It had been a month and a half since they left Southern Birch, and they had made no stop at any larger city since, much to the Azoth dwarfs dismay, Lonkar had spat that he could just leave the entourage if he was so eager for a real bed, but the dwarf had barely ignored the uncle and grumbled on. Apparently Lonkar wanted to avoid anyone from the nobility to realise that Barandir was alive, as he didn't want to spoil the surprise for his sister Melisandre and his brother Melo. Barandir thought that this had been both good and bad, on one hand it made their path unconventional and hard to predict, if Finn wished them harm, he'd be hard pressed to do so, on the other hand if the clan knew that he was alive, it would make it difficult for anyone to meddle with their return journey, unfortunately there was limited zeppelin flights in Taoru'un, and the stops available were severely limited to a couple of large cities, so this was out of the question. According to the uncle there was still about a two month worth of journeying left.
He sat next to Fremont and Sam, while Fremont was handling the rein of the Wind Buffalo, an animal that Lonkar had bought as the third replacement animal, the roads were tough and not every animal handled them so good, furthermore the late autumn had arrived, and a light layer of frost had begun covering the lands in the mornings.
Lonkar had drawn a magic rune on the wagon, allowing it to heat up; the heat could be felt against the backs of the three men. They were all chewing on a half withered wheat, aside from the dwarf, the four men and two women had all grown quite close over the course of the long travelling, especially so was the case of the three men who had shared a night of life and death. Fremont was casually talking about how wondrous the maidens of Taoru'un were, he had not wasted any time in flirting with the locals whenever they came by a small village. He was quite the rogue, but neither brutish nor rude. Although much was still unknown about the Hammerfell siblings, they had learnt that Avicia was married; Barandir had seen her looking into the distance on several occasions, a habit that had only increased over time. He had seen those faces before; soldiers often carried such a longing gaze. He knew that the sibling pair was steadfast people, and he saw a lot of his own qualities in them, so he knew that he wouldn't have been able to persuade them not to have helped them escape Salk, even if he had asked.
The landscape had changed significantly since they had first arrived in Taoru'un, although there were still fields of wheat and other fields of corn, vegetables and fruits, there were now also large stretches of forest, with thick and tall pine and spruce intermingling with the majestic birch trees, several sorts which could be seen too, with different shades of brown, yellow, orange and green, the birch trunk mainly came in two colours, white and blue. Barandir had also noticed several mountains and mountain ranges in the distances. At one point they had passed by the foot of a smaller mountain range. Yet it still carried a sense of awe to Barandir, who was not at all used to such sights, in his previous life he had lived in the great planes, although he knew of mountains, and had seen one or two, he had never seen anything of this caliber, and as far as he understood the ones in Taoru'un were nothing in comparison to Mara'Gol.
A chilling wind wafted through Sam's hair while he was looking at a worn out map of the region that they were passing through, on it was a thin red line drawn along a path. Lonkar had bought a new map from a larger village every time they passed through one, each local map indicated the smaller more locally utilized roads, and sometimes they were faster, and sometimes not. There was a small hamlet coming up called Bruniga, it was part of the Swallowflight clan's territory and although it was a smaller village, it was, as far as they were told, a popular location for the Swallowflight clan, as it produced wondrous Red Eared River Cattle, and Golden River Pears, both of which were a delicacy. The production however wasn't high, so the noble family had set up a vacation manor along the river there. Lonkar had been somewhat dismayed, but the thought of having a good meal had awoken the aristocrat in the man, and he had decided to stay the course, passing the through the village.
. . . .
A burbling river ran along the road, pieces of ice could be seen following the flow of water. The river had expanded as they had gotten closer to Bruniga, and the sound of rushing water hitting against the rocks, and the crackling ice that was formed and broken during the late autumn only increased the natural wondrous sound of nature. Barandir was holding the rein of the Wind Buffalo, its thick white wooly mane covering it from head to toe, its body was strong and large, almost two meters in height, but it was a passive and docile animal, and it trudged along calmly, this type of cold didn't bother it in the slightest, even the tundra would not slow this beast down.
While enjoying the peace and calm of the ride, he looked to his right where Lonkar sat, holding the baby "It just struck me uncle!" he spoke suddenly, somewhat surprised himself, that the thought had not crossed his mind yet.
