"You're welcome to remain with the caravan until we're ready to move on," Sandru says. "I agreed to take you to Kalsgard and I'll see that through."
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"It's not that I value Ameiko's life more than yours, Corinna," Sandru replies. "I would do the same for you, or Koya, or Gilfroy, or Vankor, or anyone else here."
Sandru frowns but nods. "No one will force you or anyone else to go back to the village. You understand though, that the caravan can't leave with you. You've seen what happens to Ameiko if we move."
"Rokuro, that's her grandfather, the man who died to keep her from ever coming here," Corinna murmurs. "Lonjiku was her father, but she wouldn't have called him that. The rest of them, Tien names, except ... Pitivo. That's Varisian," she frowns and glances up at Sandru. Sandru notices Corinna's glance and shrugs, a perplexed look on his face. He edges over to her. "That's certainly odd,"[b] he says quietly. [b]"It could just be a coincidence, I suppose. Maybe it's a Tien name too."
Malan walks up to Sandru once he hears of the decision to stop the wagons. "How much further do we have to go? I presume that we will be leaving some guards behind to protect the wagons." Sandru shrugs. "I honestly have no idea," he says, "but I can't imagine it's more than a mile or two away. The map makes it look pretty close to the main road. In fact, I was a little surprised it wasn't on the main road. As for guards, yes, we don't want to leave the wagons unprotected. I'll happily stay with the caravan. My days of exploring ruined cities are long over. I can't guard it alone though. Ameiko will want to go into Brinewall, I'm sure." He glances over to her to where Ameiko's already preparing her supplies. He chuckles. "See? She's probably trying her best to hide that she's frustrated with the caravan taking too long to settle, even though it's not taking long at all. She's always been a little impatient." He chuckles some more.
"'The unicorn,'" Corinna smiles. "It's a surprisingly apt way of saying the same thing. I suppose that's why the major cities of Varisia were all founded by Chelaxians. We'd rather settle for a patch of real estate and a modicum of comfort and dignity than take the risk of chasing a dream." She sighs ruefully. Sandru chuckles. "Yes, I suppose it could be that blasted unicorn. We shouldn't over-generalize though. Yes, lots of Varisians travel, and lots of Chelaxians settle down, but there are exceptions on both sides. You, yourself, are chasing a dream right now, although perhaps a bit reluctantly. And while it may seem like you're not making much headway, you do possess more knowledge than you started out with and none of that knowledge has made the dream impossible."
She looks at him for a moment, a bemused smile on her lips, and then shakes her head. "Do you never think of settling down? At my age, I'm aching for a home that's more than a flat with a bath down the hall, and you're looking for a chance to travel longer and farther. My uncle says caravaners have to keep moving to stay one step ahead of the law or outraged husbands and fathers. I don't believe that's true," she assures him hastily, "but something keeps you restless. What is it? Madame Tieren's unicorn, always just over the next hill?" Sandru laughs. "It's in the blood," he says. "We Varisians like to move around, but no matter what your uncle might say, it has nothing to do with getting away from the law or any such nonsense. Well, we have criminals like anyone else does, but it's not that for most of us. No, we like to experience the world. Staying in one spot doesn't let you do that, so we move around a lot. Of course, we do tend to stay within a certain area as going too far into the unknown can be dangerous as I learned well in my youth, so we have to find the best compromise. A regular caravan route does it for me. As for why we feel the need to experience the world..." He shrugs. "To be honest, I don't have a good answer for you."
"Magnimar to Kalsgard?" Corinna asks dubiously. "It took us eleven days to travel from Sandpoint to Riddleport, so a one-way trip from Magnimar to Riddleport must take about two weeks, and then another two weeks back, so you should be able to make the run in a little more than a month. From Riddleport to Kalsgard is at least twice as far, so that's another four weeks of travel on the northern end, not accounting for the increased difficulty of the terrain and the possibility of bad weather. Six weeks one way, at a bare minimum, and six weeks back, and this Gunari Sindri spends the winter there, to avoid traveling through the snow, I assume. We... I mean, Sandpoint would barely see you anymore." Sandru nods and smiles sympathetically. "That's a good point and not one I haven't thought of. I did say may investigate the possibility. It probably is much too long a journey to make regularly, but it doesn't harm to make enquiries while we're there."
