"Superstitious nonsense can still hurt you, though," Panamax says. "How recently did you say the Iron Wind was there?"
"It can," she says quietly. "Not quite a week ago. Shipments are still going out on the sea, but Keford is having a hell of a time getting things shipped overland."
Then in a more cheerful voice to Ceri, "I've heard that spirits are warded off by wood that has been struck by lightning."
"I hadn't heard that one! I grew up thinking you could scare off spirits if you carried salt in your pockets. Which I never understood, because salt makes everything taste better."
"He called it a minor Senzu bean. It's supposed to fill you up and heal you to boot. It should be enough to make you feel better." He places the bean in her hand and folds her fingers around it.
Tavene looks up at Kilo while his hand covers hers. "Thank you," she doesn't move her hand away, but a half smile appears on her face. "I'll take it before bed, after I've put this fish away. That training was intense, I feel like I'll probably be hungry for a day or two no matter how much I eat."
She chuckles. "I guess that's one of the many reasons I got into this line of work. Eating whatever I want and burning it off in a good fight."
Nalo's pale eyed gaze rakes up the driver with a cold assessment that doesn't match the slow polite smile that curves her lips. A ever so slight shake of her head for Tavene, more a maybe than a no, "I'm Nalo `Ui`uiki. Tavene said you might be able to help us find out if any caravans are heading to Kordech?"
Tam looks crestfallen. "Oh jeez, yeah I wish I was going that way," he says, acting as though Nalo asked for him specifically. "Not many people want to go that direction on account of the Wind, but Ada, she's crazy, she'll go anywhere! She's running a line out to Kordech in the next day or two." He points to a very similar looking caravan. The woman is staring off into the distance with a book in her lap.
"Okay, great, thanks, good chat," Tavene says quickly. Tam watches the two women eagerly as though they'll stay and chat with him, but Tavene moves towards Ada without much further ado. "Hi, Ada? Tam pointed us your way, said you were going to Kordech?"
The woman looks started, and the book almost falls off her lap when she jumps. "Oh! Yes. I already have three passengers booked..." she looks back at her wagon and does some quick math. "I've got room for at least ten more, and I'd like to fill it before I head over. Not many drivers heading out that way right now, so a two person trip isn't quite worth my while." The aneen tethered near her cart munch noisily on grass nearby.
She catches Jarris squarely in the eye, "But freaks have to stick together."
He smiles gently. "That they do."
He listens as she tells her story, not fidgeting even once with his hands. "Finding ships in the desert... that's why I travel. To hear stories like that, and, eventually, to tell stories of my own. Did your great-aunt contribute to the reason you're out here now, traveling with a group of strangers?"
"There's not a lot going on between here and Kordech. We might pass through Jaston, but... this might be our last night in a soft bed for a while." He sighs wistfully. "As much as I like traveling, I don't sleep well when it's not within the confines of a place with a roof or walls."
"This is quite a group you've fallen in with. Or collected?" She looks sadly at her third, or fourth? empty mug, shaking it as though she might will more alcohol into it. She's not quite slurring, but she's not sitting still in her chair, either. "How long have you been on the road?"
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The morning comes, too soon for some of the group, and with it a storm bank threatening to burst over your heads. For most of Keford, it's business as usual, and next to no one at the gates waiting to go east. Caravan drivers and a very small handful of passengers hunker down in the shelter of their carts as a gentle rain starts to fall. They seem to be anticipating something worse.
"The cave will be just over a full day from here," Ceri says, tightening her hood over her face. "I hope you're all ready to rough it for at least a night or two."
"I've spent a lot of time in the wilds. Even if there's someone here who isn't prepared, I can throw together something temporary for them." Tavene says, tugging her own cloak into place.
"We should probably get started tomorrow, if we can." Explaining, "We've got a few days until the caravan is heading out of town, but better to not cut it too close if we don't have to?"
"Ceri," with a half smile, "you know where we are going, at least what it was before the wind, any special gear you think we might need?"
