Shalelu pushes off and out of the corner, watching Lor-Sinn. She makes her way over to Belor and points to the tiefling. Her tone is rough and to the point "She's coming with me. Don't tell me no or your new recruits will no longer be getting training from me without coin up front."
Belor's jaw drops and then he crosses his arms in frustration. "Fine."
Turning to Lor-Sinn she softens and says "That is, if you intend to accompany us. Do not feel obliged to rush headlong in these dangers. We will likely encounter more than just goblins and skeletons in the roads ahead."
It’s all so sudden. Ruka stares at Ameiko with wide eyes. Sell the Rusty Dragon? If Ameiko was taking that step, she really didn’t think they’d come back. It was impulsive, foolish, and so very Ameiko.
And when Ameiko got an idea in her head, there wasn’t a force on the world that could stop her.
Ruka shakes her head. ”I’ve worked at the Glassworks because someone had to, if it was going to keep running. But...you’re my sister. We can find another manager for the Glassworks.” Her face is filled with determination. ”If you’re going to do this, then I’m going with you.”
If Brinewall is as dangerous as that letter suggested, I can’t let her face that alone. This is our legacy, whatever it is. We should face it together.
Asuka applauds Ameiko. Moments like this are everything Asuka wants in an adventure. ”Amazing, Kaijitsu-sensei! The resolve! The impetuousness! The drive to adventure! All the qualities of A True Hero! I would expect no less of you. As for my feelings, it seems we need to dig up the past, and...”
Asuka leaps up, her arm thrust upward, pointing towards the sky in a classic heroic pose. She really wishes that she had a well-timed background explosion, or a cape and a nice wind at the least. She grins and places a foot on her chair, leaning forward with her elbow on her knee as she taps her sheathed sword against her shoulder. ”Just who the hells do you think I am.”
Asuka had been wanting to use those lines in something for a while, and now seemed as good as ever, even if the analogy is perhaps a bit off. Sounding and looking good was more important than perfect accuracy. That’s what editing is for.
Lor-Sinn's jaw drops as well at Shalelu's statement. "You are going as well? But... who will defend Sandpoint?" It then occurs to her that the threats have already been taken care of: the goblins and the undead in Brinestump M- wait a minute... Wait a minute! Brinestump Marsh, Brinewall - it was all connected! Shalelu and Ameiko must have discovered a greater threat in this Brinewall place, and were going there to deal with it! And they wanted Lor-Sinn to go with them?
"Yes, of course. I'll come with you." She gives Shalelu a knowing wink, to let her know that she had figured it out. No need to cause a panic by telling everyone else.
"...the slow regeneration of flesh over the course of a minute rather than spontaneous healing; the conjuration of weightless bands of force to envelop a person for protective purposes; drenching an area up to roughly 10 by 10 ft. in supernaturally slippery grease, with offensive or even mechanical potential; and conversely, I can also conjure similarly extraordinarily adhesive material. I'm sure you can imagine the applications."
He wasn't the most confident of speakers, humble Sam of Sandpoint, but at the moment he was talking the ear off poor Sandru. Much as he admired the bravado of Ameiko and Asuka, this was not the wizard's way. If confidence was what determined eligibility for this trip, then he was disqualified before he could say a word. Which was why he had been very relieved to hear the caravan master say that he wished to interview volunteers for what they could contribute. Samton was very eager to join in, you see, for multiple reasons now, and simply stating his factual capabilities - without embellishment or bluster - was far more appealing to the modest young man.
Sandru was perhaps regretting his own words, however. Because in his eagerness the cartographer had calmly, earnestly and anxiously spent the last five minutes rattling off every spell in his repertoire. And he wasn't done yet.
"Now, moving on to the school of Transmutation, this is actually my specialty as much as I can be said to have one such. So my capabilities there are varied. Um, the rapid heating of metal, to either disarm or harm armed opponents; the spontaneous shattering of any medium object; enlarging a person's dimensions to roughly those of a hill giant; the..."
Kajiwara opens his letter and adds a post-script, P.S. If your return courier cannot find me at the Rusty Dragon, I am accompanying Ameiko and Sandru to Brinewall, to further investigate these mysteries. Please have the courier continue on to there to deliver the message.
Resealing it, he walks over to Sandru, who looks fairly bewildered by Sam's explanation, in order to save the caravan master from the enthusiastic young wizard. Sliding into the conversation, he said, "Well, Sandru, looks like I'm not quite done guarding your caravan yet. Samton here is a skilled mapmaker, in addition to his wizardly skills, and should be quite helpful with navigating to Brinewall as well as helping keep guard. He's very eager to help. Do you need a rundown of my skills, as well?" Kaji says the last with a smile, as he should hope Sandru remembers his abilities as a caravan guard.
Poppy bit her lip. This was not part of the plan. Three years of writing. 3 rejections, including the last time she tried decades ago when the publisher last executed The Complete Adventurers Almanac. This was a chance at an old dream to get her recipes immortalized
On the other hand, Sandru was going...
Additionally, for some reason it felt like she was abandoning the others if she didn't go. But she'd only REALLY known them all for a couple of days. To be fair, those days WERE more eventful than the last couple thousand. They all seemed so excited by the prospect, most jumping at the chance. Was she a fool for even thinking of not joining?
Was this mornings rampant fortune some kind of message from Jun? Was she MEANT to use it to help them? In a world filled with Gods, Demigods, Devils and more, Poppy didn't see much reason in being an atheist or denying the possibility of destiny and the like. She also didn't see any real purpose in CHOOSING a faith as she'd made her deal long ago.
Maybe. Just maybe, if she showed the publishing house what she had so far with the promise of more from their journey to Brinewall, they'd give her an extension? It was a big ask and ultimately a risk. Could she have her cake and eat it too? She'd need a bit of kismet on her side. Luckily...
"I vill of course be applying for the position of caravan guard." she announced with a smirk and a thrust of a fork.
Ameiko's face brightens when Ruka says she's join her, hopping down off the bar reaching out and putting a hand on her sisters shoulder as she gives her a nod of acknowledgement.
To Asuka's applause, Ameiko bows. When the tengue leaps up, Ameiko applauds her instead. "Well stated, Ms. Narukami."
Shalelu nods once to Lor-Sinn, but quirks a brow at the wink as she doesn't quite understand the inside joke. She turns away, thinking about it as Sandru begins waving his hands in front of Samton. "AlrightalrightAlright! I got it. You like big words. I got it. We'll figure something out." When Kajiwara clarifies Samton's skill set, Sandru turns back to the man and frowns. "Oh. Why didn't you just say so? Good. We could use someone talented with parchment."
Turning back to Kaji, Sandru smirks "Smartass, eh Kajiwara? Excellent. We're going to need the humor to keep our spirits up! Unless you've somehow acquired new skills, I think I know exactly where to put you." he says, finishing with a telling smile before looking over to his other two drivers, Bevelek and Vankor, the Varisian brothers. The two men cross their arm, exchanging glances and chuckling loudly at an inside joke.
To Poppy, Ameiko chuckles. "Guard and cook extraordinaire?! The gnome with all of the talents!" Ameiko applauds.
