Dounia stared at the ring in delight. "Pretty! I wonder what it means." She wracked her brain, trying to figure out what the stars and bird could mean, but she'd never really been that interested in heraldry before. "Do you think Haseema might know? Maybe she'll have some books I could look at."
When she pushed the ring at Cairee, she held her fingers and watched in fascination as the ring seemed to have an identity crisis. "Ooh! The wing! Like on your necklace thingy." She patted the ring fondly.
"You're a clever little ring, aren't you?"
She turned to Tymythy. "Your turn! Assuming it'll fit." She looked skeptically at his strong hands and fingers.
**
Dounia listened to Tymythy's assessment. As much as she longed to head straight across the desert to her oasis, she thought they ought to be sneakier. "Surely they won't think that they passed us. Let them chase their tails in the desert while we take the long way. It won't add that much time, and I think it'll be safer."
She turned to Tymythy. "Your turn! Assuming it'll fit." She looked skeptically at his strong hands and fingers.
Tymythy accepted the ring, admittedly curious what form the trinket would take in his fingers. Rings were not something he had ever considered wearing – shooting an arrow, there would be risk for the ring catching the string and spoiling his aim. For close-quarter combat there might be some use for the things, as more metal around one’s fingers would certainly add weight to one’s punches, but a hunter had little use for mere ornaments, even worse for shiny metal that might reflect light in darkness.
Still, this thing seemed to be invested to divide something from its wearer, and it wasn’t like he was going to keep it. So he put it on, hand held out so that the others could satisfy their curiosity even as he did his own.
The ring began to manifest a sword. The sinking weight that had had been crushing her since her encounter with the guardians felt as if it would drag her into the earth itself. I am changed.
But before she had a chance to rip it off in despair, it morphed again. As if it discovered something else about her and changed its mind. Saiph's wing revealed itself on the small ring. Cairee felt like a bird ruffling her own feathers, throwing off her despair easily. She turned her face to the sun, grinning from ear to ear. Thank you!
Excellent save vs Death Effects, Cairee! That night, while you sleep, you get your level back.
Tymythy put the ring on his finger and held his hand out like a man about to be judged, a man unafraid of judgement. The ring once again melted into its' smooth surface. A few moments passed. A minute. Two minutes.
Nothing appeared.
Something felt wrong. The ring felt unlucky. It didn't seem that way for the others.
But Tymythy was on a vision quest, a faith walk. Were the others?
Before he could take the ring off a knot appeared.
For a long moment, Tymythy felt the ring’s judgement had been that he was found wanting… not that he knew if he should care for the opinion of a piece of metal, no matter how much power invested in it. Still, as the trinket refused to read his like it had the ladies’, he could not but feel slighted.
Yet, finally, the ring did find a new form around his finger.
”This design is often used in decorations and torcs back home, but other than that, I do not know its significance,” he said, showing off the ring to the others, now eager to have the experiment over and done with so he could rid himself of the unnatural thing.
Dounia listened to Tymythy's assessment. As much as she longed to head straight across the desert to her oasis, she thought they ought to be sneakier. "Surely they won't think that they passed us. Let them chase their tails in the desert while we take the long way. It won't add that much time, and I think it'll be safer."
”Both approaches have their benefits,” Tymythy shrugged as he drew taunt the last rope. ”Let us speak our thoughts and make up our minds – either way, we need to move quickly come morning.”
The ring remained static on Tymythy's finger for some time. Tymythy tried to look unconcerned, but a little dismay made it onto his face. When the knot finally formed he took it off quickly, handing it back to Zahra. Cairee only got a brief glance, but she recognized it immediately.
"That's an 'eternal knot'. It's a symbolic representation of the oak tree, which is connected to the concept of fate. It's often used as an appeal to powerful forces to take a person or people to where they are meant to be." She looked at Tymythy thoughtfully. "I wonder why it took so long to appear?"
She thought about the symbol that had appeared for herself. The sword almost manifesting, and then changing to the wing. "Do you think the ring holds any other power, or affects the wearer in any way?" She asked Zahra. "Or is its only power to reveal something about the wearer? If so, it's a funny device. I wonder what the intended purpose was when it was created."
Cairee listened to Dounia and Tymythy as they debated the different routes. Both seemed logical, and she had nothing helpful to add. "Perhaps we should leave the decision to Zahra, as she and her family have the most at stake."
Zahra reached for the ring as Tymythy offered it back to her. She turned it over and over with her fingers before slipping it on again. Even though she didn't know what any of the images meant, apart from what the others shared, she was fascinated by how the ring seemed to know things that were so personal. "Like I said, I don't think it's dangerous but its source magic is a bit beyond my abilities. I hate to sound like a parrot but all I can offer is to ask Haseena when we get back."