Lonkar looked up from the baby, his pipe hanging on his lower lip, small clouds of green smoke puffing from it, ever more visible in the chill of autumn. "Pray tell nephew, what matter has you so surprised?" he asked, his eye widened, ever since the nephew had returned, he had barely ever seen genuine surprise in the man, so what had made him react in such a manner?
Barandir laughed somewhat at the uncle's reaction, as he waved his one hand dismissively, letting go of the rein "Apologies uncle, no I did not mean to startle you so" he grabbed the rein again, and with a smile continued while looking at the road ahead "It is simply, that we were planning to make it home for my sister's birthday, but won't we miss it?" he worded himself somewhat carefully, he wasn't entirely sure when the sister's birthday was, but they had been delayed, he wasn't even sure if they had missed it, but the way he asked was open, and could easily be understood one way or the other.
The uncle blinked as realization dawned on him, and he simply chuckled slightly, the baby caught up in the good mood also began chuckling "We should make it nephew, don't you worry, her birthday isn't until the 26th of solstice queen Klodia's month, and we should arrive on the 19th of the month, so no need to worry" he smiled unconcernedly. Barandir was concerned! Seven days wasn't a lot of leeway, but the uncle seemed plenty confident, it would appear that he had travelled around the country on many occasions.
Upon introspection, he realized that he being surprised about the sister was more of a gut feeling of the original Barandir, a feeling of missing his sister, of seeing her, of celebrating her birth. He looked towards the horizon, sighing lightly, the cold air escaping his lungs, the landscape was jutting with rocks and valleys, it didn't seem like there was much farm area until they made it to the village of Bruniga.
. . . .
Bruniga's location was in a rocky area, there wasn't much of farmland, and the few places where there was, it was full of pear trees and River Cattle grassing freely in the hilly terrain. The river flowed through the village from several locations, ebbing out in one larger river out of town. The village was surprisingly well-built, every house had a rock construction, some of them painted in white, and some of them in navy blue and occasionally there were some in light shades of orange, the colours of the common swallow. The roofs were made of dark brown oak, similarly to the doors and windows, no glass could be seen however. It was quite a spectacular small village, the locals were out tending to the trees, or fishing in the river, and none seemed particularly surprised by the wagon driving into town.
Sam peeked out from the back of the wagon for a short moment. "This village is very well developed, in contrast to the previous ones, despite their lack of agriculture" he scratched his nonexistent beard "I suspect that it is because of this Swallowflight noble clan, they must invest enough into the village for it to flourish like so, and with the river running through they surely have plenty of opportunity for trade…" he trailed off slightly as he began pondering the internal structure of the village. Mezcah for one was quiet as she had been having a hard time dealing with the hilly nature of the ride's most recent two weeks; she had a constant green flourish in her cheeks, as she sat by the back of the wagon, keeping the back-flap slightly open, so that she could get fresh air.
It wasn't long after the carriage entered the village that it slowed down to a stop. From within, Barandir and Lonkar could hear someone speaking to Avicia and Fremont in Vanha Taoru'un, luckily they had taught everyone how to say "I speak only, general Magnolia". As they heard Avicia respond as such, the other voice quickly changed into Magnolian, although with a thick dialect, but even then it was clear which language was spoken. The conversation quickly turned somewhat muted as the local and the siblings found common speaking grounds. Not long after the carriage began moving again, and Fremont came back into the back of the wagon.
"That was Lokbak Freeman, surprisingly he spoke Magnolian" Fremont spoke with a smile, happy to finally communicate, this also meant that he would be able to flirt freely, if indeed there were some village women who spoke Magnolian too, the thought made him somewhat giddy! "He told us that there was an inn, in the middle of the town, apparently the Swallowflight clan uses it when they invite guests over to their mansion, the inn was built to accommodate the staff of their guests, but since only the Swallowflight's young lady and her uncle, aunt and cousin are here, the inn itself is empty" Lonkar frowned somewhat at the mention of the noble family being present, but didn't comment on it "Old Lokbak said that he'd go confirm with the nobles that we can stay at the inn, but it should be fine, so we're going over there now, there is a large stable there where we can fit our wagon, as to the cost, he said that we can discuss that further when he returns".
"Thank the spirits that I can get out of this wagon for a reprieve…" mumbled Mezcah numbly. To which Fremont could only smile in an askew manner.
