " She explained to Iane and Jaxnor. "Raster will appear soon now that I have sung it. I just know it."
"And how is that Miss Kim?" Jaxnor asked.
"Well, I knew a very wise druid while I was on Stormhammer's workd........."

They all were glad to feel the sunshine on thier backs one more when Iane's teleport brought them to land on the Plane of Knowledge. Kimurell smiled at Jaxnor, he smiled at Iane and she bamed back at them; still holding the prize piece of loot clutched tight in her hand. Now they belived in the Power of The Song.
"Don't tell Deino next time you see him." Iane warned them with a merry twinkle in her smile. "I want this to be a big surprise!"
"Not a word Iane; I swear!" Kim grinned back and raised her right hand. She forgot to drop her hammer into it's holster on her belt and nearly dropped it on her foot when she did that. "Alright! That's a sign I am too tired. I'm getting a bath then going to bed. Good night you two and thank you for having me along!"
"Good night priestess!" Jaxnor called after her. "I'm climbing into my own coffin soon as well"
Kimurell turned and blew him a kiss before he was out of sight behind her. She was very happy now; thier goal for the night had been reached and she had managed to convince two of her friends that The Song really worked.