The weeks pass without much event and before you know it, the time has once again come to decide where the next expedition will focus. The hills of the Kamelands are calling with unknown threats and plenty of promise.
Of note as well is that Oleg's seems to be changing. The number of visitors it receives has already increased dramatically, as has his selection of wares. The outpost seems to be slowly morphing from a small trading post, to a full fledged market. You even spy old Norbert peddling a few homemade wares. As it turns out he seems to have some skill in alchemy and is eager to make a living selling his concoctions to those passing through.
The boggarts aren't really a problem here, but it generally known that the trade to the west has been cut off by a large tribe of them in the swamp. They are generally regarded as vile and bloodthirsty taking what they want and killing or sacrificing their enemies. The one you met seems to be either good at deception, or a rare oddity. At least if the stories are to be believed.
Any stories about trolls are few and far between. A few wild tales, but no reliable sightings.
Hard work is a fine thing...to observe, but I do not believe I have it in me. As my aunt once told me half in jest, I was born with a blade in hand, more to horror of my poor mother.
Bregor spends the days performing stick training routines at mornings, and fraternizing with the locals in the evening, making sure that the nights are full of stories and songs.
Kyrie isn't much for singing or music - but she turns out to dance very well indeed.
It's about a week and a half later when Sia returns, with the information from their maps combined with those of old expeditions and re-drawn. It's late in the day, so she settles in to watch the performance and then, in the morning, reveals the route.
"It was honestly a good plan before, just interrupted. So I think we'll take the same route again."
Kyrie nods at Sia, looking over the map she brought with her from Restov. "I've been talking to the guards and trappers, and they say that the bandits are starting to come back again. It's nowhere near the level it was at before Thorn River camp was cleared out, but it is on the rise again."
She takes a sip of her ale before indicating the region near the lake with the tip of a knife. "Right now they're still mostly further south, but there have been some sightings near the lakeside." She pauses, frowning, then shrugs the thought aside and continues. "With the temple just to the west, it might be possible to convince the guard to put at least a light garrison in the camp; enough for it to serve as a second patrol point. That'd give us the advantage of home ground if the bandits come further north.
She takes another sip and continues. "Bregor, you'd mentioned that that Boggart we met had been cast out from its tribe? Its kin have set up in the western swamps and making a big threat out of themselves to the traders; right now there's no trade going along the Sellen River." She grimaces. "A definite problem, but possibly a bit too big for just the five of us to take on -- and outside of the area that we're chartered to pacify, anyway. By now the Swordlords will have heard of the problem; I'm sure they'll decide how to respond."
"Other than that, there's those trolls whose tracks we saw; not much information there -- apparently most people who get close enough to see one don't survive to talk about it." she smiles mirthlessly "Rumor has it fire's the only thing that can kill them permanently. We'd better bring torches and oil..."
She drains her cup, sighs, and indicates the map again. "Crossing the river is going to be complicated if we can't find a bridge or a ford; if we find a place to cross here" she indicates the place with the tip of a knife " then cover the area south of the river until we reach the lake here, cross it there and cover the rest of the area like this..." she traces the path to demonstrate "... we'll have covered pretty much the entire area we were asked to in the Charter, and then we can see what we can do about the Stag Lord."
Sia listens to Kyrie's analysis of the situation, nodding along at all the appropriate points.
"So far, it sounds good. Anybody have anything to add?" she asks.
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Gorax packs up his horse, stuffing in a couple of special pies made by Svetlana. He gives them hugs, before getting on the horse, "Lead on then, where we going? For fun and adventure once more." He laughs to Bregor, "Best look after these gals again, they're bound to get us in trouble." Turning to the two girls, "OK then, let's away lead on...or tell me and Bregor where you want us to lead...never that good at maps me! Ha ha ha!"
"I have been through some of that land. I can tell you that there are bridges here and here," he shifts his finger up-stream to the eastern extreme, and over again to a spot just below the thorn ford camp.
Bregor smiles ruefully and shakes his head, well aware that so far, the women have been taking care of them men just as much if not more so than the other way around.
"It is as you say friend Gorax, but so far we have been following the lead of the, and no offence intended here, less pretty of our two Elfin people as far as the wilderness is concerned."
Bregor nods thoughtfully at Kyrie as the mentions the Boggards.
"Well, if a time should come that we or some other intrepid party in the employ of the swordlords seek to combat that problem, we have the advantage of knowing someone with inside information."
Bregor thinks for a moment.
"May I postulate something? I believe we are doing something that helps making this land safer correct?
And this trading post is a testament to our success. If we map the land completely, and in so doing eventually get rid of the staglord, this land will be ripe for settlers...
as such, eventually they would spread west, south and east. this would mean that, eventually someone will have to deal with the Boggards as well. If we do well in our task so far, it might be us that are chosen to do this."
Kyrie chuckles. "Father was fond of saying that the traditional reward for a job well done is another job," she replies. "[b]At any rate, we should probably deal with the job we have before we start worrying about the job we might be given... Let's get some early rest tonight so we can leave fist thing in the morning."