Zahra was grateful to finally have sleep in her future. She was exhausted and still had aches where she had never had aches before. Those stupid insects had really done a number on her muscles.
She looked up from staring at the fire as Cairee suggested that she make the decision about their route. "If I was alone, my only choice would be to stick to the road. I would be horribly lost in the desert. However, if you think that you can lead us through the desert again and that it'll be faster then..." Thoughts of the threats they had faced in the desert came flooding back to her mind, the sink holes and lack of water and the horrible heat. "Do we even have enough water to travel through the desert? We shouldn't go that way if we don't have enough water.". She sighed, "Obviously I want to get back as soon as possible because we've already been delayed quite a bit but I also don't want to die of thirst in the desert."
When it came time to sleep for the night, the sorceress knew that she needed to either take the first watch or the last in order to replenish her magical strength. They had been traveling together for awhile now so the others probably knew this about her but she reminded them of it all the same.
-
-
-
When Zahra replaced the ring on her finger the eternal knot melted away and the scaled heart returned.
"Of course I won't let us run out of water, don't worry about that." Cairee tried to sound reassuring, for her friend was clearly exhausted and not thinking straight. "Why don't you go to bed and take last watch. I'll take first, then wake Dounia." As the others settled in to sleep, Cairee made sure Crathadh was comfortable, then found a relatively uncomfortable seat for herself to help keep her awake.
After Dounia shook Tymythy awake to take his watch the young man found a spot sheltered from the wind that still allowed him a decent field of vision in most directions and hunkered down in the chill of desert night. It was strange how huge the variations of the temperatures could be in this land – almost literally hot enough to boil water during the day, while cool enough to chill the flesh when the sun was down.
The night was bright under the blanket of stars and moonlight, and once again the celestial display kept dragging his attention from their surroundings to the sky above, forcing him to remind himself again and again that he was not there to enjoy himself but to keep vigil. Thus he forced his attention to the ground level, spying a distant shadow against the gleaming sea. Narrowing his eyes, he thought he could spot a light made tiny by distance at the brow of the shape – a ship of some sort. He could not be certain of the distance so he couldn’t quite decide if he was watching a small fishing boat or a proper blue-water ship, but the important thing was that it was sailing right past their campsite, riding the winds to the south.
He had put aside that curiosity until, some hour or so later, he spotted other shadows on the sea – ten or more ships, sailing in a “v” formation, the middle ship trailing behind the ships at the ends of the formation’s wings. The little Tymythy knew about lines of battle or formations of seagoing vessels wouldn’t fill a thimble, but he could still recognize a hunter chasing its prey. Whatever the first lone ship held, this fleet wanted, and with these clear skies he couldn’t see the lead ship eluding its pursuers. Either it proved faster on a stern chase or it would be caught before daybreak.
Curious, but not relevant to their current problems.
"That's an 'eternal knot'. It's a symbolic representation of the oak tree, which is connected to the concept of fate. It's often used as an appeal to powerful forces to take a person or people to where they are meant to be." She looked at Tymythy thoughtfully. "I wonder why it took so long to appear?"
”Fate,” Tymythy murmured. Yes, he was here by fate, by the will of the great spirits which was much the same thing to a warrior of the Hlewmylani. That, certainly, seemed fitting. But still he found himself uneasy holding the strange item with an oracle’s gift, and felt relieved when Zahra accepted it and put it on her finger.
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Zahra smiled gratefully at Cairee for allowing her to take last watch. The thought of sleeping for more than three hours was very appealing to the young sorceress.
"If any of you wants anything cleaned or mended, give it to me and I'll work on it during my watch. It won't distract me but it'll keep me awake. At this point I feel like I could sleep for a week."
Tymythy gently shook Zahra awake when it was her turn to take over but she still started. It took her a moment to remember where she was and what she had been doing. She gave a small groan and then pushed herself into a sitting position and then slowly got to her feet. Her damaged, albeit healing, muscles were stiff and seemed to protest as she made them move.
Having no instructions or warnings from Tymythy, she settled herself where Tymythy had been keeping watch. She quietly murmured the magic words needed to clean her own clothes and gear along with the items the others had given. She then dug out her sewing kit and set to mending some of the rips the old-fashioned way with delicate stitches. For those rips that were not along seams, she resorted to magic to make the items like new again.