With everyone agreeing to join, Ameiko folds her arms and leans against the bar with a large grin. "Alright, folks! You've got today and tomorrow to prepare, get yourself situated and be ready to set out in two days time!"
The group breaks up as people set out to do their tasks and run errands.
Ruka somewhat hesitantly approaches Sandru as soon as he's available. Ameiko's financing this expedition, so it's not like Sandru could tell her she can't go as long as Ameiko wants her along, but she also doesn't want him to think she's not planning to pull her weight.
"Um, hi. I don't think we've actually spoken before. I'm Ruka." He already knows who you are you idiot! "I, um, could also work as a guard. You can ask Kajiwara about my skills, he saw me fight while we were in the marsh. Or I could probably drive a wagon, if you need a driver. I'm not great with animals, but I have driven a wagon before, when delivering supplies to the Glassworks."
She's not really sure what skills Sandru needs most. He said he wanted to know if people could 'cook, guard, scout, heal, track, drive.' I can't cook or heal, but I could probably do most of the other jobs with a little guidance.
"Just let me know what you need. If it's not something I already know how to do, I'll figure it out."
Huh, everyone wanted to be a guard. That was her job! For a moment, Lor-Sinn glares at Poppy - she could understand Ruka or Kajiwara, they actually had fighting skills, but the gnome? What was she going to do, hit the bandits with her frying pan? Hm, actually that might not be a bad strategy, it would either take them by surprise, or evoke terrifying memories of their mothers - or both!
Besides, did Lor-Sinn really love her guard job that much? Truth be told, not really - so why not use this opportunity to do something new? She could hunt with Shalelu for provisions, or pet the horses to make them go faster, or, or...
Oh well, she can figure it out later. For now, it was time to pack up and say her farewells to Koya and to the sheriff. And to her fellow guards as well, she supposes. She slips out of the Rusty Dragon and starts walking towards her and Koya's home, muttering under her breath an endless list of items.
..."the new shirt leave at home, don't want it to get dirty or tear it on some tree branch, something to read on the road, some soap, warm socks, oh! and candles to read by, I suppose some rope could come in handy as well..."
It's only a short walk to Koya's house, so by the time she opens the front door she hasn't completed her packing list (should she take the big rusty trap in the shed?), but that's alright, surely the others will pack anything important that she might have forgotten.
"Koya! Guess what!"
With everything organized, Kajiwara set about first finding a courier to deliver his message to his father. Then, he set out to gather supplies for the journey.
From past experience, he knew Sandru generally had a sufficient quantity of food, but it was best to have some of his own just in case he needed to either scout ahead or he was separated from the group. He also wanted to get a higher quality backpack that could handle more supplies. While he was capable of using his fists, his preference was definitely his bow, and given the presence of the skeltons they'd already dealt with, he had a feeling that he might want to acquire some arrows that would allow him to be effective against such undead in the future. He felt that he should also acquire a selection of other arrows, just in case. He would also need to acquire the raw materials to continue making his own arrows, so that he didn't have to worry about running out.
Come to think of it, this was shaping up to be a lot of weight. Perhaps a donkey or other beast of burden would be useful to leave with the caravan and be able to transport his supplies - that or some kind of magical method.
She turned to Ameiko and shook her bushy locks, frizzying this way and that, with a single finger in the air. "Just the one talent. But if I am going on second adventure AND covering a caravan, I vill need budget for food supplies. Do not worry, I vill pay if ve need extra."
Poppy noticed and then snorted at Lor-sin's stare.
" Iz joke! Iz joke! Ve make deal, you keep Poppy safe, and I'll make sure you get first bowl at mealtime." The gnome dropped the fork with a clatter, holding up her hands in faux supplication.
She then began pulling her mane of hair into a large braid and listing off all the items on her shopping list. "New butter churner, larger pots, loads of spices-" She stopped midbraid , her eyes narrow and lazer in on Sandru," I must meet vith your grocer!"
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"Sorry," Sam mumbled sheepishly as Kajiwara had to save an annoyed Sandru from the former's nervous keynote, 'Why You Should Let Me Join Your Caravan, Pretty Please: a List of Qualifications'. The otherwise quiet young man was not in the habit of agitating anyone, least of all those he wanted something from, but joining the caravan was really very important to him. And for multiple reasons now.
He thought back to the previous night. It had been no drunken delusion; those didn't leave immaculate and original arcane formulas in their wake. Not to his knowledge, anyway. Samton's otherworldly patron had some tie to Minkai. Which was a coincidence of stupidly unfathomable dimensions given the recent swamp excursion and what it had uncovered of the local Kaijitsu clan's past. Which was also why he didn't think it a coincidence at all. It was too perfect. And like a proper practitioner of the arcane, Sam didn't believe that such things came about by chance. There was some intent here, some plot afoot. He just didn't have the faintest idea what. But also like a proper wizard, he had every intention of figuring out this mystery.
This was one reason. There were others, such as the vague worry he couldn't help but feel for the aforementioned Kaijitsus. If the ill defined threats their grandfather wrote of were half as serious as his letter hinted, then the sisters were in for trouble. Competent as Ruka and especially Ameiko were, the cartographer wanted to help if he could. And then there was the valuable experience gained on such a journey; that was as fair a reason as any to join the caravan. And the...
Samton ran a hand through his short hair. He sighed. He was doing it again. He was compartmentalizing, formulating rational reasons to justify what was base and emotional and laying them out in a neat little row for review. He was fooling himself. Truth was that the young man simply wasn't anywhere near as levelheaded as he wished, and he knew it. There was a less than rational sentiment for him wanting to join the caravan, and for once that sentiment did not start with 'S' and end with 'halelu, I want to breathe in the scent of your golden hair'.
There was a... restlessness in him. Sam could feel it in his bones. This was a new feeling for him, studious homebody that he was. Prior to the marsh expedition, he had barely left Sandpoint in his life. Not since the elven ranger had brought him to the village as an orphan, many years ago now, derailed from another life that was not to be. It was an irony, he supposed: a cartography student drawing maps of a world he had never seen for himself. But ever since returning from Brinestump, he was slowly acknowledging this unsettled feeling, a desire to go out and do... something. To achieve something. To become his own person. Whatever that meant. What had changed, he wondered?
He supposed that every orphan felt they were a burden on their surroundings, to some degree or another. Mr Gandethus was not his parent, after all. Mr Parooh was not beholden to him in any way. Both had opened their arms to take in a boy who couldn't by any right be said to be their responsibility, whether by blood, law or good morals. They had done so out of the kindness of their hearts. And Samton felt a deep, indescribably so, gratitude to them for this, to everyone in the village who had ever shown him kindness. But that was exactly it: most anyone born into a community inherently owned a place in it. Parents' love and the community's acceptance were things to be grateful for, to be sure, but hardly unexpected. To an orphan these things were a kindness. He was an imposition, a burden Sandpoint had kindly taken on. And for this young Sam would always feel grateful. But for that same reason, he would always feel indebted. He wondered whether this was a sentiment shared by earnest tiefling Lor-Sinn, even more so of an outsider than himself. But if one wondered why Sam had grown into the dutiful, deferential young man that he was, wonder no more.
