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"Er-uh, I wasn't advocating for the AsmoKind -- I was just hoping one or two of you here could -- provide some possibly better kind -- or at least reasonably alternative kind of holy water."
"Er. Holy Water eh? Um, maybe…"
"So as not to surprise you as you're perched out there, that hawk there is with me."
"That good to know. I will not target your hawk. Does it kill a lot of mice? I hate them. They find and eat my stuff. Mice that is. "
Laughing.
"For fun. Mice aren't much of a meal. At least the mice around here. I'll let Chasah know of your dislike."
Sol rides in peace, enjoying the company and the travel. She chit-chats with others, happily clip-clopping along.
In the days to come Eri collects a proffered mouse carcass, skins it, dries out the bones and makes a bag of its skin to hold the bones as a warning to other mice.
"Thank you to Chasah."
"Good to know you Maurice! I'm sure you'll do a fine job, and don't worry, if anything happens, just hide - we'll take care of the rest I promise."
Maurice nods, making sure the gnome's legs give him the clearance to enter the cab. "I make it a point to hide, as long as there are guards." He looks at Mortimer and Solrisa, and his lower lip rolls forward. "Guess we'll see."
The road is eerily clear of travelers. Perhaps it's the rain, chased travelers into the forests for cover until the rain subsides? Hard to tell, but this leg of the trip brings you further into the hills, making the road a wonderful target to watch from the safety of the trees...
Aside from Asmodeus, Abadar has a presence in the garrison itself, where a chapel is known to provide its own spiritual guidance to the soldiers. Perhaps a liaison could provide you the 'in' to obtain a couple of vials of holy water as Mortimer commands.
The sun likely sets, though you never quite see it throughout your travel day. The road rattles the coach several times, as the mud causes the wheels to stick. Fortunately, the horses exert enough strength to keep the transport moving.
The night brings a diminished sprinkle, keeping your faces misted lightly. Maurice finds a copse that provides some wind sheer. From the back of the coach, the old man unsnaps several grommets, and the canvas across the back is revealed to be a large tent that requires little in the way of setting up, as it uses the coach for part of its support. The size of the tent is enough to accommodate at least six medium travelers, so the group is set, as long as Ascaria spoons Hourpen.
Maurice moves on to unhitching the horses, bringing out travel feed bags, and giving the team some nourishment, despite the wet. He looks questioningly at Mortimer and Solrisa, weighing them in their treatment of their personal horses, but says nothing to offend.
Allustan squirrels himself into the tent, pulling his cloak tightly about him. He pulls various food items from his haversack, and settles his belly, offering it to those coming in from the rain. "Another day, and we'll set eyes on the Keep. Accommodations should be much more robust than this, I'd say. A little discomfort to remind us what comfort is." He falls asleep not that much longer after eating.
...
The next morning is cold, but somewhat drier than the night before. Maurice makes his rounds, packing up the tent, hitching up the horses, and taking to the front bench for the next leg of the journey to Blackwall Keep. This time, you head more or less straight south.
The road is as lifeless this day as the day before. Blackwall Keep should greet you by night fall, if you can maintain your pace.
That night, in the dry of the tent, Ascaria starts by Creating Water and then blessing it his own personal away turning it into a light sweet wine. He shares it around happily, even making more if there isn’t enough. It's not holy, but it is bolstering.
Once settled in, he tries a drawing of their travels that day. The coach, the horses, the outriders Sol and Mort - and the interminable rain. He tries to show the faces on that side of the coach - Hourpen and Allustan and of course Maurice and Tynan on top. There's even a hint of Eri in shadow.
Pleased with his drawing he stuffs it into his satchel with the others. "We should keep a watch. Two on, three shifts. I'll take the middle watch with someone. I can see well in the dark of the night, if not far."
Eventually he curls up to sleep.
- - -
The next day starts off as the last finished. He creates more water to ensure their overnight fire is out before they depart. Once in the coach, he's lulled again by its constant jostling and motion and he drifts... in and out... in and out. So weary.
Happy to be free of the wagon Hourpen gladly volunteers for watch.
"I would take all the watches if it were wise. Any excuse to move about with nothing over my head but the sky."
Solrisa decamps with glee, her not-quite-as-impossibly-perfect ass hurting from the long ride...made worse by her lack of practice. She doesn't overtly complain, but her movements are stiff and forced as she works out her muscles.