"No mystery there," Sandru replies to Melon. "We've already committed to going north to Kalsgard to help Corinna with her little task. After Kalsgard though..." He shrugs. "That depends. Like you said, this trip hasn't really made money, but that's not really my concern right now, as Ameiko has hired the caravan. She's paid for it and for me. Afterwards, though, I have to keep making a living. I can't just go gallivanting off anywhere. The Magnimar-to-Riddleport route has done me well over the years. I may investigate the possibility of extending the route to Kalsgard while we're there, but other than that, I can't see changing the route. So unless you or someone you know is thinking of hiring me for something different, this caravan won't be going anywhere like Kaer Maga."
Sandru shakes his head. "We never made it this far north," he says. "Although if you had listened to the rumours, you'd probably think we had. People seem to think we travelled all across the world. In truth though, we went about as far north as the Churlwood and the Fogscar Mountains, east to Ember Lake and the Sanos Forest, and south no farther than the Mushfens. Just the little corner of southwest Varisia really. But I guess that seems like the world to people who have never ventured more than a mile or two from Sandpoint."
"Perhaps there are maps to be found in this city.", offers Malan. "[/b]We can add that to our list as we prepare for the cold climate."[/b] "Maps will definitely be a priority to acquire today," Sandru says. "I'll return to the caravan and let the others know what we're up to. Then I'll head back into the city to purchase supplies."
Sandru pauses for a moment, and scratches his beard. "Hmm... That's a good point, actually. We should only have another few days or so to Brinewall. You might not need winter clothing in Brinewall, but since we'll be continuing on to Kalsgard, we'll need to stock up on cold-weather gear eventually. I need to make sure the caravan is supplied for a trip past Brinewall anyway." He turns to Corinna. "I'm not experienced with route north of here. The route to Brinewall should be simple enough, but I'll need your geographical expertise to get us from there to Kalsgard."
Sandru gives Corinna a consoling smile. "Well, you'd lose just as much time if you waited for Gunari Sindri to return in the spring. We should be able to get you to Kalsgard well before that. If Pitivo is in that area, you've gained time. If not, we return in the spring, and you're in exactly the same position you'd be in otherwise."
Sandru eyes Melon and Gilfroy warily. "Just be careful," he says. "This really is a rough city." He turns to Corinna. "So, what would you like to do? We can ask around and see if there are any caravans heading north to Kalsgard if you want, or you can just stay with us a little longer. There'll be a bit of a delay when we stop at Brinewall, but we can continue on afterwards, if you like."
She turns to Sandru. "Where should we go to ask about this Gunari Sindri and his caraven?" she asks. "And ... do you think you'd be willing to give me a reference if I end up having to go to Kalsgard? That's much farther than we've come from Sandpoint, and I'll never be able to afford it unless they'll hire me on as a... "I'm not familiar with Mister Sindri personally, but I have a few ideas about where we can start asking around," Sandru replies. "This way." He begins walking down the crowded street, back the way you came. "As for a reference, I'd be happy to provide you with one. However, it occurs to me that if you do happen to travel north to Kalsgard, why not stay with us a little longer. Brinewall is in that direction, isn't it? I wouldn't object to continuing on to Kalsgard after we're finished at Brinewall. We'll be most of the way there anyway. And I doubt Ameiko will mind." Sandru proceeds to take you to several different places around the city, asking selections of people in each location for information.
"We should probably be moving on," Sandru interrupts. "Thank you for your help, Tieren." She nods and he leads your group back outside. Once out of the shop, he says, "Don't take the reading too lightly, but don't take it too seriously either. It is like all such readings. Consider its warnings, but don't base your whole life around it."
"Travelling in groups is always wise in Riddleport," Sandru says. "Keep your weapons visible, but not drawn. You don't want people to think you're looking for a fight--in which case they might just indulge you--but you do want them to think you're ready to respond to a fight if one is forced on you. Corinna, do you still wish me to show you to people who might be able to help you?"
