Open Chronicles A Little Village By The Way

[Aviana Sabel]

The next morning, Aviana stirred awake. Since she woke on an actual bed, she was disoriented when her eyes first opened. She'd been expecting to see her own room in Titan's Edge, but instead, she found herself on a tiny mattress in a cramped room that didn't even have its own fireplace. Where was she? There was no scent of the ocean breeze in the air, just the horrid stench of filth and beer. She started to sit upright with a frown on her lips, brow furrowed in confusion before reality caught up with her.

Her throat seized up, a deep pain lancing through her chest to the point where she couldn't take a breath. She closed her eyes, silently moving her lips in prayer without actually uttering a word. After the heartache ebbed to the point where she could move again, Aviana slowly crawled out of the bed and sought out the satchel she had been tasked with guarding.

She quietly unfastened the clasp and peered inside to check on the precious cargo that was tucked away. Nestled in a silk cloth was a large, black, oval egg that was laced with thin streaks of blue and gold that was embedded in the scale-like protrusions that covered the surface. She carefully slipped a hand into the bag, gently brushing the back of her fingers against the warm surface and murmured in a soft, lilting language. The streaks of color flared briefly, as if in reaction to the touch or the voice, and Aviana managed the first genuine smile she'd had since she'd arrived on the mainland.

Sighing quietly, she fastened the satchel and then moved to buckle her cuirass into place over her chest. Once she was dressed, she slipped the satchel diagonally over her chest and doublechecked to make sure that it was secured shut. As she made her way out the door, she was clipping her cloaking into place.

The inn was still quiet, but she could hear people moving downstairs in the common areas and their low voices echoed up the narrow halls. She crept as quietly as she could down the stairs, hoping to avoid making another scene when she stepped into the tavern area this time. Those few people who were seated downstairs were too enthralled with their breakfast to notice the small woman as she slipped out the front door.

She hurried to the stable, wanting to go ahead and get started saddling Erodin before her supposed travel companion arrived. If he even showed up.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim was already there.

A part of a life on the road was always being ready before anyone else, it was how you got out of many situations...though also how he had managed to get himself into a lot of trouble. Still, he was there, and he would keep his word.

"Ah, there you are." He said with a broad smile, stepping out of a small alcove within the stable that he had hidden himself inside. "Here I thought you'd decided to go by foot."

It was a joke of course, he'd never expect her to go anywhere on foot.

Nobles didn't like walking, hell, he didn't like walking. "I managed to wrangle myself a horse from the Innkeeper, paid off the last of his debt to me."

Kasim smiled, clearly not intending to elaborate on what debt it was.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

"He gave you a horse? He must have owed you quite a bit." She murmured, grabbing the saddle blanket off of the stand and carefully laying it on top of Erodin's tall back. The elk stood taller than the average horse, closer in size to a draft horse or a moose, so she had to rise up onto the balls of her feet to reach.

She didn't struggle with the gear, making it rather clear that she was accustomed to doing this herself. The elk contently chewed on mouthfuls of hay with his head hung low to the ground as he grazed. After she'd gotten the blanket in place, she hefted the large saddle from its own stand, using her knee for leverage before she hoisted it up onto her mount's back. The massive creature huffed as the weight settled over him. She ducked beneath his belly, reaching to the other side to grab the girth and then pulled it towards her so that she could cinch it into place.

While she was working, she would occasionally glance over at Kasim out of the corner of her eye. Now that she wasn't bleary-eyed tired, she could see just how handsome the man really was. Being a jester suited him, she decided. "Shame he couldn't procure you a lute in the process." She quipped, moving to grab her sword and shield, then clipped them to the front of her saddle -- one on each side.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Yes well these people lack refinement." It was a shame really. "I doubt there's any sort of instrument within a dozen leagues of here."

Kasim sounded rather disappointed by that fact.

"I'm sure I'll find something on our journey." There was no doubt in his mind that eventually they would happen upon a peddler or some sort of merchant, but truthfully it wasn't really at the top of his list. There was so much more to his act than just some music playing.

So much more.

"We'll need to do something about your clothes." He said to her as he drew his own horse forward in the stable. "You look rather...well, like a princess."

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She scoffed at him after his remark of looking like a princess. "Don't be ridiculous. A princess would never wear trousers." She quipped, sliding the bridle over Erodin's face and fastening the buckle at the side of his head. The great elk snorted and bobbed his head, shaking his body with an impatient huff. She was careful to not elaborate on just why her attire was so refined, wanting to put some distance between herself and the village before she offered any information about herself.

Aviana smiled up at the large, red elk and reached up to pat the front of his muzzle. She followed Kasim out to the front of the stable, guiding Erodin along with one hand gently gripping one of the reins. Once she was out of the barn itself, she slipped one foot into the stirrup and grabbed ahold of the pommel on the saddle, hauling herself up in a surprisingly graceful motion. She didn't just drop her weight into the saddle like many did once they were mounted, instead, she cautiously settled herself into the seat so that she didn't hurt the beast's back.