Except, this feeling of obligation had, if not completely, then largely vanished over the last 24 hours. And it was due to the swamp expedition, he now realized. He had joined it out of a sense of obligation to Sandpoint, feeling it his duty to repay the village for everything it had done for him. And now, goblin menace eradicated and undead horde vanquished, the wizard felt like he... belonged for the first time. Alright, so he hadn't exactly saved the whole village and whatnot, but still; he had played some small part in the group effort. He had risked his. The scales had been balanced. The debt was paid. He had earned a place in Sandpoint. Curious then that lifting the sensation of obligation had uncovered wanderlust. Oh gods, that what this was, wasn't it? It was wanderlust.
Samton smiled. Parooh the gnome would be insufferable once he found out. Once Sam told him. Aw heck, how was he going to tell his master he wanted to leave town again? For a months long journey, at that? He'd just gotten back! Even knowing it was a mistake, the young man decided to put this uncomfortable task off. There were other things to do, lots of preparations to see to. But first among them should probably be going over the inventory from the swamp. Everyone in the group needed to know what their share looked like before buying supplies, after all. Yeah, and he needed to draw up that map for Sheriff Hemlock. With this in mind, young Sam ran off, happy to have something practical to see to. All this emotional rumination was giving him a headache.
After speaking with Sandru, Ruka heads back to a table and pulls out some paper and a pen. She spends several minutes making some quick, basic calculations before approaching her sister.
"Okay. The best option to manage the Glassworks would probably be Cornel. He's the one I left in charge while I was in the marsh. He's the best smith we have, and he's good with people. He already does most of the hiring and training. Currently he makes 10gp per week. If he's going to be completely responsible for running the Glassworks while we're away, we should double that to make up for the added responsibility."
Ruka may not be particularly well-suited to the life of an accountant, but she's made up for that with dogged perserverance. Gone is any trace of nervousness or hesitation as she pulls out her notes for emphasis. "Since we don't know how long this trip will last, we should probably plan for at least 6 months. 6 months is 24 weeks, that means we'll want to have about 480gp set aside for Cornel. There should be more than enough profits to pay the other employees. Honestly, there should be enough to take care of Cornel's wages too, but it's probably better for him to have a guaranteed source of income just in case."
"There's also the manor and the house staff to consider." She pulls out a second page of notes. "There shouldn't be any major repairs needed in the next few months, so the main thing we need to worry about are wages. Currently we have five staff members." (Ruka has never liked the word servants.) "If anything their work load will be lessened, so there's no need to increase their salaries. Using the same estimate of 24 weeks, we'll need another 492gp set aside for them. I have the breakdown of exact salary by staff member if you'd like to see it." She looks around the Rusty Dragon with an appraising eye. "What are you expecting to get from the sale of this place? About 1500gp?"
"The other option is to simply sell the manor." If Ruka feels any sentiment towards the place she's called 'home' for her entire life, she does a very good job of hiding it. "We would of course give the staff a generous amount of gold to make up for letting them go so abruptly, but the profits from the sale would more than make up for that. The problem there is the time frame; two days is very little time to find a buyer, let alone clean the place out and finalize the sale."
She purses her lips thoughtfully. "What do you think? Both the Glassworks and the manor are technically yours, after all." There might be just a trace of bitterness in those last few words, but it's hard to tell.
Koya is excited just because Lor-Sinn's voice possesses excitement. "What, my child? The stars have brought you some fortune, I can see it dancing in your eyes. Tell me!"
- - -
Amieko nods to Poppy and says "I've allocated coin for food and supplies, so please gather whatever you think we will need. Sandru says there will be some small towns along the way that we will stop at to restock, so make sure that we have enough food for the lot of the caravan for a few weeks and we'll adjust as necessary as we go."
Ameiko doesn't quite know how to respond to Ruka's dissertation on varying amounts of money and forward planning. It's true she ran things around The Rusty Dragon, but the forward planning and calculations that Ruka outlined are far beyond what she is used to doing. "Well now, it would appear you've already put some serious thought into this. I'm still working out the exact details of the sale with Titus Scarnetti, but my asking price was 2000 and his offer was 1200, so I'm hoping I can get him to around sixteen or so. When I told him I was leaving, he offered to purchase the manor as well but I told him I'd get back to him. I don't know how long we'll be gone, I'm still undecided on what to do. I know I'm running out of time."
- - -
"Ameiko is putting together an expedition to Brinestone, and Shalelu has asked me to go with them! She strong-armed the sheriff into letting me come, it was so funny the face he made! Alright, so I need to pack now, I think I have a list of everything I need to take with me..." She trails off, as it hits her that she will be parted from Koya for quite a while. "If you need anything..." What, then? Who would take care of Koya, when all of them were leaving - Ameiko, Shalelu, herself? Maybe she shouldn't go after all.
"You know what, it was a silly idea. I need to be here and take care of you, take care of the town." Even if the town doesn't much care for me taking care of it.
Ruka rests her hand on her chin, not looking at anything in particular. "If Titus is willing to buy the manor, then I'd say sell it. Otherwise almost all of the money from the Rusty Dragon would go to staff salaries rather than to fund the actual expedition. Besides, it's not like you were using it anyway." A corner of her moth twitches upward. "I don't think you'll settle down permanently for a while yet. It's not in your nature."
"Ultimately though it's your decision. If you need a lawyer, Gavril is the one I usually use for Glassworks business. He can help with any contracts and/or bills of sale. We'll also want to put in writing what happens to the Glassworks, and possibly the manor, if we don't come back."
Of course, part of the reason Ruka wants to go is to make sure Ameiko does come back. But her brief first taste of adventure was enough to warn her of how dangerous the wilds can be, and this time they'll be venturing much further than a few hours out of town.
Banishing those dark thoughts, she gives her sister what she hopes is an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "Just let me know what I can do to help."
"Well, that's him gone," said the cartographer.
"Don't say that. He's coming back," said the headmaster.
"Ah, but is he? Is the boy coming back? Will it not be a man returning? Someone older, wiser?"
"Say what you mean, my friend. 'Someone not in need of two old doddering mentors.' That's what you fear, isn't it?"
"... *sniff* I suppose."
Gandethus's sitting room was a warm and comfortable space, perhaps surprisingly so given its owner's somewhat stiff demeanor. It had served as the scene of the adieu of the two men's ward, a goodbye marked by warm handshakes from the wizard, warmer hugs from the gnome, and, warmest of all, the tears barely held back by Sam. The apprentice had left to prepare for his journey not five minutes ago.
"But you know what I mean to say. We've been through it ourselves, we both have. The marsh excursion was one thing, but this... This is a proper little adventure. Can't have one of those without changing. The places, the sights; they become part of you. He's gonna be all grown-up by the time we see him again."
"... 'No man ever steps on the same road twice, for it is not the same road and he is not the same man.' Is that what you're getting at?" Gandethus recited and poured the cartographer some more whiskey.
"Hey, that sounds like one of mine. Aren't you supposed to be the sensible one? Are you getting sentimental in your old age?"
