Svetlana is as happy as always to see her cooking eaten with such gusto. As the first wave dissapears, she comes back around with seconds for any who want them.
Oleg, Kesten, and Jhod join the group at the table as well, engaging in small talk about buisness at the post and how it might yet change with the drop in banditry. Eventually the topic gets around to how that change might then cause Restov (and the rest of Brevoy for that matter) to change their interest in the area. Oleg still doesn't like the idea of more civilization coming out here, but seems to have resigned himself to the fact that his peace and quiet will not last long. On the flip side of course, he's more than grateful for the added security that has and will come.
All in all its a typical morning for the brave adventurers. One piece of news does come out that surprises most everyone. Both Estruven and Cal make it known that they will not be going with the party on their next outing. Seems they have some mutual buisness to take care of in the area. They promise to be back, but cannot say exactly when.
After finishing his breakfast, Bregor stands up and gives a bow to the rest of the people sitting at the table, he then proceeds to walk back into the stable and get fully dressed.
A few minutes later he walks out, fully equipped for a jaunt into the wilderness. He waits for the others to get ready, make whatever plans they wish, leaning against the gates, whistling a merry tune whilst twirling the stick that he appears to have taken quite a shine to.
As Svetlana passes by he nods to her. "Many compliments on your cooking my fair lady, it was an absolute pleasure to dine so well."
After that he gives her a bow and a smile.
Bregor is quite happy to let the others make whatever plans they wish as he does not yet know anything major about the situation, quite pleased to help in whatever way he can once such plans have been finalized.
Kyrie sympathizes with Oleg's lament, but points out that his choices are an increased presence of civilization, or bandit bands like the Stag Lord's. After all, taxes will likely still cost less than what the Stag Lord is extorting, and most tax collectors won't help themselves to his supplies, his drink and his wife or any daughters they take a fancy to.
When Gorax offers his scattered list of possible goals Kyrie stares at him for a moment, wondering whether it's worth bothering with another withering tirade but ultimately deciding against it.
"I believe we decided last evening to scout out the northeastern road and surroundings on this sortie, and begin exploring the northwestern marshes on our next," she points out. "I'm not opposed to looking for that trapper, a temple and Svetlana's ring while we're exploring, but bear in mind that our charter is to explore and pacify these lands, not go on a scavenger hunt."
While the rest if the adventuring party that Bregor now found himself a junior member off were making plans, he quickly got bored with the waiting, instead he walks over to Oleg once the man is free and begins a casual conversation about his take on the future of the stolen lands.
As it seems Oleg is not too fond of civilization as a rule, Bregor mildly points out that as the owner of this trade post, Oleg is probably the biggest source of civilization in the stolen lands at the moment, as such he has the chance to help mould whatever will eventually grow here.
If Oleg takes an active hand in this he may be able to help avoid the pitfalls that he believes Brevoy has fallen into, as such he may find that civilization is not so bad, as long as cool heads prevail and help guide it properly.
"So you see Master Oleg, if you put your best foot forward and make your voice heard, you may find that THIS civilization is not like the one you left behind previously."
Oleg can't argue Bregor's logic, except to say that he isn't as good with fancy words as he or Sia. But he's more than willing to help out those as need his help.
Bregor chuckles and gives Oleg a friendly slap on the back. "Just so, but this is a good thing, you master Oleg have the common sense that is often lacking in people of so called "Nobel" birth. Consider this, you could very well work as a sort of balance, short, but also direct and to the point, helping to keep a council of lords grounded in reality, the voice of the people if you will."
Bregor nods towards Svetlana. "And you have a better reason than most to want to make this a good place to live, besides, it is my belief that your dear wife will aid you if you ever feel you need some "polish" before speaking your mind."
Bregor goes quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Tell me Master Oleg, is there any information about the area that you feel like imparting while we are already speaking? I know of the bandit problems, I know of the Kobolds, is there anything else?"
After waiting a good amount of time, Solquethar finally grows tired of waiting. He stands slowly from the tables, and makes it very clear he wishes his weapons given back to him - using a bow-firing motion to say 'weapon' and a slightly confused look after. His face, though, shows irritation at being discriminated against.