"The Swordlords sent three other charter groups out, if I recall right," Sia points out. "The Boggards are technically their problem at the moment. If we run across them, somehow, we deal. Other than that, I think the route is set. We'll want to check the river for other crossing points as well anyway, which will require looking at it from both sides. Other than that, It's probably a good time to get some sleep and set out in the morning."
The trip out the next morning is filled with the usual goodbyes, but spirits are well up from what they were upon arrival at Oleg's a few weeks before. Dry clothes, fresh provisions, and plenty of days sleeping in a bed (at least for everyone but Sia) have done wonders. But at the same time everyone has to admit to a bit of stir crazyness and an itch to get back out and finish their job.
The initial trip goes quickly, the paths through the northern Narlmarches becoming almost second nature to everyone. There is even a brief visit from Tyg and Perlivash to lighten the mood and they travel along to the edge of the forest before saying a cheery goodbye. They have little to report on their territory, other than thanks for all the work the good big-uns have done for them.
The second day sees the party finally climbing into the rocky hills of the Kamelands. Rather than the easy exploration of the grasslands, the hills of the Kamelands provide a new challenge with many nooks and crannies to explore and many more places for trouble to be hiding. It doesn't even take a day of exploration for one such place to be discovered.
Kyrie spots it first, a five foot wide crack at the base of a particularly rocky crag that rises from the hills around it.
Kyrie raises a hand to signal halt, then silently points toward the crag, tilting her head slightly and readying her bow.
Kyrie suppresses a groan and simply palms her face with her free hand, then turns to glare at Gorax before slowly and deliberately drawing her index finger along her lips in the universally understood gesture for "QUIET!"
Sia repeats Kyrie's gesture out of dismounting, getting her staff at the ready. She makes a quick set of return gestures at Kyrie that seem to equate to "go ahead"
Kyrie nods at Sia, then tilts her head to Salinthas, beckoning and pointing toward the crack before beginning her own approach, moving with slow, careful, silent steps.
Remembering what happened with the pit trap and unwilling to let anybody stand alone, Bregor also dismounts, frees his sword and silently moves in after Kyrie. He gives Gorax a look and nods towards Sia, trusting his friend to look after her.
Bregor makes sure to flank Kyrie on the left, leaving the right to Salinthas.
Kyrie half-turns, rolls her eyes, then points at Bregor to indicate he should stay behind and motions Gorax forward.
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With his freshly greased armor and newly sharpened sword, Gorax looks from Kyrie to Bregor and back. A look of puzzlement on his face, his armor still creaks as he lumbers forward a few feet, though not moving far from Sia. His shield sways, glinting in the sun, deep heavy breaths come from Gorax. Gorax tries to duck behind a bush, yet his armor and weapons stop him from bending down, he stays in full sight, nodding to Bregor he urges him forward with the words, "I'll be along if anything happens."
Salinthas already has his bow out and an arrow notched as he joins Kyrie in the approach to the cave entrance. Taking up a covering position, he motions for her to take a look, even as he raises his bow to sight down the arrow.
Looking nonplussed for a moment, Bregor does however hang back and allow Gorax to overtake him and move forward instead. He then smiles and salutes Kyrie with the tip of his sword.
"Perhaps she is worried that I might steal the amusement from the rest? A fair point indeed."
Instead he slowly inches back to stand guard over Sia instead.
Sia chuckles a bit on seeing Bregor's expression, but waits a minute for them to get up to the crack, hoping for a gesture to move forward shortly.
Kyrie shifts her hips slightly, drawing reassurance from the familiar weight of her blades in their sheaths, then advances slowly toward the cave entrance, bow at the ready.
The crack falls into a cave about 20 feet deep. No sounds come from within, but there seems to be something on the far wall.
Kyrie frowns, then peers into the gloom, keeping her bow at the ready while she waits for her eyes to adjust to the darkness.
Kyrie peers into the darkness, then looks down and inches backward before looking over her shoulder at Salinthas and Gorax. "We'll need a lamp and possibly some rope, but I think there's something by the far wall," she says softly.
Kyrie motions Salinthas and Gorax to remain on guard, then returns to where Sia and Bregor are standing with the horses. "Small cave. Doesn't seem to be anyone in there, but there's something on the far side of it that I want to take a closer look at," she explains while fetching a rope from the saddlebags. "Does either of you have any light spells memorized?" she asks. "I'd rather not have my hands full with a torch while I'm down there, just in case."
Sia shakes her head. "I'm afraid I don't know any, never had the knack."
Bregor smiles and bows deeply.
"A gentleman never gives a lady cause to complain about his conduct, merely point and you shall have the light you crave My lady."
Kyrie chuckles at Bregor's antics. "Preferably on something I can carry around while keeping my hands free - and you'll need to help Salinthas watch Gorax' back while he lowers me down," she replies as she retrieves the rope and heads back to the cave entrance.