"It is one of yours, you old fool. And sentimentality like that is what has the boy raring to go. You put ideas in his head. You sit here now all forlorn with no one to blame but yourself."
"Ah, don't I know it!" Parooh smiled ruefully. "All my nonsense about adventure... It's a wonder he turned out as well as he did, having to listen to me all day. But we did alright by him, didn't we, Gandethus? We didn't fail him, did we?"
"... He's clever. He's better than I was at his age, that much I can say for certain. He'll be alright. He'll be alright."
A moment passed in silence, only punctuated by the shuffling of glasses. It was broken by the gnome's small laughter.
"Heh heh. Maybe we did fail him. And maybe that's what we did right. Maybe my silly stories about the exotic and magical gave him dreams and ambition. And maybe your good sense and prudence kept his feet to the ground, tempered my vapid babble. Maybe our efforts added up to something more than either of us could have done on his own."
The headmaster smirked. "You mean that had I raised him alone, he would have grown up to be a clerk and never gone out to see the wider world? And had you been his sole ward, he would already be dead in a ditch somewhere?"
"Something like that, yeah. I give him aspirations, you provide him sense and forethought. I give him wonder and appreciation for the strange, you provide him with the learning to understand it. I give the goals, you provide the means. We mitigated the other's worst excesses, ultimately making him... better."
"You're neglecting the other option: that he's just plain smarter than either of us and knew when to ignore our sage advice."
"To our failure then!"
They both drank to this, heartily.
"... I still want to know how he mastered the arcane on his own."
"He'll tell you, someday. As you said, he is coming back."
"Yes, he's too dutiful to do anything else. He would never leave you to your shop alone."
"And when he does he will be a new man, yes, but a better one. He will have learned to appreciate everything that comes between origin and destination. He'll return to Sandpoint with new eyes and extra colors. Because coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving."
Cartographer and headmaster agreed. And this sentiment filled the void, the empty nest, young Samton had left behind.
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Shalelu finishes up some shopping and preparations before the town turns in for the night. Ameiko stays up late, working into the wee hours of the morning on trying to finish preparing for this journey. In reality, she's finished much of the important tasks and doesn't have as much to do as she keeps telling everyone. She's mostly all nerves and excitement, too wired to sleep and wide-eyed with wonderment about what they might find in their journey north.
On the morning of debarking, Ameiko leaves her manor in southern Sandpoint in the care of her house staff with enough supplies and payments for the next two months. She has made arranges to send a letter on what will be required in the future should should not make it back in time and how to proceed in her absence until she returns.
Shalelu is leaning against a post which probably has her initials carved on it somewhere given as much time as she spends leaning up against it. Koya is huddled by the fire, warming her old body. Two Varisian brothers named Bevelek and Vankor are drivers for Sandru's caravan are also present, busily devouring the food on the table.
He unfurls an oiled map and begins to discuss his plans. "I have studied the way before us, and I think we will have a smooth journey. We can follow the Lost Coast Road from Sandpoint, up to the base of the Fogscars then inland to the villages of Galduria and Wolf's Ear. They are small, frontier colonies, like Sandpoint. Not much to see or trade, but good for restocking supplies and a warm bed."
"The road follows the Lampblack River for a ways before cutting through the upper reaches of the Churlwood, eventually reaching Roderick's Cove. A true town, that, and we should find it a good place to rest and refit, as required. It will be our halfway point, and the last real piece of civilization we see for a while."
"Unless there is dire need, I would prefer to avoid Riddleport. visiting that place always seems to draw... entanglements. Instead, I know an old track that runs north out of Roderick's Cove and through the southern hills of the Stony Mountains, dumping into the Velashu Uplands. From there, the track follows the river north-west. We cross a pass through the Nolands and should find Brinewall soon after."
"If everything goes well and we don't encounter too much trouble, we should be there in sixteen or seventeen days."
Turning back to the group he says "Before we depart, we should all be on the same page of what each of us is going to be responsible for on this trip. We have two covered wagons, Koya's wagon and one supply wagon, thus need four drivers. I'm told Poppy will be bringing and river her own wagon, which will be our fifth. Bevelek, Vankor, Ruka and I will be driving the other wagons. Kajiwara, Lor-Sinn and Asuka will be starting off guards duty and working with Shalelu to scout as necessary. Ameiko and Samton are both travelers so-".
Ameiko leaps to her feat, arms flying to her hips "Wait a minute! I am no traveler! Put me on guard duty! You know I can do that. I refuse to be a worthless traveler only!"
Sandru sighs and corrects "Ameiko will be our entertainer, keeping our spirits high and our ears tuned to her wonderful gifts." Sandru doesn't look at the glare that Ameiko bores into his skull and keeps going. "Does anyone have issues with the responsibilities I've outlined here."
Ameiko shouts , but Sandru ignores her.
Lor-Sinn is extremely relieved that Koya is actually coming with them on this journey - her dilemma on staying in Sandpoint and helping protect it and her adoptive mother is now resolved. On the other hand, she is worried about the older Varisian woman making this journey through wilderness and untold perils, but vows to herself that she will not let anything happen to her.
Sandru's calm and organized manner also fills her with confidence, and she completely forgets about his drunkenness from a couple of nights ago... or from most any night he's in town. She's a little disappointed to be assigned guard duty, but doesn't protest. A guard she will be, and guard the caravan fiercely with her guardedness! She'll be the guardliest guard ever!
She springs to her feet, pumping her fist in the air. "We'll be the best caravan these lands have seen! We'll have the best food, and the best music, and the best stories, and the best wagons, and the best... horses? Horses! And mules! Wait, do I get a horse?"
Ruka spends her last days in Sandpoint quickly training Cornel in his new role. He was already familiar with most of the procedures, but some of the paperwork was new to him.
(He spent a lot of time smiling indulgently when he thought Ruka couldn't see. Cornel was over twice her age and far smarter than she was, so the 'training' was more to soothe her own nerves than because he actually needed it. Both of them knew this, and both of them politely refrained from mentioning it.)
Arrangements were made, shopping was done, necessities were packed, and Ruka was as ready for this trip as she was going to be. Which wasn't very. Five days ago the thought of an adventure was still a vague future possibility. Since then she'd been given an intelligent sword, killed for the first time, discovered an old family secret, and had Ameiko decide on a whim to uproot their entire lives.
Ruka isn't sure whether she should be more excited or terrified.
She shakes her head when Sandru asks if anyone has any objections. Then she reconsiders. "Um, Sam's really good with maps. Maybe you should put him in charge of making sure we're going the right way?" She gives Ameiko a strained smile. "I think we have enough guards. But you're the only one who can play an instrument. And Poppy might want some help with cooking for so many. Neither of us might officially be guards, but it's not like that will keep us from fighting if we get attacked."
Kajiwara nods readily as Sandru outlines his role - after all, it was precisely what he'd been doing for the past three years with Sandru. He helped himself to some food as Ameiko protested her role in Sandru's outlined plan. Ruka's suggestion, however, is a good one. "Young Sam is a skilled cartographer - he recently helped us map the Brinestump Marsh, the first to do so. I suspect his navigational abilities could prove beneficial in more than just a traveler capacity."
