As the group beds down for the night, Ulf offers something up - "If you like, I can keep watch most nights. Not tonight, though. I have magic which will prevent fatigue, assuming nothing happens. I need to prepare it first." Shalelu speaks up as well. "I can keep watch the night after any incidents. I can use that magic as well."
Sandru has a big, warm blanket ready. "I'm way ahead of you, Vashta," he says with a grin.
Vashta smiles and moves closer to Sandru for the watch (and maybe later too?).
Calder shrugs, he'll take what watch is required of him, he is in favor of having Shalelu and Ulf take watches. Though he suggests that Ulf take an early watch to ensure he has a full nights rest, as he's needed for guiding during the day.
The caravan moves on, rumbling ever farther north. The roads here are not well-maintained or regularly used, and so there are significant and frequent delays on the path as a wagon gets mired in mud, or an area is impassable, or the road ends in a cliff or other ledge. It is another eleven days of hard traveling through hill country without a major encounter. Ameiko begins to get frustrated and impatient with the route, although Ulf and Ukshakka assure her that the High Ice is nothing to be excited about entering.
Eventually though, the group comes into smoother ground, coming down from the hills of the tundra. Every day, despite progressing further into summer, it gets colder - thirty miles north every day will do that. However, eventually the group comes to the Taraska River. The warm season is upon the group, and the river has swollen to a wide and deep torrent. Ulf appears comtemplative. "Hmm." he says. "Finding a ford at this time of year will be very difficult... but we must ford the Taraska. The only other option is to travel three hundred miles to the east to travel around the mountains from which it flows. Any ideas?"
"Does anyone have magic that could create a temporary bridge of wood or stone, or freeze the river?" asks Aiko.
Vashta shakes her head and looks toward Calder to see if that's something maybe the cleric can do.
"I could maybe send a couple people over there, but not the whole caravan..."
Tallak kneels by the river bank as Nightfang takes a drink himself. The Ulfen runs his hand through his beard before saying back over his shoulder, ”I maybe could convince the river to recede some...but likely not enough to change things. I could also let one person or creature walk on the winds to cross. Several more could walk on the waters themselves.”
"Huh." Clara scratches her hair with sticky orange fingers from the morning's experimentation. "Now I wish I'd read up a bit on bridge building. I'm afraid even my fizzy lifting drinks won't really help much with this one."
"Clarabibulus," says Aiko, carefully using the gnome's full name, "I've heard you mention fizzy drinks, but the only one I've seen is the explosive one that you used in our recent combat. I presume you do not mean that you would give people explosives to imbibe?" Her brow is furrowed with legitimate confusion.
"Oh! Fizzy drinks can do anything. I mean, in theory anyway. I'm still studying and experimenting, and trying to work out the details, but by the end of this quest I hope to rediscover the lost formula for the Ultimate Fizzy Drink, which was originally created by great-great-great-grandpapa Umbilicus, back in the Age of Destiny, and was lost in the tragic Tarrasque invasion. There's some debate in the family as to whether the Ultimate Fizzy Drink was best enjoyed as a beverage or thrown at one's foes, but all agree that it was zesty, uplifting, and very very fizzy.
"In practice, some of experiments turn out different from others--and that's great! If a formula's a bit too fizzy, I can always shake it up and through it some monsters or evil ninjas. And when they turn out just right, they taste delicious!.
"Here, would you like to try one?"
Aiko nods slowly as Clarabibulus explains fizzy drinks. "So... they have a variety of uses. But you know in advance if you are giving someone a drink that is poisonous or explosive, I hope?" she says quizzically.
She hesitantly accepts Clara's offer. "What does this one do? Is it just a tasty beverage or does it have unusual powers?"
Aiko looks across the river dubiously. "I can get across, but that doesn't help the caravan. Can we get the horses to walk on water with magic? Um, that wouldn't help the wagons. Never mind. Hmm."
Koya shrugs. "Sorry, Aiko. I can brew potions, but not scribe scrolls yet."
Ulf grunts. "We could just... build a bridge. Right?"