She kept her eyes and ears open while she worked, regularly looking around at her surroundings but she heard and saw nothing. The sun began to rise and she was eager to get home and put this strange experience behind her.
She stared out at the water as the sun caused it to sparkle as light hit the surface. It was so beautiful and she felt privileged to have been able to experience something so breathtaking. If she hadn't left the city there would be a lot of things she would have never experienced. There were some of those things that she hoped she'd be able to forget but this amazing scenery she would treasure.
However, in the midst of the beauty Zahra felt a heaviness hanging in the air. There was a sadness that bordered on depression. The bird calls she heard sounded minor and the water seemed to be sighing as the waves crashed into the shore. Was nature mourning the destruction of the tomb they had found or was this melancholy more of a foreboding omen of what was to come?
When Cairee woke Dounia up for her watch, she yawned and grumbled. She wouldn't miss these midnight wakings when they were back in the city.
At least her new robes kept her nice and snuggly. The moonlight sparkled on the ocean, and the waves against the stones made a soothing sound.
An hour or so into her watch, she suddenly realized that those soothing sounds were getting louder. Was the ocean getting...closer?
Oh no! The tide!! The water was getting close to all their stuff! For a moment Dounia went to wake the others, to get them to help, but everybody was sleeping so peacefully. She straightened her shoulders. She could do this.
Grabbing the little shovel they used for digging latrine holes, Dounia ran to the water's edge. Yes, it was getting closer! She began to shovel like crazy, making a moat around the camp. The sand as course and pebbly, and she piled up the sand on the inside of the moat, making a nice berm.
The water rose, and Dounia dug, and the moat channeled the water away, and the berm held. And then the water stopped rising.
Exhausted, proud, and sweaty, Dounia woke Tymythy, crawled into her cozy blanket, and fell deeply asleep.
Cairee watched over the others as they settled into sleep with only a little jealousy. She was bone tired, but grateful for the time alone. She spent the first part of her watch preparing for the next day's travel. She pulled out all of their rations and murmured a blessing, restoring them to their original freshness. She filled all of their canteens, and placed a few items in a pile for Zahra to mend and de-sand. Unfortunately her and Tymythy's cloaks hadn't made it out of the cave, though even if they had, Cairee doubted Zahra would have been able to restore them. Didn't we find a cloak or two in our travels? She looked around a little, but didn't want to search through her friends' belongings while they slept. She'd ask them in the morning.
After her chores were complete, Cairee paced the outer perimeter of the camp, worried that if she stayed seated she would slip into sleep. She whispered the prayers of gratitude the Order had first taught her, partly to honour all of the ways Saiph had come to her aid in the past day, and partly to keep her mind alert.
"Blessed be your love, it warms us.
Blessed be your mercy, saves us.
Blessed be your forgiveness, it frees us.
Blessed be your light, it leads us home."
Cairee paused at the edge of camp, looking out into the dark water. It had risen a little closer, but she wasn't worried. Surely Tymythy or Dounia would have ensured their camp was far enough off the beach to be out of danger of the tide.
She turned around. Her jaw dropped.
Not 10 feet from the edge of their camp, an elephant lumbered quietly by. It was followed by another. Then another. A line of the magnificent animals stretched back into the darkness. They moved so quietly through the sand.
"Hello," Cairee whispered, once she had found her voice. The first elephant didn't break pace as it moved down the beach. But the third elephant broke out of the line and stopped, staring at their camp, making sure Cairee and her sleeping friends were no threat to his family. "My name is Cairee. It's lovely to meet you." It eyed her, then nodded a reply.
Cairee almost woke the others. They shouldn't miss such a remarkable sight! But she worried a sudden movement or scared reaction could spook the beasts. Instead she stood in silent wonder as 16 elephants and calves slipped through the night.
Finally the bull turned away, taking up the rear guard. Cairee followed a little out of camp, hoping to get some news without waking the others.
"I wish you and your family safe travels through the desert. Beware of some travellers with a wagon. They're awful people, and might try to take one of your children. They're probably about a day ahead of us. Have you seen any nearby dangers we should be aware of?"
Soon after the beasts were out of sight, Cairee woke Dounia and crawled into her own bed. She fell asleep easily and with a smile on her face.
The sun was too bright. Dounia groaned and rolled over. She would have buried her head into her hood and gone back to sleep, but a sudden shift in the wind brought a horrid smell her way. "Ugh! Who did that!"
She sat up and rubbed sleep from her eyes. The morning sun was reflecting off the water, making her eyes tear up from the brightness. Turning her back on the sea, she surveyed the camp, glad to see everything was still dry. Her little moat had held up, even though the water had gone down again.