Ameiko's fuming objections are ignored by Sandru, but Kajiwara leaves his plate and approaches her to quietly say, "Cousin, Sandru can do nothing to stop you from keeping an eye out as we travel anyway. You can act as a guard even if you aren't officially one."
"I, uh - I'll take on whatever job you see fit, Mr Vhiski," the young man said meekly, though not before sending both Kajiwara and Ruka a grateful nod. It felt good, hearing them vouch for him like that, and certainly offset the caravan master's apparent lack of confidence in him. Deferential to his superiors as Samton was, however, he would defer to the Varisian's decision; he wasn't so proud as to argue on the matter. Surely the man knew best.
But to have the whole marsh team all gathered as one again - who would have thought? It wasn't quite the same, of course, they now being part of a greater whole, but still; it was nice knowing you were travelling with people you could trust. Sam hoped - nay, vowed - that he would repay that trust in kind.
Asuka punches her palm, then clasps the fist. "I will be a glorious guard! Not so great at scouting, but we'll work on that! I'll spot everything."
She remembers the time someone stuck a "kick me" sign on her back and it took her two days to notice.
"Well, more like some things."
She remembers walking into a party that was half-filled with her friends only to not notice them and leave, thinking she was in the wrong place.
"Or a few things."
She remembers the many times she walked into trees/walls/people/etc...because she wasn't paying attention.
"I'll TRY to notice things! I can definitely do that."
She remembers the time she promised the exact same promise to her parents, saying she would make sure to watch the turnip field. She had forgotten all about the field by the next day.
"I'll fight stuff."
The group disperses and begins to make final preparations, time t
With preparations complete, Sandru rounds up everyone and loads them into the wagons, taking the lead with the supply wagon for himself. Ameiko grudgingly joins him, not dropping the fact that he's babying her.
Bevelek drives Koya's wagon. As they push of she explains "If I appear to have misgivings, know they are more my nerves than any real fear. Inside, I am excited... almost giddy, like I'm a teenager again. I feel the journey is only beginning in this jaunt to Brinewall. I have long yearned to travel beyond Varisia, and as I get older, my opportunities are shrinking. Years are a coin I must spend thriftily, for I have only a few to give."
Vankor leads the next wagon, then Poppy, with Ruka bringing up the rear.
As the wagons depart, various members of town are gathered at the gates to say their goodbyes as several well known and prominent members depart once more. Sheriff Belor Hemlock waves off each of the wagons, bidding you good fortune an Godspeed on your journey. Father Zantus offers a quick blessing for the group and Bethana cries endless tears as Ameiko tears herself away from the elderly halfling. Man others close to the party members all join to wish your safe travels and a speedy return.
As you push through the gates of Sandpoint and start your journey, a feel of excitement washes over all of you. What adventures lay ahead are unknown, but they are yours for the making!
Two hours later your sense of adventure falters when the clouds darken and open up with torrential rain. The rain gets so heavy that the roads begin to flood and the muddy pathway causes the caravan to slow to a crawl for fear of traveling off the the correct path and breaking a wheel or injuring an animal.
The rain relents all day and when Sandru finally calls for a halt, he Ameiko, Koya and guide the wagons a short ways off the road and leave the supply wagon to join others in the covered wagons. Each of the covered wagons can hold six, so the caravan crowds into them them to finalize plans for the evening.
The rain still falls steadily as darkness envelopes the wagons which rest on a long stretch of plains without any cover from the weather nearby. As Sandru pushes into the rear wagon soaking wet with Ameiko, he asks "So, what's for dinner? I'm starved!" Grumbling, she smacks him with a wooden cooking instrument and gets to work on the meal.
"If I appear to have misgivings, know they are more my nerves than any real fear. Inside, I am excited... almost giddy, like I'm a teenager again. I feel the journey is only beginning in this jaunt to Brinewall. I have long yearned to travel beyond Varisia, and as I get older, my opportunities are shrinking. Years are a coin I must spend thriftily, for I have only a few to give."
Lor-Sinn reaches out a hand to pat Koya's knee as she walks beside the wagon. The tiefling is beyond happy that Koya is coming with them, and smiles fondly at the older woman. "Don't worry, you have many years ahead of you still. And this journey will be exciting and wonderful!"
The pouring rain doesn't seem to dampen the girl's spirits as the day progresses, and she keeps peering through the sheets of water - both ahead, to the side and behind them. A few times she things she spots a bandit hiding in the grass, but it turns out to be just a large hare or a fox. Or perhaps there are bandits who can turn themselves into hares? Anything is possible, she supposes. She keeps her bow wrapped in oiled leather to protect it from the rain, but her hand is never far from the hilt of her sword as she takes her assignment very seriously indeed.
As they camp for the night, Lor-Sinn makes sure that Koya has a warm and dry spot, procuring blankets for her comfort and generally fussing over her. Once the rest are settled a little and waiting for dinner, she looks to the Varisian woman. "Koya, will you do a reading for us?"
Ruka focuses intently on the road while she drives, grateful to be in the back. She can drive a wagon, she's done it before, but it's not something she's done regularly. In the back the horses practically drive themselves as they follow the next wagon in line. Which is good, because the muddy, barely-there path is much trickier to navigate than Sandpoint's well-defined roads.
Being in the back also means no one can see the way she huddles further into her cloak when the rain starts to fall. Having spent most of her life indoors, she's not used to being out in such a downpour. She doesn't like it.
(Although she'd drown before admitting that to anyone else. Keenly aware of being the youngest and least-experienced member of the party, she doesn't want to be seen as a whiner.)
When Sandru finally calls for a halt, Ruka hastily bundles herself inside. Not that it matters; she's soaked clean through. I might dry off before morning. Maybe.
She's somewhat distracted from her misery when Lor-Sinn calls for a reading. She's never had a reason to talk to Koya before, and honestly wasn't sure what the woman was doing with them. "A reading? Are you a fortune-teller?"
Tying off his donkey to walk with the rear wagon, Kajiwara rode with Ruka, keeping an eye fixed on the road around them, occasionally hopping down to walk alongside or behind. The entire exercise had a feeling of familiarity to it - he had done this for several years. Once the rain began, he stowed his bow in the wagon itself, knowing he could use his hands and fists if needed to defend himself.
When riding with Ruka, he began teaching her Minkaian. She already knew Tien, which gave her a good foundation, but learning her ancestral tongue would be good for her, he suspected. Perhaps it would help her feel closer to her ancestors.
When the wagons finally stop for the day, Kaji hops down and makes a quick circuit of the camp as the others move to take shelter in the covered wagons. Once he's sure they are clear, he steps in to the rear wagon, lowering the hood of his cloak and sitting as Ameiko grumbles at Sandru for treating her like glass. He looks at Sandru and says, "This heavy rain will make it hard to see animals or other people coming from a distance. Perhaps we should have extra guards keep watch tonight."