"That's a good question!" She holds up a finger, dashes off to the bar, and returns a few minutes later with a giant pitcher of ... something. It smells spice-laden and curls the tiny hairs in your nose if you get too close to it.
"It's always a good idea to prepare for being too cold, being too hot, being on fire, falling down a hole, falling up a hole, accidental teleportation, strange creatures that haven't seen the light of day before, and, worse of all... people who got there before you did." She pours a healthy sized portion of the dark liquid into her mug.
"So as useless as it is to say, I would say you should prepare for anything." She looks more serious. "Traipsing through remains of the old world is pretty dangerous. The weather will probably be okay, it might rain. It's likely the cave won't lead far enough down that we should encounter snow or lava. Definitely bring some rope. Bring some bandages, or better yet, tasties that heal you."
"That's considerate of you, letting me wait a bit to fill up. I'm sure you've heard, no one's about this trip right now." She sighs. "I might be a right fool to wait for passengers, but as I've got a couple already..." she nods. "I'd say for seven, going to Kordech? Four to five days total, depending on the weather, assuming no more Winds," she taps the side of her seat with her pointer finger, "you gotta bring your own food, but I'd say for seven it'd be five shins a head."
"What, no discount?" The words tumble out of Tavene's mouth.
"Well... what did you have in mind?" She does seem more interested in having a discussion about it than she did just asking for shins. That much you can see.
"I've heard that spirits are warded off by wood that has been struck by lightning.""I hadn't heard that one! I grew up thinking you could scare off spirits if you carried salt in your pockets. Which I never understood, because salt makes everything taste better."
"I know nothing of spirits," Panamax cheerfully admits. "Although I will not carry salt on my person if it will make them think of me as a tasty who heals."
Pause. "Our last night in soft beds or our last night in a soft bed?"
Another pause. "I must confess that I will sleep just as well here as under the stars."
She grins, "Or as I said, we are a capable group, do [i]you[i] have something that needs doing that might make us all happy?" Nalo seems quite willing to talk and figure out a deal, as open and guileless as Ada is, Nalo just can't get a read on the caravan owner.
He chews on the last of the bread he's been nursing all night. "You'd think I'd love sleeping under the stars. It's romantic, it's peaceful. Until two dazzlegads decide to mate under full moons, near your tent, so not only are you listening to the horrible sounds, and under constant fear of being trampled, you also get occasional blinding flashes as their mirrored flesh points bright moonslight directly into your sleeping arrangement."
"I can put out a call for passengers going east." She says after a few moments of thinking. "People who weren't keen on traveling without protection. If your seven were willing to keep more of an eye out, do a little more protecting than traveling... three shins a head?"
Panamax laughs a little too loudly, genuinely delighted by the mental image of the dazzlegads mating.
He snorts a bit as the laughter calms down. "One of those moments of wonder in your travels, no doubt."
He shakes his head. "...directly into your sleeping arrangement...." Another chuckle.
Panamax levers himself out of the chair. "I'm going to a soft bed. I'm told it will be my last one for a while."
Tavene looks up at Kilo while his hand covers hers. "Thank you," she doesn't move her hand away, but a half smile appears on her face. "I'll take it before bed, after I've put this fish away. That training was intense, I feel like I'll probably be hungry for a day or two no matter how much I eat."
"Really? The ocean has plenty to provide. If for some reason the bean doesn't do it and the cook won't put something together, I'm sure I can keep going until you're sated." Kilo appears honestly concerned.
She chuckles. "I guess that's one of the many reasons I got into this line of work. Eating whatever I want and burning it off in a good fight."
"Well...aside from eating for eatings sake, isn't that the reason for eating? I mean, food is fuel, right? So eating provides energy to make yourself better. It's a perfect win-win!" Kilo grins happily.
She tries to catch Tavenes eye, silently asking if the glaive thinks the discount is enough.
"And I like the group fate has chosen to put me with."
There is a fierceness to Nalo's liking, like she is worried that if she doesn't do everything just right, one of them will be hurt. Or leave.
"I have some fancy bread from the inn where we met himself who had the job."