She gathered the reins in hand, glancing off towards the road that meandered down into the forest, then curved out of sight.

"Perhaps we'll come across a merchant on the way to the next city?" She suggested hopefully, looking towards Kasim with a perked brow.

 

[Kasim Areth]

It was possible, even likely in a place like this, but Kasim wouldn't be banking on it. Traveling was a dangerous prospect, particularly in this part of the world. There were villages and towns all over the place, but the space Benet them was so wide and empty that it was easy enough to prey on those who traveled there.

His story of bandits had been a lie, but that didn't meant there was no truth to it. Barbarians, thieves, and cutthroats traveled these woods almost as much as legitimate travelers and pilgrims. He wasn't going to take any chances when it came to that, particularly with her.

Nobles were like honey to bandits. "We don't need one."

Kasim told her.

"I'll change them once we get a few leagues from the village." That was one of the first tricks that he had learned after leaving Vel Anir, changing his clothes. It was an important thing, particularly when you were traveling. Doing it properly required time, but they weren't exactly in a hurry.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Her blue eyes narrowed slightly at the man with suspicion. At first, it took her a moment to realize that he likely did not mean he was going to physically change her clothes.

Where she was from magic was held with great respect and was rarely used for trivial matters. In fact, it was rare to see someone weave a spell at all. She'd never shown any particular skill with it herself, mustering a few flames here and there during her lessons, but she'd never excelled -- much to her chagrin. If there was anything she truly hated in life, it was letting her parents down; and now matter how much her father insisted that he was not disappointed that his prowess had not been passed down to his daughter, she'd never truly been able to reconcile it.

"If you... Really think that is necessary." She finally relented, not seeing much point in arguing the fact for the time being. Then she turned her steed to the road, and nudged him forward with her heels.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim only nodded in response, deciding that it was best not to press the issue too much. In truth, he simply did not want to be seen traveling alongside a noble. Any passing villager or townsfolk would instantly get ideas and from there the legend would spread. Eventually they'd encounter bandits and...well he didn't want to wind up dead.

The Jester knew how to defend himself, but against an entire group of armed men even he couldnt do much. ”So

Kasim began. Conversation was the key to unlocking many futures. It allowed one to peek into other lives, to read them and eventually learn secrets that most would have simply passed by. That was Kasim's job, it was why he had survived for so long and how he'd managed to float through nearly every royal court in Arethil. He talked, he listened, and he asked the right questions.

It paid to do so.

”This journey of yours.” The Jester sounded amused, but there was no mockery in his tone. ”Why did it start?”

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana reached with one hand to tuck a few strands of loose hair behind her ear, gently nibbling at the corner of her lip in thought. It was a difficult question for her to answer, as she didn't want to tell the bard too much information. Then she realized that she'd told him she was on a pilgrimage.

"Oh... My father sent me." She said quietly, glancing towards the jester out of the corner of her eye.

"I arrived on the mainland about a week ago from the Isles of Sheketh."

 

[Kasim Areth]

"I see." Interesting. He didn't know if he believed that first part, mostly because it seemed entirely unlikely. Most Nobles were as protective of their daughters as they were of a horde of gold. The idea that anyone would send their daughter out alone and by themselves was...laughable.

"Rare." Kasim began to comment. "That anyone from the Isles makes it this far to the east."

The islanders preferred to stay where they were born. No one really knew why, merchants and traders from Sheketh were few and far in between. Kasim himself had never been there, though it was on his list to eventually visit. That was why he had become a Bard in the first place.

See the world. "Why come here?"

He asked as he continued to probe.

 

[Theoderic Wanderfoot]

Theoderic reclined on his deck chair, the gentle breeze rustling the dry grass that covered the small hill which he sat atop. Nearby his trusty pony Maggie munched away happily. It had been a long, tiring week, having travelled far from his hole with the promise of a special prize, a rare magical amulet, uncovered by a recent storm. His source was usually so reliable, having steered him true on many occasions in the past.

This particular expedition however, had ended in nothing more than an empty belly and a grumpy pony. They had trudged back from the coast in defeat, taking the long way around back to the little hamlet they called home, in the hopes of at least discovering something new about the Reach. Alas, Theo had wandered the lands of the Reach several times, searching for this or that, some promise of riches or trinkets, he knew almost every nook and cranny. at this point

So last night they rode through a dreary village and purchased a sizeable helping of salted pork, mead, fermented cabbage some fish, and some tea leaves, and the halfling had spent the better part of the morning cooking and eating. Now he reclined, pipe in mouth, on his favourite chair watching the grass ripple in the breeze through hooded eyelids.

The sound of hooves and voices roused the halfling man from his slumber however, and down the gently sloping hill, making their way along the road were two...quite well to do looking individuals, one of them even riding an elk no less! How fascinating! Sitting up in his seat, he raised his hand into the air and called down to them, "I say! Hello there! Lovely day is it not? Fancy a spot of tea?"

