The frog quickly regrets its decision to mess with Ives and decides to hop off into the river.
Teleri had developed a noticeable limp herself by the time they reached Pentrefan, but gamely ignores it, making sure Madog and Dylan make it to the infirmary first.
Once they are safely within and and being attended by the SBC medic, Teleri settles herself on a bench outside the infirmary door. But it's not long before she hears approaching footsteps. Looking up, she finds Mr. Trenton and a small group of other locals -- of whom she only recognizes Molly -- gathered about.
"Ah, Mr. Trenton," she says, struggling to her aching feet and giving a curtsy. "No doubt you are wondering what has occurred. Let me report."
She stands up straight and begins speaking. "The body was discovered by a local boy, Rhys, while he was looking for a good spot to fish. He led us back to it. Along the way we briefly spotted an odd young man with unusually dark skin, who ran from us; Madog thought he might be a 'wild boy' who apparently lives in the area. When we reached the river where Rhys had found the body, we discovered that it was gone; there were clear marks that a body had indeed lain there, but also fresh footprints and drag marks showing that someone got there before us and pushed the body into the river."
"While we were examining the scene, a giant frog lunged out of the water and bit Madog. We were able to subdue it without any further harm. I believe it was ill. Its skin was patchy and discolored, and unless I am greatly mistaken, it's not normal for a frog to attack people, even one of that size. I would have liked to go searching downstream for the body, but since Madog was wounded, and none of us had come equipped for an extended trip through the wilderness, we elected to return to town instead."
"On the way back we were ambushed by two archers in cover. They shot Dylan first, and then me; but they were using blunt arrows, and so we were bruised but not seriously harmed. About that time the wild boy put in another appearance, apparently intent on defending us; but by the time he arrived, our attackers were already fleeing under cover of a magically conjured bank of fog."
"I pursued them, and managed to catch a clear glimpse of one: it was a blue skinned humanoid of about human size, who slipped into the river and swam away. The wild boy -- who calls himself Ives Tunn -- told us that they were naiads. I had never seen or heard of such a creature before. Further, he informed us that the corpse on the riverside was also a naiad, and that he had pushed her into the river as a kind of burial."
"I am not sure what purpose our assailants had. If they believed us to be responsible for the death of the first naiad, they might have attacked us for vengeance, or to defend themselves against a perceived threat. I am intrigued by the fact that they used blunt arrows -- I retrieved two of them to examine. It makes me wonder if they were trying to capture us, for some reason."
"The only other thing I have to report is that the wild boy, Ives, claims that the water in the river downstream of town is 'sour'. He believes it has been poisoned, and that the poison in the water killed the first naiad. I have no evidence to support or deny his conjecture at this time, beyond noting that it would be consistent with the signs of illness exhibited by the giant frog, and that the water had a distinct bitter flavor when I tasted it."
She carefully does not mention Ives' peculiar behavior or odd physical appearance.
The workers murmur in surprise as Teleri tells her account but never grow loud enough to drown her out. They listen intently to the most interesting thing that's happened near Pentrefan in a good decade. He takes a look at the arrows "That's right strange. Why are the arrows so small? And why would they attack you?"
When you mention the poisoned water, Trenton scoffs. "There's nothing wrong with the river! I drink from it every day. But this might be progress. Can you figure out what's going on? There's vandalism at the mine, at an equipment storage shed, and Anderson was attacked two nights ago." He jerks a thumb over his shoulder toward four beefy looking men. "They just came in on the most recent barge. Mercs. I'm paying them to guard the town. The sooner I no longer need them, the more money you save me."
If persuaded, Trenton will authorize Teleri to requisition up to 50 gp worth of goods from the company store in order to aid her continued investigation.
Ives' claw strikes the frog across the back and it makes a gulping noise as it slumps forward to the ground, dead. Ives can tell that it is underweight, has discolored skin, and has the weird red thing under the skin on its head.
"I don't know why the arrows are so small, or why they attacked us," Teleri says. "But I mean to find out. Ideally I'd like to speak with them. I have a great long list of questions I'd like to ask them."
"I'll take a look at the vandalism at the mine tomorrow," she says. "Though I need to get some supplies first. The afternoon's adventures have shown me that I came woefully unprepared for traipsing about the wilderness. I don't suppose SBC could assist with those expenses?" she asks hopefully, tilting her head and offering Mr. Trenton a winning smile.
Trenton nods. "That seems perfectly reasonable. " He scratches something out on a piece of paper. "Here. Give them this at the SMC store. That'll get you 50 frenhines of store credit."