If nothing happens for several minutes on the matter, Sol will take things into his own hands, and actually attempt to track down his things - it's something he'd rather not do, but it seems his openness is treated with disrespect.
If only they could understand the ways of a hunter...
Kyrie looks at Solquethar's bizarre charades for a few moments before shrugging. "I think he's trying to say 'Can I pleas have my weapons back?' -- that or 'I slept poorly last night and now my spine itches'."
She turns to Kesten and Sia. "I'm reasonably sure he probably won't attempt to kill us all if we give him his weapons back, and if he's intent on accompanying us he's likely going to need them," she offers.
Sol clears his throat - he attempts to make a gesture to speak, and manages to scrape out something completely gibberish, but attempts to emulate it again. When it comes out, he manages to say, with the coarsest voice and accent possible, as if it came from his gut.
"Boah." He seems strained to say it, as if it were difficult. He can only hope they catch what he attempted to speak.
Sia rubs her forehead, obviously nursing a headache. "All right, fine. I just know we are all going to regret this to a greater or lesser degree. But he's on point, and when we set the watches you're up with him, Kyrie. I don't really trust anyone else with watching him."
She looks over at Gorax. "The plan stands. We can't do anything as long as the road isn't being patrolled, and frankly spending time chasing this way and that on all the errands people need done will not only get in the way of the main point of this, but it'll slow us down when it comes to actually getting the individual tasks done. This is too big a job to approach it haphazardly."
Kyrie smiles wrily. "As my father used to say, sometimes you have no choice but to take the option you'll wind up regretting the least."
She then nods. "I understand, Sia. I won't let you down."
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Gorax asks Oleg to order some healing potions from Restov, it's likely he'll need some next time they return to the trading post. He's also heard that there may be other protective potions that can be helpful in battle, to help protect him from evil people and creatures. If Oleg knows about these then potions like that would be useful, as would a stock of potions to combat the effect of poisons. With that done, Gorax dons his chainmail, mounts and is ready to leave.
"Lead on Kyrie, it seems you know the way."
Sol gently leaves their presence for the moment, and tracks down where Sia came from - it doesn't take long to figure out where the weapons were kept, and he flexes his fingers as he moves to that location (wherever it was).
He takes a moment to rearm himself, and ensures the bow's string is as taut as it was the day before, and actually faces the wall, strings an arrow and pulls back to listen... and smiles, unhitching the weapon's ammunition and putting it back into the scroll case/quiver.
He hooks everything else he needs up, and rejoins the others. He has the drawn bow in his left hand, and his spear on his back - and his dagger in his belt. Complete with the armor he'd don in moments, obviously made of animal hide, he seems prepared to join for the expedition.
Having received no additional information from Oleg, Bregor wanders over to the table where the others are.
"I be ready whenever thee are mine friends, we surely do have picked a glorious morning for this have we not?"
Bregor then turns to Kyrie. "Forgive me, but while I know your name thanks to the delightful Ms Siarani, I would take the chance to introduce myself properly to you as well." Here Bregor performs another one of the courtier’s bows that he is quickly becoming quite an expert at delivering.
"So, full to bursting with fine food, and with high spirits we set of in good cheer towards adventures anew...well, anew for the majority of us, I myself am but a junior in your illustrious company."
With everyone armed and fed, the band of explorers sets out once more from Oleg's trading post, waving goodbyes to friends left behind. Compared to earlier trips out, this one seems almost a vacation. There are few real threats and the warming weather is enough to bring a spring back into the most heavy of steps. The rolling grasslands seem to go on forever, the rolling hills covered in new grasses just starting to peek out, wondering if all is safe for their full emergence and the brunt of Spring.
The patrol and cartography is virtually un-interupted save for a few minor encounters with wildlife and the lone trapper or two. One of which spends a night's camp with you, regaling you with stories of the wilds. Of the great beasts of the Kamelands, and the Tatzelwyrms (great reptilian beasts like distant cousins to dragons) that haunt the Narlmarches.
In the end, a week's travel finds you drawing near once more to Oleg's, feeling much better about the security of the road and the land behind you. At the least there are no lairs of beasts waiting for a plump trade caravan target.
