Kalig hasn't really spoken much yet to the woodcutters, so she takes some time to talk to them so she is aware of their needs and predilections (if trouble comes, can they fight, will they run, etc.).
She packs Matilda's saddle as usual, including canvas, rope, etc. for camping.
Dorick tries to hearten the woodcutters' spirits, while finding time to groom Caragus.
During the journey, The young cook former scofflaw would merely question some of the loggers about their favorite dishes, whom made it, what they could remember of it. What their favorite beverages were.
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A trio of woodcutters had joined the expedition on the fringe of Galt at the World's Edge Mountains, seemingly so long ago. Two of them are brothers, and reintroduce themselves as Rolf and Rowan.
"I wish that dandy viscount hand prepared a bit better," the older brother, Rolf, complains once the small wagon train is under way. "Does he really think three men can fell enough timber for an entire village?"
His younger brother apologizes for Rolf's frustration.
"His wife and two little ones are waiting back at the dwarf hold," Rowan explains. "Obviously, he misses them terribly. A bunch of us settlers have family that stayed behind with the dwarves: children, grandparents, and other loved ones we didn't want to risk on the journey. The Viscount promised that once we have our roots settled, we can all send for everyone else."
The brothers continue to debate among themselves why so few loggers were recruited for the expedition. Rolf insists that Aristide was simply unprepared, but Rowan suggests it may have been hard to find woodcutters who wouldn't betray them to the Galtan mob.
The third woodcutter, Bryce, by contrast remains silent for much of the ride. He sits astride the seat of one of the wagons, overseeing the oxen yoked to the vehicle. However, he finds his voice when Francoix approaches him.
"I love me some bread pudding," he says simply. Rather than being some foul-tempered tough or misanthrope, it seems that Bryce is simply a quiet man by nature.
...
A total of eleven people accompany the party on this journey. In addition to the three woodcutters, Aristide has sent along three drivers to help guide the wagons, three porters to help cut and haul the trees, and the duo of Machus and Natsagiin to serve as guides and additional guards.
Sera nods at the proposed plan. Before she goes she sets out a few dishes. One full of water and one full of food for her cat Bae. Be a good girl while mom is gone
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Soraya can understand Rolf's frustration. It's always hardest on those with family left behind. Still, she thinks he may underestimate the plucky group of settlers. It seems like they've accomplished so much already, and in such a short time.
Dorick hears the talk and responds:
"Then it is a good thing that we are making such progress. Let us get the lumber back without delay!"
Despite his ostensible exile from Taldor, Dorick suddenly embodies an echo of the nation's glorious past as he sits astride Caragus. His words provide an inspiration to the logging expedition that leaves them dauntless of any dangers that may lurk beyond the hills ahead.
The failing light of afternoon finds you cresting the landrise that hems in the grasslands of your new home, cradling the lake whose streams carve through the cliffs to the east, leading to the ruined fishing village somewhere out of sight down beside the sea. From this vantage point on the lake's western shore, you can see the pine forest's edge about a mile ahead. The forest spreads along the coast, sprawling to the northeast along the hilly country. On the forest's western verge, the hills are more bare and covered in grass and low shrubs.
Kalig nods at Rowan. "We will be there to help if you guide us. And the sooner we get all we need, the sooner we can send for the others at the hold."
Kalig assesses the weather--and where mud might flow.
And looks for good place to camp.
Dorick tries to espy suitable trees.
The rousing inspiration provided by Dorick is bolstered by Kalig, thus pairing his confident strength of arms with her wilderness expertise. Despite being on the edge of an unplumbed forest, three leagues removed from the modicum of safety provided by the settlement, your small expedition feels no fear.
The rain will likely sweep north in the afternoon on the following day. While the winds will remain weak, the rain itself will be driving. You can already feel the creeping humidity upon the air. The lake and its attendant streams will likely overflow towards the west and south, bringing mudflows with them.
The safest place to set up camp will likely be on the lake's north shore, where the ground is more elevated and rockier, providing a more solid footing.
"The north shore eh? Let us see what the view is like from there."
"While I dont favor rocks in the back when sleeping i prefer that to wetness. I'll see what I can do to make proper meals for everyone while we are here."
Soraya does what she can to make herself useful as everyone works to set up camp. She lets Lucias fly about a bit to hunt up some game for himself.
You drive the wagons around the lake's western edge, the wheels and oxen's hooves splashing through the shallow streams that creep out like gnarled fingers from the body of water. This side of the lake's shore is dominated by shale that rises up gently towards the hills upon which the pine forest grows. Once upon a time, perhaps even before the age of the Kaskkari, this may have been a shallow cliffside overlooking the lake. Now, the shallow, rocky shelf sliding down to the water's edge is all that's left.