It is a small red stone of some sort. It looks kind of valuable, like rubies. You've heard of rubies!
On an unrelated note, you are also aware of a large pool in the river downstream a ways. Sometimes naiads like to rest in that pool.
"Thank you kindly, Mr. Trenton," Teleri says, dipping her head.
After answering a few minor questions from the rest of the crowd, Teleri excuses herself, finds Molly in the crowd, and returns to Molly's house with her.
"Oh, my goodness," Teleri says, sitting heavily on the edge of her bed. "What a day!" She rummages about in her pack and pulls out a button-hook. Slowly, painfully, she undoes the dozen buttons on each boot and eases her aching feet out of them. "Oof."
She examines her feet, thankfully finding no blisters, but several hot spots that might easily become blisters. She also has an ugly bruise on the side of her right foot where it was caught by a naiad's arrow.
She pokes at it, and immediately regrets it. "Nnnnnhh," she groans.
"Molly, could I trouble you for a kettle of boiling water and a bucket to rinse my feet in?" she asks.
Molly obliges, and Teleri sighs in relief as the hot water soothes some of her aches. She washes each foot, firm but gentle, wincing a bit, and then dries them before letting her feet breathe.
Molly brings a bowl of soup as well -- primarily made of vegetables, but with a few chunks of meat in it rendered unidentifiable by long simmering. Teleri tucks into the simple fare gratefully.
Molly examines the ensemble. "Lawks, I don't even know what all the parts is!" she exclaims.
Finishing her soup, Teleri stands and joins Molly. "First you put on your stockings and shoes," she says, "Because gods help you getting them on later. Next, the chemise," she says, pulling out a loose white knee-length smock. "Made of linen. It sits underneath everything else and keeps it from rubbing too much."
Putting it back on its hanger, she pulls out another piece. "Then the corset. This one is half-boned, and covered in black damask." She indicates a subtle pattern of triangles worked into it. "The pattern adds some texture without drawing too much attention. It's possibly my least favorite part of the whole outfit," she sighs, "As it does make it rather difficult to breathe, and you can't really put it on without someone else to do the laces. Wonderful for keeping an upright posture, though. You don't really have a choice."
Putting it back again, she pulls out a pair of linen tubes with laces at the top and bits of whalebone ribbing clearly visible. They're paired with what appears to be a small, cylindrical pillow with strings protruding from each end. "These are the panniers," she says, indicating the whalebone-reinforced linen constructs. "You lace them about the waist and they rest on your legs. The elegantly named 'bum-roll' --" she points at the cylindrical pillow -- "also gets fastened about your waist, and sits just at the small of the back. Together they give shape to the gown, calling attention to the lady's hips and lending a good bit of extra swish to the skirts as you walk. Some ladies have taken to extending these out as much as a foot or two in both directions. Personally, I think it makes them resemble nothing so much as a barge. A few inches is fine."
Putting those back, she pulls out a skirt, made of black damask similar to the corset's, but with a floral pattern worked in gleaming silver thread. It shines in the light. "The underskirt. It fastens about the waist, above the panniers and bum-roll, and will be visible from the front."
"Finally, this is the gown proper. It has a full bodice and long sleeves that flare out at the cuff, here," she says, pointing out the bits, "While the skirts cover over the underskirt, but only come as far forwards as the points of one's hips, so that the underskirt is visible from the front."
Molly runs a hand over the fine cloth, made of a light-weight, dark green silk. "So smooth!" she marvels.
"It's lovely fabric," Teleri agrees enthusiastically. "Imported from Calishan, overseas. It took me nearly a year to save up for this gown."
There's a pause while Molly looks at the array of bits. "I'm sure it looks mighty fine," Molly says, "That I am. But lawks! It do look hot and uncomfortable."
"Oh, it's not so bad once you get used to it," Teleri says. "The worst part is trying to go to the loo."
Molly looks thoughtful. "And how do you, then?" she finally asks.
"It's called a bourdeloue. Imagine a gravy boat."
"Ah."
A pause hangs in the air as the two women look at the gleaming gown, hung on the wall of a rustic hut in the middle of the mountains.
Finally, Teleri says "You know, Mrs. Owens -- my patroness as a child -- once told me that a woman's gown is her weapon." She looks ruefully at her finery.
"Alas, Molly; I seem to have brought a sword to a bow fight."
And the two of them laugh together as the shadows grow long in the streets of Pentrefan.
