Lanua has started talking more today than she has done since we saw Lait. After two full days to come to terms with what was said, she seems to be on the way back to being more like her old self. She has shown great interest in the religion of Teeluw now that she has seen it stood before her, and had a taste of it. (In case it was unclear from what I wrote at the time, Lait, Goddess of Cooking, prepared our breakfast the day she showed herself to us). Understandably, when all she knew about it was the stories I had told, she was not very enthused, but today she has been questioning me about every little detail.
I wish I still had a pencil. The one I had which I used to draw the pictures when I started this diary got too short to use. Maybe I'll get a new pencil when we get to Arzingdale, or even before then if we come to another settlement. Then I'll see what time I get to myself and I'll possibly try to catch up with the drawings I've missed.
Saturday, April 30
Friday, April 29
Day 60
I can hardly believe it is the 60th day since I left Teeluw. I have come so far in that time. Now we begin our new quest - our journey south, hopefully in the direction of Arzingdale, where we will search out the man who had the stones. Pon lies behind us now, unseen beyond the snowy hills. It yielded no rewards for our determination in getting there, indeed it only brought suffering to Lanua. But now we move with a new purpose. If we cannot save Old Traders' Village we must do everything we can to save Teeluw and all the people in the world we have never met, the friends we have not yet made.
I think Enan the boar piglet can sense that Lanua is upset, for he has been walking with her all day. It is sweet to see. Meanwhile Lanua emits the aura of a volcano. If we came across this evil character today I would not be shocked to see Lanua erupt in a fury of rage and strike him down, even without the help of the stones.
I think Enan the boar piglet can sense that Lanua is upset, for he has been walking with her all day. It is sweet to see. Meanwhile Lanua emits the aura of a volcano. If we came across this evil character today I would not be shocked to see Lanua erupt in a fury of rage and strike him down, even without the help of the stones.
Thursday, April 28
Day 59
Morning
I was woken up before dawn by the smells and sounds of cooking. Bleary eyed I looked to where Lanua had slept and she was not there. But it was dark - why was she cooking so early?
It turned out she wasn't. Someone else was! I thought I must still be dreaming and, exhausted after so much time spent trekking across the top of the world, I closed my eyes and drifted back into sleep. It was only later when I woke again, still to find two people other than myself at the camp, that I bolted upright to see whom this new person was who had arrived in the night.
"Hello Esunai," the female newcomer greeted me with a smile. "Here, have something to eat. You look thin. All that running around has stripped you of your muscle. "
"Thank you," I replied cautiously. Lanua was sat devouring her own dish of the food already. "Sorry, but who are you?" I queried.
The woman paused a moment and looked at me with a knowing grin on her face. "My name is Lait, and I have come to offer you my guidance. "
Lait, you should recall, is a Goddess. There are legends of the deities appearing to mortals rarely, but to be in the presence of a Goddess; for her to have appeared to me... I cannot describe it. There was no doubt in my mind that this really was Lait; she looked exactly how she is described in Teeluw - the image of the statues carved of her.
After allowing me a moment for what she had said to sink in, she continued, "Of course you are aware that the Ice Elementals move on the place you call Old Traders' Village, and you have seen the shadows in Adramalech - the ones that shouldn't be there. Do you know what causes them? I see by your face that you do not, as Lanua did not before I told her.
"There is an evil in the North that has upset the balance of the world. I plead you to believe me - for both of you to believe me - that it is not your destiny to return to Old Traders' Village and combat the Ice Elementals. Sacrifices must be made by all the people of this world if the evil is ever to be abated.
"Instead, you must take arms against the one responsible. If you do not, the world will spiral into chaos. Even if you could save Old Traders' Village from the danger it is soon to face, a new danger would come for it soon after. It is not in your power to save it. It's future has already been written, and cannot be changed.
"I have come to you, so far from the forest that you once called home, to give you a new quest. You must destroy he who is responsible for the evil being unleashed on these lands. He is shrouded in the shadows he creates, and even Froadaelo, God of Truth, cannot see through the veil. But you have seen him. He released you from the temple, Esunai. I do not know why he showed you this kindness, but I urge you do not let it cloud your judgement. He must be stopped. It is not my place to tell you how to defeat him, that surely is your decision, although I would suggest you find assistance.
"Now, I must depart from your company. Esunai, Lanua; please, I beg of you, complete this quest. Save your world!"
With that, a swirl of snow grew from the ground around her, and the Goddess Lait disappeared.
I took a step towards Lanua and sat beside her. Of everything we had just been told, one thing stuck out more than anything else - that Old Traders' Village could not be saved. Even though she gave no outward indication that she had had any reaction to the news, her eyes told the true story. She was devastated. Everyone she had ever known would be lost. We sat next to each other and silently ate the food Lait had prepared for us until it was all gone.
Evening
We have spent the rest of the day at our camp between the ruins that make up Pon. It was about seven hours after Lait departed before Lanua spoke. Even then it was brief. She told me that she would head south. The man whom I met in the forest, the one who had saved her from her illness, was heading that way, and she has decided that he is the assistance Lait spoke of for us to find. I don't know if I agree, but he was fighting the other man - the one we thought was the silhouette that saved me. If he is an enemy of this evil that my Deities are so insistent we destroy, I will willingly search him out.
I was woken up before dawn by the smells and sounds of cooking. Bleary eyed I looked to where Lanua had slept and she was not there. But it was dark - why was she cooking so early?
It turned out she wasn't. Someone else was! I thought I must still be dreaming and, exhausted after so much time spent trekking across the top of the world, I closed my eyes and drifted back into sleep. It was only later when I woke again, still to find two people other than myself at the camp, that I bolted upright to see whom this new person was who had arrived in the night.
"Hello Esunai," the female newcomer greeted me with a smile. "Here, have something to eat. You look thin. All that running around has stripped you of your muscle. "
"Thank you," I replied cautiously. Lanua was sat devouring her own dish of the food already. "Sorry, but who are you?" I queried.
The woman paused a moment and looked at me with a knowing grin on her face. "My name is Lait, and I have come to offer you my guidance. "
Lait, you should recall, is a Goddess. There are legends of the deities appearing to mortals rarely, but to be in the presence of a Goddess; for her to have appeared to me... I cannot describe it. There was no doubt in my mind that this really was Lait; she looked exactly how she is described in Teeluw - the image of the statues carved of her.
After allowing me a moment for what she had said to sink in, she continued, "Of course you are aware that the Ice Elementals move on the place you call Old Traders' Village, and you have seen the shadows in Adramalech - the ones that shouldn't be there. Do you know what causes them? I see by your face that you do not, as Lanua did not before I told her.
"There is an evil in the North that has upset the balance of the world. I plead you to believe me - for both of you to believe me - that it is not your destiny to return to Old Traders' Village and combat the Ice Elementals. Sacrifices must be made by all the people of this world if the evil is ever to be abated.
"Instead, you must take arms against the one responsible. If you do not, the world will spiral into chaos. Even if you could save Old Traders' Village from the danger it is soon to face, a new danger would come for it soon after. It is not in your power to save it. It's future has already been written, and cannot be changed.
"I have come to you, so far from the forest that you once called home, to give you a new quest. You must destroy he who is responsible for the evil being unleashed on these lands. He is shrouded in the shadows he creates, and even Froadaelo, God of Truth, cannot see through the veil. But you have seen him. He released you from the temple, Esunai. I do not know why he showed you this kindness, but I urge you do not let it cloud your judgement. He must be stopped. It is not my place to tell you how to defeat him, that surely is your decision, although I would suggest you find assistance.
"Now, I must depart from your company. Esunai, Lanua; please, I beg of you, complete this quest. Save your world!"
With that, a swirl of snow grew from the ground around her, and the Goddess Lait disappeared.
I took a step towards Lanua and sat beside her. Of everything we had just been told, one thing stuck out more than anything else - that Old Traders' Village could not be saved. Even though she gave no outward indication that she had had any reaction to the news, her eyes told the true story. She was devastated. Everyone she had ever known would be lost. We sat next to each other and silently ate the food Lait had prepared for us until it was all gone.
Evening
We have spent the rest of the day at our camp between the ruins that make up Pon. It was about seven hours after Lait departed before Lanua spoke. Even then it was brief. She told me that she would head south. The man whom I met in the forest, the one who had saved her from her illness, was heading that way, and she has decided that he is the assistance Lait spoke of for us to find. I don't know if I agree, but he was fighting the other man - the one we thought was the silhouette that saved me. If he is an enemy of this evil that my Deities are so insistent we destroy, I will willingly search him out.
Wednesday, April 27
Day 58
We have finally made it to Pon. It has taken us a week more than the month we originally allowed ourselves to get here, but we were led to believe that it wouldn't matter if we arrived late. We were told that we could find a wizard, if not a stone. Well, the only stones I have seen have been the dull, frozen rocks that can be found anywhere - none special enough to merit a trek across hill and valley and through forest. And as far as wizards are concerned, I don't even know what I'm supposed to be looking for. I had never heard of a wizard until that man said there'd be some here. That hadn't worried us, we had assumed we could ask someone at Pon to show us a wizard, but Pon is in ruins. The buildings have all collapsed. None reach more than five feet into the sky. Clearly no one has lived here in centuries.
An obelisk stands outside the ruined town. As Lanua started a fire to keep us warm in this chilly place we thought we heard a hum from that direction, but when we looked closer we couldn't see anything different about it, and soon the humming stopped.
What will we do? I suppose we could set off back to Old Traders' Village in the morning and hope that we get there before the fighting ends. Would we just be running to our deaths? I don't know how we could defeat Ice Elementals with their ability to turn to mist as they are struck by swords. Lanua's flaming arrows do slow them, but not for long, and if she was capable of defending the whole town alone we would not have come to this place.