Despite being slightly tired and sore from the travel and poor rest - a bedroll interrupted by a watch schedule is no match for a decent night's sleep in a proper bed in her opinion - Kyrie is in fairly good spirits as Oleg's outpost comes once again in sight.
She feels accomplished and much more optimistic about the task now that the party is going about it systematically rather than in a haphazard scavenger hunt way, and with the northeastern road secured Oleg's business will likely start improving.
She hails the guards as the party reaches the outpost and dismounts, leading her horse to the stables before heading to the inn itself. Actually cooked food, ale, a bath and a warm bed are her primary concerns; resupplying and planning the next trek will wait until the morning...
As the party returns to the trading post, Bregor feels quite content, it had been an uneventful journey, but still...it felt like he had learned a lot just by observing the other members of the party.
Bregor secured his pack in the stable, then stripping down to his pants he strapped on the buckler and drew the long sword.
As he practiced against an imaginary opponent he could not help but notice that his movements seemed a little more coordinated, a little more sure, it seemed to Bregor himself that he might have achieved a new level of skill.
After a long match, Bregor, exhausted but exhilarated finally stopped, it was time to relax a bit now.
He headed over to a water barrel, rubbed himself down properly and then headed back to the stables to get dressed. This time he felt he had surely earned a meal.
The journey through the wilderness over, Sol seems to feel the opposite of some of his companions - he truly loves the wilds, and almost prefers to sleep in them rather than in this fort.
Still, Sol can only be glad to return, for maybe over the few days away, he might be able to get a better sleeping position in a tower, or something similar. He stops for a moment, and thinks about what had happened on his arrival, then moves to approach Kyrie more directly than before. He makes sure he gets her attention, mostly by clearing his throat behind or beside her. It's here he bows lightly, and gets to the point.
"In the morning, would you join me to hunt? I can teach you some things, and maybe in turn you can teach me some things. Start better relations. Deal?"
Whatever the result, Solquethar seeks to try and be friendly and helpful - and actually does his best to try and pick up new words along the way, though sometimes he can do nothing but frustrate the people he speaks to.
As Bregor overhears Solquethar he grins before winking and speaking.
Kyrie nods at Bregor before replying.
She shrugs, switching back to Common. "At any rate, I don't expect we'll be staying more than a day or two at most. Just long enough to replenish supplies and plan our next trip."
It takes Sia a very long time to awaken in the morning. If anyone bothers to check in on her, she seems to be a bit restless, but doesn't awaken until breakfast is well underway. When she finally does step out into the light, she blinks and rubs them out. Then pausing for several moments, she raises her hands and rubs them out again.
"...okay, tell me I'm not the only one who's seeing a city built up overnight around the fort?" she says slowly.
Kyrie looks up from her food to stare at Sia, then glances around before shaking her head.
"I'm afraid so," she replies, equally slowly. "All there is around here is what there was when we went to sleep last night."
She stands up from the table to walk over to where Sia is standing to peer closely at her. "Are you feeling all right?" she asks.
Unsure of what exactly is going on, Bregor pauses in his meal, gets up from the table and walks over to one of the guard towers, slowly he makes his way to the top and peers out over the stockade.
"Well, I cannot see anything unusual out there, maybe the first hints of civilization, but that is more likely a fond memory of Restov on my part."
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The big athletic man that is Gorax, wakes relaxed to be back at Oleg's after the explorations of the past few days. Wearing just his hsirt and trousers, he helps Oleg with menial tasks, as Oleg wants. He watches Bregor's preparations with the sword and seems to appreciate the man's dedication, to the extent that behind the barn in the fort, in the shadows, Gorax too starts to go through routines, but at the moment just with his fists.
Still unsure of the new friendly elf, he smiles not understanding any words said by or to him, he thinks, "Why can't he speak like what the rest of us speak. I know that other folks don't always, like them kobolds, but how am i ever gonna be able to fight side by side with him. Oh maybe we will, maybe we won't...."
Overhearing Sia's comments about a city, he just walks by with a whimsical look, "Them toffs, well what are they all about!"
