h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*An old dissheviled house in the more well to do arra if the city which has fallen into disrepair. Most of the rooms are locked and the much of the furniture is covered in sheets to keep off the dust which covers so much of the house*

*a large timber wolf walks into the lounge from the hallway and lays at the feet of a man sat there. He lies with his chest and his legs facing the fire burning in the hearth*

Ah Konrad my old friend, the house needs a lot of work doing to it. Maybe I waited too long to return here.

Konrad I suppose that soon I must go up to the guild buildings and take my place as an Elder of the magicians guild

*the man stands and his clothing can be seen more clearly. He is wearing a leather jerkin and flexible, utilitarian but hard wearing breeches*

Come along now, it is time for us to go and meet our masters.

*the man leaves the room and the wolf follows. As he does so, the fire in the hearth dwindles and dies. The front door of the house can be heard shutting*

*Wolf returns and colses the front door. several candals spring to life, illuminating the pitch darkness of the house*

It will be time for us to sleep soon Konrad.

*wakes up after a good day's sleep and gets dressed*

Come Konrad we must return to the guild now

*leaves, and as he does the fire and candels splutter and die*

*Wolf get's home just as the sun is rising in the sky. He eats his morning meal and takes a dose of the potion Alicia Brmyn made up for him before retiring to the lounge, where the fire re-ignights*

hmmm, time for a smoke I think.

*produces a cigar from a box at the side of his chair and lights it*

Well Konrad my friend it seems like we have fallen in with two others, we are part of a trio again. Three loners, and all for different reasons, each with their own animal, a wolf, a cat and a bird. It's getting like old times, except the cat this time isn't a panther.

*wolf wakes to find himself still sat in his chair*

Hey boy, what time is it?

*konrad looks at him quizically and nuzzles his pocket*

yes, yes, I know I'm the one with the watch. We need suplies old boy, and we're going to have to go and get them in the daytime

*Wolf checks his watch*

come on let's go and see what we can see in the city of mages

*wolf pulls on his cloak and pulls the hood up over his face, before leaving for the market*

*Wolf enters and prepares for his trip before leaving for the front gate*

*Thurin unlocks the house and enters*

[Thurin] Oh my God, he hasn't even bothered to clean the place up...

*Looks in*

I don't think he spends much time here, he usually curls up somewhere warm in the guild

[Thurin] Curls up somewhere warm in the guild? you make him sound like someone's pet poodle. Oh well, I hope you dont mind the mess too much, please do come in, I have some tea leaves about me somewhere, would you care for a cup or do you prefer something a little stronger?

*Comes all the way in*

No he's no one's poodle but he prefers the guild to his home and well he prefers the company I think.

Some wine will be nice thank you, so why are you here, Wolf said something about the King's replacement

I'm here because Wolf and I share certain views... I will help in the succession of the king in anyway in which I can. So what company is Wolf keeping these days?

*Thurin leads the way into the lounge and goes over to a locked cabinet. Producing a key on a chain from around his neck he unlocks it and, after rooting around towards the back of the cabinet, finds a bottle of 'vintage' white wine*

I'm afraid it's not chilled, but I haven't had time to get some ice

*Accepts the drink*

What company is Wolf keeping?, oh boy now there's a question

*Thinks of how best to answer, but decides what the hell this is his brother*

Well it seems our Wolf has something of a reputation with the Ladies of the guild, he has tried his luck with most ladies including myself, he is keeping Lady Lumien company these days, she's our Lady High Healer

He has no love for Lord Lycan, he is the Lord High Caretaker and another Lycanthrop, I don't think he cares much for Lady Elandra either but that is probably due to her being Lycan's lover

*Sips her wine*

This is excellent My Lord

[Thurin] huh, yeah that sounds like Wolf

*sips the wine*

[Thurin] yes, it is is good, isn't it. Tell me, this Lord Lycan, what do you know of him, what's he like?

Lord Lycan has a temper, he can be rather single minded, he doesn't like to listen to other opinions, well he doesn't listen to mine anyway, I threatened him with a silver knife a few days ago it didn't seem to bother him so he's brave, or foolish

[Thurin] or arogant... So enough about him, tell me about yourself

Me?

*Smiles*

Well I'm older that I look for starters

*Sighs sadly*

I was born in Kalahvar province 200 years ago, my father was a Mage and the squire of our village, he was a kind man, nothing was too much trouble for him, he was an Elementalist like myself he made sure the millers had wind, the smiths had fire and the farmers had rain, then the Dark Allience came and he left to fight them before he left he extended my life tenfold so I would be able to look after the people of the village

*Takes a gulp of wine*

He was taken prisoner and he..............he............

*Takes another gulp of wine*

...........took his own life rather than allow the allience to use his power, the allience found out he had a powerful daughter and came looking for me, my mother and I took the villagers into the Manor House and held them off for a few weeks, but we could not win against them so I cast an ice spell, coated the manor house in ice and the occupants were magically frozen in slumber only to awaken when the allience left the kingdom, that spell nearly killed me, with what magic I had left I cast a hibernation spell to restore my magic, I was asleep for 100 years when I awoke I came here to help fight the allience so I can see my mother again.

*Drains the wine glass, a tear falls down her cheek*

Wolf was one of the first friends I made here