I don't know what we should do. It seems our quest has failed. It is beginning to snow. I will pray for N'Ras, K'Ylin and everyone else from the village tonight. Then we will begin our long run back to their aid in the morning. Even if it is a run to our deaths, I must help them in what might well be both their first, and final, stand.
An obelisk stands outside the ruined town. As Lanua started a fire to keep us warm in this chilly place we thought we heard a hum from that direction, but when we looked closer we couldn't see anything different about it, and soon the humming stopped.
What will we do? I suppose we could set off back to Old Traders' Village in the morning and hope that we get there before the fighting ends. Would we just be running to our deaths? I don't know how we could defeat Ice Elementals with their ability to turn to mist as they are struck by swords. Lanua's flaming arrows do slow them, but not for long, and if she was capable of defending the whole town alone we would not have come to this place.
I don't know what we should do. It seems our quest has failed. It is beginning to snow. I will pray for N'Ras, K'Ylin and everyone else from the village tonight. Then we will begin our long run back to their aid in the morning. Even if it is a run to our deaths, I must help them in what might well be both their first, and final, stand.
Tuesday, April 26
Day 57
The Tale of Enan
It had been months since Enaerixer, Froadaelo and Roo had been taken. Enan sat in a gambling hall in the harbour district of one of the coastal towns. He was winning, as he always was. It didn't always appear that way; he would sometimes throw a game so that it did not seem as though he was a cheat, but he could always influence a game of skill to go however he desired.
This particular game was one of chance, named 'Bards and Bandits', in which the four players take turns to roll dice and move around a spiral so many places. The tile they land on is part of a strip, which they then own. Strips can be stolen by other players who land in them and whoever owns the most strips after twice the number of turns as there are tiles in a strip (so if there are four tiles in a strip, the game ends after eight turns) wins. If a player reaches the centre of the board before all their turns are up they move in the reverse direction for the remainder of their turns, similarly if they get back to the beginning before their turns are used up. In case of a tie, the tied players race to the centre of the board, having to land in it on the last move of their turn (so if a player was 4 tiles away and threw a 6, they would end their turn two tiles away from the centre. If they then threw a 2, they would win the game, provided no one else won between that player's turns of course).
By the eighth game with a dock worker, a regular patron of the gambling hall, Enan was beginning to get some information from him. He had been supplying the man with a steady supply of drink to loosen his tongue. The dock worker was telling Enan about mysterious shipments from far off lands. Crates that made strange noises and gave off strange, exotic smells. As Enan was about to ask if anyone had been taken ill after handling the crates (for he suspected that they might contain the poison used to kill the prince) a pirate ran into the room and started waving his scimitar about in a dangerous fashion. More pirates appeared, blocking the exits.
It made sense that they would hit the gambling hall. What better place is there to find lots of gold and be able to make a quick getaway by sea? On the other hand, the place was filled with drunken men not ready to have their gold taken from them by anyone other than the dealers and game masters.
Enan saw that this could turn ugly in a heartbeat and was quick to stand up and offer a deal. If the pirates could beat him in a game of Bards and Bandits, he would let them take his winnings and the winnings of everyone else who gave him their money in exchange for permission to leave immediately, before there was any violence. If Enan won, the pirates would leave with only Enan's gold.
The pirates did see that this course of action was sensible, at least for the moment. If they won they would take a tidy sum without incident. If they lost they could turn as violent as they had been expecting to be anyway.
Enan sat opposite the pirate and allowed him to have the first move on the 96 tile board. It was a large board for only two people to play, but Enan wanted it to take as long as possible. This game was entirely about the luck of the dice. No skills were called upon, so the pirate had just as much chance of winning as Enan.
As they got to the centre of the board, Enan had more strips than the pirate by far. In fact, with only one turn left each, and only the two players, it was impossible for Enan to lose. The other pirates readied their weapons...
It had been months since Enaerixer, Froadaelo and Roo had been taken. Enan sat in a gambling hall in the harbour district of one of the coastal towns. He was winning, as he always was. It didn't always appear that way; he would sometimes throw a game so that it did not seem as though he was a cheat, but he could always influence a game of skill to go however he desired.
This particular game was one of chance, named 'Bards and Bandits', in which the four players take turns to roll dice and move around a spiral so many places. The tile they land on is part of a strip, which they then own. Strips can be stolen by other players who land in them and whoever owns the most strips after twice the number of turns as there are tiles in a strip (so if there are four tiles in a strip, the game ends after eight turns) wins. If a player reaches the centre of the board before all their turns are up they move in the reverse direction for the remainder of their turns, similarly if they get back to the beginning before their turns are used up. In case of a tie, the tied players race to the centre of the board, having to land in it on the last move of their turn (so if a player was 4 tiles away and threw a 6, they would end their turn two tiles away from the centre. If they then threw a 2, they would win the game, provided no one else won between that player's turns of course).
By the eighth game with a dock worker, a regular patron of the gambling hall, Enan was beginning to get some information from him. He had been supplying the man with a steady supply of drink to loosen his tongue. The dock worker was telling Enan about mysterious shipments from far off lands. Crates that made strange noises and gave off strange, exotic smells. As Enan was about to ask if anyone had been taken ill after handling the crates (for he suspected that they might contain the poison used to kill the prince) a pirate ran into the room and started waving his scimitar about in a dangerous fashion. More pirates appeared, blocking the exits.
It made sense that they would hit the gambling hall. What better place is there to find lots of gold and be able to make a quick getaway by sea? On the other hand, the place was filled with drunken men not ready to have their gold taken from them by anyone other than the dealers and game masters.
Enan saw that this could turn ugly in a heartbeat and was quick to stand up and offer a deal. If the pirates could beat him in a game of Bards and Bandits, he would let them take his winnings and the winnings of everyone else who gave him their money in exchange for permission to leave immediately, before there was any violence. If Enan won, the pirates would leave with only Enan's gold.
The pirates did see that this course of action was sensible, at least for the moment. If they won they would take a tidy sum without incident. If they lost they could turn as violent as they had been expecting to be anyway.
Enan sat opposite the pirate and allowed him to have the first move on the 96 tile board. It was a large board for only two people to play, but Enan wanted it to take as long as possible. This game was entirely about the luck of the dice. No skills were called upon, so the pirate had just as much chance of winning as Enan.
As they got to the centre of the board, Enan had more strips than the pirate by far. In fact, with only one turn left each, and only the two players, it was impossible for Enan to lose. The other pirates readied their weapons...
Monday, April 25
Day 56
We have reached the edge of Adramalech Forest. Other than that there isn't much to say, but I thought it was important enough to interrupt the stories about the Goddesses and Gods. They haven't gone as I had expected or hoped. I feel like they are a bit boring to tell the truth. Everyone knows them in Teeluw and everyone remembers them as epic stories of adventure, but people rarely retell them. Perhaps if they did, they would see that they aren't quite as interesting as people think. Especially for a community who doesn't even believe in the same Deities. I've started now though, so I'll get around to finishing them for the sake of completeness.
It looks cold outside the forest. At least there is more vegetation on this side than there was on the other.
It looks cold outside the forest. At least there is more vegetation on this side than there was on the other.
Sunday, April 24
Day 55
The Tale of Traezaras
It took five full weeks of searching before any leads were found. The search had taken the six far away from the Kingdom where their friends were being held captive. It was a travelling trader that pointed them in the direction of a camp that they believed was home to the assassins. Lait came up with the idea to infiltrate the ranks of the murderers and find out what they could from the inside, but they could not all join. Traezaras, being the one most likely to get in, left the party at dusk to sneak into the evil camp and request to join the order. Her request was to be made with a knife at the throat of their leader. What better way to prove your worth to an assassin than by sneaking up undetected and putting him at your mercy?
Indeed it worked like a charm. The assassin was given little choice in the matter as to let Traezaras in or not. Over the next few weeks she gained their trust by whatever means necessary. She even went as far as to take a few contracts, bringing painless deaths to deserving men, earning a few coins in the process. It was all shady business that her friends would not believe when they heard the rumours.
Quite soon she began to ask questions. Subtle hints to the topic at first, such as inquiring to the mood of the other killers in regard to the King who lost his three heirs. Then she would ask who would become King should he die, and she judged the emotions found in the responses. None seemed too excited. And all the time she had been there she hadn't seen any of the poison found in the prince's blood.
Eventually it became clear that these assassins weren't responsible for the death of the prince. Now Traezaras had two options. One was to simply leave the assassins to resume her search for the true killers, but this had its risks. The assassins would quite likely come after her, for she knew much about them, and she would be the next contract. She could have killed them all before leaving but that was not her way. She had done enough killing already. The second choice, the one Traezaras went with, was to recruit the assassins to help find their targets. With more eyes looking for them their time would be shortened. Traezaras showed heroic bravery to reveal her true intentions to her associates, and heroic wisdom in finding a peaceful way to leave them, while also getting them to help her cause. All the money she had earned from her contracts would be used to pay for their services.
Traezaras returned to C'nin, M'do, Enan, Vel and Lait weeks after she had left them. They asked about the rumours they had heard, but Traezaras never spoke of her time away from her friends.
It took five full weeks of searching before any leads were found. The search had taken the six far away from the Kingdom where their friends were being held captive. It was a travelling trader that pointed them in the direction of a camp that they believed was home to the assassins. Lait came up with the idea to infiltrate the ranks of the murderers and find out what they could from the inside, but they could not all join. Traezaras, being the one most likely to get in, left the party at dusk to sneak into the evil camp and request to join the order. Her request was to be made with a knife at the throat of their leader. What better way to prove your worth to an assassin than by sneaking up undetected and putting him at your mercy?