Gorax as usual, relaxes in the sun, eats Svetlana's meals,probably more than he should, "But I'm a growing lad, ha ha ha!" and drinks his water. Whenever Oleg or Svetlana want something, he immediately offers his help, leaving the clever important stuff to the others.
Bregor, you know those exercises, do they really help?, Do you think they would be useful for me? Gorax, speaks and learns more about Bregor and his ways, "A man to be a friend."
Sia's eyes seem to be focusing acceptably well. In fact, they narrow in on Kyrie rather directly. "Uhm...you know, you didn't have to get dressed up...wait, you wouldn't get dressed up. Okay, something very very strange is going on here."
"The bench is right where we left it, right?" Sia shakes herself off Kyrie and starts moving forward. She seems to be very cautious, steering around things that clearly aren't there until she gets closer, then changing her direction. Eventually she manages to find the bench and sit down. And start eating.
Oh well, may as well not go mad on an empty stomach.
Kyrie looks down at her -- originally fairly decent, but by now somewhat the worse for wear after a couple of weeks on the road -- clothes, then back at Siarani with more than a hint of worry in her eyes. "... Sia? Are you sure you're okay? What's wrong?"
As Siarani starts fumbling her way toward the bench she reaches out to help her friend.
Brergor looks down at Gorax from the watchtower.
"Talking about swords and skills are we? Now there is a topic I know well, I shall be right down."
Bregor climbs down from the watchtower to join Gorax below on the ground.
"My father as you know is a right bastard, but one cannot fault him for his skills, even if some of those skills are not exactly "fair" or "honest". He taught me that every time you swing your blade you can learn something if you look carefully."
Bregor draws his sword and enters the en guard' position. He then slowly performs a move called "parting the petals" for Gorax to watch.
"See that? This is one of the first moves of the Aldori sword lord’s school, you are meant to practice this move first and last every time, and as your skill grows you will be able to do it faster and faster, as a sort of measuring tool for your own skill."
Bregor sheathes his sword again and nods.
"When you battle an imaginary opponent you are really creating him yourself, that means no matter how good you are, the opponent will always be your equal in skill, so each time let's you learn a little more about yourself, as reflected by the opponent you create."
Bregor nods again.
"Know yourself by challenging yourself, and when you have learned all you can from yourself, challenge someone else, you will be put to a test much greater then, and afterwards you can challenge yourself to see what you've learned from the other person"
Oleg and Svetlana both are happy to have the help around the fort. Kesten and his men seem to be keeping things as ship-shape as usual, with Kesten's typical glum demeanor making sure that the guards don't get too lax or lazy.
Even Norbert seems to be making a home for himself here. He seems less and less like a prisoner and more and more like part of Oleg and Svetlana's new extended family. He smiles and laughs more, and even takes his meals with everyone else. Leaving doesn't seem to be anywhere in his thoughts.
At Sia's commotion, Jhod actually seems to appear out of nowhere. Hurrying to help Kyrie guide her to the table he sits down next to her and looks at her studiously, much like a doctor examining a patient. "If I may ask..." he says softly. "What did you dream about last night?" His voice makes it sound as though he is fully expecting something as equally strange as visions of civilization in the middle of the wilds.
Sia shakes her head and thinks. Speaking between bites, she begins haltingly "I...feel fine. As for the dreams, it's confusing. A lot of it is images. Beginning to wish I'd paid more attention to fortune-telling and so on." She thinks.
"There was a lot going on. A lot of it seemed centered on a shining tower in the south, a castle built on the edge of the river and a great city surrounding it. There was another city here as well, smaller. Neither the size of Absalom, but the southern city was definitely a center of trade and learning. There were other places too."
"That wasn't all...there were other things as well. Monsters, dark creatures that wished to wreak havoc. And a sword, somewhere. Maybe two or more. I...can't describe it, but if I see it again, I think I'll know it."
Sia holds her head. "And now, of course, I wake up and the whole world is shifting and confusing images. I can pretty much tell what's right in front of me, but too far away it's like...what I see and what the world is get all blurred together, and I'm seeing more of the fake than the real."
Kyrie looks from Jhod to Sia and back, clearly not understanding what's going on at all. "Will she be all right?" she asks the priest.