"Thank you," she smiles wanly at Sandru. "You've been very helpful. I only hope I'm not too late. The most recently anyone seems to have seen him was five years ago...." "Five years isn't too bad," Sandru says. "If he was still active in these parts five years ago, it increases the chances that there's still someone around who remembers him."
She offers him a noncommittal smile. "I'm just pleased I got a chance to be of some help before reaching Riddleport. I'd hate to feel I'd taken advantage of you, however inadvertently, by traveling with your caravan without contributing anything in return." She is silent a few moments as the wagons start moving again, then ventures, "I'm going to ask you the same question I asked about Roderic's Cove. If you were in Riddleport and wanted to leave word for someone you expected to come after you, someone who had never been to Riddleport before, where would you leave it? Whom would you trust to deliver your message?" "I've made several contacts in Riddleport over the years," Sandru says. "I can show you to the trustworthy ones easily enough if you'd like. Thing is, I can't be sure any of them would have been around twenty-odd years ago, which is the timeframe you're looking for. Still, while they may not have the information you want, I'm pretty sure at least one of them will be able to direct you to someone who does. It may take a bit of time, but I'm pretty sure I can convince Ameiko to stay a whole day in Riddleport."
"Are all the horses all right?" she asks Sandru anxiously. Sandru looks about and then nods. "I only saw one injured, not including Tevyn's," he says. "From what I can tell at the moment, the others look a little spooked but otherwise fine. We'll stop here for a few minutes so Koya can tend to the injured and the drivers can calm the horses. I also need to talk to Shalelu and make sure the way ahead is safe. Has anyone seen her?"
"There are a few people in the marketplace I'd trust to leave a message with," Sandru replies. He looks closely at Corinna. "I can show you where in the morning if you'd like."
Sandru scratches his chin a little. "No, it hasn't really changed much at all that I can recall, other than its harbour doesn't get attacked by pirates anymore. Most trade is done in the marketplace--well, legitimate trade, which I daresay is probably not the majority of the trade in this town, but most legitimate trade is done in the marketplace. I'm afraid I don't know the inns. I pretty much always camp with the caravan."
"I'm afraid I don't really know anything about the church of Erastil overstepping its bounds," Sandru says, looking a little confused. "History isn't really my strong point." He then politely excuses himself to go oversee the setting-up of camp.
Sandru nods confidently. "I've stopped here many times before. The locals are certainly superstitious about werewolves--you won't find a home in the village that doesn't have wolfsbane hanging on its doors--but I've never encountered any problems. The people are very friendly during the daytime. At night, they retire before moonrise, and lock their homes up tight, and they won't let anyone in, especially if it's close to the full moon, so I suppose they're not very friendly then, but I don't generally need to deal with them during the night. Despite their superstitions, I've never seen any sign of werewolves. You often hear wolves howling at night, but they never come close and there's nothing to suggest they're werewolves." He climbs down from his seat. "The locals are probably already locking up their homes for the night, but we just restocked in Galduria, so we don't need to do any dealing here. We'll just camp for the night and continue on in the morning."
Sandru chuckles. "No worries," he says with a smile. "Few people like it when they're not used to it, and it does take some getting used to."
Sandru takes a moment before replying. "It depends how you define family, I suppose," he eventually says. "If you mean blood relations, I have an older brother, Jubrayl. We don't speak much. My parents died when I was seven, and I and my younger brother Alder were raised by Koya. So I count her as family too. She was a far better mother than my real one ever was. Alder died back when we made our disastrous attempt to be adventurers. Ameiko and I were the only survivors of that. She and Alder were...well, very close. She probably would have ended up as family had he lived, so I pretty much give her that honorary position and treat her like a sister." He falls silent again, staring ahead into the rain. He looks about to say something more, when he suddenly turns his head and leans to try to peer back behind the wagon. "Do you hear that?" There is definitely what sounds like a voice yelling, but the sound of the rain and dull thunder is drowning it out. Sandru stands up to get a better view, then promptly sits back down again. "It's just Melon," he says. He looks set to ignore her, but then sighs. "I suppose I'd better go see what she wants." He starts to get up, but turns to Corinna. "Now she's a weird one. She's been hanging around Ameiko for years and years. Just sort of shows up, vanishes for a while, then shows up again. I'm not sure she's as close to Ameiko as she believes she is." Sandru gets up again, and Bevelek slows the wagon a little to allow him to hop safely down. He then hurries back to the next wagon to see what Melon wants. After hearing her question, he sighs and says, "Probably not. There are no permanent settlements for another couple of days. We're in the heart of goblin territory. Nobody settles down here for long." He then heads back to the front wagon again, and climbs back up. "She wanted to know if we'd reach an inn tonight."