Indeed it worked like a charm. The assassin was given little choice in the matter as to let Traezaras in or not. Over the next few weeks she gained their trust by whatever means necessary. She even went as far as to take a few contracts, bringing painless deaths to deserving men, earning a few coins in the process. It was all shady business that her friends would not believe when they heard the rumours.
Quite soon she began to ask questions. Subtle hints to the topic at first, such as inquiring to the mood of the other killers in regard to the King who lost his three heirs. Then she would ask who would become King should he die, and she judged the emotions found in the responses. None seemed too excited. And all the time she had been there she hadn't seen any of the poison found in the prince's blood.
Eventually it became clear that these assassins weren't responsible for the death of the prince. Now Traezaras had two options. One was to simply leave the assassins to resume her search for the true killers, but this had its risks. The assassins would quite likely come after her, for she knew much about them, and she would be the next contract. She could have killed them all before leaving but that was not her way. She had done enough killing already. The second choice, the one Traezaras went with, was to recruit the assassins to help find their targets. With more eyes looking for them their time would be shortened. Traezaras showed heroic bravery to reveal her true intentions to her associates, and heroic wisdom in finding a peaceful way to leave them, while also getting them to help her cause. All the money she had earned from her contracts would be used to pay for their services.
Traezaras returned to C'nin, M'do, Enan, Vel and Lait weeks after she had left them. They asked about the rumours they had heard, but Traezaras never spoke of her time away from her friends.
Saturday, April 23
Day 54
The Tale of C'nin
Having found out that the prince had been poisoned, C'nin rushed into the great hall where Enaerixer, Froadaelo and Roo were being tried. Bursting through the door, and knocking down the two guards positioned on the other side, he yelled for the King to hear his discovery.
Restrained by two of the watchmen, one holding each arm and not allowing C'nin to move, the King allowed him to speak. And how intrigued the King was to find out that the three defendants couldn't be responsible for his son's death!
Seeing an opportunity to be freed, Froadaelo now spoke up with the suggestion that he and his party might be given leave to serve the King and find the true assassins. As one, the nine stepped forward as a sign that they would be happy to take on this assignment. The king, too, arose from his throne.
"You may go," he began, addressing the whole room, "to find the true villains who killed my heirs, on these two conditions. First; you do not return before me until you have found those that killed each one of my three children. To find the murderers of merely one of them shall not be enough. Nor shall it be enough to find the murderers of only two. And second; Froadaelo, Enaerixer and Roo - the three accused of the heinous act of murder and treason - are not to accompany you. Instead they will stay as slaves in my household where they will be treated with cruelty and abused by any who wish to abuse them. If you are loyal to your companions, then you will make haste in finding who would have my Kingdom overturned.
Six of the party of nine left the courtroom after their conversation with the King to begin their investigation and track down the true murderers. As they gathered supplies for their search they did not feel like the case had resulted in victory, but at least they would not be attending a funeral at any time soon to come. The lives of Enaerixer, Froadaelo and Roo had been spared, and that was better than nothing.
Instead of collecting supplies C'nin was studying the blood he had extracted from the prince. He was using all his knowledge of potion-craft to find an antidote to the poison, should any of the group have a run in with an assassin and require healing quickly. At the same time he was researching how to brew a shield of sorts, such that any contact with the poison would be made trivial. It would take him a fortnight, long after the slaves had been taken out of the city to the King's castle in another part of his lands, for C'nin to come up with anything substantial. And when he did he was forced to test his antidote and his shield, and in respect to Enaerixer who might, by then, have been bruised and beaten, he did not test on mice or other animals as would be expected from anyone in his field; rather he tested both draughts on none other but himself.
It was clear that his potions worked as he had not been taken ill despite the risks he had heroically taken, and then he, as the acting leader of the group, said only now was it time for them to begin their search outside the town's walls...
Having found out that the prince had been poisoned, C'nin rushed into the great hall where Enaerixer, Froadaelo and Roo were being tried. Bursting through the door, and knocking down the two guards positioned on the other side, he yelled for the King to hear his discovery.
Restrained by two of the watchmen, one holding each arm and not allowing C'nin to move, the King allowed him to speak. And how intrigued the King was to find out that the three defendants couldn't be responsible for his son's death!
Seeing an opportunity to be freed, Froadaelo now spoke up with the suggestion that he and his party might be given leave to serve the King and find the true assassins. As one, the nine stepped forward as a sign that they would be happy to take on this assignment. The king, too, arose from his throne.
"You may go," he began, addressing the whole room, "to find the true villains who killed my heirs, on these two conditions. First; you do not return before me until you have found those that killed each one of my three children. To find the murderers of merely one of them shall not be enough. Nor shall it be enough to find the murderers of only two. And second; Froadaelo, Enaerixer and Roo - the three accused of the heinous act of murder and treason - are not to accompany you. Instead they will stay as slaves in my household where they will be treated with cruelty and abused by any who wish to abuse them. If you are loyal to your companions, then you will make haste in finding who would have my Kingdom overturned.
Six of the party of nine left the courtroom after their conversation with the King to begin their investigation and track down the true murderers. As they gathered supplies for their search they did not feel like the case had resulted in victory, but at least they would not be attending a funeral at any time soon to come. The lives of Enaerixer, Froadaelo and Roo had been spared, and that was better than nothing.
Instead of collecting supplies C'nin was studying the blood he had extracted from the prince. He was using all his knowledge of potion-craft to find an antidote to the poison, should any of the group have a run in with an assassin and require healing quickly. At the same time he was researching how to brew a shield of sorts, such that any contact with the poison would be made trivial. It would take him a fortnight, long after the slaves had been taken out of the city to the King's castle in another part of his lands, for C'nin to come up with anything substantial. And when he did he was forced to test his antidote and his shield, and in respect to Enaerixer who might, by then, have been bruised and beaten, he did not test on mice or other animals as would be expected from anyone in his field; rather he tested both draughts on none other but himself.
It was clear that his potions worked as he had not been taken ill despite the risks he had heroically taken, and then he, as the acting leader of the group, said only now was it time for them to begin their search outside the town's walls...
Friday, April 22
Day 53
The Tale of Enaerixer and Froadaelo
The trio were stirred awake by the clanging of keys on the metal gate that had trapped them in the cold, stone corner of the prison dungeon. Bones could be heard cracking as they rose and stretched off the uncomfortable rest they had had that night and the day before. Uncharacteristically, it was only Roo who had managed to get any real sleep. The guard captain escorted them to an antechamber off the great hall, ready for their trial. There was no one else to argue their corner, but Enaerixer and Froadaelo both had an innate knowledge of law and justice, and even though the laws are different in different kingdoms, the two felt confident that they would be able to use logic to persuade their judge to see the truth. Who their judge was, they had not yet been told.
Trumpets rang out from inside the great hall. A fanfare reserved for the presence of royalty. The huge, oak doors swung open and revealed the hall, transformed into a court room, where the King sat on a throne at the head of the room, surveying the accused, and emanating a lordly air about him. It was odd that he was here. Although people had been murdered, at the time it was not such an uncommon occurrence. Bandits and highwaymen lined every major road between settlements. Travellers were killed quite often, and a band of travelling performers would be at high risk of running foul of thieves or monsters. It didn't seem fitting that a King would come to reside over the trial. That is, unless something else was amiss - something that had not yet been revealed.
Indeed that was the case. Roo was the one to notice it. He had detected the misery in the King's posture and, seeing the empty seats nearby came to the correct conclusion. It was a jump - the seats could have been vacant for any number of reasons - but the King's sadness revealed something more. His heirs had been killed. Every last one. And the King was old. His eyes gave away the fact that he was still coming to terms with being the last King in his line. After his time, there would be no one to take his place, and a lord from another family would sit in his empty throne, and reign over the kingdom.
The court was formally introduced to the trial, and this was when Enaerixer, Froadaelo and Roo learned that the King's last living son had gone into hiding after the assassinations of his brother, the prince who had been next in line to the throne; and his sister, the princess engaged to be wed with a prince from a neighbouring kingdom - the union of the two hoping to join the kingdoms under one banner, more than doubling the strength of each.
The trial was long and uninteresting as each side argued that they must have been responsible for the death of the prince and perhaps even the other two heirs, or that they obviously didn't have anything to do with it. Despite the three defendants protesting their innocence, the fact was that none of them could back up their story. After the play they had gone straight back to the inn feeling embarrassed and just wanting to forget the night and the play they had been part of. They had no alibis.
All hope would have been lost, if it had not been for the way in which the prince had been killed. It hadn't been made very clear in the trial, but, where most had assumed he had been struck down by steel, in fact it was a much slyer method that had ended his life. C'nin, being the one who specialised in brewing potions, had last night sneaked into where the prince's body lay lifeless, so that he might have a closer inspection of the corpse. What he found would prove the innocence of Enaerixer, Froadaelo and Roo. The poison used to suffocate the prince's soul was not one that any man or woman from the northern continent could create...
The trio were stirred awake by the clanging of keys on the metal gate that had trapped them in the cold, stone corner of the prison dungeon. Bones could be heard cracking as they rose and stretched off the uncomfortable rest they had had that night and the day before. Uncharacteristically, it was only Roo who had managed to get any real sleep. The guard captain escorted them to an antechamber off the great hall, ready for their trial. There was no one else to argue their corner, but Enaerixer and Froadaelo both had an innate knowledge of law and justice, and even though the laws are different in different kingdoms, the two felt confident that they would be able to use logic to persuade their judge to see the truth. Who their judge was, they had not yet been told.