. . . .
The inn had no name, and looked like any other building in the town; except that it was a relatively large two storied building, coloured in a washed white, and it also had a clock-tower attached to it. The rooms weren't large, nor were they small; the bottom of the inn had a dining area, which also functioned as an area of celebration and village-council location.
Siira Freeman was explaining several details about the village and the inn as they passed through its rustic wooden interior. The inside walls were wooden, and there had been some simple rune carvings made, which allowed it to keep the warmth better. It didn't take long for Lokbak's wife to get them settled in. The price itself was very generous, as the Swallowflight nobles had allowed them to stay for free, as long as they paid for their food and drink. When Lonkar had insisted on paying the old couple, they had denied this, and mentioned that their work was to upkeep the inn, and take care of the Swallowflight's servants, and when there weren't anything happening it was rather dreary, so they were happy to accommodate them.
"You really need to name that baby" grunted Gabbo, as he leaned backwards, in a comfy recliner which was in front of the fire, his small stature almost completely hidden.
Lonkar laughed gently; perhaps this was the first thing the dwarf had said that didn't bother him "Yes, you are indeed right Gabbo, we really should name her, however this is no simple matter, for I know little of the Luna Dryads, not to mention their customs, if one day she wishes to return to her home, perhaps she would appreciate that her name was no different than that of her peers" he spoke softly, whilst looking lovingly at the small babe that had grown a significant amount already, since the beginning of their journey, swaddled and asleep she snored ever so lightly.
"Bah!" grumbled Gabbo, but he didn't say much more about it.
The conversation had drifted over to the table where Barandir, Fremont, Avicia and Mezcah were sitting; they were in the middle of a dice game. Clearly the warriors had some increased dexterity that the other three couldn't copy, that or they were cheating, either way they were having a good time. The meal that day had been the infamous Red Eared River cattle, with golden pear sauce, and rock-moss-potatoes, the meal had been entirely sumptuous and more than satisfactory. Mezcah had also regained her appetite, and her mood had improved significantly when they had learnt that there had been a new bridge built crossing the Singing Echoes Ravine recently, which would cut their trip by ten days, this meant that they could stay in the village for a couple of more days to recover from their travel fatigue.
The runes on Mezcah's arms shone dimly in the evening lighting of the inn, making the female innkeeper glance over occasionally. Although they often received guests, they were all Taoru'unian, however this time they had Citizens of the country of Ma'Ra'Gol and woman from the south, whose skin colour was dark and who had strange symbols on her arms, it was all quite exciting. It didn't take long for her to get a good idea!
. . . .
The following days they went sightseeing around the small village, enjoying the sights, for Fremont and Avicia it felt like home, to Lonkar and Barandir it felt similarly so, however to Mezcah and Sam it was quite entrancing, the cold air and the lightly frosty roofs and roads. Fremont had quickly caught sight of a woman within the first couple of days whilst she was herding some cattle, and before they knew it he was following her around, quite surprisingly it seemed that the majority of the village spoke Magnolian, which was the preferred language of nobles, and also in any larger city, however it was wholly uncommon in smaller villages. The influence of the Swallowflight family was very present in the surroundings; everyone in the township was talking well of them.
So when a messenger rode up to them with an invitation, they could hardly decline the request. Lonkar and Barandir had hidden their pendants when they had entered the town, so the villagers and Swallowflight nobles couldn't have known their identity. It seemed that it was the foreign guests that had attracted the attention of the noble family. Lonkar seriously considered not going; however it would hardly be fair for their travel companions, especially if the nobles had bad intentions, in which case he would have to use his status as leverage.
. . . .
The carriage that came to pick them up was no smaller than their own, however it was a whole lot fancier, it had been carved with many magical diagrams that kept the inside of the carriage feeling steady, and instead of an oily canvas it was made of wood entirely, there were even small windows with glass panes. Lonkar huffed at the extravagance; apparently the upkeep of such magical diagrams weren't small, especially so when it was a non-mage driving the carriage, which in this case it was.