Moving towards a dune to find a private place to relieve herself, Dounia found the source of the bad smell. "Spirits alive! Guys, look at this! It's the biggest turd I've ever seen!!" She could have hidden inside the pile of dung if she'd been desperate enough. "What do you suppose did that?!"
After breakfast, Dounia conferred with Tymythy. He wanted to cut across the desert, and get back as soon as possible. It didn't take much to convince her. As magical as the sea was, she'd be happier back in the desert. Even with the heat. "Okay, let's cut straight across." She let a dribble of sand flow from her hand, as if getting her bearings from the wind. "That way."
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"Hello," Cairee whispered, once she had found her...
"My name is Cairee. It's lovely to meet you."
It eyed her, then nodded a reply ... Finally the bull turned away, taking up the rear guard. Cairee followed a little out of camp, hoping to get some news without waking the others.
"I wish you and your family safe travels through the desert. Beware of some travellers with a wagon. They're awful people, and might try to take one of your children. They're probably about a day ahead of us. Have you seen any nearby dangers we should be aware of?"
The bull elephant squinted and smelled the air. He waggled his ears gently as he walked.
"Us-talker. Your bless is good. Greatooth Mother has not given to tell wisdom but did not know you were an Us-talker."
He tried to figure out how Cairee was understandable as he continued to follow his group.
"She would say we have not seen a down-tree-mover or bad twolegs. If the Memory do see them and they try to hurt any one shortusk, all of our rakers and stompers shall make them still. Also, Blackeyes is near his musth and no one should anger him." The bull stomped his front feet and waved his tusks right and left in big raking motions. "Crescentear saw five twolegs over her shoulder from a distance. They had no down-tree-mover and made no challenge. It was just after two darknesses ago."
"If you go behind us next to the wet two darknesses from here, do not go in. There are hungry logs. More than three darknesses there are many many twolegs. It is best to stay away."
The bull was falling a bit behind and quickened his pace. "You and all of your memory, keep to eachother."
Come morning, Tymythy made sure to thank Zahra for her magical needlework – after her ministrations, his desert robes looked almost new. Certainly there was no evidence of the multitude of cuts and wounds of the past few days of battle. Having spent this much time with Zahra and Cairee, Tymythy was beginning to appreciate magic in a way he never had – back home, those powers were for the wise and responsible elders, and any young apprentice was wise not to flaunt her newfound powers. And as for the elders, they reserved their gifts for the times they were truly needed, when a spell or ritual made the difference between life and death, between living the rest of one’s maimed or being able to serve the tribe once again.
But the two ladies had shown him magic might have a place in the everyday life as well. True, there had been many and more examples of just that in the city he had found himself in, but that had been easy enough to mark down as just the kind of unwise excess and laziness the shamans and wise women of the tribe had spoken against. Cairee and Zahra, though… in their judgement he trusted.
As Dounia marveled at the strange spoor of some creature that had passed them during the night, Tymythy began his day with a dance of the forms with the hermit-king’s spear. He had not spent a lot of time training with the heavier spears, but he had some experience and at least knew in theory the moves such a longer, heavier blade made possible. The fact that the invested weapon was so magnificently balanced certainly helped. As he finished another set of moves and came to rest in a low guard stance, he felt he was competent enough with the weapon to use it in combat if it proved necessary. But mastery… that was till a long way in coming.
Tymythy watched the signs and felt the direction of the wind. After the rain along the coast two days ago, the air seemed dry but the wind was coming from the south-southwest. The elements were conspiring to make a beautiful day.
After breakfast, Dounia conferred with Tymythy. He wanted to cut across the desert, and get back as soon as possible. It didn't take much to convince her. As magical as the sea was, she'd be happier back in the desert. Even with the heat. "Okay, let's cut straight across." She let a dribble of sand flow from her hand, as if getting her bearings from the wind. "That way."
With Dounia calling the direction, Tymythy took it upon himself to act the scout, jugging ahead of the trio yet making certain not to get too far in case some strange beast his woodscraft failed to detect in time was lying in ambush – he had only to recall the huge scorpion the size of a siege engine they had almost stumbled into, as he had never dreamed of encountering a creature such as it. So now, he was taking less chances of getting surprised.
Also, there was the fact that they might still be hunted to consider. Thus, he made certain not to scale any dunes carelessly, as there were few better ways of announcing one’s presence in the desert – barring the smoke of a campfire or plumes of dust raised by men on horseback – than showing one’s silhouette on top of a hill against the sky. At regular intervals he stopped, waited for the others to catch him up and conversed with Dounia, planning their route to remain from unduly exposing them while avoiding any of the more challenging terrain he had spotted.