Aw man, blister already? I suck. The soft hands, not used to handling much more than a pen, carried on despite the swelling, tying the rough rope around the wagon wheel in an almost web-like pattern. The pouring rain didn't make the task any easier, of course. But then said rain was precisely why this needed doing. While downpours like these necessitated slowing the caravan's pace on account of poor visibility, this only exacerbated the troubles with the mud that accompanied the rain. A slow wheel might not skid in the dirt, but it was infinitely more likely to get stuck. Hence the rope; tying it to the wheel would add much needed traction.
It was a clever little idea. And like most clever ideas it had already been tried, tested and become common practice, something Sam had been completely unaware of when he, after gathering his courage, had suggested it to the caravan's wainwrights. They had gotten a good laugh out of the village kid trying to tell them how to do their job. Embarrassing as this had been, the young man's cheeks now rosy not just from exertion, they had at least acknowledged that he had meant well and asked him to join in. I guess that's me in a nutshell, he pondered in pulling the soaked rope taut. All theory, no practice.
As far as assessments went, it wasn't an entirely untrue one. But then that was partly why he was here, part of the caravan; to get some practical experience. What was it Mr Gandethus had said? 'Ignorance may be forgiven, but the refusal to learn is inexcusable,'? Something like that. Whatever the case, standing there in the mud and pouring rain, Samton was very pleased that his mentors were still with him, in a fashion. It was comforting to a young man out in the wide world. But more comforting would be getting the warmth back in his shaking hands; he was freezing. Finishing up his wheel, the wizard headed for one of the covered wagons.
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Sandru puts his arm on Kajiwara's shoulder. "Wise, Kaji. I agree completely. Why don't you organize a rotation with the others? Hmmm?"
Nodding to Lor-Sinn, Koya smiles mischievously to Ruka's question and without answering verbally, she reaches into a pack and draws out a set of harrow cards. She shuffles the cards in her hands as she closes her eyes and draws in a long breath before she deals cards out, one to each of you while saying "I can feel trouble brewing in the air. The suit of Keys is in ascendance. Each of you, please reveal your card to see what role you shall play in the coming days."
Samton reveals The Cricket. "The grig on this card represents quick travel and the reward at the end of the journey. You will need to be light on your feet to claim your prize."
Asuka reveals The Rabbit Prince "The Rabbit Prince is the personification of the capriciousness of battle, and his broken sword indicates that defeat may come to anyone. Keep your knives out and prepare for trouble at any time."
Lor-Sinn reveals The Peacock. "A great beauty that can only be preserved if petrified. Or perhaps somebody far too cocky and sure of themselves. Keep an eye out for either one."
Kajiwara reveals The Crows. "Murder, theft, the violent loss of that which is loved. But who is the victim, I wonder? Be cautious."
Ruka reveals The Tangled Briar. "This is an interesting development. The Briar represents a historical thing or creature that will have some influence on your path ahead. Be prepared to take guidance from places you would normally not."
Poppy reveals The Courtesan and Koya smiles "Ah, card of charisma for you! This represents intrigue and the superficiality of social niceties and how may they get you the object of your desires."
Ameiko clears her throat "I would have one as well, if you please." Koya nods and deals Ameiko a card as well. "Interesting. The Empty Throne. This represents those who are gone, or a ghost of the past that has taught important lessons. It would appear you will learn something of significance in the road ahead, Ameiko." The Kajitsu woman smiles and nods, hearing exactly what she wanted to hear.
Koya collects the cards and shuffles them together before laying them out in a nine-by-nine grid. "The first row represents the past, that which has come before." She flips them over one-by-one, revealing The Vision, The Wanderer, and the Snakebite and Koya frowns. "Ominous events have brought this uneasy atmosphere. Ancient knowledge, hidden away, among long-forgotten relics of the past. And for good reason, for it its the kind of knowledge that invites madness. A dark plot... Betrayal? Murder? Extermination? Discord... A partial alignment indicates that this plot is about to come to fruition..."
"The second row represents the present, that which is happening now." She flips the cards over, revealing The Crows, The Foreign Trader, and The Sickness. She points to the first one. "Here you are, Kajiwara, in opposite alignment. A good omen. You will punish the perpetrators of heinous crimes. The remaining cards are perfectly aligned, of great significance. A secret item holds the key to unlocking great information of the past..."
"The third row represents the future, that which is yet to come." Koya reveals the final row: The Twin, The Waxworks, and The Winged Serpent. "Oh dear, this does not look good. I see one with a duality of purpose, two minds at odds with each other. Their actions lead to torture, imprisonment, pain, suffering. The serpent in opposite alignment. A lack of understanding, a miscarriage of justice that may lead to calamity unless it can be prevented..."
Koya gathers the cards and looks to you. "The harrowing is complete. May the spirits guide your steps."
Kaji sighs as Sandur puts an arm around him, realizing that by making suggestion he had volunteered to do it. Still, perhaps he could give Ameiko a chance at guard duty - she certainly seemed to resent being treated as just a passenger.
Kaji had never seen a Harrowing - the few times Koya had done them when traveling with Sandru, he'd been occupied with either guard duty or hunting. It was interesting to see one done - although how predictive of the future it was would be interesting.
Being given the Crows, however, put his guard up. Danger hunts us. Who or what? Could Tsutama's skeleton have restored itself and be following us? I'll have to be extra alert.
The first row further convinces him that something evil is afoot. Not Tsutama, though - he didn't think that Tsutama's skeleton was part of a dark plot. That worry, at least, was assuaged. Still, whatever dark forces were at work, they were a threat to the caravan, and he would guard against them.
The second row brought him greater comfort. Whoever these evil people were, he would punish them for their crimes, bringing them to justice. He liked the sound of that. He wondered what the secret item was - and what information it would unlock.
The future appeared grim, however. This "person of two minds" sounded like some sort of madman who would perpetrate some great atrocity unless stopped. With no specifics, he didn't even know who to warn, or what to warn them about. That was the problem with fortune-telling. It wasn't very specific. Still, rudeness was hardly appropriate.
"Thank you, Koya, for your reading. May we see what the spirits have in store for us clearly."
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Lor-Sinn feels the excitement build as Koya takes out her Harrow deck, These moments always felt so magical to her, that glimpse through the veils of time and fate, the clever wording that had her racking her brains for days afterwards trying to figure out what it meant. She receives her card with a grin, and barely hears the Varisian's words about it as she is already entranced in its intricate design. Why was it called The Peacock? The creature on the card was not a peacock at all, with its dragonlike wings, its serpentine neck and its thin, barbed tail. And why were its eyes glowing red? Was it evil? Why would Koya pick an evil card for her? Was it because some tieflings had red eyes? But this card was also supposed to symbolize beauty, wasn't it? Whose beauty, Lor-Sinn wonders - certainly not the creature on the card, that wasn't beautiful at all. Definitely not Lor-Sinn's, she wasn't beautiful, she was in fact quite twisted and monstrous, with her horns and her tail and the thick black nails on her hands and feet... and the other things, those she didn't show anyone.
She sighs and reaches for her waterskin as Koya continues the reading, but her hand finds only air. That was strange, she had put it down not a moment ago. She begins searching for it, only catching fragments of the rest of the reading. She'll have to be on the lookout for crows, shoot them out of the sky perhaps. Can't let them get close to the caravan if they were dangerous. The dark birds were thieving bastards, after all. And what was that expression, "a murder of crows"? Murderers too, then. Evil birds. Where was that damn waterskin?