Trumpets rang out from inside the great hall. A fanfare reserved for the presence of royalty. The huge, oak doors swung open and revealed the hall, transformed into a court room, where the King sat on a throne at the head of the room, surveying the accused, and emanating a lordly air about him. It was odd that he was here. Although people had been murdered, at the time it was not such an uncommon occurrence. Bandits and highwaymen lined every major road between settlements. Travellers were killed quite often, and a band of travelling performers would be at high risk of running foul of thieves or monsters. It didn't seem fitting that a King would come to reside over the trial. That is, unless something else was amiss - something that had not yet been revealed.
Indeed that was the case. Roo was the one to notice it. He had detected the misery in the King's posture and, seeing the empty seats nearby came to the correct conclusion. It was a jump - the seats could have been vacant for any number of reasons - but the King's sadness revealed something more. His heirs had been killed. Every last one. And the King was old. His eyes gave away the fact that he was still coming to terms with being the last King in his line. After his time, there would be no one to take his place, and a lord from another family would sit in his empty throne, and reign over the kingdom.
The court was formally introduced to the trial, and this was when Enaerixer, Froadaelo and Roo learned that the King's last living son had gone into hiding after the assassinations of his brother, the prince who had been next in line to the throne; and his sister, the princess engaged to be wed with a prince from a neighbouring kingdom - the union of the two hoping to join the kingdoms under one banner, more than doubling the strength of each.
The trial was long and uninteresting as each side argued that they must have been responsible for the death of the prince and perhaps even the other two heirs, or that they obviously didn't have anything to do with it. Despite the three defendants protesting their innocence, the fact was that none of them could back up their story. After the play they had gone straight back to the inn feeling embarrassed and just wanting to forget the night and the play they had been part of. They had no alibis.
All hope would have been lost, if it had not been for the way in which the prince had been killed. It hadn't been made very clear in the trial, but, where most had assumed he had been struck down by steel, in fact it was a much slyer method that had ended his life. C'nin, being the one who specialised in brewing potions, had last night sneaked into where the prince's body lay lifeless, so that he might have a closer inspection of the corpse. What he found would prove the innocence of Enaerixer, Froadaelo and Roo. The poison used to suffocate the prince's soul was not one that any man or woman from the northern continent could create...
Thursday, April 21
Day 52
The Tale of Enaerixer and Froadaelo
It was a cold, spring morning, and the party of heroes, who would one day rise up to the positions of deities, had been travelling throughout the night. They came to the gates of a town just as the morning watch was starting their duty. As usual, Traezaras was the one to knock on the viewing window to be spoken to, so that she may request entry into the town. And as usual, the doors opened shortly after her conversation with the guard.
The party found themselves at the end of a grand looking road, bearing no reflection to the muddy path they had been walking along outside the perimeter of the walls.
"Beautiful," commented Lait as they made their way along the street in search of an inn to rest in. The others, apart from Roo, murmured their agreements.
That evening the group visited the theatre district of the town to enjoy a play put on by a travelling band of performers. They had seen this band perform before in one of the larger cities of men, but this play was new. At least it had a title that they had not heard before. But as so many plays had the same themes, the party found this particular play predictable and dull. Some found it so uninspiring that they left early and went in search of more interesting pass times to occupy the evening. Those to leave were C'nin, Enan, Lait, M'do, Vel and Traezaras. This left Enaerixer, Froadaelo and Roo watching the play, and it is with these three that the story continues.
When the performers saw people leaving early it put them off balance. Certainly, it was almost unheard of for so many people to walk out midway through. One of the men on stage, having forgotten his line, instead drew attention to the three who remained. He had banter with them, amusing the rest of the audience at their expense, before inviting them onto the stage to join in the play.
Feeling pressured into obliging after their friends had insulted the actors, they got up and took positions on the stage. The play skipped a few scenes to the exciting battle against the evil monsters. Without subtlety in what they were trying to convey, the actors killed each monster played by Enaerixer, Froadaelo and Roo in horrific and embarrassing ways.
The play concluded with the three feeling shamed on behalf of their associates, and they walked back to the inn through the crowds of the emptying theatre with their heads hanging.
The next morning there was a loud banging on the door to Enaerixer's and Froadaelo's room in the inn. Barely dressed, Enaerixer opened the door to be greeted by an angry looking guard captain. Without explanation he arrested Enaerixer and Froadaelo, and another member of the guard could be heard arresting Roo further down the corridor.
They were to be charged with the murder of the band of performers! It was unthinkable that they had been involved in any murder, but they made no fuss. They would be given a trial before sentencing, and that was when the siblings planned to escape. They planned to win the trial, showing the town that they were innocent, and be free to walk away...
It was a cold, spring morning, and the party of heroes, who would one day rise up to the positions of deities, had been travelling throughout the night. They came to the gates of a town just as the morning watch was starting their duty. As usual, Traezaras was the one to knock on the viewing window to be spoken to, so that she may request entry into the town. And as usual, the doors opened shortly after her conversation with the guard.
The party found themselves at the end of a grand looking road, bearing no reflection to the muddy path they had been walking along outside the perimeter of the walls.
"Beautiful," commented Lait as they made their way along the street in search of an inn to rest in. The others, apart from Roo, murmured their agreements.
That evening the group visited the theatre district of the town to enjoy a play put on by a travelling band of performers. They had seen this band perform before in one of the larger cities of men, but this play was new. At least it had a title that they had not heard before. But as so many plays had the same themes, the party found this particular play predictable and dull. Some found it so uninspiring that they left early and went in search of more interesting pass times to occupy the evening. Those to leave were C'nin, Enan, Lait, M'do, Vel and Traezaras. This left Enaerixer, Froadaelo and Roo watching the play, and it is with these three that the story continues.
When the performers saw people leaving early it put them off balance. Certainly, it was almost unheard of for so many people to walk out midway through. One of the men on stage, having forgotten his line, instead drew attention to the three who remained. He had banter with them, amusing the rest of the audience at their expense, before inviting them onto the stage to join in the play.
Feeling pressured into obliging after their friends had insulted the actors, they got up and took positions on the stage. The play skipped a few scenes to the exciting battle against the evil monsters. Without subtlety in what they were trying to convey, the actors killed each monster played by Enaerixer, Froadaelo and Roo in horrific and embarrassing ways.
The play concluded with the three feeling shamed on behalf of their associates, and they walked back to the inn through the crowds of the emptying theatre with their heads hanging.
The next morning there was a loud banging on the door to Enaerixer's and Froadaelo's room in the inn. Barely dressed, Enaerixer opened the door to be greeted by an angry looking guard captain. Without explanation he arrested Enaerixer and Froadaelo, and another member of the guard could be heard arresting Roo further down the corridor.
They were to be charged with the murder of the band of performers! It was unthinkable that they had been involved in any murder, but they made no fuss. They would be given a trial before sentencing, and that was when the siblings planned to escape. They planned to win the trial, showing the town that they were innocent, and be free to walk away...
Wednesday, April 20
Day 51
Religion in Teeluw
Millennia ago, before a single tree grew in the region that is now Teeluw forest, nine mortals roamed the world, wandering between the encampments of men and elves and all the other races. They all came from one family of nomads.
Enaerixer and Froadaelo were siblings. They had much in common and, with their instinctual knowledge of the difference between right and wrong, they took their places as the leaders of the group, always knowing the right and just decisions to make.
Lait was the one the group trusted with their valuables. She always knew how much things were worth in comparison to anything they needed so that they may take good deals from trades. She also provided the food and clothing for the group, made with the spoils of the lands they travelled. No other person alive at the time was better at preparing the essentials for a journey.
Occasionally the group would come to territory controlled by a short tempered and cruel king. In such instances the beautiful Traezaras would act as ambassador for the group, and they would be allowed safe passage.
Sometimes, if such a short tempered and cruel King was initially able to resist Traezaras' charms, then C'nin would use his knowledge of the arcane to brew a draught for Traezaras that would cause all but the strongest willed man to fall under her spell.
If even C'nin's methods were unsuccessful, and the strong willed king became violent, M'do would intervene with her sword and shield, taking on any number of opponents and always coming out on top.
While Lait kept record of their possessions and the associated values thereof, it was Enan who took responsibility for trading and earning a wage. He had contacts in every settlement on the coast, so while near the ocean, the group would never want.
In a group where everyone had their part to play for the good of the whole, everyone got along amicably, none more-so than Vel, whom everyone loved as their closest friend.
That is, everyone but Roo. When the group had to rest, Roo was responsible for the night watch to protect them against evils that may stalk the night. He was able to function almost without sleep, but his relationship with the group would have been no different if he was never awake. He distanced himself from everyone, including Vel.
The tribe of nomads accomplished great tasks, but such stories must wait to be told in their deserved level of detail.
In the Teeluw of the past and present, priestesses have been chosen to commune with the Goddesses and Gods. It is their responsibility to educate the town, and to offer advice on the decisions to be made. Their commitment is for life, and they must sacrifice all but their work.
To follow the teachings of the Deities, the greatest sins one can commit are apostasy and gluttony. At birth we are adopted into their group, that which depended on the input of every individual. No more must be carried than what is necessary to be comfortable.
Millennia ago, before a single tree grew in the region that is now Teeluw forest, nine mortals roamed the world, wandering between the encampments of men and elves and all the other races. They all came from one family of nomads.
Enaerixer and Froadaelo were siblings. They had much in common and, with their instinctual knowledge of the difference between right and wrong, they took their places as the leaders of the group, always knowing the right and just decisions to make.