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana's head swivled towards the sound of the voice that called put to them, the wind sweeping some of her hair into her face in the process hiding the halfling from view for a brief moment. She raised a hand in greeting, while the other quickly pushed the locks out of her eyes. With her hands off the reins, the large elk that she road turned his head towards the horse that plodded alongside him and sniffed curiously. Their noses touched briefly and both snorted, pulling their heads away from one another.

The half-elf tried to muster a bright smile, believing that is what would be expected of her, and she managed to pull it off with considerable effort. No one here knew her well enough to note the strain around her eyes. It was strange to be around people that didn't know her, or that couldn't read her expressions.

She wasn't sure how to proceed with the offer of tea, and she instead turned her gaze to her companion with a inquisitive tilt of her head.

 

[Kasim Areth]

At first Kasim thought it was a dwarf that spoke. The size of the man and the tone of his voice instantly made him think of the men under the mountains, but a second look made him change his mind almost instantly.

The facial features and the almost joyful smile on the mans face lead him to make another conclusion. ”Greetings!”

Kasim called out to the halfling. The Jester had never actually met one of their kind before, but on the road he'd heard enough stories to draw the conclusion. Halflings were famously known for their lack of self doubt and ability to form a rapport with most anyone. He'd never heard of one being a bandit, thief, or anything of that sort. Of course that didn't mean this one wasn't, but he thought it best to be friendly first.

Until something changed anyway.

”I think we're alright on the tea.” He answered back. ”We are in a rather big hurry.”

There was no lie there. The pace they had set was a quick one.

 

[Theoderic Wanderfoot]

"Aye suit yourself laddy." The halfling reclined back into his seat and blew a smoke ring from his pipe. "But if you're heading west, best take the long way around. The bridge up ahead has been damaged by a recent storm. Almost took Maggie and I down with it!" He said, as he motioned lazily at the pony nearby, still munching away on the grass.

"If you were able to stop a moment I would inquire as to your destination, however if you are in a hurry, by all means, do not allow me to sway you from your venture!" His eyes gleamed with the promise of some intelligent company for a change. Alas it seemed like he was cursed to find interesting people only for them to scamper away again. Maggie wasn't the best source of conversation these days.

 

[Malachi]

Off in the distance and hidden from view, the sound of distant conversation prompted the twitch of slightly pointed ears. Swathed in what could only be described as rags and a raggedy excuse of a cloak, Malachi would watch from a safe distance behind thick brush. It would be very difficult to spot him, the young lad had made sure to stay just out of earshot and in the shadows of the thick growth of trees. He would blend in well with his surroundings, but the camouflage would also prevent him from getting a clear sight of the trio.

He could make out there were three forms. One stout, one lithe, and another tall. Two males perhaps? At least one had the high pitched voice of what he figured would be a female.

Mal was tired and hungry, but he couldn't dare get too close to strangers. No, for now, he would simply watch and observe.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana shifted her weight in the saddle, quirking her mouth a little to the side at the news of the downed bridge. She sighed softly, turning her blue gaze to her companion with a curious expression. "Do you know the way around it? The bridge that is. I'd rather us not get lost aimlessly wandering through the countryside."

The elk's ears perked forward, in the direction where Malachi was hiding, but his rider did not seem to notice anything amiss. Every thing here was so new and unfamiliar, that she reasoned that beast had just caught the scent of some strange creature.

In fact, the half-elf had never seen a halfling before; and she was trying to determine whether the short man was a dwarf or not.

 

[Kasim Areth]

A bridge out?

Great another detour. He supposed that he should have seen it coming. The wilds were...wild. Thousands of things when wrong out here every day, from villages randomly being burned to the swamps suddenly expanding and consuming everything around them. Kasim had heard stories in the past of leviathans and even hydras lurking within the wood.

He'd rather avoid those if at all possible.

Pinching the bridge of the nose Kasim let out a long sigh. ”Yeah there's no way we can head into those woods.”

The Jester was in no mood to die this or any other day really. He wanted to get through the wilds as fast as humanly possible. This was one of the more dangerous parts of their trip, at least for him. He didn't know this area well enough to be confident in all but the most general chosen path. That was why they were on this road in the first place.

Hopefully the half-ling could help.

Of course, there was someone else nearby, but Kasim had neither the senses nor the inclination to look for anyone hiding nearby. The halfling had already been enough of a surprise.

 

[Malachi]

Kasim Areth Aviana Sabel Theoderic Wanderfoot

Blinking from behind a thick fringe of dark lashes, the boy kept himself low. They were talking, but what about? And just what was that other tiny creature? Was it a deformed child? It wouldn't have surprised the boy, for men have cast off that which they deemed to be worthless or deformed. More often than naught, they were left outside to the mercy of the elements.

Some say that the Changelings take pity upon these innocent creatures, bringing them back to their fairy mounds to live amidst the Hidden Folk. Others, however, claim they are nothing but blood sacrifices to the gods and the spirits. Of the latter, Malachi knew all too well.

Should I risk moving closer? No, stay here. Stay safe. Don't move. Crunched low, he moved nary an inch while he attempted to make sense of their conversation.