Samton reveals The Cricket. "The grig on this card represents quick travel and the reward at the end of the journey. You will need to be light on your feet to claim your prize."
Respectful to his elders in general and fond of this grandam in particular, Sam happily played his part in the seer's harrowing, listening carefully and picking a card when called for. He did so despite not really putting much stock in the ancient Varisian practice; honestly, he just didn't want to see Koya disappointed. This wasn't to say that the youngster had no faith in divination, perish the thought! Samton was far too well read in the arcane to discount that particular school of magic. No, it was just that what the nomadic Varisians practiced was... different. More esoteric. Stranger. More to the point, harrowings were just plain inefficient. A storybook picture and some ambiguous words; they could lead one in any which direction. Pragmatic to the core as he was, the wizard preferred his magic a bit more deliberate and a whole lot less cryptic.
Such was the case here. Because while his fortune as told by Koya initially seemed fairly sensible, the more he thought about them the more the words mystified him. 'Be light on your feet'? Well, yes, acting quickly was simply sound advice. But what was this about 'prizes' and 'rewards at the end of the journey'? Samton wasn't seeking to gain anything at all. He had joined the caravan because the journey was the reward. He merely wanted to gain a little worldly experience. Well, that and figure out this Kaijitsu business.
On that note, the cartographer was actually more interested in the Kaijitsu sisters' fortunes. These were even easier to parse too. 'Ghosts of the past' and something or other 'historical'; yes, this was in line with all this hubbub being centered around their grandfather. He looked to the card, the Cricket, again. The cricket in question didn't seem to be in any hurry. It was difficult to hurry when in a caravan - you invariably took on the speed the collective averaged to. There was probably a worldly lesson in that, something about the advantages and disadvantages of working alone vs cooperation. Sam couldn't think of what said lesson might be, though. His poor muscles ached too much.
Ruka isn’t quite sure what to think as Koya pulls out her deck. Fortune-telling was a staple of Varisian culture, but she’d never received a reading herself. Lonjiku had always dismissed the practice as mere peasant superstition.
She tentatively takes a card and stares at the forbidding briars. The skeleton reminds her of Tsutamu, an association that is only strengthened by Koya’s interpretation. A historical thing or creature...Tsutamu definitely led to me taking guidance from an unusual place. This whole journey is about guidance from unusual places.
Speaking of the journey, she glances over as Ameiko receives her card. The Empty Throne? More guidance from the past. Ameiko seems happy with the card though, and really that’s all that matters.
”Yes, thank you Koya. It was...enlightening.” She isn’t sure how much stock she placed in the card’s ability to foretell the future, but she can’t dismiss how applicable most of them had been.
Asuka reveals The Rabbit Prince "The Rabbit Prince is the personification of the capriciousness of battle, and his broken sword indicates that defeat may come to anyone. Keep your knives out and prepare for trouble at any time."
"The Rabbit Prince! I love it. The fortunes of battle shifting at any moment...how dramatic! Just my style. Good job!" Incredibly appropriately, Asuka does not pick up on the implicit warning of the message, instead focusing on the coolness of a Rabbit Prince with a broken sword.
Asuka takes notes on all of the readings, less out of any voyeuristic interest in her companions and more out of interest in systems of symbology that she can hijack for her own writing.
Kajiwara sets up a watch rotation, offering Ameiko a shift much to her delight. She proves her worth to the group by protecting everyone from the rainy darkness while the sleep. Relieved to eventually be relieved to get dry and catch her own shuteye, the rest of the night passes as quietly as the first portion.
The next morning while Poppy and Ameiko make breakfast, Koya asks Lor-Sinn to help her take a short walk and stretch her legs before they depart for the day. On there trek around the field, she asks her what he hopes to achieve during their "great adventure".
Sandru tasks Samton with caring for all of the animals and making sure they are fed and secured to the wagons so that everyone can take off as soon as he's done before heading over to Kajiwara and asking him to take one other for a quick inspection of all of the wagons.
With those tasks complete, the group packs up and heads out on there way. It appears the rain is done for now and the remainder of the day as well as the next three days are all dry and sunny without incident. The group travels for twelve hours at a time, resting for twelve hours in between.
On the second night, Ameiko offers a performance with her beautiful three-stringed samisen for everyone. She leads the group through twenty minutes of beautiful melodies to closeout the evening.
On the third evening Sandru pressures Ameiko into singing for everyone. The bard takes position up on a nearby fallen log and belts out a popular Varisian tune about traveling across the country in a caravan. Her her heart is clearly in it as she absolutely kills it.
On the fourth day you continue on the Lost Coast Raod up to the base of the Fogscars then back inland. A little after midday your caravan rides into the shore of the Ember Lake to the small town of Galduria.
Galduria is a town in central Varisia, located on the western shore of Ember Lake. Generally thought of as a dependent of the city-state of Magnimar, most of the town's wealth is generated by the trade of grain and lumber across the lake and along the Lampblack River.
Galduria's true claim to fame is its arcane college, the Twilight Academy, the founding of which in 4629 AR by Galdurin Barmier was the establishment of the town. The Twilight Academy rivals the larger colleges in Varisia, the Stone of the Seers in Magnimar, and Korvosa's Acadamae. The college was founded specifically to avoid the political pressure and intrigues of those two cities.
The Twilight Academy has a reputation for undertaking many experimental and unconventional practices. Nevertheless, locals turn the other way regarding its strange ways in exchange for the money that the college is able to provide for various civic projects."
As the caravan pulls into town, Sandru hops off and tells everyone "Alright folks, listen up. This is our first major stop and I'm only planning to be here for a couple of hours. Stretch your legs, get a drink, visit the brothel, whatever floats your boat. Meet back here at two bells, no later. You don't want me to send Ahreni looking for you, okay?"
Lor-Sinn gladly accompanies Koya on her walk, but is confused by her question. "Accomplish? I- I don't know. Haven't really thought about it. Shalelu wanted me to come on this expedition, thought I might be useful, and that felt... good? Better than doing patrol duty in Sandpoint and getting all stared and muttered at. But I don't really have a goal, I suppose." She stops and gives Koya a concerned look. "Should I have one? Is that something you're supposed to do, when going on such journeys?" The tiefling looks slightly panicked at the thought of not being fully prepared and not following whatever procedure there may be for such occasions.
She spends the next three days making and discarding lists, and interviewing everyone else in the caravan about their goals in the expedition.
As they pull into the first town, Lor-Sinn shakes her head at Sandru's directions. "I'll stay and guard the caravan. Nothing for me in town."
She keeps an eye out, watching for crows in particular. If any should get close to the caravan, she shouts and waves her arms at it until it flies away.
Kajiwara taps Ruka on the shoulder and asks her to come with him to look over the wagons.
Once he thinks everything is done to his satisfaction, he continues guarding the caravan, keeping to the rear wagon. As they travel, he begins teaching Ruka Minkaian. She already knew Tien, which gave him a good starting point.