When the rains come, the southern shores will surely overflow and flood - threatening the downwardly sloping a muddy deluge. The settlement is much too far away to be in any danger, but future farming or ranching on this end of the grasslands will need to be wary of this issue.
.....
Most of the provisions packed for the logging expedition are leftover trail rations and preserved food from the caravan. However, Noemie snuck along some fresher food for her husband to better serve his comrades. Having the skilled cook along on this mission further bolsters the raised spirits of the logging team.
Lucias also finds the eating to his liking. Almost immediately, he pounces upon a hapless rodent caught between the lake and the forest.
.....
As you lock the wagons' wheels, unyoke the oxen, and make camp, in the waning light of dusk you take stock of the forest of Iobarian pine that looms at your back. The trees are tall with thin, narrow crowns of needle-like foliage. In the deepening dark, the forest looks dense and primeval.
Dorick spends some time taking stock of the shore. He eyes the trees with equal measure of curiosity and suspicion as he makes plan to defend the camp as necessary. He thinks of his time in the Taldan Horse, and if he think of anything to apply here and now. The taste of Francoix's cooking is nothing if not inspirational.
"Rain'll be here by the afternoon. Should we do what lumbering we can early in the morning, and break at noon?"
"Sounds sensible."
A red sky heralds the morning as the small encampment wakes. Francoix prepares are hearty breakfast before the workers ready their axes and saws. With their tools shouldered, Rolf, Rowan, Bryce, and Aristide's men march to the forest's edge and set to work.
The morning passes, awash in the sound of axe heads and saw teeth chewing through tree trunks. As the gray clouds creep closer from the south, several tall, narrow trees are felled and the work continues at a good pace.
Dorick, patrolling the logging site atop Caragus to keep the men safe, is the first to note the sound. He quickly calls the party's attention to it, emanating from within the deep forest. There is a rumbling and occasional crashing sound like a great beast moves about, hidden among the many trees but not far from the logging site.
"There! Can you hear it now? We must ready ourselves!"
Dorick makes sure that he and Caragus are positioned between the nearest workers and the source of that sound, as best as he can fathom. His lance is in hand, hopefully to strike first and fatally.
"Son of a..."
He muttered, grabbing his gear and running torwards Caragus and the noise.
Seraphina is singing a soft tune as she sits and draws whatever sparks her interest: nature’s, workers, even Caragus the mighty mount. She is snapped out of her concentration by Dorrick’s loud announcement.
Huh...wha...what’s going on?! she exclaimed as she stood hastily to her feet. She grabs her dagger...much like it would do her any good.
Kalig makes sure Matilda is in a reasonably safe place and tries to identify the noise.
The workers retreat back to the wagon encampment, leaving the current crop of logs where they lie. Natsagiin and Machus stay behind to protect the camp, leaving the party to investigate the disturbance. Francoix easily traces the considerable noise and leads the party to its source.
Not too far into the forest, you find an enormous furry beast grazing upon the trees. It rears onto its hind legs, standing almost twenty feet high. Clinging to a tall tree trunk with its long foreclaws, it begins pulling early spring buds and twigs from the treetops with its long tongue. You estimate the creature must way a couple tons, and it is far larger than even the bison you encountered on the Whistling Plains.
Soraya almost stumbles over her own feet as the huge animal emerges from the trees. "Wow," is pretty much all she can manage to say.
"It's... it's hitting the tres on purpose... I don't think it's a predator..." Kalig initially says as she listens, and then as they get close, Kalig gapes a moment as she sees what it is.
"A giant sloth. An egghead I met in Ustalav called it a 'megatherium.' I think it's best we leave it alone... it may not be a predator, but those claws are near as long as my arm."
She looks around. "We need to be sure we cut in a pattern that doesn't fully disturb their food supply. Or they might migrate toward us looking for food. Any top-branches we've cut, maybe we can throw a pile well away from the camp--easy pickings for them."
He nodded silently to Kalig's words. That thing was beyond huge. He doubted his rapier would even do more than tickle the thing.... okay that was exaggeration but still.
"Wait till Noemie hears about this creature."
He whispered quietly to the others still agape at its size.
Dorick looks upon the creature with surprise, and comments in rushed whispers.
"I never expected to see a beast akin in size to the elephants of the Taldan Horse! Taming it would be a challenge...but not one for today."
The giant sloth briefly pauses its foraging to turn its broad head and take notice of you. However, it seems undisturbed and soon returns to its masticating. Either this large creature has no predators, or you simply do not resemble anything that preys upon it.