As he starts with the firemaking, or whatever you have to do to provide food in the wilds of the park, "Did you find someone to learn from?"
Panamax levers himself out of the chair. "I'm going to a soft bed. I'm told it will be my last one for a while."
"When you say it that way, it sounds like I threatened you." Jarris says, a smile quickly turning into a yawn of his own. He hesitates with his hands on the arms of his chair...
And then settles back into it. "I think I'll watch the fire a little longer." He bows his head, then looks up and smiles warmly. "And then to a soft bed myself. Turu lan nonton dazzlegads."
"The world is full of such things. People trip over them all the time and don't even realize it." He smiles. "I like your group as well. They seem like a good bunch of misfits to trip over wonders with."
"Really? The ocean has plenty to provide. If for some reason the bean doesn't do it and the cook won't put something together, I'm sure I can keep going until you're sated." Kilo appears honestly concerned.
Tavene looks a little confused, and then she laughs. "Oh, no, it's just an exaggeration. I'm not too shabby at catching my own food either, just ah... not as practiced on a ship. Much better out in the wild."
"Well...aside from eating for eatings sake, isn't that the reason for eating? I mean, food is fuel, right? So eating provides energy to make yourself better. It's a perfect win-win!" Kilo grins happily.
"Exactly!" She seems genuinely excited about the conversation. "A perfect cycle. Eat delicious food, fight until you're about to drop, eat more delicious food."
Ada hesitates.
"Well... two is a little low..." she seems unsure.
"Come on, Ada. Are you going to let a large group of people willing to protect you slip away so easily?" A masculine voice pipes up from the covered cart. Tavene whirls around to face it, confused when she sees no one.
A man with dark hair, short and messy, pokes his head up from the floor of the cart. It's clear he's just woken up from a long night, or an early nap. He looks between Nalo and Tavene, gaze lingering on the former, before looking to Ada.
"Hush, Mathias." She chides. "Okay, wreck me but that's cheap." She shakes her head and looks back to Nalo and Tavene. "Two shins a head, protect the caravan during the trip. Maybe hunt a little something out on the road so we have more to eat than rations?"
Tavene glances at Nalo again, then back to the driver, and nods. "A deal is struck."
"Stew." Nalo says without even a moment's thought.
"I have some fancy bread from the inn where we met himself who had the job."
As he starts with the firemaking, or whatever you have to do to provide food in the wilds of the park, "Did you find someone to learn from?"
Kilo quickly starts a low fire within the dome of the low tree and hangs a pot filled with water, which is soon boiling. He leaves briefly, and she can hear a small boulder being moved. If she follows, a nearly flattened rodent is quickly field dressed, then sliced into small pieces to cook more quickly. Leaves and a pinch of herbs are added from a small pouch to add flavor before small strips of jerky are added to soften and add variety. A small bag from the explorer's pack reveals tubers, which are quickly sliced into chunks and lastly the top is set at a bit of an angle to let some of the liquid steam off and the whole pot simmer to perfection (hopefully).
It does take a bit to cool down to taste, and a lack of utensils makes the sharing of a spork a likely necessity.
Tavene looks a little confused, and then she laughs. "Oh, no, it's just an exaggeration. I'm not too shabby at catching my own food either, just ah... not as practiced on a ship. Much better out in the wild."
"Do you use a bow?" he asks, genuinely interested, "I can show you how to make a fishing arrow, barbed head, thin retrieval line...your target pretty much has to be very near or at the surface, and if it's under you need to adjust, cause the light and water plays tricks on you." He grins, "Master Karin sent me to learn patience and centering myself from an old fisherman."
"Exactly!" She seems genuinely excited about the conversation. "A perfect cycle. Eat delicious food, fight until you're about to drop, eat more delicious food."
Kilo smiles broadly, "I think we understand one another, Tavene." He looks directly into her eyes, "I am happy we have met and are making this journey together."
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Kilo smiles broadly, "I think we understand one another, Tavene." He looks directly into her eyes, "I am happy we have met and are making this journey together."