When they stop for the night, as Ameiko entertains them, he takes the time to work on crafting arrows for use as needed.
Once in Galduria, Kajiwara stretches, looks over the town, then asks, "Sandru, do you need any assistance fetching supplies?"
When Kajiwara offers to teach Ruka Minkaian, she flushes but gratefully accepts.
"It was Mother's idea," she explains. "To connect us with our heritage. But I was still young when she died and after...well Father didn't see the use in continuing the lessons. Not when Tien was more practical. I can still understand Minkaian, at least for the most part, but am far less comfortable speaking it."
The next three days pass much more smoothly than the first. Ruka is happy to learn that not every day in a caravan requires hiding from a downpour. By the time they arrive at Galduria though, she's still rather desperate for some of the comforts of civilization. Namely, a hot bath.
Hopping off the driver's seat, she nods at Sandru. "I'll be back in time." Then she stuffs a change of clothes into her backpack and goes looking for a proper bathhouse. Or, if the town is lacking one, an inn that might offer the same service.
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"Uh, sure thing, Mr Vhiski," said a doubtful Samton, trying and failing to conceal his unease at the task handed to him. Feed and secure the horses? It wasn't that he disliked animals or anything or the sort. Sam liked animals just fine. It was just that they didn't seem to hold any particular affection for him. Still, determined to help however possible, the young man tackled the work as best he could. Which was to say that he used magic. Transmuting himself to the size of a giant caused a bit of a stir in the caravan, but it did make quick work of lugging about bundles of horse feed, especially in conjunction with the ability to enhance his own strength further.
Animals having a keen nose for confidence, however, (and little love of 12 ft. strangers) the horses were predictably skittish and uncooperative with him.
"Whoa, boy, whoa. Calm down, boy. Girl. Whatever you are. I don't... Actually, hold on, this should help." Acknowledging his own ineptitude at soothing the beasts, the wizard opted for the more direct approach: in this case, blasting the very concept of fear clean out of their minds. Muttering the incantation to the fear dispelling magic his patron had inked into his spell book, Samton was left with horses so placid they would have accepted him as one of their own even if he had fur and six-inch canines. Thusly the next few days passed, with him earnestly taking on varieties of practical work utterly beyond his expertise and cheating his way through it via magic. It was a learning experience to be sure, with the lesson mainly being that there really was no tool like magic.
Expect on the third day. On the third day the young man feigned illness and stayed within a covered wagon the entire day. He recognized this part of the Lost Coast Road. He had seen it before.
This was where his parents had died.
Lake Ember and the profile of the Fogscar Mountains confirmed it. Even seeing them from afar, the mere presence of these landmarks picked at a decade old wound long since scabbed over, healed, and scarred; there was no doubt. Sam had been barely seven when he, along with his parents, had emigrated from Galduria to Magnimar, traveling the Lost Coast Road only to be ambushed by goblins. He couldn't remember much of the attack. This was probably a mercy, or so he told himself, anyway. He preferred those few memories he had of his parents alive unsullied by the incident. What he could remember, what he could never forget, was her: Shalelu Andosana. Goblin hunter extraordinaire doing what she did best, she had saved his life. She was the only reason he was alive today. The feelings he now harbored for the ranger had only fully blossomed in his puberty, of course, but the cartographer recognized that this was where it had all begun - that he had loved her ever since. But it wasn't revisiting the memories of her that saw the young man hiding within the wagon the entire day, eyes closed tight for fear of catching even a glimpse of the scenery. It was the unknown that scared him. If he were to revisit the place, what would he feel? Would he be overcome with emotion, would some hidden abscess of grief burst open to overwhelm him, to break him? Or would he feel nothing at all? Both answers scared him terribly. And so he took the coward's way out, pulling the covers over his head until the danger, and the caravan, passed.
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By the time the caravan ground to a halt in Galduria, Samton had mysteriously recovered from his sudden illness. The town was familiar to him, of course, in the way most anything was familiar to him: through reading. His mentor Gandethus had expected him to attend the Twilight Academy, before the young man had inexplicably mastered magic on his own without the need of any training. Sam's own interest in Galduria owed more to curiosity surrounding his own origin, but this was not to say that the school didn't intrigue him. If only they were stopping for more than a measly two hours; visiting the academy would certainly have 'floated his boat' as Sandru put it. Oh well.
"I'm going to refesh my stock of magic components," he told anyone who cared to listen. "Miss Kaijitsu, do you need anything?" he asked the elder sister, knowing that she too might appreciate filling her spell pouch. Any settlement home to such a prestigious academy was sure to have a few respectable storefronts catering to the magically inclined. Maybe he would even find a spell store or library where he could add something to his own magical repertoire. Exciting!
Any other time, Asuka would have been raring to jump into a new town and explore, but this time, she just anxiously awaits moving on. This new adventure was so unknown and promising, and she wants to know. She was always the kind of person who would binge entire series's of books over a couple weeks because she simply could not wait for the ending. This layover thus feels to her like picking up an exciting new book and setting it down to have dinner right after. No matter how good the dinner would be, it was an interruption, and therefore an annoyance.
This anxiousness to get going combined with her own lack of foresight leaves Asuka from spending the time considering purchases and needs for the journey as much as she probably should. Instead, she obsesses over her notes, beginning to start first drafts of several scenes, even though she is too jumpy to make much progress. She has never been one of those writers that can clink away in the word-mines every day.
Sandru shakes his head at Kaji "Not yet, we're good for now. The next town we'll hit we will reload. I'm hoping that we can get some good hunting in along the way for some fresh meet to fill the gaps." He pats the guard's shoulder twice before setting off for his unannounced destination.
Ruka and Samton head out to quickly take care of some errands while Poppy jumps at the opportunity to pick up some fresh ingredients she forgot in Sandpoint that she knows they must have for the remainder of their trip. All other members of the caravan except Koya depart for various quick tasks, stating they will be back within an hour or two.
Asuka, Lor-Sinn and Kajiwara are all conversing among themselves near the third wagon when a man shouts "YAH! YAH!" as a horse whinnies somewhere from the front of their caravan. Moving to the front quickly, they spot a man having recently just cut away one of your horses that you believe is called Patches, riding off away from you.
Lor-Sinn rushes to where the noises are coming from, just in time to see the stranger riding off.
Kajiwara pulls and strings his bow, then fires at the horse thief.
Patches rears up on Lor-Sinn's command and dumps her would be rider unceremoniously onto his rear end on the ground as two arrows fly past him.
Asuka reacts instinctively, running towards the thief with a quick fake-out then grabbing him.
Asuka insincts coupled with her quick movement catch the man unprepared and he is quickly caught up in her attempts to grab him. He struggles against her, but as the other two catch up and and surround him, he relents and gives up.
Now that you are closer, you rip the hood from the thieve's head and find that the "man" is actually nothing more than a skinny young teenage boy wearing a hood and bulky clothing to make him look bigger. He hasn't bathed in quite some time and smells terribly, and protests to being held so tightly by Asuka. "Lemme go! I wasn't gonna hurt no nuttin'!" he whines.