Nevertheless, you duly heed the warnings about agitating the sizable animal.
Kalig, as the others gather branch tips and the like, moves carefully forward, and tosses a goodberry that might smell especially good to it, then uses the other stuff to help lead it away.
"No, no, like this.", Dorick says, advancing to get the creature's attention *carefully* then walk with it away.
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The sloth reacts poorly to the magic berries, seeming to find something unpleasant about their scent. It rears back with a deep groan and swings one of its broad, clawed arms - thankfully not near Kalig. The druid is able to quickly calm the giant creature, though, and it falls back to all four limbs and shimmies away.
Dorick takes up an armful of fallen, switch-like branches abundant with buds and broad needles. The sloth's nose takes up the scent of this new offering and finds it more favorable. It follows the cavalier a short distance away before he tosses the meal to the ground for the sloth. These seems to turn the animal to a new direction, and after a time it begins to withdraw deeper into the forest, away from your logging site.
Your people are safe again, but you've learned a lesson about the uncanny beasts that might dwell within this strange, deep forest.
"That was quite the beast!", Dorick sats smelling of pine needles. "We had best be ready for them in future!"
As the giant sloth recedes, its lumbering sounds growing fainter, the loggers and laborers resume their work.
Dark clouds roll along the coast from the southeast, and by afternoon the sky is heavy and gray. Within the hour, you estimate, the rain will begin to fall upon you. Two of the wagons have been filled with cut logs, each one stripped of branches.
"could you imagine how much that thing could carry if you could tame one? It could pull a dozen of the carts i bet."
He said aloud the words carrying a hint of wonder at the creatures size. All in all he was glad they didnt need to use violence to drive it off.
As the clouds started to grow in size and darker he hurried back to the camp site to make a stew. If only they had brought a tent made for cooking in, Something open sided to let smoke blow away but to keep the rain off the fire... something to remember for next time.
"Well done, Dor. Well done all. Now we'd best get back before we really get caught in the storm."
She helps make sure the wood is somewhat sheltered when they get back to camp.
Francoix is able to quickly put together a stew without compromising quality. He tends to the midday meal as the latest crop of logs are stripped and secured to the wagons. With the gray clouds rolling ever closer, it seems likely that bowls of the stew will need to be spooned while riding atop your animals or the wagons.
Perhaps spurred by her owl, Soraya happens to catch a fleeting glance of a shadow to the northwest. She strolls over to Kalig. "Try not to raise an alarm, but we are not alone. I don't know their intentions, but there is a herd of centaurs watching us."
Kalig nods at Soraya, replying softly, "And Machus is back at camp. Can your owl carry a message to him? I don't think we should react but need to stay wary. We should tell the other guards."
Dorick thinks he hears something, then shrugs it off.
The rain begins to patter against the wagons, the logs, the oxen, and your faces. It starts softly, but you can feel it steadily picking up pace. Although the rain is unpleasant, you are thankful at least that the centaurs that Soraya points out seem to keep their distance for now. You hear no warhorns or whooping, and no fleet-hooved warriors come galloping down from the hills in pursuit of you.
Soraya writes a brief note and ties it to Lucias' leg. "Can you fly in this weather?" He looks around, flaps his wings a couple of times, and nods. "Take this back to the village and give it to our friend, Machus, the horse-man, okay?" She gives him a hug and let's him fly away toward the others.
Once someone points out the centaurs to Dorick, he is a little startled, but keeps his cool after that. He await a change, whether battle or peace.
Lucias takes off, braving the rain to deliver his mistress' message. You lose sight of him as he wings his way into the gray distance, and you hope that the owl proves stronger than the storm.
Looking back, you see that the centaurs have emerged from the hills.
They are following now at a quicker pace, clearly set on catching up to you and the logging convoy.
Looking back, your sight manage to bridge the distance and breach the falling rain. You see that the centaurs do not have weapons drawn: their bows are slung and their spears are shouldered. They also do not resemble your former hunting companions, leaving you certain that these are members of a different tribe.
Kalig walks around the slowly moving logging crew, very quietly making sure all guards () are aware they are being watched--but to not make any moves, as they are not behaving with hostility.
As she moves around the group, she picks roots and buds, so it looks like she is just trying to gather supplies.
If she can she tries to get a better look at the tribe--do they have tribal markings? Do they look sickly or hungry?
Dorick casts his eyes back every so often, trying not to be too obvious about it. He is clearly in something of a scout role after all.
In a hushed voice, he says:
"I think I can make them out. If they get too close and I haven't reacted, tell me."