Jhod listens very attentively, nodding his head now and then. "I suppose that depends on what you mean by 'all right'," he answers Kyrie. He says a prayer over Sia, but when his eyes open he simply shrugs. "I sense no curses or other magic at work. My advice would be a prayer to whatever god you worship. Dreams are often the gods' way of communicating with us directly. Perhaps a prayer to Desna, or even Abadar as your visions seem to deal with cities and civilization. They may reveal more to you. In the meantime, I would say to watch your step and let someone know if it gets worse."
Sia frowns a bit, nodding. "That might be wise. Maybe we can see what else happens as well. I think after I eat, I'll need to test this. Things seem more affected the further out they go. At least with practice, it should be possible to determine what is going on close to me, although even then things look bizarre." Sia eats quickly, and then makes her own way to the watch towers to get the lay of the land as it stands in her eyes.
Hey, if this really is from the gods maybe I can get some useful insight. It can't hurt, anyway.
Solquethar pauses in the middle of the fort, thinking to himself. He is lost in thought for a moment, since he has done very little, and moves over to the guard-captain who was only 'following orders' earlier. He taps the man on the shoulder in case he catches him unawares.
He licks his lips, and is very slow in how he presents himself - and tries to mimic once again. He can only use a simple sentence, and has to do this right.
"Sol." He points at himself. "Hh... halp?" and then he points back to the man, and begins to point at all the towers on the walls - it's as if he's trying to ask if he can help out with the protection of the fort itself.
"Ah, so now we have covered the mental bit, let's move on to something a little more practical shall we? The Sword lords train using a system known as "Boxes, wheels and rings", it is a way to master footwork."
Bregor draws a circle on the ground, then a slightly bigger circle surrounding it, and then a third one around them both.
"The circle is for those that seek to master their foes while moving as little as possible. You start in the outer circle, and are allowed to move within all three as much as you want. Once you have mastered that you try to limit yourself by only moving in the two inner circles, needing to move around less and less to control the battle field. Once you are a master you will need move only within the third circle to achieve the same results."
Bregor next draws the hub of a wheel in the dirt, followed by the spokes and then the outer rim.
"The wheel is the exact opposite, you learn to move and flow across the battlefield unhindered, to start with you only allow yourself to move from the hub to the rim by using the spokes, 4 to start with, as you become more sure of yourself you add more and more spokes you can use to move, once you are a master there will be spokes all around you, giving you freedom."
Bregor pulls a little on his moustache before shaking his head.
"Let's not worry about the boxes, it is for fencers mostly, and you do not strike me as a fencer, you have too much power in your arms, it would limit you to fence. You should decide if you want to follow the path of the wheel or the circle instead. Even masters of the sword only follow one path"
Kesten gives Sol a quizzical and rather uncertain look. "I don't need much help in the watches. But if you want to be useful, there is a midden that needs emptying." His tone is flat and his face serious, giving every indication that this is not an insult, simply a fact. Small jobs are as important as big ones to a military man.
Jhod gives Sia an encouraging smile as she leaves the table, but the look changes to one of concern as he turns back to Kyrie. "Truth be told I don't know what is going on. But I am certain there is something of the divine in it. I will ask Erastil for guidance for her." He stands and heads off to a secluded spot to commune.
Sol nods - he moves to assist in this task, and will go about the rest of the day performing various tasks to help the fort out, taking what information he can in educating himself. This way, this entire venture will not have been a waste.
During the night, Sol prepares his things, and leaves out the front gate, no longer satisfied at his current position and losing patience in his hunt - for the trail may grow cold in time, and that is something he is not prepared to do.
As it seems there is little further she can do to help Sia, Kyrie finishes her breakfast and heads out into the courtyard for her own weapons practice. Her fencing style apparently favors graceful, deceptively slow feints with the short sword in her right hand interrupted by very quick strikes towards imaginary vulnerable spots with the dagger in her left while constantly circling her 'opponent' with quick, darting steps.
"Whoa now, hold everything! Have a look at that friend Gorax, a chance to take someone’s measure as it happens in a way. Observe Lady Kyrie going about her own weapons practice. Sometimes observing can teach you a lot, why do you not observe her form and tell me what you see?"