It's hard to ignore boundless and honest enthusiasm, and although Tavene isn't the best at dealing with people, she's not immune to his earnestness.
"I'm happy for that too, Kilo." She says with a lopsided grin.
"For both gifts."
She waves to the man in the wagon, turns to go then pauses. Turning back, "We'll be staying at," looks to Tavene for confirmation then continues, "the Tallest Tree if you need to find us."
At some point when there is a lull in the discussion about the Iron Wind created adventure site, Nalo tries to catch everyone's attention. "Tavene did find a caravan that is willing to take us on," a shrug, "not many headed in that direction because of the wind. [b]"Only two shins a head since we pointed out that we were capable of keeping an eye out for trouble which is letting her bring along some passengers that wouldn't travel without protection."
A pause, "She started at five shins a head, so I thought we did pretty decent in bargaining to do what we would have probably done anyways."
"I'll give it a day or two and leave a note at the inn, should neither of you be present if I'm ready to leave." Ada says. She turns back to say something quietly to the man in the back of the wagon, and it sounds like they're in the midst of a minor argument when you and Tavene turn back into the city.
"I can't say I'm sad we won't be traveling with Tam." Tavene admits, casting no glances backwards in case she catches the man's eyes. "He seems harmless, but gods. The talking. It's like Jarris, but so much worse."
A pause, "She started at five shins a head, so I thought we did pretty decent in bargaining to do what we would have probably done anyways."
"You did great," Anson says, giving Nalo an encouraging grin. "Sounds to me like it'll be easier for all of us to pay after we raid that cave. So let's do that, come back, and hitch a ride with the caravan.'
Panamax smiles again, and heads upstairs to seek out his own soft bed.
Panamax opens his mouth, then slowly closes it. "Sounds good," he eventually says.
Panamax gets wet when it rains. He doesn't have much to say about that.
"There's a caravan driver going east?" Ceri asks, surprised. "She could have charged you twice that easy. Nice job on the bargaining, ladies."
Tavene shrugs in response, looking uncomfortable, but Jarris raises a glass in salute.
"Excellent bargaining." He takes a sip. "If there's anything else you'll all need for the road, let me know, I may be able to put you in touch with the Right People."
Assuming no one needs to pull over to use the restroom, you all begin your walk to the east. The rain still hasn't broken in earnest. There's just a bit of a drizzle that comes in sideways on occasional strong gusts from the direction you're headed.
The hills outside of Keford are lush green and rolling into a landscape as pretty as a painting. Jarris makes comments about the colors he'd mix to capture the storm grey-blue of the clouds on the horizon. And how, if he had time and wasn't being drizzled on, he'd stop everyone to paint them into it. "Group painting!"
"We stay on the road for most of it, thankfully." Ceri mentions from under the hood. Water slides off the apparently waterproof fabric of her clothing. "The merchant who saw the storm saw it from a campsite off the road, so it'll be a little bit of a hike from there." After a quick glance, and wink, at Anson, she tugs the straps of her backpack tighter and leads the way forward.
The rain worsens on your journey, but not by much. At one point, even with waterproofed clothing, members of the group end up with damp hair plastered to their faces, if they have hair, and take a moment to recheck their bags to make sure there's nothing being damaged by water.
You make it to the campsite Ceri mentioned earlier that day by twilight, which you can barely make out through the clouds that have threatened to open up over your heads all day. Tavene does quick work to help everyone set up shelters, whether they had their own or not. Jarris surprises no one when he pulls out a tiny cube that, once activated, unfolds into a small shelter with four walls, no windows, but a roof made of something that looks like glass but isn't, allowing full view of the sky above him.
Tavene looks at him with something like both amusement and disgust as she sets up a surprisingly simple but effective branches-and-leaves tent nearby.
"What? I find this to be more safe than a tent. Or branches." He grins broadly. "I had a bad experience the last time I braved the elements."
The next morning shows up with a clear blue sky, no memory of the drizzle in sight except for a little bit of dew covering everything at the campsite, and the slightly damp ground beside your shelters.