Lait was the one the group trusted with their valuables. She always knew how much things were worth in comparison to anything they needed so that they may take good deals from trades. She also provided the food and clothing for the group, made with the spoils of the lands they travelled. No other person alive at the time was better at preparing the essentials for a journey.
Occasionally the group would come to territory controlled by a short tempered and cruel king. In such instances the beautiful Traezaras would act as ambassador for the group, and they would be allowed safe passage.
Sometimes, if such a short tempered and cruel King was initially able to resist Traezaras' charms, then C'nin would use his knowledge of the arcane to brew a draught for Traezaras that would cause all but the strongest willed man to fall under her spell.
If even C'nin's methods were unsuccessful, and the strong willed king became violent, M'do would intervene with her sword and shield, taking on any number of opponents and always coming out on top.
While Lait kept record of their possessions and the associated values thereof, it was Enan who took responsibility for trading and earning a wage. He had contacts in every settlement on the coast, so while near the ocean, the group would never want.
In a group where everyone had their part to play for the good of the whole, everyone got along amicably, none more-so than Vel, whom everyone loved as their closest friend.
That is, everyone but Roo. When the group had to rest, Roo was responsible for the night watch to protect them against evils that may stalk the night. He was able to function almost without sleep, but his relationship with the group would have been no different if he was never awake. He distanced himself from everyone, including Vel.
The tribe of nomads accomplished great tasks, but such stories must wait to be told in their deserved level of detail.
In the Teeluw of the past and present, priestesses have been chosen to commune with the Goddesses and Gods. It is their responsibility to educate the town, and to offer advice on the decisions to be made. Their commitment is for life, and they must sacrifice all but their work.
To follow the teachings of the Deities, the greatest sins one can commit are apostasy and gluttony. At birth we are adopted into their group, that which depended on the input of every individual. No more must be carried than what is necessary to be comfortable.
Tuesday, April 19
Day 50
What I learned today has shocked me! Whilst talking to Lanua about which stories I'm going to write over the next few days, she suggested I write about the religion in Teeluw, "since it seems important to your people." I was confused by this. I had been under the impression that it was important to all people, and I don't want to write about things everyone already knows about - that wouldn't be any fun to read.
To my disbelief it turns out that Lanua had never heard of Enaerixer, or Roo, or Enan, or any of the other Goddesses and Gods I might have mentioned so far, until I named them. Nor has anyone else from her village.
In a way this is good news for me - it means I have nine exciting tales of how the Deities achieved their status to write about! And perhaps an entry on the structure of religion in Teeluw too. There is much for me think about. I expect I'll give an overview of the entire religion in my writing tomorrow, and then the story of each Goddess or God one each day until we reach Pon.
To my disbelief it turns out that Lanua had never heard of Enaerixer, or Roo, or Enan, or any of the other Goddesses and Gods I might have mentioned so far, until I named them. Nor has anyone else from her village.
In a way this is good news for me - it means I have nine exciting tales of how the Deities achieved their status to write about! And perhaps an entry on the structure of religion in Teeluw too. There is much for me think about. I expect I'll give an overview of the entire religion in my writing tomorrow, and then the story of each Goddess or God one each day until we reach Pon.
Monday, April 18
Day 49
I don't feel well at all. I've been fine all day but this evening I feel like my insides are tearing themselves apart. I think I must have eaten something that had gone off. To tell the truth I'm surprised neither of us have suffered from this until now - it's not like we have a very sophisticated way of preserving our meat.
I'm going to try and get to sleep soon so that hopefully I can wake up feeling fine again. We made good progress today, but there's only so much I can write about walking through a forest. I suppose the people of Old Traders' Village might find some of the things I take for granted fascinating, but I think I'm going to try and think of some more tales of Teeluw to fill the next few pages.
I'm going to try and get to sleep soon so that hopefully I can wake up feeling fine again. We made good progress today, but there's only so much I can write about walking through a forest. I suppose the people of Old Traders' Village might find some of the things I take for granted fascinating, but I think I'm going to try and think of some more tales of Teeluw to fill the next few pages.
Sunday, April 17
Day 48
This morning, after breakfast when I was rooting through my bag to find the Fraechyn leaves, I found the stick-whistle I made at the festival in Old Traders' Village. I wonder how everyone is doing back there. I wonder if they're preparing to make a stand when the time comes. Well, hopefully the time won't come. We'll find a stone or a wizard before then. I'm sure of it.
I've been practising with the stick-whistle all day. There are so many holes to cover up and leave open to get the right note. Lanua was quite irritated with my lack of skill in playing it this morning but then at lunch she fashioned one for herself, and so this afternoon she has been teaching me how to play it properly. When I learned a song she sang along with my playing. It's good to see her without as many worries.
Enan goes crazy when either of us play the stick-whistles. He jumps up and rolls on the floor and spins around and runs in circles; it's incredibly funny to watch him dancing to the music.
I've been practising with the stick-whistle all day. There are so many holes to cover up and leave open to get the right note. Lanua was quite irritated with my lack of skill in playing it this morning but then at lunch she fashioned one for herself, and so this afternoon she has been teaching me how to play it properly. When I learned a song she sang along with my playing. It's good to see her without as many worries.
Enan goes crazy when either of us play the stick-whistles. He jumps up and rolls on the floor and spins around and runs in circles; it's incredibly funny to watch him dancing to the music.
Day 47
Another late night entry into this journal. We have been making it to sleep later and later each night. If we carry on, we'll soon be going to sleep at a regular time again!
After the man I met yesterday told me that there is a better chance of finding a wizard than a stone, and that we wouldn't need to get back to the village to use the wizard, we have had quite a relaxed day today. We haven't been too worried about taking it easy for a change.
I don't really have much else to write about, other than that we think the man might be the same one that healed Lanua the other day. I wish I'd learned his name so that I don't have to keep referring to him as "that man". But something inside me tells me that I was freed from the temple by the one he was fighting. Originally we thought the same person had saved us both, but last night the man didn't seem to recognise me at all. So I wonder where the silhouetted man is now. He surely had a stone, judging by how he was fighting. Maybe he would be more willing to lend us some assistance.
After the man I met yesterday told me that there is a better chance of finding a wizard than a stone, and that we wouldn't need to get back to the village to use the wizard, we have had quite a relaxed day today. We haven't been too worried about taking it easy for a change.
I don't really have much else to write about, other than that we think the man might be the same one that healed Lanua the other day. I wish I'd learned his name so that I don't have to keep referring to him as "that man". But something inside me tells me that I was freed from the temple by the one he was fighting. Originally we thought the same person had saved us both, but last night the man didn't seem to recognise me at all. So I wonder where the silhouetted man is now. He surely had a stone, judging by how he was fighting. Maybe he would be more willing to lend us some assistance.
Saturday, April 16
Day 46
After setting off at dawn, it was well after noon that we stopped running through the forest. We were going to make a final push to get to Pon in time so, despite the agony in our tired muscles, we kept going. That was until we came to the edge of a cliff. It wasn't a long way down, and it was easy enough to climb on branches and roots that poked out the side. But we did stop. Down on the lower level two people were engaged in an epic battle.
Lanua and I crouched down simultaneously to watch as the two darted between the few trees in the clearing below, colliding often with deafening thuds of fists and rings of striking metals. The two were perfectly matched; it seemed as though they would stay there forever unless one of them made a mistake and the other could seize the opportunity to gain the advantage.
They moved with impossible speed. I struggled to keep focused on them; one moment I would be looking right at them and the next they would be fighting in my peripheral vision. From the look on Lanua's face, she was having the same problem. I remember mumbling a question of how they could move so fast, to which she replied with a clueless sigh. At the time the only explanation I could think of was that they were Demons. It wasn't much of an explanation; Demons always work in the shadows, out of sight - everyone knows that. They don't let people see them. If these were Demons then they were behaving far out of character. No, surely they were something else.
For half an hour we stayed at the top of the cliff and watched them fight, not wanting to climb down into the middle of the action. It was only as we were about to turn to find another way down that a cloud passed in front of the sun and the darker of the two combatants disappeared. As if he was never there. There was no sign of him. The remaining fighter didn't seem as taken aback by this as Lanua and I were, and he immediately took off to the West.
The two of us sat stunned for a minute, not sure whether we should move, or if doing so would place us in the middle of another battle. Then Lanua spoke.
"They were using stones!"
Could they have been? It seemed like a reasonable deduction to make. The stones are supposed to help us fight the Ice Elementals, and if we could fight like that then we would be bound to win!
My mind was cast back to the Dwarven mines when I fell and lodged a shard of a stone in my arm. When I later fought a dau'kelaq I struck it once and it was slain - a very different outcome to my first encounter with one of those creatures. In my head I skipped forward in time to our trek to Pon. I have carried the water and equipment on the arm with the shard in, and I hadn't even noticed the weight. In fact it was only at the top of that cliff that I realised how odd this was.
So I agreed with Lanua that they had been using stones, and by my experiences with a tiny sliver, I attempted to appreciate the magnitude of the effect from wielding a full stone. I picked up Enan and jumped off the side of the cliff, catching a vine close to the bottom to slow my decent as I had done in my escape from Teeluw. Nothing broken. I set Enan down for Lanua to look after, and I sprinted, with all the speed I could muster, after the second fighter.
I'd have preferred not to run off and leave Lanua and Enan behind, but I knew that she would be too slow moving between the trees to ever catch up to the man. I hoped that he also would not be as accustomed to forests as I, so that I would be able to close the gap between us.