"We should be able to fit it on in one of the storage wagons," Sandru says. He waves over Vankor. "Vankor can help you find a spot for it."
"I've never actually traveled this country before," she sighs, "but I have seen several maps of various vintages in Korvosa. I suppose we'll see if theoretical knowledge of the terrain translates well to practice. I'm afraid my experiences trying to apply my academic learning to real-world situations hasn't been terribly successful thus far. Should I ... ride up front to keep an eye on the surroundings? Or just wait to be consulted?" "You're perfectly welcome to ride up front," Sandru says. "That would probably be helpful."
Corinna enjoys the dried fruit, having not eaten since before the sun rose that day, but the highly-salted jerky is not to her taste; she is glad to leave the rest of her portion for Melon when she returns. Although she hears the music coming from the wagons, she studiously ignores it, certain of its source. Leaving her painting leaning carefully against the tree stump with Gilfroy to guard it, she approaches Sandru a bit shyly as he finishes his midday repast. "Mr. Vhiski," she begins timidly, "now that we're out of Sandpoint, I'm not sure what exactly my duties with the caravan encompass. I mean, I don't know how best to be of help. Is there somewhere in particular I should be, or something I should be doing?" "Well," Sandru says, "if you're good with geography, land formations, those sorts of things, you'd be useful as a guide. Of course, you're only going as far as Riddleport, which is a journey I know pretty well, but the routes aren't always clear and sometimes you have to find an alternative way. Every bit of help counts. Honestly, most of the time, you wouldn't need to do much at all, but when you're needed, you'll definitely be needed."
Sandru comes over to Corinna, Gilfroy, and Melon. "I see our secret traveller has revealed herself," he says with a smile. He passes round some dried fruit and jerky. "This is just a brief rest stop. We'll eat more heartily tonight."
Sandru directs Gilfroy to a spot in line, and then hurriedly moves through the caravan, making final checks to ensure everything is in order. When he's finished, he returns to Ameiko and the others. "Right," he says. "Everyone here?" He looks over everyone gathered there, and then looks over them again. "Where's that young man, Rajah? Anyone seen him?" He looks about again, but can find no sign of Rajah.
Corinna: Sandru nods. "I understand. I won't mention anything to anyone until we're ready to go." He offers her his hand. "Welcome aboard."
Corinna: "In a few days," Sandru replies. "The goal is the sixteenth. Your friends should be happy to know you're coming along. How would you like to tell them?"
Corinna: "About a year, year and a half ago," Sandru replies. "I was headed into Riddleport. He was headed out. Our two caravans spent a night camped in the same location. I'm afraid there's not much more I can tell you about him. He was just one of many with that caravan, and I only spoke a few words with him. The next morning, both groups went their separate ways. I haven't run into that group since."
Corinna: "Pitivo?" Sandru scratches his beard for a moment. "It's not the most common name, but I have met one or two before. One was just a ten-year-old boy at the time, which would make him about fifteen or sixteen now, so definitely not the one you're thinking of. The other was older. Thirties I thought. Could have been a young-looking forty. He was a caravaner, but that's true of most Varisians. I think it was in the Riddleport area where I met him though. Why do you ask?"
Corinna: "But I thought you said you didn't..." Sandru begins, but stops. "No, never mind about that. We could definitely use the services of a guide or spellcaster. I'd be happy to hire you on for the trip. As far as Riddleport, you say?"