The cave isn't immediately visible or obvious from your camp. Ceri hesitates, her cool composure breaking for only a moment as she seems to consider having led a group of people to the wrong place. "If you guys don't mind waiting, I'll scout ahead and find the place before I lead you all over? The merchant said it was visible from here, but I think I'd like to find it first, so I continue giving the impression I know what I'm doing." She grins.
The cave isn't immediately visible or obvious from your camp. Ceri hesitates, her cool composure breaking for only a moment as she seems to consider having led a group of people to the wrong place. "If you guys don't mind waiting, I'll scout ahead and find the place before I lead you all over? The merchant said it was visible from here, but I think I'd like to find it first, so I continue giving the impression I know what I'm doing." She grins.
"I'll go as well," Anson says. "So if you're warning those goons you supposedly don't have, you'll have a bit more of a problem."
Ceri puts her hands on her hips and shakes her head. "Always one step ahead of me, Anson Akradius."
"I will never cease to be amazed by what the Winds can do," Ceri says. "Though I'll admit I'm a little worried that we didn't immediately see the mouth of a cave from the camp."
When you get down the slope to be at forest-level, one of the hills nearby reveals a wide mouth with two statues very visible in the mouth of it. A few steps up the slope, the mouth disappears. "Oh. That's weird."
At the campsite, Nalo pulls off her sodden overcoat, wrings it out, then proceeds to zap the interior of the cloth with small jolts of electricity in a deliberate pattern. Her hair still drips water to run down and soak her clothes when she replaces the gray coat but steam rises from the garment - relieving shivering that started with the heavier rain... for a while.
Nalo's eyes cloud with worry, "I don't think it is that much extra effort if it is the wrong place, but I'd hate for it to be the right place and you to run into trouble without the right support."
Nalo rubs her eyes with the back of her hand. Then she backs away a bit, seeing if she can get the phenomenon to repeat.
And you do! You run into Jarris near the center of town, coming from the direction of the market. He's carrying a small bag over his shoulder filled with something that clinks softly as he moves.
"Ah, good evening, ladies! Mind if I join you on the walk?"
Nalo's eyes cloud with worry, "I don't think it is that much extra effort if it is the wrong place, but I'd hate for it to be the right place and you to run into trouble without the right support."
Ceri raises her eyebrows slightly, then smiles. "I would hate that, too!"
"Well, I guess we can go back and grab everyone else now," she says, sounding a just a little pouty about it. It's clear she wants to run into the cave and dive straight into the dark. "I'd hate for them to miss the adventure."
She looks to Anson. "I didn't leave my thug-pants here, either. Don't worry."
"Or we can be smart and just go get everyone first."
She walks quickly towards the entrance of the building.
From standing just outside the cave, you can't actually see the back of it; it's as though the darkness is a tangible thing blocking your sight. The statues rise up on either side of the inside of the cave, bases lost in the rubble on the cave's floor, and very tops brushing the roof. They look vaguely humanoid, but that might just be your mind playing tricks on you and trying to find something recognizable in their shapes.
"They look like women dancing. Or canine-people dancing." Ceri looks up at them, squinting her eyes. Her voice gets lost in the darkness, sounding oddly flat when she speaks.
Then she takes the spork and tastes a good sized bite with a chunk of tuber. "Better than Mū's."
"Sorry really low bar that," a grin, "much better than Mū's. Plus no comments on how I should be the one doing the cooking."
"You still aren't one for unnecessary talking, huh?" She leans back, head sticking past the cover of the leather tent. "You can't really see the stars in the city."
"But I'm probably just going to go to that cheese store. Anson said something about a ginormous cheese when he was last in Keford."
"And maybe better details on the dancing dog people." She mutters quietly.
She looks at Anson, questioningly.
Panamax waits while the scouters scout ahead. "Got any chairs in that thing?" he asks Jarris.
"I've used a bow before... but I can't say I'd ever thought to learn how to fish with one. Just poles, whenever I'd camp out near a lake or river. So I'd love to learn from you!"
