While the others got seated, Caine came out with a pitcher of frothy ale and a fist full of slightly dented metal mugs.
He stopped just before handing one to Belladonna. I thought she was a halfling like Nathaniel. Light's better in here. She looks like a kid. Aw, hells, I gave her a flask...
Instead of handing out the mugs he just put them all on the table. If she drinks, I'm jus' gonna assume she's allowed to.
Then he wandered off again. He refilled his own hefty stein and hung it back on his belt, then went to gather them some breakfast.
Jalene and Val stuck their heads into the kitchen while he loaded up. "So?" Val asked.
Caine shrugged. "They want t' do somethin' 'bout the plague. We're headed to the woods to try to find stuff for Laurel, and going to talk to that witch-woman."
Jolene's eyes went wide and Val pursed her lips. "She's dangerous..." Val said.
"I'll keep your kid safe, don't worry."
"Who's going to keep you safe?" Jolene said worried and serious.
"Nothin'. I'm bad at safe. I'm just good at getting through unsafe." Caine shrugged.
Val turned to go see her son. Jolene sidled up and put her arms around him in a concerned hug. "You haven't even slept."
"And you still haven't eaten." Caine said stiffening for a moment, then relaxing to put an arm around her as well.
"That's not even close to the same thing." Jolene said, muffled in his chest.
He pet her red curls. "Is to me. I'm not gonna be here for a day or two. You have to take care of yourself for me."
"Same to you, Jerkface." she said pulling away to look up at him with half-feigned anger.
"Deal." He said with a wry half-grin.
She let him go and they quietly loaded up their arms full of bowls of honeyed porridge. Just before heading back out Caine said "Ah, you might have noticed that when I get layed up, or locked up, Baleson or his deputy is always here. Its sort of an arrangement we got. Can you make sure he finds out I'm going to be away?"
"Want me to tell him why? Jolene asked as she pushed open the swinging kitchen door with her hip.
"Sure. He should know that we might be stirring things up."
Then they slid bowls of breakfast around the table and Caine sat down with the rest of the group.
"So what did I miss?"
"Not much, Ruhk shrugs and grins, Nat was just telling me how his family got it's traditional crest.
Seems his great great great grandpappy wresteled a dragon to the ground and cut of his nards."
"Belladonna was of course suitably impressed and had a maidenly faint, Zilka commented that they make for a good meal with the right spices, and me, I just had a another mug of ale."
"Oh please. I do not faint like some dumb princess in a tower." Says Belladonna while beginning to down a mug.
What? Are you talking about me? Sir, please, do not put words in my mouth, unless of course, you intention is to be humorous. My family have been tomb guards for generations, it is not brave, or heroic work, but it is a proud heritage.
"Tomb guards? Who are they protecting Mr. Artegal?"
"Dragon nards, apparently." Caine said dryly. "Never saw a dragon with nards before, so they must be doing a good job."
Ruhk merely waves aside Nathaniel's protest, confident that even a bad joke can have it's place.
As Zilka laughs, Ruhk grins back at her, already feeling vindicated.
As Caine speaks, Ruhk winks and laughs.
"Well, considering what delicacies they are...maybe not any left to find eh?"
He then leans forward, curious as to the answer Belladonna is seeking.
"Yeah, how about it Nat? Are you there to keep people out...or to keep things IN?"
, Well, Miss Goodbarrel, it is the tomb of a great lady, a hero among the halflings of my home. She is called the Lady of Mittonwir. Her name was Fiona McKelnicky and she fought a brave battle many, many years ago. Her tomb once held a great relic, one of power and light, but it was removed by people who were concerned for its safety. My family, along with a few other families back home, has served as guardians of her tomb since before the relic was moved. Back then it was not uncommon to have to defend the tomb against dangerous enemies, including dragons, some with and some without, um, nards, I suppose. But for a very long time, we have only been simple gardeners, caring for the hill top tomb that overlooks a bend in a small rive. It’s actually quite beautiful, in the summertime.
"Ah, keeping things out then, good to know.
I bet there are some tombs out there that could do with some keeping in however."
Caine leans over to Nathaniel conspiratorially, but speaks just loud enough to be heard. "Dragons are lizards. All their junk is on the inside. Ain't none of 'em got nards."
Ruhk laughs at Greyson's comment and winks.
"I'll bet my last ale, or at least my second to last ale that you've never walked up to a dragon yourself, to make sure of that little fact."
Musing a little, Ruhk begins to slowly stroke his chin.
"But what a way to go, walking up to a Linnorm and call it "nutless lizard", now that's a real death that."