She takes care of MemoRae, setting her (despite the fact that she's a he, Sol considers her to be a she) to graze.
She sips at the wine Ascaria offers, eating it with her dinner. For her watch, she changes into her old hide armor, which is more comfortable (and warm) for sleeping. She cleans her armor when she can, not minding too much if the clinking sound awakes others.
She is content. She chats happily with others, telling stories of her and Rae growing up in Kaer Maga, and stories that Mum told her of her days in Korvosa.
"Er. Holy Water eh? Um, maybe…"
"Ah, yes. Hourpen I do believe there is a chapel to Abadar at the garrison. Would it be possible for you to go there and get some holy water?"
Eri eyes the close quarters of the tent and visibly squirms briefly before climbing up a tree with his rope and ties his hammock and a little cover to spend the night in the canopy.
"Ascaria, I'll take second watch with you. If I don't wake up, just throw a rock at me."
"I'll keep first watch with Hourpen. Sol and Mort, are you good with third watch?"
Tynan moves outside of the tent, letting the warmth of the wine settle into his system. The memories of his training return to him, and he wonders where his mentor might be these days.
"I would take all the watches if it were wise. Any excuse to move about with nothing over my head but the sky."
On their watch, Tynan passes the time cleaning his new sword, and talking with Hourpen.
"My mentor felt much as you do about the outdoors... so much so that he worked to make sure everyone had the same opportunity to enjoy the freedom." He looks directly at Hourpen, and gives a nod. "EVERYONE."
Speaking quietly, so as not to awaken the others inside the tent, Tynan continues.
"How is it you found yourself in Cheliax? Were you born here or... brought here?"
Mortimer supplements the grazing horses' diets with clean apple. He slips some into the teams' feed bags as well, then adds some to Allustan's buffet. He adds timothy hay to his List.
"As the road progresses into the hills, we should keep watch on the trees for danger as well as the road. Seems to me that the trees would be a good vantage point to spy the road."
"I make it a point to hide, as long as there are guards." He looks at Mortimer and Solrisa, and his lower lip rolls forward. "Guess we'll see."
What's his problem? Do I need to watch him as much as as anything else too?
"Something in particular you are worried about?" he asks Maurice, casually."I'll keep first watch with Hourpen. Sol and Mort, are you good with third watch?"
"Fine by me," says Mortimer. He helps himself sparingly to some food listening to Sol's stories, but saying very little himself. He then wedges himself near the tent opening until it's his turn to watch.
Listening intently to Solrisa's stories, Hourpen does not immediately tell any of his own. He does quietly respond to Tynan's inquiry.
Considering Eri's request. "Do such things require coin? I'm not much for such things, but I am happy to seek what you are after."
"Something in particular you are worried about?"
Maurice tucks his lower lip back in. "Not the particulars, more the likelys. Bandits are pretty common, catching cold, rogue monsters that find their way to cross paths with my horses, saddle rash... all of it is manageable with the right preparations. It's not my job to tell you if you require additional guards on your trip, and I can't argue Braxander into tying their expense into the expense you pay for the privilege of riding in their coaches. Just makes good business sense, if you ask me. They seem to think it's acceptable losses to lose one or two coaches a month... not me, by my hide, not me."
The horses continue to pull the coach ever closer to its destination. Travel south, at least away from Diamond Lake, and the earth becomes greener. Healthier. Allustan sticks his head out of the coach to smell. "Ah, yes. We're getting closer to the Mistmarsh. We shouldn't be too long now, not long at all."
As sun begins to set, the air takes on a slightly hazier quality, a mixture of humidity and something else.
The coach has slowed its pace noticeably.
The coach has slowed its pace noticeably.
The second part of the mixture in the air, aside from humidity, is smoke.
Tynan notices that the carriage has begun to slow. Looking over at the driver questioningly, he asks:
"Why are we slowing down, Maurice?" He scans the hazy air for signs of anything out of the ordinary, but spots nothing.
Solrisa clip-clops along merrily. Occasionally, she will dismount and walk alongside MemoRae, whispering and pointing things out to her horse, just like she would if Rae were there. And MemoRae, for her part, would ignore Sol just like Rae used to.
"Why are we slowing down, Maurice?"
Sol dismounts and walks long side the carriage for a bit, waiting to hear the answer.
Maurice doesn't immediately answer, waiting a couple of minutes to let the forest clear a bit. Then he points.