Corinna: Sandru looks up and wipes some of the dripping rain from his eyes. "Corinna, yes, of course. We'll go in the fortune-teller's wagon." He stands up and leads her to the wagon's door. Opening it, he motions for her to go in ahead of him.
Inside, he offers her a towel to dry herself with. "How can I help you?"
"Rajah's right," Sandru says. "Caravan can often come under attack from bandits or goblins. Guards who can fight are definitely needed. If you can do that, you're definitely welcome."
Sandru nearly jumps back from initial surprise, but then laughs. "All right," he says. "We apparently have several people capable of spellcasting."
"Happy to have your services, Malan," Sandru says and grasps the elf's hand.
Sandru nods and scratches his chin. "A spellcaster is a useful thing on a caravan," he says, "but they're not easy to come by, so we can do without if we need to. I've made most of my journeys without one. However, if you can convince Corinna or someone else of similar skills to join us, I have no objection. However, Corinna doesn't seem particularly interested. She's always very quick to get away from you all, so I'm not convinced she likes you all that much. No offence."
"I'm afraid, Melon," Sandru says, "that even if Ameiko cooks--which I should add I don't expect her to do--but even if she does, the food will still probably be what you term as simple. There's only so much you can do on the road with limited equipment and supplies. But to the question at hand..." He scratches his neck for a moment. "We'll need somebody to cook, either through alternating or designating someone. There are a number of other roles that will need to be filled too, either amongst yourselves or other people we hire. I have three wagons at the moment, each of which needs a driver. Bevelek, Vankor, and I can cover those rolls. But as well as a cook, we could use scouts, guards, those kinds of things. A wainwright for repairs is also useful. A couple other things could be useful but aren't absolutely necessary."
Sandru comes out of the Garrison. "As you yourself pointed out Ameiko, there's no need to rush anything," he says. "Take a day or two to get your thoughts together. Think about the letter, the treasure, your father, your grandfather, and so on. If, after that, you still want to go, I'll be happy to have you hire me."
Sandru opens the first of the two bags and looks inside. He reaches in tenderly and pulls out a shuriken. "I'm no expert," he says, "but this looks of pretty exception quality. There are six of them altogether, all the same." He puts the shuriken back in the bag and opens the second one. From that, he pulls out a jade ring. It bears an image of a wingless dragon with a long body. He whistles softly. "Very valuable."
Sandru finishes examining the contents of the chest. "The ships' names might be helpful," he says, placing the last firework down on the floor, "but that's only if your suggestion that the ships and the chest are linked is correct. If they're not, the names could send you down a wild goose chase. It would better first to find any kind of identifying marks on this chest or these items." Now that he has emptied the chest, he begins examining the outside, lifting the chest up slightly to peer at the bottom as well. "This thing's a bit unwieldy," he comments. "Anyone care to give me a hand?
Later, as Sandru echos the gnome's own thoughts for the group, he smiles, humour returned. "Thank you Sandru. A wise man indeed." "Wise? No," Sandru says with a laugh. "Just the voice of experience speaking. Trust me, I've done some pretty unwise things in my life."
Sandru shrugs. "Don't worry, I haven't seen it as a chore," he says. "I'm happy to help out when I can."
"Well, that looks settled then!" Sandru says and raises his mug. "To the success of your expedition!" After mugs are clinked together, he says, "Bevelek and Vankor can gather the things you need and have them waiting for you in the morning. Just drop by to pick them up and settle payment."
Sandru heads to the man across the room and speaks briefly with him. A few moments later, the man gets up and the two of them return to your table.
"Actually, Sandru says to Gilfroy, "there was a man about earlier asking about employment with my caravan. I had to turn him down for the time being since I don't currently have a commission so I'm not going anywhere. However, I told him I'd be willing to talk again once I had one. He claimed to have wilderness expertise. He might be the kind of person you want." Sandru stands up and gazes about the tavern, looking at the numerous people gathered there. "He might be still here." His gaze stops on a man at the far side of the room. "There he is. I'll go get him if you want and you can talk to him. If he's not what you're looking for, you could always try the warden again." He waits for confirmation from the others before heading over to the man.
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