”I think we are blessed with fair weather for a couple of days,” he said at one point, having taken the opportunity to read the winds, tasting the salt from the sea in the air still. ”After that, I fear things will get hotter. But there is something in the air… almost like the promise of rain, but the desert heat should have sucked all the moisture away, as we will be further away from the coast by then. Perhaps a dry thunderstorm? I have heard of such things, but never witnessed one myself. I think we would be wise to cut our third day of traveling short and spend time seeking a sheltered spot to wait out the weather instead.”
Cairee slept soundly and woke feeling strong and joyful. She could tell immediately that Saiph had returned to her. Whatever curse the guardian had placed on her was lifted. She was whole. "Blessed be your light, it leads us home!" she sang out, getting groans as a response from her friends. Dounia muttered something about where she could shove her light. The cleric just laughed, bouncing out of bed. She practically danced around camp as she prepared tea and breakfast for the others.
"Spirits alive! Guys, look at this! It's the biggest turd I've ever seen!!"
"A memory of elephants passed by last night. I shared information about our surroundings with one." She did her best to recount the bull's words, hoping they would help Tymythy and Dounia navigate their way.
Once everyone was up and starting their morning routine, Cairee found a sunny spot (upwind of the dung) and settled into her meditation. She recounted all the ways Saiph had helped them the day before, thanking her goddess and promising to pay the aid and kindness forward.
Dounia hadn't realized how weak she'd been feeling yesterday, until she woke up this morning feeling better. Those bugs had really done a number on her. So cruel that they'd been hiding as gold, especially after the loss of the chest. No, don't obsess over that. We made out well, and with our lives. She took the medallion out from a pocket and held it up to the morning sun, enjoying the way it sparkled. That made her feel a bit better.
Cairee's description of the elephants made her pout. "You should have woken me up! I'd liked to have seen that."
As they discussed the weather, Dounia noticed a blackened tree trunk a little further up the beach. It looked a bit like a hyena, and that sparked a memory. "Hey! I know where we are! I heard about this place. There's a smuggler's trail through the hills here. Should be a nice way to start the trip - it's pretty well concealed from the road, and it should shave half a day off the return trip!"
It seemed like Dounia had started everyone moving with a random gesture.
"That way!"
The path didn't lead them to open desert as discussed but to the south western edge of the hills. It was there she noticed a tree burnt to little more than a stump and crouching to look like a creature of the desert. Up from the stump was a lane, hardly a trail, vacant and trackless. It was from the alBadue gang of smugglers, experts at desert hiding. They were forced out by a rival gang ten years ago and rumours of the hillock trail persisted.
Tymythy checked the maps and notes provided by Haseena's man Oman and found a little drawing of the stump barely visible. There was no marking of a trail or note of the stump's significance.
The four took the trail through the hills which provided a sense of comfort and cover. Only Tymythy was on edge, not being able to see as he'd like. They broke their march at midday for a repast and when the continued there was a gentle breeze starting. Strange. The breeze was at knee level.
The wind built to create tiny dust devils. They grew in size and the group would swear they could see little people inside the whirlwinds. A dozen, maybe fifteen little air sprites played whirling dervish about Cairee, Dounia, Tymythy and Zahra. They little elementals circled them and wove amongst themselves like sparrows playing touchstone . They did so for fifteen minutes then flitted over a hill top.
Before nightfall a small pride of hungry mountain lion found the four and followed for an hour. Seeing that none of the group was separating from the others, they moved away for easier prey.
That night the group made camp at the northern edge of the hills with nothing but open desert before them. Dounia was right. They had made excellent time. The night was uneventful.
The four broke camp and headed as true to north-northeast as they could.
Cairee was in great spirits as she followed Dounia and Tymythy into the hills. She was grateful to be outside, in the sun, in relative safety. Everything was back to normal. Normal-ish. If crossing the desert with magical artifacts could be considered normal at all. Perhaps to her family - a thought that she shoed from her mind.
After a brief break for lunch, Tymythy pointed out a strange breeze that could be felt at knee level. Cairee hadn't even noticed it. She was considering a prayer that may bring about some answers, when the little air spirits made themselves known. The cleric watched in delight as they made their play.
When the pride of mountain lions came into view, Cairee stepped forward to greet them. Dounia grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "We're food, not friends." The 'dummy' was implied by her tone.
