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Rall thinks he's heard that Laurie had a grandmother. He's not sure though he really believes she had parents, she's one of kind.
Bowen has heard of blackroot. It's an herb that grows in various places in the woods. The lumberjacks often pick it to chew on. Any lumber camp would be able to locate a patch. Elderwood moss would be moss that grows on an elderly tree.
"Elderwood moss,... my grandmother wrote that it grew on the oldest tree in the forest. Blackroot should be available in the lumber camps," says Laurie.
Ildri nods and repeats the instructions to herself before saying, "Miss Laurie, I shall seek these for you straight away." After another polite bow she exits the house pausing only to take in the number of ill waiting to be seen and thinks I can not fail at finding the Blackroot and Elderwoodmoss. As she walks through town contemplating whether to leave straight away or to get a good nights rest first she keeps an eye out for the boy from the Sitting Duck.
Bowen nods his understanding to Laurie.
"Rall I'll meet you at the Duck a little later."
Bowen leaves the shack and follows after the woman that left just a few moments ago. "Miss would you mind if I and my companions tag along? The wilderness around these parts can be quite deadly. I've already lost more than a handful of brave souls to these wilde parts and do not wish to lose any more. I may even be able to curtail a tongue or two but no promises."
Rall watches Bowen and the strange girl head off. "Boy, I really hope they can find the Blackmoss and Elderroot. Lots of people will die if they don't. Glad I'm not going; I can really use a couple of weeks of soft beds -- preferably not my own. Wonder why Bowen wants to meet me at the Duck later..."
Iann looks at the departing pair for a moment, then shrugs. "There's bound to be some money in this." He tells himself.
"You're not going? He asks Rall, nudging the man lightly before jogging off to catch up with the others.
"I'll catch up with you all later," Rall wanders around town a bit before meeting Bowen at the Duck. Though it never occurs to Rall that he'll be going, somewhere along the lines his conscience manages to convince the rest of him to pack up his gear into his bag of holding, check his weaponry, and refill his rations.
Bowen leaves the shack and follows after the woman that left just a few moments ago. "Miss would you mind if I and my companions tag along? The wilderness around these parts can be quite deadly. I've already lost more than a handful of brave souls to these wilde parts and do not wish to lose any more. I may even be able to curtail a tongue or two but no promises."
Ildri turns and faces the man looking like she is about to shout at him but then her demeanor softens. With a sigh she says, "Alright, I could use a guide familiar with the area. If the healer is right we should be able to get the Blackroot from one of the lumber camps, any idea how long it will take to hike out to one? The eldest tree in the forest may be a bit harder, any thoughts on where we can find it?"
"The closest camp I think can be reached within a few hours. The eldest tree would be a bit of a challenge to find I'd have to think on that and who knows we may be able to ask one of the lumberjacks though you really need to watch yourself with them. Gather what you think you will need for a trip and meet me at the Sitting Duck as soon as you can."
Bowen walks into the tavern orders the watered down drink and jokingly asks the keep to put it on his 'bill.' Bowen smiles at Rall, "Glad to see you don't need to much convincing to come and make sure I do this thing right."
To the man in metal, "I'm called Bowen and would like to offer a hand in this trip. You look a man who enjoys action and I say that if you stay here the action will lead to you dead or in jail. SO what say you?"
Ildri has everything she owns in her pack and prepares to follow Bowen into the tavern but hesitates. She looks around for the wayward boy another time before stepping through the door.
Bowen walks into the tavern orders the watered down drink and jokingly asks the keep to put it on his 'bill.' Bowen smiles at Rall, "Glad to see you don't need to much convincing to come and make sure I do this thing right."
Rall is about to object that he has no intention of going with Bowen when he notices his backpack is ready to go. "Yes, I guess we're off to save the village again," he says. "Hopefully not so bad as the last time, eh?"
It's Ildri's turn to stare at the warrior, "You say that as if they got the better of you. Magic and posion aside I would think one as tough as you could handle some pesky doglings."
'She wants me,' thinks Rall smugly before explaining, "Well, there were a lot of them. And a werewolf or two. And the kobolds were riding poison toads. And there was a floating jelly dwarf. Really, the kobolds were small fry once we finally got to them."
As the group leaves the town, Ildri is pretty sure she sees the pale young boy watching them leave, but he does not follow.
The sky begins to grow overcast as the party walks, first along the road and then turning northward towards the closest lumber camp. The clouds are coming from the northwest, from the mountains, and there is lightning and dark rain on the horizon.
Perhaps it is the feel of a coming storm, but there seems to be no-one else on the road or walking through the wilderness.
Weather its the storm making her nervous, or the wishful thinking that the boy is following along, Ildri keeps checking back over her shoulder.
Bowen is of two minds about when the storm will hit relative to reaching the camp.
Pressing on wins out and sure enough, the group reaches the camp just as the sky grows dark and heavy drops begin to fall.
There are two guards standing at the gate of the log fence.
"You folks need to get out o' the rain," says the younger of the guards, friendly like.
"What do you want?" says the other, hefting his spear and stepping forward, his attitude making it clear that they need to have a good reason for being there, "You don't look like fresh workers."
Damp and irritated with the mixed welcome Ildri says, "We are wet and tired and are here seeking ingredients to help cure the illness plaguing the town. Your help in seeing us into a warm, dry place will be greatly appreciated."
Bowen thinks it might be Lucan and Riedmont, though he can't be sure about Riedmont.
Ildri's words don't exactly make the gruff one smile but the other one (Lucan, Bowen thinks) waves them inside. "We've been hearing about that plague and its a good thing too someone can do something about it. What is it you're seekin'?"
"We could probably get some from you, but we don't have a huge amount on hand. How much..."
A crack of thunder interupts him.
"Go on and get them outta the rain," says the gruff one. Rall and Bowen suddenly recognize the older, gruffer one. He has a wife in town who is pretty ill.
"I'll take you to the cabin," says Lucan and he heads off just as the heavy drops became a literal downpour.
There are a collection of log buildings to the left of the gate, but a good bit of the yard is dominated by a pile of logs. The largest of the log buildings is apparently "the cabin," and it is to this building Lucan leads the group.
Inside, a trio of loggers (two men, one woman) are seated around a table holding cards. There are eight bunk beds in the room.
"These folks are looking for Blackroot to make medicine for the town," announces Lucan as they enter.
Rall gets a mixture of stares with his declaration and then several guffaws followed by vulgar references to what the lumber consortium is good for.
Clearly there are no management types in the room at the moment.
After some discussion, the gist is this: the blackroot will have to be harvested. If the party wants to continue in the morning to gather the other ingredient, when they come back through the lumberjacks will ahve blackroot for them.
Overall the lumberjacks are pretty good folks. They'll let the party spend the night in their place and will try to not let on to the foreman that they are there. Apparently, the bunk-house is a place where they are allowed to do what they want, so long as they don't get into fights or start fires.
"The foreman wakes early though so if you leave before he's up, there will be less trouble," says the female lumberjack, Sella.
"Perhaps it is wise of us to weather out the storm through the night, ..."
"You mean it might be better to stay here inside than to take our chances in the Darkmoon Woods at night with the werewolves that like to dress up as little girls and whatnot?" asks Rall in a dry tone. "I concur. That would be good."