"Yeah, I can use a pole, but I always enjoyed the bow a little more." Kilo shows her his equipment, the thicker shaft, no fletchings, barbed head and heavy line to reel in larger game. "Just remember, when you're looking at your target in the water, it's like a numenera illusion. The old man told me, 'when in doubt, aim low, take a breath, then aim lower'." He pauses, "the good thing about learning bowfishing? You rarely have to worry about spending time finding your arrows!" he smiles. "Want to give it a try?"
"Better than Mū's."
"Sorry really low bar that," a grin, "much better than Mū's. Plus no comments on how I should be the one doing the cooking."
This earns merely a look of what is likely incomprehension.
"You still aren't one for unnecessary talking, huh?" She leans back, head sticking past the cover of the leather tent. "You can't really see the stars in the city."
A quirk of the lips as he stares at her for a moment before blinking with a small nod, perhaps in acknowledgement of her words. He lays down next to her, facing in the same direction and points up at the sky. "Master of Storms." he says pointing up at some of the brighter points in the sky that are not traveling quickly towards the horizon. "Not as good as away." he gestures towards the periphery, "but better here then among the lights."
"Tavene did find a caravan that is willing to take us on," a shrug, "not many headed in that direction because of the wind. Only two shins a head since we pointed out that we were capable of keeping an eye out for trouble which is letting her bring along some passengers that wouldn't travel without protection."
A pause, "She started at five shins a head, so I thought we did pretty decent in bargaining to do what we would have probably done anyways."
Kilo nods approvingly.
You make it to the campsite Ceri mentioned earlier that day by twilight, which you can barely make out through the clouds that have threatened to open up over your heads all day. Tavene does quick work to help everyone set up shelters, whether they had their own or not. Jarris surprises no one when he pulls out a tiny cube that, once activated, unfolds into a small shelter with four walls, no windows, but a roof made of something that looks like glass but isn't, allowing full view of the sky above him.
Tavene looks at him with something like both amusement and disgust as she sets up a surprisingly simple but effective branches-and-leaves tent nearby. ...
Kilo pulls closer to Nalo, and says something to her in a low voice
"I will go back and get the others." his eyes sweep the others,
Early in the day, when the weather is more drizzle than rain, Nalo modifies her stride to walk next to Panamax. Her dark hair is pulled back in a bun although stands have escaped and lay plastered to her face and neck. With a curious smile, "Is ollos a family name or title? "
Taking in the constellation Makani pointed out, Nalo grins. "See the brightest of the stars that make up the constellation? That is the system of Gienah."
Then as she points out the star system, "Gienah. Do you think anything from there has come here? Or vice versa?"
Early in the day, when the weather is more drizzle than rain, Nalo modifies her stride to walk next to Panamax. Her dark hair is pulled back in a bun although stands have escaped and lay plastered to her face and neck. With a curious smile, "Is ollos a family name or title? "
Panamax looks a bit like a drowned rat in a soggy robe, but the overall weary dampness in his face emphasizes the blue in his eyes. "Neither," he says, looking over to Nalo, then back to the road. "The pirate was having a religious moment, and called me by the name of a god. It was quite the compliment. I have no family name, and traditionally I will discover my title as I thrive."
"Do you not have other names that you are known by?"
Nalo shrugs, "There are nicknames my brothers and uncles call me." Her head cocks to one side, "What kind of god is Ollos?"
She considers the far off star system, "Maybe in a previous age. I can't see how the nanos of old wouldn't have wanted to touch the stars."
"God of healing," Panamax says. "And also plagues. I understand how he made the connection."
"Brothers and uncles. No sisters and aunts? Or no nicknames from the sisters and aunts?"
"Not specifically but if someone presented the opportunity to do so I can't think of a train to not take them up on the offer."
Kilo is quiet for a time, long enough for Nalo to think that perhaps he had drifted off to sleep and for her to begin to welcome the closeness of the shelter trapping even the residual heat from his arm next to hers as the temperature drops and the warmth quickly evaporates from the night air. He speaks in a subdued tone, "Ui, do you...have any dreams?"