Bregor nods, crosses his arms over his chest, leans back against the stockade walls and allow his mind to wander as he drinks in the splendour of Kyries lethal dance.
Salinthas is up with the dawn but eats his meal in silence, still content to watch everyone else. It is obvious that he has been alone for some time, as inter-personal interactions seem to both baffle and captivate him. He does listen to Sia's story about her dream with great interest, however, but as everyone leaves the table he also stands, cleans his place, then heads over to the little archery target that Kesten has set up to get in some morning practice of his own.
As Bregor relaxes he allows his mind to wander a little, trying to see if he has any knowledge lodged in his brain about the people here at this little trading post.
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Gorax, explains to Bregor that "from my days prize fighting, heI would never stay in one place too long, or in one stance too long. No I had to be quick and nimble to avoid the blows and get in place to make mine count. So it's probably the way I'd want to fight with a sword, the way of the wheel would seem more suited to my style.
Gorax follows Bregor's lead as they go through their paces. When Bregor stops to watch Kyrie, he continues for a wile before his eyes to take notice. Hmm, she is fast but can do little in defense, give me armor and a shield any time, the extra protection lets me stand for longer, no pretty though it is, I would feel defenseless doing anything like that, but it would be fun with her speed to take her into the ring. He spends more time watching Kyrie, noticing her movements and balance on her feet, which interests him more than the feints and the blows. Truly she is a nimble creature, her foot work and balance remind me of those smaller fighters, exceptional!.............But ho this is hungry work all this practicing, let's see if Swetlana has any of her homemade biscuits and a drink of milk...gotta keep this body going..ha ha ha!
As he walks over, he notices the strange and quiet archer practicing again. "He's at it again, never seems to stop practicing with that bow, let's hope the practice is worth it when we need his skill, eh Brecor."
If Kyrie hears Gorax and Bregor's conversation, she gives no sign of it as she continues her silent dance with an unseen opponent. The dagger in her off hand shifts seamlessly from a straight grip for stabbing strikes to a reversed one for quick slashes at eye or groin height, until her dance culminates in a fast spin that allows her body to conceal her arm's motion until the dagger embeds itself in the head of one of the training dummies ten feet away with a solid 'thunk'.
Kyrie holds her final stance for a moment longer before letting her outstretched arm drop and walking over to the dummy to recover her dagger, then heads back inside to wash up and change into something a little more comfortable before the evening meal and planning session.
As Bregor watches Kyrie practicing he almost seems like a different person, all the pomp and posturing gone from his face and stance.
He watches her every move with an attentive and thoughtful look in his eyes, drinking in her form, noting her strength, searching for weaknesses in her form...
The change is almost unsettling, like a gilded statue that has been exposed to the weather so long that the bronze beneath it comes forward, a lot less beautiful, but certainly more sturdy and intimidating.
Suddenly he registers someone saying his name, and with a start he looks to Gorax.
"Ah yes...certainly...yes indeed friend Gorax...well spoken..."
He then joins Gorax and Sia at the table, waiting only for Kyrie and the food to arrive.
"I assume we will be planning how to continue our quest after the meal lady Siarani, I myself have a thought as to that if I may? Since we are meant to map ALL of these lands and since we mapped the last part pretty systematically, it is my suggestion that we would continue thus. Bregor clears is throat and drinks a little water before continuing.
I would suggest we map what remains of the top three rows, starting by going west along the top row, then down to the next and then the third in a sic sac motion, then as we reach the west end of the third row we go down south east and then travel fully east. After such a long trek we can then return to Oleg in the North West with a sense of satisfaction and a job well done. We should then have cleared more than a third of the land unto our map."
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Enjoying his milk, a white moustache on his top lip relaxes, "Yep, we'll keep an eye out for that trapper too, but searching the lands and surveying them seems quite similar, off early tomorrow morning then? But no before we've enjoyed Swetlana's wonderful breakfast, can't travel on an empty stomach."
To Oleg, Gorax asks, "Them potions I ordered, they turned up yet? I know it's not been long, but on the off chance, you might have had them delivered."