There was a quiet in the wagon as everyone was sort of just looking out of the small windows, watching the sun set, and the darkness creep in. They had soon left the village by crossing the river on a stone bridge. The road led them into a densely packed forest; it took a while before they had exited the dark forest, there was a big lake with a wooden bridge crossing it all the way to a big mansion. Here there was none of the rough boulder-like rock constructions as seen in the village, but instead neatly carved slabs of white marble made up the construction of the manor. The building itself was simple, it was oblong with large paned windows light could be seen coming from some of them, but the majority were dark. The mansion was three stories tall, although every floor looked to be twice the size of the floors of the small village houses. Roses were growing along the walls, but in a controlled manner, obviously by design of the gardener. The front yard appeared simple, several flower beds, but no large bushes or anything of the sort, in a way it was somewhat Spartan. Perhaps when it wasn't the late autumn there were more to be seen.
A large man, stood at the foot of the entrance by the stairs leading up to a double mahogany door. He wore simple navy pants and an orange woolen shirt; the cold did not seem to bother him in the least. He was without a doubt a warrior, and he was there to welcome them.
When they exited the carriage they saw that he was quite bald, but his piercing blue eyes kept everyone's attention to his face. He imperceptibly flinched when he saw Barandir, Fremont and Avicia, but he didn't react much more than that, and quickly introduced himself as Bjorn, after which he mentioned that the youngest lady, of the main Swallowflight house, was awaiting them in the common room with her uncle, aunt and small cousin.
. . . .
Mezcah was happily taking in the sights of the manor, her sleeves rolled up, revealing her blue runic imprints, she was carelessly chatting with the large man about the manor, however he seemed entirely perplexed as to what to respond, and simply answered curtly with yes and no's. Her companions could only shake their heads and pity the man who was the newest victim of Mezcah's endless font of curiosity.
Barandir noticed that the insides were rather minimalistic, similar to the outside, it would appear that the Swallowflight family didn't care much for appearances; he had a feeling that his own family was quite the same, perhaps this was more of a Taoru'un noble trait, as he had seen quite differently in Cenharb.
Through observation he saw that there weren't much of guards. Aside from the large man, and a couple of servants, he didn't see anyone else, was it that they were hidden? Was it that the family didn't value a member of the main family line? Or was it that there simply wasn't a need for additional guards?
Small floating flames lit up the hallways that were in use, each flame had a bright white light, this didn't stop the shadows from encroaching as best they could. The white marbled floor was barren, so every step they took left behind hollow sounds of footsteps, except of course from Barandir, Avicia and Fremont. The Azoth dwarf Gabbo was back to his pretense of a rich merchant, and made sure to be heard, much to the chagrin of everyone else, however the dwarf had helped them out, so they would keep his secret as well.
They finally reached a half open door, the tall guard who had been leading them simply knocked once, and pushed open the door, his free hand indicating that they should walk in.
. . . .
Audsrid sat with her uncle and aunt in front of a large fireplace, watching the wood crackle. There was something satisfying with real wood burning, the smell and sounds simply could not be replicated, however the main family didn't appreciate this fact much, they were mages and as such they liked mage things and conveniences. Luckily her uncle and aunt were from a branch family that practiced the warrior arts, and like most warriors they had a simple lifestyle, and had an appreciation for nature, that many mages didn't have. She looked at the married couple sitting with her youngest cousin. He was intently listening as his mother Beate was explaining the game of chess to him.
Audsrid couldn't help but smile contently; the autumn holidays were a well needed break, and the fact that she was able to go to the Bruniga mansion only helped in her mental recovery. She would be leaving soon however, 'thank the gods', she thought to herself, spending two months at the mansion was her limit, boredom was starting to creep in, luckily she had heard news of some interesting travelers, surely they would have tales to regale, it wasn't often that she got to meet people from across the continent! Surely her friends would envy her worldly stories. She smiled to herself at the thought, as she adjusted her glasses, and stood up, putting a small book down on the furry divan, which she had just been sitting at. She walked towards the paned glass, the fire reflecting in the window, making the view of the lake intrinsically harder to see. Instead she saw her own petite frame reflected, she was somewhat tall, not as much as her aunt and uncle, but still, and her hair was wavy and orange. She wasn't particularly interested in appearances, and as such she wore a long simple navy skirt and a wooly orange turtleneck sweater. Hardly a noble lady's attire, but it was comfortable, and she had plenty of time to be stuffy when she returned to the mage's institution.