Caine shrugged "Last dragon I saw was dead, so I got a pretty good look at it before it got carved up for parts."
"Well, there you go, obviously someone had already made off with the nards.
Hope you enjoyed lunch that day, I think they'd charge a lot for a plate of THAT."
"A plate of dragon balls?" Caine made a slightly disgusted face. "No thanks. How about we talk about more pleasant things. Like the plague."
"Woahh that's pretty cool Mr. Artegal!"
Belladonna finishes off her mug and reaches for another one
and another one after that.
"Bleh. Actually I think talking about dragon balls is more pleasant than the plague. Still we probs need to talk about what we're gonna do first."
Ruhk, brought back to reality, and remembering the little baby, possibly dying at this very moment, goes grim and serious.
"Right, let's talk about that.
We need three things, and we have a rough idea where to get one, Belladonna knows where the other is, and the third one we can get directions to at the lumber camp."
"What we need to do is to get a rough idea how long the trip will take, go to the general store and get food for the trip, as well as a sick or two for the things we are gathering."
"To know the length of the trip, we need a map, and we need to mark the three locations so we can plan a route.
Does anyone have a map?"
"There aren't any. The folks who know the area best are the lumberjacks and the trappers. The Pathfinder Society sent some cartographers this way a while back, but they didn't come back from their expedition."
"Well, that narrows our options a bit.
If we can't plan on a map, all we can do is find out the general direction and distance from the lumberjacks, then count roughly how many days we need to buy rations for.
Should we go to the lumber camp right away and save time?"
Caine shrugged and looked to Zirren and Zilka. "I'm just here to make sure everyone makes it back in one piece. You two seem to be driving this wagon."
"Back in one piece? Do you think we'll end up fighting people?"
"Well, not "people" as such...but there is a reason us lumberjacks only get our lumber at the outskirts of the forest.
You really don't want to go too deep unless you have to.
I don't mean to scare anyone, but...better be ready for fighting, that's all I'm saying."
"Fighting? Hmmmm... I could take my brother's hunting gear I suppose. He's got a set of leather that might be useful."
"The Vale's dangerous. The folks who run the show around here ain't exactly upstanding citizens. Most folks are alright, but they're broke and desperate and they depend on the worst kinds of people for money and places to live, so they're willing to ignore a lot of awful stuff. There's also things that live in the woods around ain't happy about what the Company is doing in the forest."
"There's a reason there's a constant stream of new lumberjacks trickling in for work, and yet the Company doesn't ever seem to get any bigger."
"Let's just say if you lot went into the woods and never came back, no one would ask any questions. That kinda thing happens all the time around here. The locals are all used to it by now."
Well, with no map, the lumber camp, which I imagine must not be difficult to find, is the best idea. When do we leave?
"Oky, I'll go find a few things."
Belladonna excused herself from the table, and trudged back through the rain to her house. Upon her arrival, she saw her mother cooking with the vegetables Belladonna had brought earlier that day.
"Hi mom. I'm home! I've got some good news." She said in her native tongue.
"Welcome home dear. Where have you been all day?"
"I've been out trying to find out how to cure this plague. I've met up with some new people, and we're about to set off in search of some rare ingredients. Wilmo's hunting gear is still around right?"
A masculine voice came from around the corner. "Yeah it's in our bedroom, you gonna take my stuff?"
"Yes please. We're going to be in the forest, so I was thinking of getting some protection."
"Are you really sure you're ready to be going into the forest? You know the stories of all the lumberjacks. It's a very dangerous place." replied Wilmo as he entered the kitchen.
Belladonna then said "Don't worry! I've got a lot of strong people in the group. One of them is a brave Hin who's family guards the tomb of a powerful person! Oh and there are a bunch of humans who are super strong."
Then Wilmo went up to Belladonna and gave her a hug, he then whispered in her ear. "Be very careful, alright? I won't be able to handle losing a sister, but if this group is serious about finding a cure we could save Meeka from the plague."
With a bunch of hugs from Wilmo, her mother, and Meeka in the bedroom, Belladonna put on her brother's leather armor, packed up some food and water, some gear for sleeping, and set off back to the duck.
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Caine nodded and said "Back in a bit."
He walked through the pass-through into the Ugly Duck and went through the doorway under the stair case that lead to the cellar and his room.
It was mostly empty. Just a simple bed, a two-drawer dresser, a workbench covered in small things the girls had asked him to fix, and an altar covered in some kind of silk ceremonial drape that had a small statue and a thick book, both dedicated to Abadar.