At the end of the day, Cairee helped set up camp, took care of Crathadh, and volunteered for first watch. While the others readied for bed, she down and picked up a handful of dirt and sand. She brought the sample close to her face, examining it closely. "Your not gonna lick it are ya?" Dounia said, watching from her bedroll. The cleric stood up. She brought the earth to her lips and muttered a low prayer. "Dnale Htfoy Al." Then she sprinkled it around herself in a circle.
Early in the next day travels, Cairee spotted something in the hills to the north. [smaller]"Look, there. Is that a person? It looks like they're sitting very still."[/smaller
Over breakfast that morning Cairee shared what she'd learned from the land the night before. "These hills are rolling hills. They don't get any bigger. They're a great shelter to a wide variety of animals. There's a small settlement in the hills but I don't know exactly where. If Sahradhurone (desert humans) see us they'll try to make contact to trade with us. We might see Desert Gnome tribes, though they don't come into the hills often. Desert lightning is rare this time of year. If a storm occurs it will be brief. Any cool weather it brings won't last."
Thanks to the milder weather and to Dounia leading them unerringly to a track through the desert, they had made fine time on their first day. The smuggler’s road in particular had come as a spiritsend – at one rest stop Tymythy had decided to satisfy his curiosity and had knelt to shift some sand, discovering that seemed like age-worn paving stones buried a couple inches beneath the desert – perhaps the smugglers had rediscovered this old road and found the firm footing benefit to their dangerous trade. Following this route, beasts of burden would be able to make surprisingly good speed even when loaded down with contraband.
The young hunter wondered what ancient civilization had set up this road. Perhaps the one Cairee had mentioned earlier? These Validuh, amongst whom Ylde-Modor, the previous wielder of his new spear, had been lived and ruled?
What secrets did these sands hide, he wondered. He had seen first-hand just how quickly the winds could mold the terrain here. And given centuries? Whole cities and civilizations might be right here, buried tens of yards under the ever-shifting sands.
Well, be that as it may, Dounia certainly knew the ways of the desert. And since he could not know how far his fate would keep him in these parts – indeed, if it would ever lead him back to the lands of his clan – he had to relearn much of what he had known about nature and survival. Slapping his hands together to shake off the sand from his fingers, he walked over to where the nobly-born rogue sat resting and sat on his haunches next to her.
”When we have time, would you care to teach me about this land?” he asked Dounia, making a broad gesture to indicate the wind-swept dunes around them. ”You are much more skilled in navigating this wilderness, so much different to the forests and bogs and hills of my home. Many of the skills and a lot of the lore I always took for granted simply doesn’t apply here. But since the spirits have led me here, I should try and adapt.”
When the pride of mountain lions came into view, Cairee stepped forward to greet them. Dounia grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "We're food, not friends." The 'dummy' was implied by her tone.
Tymythy’s eyes widened in horror as Cairee stepped out to meet and greet a pack of hunters that had finally decided to approach, but either the beasts were not hungry enough to deem the hunt worthwhile of the priestess’ words actually swayed the creatures. He still kept forgetting blue-eyed holy woman could actually converse with beasts – she wasn’t just soothing the creatures of the wilds with her tone, but could understand their songs and cries and baying and be understood in turn.
”Those were quite the beasts,” he said aloud once it seemed these “lions” had well and truly lost interest in them. ”Never have I seen felines as huge as those. Are they a common sight roaming the desert?”
Early in the next day travels, Cairee spotted something in the hills to the north. "Look, there. Is that a person? It looks like they're sitting very still."
”Could be,” Tymyhty murmured, shading his eyes with a hand as he peered in the direction Cairee was pointing at. ”I wonder what he’s up to… surely a lookout would have taken advantage of the hills and put themselves a bit higher from the ground to keep watch. Perhaps another traveler resting weary feet? Although… it seems foolhardy to brave these sands alone. Are we still close that smuggler’s road?” he asked – it was difficult to tell unless he could feel the path under his feet. ”I haven’t seen any game in these lands to encourage solitary hunters, and plenty of predators to advice seeking safety in company, but smugglers might find the risk acceptable for avoiding unwanted attention.”
Zahra sat in amazed silence as Cairee related what she had seen in the night. She would have liked to also seen the elephants up close like Dounia but the weight of melancholy she was feeling kept her quiet.
She helped pack up their camp and trudged after the others as they once again knew how to lead through the wilderness. It really made her grateful to have them with her because she would have never known the way and it would have taken her three times as long.
The game the air sprites played with them actually elicited a laugh from Zahra, the first in a while. When the game was over, the sorceress stood and waved goodbye to the tiny elementals before continuing on her way with the others.