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The sun is heading down, but I think I will make a short stop at the pool. I remember seeing a naiad there that one time, and maybe I can find them again. I would be anything that they blame Mrs. Teleri for the death.
Ives walks downstream and considers the beautiful stone. It really is a pretty thing, but Ives remembers from his time in town that boys don't usually wear bright stones like this. Girls do. To put in their hair and stuff.
Maybe Mrs. Teleri would like it.
You spend the night peacefully in Pentrefan at Molly's. You wake after the sun is well up. Your body is quite sore but your mind feels fully refreshed, ready to bend arcane power anew! Molly chuckles at you a little when you get up. "Eggs and porridge?"
You decide to head downstream to the pool. You walk through the deep green woods over the genlte, rolling hills downstream through this rocky valley. The stream bends slowly down the mountain. You decide to move quietly, in case anything else odd happens. You aporoach the pool silently and see a male naiad sitting on the water's edge.
The naiad turns quickly around to look at you with a swish of his legs in the water. You see a haggard face, with dark circles under it. "Hva!? Hvem er du og hva vil du ha?" What!? Who are you and what do you want?"
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"Mitt navn er Ives, jeg er overrasket over at du ikke kjenner igjen meg. Jeg har bodd i denne skogen i mange år. Ditt folk, hvorfor angrep de byens dame?"
"My name is Ives, I'm surprised you don't recognize me. I have lived in this forest for many years. Your people, why did they attack the town lady?"
After a breakfast of eggs and porridge, Teleri dons her second traveling outfit -- this one in green -- and makes her way to the SMC company store.
I clearly had no idea what I was in for, Teleri reflects as she approaches. But there is an upside.
She pauses to look around at the gentle spring sun shining on the huts of Pentrefan, the people out and about their daily business. Small birds flit about. One lands on a roof-edge near Teleri and hops back and forth.
A broad smile spreads across Teleri's face. I get to go shoe shopping! On someone else's coin, at that.
And with that, she enters the SMC store and sets about it.
For Teleri:
gp wt Item
1 - Boots and socks
2 1 Dagger
2 2 Backpack
0.1 5 Bedroll
0.02 - Candles (2)
0.05 - Chalk (5 pcs)
1 - Flint and Steel
10 5 Silk Rope (50 ft)
0.8 - Signal Whistle
3 - Empty vials (3)
0.02 1 String (100 ft)
1 2 Trail rations (2 days)
For Ives:
gp wt Item
2 2 Backpack
0.1 5 Bedroll
0.1 0.5 Empty sack
1 0.5 Belt pouch
0.8 4 Iron pot
0.8 - Signal Whistle
The naiad's face grows very unreadable. He mutters "We haven't attacked anyone."
The naiad seems to be telling the truth but also seems to be holding something back.
The balding, rotund little man who works the store gets you the supplies you ask for while bustling around and whistling. There aren't very many shovels, picks, or other tools kept in stock as those are generally provided for the mine workers. But shoes he has!
The naiad grows quiet when Ives mentions the dead woman. "That is good. You did a fine thing for her." His face darkens noticeably when Ives mentions the sour water. "The water is a problem. It must be solved... He gazes mournfully into the water "But some solutions we will never use."
Teleri emerges from the SMC store laden down with her new purchases and wearing a much better pair of boots. They were nowhere near as pretty, but offered superior arch and ankle support, as well as being considerably more water-resistant.
Returning to Molly's, Teleri sorts out her new acquisitions, and packs everything up.
"Molly, I have a meeting with that odd wild boy this morning to investigate his claims that there's something wrong with the river water. But after that I plan to go take a look at the recent vandalism. Could you please give me directions to the mine? Also, there's someone named Anderson who was apparently attacked -- I'd like to interview him this afternoon. Do you know where I should look for him?"
The naiad begins to slide back into the water while eyeing Ives with an odd mixture of pain, wariness, and sadness on his face. Just as he is about to slip away, he utters one word in response to Ives' question. "Vold." Then he glides into the water and swims rapidly away. Ives finds himself alone by the pool in the woods as the sun goes down, accompanied only by the whispering of the trees and the slow, quiet rush of the river.
Molly clucks, troubled by Teleri's plans. "I can't be happy about a young lady wondering off into woods and investigating crimes by herself. But you showed yourself to be right capable yesterday. You got everyone back to town safely. So I won't say anything but 'be careful.'" She listens quietly to Teleri's questions with a somber face. "You can't miss the mine. It's on the north side of town past the stables, company warehouse, and a couple other buildings. As for Anderson, he's probably still in the SMC infirmary."