Shalelu has input as well. "If we are strong enough and the river was a little lower, with some ability to breathe water we might be able to drag the empty carts across the riverbed."
Aiko says, "That's... a good idea, Shalelu. As long as the current doesn't drag them off while they're full of water." She looks to the group's magicians for their input.
Vashta nods. "I guess it's that or trying to find the other pass."
He kneels beside the river and begins muttering chants and prayers to the spirits and ancestors. Once he feels the spell energy of the earth, water, and wind enter him, he rises and awaits the others to be ready. He approaches the three designated to carry the wagons, ”Ancestors. Bless these souls with the strength of the earth. The might of the aurochs. The fortitude of the mighty mammoth.” They then feel their muscles tighten and grow more solid.
He then turns to everyone, animals and all, and begins making a mark of blue paint across their foreheads or fur as he prays chants, [b]”May the waters be as stable as the plains. Steadfast as the mountains. Let not the tides of the sea or the flows of rivers hinder our passage.”
Finally, he turns to walk to the edge of the river itself. He calls out in a powerful, commanding voice, ”Mighty river! You are the lifeblood of the earth! You give rise to crops, provide for the men and beasts of the earth when we thirst! You give rise to the oceans themselves! But today we need you to recede! Slow your mighty currents! Let us cross over you without hindrance!” He sprinkles some dust into the flowing waters. ”I, Tallak, son of Sigurdar, by the power of my ancestors, command you to recede!”
Clara looks up from a bubbling beaker.
"I guess I could give some of us the ability to swim like a fish too. A kinda slow fish, but it might be better than nothing. I could give it to the animals too, assuming they like fizzy drinks."
Vashta tries to persuade Ulf to help.
"The magic should make it relatively easy, and otherwise we're talking days more to cross the river."
"I suppose I'll run interference over the river to respond in case anything tries to come out and have lunch."
Ulf rolls his eyes, but grunts in affirmation. When the time comes, he allows Tallak to cast the spells upon him, Calder, and Tallak himself. Their strength massively improved, they are able to brace themselves and physically lift each wagon once the wagons are unloaded of gear. Being at a completely heavy load means that it takes about three minutes of grunting and struggling to get one wagon across. A quick dash back across the river allows a second wagon to go across. The other wagons must wait for the following day.
"Thanks, guys!" Clara grins at Ulf, Calder, and Tallak, "You must be exhausted. Here, have a fizzy drink!"
Aiko, of course, sets up to sleep on whichever side of the river Ameiko sleeps on.
"That was an impressive bit of magicking," she says. "Truly. And will save us quite a lot of time."
Ameiko and Aiko camp on the far side of the river ("closer to adventure!" says Ameiko) while Shalelu volunteers to stay on the closer side to guard whomever is forced to stay behind.
Clara will stay back with Shalelu, but she'll give Ameiko a Monkeyfish extract before she goes over, in case someone on the far side needs to get back.
The group beds down for the night, separated in two by the roaring spring Taraska river. As per the previous discussion, Ulf and Shalelu are both awake under the effects of keep watch today, all night long.
It is the dead of night, and Aiko is currently on watch. The roar of the Taraska river drowns out most noise, and the darkness is absolute. Ulf ruled that campfires not be allowed all night long because it attracts attention, so the three watchers currently watch in the darkness of night.
A trio of large aquatic creatures are crawling out of the water's edge and stealthily creeping towards you in the caravan... Though it is difficult to make out what they might be due to the total darkness, you can tell that they are armed and they probably do not want to talk.
Though very strong, you have certainly faced far more powerful enemies. They have no special abilities, resistances, or weaknesses.
1st - ant haul (4), endure elements, calm animals
2nd - bull's strength (2), hold animal, spiritual weapon, silence
3rd - water walk (2), create food and water, dominate animal
4th - control water, summon nature's ally IV
Vashta sleeps peacefully.
Calder is unhappy that the caravan has been divided and sleeps uneasily.
"TO AAAAAARRRRRMMMSS!" shouts Aiko at the top of her voice.