At the end of the day, Zahra was exhausted. She still felt physically affected by her time in the tomb and reminded herself that Cairee had thought that she would feel whole again soon. Zahra held on to this hope as she fell asleep.
Zahra was woken for her turn at watch and she got up without a groan. She smiled as she stretched. The ache that had permeated her muscles was gone and she was very relieved. She bounced out of her bedroll and did a few twirls as she moved to her watch position. Between feeling like herself again and thinking she'd be home soon, today was starting out as a good day.
Zahra nodded at Cairee and whispered, "Seems like."
Dounia laughed in delight as the air sprites started playing around them. She'd only seen them once before, with Cyra, and they'd never come so close. Leaping into their midst, she joined their game with careless abandon. She swiped a hand through one, laughing as it tickled her palm, and cried out, "Tagged you!" Another sprite rushed past her face, messing up her hair and tickling her neck. Dounia cartwheeled away, then pirhouetted to tag another of the creatures.
She ran out of energy long before they did, and she collapsed into the sand, giggling as the airy creatures played around them. When they finally vanished over the hill, she flopped backwards into the sand, content. "I bet that's something you don't see in the city."
”When we have time, would you care to teach me about this land?” he asked Dounia
Flattered, Dounia looked up a the muscle-bound spearman. "Of course! I mean, you're pretty good already, but I noticed that sometimes you check the wind like this, but in the desert..." she happily walked with Tymythy, sharing whatever she could think to, and answering any questions that he had.
Zahra nodded at Cairee and whispered, "Seems like."
Dounia could barely see the figure on the hilltop until it was pointed out to her. As Tymythy provided theories, she tried to think if there was any non-threatening explanation.
With a dismissive shake of her head, Dounia said, "Probably one of those "big thinker" types. Cyra told me about them. She said they don't use money, and half the time when they come out and sit under the sun and think about "big ideas", they're only in their undergarments!" She looked scandalized. "Seems dumb and dangerous. Those cougars will probably eat him. I mean, what's the point of all that big-city learning 'bout history and stuff, only to come out and bake your melon and get eaten?"
With a dismissive shake of her head, Dounia said, "Probably one of those "big thinker" types. Cyra told me about them. She said they don't use money, and half the time when they come out and sit under the sun and think about "big ideas", they're only in their undergarments!" She looked scandalized. "Seems dumb and dangerous. Those cougars will probably eat him. I mean, what's the point of all that big-city learning 'bout history and stuff, only to come out and bake your melon and get eaten?"
”So… like a shaman, off to talk to the spirits in peace?” Tymythy hazarded, trying to put a familiar face to an alien concept. This certainly sounded something a shaman might do… although no clansman would dare to call what they did dumb, certainly not where someone might hear. The ways of those most beloved by the spirits often seemed strange, but it wasn’t the place of mere men to question them.
”In any case, he’s in a position from where h’s bound to see us, unless we turn back right now and take a very far detour into the wastes to get past him unnoticed,” he said. ”That’s to say, unless he has already spotted us. If he is one of these “thinkers” of yours, would it be wise to approach him, or just pass him by without disturbing him?”
Zahra squinted in the direction of the figure. "I think you're right, Dounia. It's just an older man sitting crosslegged in a loincloth. He seems quiet, almost passive, and I don't see any weapons at all."
She had no idea what he could possibly be thinking about way out here and there was a huge part of her that wanted to go ask him. "Shall we say hello? He seems friendly enough. If he doesn't want to be disturbed then he can tell us and we can be on our way."
Dounia raised an eyebrow at Zahra. "I guess we've been shot at enough that just sitting there ignoring us seems friendly. I don't know if it's wise or not to approach him. Probably he'll just ignore us anyway."
”I that case, let us proceed as our path seems to lead us past him. Perhaps once we get closer we can better decide if the man welcomes our intrusion, or if indeed he would seek it,” Tymythy suggested. ”Since there seems no pressing need to take the long detour needed to avoid him catching sight of us.”
"I agree. He may be in need of assistance. It would be wrong to avoid him."
The four adventurers headed north-northwest, thief, warrior, cleric, and sorcerer. They could taste home. It was only one long day way.
Their path took them a few dozen yards from the strange solitary figure, from where they could see him properly.
He looked to be in his later forties, seemed human, wore a long loincloth and had very little with him. There is a single waterskin laying next to him. Tied to his loincloth is a drawstring pouch. In front of him is a cloth tied by it's corners, a bundle of oddly shaped contents. He is very thin so that his muscles and subcutaneous bone can be seen.