"Oh! The poor man. I'll be sure to stop by and see him this afternoon," Teleri says. "I promise, I'll be careful."
And with that, she makes her way out of town. For the first quarter mile she struggles to manage the second backpack; until finally it occurs to her that she could as easily wear one backpack on her front, and the other on her back.
She considers this notion for a moment, standing in a clearing of flowers. An early butterfly lands on one, lazily flapping its wings. No, she decides. I'd rather suffer than look that ridiculous.
And so she continues lugging it along, shifting it from one aching arm to the other. At least the new boots are better suited to the terrain, she reflects, though she can still feel a faint ache from the bruise left by her naiad assailants each time her right foot hits the ground.
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Vold...Vold... Ives thoughts bounce the word back and forth as he makes his way back to the Mother Tree. Vold. A name? A spell? I will ask Mrs. Teleri if she knows the spell Vold. It does sounds very dangerous, whatever it is.
"Mother, I have returned. It was a interesting day. I met a few town people. They did not seem as bad as I thought. Though the water is still bad, and I think the town did it.... Mother, do you know what Vold is?
Ives climbs in the Mother's Tree hold and starts to curl up to sleep. He has a deerskin hide that he pulls over himself, and a pile of leaves as a pillow.
You reach the meeting place without incident.
Mother Tree shivers slightly when Ives says "Vold." In a sad voice, she replies "It is something I wish to never hear in this forest, Ives. It is why I warn you not to seek trouble... It is how the naiads speak of violence." She shakes down some extra leaves to make a larger, warmer pile for you. "Sleep. And do not think more of it for today."
Teleri finds the meeting place, currently empty. She sets down the pack she purchased for Ives and sits on a rock, warm with the morning sun.
"Whew!" she says, plucking her blouse back and forth to circulate the air a bit.
She leans back and studies the trees.
"It's so ... quiet," she murmurs. "No carriages clattering past. No yapping dogs in the next flat. No people talking."
But as she listens, she hears things she hadn't noticed before: wind soughing in the leaves; birdsong; the quiet murmuring of the nearby river; the occasional rustling of a squirrel.
It's not so bad, she reflects, basking in the sun. She reaches up and loosens her hair, which tumbles down to her shoulder-blades, and tilts her face back towards the sun, eyes closed.
"Blast," she remarks after a few minutes. "I forgot to buy a water-skin."
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Ives stirs as the sunlight streams into the Mother's Tree hiding space.
I've got to get going! Mrs. Teleri will be waiting... I better bring some of my stuff, who knows how long this day will be?
Rolling around, Ives grabs his backpack full of items he... procured from various hunters and traders over the years. Fishing line, a pot, rope, a lantern, flint and steel, oil, a tent, a hammer... and so on. Ives doesn't use it much, but it helps to have it on hand. After all... I am a... human.... I think.
He rubs the side of the Mother Tree in goodbye as he steps away from the grove, and knocks on Uncle Spruce just to rile him up.
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"Mrs. Teleri, are you here?" calls out Ives as he steps into view just as Teleri loosens up her hair and raises her face to the sun.
"Ah...ummm.." Ah... ummmm...ah...she's... beautiful!
"Ah... Mrs. Teleri... ah... I found this red stone. I thought maybe you would want it, because girls, they ah... put these kind of things into their hair and on necklaces and stuff?"
Teleri spots Ives approaching the meeting place. He comes and offers her a red gemstone!
Teleri straightens as Ives approaches. "Oh, there you are; good morning." she says.
Operating entirely by reflex, she reaches out and takes the small item Ives hands to her. As he says, it proves to be a small red gem. "Oh!" she says in surprise, and examines it.
"It's lovely," Teleri says, "But what's it covered in?"
Looking up she immediately notices something else. "Oh! You're wounded. What happened?"
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"Oh! Well, ah, sorry about that." Ives snatches the gem back and rubs it furiously on his hide armor, then hands it back.
"I forgot all about that bite." Ives shrugs it off like a tough guy.
"Just a big frog. He was all messed up and confused I think. Maybe it was because he ate this red stone? Tried to eat me but nothing a couple of claws can't fix. Claw claw claw!" He unsheathes his claws and gives a quick demonstration to Teleri... certainly, not showing off whatsoever!
Teleri determines that the stone is pretty valuable. She also suspects that it might be magical.