He paused in front of it, then knelt and bowed, but did not pray. Instead he took the statue and the book off, pulled away the silk and revealed a beautiful chest made of some kind of white wood. It was bound in silver and bore the golden key inlayed into the face. The entire chest was intricately carved with passages from the Order of Numbers.
Caine pulled a key from beneath his tunic and unlocked the chest. He stalled as he was about to open it and took a slow breath. He caught his reflection in the slightly tarnished silver, watching his own face run through an array of complex emotions. Finally he clenched his jaw and said "Oh, shut up." and yanked it open so he would't have to look at himself anymore.
The inside of the lid was covered in leather pouches, sheathes, sleeves and scroll tubes. They were mostly empty save for a few.
He pulled a complex web of leather straps out of the chest and was about to close it, then pulled away a layer of cloth to reveal a beautifully crafted gold and silver kite shield emblazoned with the image of the Key to the First Vault set into a sunburst.
He looked at it for a long time, then shook his head and covered it back up. He took a few things from the pouches in the lid, then closed it up, locked it and put his altar back together.
He stared at the idol of the god he'd abandoned for another long moment and said. "I know it ain't really mine anymore, but its just the harness. I made it. The old belt was awful. This one's mine. Or, was, I guess. Whatever."
"I'll bring it back."
He changed into some more durable clothes and belted on the harness. He barely had to synch it up at all even though it was made to fit over armor.
"Well that's f!@$ing depressing." he said looking down at his thickened waist. He shook his head and started tucking his gear away into the pouches and sheathes on the harness. A short sword went into a sheath that was built into the heavy boots he changed into, it's grip sitting next to his knee. A healer's fit into a large pouch on his hip. A small silver club with a long wrist loop, and a matching one made of iron slid into sheathes at the small of his back.
He pulled on his cloak again, locked his door and left.
Caine came back to the table looking like an off duty soldier. Gone was the stained tunic and loose pants. In their place were leather breeches and heavy boots, a red-brown tunic and a harness dotted with a multitude of pouches, straps, sheathes, and metal rings. Every buckle was made of silver and stamped with symbols of Abadar. It looked like it cost a fortune.
He had his cloak mostly pulled around him to hide his clothing and gear and looked a little uncomfortable. "So we ready to leave, or what?"
"Wait for me!" yelled Belladonna as she bolted into the duck... well more so bolted into the door of the duck.
Belladonna still had all the cuteness about her. Her eyes were full of excitement (and pain!). She was clad in what looked to be mismatched leathers sewn together, but it seemed a little bit big on her. On her side was a little dagger, and across her back was a wooden tube. Her backpack bulged so much that it looked like she had stuffed in another halfling. She pulled down the hood of her cloak and smiled (slightly dazed).
I'm going on an adventure... Ow! oh s~+! that'll leave a mark
Caine actually looked more uncomfortable. "Don't tell anyone. It'll ruin my reputation."
He took a finished off one of the mugs on the table, burped as if to prove a point, and walked out into the rain again.
Just like old times, eh. he thought to himself bitterly. I thought I was done with this.
He sighed and pulled his hood over his head. Coulda sat this out. No one to blame but myself.
He stepped out of the way just in time For Belladonna to bolt past him and crash into the door. He winced in sympathy. He couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm.
People are dying and these kids are trying to help. They're green. They need help.
Or maybe I was just waiting for an excuse.
Valeria hugs her son and holds him close for a few moments, relishing the opportunity to dote upon him before he goes off into danger. "You better be careful out there, Zirren. I mean it! The Woods are dangerous." She starts to scold Zirren, but then catches herself at the look he gives her. "But I suppose you already know that... Be safe. I love you!" She hugs him again, and takes the opportunity to cast a look at Greyson that says 'Take care of my boy.'
It's late morning, or at least it appears to still be late morning, however the overcast clouds and rain make it difficult to determine. The group figures it's around... 10:00 AM, give or take. What's your next move?
Second Breakfast
"The supply wagons leave from near the center of town. We might be able to catch one." Caine said moving out into the rain.
"Onwards!"
"Yeah...when we get there, I wonder if I should take a backseat. Might not be so popular once they know I've handed in my "resignation".
Then again, I haven't told anyone yet, so I guess we might still have some good will."
20th of Lamashan, 4714 - 10:00 AM
The group has finally has their destination in mind, the Lumber Camp. They make their way towards Low Market, where the wagons drivers typically gather before making the ceaseless journey back to the lumber camp. The rain continues in a steady drizzle, the type of rain that makes one want nothing more than a hot drink, dry blanket, and a warm fire so sit by... Muddy water, loaded with sawdust, runs in rivulets everywhere rushing over the toes of folks' shoes; those not lucky enough to own quality leather quickly find themselves with wet feet as well.