"Smoke, rising just past that hillock on the right. Was listening, but I don't hear anything too disconcerting. Just the smoke." The hillock isn't terribly far, and the wind is in your favor, blowing north.
Another handful of minutes, and you should be able to see the source.
"I'll go scout it out. Sol, protect Allustan if it's an attack... we can't let anything happen to him."
Tynan hops down from the carriage, concentrates on his hat for a moment, and changes his outfit to appear brownish-green, similar to that bark of the trees around them. He moves off in the direction Maurice pointed.
Though Hourpen doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary, he carefully follows Tynan all the same. Chasah remains near the wagon.
Solrisa hands off (or ties off) MemoRae to Maurice. She gladly joins Tynan in the scouting.
She clomps about 30' behind Tynan, stopping when he stops.
Tynan stops as he hears clomping behind him. He turns to see Solrisa following him, and shakes his head.
He whisphers: "Sol, you're just not quiet enough to scout. Please, go and protect Allustan. You're the protector, remember?"
"Oh," Sol says, clearly crushed as she had thought she was invited to go scout. She retreats back to the carriage.
Mortimer stays with Cinder near Allustan and waits for the scouts to return.
Rounding the hillock, you come across an abandoned farmhouse, its crumbling chimney allowing a pillar of smoke to ascend. The light from within the ranch-style building emanates from two front windows, and a side window from your approach.
How close do you get?
Maurice continues to hold onto Solrisa's horse's reins. Allustan remains in the coach, though he does look out the window occasionally. "Do you think we'll get moving again soon? I'd like to rest this night, and arrive early as the Keep wakes. Never good to approach a keep in the dead of night, I would think."
Tynan continues forward to see who... or what... has started a fire.
Solrisa smiles at Allustan.
"Oh, yeah, maybe...uh huh..." Solrisa answers with all the information she has. "I can't wait to get there. What is the keep like? What are you hoping to learn there again?"
Approaching the side window, both of you are able to take in the interior of the farmhouse. A large common room, with two ladders to an unseen loft. In the middle of the room, four bearded dwarves are enjoying the warmth of their contained hearth fire. Two large sacks rest in the corner of the room, and one of the dwarves is cleaning a bloody axe a little ways outside the circle.
As you approach, one of them shoots to his feet, and heads to the front door. "Oye. You hear that?" The other three shake their heads, and remain seated.
The front door opens, and the singular dwarf remains present, looking out.
"What is the keep like? What are you hoping to learn there again?"
Allustan pats his lap at the prospect of answering questions. "I have no idea what the Keep is like, Solrisa. I'll learn as much of it as you do when we arrive. I only have letters from Marzena. She tends to recall our time in Egorian more than she accounts her time in Blackwall, I'm afraid. As for what I hope to learn, what we hope to learn, I'd hope, is why she's finding the same worms down here that you've found up in Diamond Lake. Very strange, these worms."
"Ah..." Solrisa nods as if she understands it all, making friendly conversation. Solrisa continues to chat as she protects Allustan, making small talk.
"I... have a friend. Her name is Marzena. Lovely lady. Smells like cloves and juniper if you lean in close enough." He blushes a little, before remembering the paper in his hand.
"I can't wait to get there. What is the keep like? What are you hoping to learn there again?"
"I only have letters from Marzena. She tends to recall our time in Egorian more than she accounts her time in Blackwall [...]"
I get it. He's going to see an Old Flame -- that's cool. He frowns as he listens. And worms... Her research in worms... like the one we're carrying. His eyebrows unfurl from consternation and refurl in resolve. We'd better make sure he gets there -- and see that they meet -- so we might learn how to stop this Wormy Madness.
Mortimer remains on guard near the coach.
Cloves and Juniper. Astringent. Some kind of warding? He wrinkles his nose and peers at Allustan. Nah, I'm sure he's fine -- he still blushes. Mort turns his attention back to their surroundings and sighs. I just hope Marzena is not as insane as Filge seemed to be.
He maneuvers his steed Cinder closer to the coach.
Tynan eye the dwarves through the window, trying to discern if they are any he recognizes from the Dourstone mine.
These aren't the dwarves you're looking for.
Everybody is moving off and Eri notices and elbows Ascaria.
"Canary, wake up. Something's amiss"
He then climbs to the spot vacated by Tynan.