He had been in a hurry to get wherever he was going - his sword had carved a path out of the forest and the ground was trampled. Good. He would be slowing to clear the foliage that I may sprint through without diversion.
By the time I got to the end of the trail night had fallen. There I found a wooden building, not unlike N'Ras' inn. A light was flickering through the upstairs window.
With the Shard-Blade ready in my hand I pushed open the front door. It was clear that this had indeed once been an inn but, apart from the visitor upstairs, only forest animals had stayed here in the longest time. I climbed the stairs and stepped so that I was facing the wooden door into the room of the fighter.
I raised my left fist.
Knock. Knock.
The floorboards creaked. The doorknob began to turn. I clenched my sword in my strong arm. The door swung open.
Before me stood a man. No ordinary man, however. He was easily 7 feet tall at least and his skin had a pattern to it that, at a glance, made him look as if he was covered in feathers. He was holding a sword - the one he had been using earlier. It had symbols on the hilt, as I will draw at the bottom of this page when I get around to it. His chest was about twice the width of mine, and it looked like he would be able to effortlessly withstand any attack I could throw at him.
"You were using stones to fight," I stated to break the disconcerting silence.
"I was," he confirmed.
"My companion, Lanua, and I, Esunai, are on a quest to find stones at Pon so that we may protect her village from an attack. Ice Elementals are moving closer every day as they have done before, but this time there are no stones in the village to use for defence. I have chased you here through the afternoon and into the night so that I may ask, on behalf of the people of Old Traders' Village, to take a stone back with me to ward off the Ice Elementals."
"I see. So you're who she thought I was. The stones attract evil, one that you have seen. I cannot give them away freely, or at any price. I suggest you carry on to Pon. Now, I must begin my journey to Arzingdale. I have a message for the guilds that must be delivered in person."
With that he made to leave, but I stood my ground. I could not allow the stones to slip away so easily.
"But Pon is too far! We'll never make it back to the village in time!"
The man's face shifted as the expression of boredom was joined by an expression of irked discontent. "Perhaps, for your sake, that would be best," he muttered. "If you do find a stone at Pon, which I would consider very unlikely, you would have no trouble getting back to your village in time. If not, then you might find wizards from my city there who can control Elementals as familiars. In that case there would be no fight to race back to. Now, move aside. Neither of us can gain from continuing this conversation."
Lanua found me at the inn just as the sun was beginning to rise. I regretfully recounted how I had failed to get a stone, and how the man had said it was unlikely we would find any stones at Pon, but telling me that there could be wizards, whatever a 'wizard' might be, who can control Ice Elementals from afar, rekindled the hope that our quest will not fail.
Thursday, April 14
Day 45
Stone buildings all around us. This is Adramalech's Teeluw village. How strange that a civilisation hidden in a forest would build with stone, but the proof lies crumbled and ruined before us. I wonder what happened to them. Why are they no longer here? The remnants of a town are fading under the moss and lichen.
Our mood has been very different today. The sense of urgency we have to complete our quest in time has come to the forefront of our minds. It has overtaken the curiosity we had about the man who saved Lanua and released me from my tomb. There are signs that could be interpreted as indications that the figure has travelled this way, but they don't look recent. Maybe he lives in the forest. It is not of our concern.
Tomorrow we will do our best to speed through Adramalech. There is still at least some chance we will make it to Pon, and even if we don't, who is to say that the stones aren't found nearer? It would be ideal if we could find one lying around under a bush.
Our mood has been very different today. The sense of urgency we have to complete our quest in time has come to the forefront of our minds. It has overtaken the curiosity we had about the man who saved Lanua and released me from my tomb. There are signs that could be interpreted as indications that the figure has travelled this way, but they don't look recent. Maybe he lives in the forest. It is not of our concern.
Tomorrow we will do our best to speed through Adramalech. There is still at least some chance we will make it to Pon, and even if we don't, who is to say that the stones aren't found nearer? It would be ideal if we could find one lying around under a bush.
Wednesday, April 13
Day 44
We have been moving quickly today, trying to make up for lost time. It has come around quickly, but the time for us to think about giving up on our quest to find a stone at Pon is nearly upon us. In just over a week we will have been on our journey for a month, and we always planned on turning back after that time to make it back to the village before the attack, so that we may help them defend against the Ice Elementals with or without the mysterious weapon.
We had been so hopeful that we would make it to Pon in time. Certainly, we had doubts, but we never doubted it so much as to seriously consider turning back early (despite what may have been said and written at the time when moods were low from all the walking and dreary scenery of the wastes). But now I am beginning to lose confidence. Lanua cannot tell, as she has always lived in nothing but a sparse desert of rocks, with an occassional visit to the belly of a mountain. She doesn't understand a forest in the same way I do. I can see that we aren't even at the heart of Adramalech yet. The trees and foliage is getting thicker every hour we move west. Even if Pon sits right at the edge of the forest we will not make it in time. It has taken nearly two weeks to get this far, and we aren't half way through.
Perhaps Pon is in the forest. It might not have been when the Dwarves wrote about it in their runes, but maybe Adramalech has since grown to consume it. I fear that that is the only way we will make it in time. However, we still have time, and I can be optimistic for one more week. I'll happily carry on racing through the forest until Lanua decides she wants us to turn around.
We had been so hopeful that we would make it to Pon in time. Certainly, we had doubts, but we never doubted it so much as to seriously consider turning back early (despite what may have been said and written at the time when moods were low from all the walking and dreary scenery of the wastes). But now I am beginning to lose confidence. Lanua cannot tell, as she has always lived in nothing but a sparse desert of rocks, with an occassional visit to the belly of a mountain. She doesn't understand a forest in the same way I do. I can see that we aren't even at the heart of Adramalech yet. The trees and foliage is getting thicker every hour we move west. Even if Pon sits right at the edge of the forest we will not make it in time. It has taken nearly two weeks to get this far, and we aren't half way through.
Perhaps Pon is in the forest. It might not have been when the Dwarves wrote about it in their runes, but maybe Adramalech has since grown to consume it. I fear that that is the only way we will make it in time. However, we still have time, and I can be optimistic for one more week. I'll happily carry on racing through the forest until Lanua decides she wants us to turn around.
Tuesday, April 12
Day 43
I do not know what time it was when I awoke, but I did so with a start. When I opened my eyes I was still in the same dark, musty room that I trapped myself in two days ago.
I heard a whisper. It was like the breeze passing through the leaves in the trees, but it had more structure. I could hear words slithering into my ears.
"You can't count shadows in the dark."
Again and again the sentence was repeated. Without light from outside, and only a small room to wander around in, I could not guess at the time; at how long the bodiless voice spoke the same words to me countless times. Minutes? Hours?
I thought I was going insane from not eating or drinking in too long. Then the voices stopped. The silence pierced my ears. I heard my heart begin to race until it was drowned out my the dull roar of my empty stomach. Then, as I bent over in discomfort I was blinded by a ray of light from the gap in the slowly and silently opening door.
As the door slid into its fully open position a silhouette materialised in the doorway. A man spoke with a voice terrible and deep, "can you count them now?"
I was stunned as I watched the silhouette fade into nothingness, consumed by the sunlight.
As quickly as I could, I made my way to where I had left Lanua and Enan. I hoped to find her sitting up, her body's natural restorative powers turning the tide of battle against the fever. I prepared myself to find that the battle had been lost. I did not expect to find nothing.
I was certain that I had gone back to where I left her. I searched around a little more and, sure enough, I found traces of our being there (such as bones from the fish I had eaten for supper). I was in the right place, but there was no one else here. Had she had a miraculous recovery and was now on her way to Pon without me, not knowing where I could have gone? Or was she searching for me? Surely not, or Enan would have led her to the temple.
I called out, a little reservedly at first, not wanting to disturb the forest, but then I called out again as loud as I could manage. Birds flapped overhead as they flew away from the sudden burst of noise. A moment later I heard the footsteps of a small, four legged creature running toward me. Joyfully, it was a familiar stripy boar piglet that came through the undergrowth. Lanua followed, much more quietly. She pushed her way past a bush into the clearing in which I had last seen her. How different she was when I left to when I returned. There was no sign of any illness about her. In fact, she seemed healthier than me - I still had not eaten.
As desperate as I was to learn about her last two days, my stomach was unaware that we had been reunited and was still calling out into the forest. I did not even wait for the food to be cooked before I ate it.
Lanua recalled what happened after I went in search of water as I swallowed mouthfuls and mouthfuls of food down whole. It was only this morning that events began to unfold differently to how I had expected. It was similar to my experience, in fact. When she had resigned herself to thinking that there was no hope, a mysterious stranger appeared before her. He was tall - taller than anyone she had ever met (this was emphasised a lot when she told me, but I would like to point out as a reminder that all the people in her village have Dwarven blood in their veins). When he came to her she was so ill that her vision was all a blur, but his skin had an odd texture to it. He knelt next to her lying on the ground, put on a glove, took something green out of a purse and tickled the palm of her hand with it. She recalls how it made her muscles spasm, as if her fingers wanted to hold onto whatever it was and never let go. As this went on Lanua's health rapidly restored. When she began to stir, the man put the thing back into the purse and took out something else; this time it was blue. He told her to close her eyes for a moment. When she opened them seconds later, there was no sign of him.
I heard a whisper. It was like the breeze passing through the leaves in the trees, but it had more structure. I could hear words slithering into my ears.
"You can't count shadows in the dark."
Again and again the sentence was repeated. Without light from outside, and only a small room to wander around in, I could not guess at the time; at how long the bodiless voice spoke the same words to me countless times. Minutes? Hours?