They come out into Low Market and see three empty wagons being loaded up with supplies from Goose'N'Gander; oiled cloaks, food stuffs, axe heads & shafts, coils of rope, etc. The breath of the three men loading the supplies into the wagons streams out in fog as they grumble about working in such miserable conditions. The three teams of draft horses huddle close to each other, looking practically as miserable as their drivers sound.
"You'd think with that nasty fog and this terrible rain, Payday'd shut down the wagons, but no. Can't delay the shipments, gods forbid. Just wait til one of these wagons gets stuck in the mud, or a horse breaks its leg. Then we'll see about delayed shipments." The driver tosses a coil of rope up to his companion, standing up in the wagon bed.
The other man stashes the rope with a sneeze. "Tell ya what. Not sure how much more o' this rain I can take. Just might have to find myself comin' down with a cough." He fakes a few coughs. "Y'know?" The third driver, a barrel-chested man glowers up at the fellow in the wagon cackles.
The cackling fellow suddenly catches another coil of rope in the face, care of barrel-chest. "Ya shut yer trap, John."
John, a tall lanky Varisian, threw down the rope and cast a dark look. "The hell was that for?"
"My nephew and his came down with The Taint... He fought it off somehow, but his little boy and that little frail wife o' his ain't doin' good. He prayin', but I don't think they goin' t' make it. Terrible way to go if you ask me." He thumped a pine box full of axeheads onto the wagon. "So shut yer yapper and pack these goods."
Seeing that no one else was stepping forward to deal with the wagoneers, Caine nudged Rukh. "Tell him we'll help him get packed up if we can get a ride to the camp."
Talking to Greyson...
Tell who?
Approaching the men with my weapon on my shoulder I salute them and say
Gentlemen, please allow me to introduce myself. My6 name is Aretgal Boote, of the Boote family. I understand these wagons are traveling to the lumber mills to the north. Is that so? Please, do not let me keep you from your duties, but my companions and I are, the weather being what it is, are also traveling to the north, and walking in this rain has dampened our spirits. We would like to offer to pay you for a small place, on the backs of the wagons, if you can, for us to ride along with you. We can even help you load these goods, if that is not against company policies and such. Please, consider our offer, we are travelers, with much further to go, and a little ride now and then is, how do you say it, a kindness not often enjoyed.
The three drivers turn at once to look at Nathaniel as he addresses them. John, from atop the wagon rubs his chin thoughtfully as the prospect of making a little extra coin, licking his lips as he looks at the others. The other driver looks at Nathaniel as the others with a curious glance... While Barrel-Chest looks down at the halfling and approaches, towering nearly two feet over the tall halfling. He crosses his arms over his thick chest, a suspicious glint in his eyes. "And why'd ya'll want to go north anyway? Nothin' up there, but The Woods. I don't think you want t' go there."
John pipes up from the wagon. "Who cares, Edric! He said they'd pay coin. Hey little fellah, how much you got?"
"That's right, I would figure that between being offered help with the shipment (so you can get out of the rain faster) and making a little money on the side, you'd be more than happy to give us a ride.
Besides, I have to go back to camp soon anyway."
Edric glances over at Ruhk with an eyebrow raised. "Maybe I don't trust folks that don't want to tell me why they headed-"
John cuts him off suddenly. "Oh shut it, Edric! You ain't a deputy, don't ya ruin a good chance to make some coin." Edric turns to glower at John and spits on the ground.
The third driver looks over at Ruhk for the first time. "That's The Dandy, you idiots. He's one of us. I'll gladly take the help loading and Ruhk you can ride for free with me. The rest-"
Once again John interrupts. "Oh no, Jake! No free rides here! I don't care if he's one of us or not." John stops at the fierce looks directed at him by Jake and Edric. "Fine! But I ain't takin' no less than 4 silver a head! If you two don't like that, then perhaps Payday might need to hear about-"
"Shut it, John. Or so help the gods, I'll rip that stupid mustache off yer face!" Edric threatens, while taking a few steps towards John, who quickly back-pedals and trips over a few coils of rope. He lands solidly on his backside, which causes his face to flush a bright red.
Jake nods to his comrades. "Fine. 4 silver a head, save for Ruhk. I bet we can fit two of ya in each wagon." He approaches Nathaniel and Ruhk. "What ya say?"