As you pass before him he stops his keen stare at the deep desert and watches you as one might watch a passing cloud.
As they drew close to the desert stranger, Cairee noted his black hair and yellowish skin. Could be from Eotengarde? She had seen a few travellers from the northern continent in Issmenador. His body showed signs of long years of travel. The twist in his left ankle - was that a recent injury? Or something from birth?
He didn't seem particularly interested in this strange party emerging from the desert. Cairee tried to catch his eye and offered a kind smile. "Good morning to you, sir. I hope this day finds you well."
"Oh, I'm afraid the day finds me quite ill-at-ease. I had a terrible dream last night. Not only was I forced to go without meat, smoking tobacco, the taste of wine, and the pleasures of the flesh, but, I was alone in the desert with no one brag about it to." The man paused. A leak of hissing air began to push between his teeth. He bit the tip of his tongue as he produced the most unselfconscious laugh.
Cairee could tell the twisting in the man's left foot was a birth defect. There had been some attempts to correct it when he was very young.
He looked healthy enough, with some very mild signs of exposure. His hands were calloused on the blade edge and two front knuckles. What would cause that? His feet were used to being shoeless. The balls of his feet were very calloused, and his legs were very strong. He could be a great dancer.
His response was strange, and pretty creepy. Why would he bring up 'pleasures of the flesh to three young women? Cairee stepped back, a little closer to Tymythy. "I'm very sorry to hear that," she finally said. "All I have to offer is water. Would you like some?"
After a quick cursory look that established the stranger wasn’t visibly armed Tymythy shifted his attention on their surroundings, to ensure there was no gang of killers hiding within stone’s throw, ready to jump at them from some signal from the presumed hermit. The man’s words weren’t what Tymythy had expected, from Dounia’s description of what she had assumed the man was. Perhaps she had been mistaken, after all. Or Tymythy’s expectations were the ones in the wrong. Still, he presumed he could leave the discussion to the ladies and focus on keeping vigil.
Nothing about this man seemed right to Tymythy. The hermit had no signs of country. His voice seemed to have every accent. He had nothing, no real possession to be judged by. He was a nobody, stateless. One thing was clear. The hermit had no elvish or orcish abstraction. He was human, but didn't 'feel' human. The spear warrior couldn't put his finger on it.
"Water, why yes, some water would be wise." The hermit came out of his crosslegged position like he was being lifted by some unseen force, even though, for a moment when he got up he was only balanced on the ball of his left foot. The deformity didn't seem to bother him. He presented his empty waterskin. "It is either a kind person or a practical one who offers water in the desert. Which are you?"
Edited:
Cairee could sense he meant nothing by the previous comment, he seemed like one who abstained from all worldly persuites. His joke was made like a man looking at a painting, or a laundry list. When he accepted the water, he did not seem thirsty but seemed to not wish to be rude by refusing.
Zahra gave a small, albeit slightly nervous, laugh at the man's first comment for surely he was making a joke. Or at least the sorceress knew that when she usually didn't understand something that it was usually a joke.
As Cairee gave him water, Zahra made small talk. "What brings you out into the desert this fine day? We're on our way back to the city. Hopefully it won't be much longer."
Dounia looked at the crusty old hermit with only a little curiosity. He certainly didn't look local...like at all local. Despite his tan, she could tell that his skin had a yellowish hue, and he had a big nose and black hair. "Are you from Eotengarde?" she blurted out.
And what about that foot? It looked crooked. Still, he must be able to walk okay if he made it this far out. Still, oddities aside, he didn't have anything even remotely valuable, and Dounia soon lost interest in him.
The hermit sensed some unease in Cairee and took a step back.
"What brings you out into the desert this fine day? We're on our way back to the city. Hopefully it won't be much longer."
The strange man looked Zahra dead in the eye, "I'm Friar Ldanfoat. I have come out to this place to find a little clarity. To talk to the desert." He looked carefully at Cairee and Tymythy. He began to speak in Hlewmylani, the tribal language of the east. "It is in the emptiness we find true companionship." He started to crack a smile. "In fact it is getting quite crowded out he..."
"Are you from Eotengarde?" she blurted out.
Ldanfoat stopped mid scentence. His face took on the gentlest frame as he replied in Aerthane. "You are very astute. Yes, I come from the city of Hrafenseld in the far north, but I left there when I was squiring age to become part of a monastery in the northern mountains. I have not been back to my home in many years."
"They walked together ten days. No shame"
"If you hope to get home soon we should not be stopped here talking. Perhaps we could travel together for a short time?" He grabbed his little satchel, the objects inside clacked together.