I thought I was going insane from not eating or drinking in too long. Then the voices stopped. The silence pierced my ears. I heard my heart begin to race until it was drowned out my the dull roar of my empty stomach. Then, as I bent over in discomfort I was blinded by a ray of light from the gap in the slowly and silently opening door.
As the door slid into its fully open position a silhouette materialised in the doorway. A man spoke with a voice terrible and deep, "can you count them now?"
I was stunned as I watched the silhouette fade into nothingness, consumed by the sunlight.
As quickly as I could, I made my way to where I had left Lanua and Enan. I hoped to find her sitting up, her body's natural restorative powers turning the tide of battle against the fever. I prepared myself to find that the battle had been lost. I did not expect to find nothing.
I was certain that I had gone back to where I left her. I searched around a little more and, sure enough, I found traces of our being there (such as bones from the fish I had eaten for supper). I was in the right place, but there was no one else here. Had she had a miraculous recovery and was now on her way to Pon without me, not knowing where I could have gone? Or was she searching for me? Surely not, or Enan would have led her to the temple.
I called out, a little reservedly at first, not wanting to disturb the forest, but then I called out again as loud as I could manage. Birds flapped overhead as they flew away from the sudden burst of noise. A moment later I heard the footsteps of a small, four legged creature running toward me. Joyfully, it was a familiar stripy boar piglet that came through the undergrowth. Lanua followed, much more quietly. She pushed her way past a bush into the clearing in which I had last seen her. How different she was when I left to when I returned. There was no sign of any illness about her. In fact, she seemed healthier than me - I still had not eaten.
As desperate as I was to learn about her last two days, my stomach was unaware that we had been reunited and was still calling out into the forest. I did not even wait for the food to be cooked before I ate it.
Lanua recalled what happened after I went in search of water as I swallowed mouthfuls and mouthfuls of food down whole. It was only this morning that events began to unfold differently to how I had expected. It was similar to my experience, in fact. When she had resigned herself to thinking that there was no hope, a mysterious stranger appeared before her. He was tall - taller than anyone she had ever met (this was emphasised a lot when she told me, but I would like to point out as a reminder that all the people in her village have Dwarven blood in their veins). When he came to her she was so ill that her vision was all a blur, but his skin had an odd texture to it. He knelt next to her lying on the ground, put on a glove, took something green out of a purse and tickled the palm of her hand with it. She recalls how it made her muscles spasm, as if her fingers wanted to hold onto whatever it was and never let go. As this went on Lanua's health rapidly restored. When she began to stir, the man put the thing back into the purse and took out something else; this time it was blue. He told her to close her eyes for a moment. When she opened them seconds later, there was no sign of him.
Day 42
Honestly, I had hoped not to still be here in this room now. I have not found a way out, nor a way to reopen the door. I imagined Lanua magically recovering to more than her full strength and, with Enan sniffing out my trail, the two of them could find and rescue me. But that didn't happen. Lanua is probably still struggling to stay in this world, and I am getting hungry after a day without food. My stomach growls and the noise echoes around this chamber. I almost feel like I'll be able to collapse a wall with my rumbling belly. I haven't managed to yet though.
I suppose I'll go back to sleep now and dream about being in Teeluw, but with all my new friends from Old Traders' Village and, of course, Enan.
I suppose I'll go back to sleep now and dream about being in Teeluw, but with all my new friends from Old Traders' Village and, of course, Enan.
Sunday, April 10
Day 41
I left early this morning to find more water for our days ahead. South seemed like the most sensible direction for me to go; at least I knew that I would eventually find Icecarry River if I didn't find any streams or springs before then. I did not find a stream or spring. Instead I found the entrance to an ancient temple.
I had been wondering why there wasn't a civilisation in Adramalech as there is in Teeluw. Well, it seems that there once was.
I am in the temple now. I presume Lanua is in the same place she was when I left this morning.
I cannot get out. A door closed behind me as I explored the temple looking for a long forgotten gutter taking water down into the rooms below.
I am trapped.
It's odd. I didn't think our quest would end like this if it were destined to fail. I always imagined an epic battle. We fought valiantly, but in the end the enemy was just too strong for us to defeat. We sacrificed ourselves to allow others the chance to escape.
But no. There isn't an epic battle. Instead, Lanua deteriorates as the illness takes a tighter and tighter grip on her until she dies of dehydration, and I will starve in this underground spire. I wonder if our bodies will ever be found.
I had been wondering why there wasn't a civilisation in Adramalech as there is in Teeluw. Well, it seems that there once was.
I am in the temple now. I presume Lanua is in the same place she was when I left this morning.
I cannot get out. A door closed behind me as I explored the temple looking for a long forgotten gutter taking water down into the rooms below.
I am trapped.
It's odd. I didn't think our quest would end like this if it were destined to fail. I always imagined an epic battle. We fought valiantly, but in the end the enemy was just too strong for us to defeat. We sacrificed ourselves to allow others the chance to escape.
But no. There isn't an epic battle. Instead, Lanua deteriorates as the illness takes a tighter and tighter grip on her until she dies of dehydration, and I will starve in this underground spire. I wonder if our bodies will ever be found.
Day 40
We have made little progress today. Lanua's illness grew too much last night and we have been unable to move at any pace but the slowest. It hasn't helped that the sun shined much warmer today than it has done since before winter. For nearly the whole day we have waited in a shady patch behind a rocky wall while Lanua rests and tries to recover. I hope she can fight the fever. She has drank enough water to last a week since this morning in an effort to cool down, but it has been of no use. I will need to replenish our supplies tomorrow whether she is better or not, but I don't like the idea of leaving her alone. Enan will have to be enough company for her for an hour in the morning.
Has it really been ten days since we crossed Icecarry River? It would take twice as long to get back to it now if I had to carry Lanua. There's a chance that Flowing Lake is still south-west of here, but we started off so far north; I doubt we would be able to get to those waters in under five days. By then it could be too late, especially if I had to move her. I will have to heal her using only that which I can find nearby.
Has it really been ten days since we crossed Icecarry River? It would take twice as long to get back to it now if I had to carry Lanua. There's a chance that Flowing Lake is still south-west of here, but we started off so far north; I doubt we would be able to get to those waters in under five days. By then it could be too late, especially if I had to move her. I will have to heal her using only that which I can find nearby.
Friday, April 8
Day 39
Lanua has been sneezing all day. She says it started when she smelled a flower that was growing on the side of a tree. I can't be certain but I think she might have an allergy found rarely in Teeluw that causes flu like symptoms when the person is exposed to certain kinds of plant. She could get a lot worse if we don't get out of the forest soon. Her temperature is already much higher than normal.
Unfortunately, I can't be sure which plant triggered her reaction. Ever since a Teeluw Elder had the condition, all the plants that caused it were removed from the town and the commonly visited areas of the forest. As such I've rarely seen them, and when I have seen them I haven't been aware that they are the problem plants. I don't know what I can do to stop Lanua sneezing. For once Purge Nettles aren't the answer to an ailment.
Unfortunately, I can't be sure which plant triggered her reaction. Ever since a Teeluw Elder had the condition, all the plants that caused it were removed from the town and the commonly visited areas of the forest. As such I've rarely seen them, and when I have seen them I haven't been aware that they are the problem plants. I don't know what I can do to stop Lanua sneezing. For once Purge Nettles aren't the answer to an ailment.
Thursday, April 7
Day 38
Adramalech is fantastic. I've been in such a good mood all day and I have no idea why. I feel so refreshed after drinking from the streams - more than I ever did so in Teeluw. But I miss Teeluw. In a way I wish I could be back there; back before all that happened came to pass. I wish the circumstances had never arisen, because if they did again I would behave in exactly the same way.
On the other hand, in a way, I'm glad I had to leave. Without leaving I would never have met N'Ras, K'Ylin, Lanua or anyone else from the village, and I've written about Lanua's trouble crossing Icecarry River. What would she have done without my help? Tried to get across and failed? Or perhaps tried to find an easier place to cross, but how long would that have taken? She wouldn't be as far on her way to Pon by now if she had had to search for another way over the river, and we need to get to Pon as soon as we can so that there is enough time to turn around and get back to Old Traders' Village before the attack.
Yes, despite necessity tearing me away from my friends, I'm glad it did. I'm happy.
On the other hand, in a way, I'm glad I had to leave. Without leaving I would never have met N'Ras, K'Ylin, Lanua or anyone else from the village, and I've written about Lanua's trouble crossing Icecarry River. What would she have done without my help? Tried to get across and failed? Or perhaps tried to find an easier place to cross, but how long would that have taken? She wouldn't be as far on her way to Pon by now if she had had to search for another way over the river, and we need to get to Pon as soon as we can so that there is enough time to turn around and get back to Old Traders' Village before the attack.
Yes, despite necessity tearing me away from my friends, I'm glad it did. I'm happy.
Wednesday, April 6
Day 37
Nothing has happened today. The shadows still have me on edge but there is nothing I can do about it for now. My guard stays up as we walk, as does Lanua's after I have been talking of the uneasy feeling I have. Enan still takes an odd interest in what seems to be nothing.
Tuesday, April 5
Day 36
Kraet The Seer's Story
Teeluw is governed by the Elders and the Priestesses. From the point of view of the Elders, they are the highest power in our town, with the Priestesses in more of an advisory role. From the point of view of everyone else, the Priestesses are in charge. Now, that isn't because the Elders are unliked, or because the Priestesses demand their power; rather, it is because the Priestesses commune with the Goddesses and Gods, and they are granted with wisdom that the Elders simply aren't privy to. Because the Priestesses know more about the forest and its community, everyone (besides the Elders) accepts their word. If they say a storm is coming and homes need to be protected from flying debris, or that a tree will fall and a family needs to be moved to safety, everyone will help carry out their suggestions before the event happens - and the event always happens.