There is a lingering aura of a Sow thought spell on this stone. It seems that it might have been used to amplify the spell cast on the frog.
For the most part, his claw work is pretty impressive!
Although Teleri definitely notes Ives' display of prowess, she's somewhat distracted by the stone.
"Err ... you say the frog swallowed it? It was in its stomach?" She looks curiously at the stone and, on a hunch, studies it for magical properties, feeling mildly embarrassed at using her magic so openly in front of someone else. But he already knows, she thinks.
"It's got a spell on it," she says. "A spell that I know. That frog wasn't acting entirely of its own will -- someone was influencing its mind."
"I've never heard of anything called 'the Vold'," Teleri says. An unaccountable shiver runs up her back. "But I don't like the sound of it. Whatever it is."
"Apparently someone vandalized a tool shed at the mine," she says. "And assaulted one of the miners. I wondered if it might be the naiads -- but now I wonder if the naiads are actually acting of their own free will, or if someone has put enchanted gems in them as well. It's a dangerous spell. I've only used it three times."
She stands up and hoists over the backpack she bought. "Here. I got you some supplies. I didn't know what you'd need, so I got some generally useful things. A bedroll. A backpack, a belt pouch, and an empty sack for carrying things. An iron pot. And one of these." she pulls out her signal whistle. "It's a signal whistle."
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"Oh! Ives looks a little embarrassed.
"I uhh.. that is nice of you to buy me some things. But I do have my own bag. I don't carry it around very often... It is full of stuff that I, well you know... borrowed from hunters and traders as they sleep in the woods at night. But a whistle! Wow! I don't have one of those. Do you have one for yourself?"
"Oh," Teleri says. "Well ... now that you have your own, perhaps you can return those things you ... 'borrowed.'" She eyes him severely.
"And yes, I have a whistle too," she adds, a little more kindly.
She picks up her own pack and shoulders it, relieved that she doesn't have to lug a second backpack around any longer. "Come on, let's follow the river upstream, and see if we can figure out what's going on with the water."
And with that she turns and begins walking upstream.
As they walk, Teleri eyes her companion curiously. "So ... have you always lived in the forest?" she asks.
"How peculiar," Teleri says. "Perhaps you were abandoned as a baby, or as a very young child. I'm surprised you survived."
"Yes, I was born and raised in the household of Mr and Mrs. Owens, in one of the wealthier portions of Dinas Diwydiant. I don't find it scary at all. It's just a ... a city. Many people all living together, in buildings as far as the eye can see. It's exciting. There's always so much going on, so much to see and do."
"Mr. Owens was generally busy. Mrs. Owens would sometimes talk to me; I think she really wanted a daughter, but only ever had one son, Prentice. I grew up alongside him, and the Owenses gave me everything they would have given their own daughter, even though my mother was only one of their maids."
She walks in silence for a moment. "They were very kind," she adds.
This time, you continue upstream in peace. Up ahead you see the dock of Pentrefan coming into view. Ives hasn't been here in years. He recognizes the old church which stands by the river but the SMC buildings are strange to him. They stand tall, whitewashed, and uniform.
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"I wonder if when he said Vold, the naiad just meant "violence." I mean, I thought maybe it was the name of a vicious creature, but maybe he didn't mean that..."
Ives pulls up short when they come to the docks, and the beginning of the town.
"Wait. I... uhh... I didn't think we would have to go this far. I... can't go in there. People might hurt me. They might think I look funny. They... no. I can't do it."
Teleri looks at him. "Surely you must have expected this. It was your own theory that the town is responsible for the water situation. How would we know if we didn't go into town to look?"
"As for the rest of it, well, you must admit, it's not every day one runs across a boy with plants growing in his hair," she goes on. "So you're right, they may think you look funny. But I doubt anyone will try and hurt you. Unless they have some reason?"
As you wait, you see a large pull up to the dock, manned by humans, two orcs, and a ratfolk. They unload some goods at the dock. Sacks of flour, crates of something else, and other goods you can't make out. Then they take on a load of iron and some coal to take downstream.
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"Ah... ummm... you are right...ah...But maybe I just try to hide a little...I don't want people to get mad at me for looking different. Though, there is a rat there walking around...Maybe it is normal here?"
Still, Ives drops his backpack to the ground and starts fishing through it. He pulls out a big piece of canvas and uses his claw to cut it in half (1 yard).
"I think I'm going to wrap this around my head like hat. Can you help?"
Ives devises a minimalist diguise which will make him stick out a little less.