Tynan presses himself against the side of the house, waiting for the dwarf to return inside. When he does, Tynan motions for Hourpen to follow as he makes his way away from the structure.
The grey man and the mouser make their way carefully away from the abandoned farmhouse, once the dwarves return to their huddle.
In a little while, Tynan and Hourpen return to the fold. Maurice looks down, unsure as to how they'll proceed. Allustan seems content enough, as he rifles through a couple of correspondences.
Tynan returns to the group and relates what they saw.
"It was a farmhouse with four dwarves in it. They didn't spot us, so we should be safe to continue on... as long as we keep an eye out that direction."
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Everybody is moving off and Eri notices and elbows Ascaria.
"Canary, wake up. Something's amiss"
He then climbs to the spot vacated by Tynan.
*snort* "Huh, what?"
Ascaria wakes from his doze and looks around noting the missing party members. He sees Eri climb to the top of the coach.
"What's going on? Dwarves? Why don't we say hello? Are they hostile?"
Eri goes back to his seat. He's quite awake now for a little while staring out the window, a far off look in his eye.
Solrisa has only cheery opinions of dwarves (and pretty much all humanoids) but will let others decide whether they want to stop and chat or continue.
"I'm not sure that would be wise, Ascaria... they seemed to be a bit jumpy. If that's what the rest of you wish to do though, I won't argue. That said, if we need to set up a camp near here, we should be very cautious."
"No, I suppose you're right, and Allustan thinks we can yet make the keep today, so let's press on."
Ascaria is ready to proceed, but he makes an extra effort to stay awake for a while...
Silly gnome slept right through Allustans statement clearly! Allustan in fact said we'd have to camp soon... (link)
So please ignore my last post in favor of this one. "Well, let's go see the Dwarves. I don't want to camp a stones throw from their house and have them attack us in the night. Let's meet with them now, shall we?"
"Oh! I hope they have some food to share!" Sol squeals as she begins to clank with Ascaria to the house. "Ascaria! Do you like food!? I LOVE food."
"Well, let's go see the Dwarves. I don't want to camp a stones throw from their house and have them attack us in the night. Let's meet with them now, shall we?"
Throw stones at the Dwarves, got it. No, wait! That's not what he said... Mortimer looks confused for a brief moment.
"Oh! I hope they have some food to share! Ascaria! Do you like food!? I LOVE food."
Maybe I do need nourishment!
"O.K. Perhaps we may be able to persuade them to let us borrow their floor for the evening in exchange for -- what do Dwarves like?"
He lets the others think about that for a bit, for he has no earthly clue.
"Also -- Tynan -- what did they do that made you think they seemed a bit jumpy? Given that -- how do you suggest we make our approach?"
"Well, one of them was cleaning blood off of his axe, and another leaped for the door when he thought he heard something outside. Maybe that's all normal activity for a dwarven farmhouse though..."
"Given that -- how do you suggest we make our approach?"
Solrisa brightens.
"Oh, I'll go! Dwarves and I are probably good friends who don't know each other yet!"
Solrisa clomps closer (giving others a chance to get into position if they wish), and calls out from a friendly distance.
"Hello!? Dwarves!? Can we talk? I don't mean to disturb you..." Sol says cheerily, expecting sunshine and rainbows in return.
Diplomacy
Ascaria suggest that Maurice drive the coach toward the house.
"After all, we don't want to seem like thieves, but rather what we are - travelers on the road. I think they'll be less nervous if they see us just as travelers."
Ascaria will get out of the coach when they're near the house, but he stays relatively close to Allustan - within 50' or so.
Eri will follow along close to Allustan, within 15' or so.
Hourpen stays in nearby cover as others approach.
"The dwarves might be trouble because the cult we found in Diamond Lake was within the Dourstone mine, the one run by dwarves. I'm just being cautious because we may run into others affiliated with that mine, and possibly, the cult."
The coach follows the road, which makes its way to the left, then back right to clear the hillock. An abandoned farmhouse stands off the road, but quite visible through the trees, especially for the smoke rising from its crumbling chimney. Light emanates from its two front windows, and one side window from your vantage.
As the coach leaves the road to approach the farmhouse more directly, two dwarves emerge from the front door. Only one of them holds a warhammer, but both of them look less than pleased, even from this distance. Hammerboy steps forward a little, tapping the grip.
"Oye! Road's that way. Best keep on travelling."