Kraet was an Elder. He lived at a time when Humen from the Western cities were beginning to hear about a community in Teeluw Forest. They came to find our people, and they came to take our Hazelignum wood - the wood used for the armour crafted for distinguished members of the society, it is both light and strong and, most importantly to Teeluw, it is rare. Only small amounts are allowed to be cut each year. Otherwise the Hazelignum trees would decay and die until none were left.
Unknown to the Teeluw, an army was amassing in distant lands with the intention of destroying the forest. They would take the Hazelignum wood first, and then take the wood from other trees to build with or burn in their city of stone.
A smaller group came first, and the Priestesses were told that the forest was in danger, so people were sent to deal with the threat at the western edge of the forest, before any harm could be done. But the priestesses were unaware of the troops that marched toward our home. The Goddesses had not shown them what was on its way.
However, for some reason, Kraet was shown. He could see them coming in his dreams. The Goddess Vel sent him the information he needed to keep the forest alive. He used all his influence with the other Elders and the Priestesses to focus the fighters in the town to move out to the edge of the forest where the first scouts had been spotted - where the army was heading.
As the army came over the hill on the horizon, the archers began to loose their arrows so quickly that it was as if a cloud had passed in front of the sun. Not one arrow struck a living creature. But this was Kraet's plan all along - to scare the invaders away, not to harm them as the scouts had been harmed under the direction of the Priestesses.
The Humen turned back to return to their homes moments before getting into the forest that they had spent so long trekking to, carrying heavy equipment for chopping and cutting and splitting back unused.
To Kraet's merit, he took no credit for the victory Teeluw had had, instead acknowledging that the Goddess chose him to unite the slowly distancing governing bodies of Teeluw before they were too far separated.
Teeluw is governed by the Elders and the Priestesses. From the point of view of the Elders, they are the highest power in our town, with the Priestesses in more of an advisory role. From the point of view of everyone else, the Priestesses are in charge. Now, that isn't because the Elders are unliked, or because the Priestesses demand their power; rather, it is because the Priestesses commune with the Goddesses and Gods, and they are granted with wisdom that the Elders simply aren't privy to. Because the Priestesses know more about the forest and its community, everyone (besides the Elders) accepts their word. If they say a storm is coming and homes need to be protected from flying debris, or that a tree will fall and a family needs to be moved to safety, everyone will help carry out their suggestions before the event happens - and the event always happens.
Kraet was an Elder. He lived at a time when Humen from the Western cities were beginning to hear about a community in Teeluw Forest. They came to find our people, and they came to take our Hazelignum wood - the wood used for the armour crafted for distinguished members of the society, it is both light and strong and, most importantly to Teeluw, it is rare. Only small amounts are allowed to be cut each year. Otherwise the Hazelignum trees would decay and die until none were left.
Unknown to the Teeluw, an army was amassing in distant lands with the intention of destroying the forest. They would take the Hazelignum wood first, and then take the wood from other trees to build with or burn in their city of stone.
A smaller group came first, and the Priestesses were told that the forest was in danger, so people were sent to deal with the threat at the western edge of the forest, before any harm could be done. But the priestesses were unaware of the troops that marched toward our home. The Goddesses had not shown them what was on its way.
However, for some reason, Kraet was shown. He could see them coming in his dreams. The Goddess Vel sent him the information he needed to keep the forest alive. He used all his influence with the other Elders and the Priestesses to focus the fighters in the town to move out to the edge of the forest where the first scouts had been spotted - where the army was heading.
As the army came over the hill on the horizon, the archers began to loose their arrows so quickly that it was as if a cloud had passed in front of the sun. Not one arrow struck a living creature. But this was Kraet's plan all along - to scare the invaders away, not to harm them as the scouts had been harmed under the direction of the Priestesses.
The Humen turned back to return to their homes moments before getting into the forest that they had spent so long trekking to, carrying heavy equipment for chopping and cutting and splitting back unused.
To Kraet's merit, he took no credit for the victory Teeluw had had, instead acknowledging that the Goddess chose him to unite the slowly distancing governing bodies of Teeluw before they were too far separated.
Monday, April 4
Day 35
Enan has been walking with Lanua today; his leg seems to have healed already. I'm glad of that. Since he doesn't need carrying any more I have been able to jump through the trees again.
I was going to write the story about Kraet the Seer as I said I would do when not much happens in our journey, but instead I thought I would write about the shadows. I know it doesn't sound like something that would be very interesting, but it has had me confused ever since I noticed it this afternoon. The shadows don't seem to be in the right places. I can see the sun shining in the sky, and I can see the trees all around me, and I can see their shadows, but somehow - I'm not sure how to explain it - it almost seems like there are too many shadows. It's hard to tell in a forest with so many things blocking the light, but after living in one for my whole life I feel like I should trust my senses when they tell me that something is wrong with the woods. Lanua said she hadn't noticed anything, but Enan has been sniffing around at pieces of ground that didn't seem to have anything special about them.
It is dark now, so the only shadows are those cast by the eye-staff. They all seem to be in order, but I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong with Adramalech. With this and the return of the Ice Elementals to the area around Old Traders' Village, ideas of a world wide event have crossed my mind. Is it all connected?
I was going to write the story about Kraet the Seer as I said I would do when not much happens in our journey, but instead I thought I would write about the shadows. I know it doesn't sound like something that would be very interesting, but it has had me confused ever since I noticed it this afternoon. The shadows don't seem to be in the right places. I can see the sun shining in the sky, and I can see the trees all around me, and I can see their shadows, but somehow - I'm not sure how to explain it - it almost seems like there are too many shadows. It's hard to tell in a forest with so many things blocking the light, but after living in one for my whole life I feel like I should trust my senses when they tell me that something is wrong with the woods. Lanua said she hadn't noticed anything, but Enan has been sniffing around at pieces of ground that didn't seem to have anything special about them.
It is dark now, so the only shadows are those cast by the eye-staff. They all seem to be in order, but I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong with Adramalech. With this and the return of the Ice Elementals to the area around Old Traders' Village, ideas of a world wide event have crossed my mind. Is it all connected?
Sunday, April 3
Day 34
Lanua and I walked together on the floor of the forest today. It would have been too dangerous for me to travel through the trees for two reasons. Firstly, I have been tired all day after I stayed awake last night to look after the boar piglet. Secondly, I have been carrying the piglet in my arms. We planned to leave it behind this morning and let it find its own way, but as we walked away it followed, limping after us as if it wanted to join our party. I couldn't bring myself to abandon it. I think we should give it a name but Lanua thinks I'm being silly.
Maybe I'll call it Enan after the God. It seems fitting since Enan is the God of orphans and names. In fact Enan seems like the perfect name for him.
Lanua is poking the fire, as she seems to enjoy doing so much. I've just told her Enan's new name and she seemed to accept it without too much hesitation.
Now I must catch up on the rest I missed last night.
Maybe I'll call it Enan after the God. It seems fitting since Enan is the God of orphans and names. In fact Enan seems like the perfect name for him.
Lanua is poking the fire, as she seems to enjoy doing so much. I've just told her Enan's new name and she seemed to accept it without too much hesitation.
Now I must catch up on the rest I missed last night.
Saturday, April 2
Day 33
I don't have much time to write anything now. Today, a boar rushed at Lanua so, to defend herself, she shot it with an arrow. I couldn't stop her in time. The boar rolled over itself and when it lay still, it was clearly dead. Now, an orphaned and injured boar piglet has come into our care. Its leg looks broken to me. I have applied Purge Nettles to the poor creature's wound. The noise it made was horrendous, but it is a necessary pain for it to endure in the circumstances. After a lot of struggling to try and get away from the nettles, it has finally fallen asleep. Now that it has finished wailing, Lanua has also dozed off. I'm going to stay awake for a while and keep watch over both of my friends.
Friday, April 1
Day 32
It is a month ago today that I left Teeluw. I have seen so much in such a short time, and it has made it feel like much longer. But in Teeluw they will still be talking about me; about what I did. Someone else might have stepped into the position left open by now, but they will still be feeling the consequences.
In Adramalech I keep expecting to see my friends jumping through the trees alongside me, but of course I never do. The types of trees, the noises, the smells, they are all the same, but this forest is very different to the one in which I grew up.
We had eggs and the last of the rabbit meat for tea this evening. I found the eggs up a tree as you would expect, and I decided that, since there is no community to impose its rules on me, we would eat them. It is generally not acceptable to eat eggs in Teeluw except on special occasions (although priestesses are allowed to cook with them). Lanua made a fire and I cooked them in her pan while she roasted the rabbit. The eggs were a delicious change from the stews we have been eating for tea recently. I think I'll try to find some more on our last day in Adramalech before we leave it behind us on our journey to Pon.
In Adramalech I keep expecting to see my friends jumping through the trees alongside me, but of course I never do. The types of trees, the noises, the smells, they are all the same, but this forest is very different to the one in which I grew up.
We had eggs and the last of the rabbit meat for tea this evening. I found the eggs up a tree as you would expect, and I decided that, since there is no community to impose its rules on me, we would eat them. It is generally not acceptable to eat eggs in Teeluw except on special occasions (although priestesses are allowed to cook with them). Lanua made a fire and I cooked them in her pan while she roasted the rabbit. The eggs were a delicious change from the stews we have been eating for tea recently. I think I'll try to find some more on our last day in Adramalech before we leave it behind us on our journey to Pon.
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