With a twist of her head she looked towards the half-open door, she heard the sound of shoes against the marble, soon followed by the murmur of voices, it was Magnolian; surely this must be the visitors! The speaker appeared to a lady with a most peculiar dialect, light and almost like a song being spoken, it was very pleasant… but also constant, it seemed that her normally stoic guard had met his match.
It didn't take long for a light rap on the door to indicate that the guests had arrived. She turned towards the sound, her arms crossing themselves, her face spread out into a smile.
. . . .
The first one to enter was the dwarf Gabbo, he looked well dressed and his beard had received an extra helping of oil, making it nice and shiny, he confidently walked in and introduced himself, bowing slightly as he took his hat off. He then proceeded over to the young lady first, she was clearly the young lady of the main family line and as such per custom she would receive the first introductions.
Mezcah in her impatience entered second, she followed the introductory line of the dwarf; it was unknown whether she noticed it or not, but all eyes were on her, and the peculiar runes running along her skin, wherever exposed.
Fremont and Avicia entered shortly afterwards, similarly they introduced themselves to the young lady first, but quickly recognized the strong warriors that were her aunt and uncle, when they bowed to them; all four had a hint of recognition and common respect in their eyes.
On the curtails of the two siblings came Lonkar, his eyepatch catching some attention, and his debonair and scholarly demeanor relaxed the hosts, as he warmly followed suit and introduced himself. He hid the fact that he was a Crowborne and only introduced himself by his first-name. Unbeknownst to Lonkar the young Audsrid had a glimmer of recognition pass through her blue eyes when she saw the man.
When Barandir introduced himself, he went straight to the uncle and aunt much to their surprise, and then only at the end did he introduce himself to the young lady, finishing off with an introduction to the young shy boy who was half hiding behind his cousin. All of the hosts were instantly enraptured by the small Luna Dryad toddler. Similarly to his uncle, he only introduced himself by his first-name.
Sam stumbled in somewhat clumsily with an awkward smile, he had of course met many nobles, but that was usually during trade negotiations, with time for preparations, however in this case he knew nothing of the local nobility, their customs or their preferred speaking topics.
It didn't take long for an amiable mood to spread as everyone was drinking hot pear cider, their hosts actively engaged in hearing about their exploits in Cenharb and thereafter. However Lonkar and Barandir, as well as Mezcah, Fremont and Avicia brushed over the details of how they found themselves there to begin with, and the exact details of what they had been doing.
The youngest member of the Swallowflight family was deeply enraptured in the tale of the necromancer and whatever mysterious ritual that had nearly succeeded. Fremont the expert storyteller was moving his hands and got up in a fighting position, showing one exaggerated move after the other, the fireplace reflecting his movements in long black shadows. Aurelius and Beate had given each other a heavy glance when it was mentioned that Barandir despite being a mage had fought the minions in hand to hand combat. The story quickly unfolded, with the young Audsrid and her cousin making noises of surprise and excitement, and when the story finally came to the tragedy of the small Luna Dryad, tears were seen flowing from behind her glasses.
A heated discussion broke out between, Lonkar, Aurelius and Beate when their conversation turned to the greedy Salk, and their reckless attack on the southern border. It was not lost on any of the hosts that the description of how the party had escaped was glossed over heavily. However it was hardly their place to begin questioning their guests, especially so when they themselves had no business or personal interests in the south. Their interest in the conflict lay mainly in the fact that it was their home-country under attack, but otherwise there was little concern, as there was little doubt in anyone's mind that Salk was an ant provoking an anteater.
The conversation quickly switched to Mezcah and the deep south of the Magnolia continent, and although the young foreigner didn't speak of her personal matters, she did talk about the architecture and culture of the Deep South, much to everyone's interest, as it was truly exotic and interesting. In this way the evening turned into night, and everyone was getting somewhat tipsy from the pear cider, even the warriors.
. . . .
When Audsrid had invited the travelers her uncle and aunt had been somewhat sceptic. They enjoyed the quiet, and there was no telling how unknown guests would react or act. Luckily the guests had been more than entertaining, and the married couple had grown especially fond of the two warrior siblings, the four had even agreed to have a friendly spar come the morning. When Aurelius had jovially asked Barandir, he had casually declined, as he didn't believe that he could compete with anyone of the four. Aurelius had merely lifted an eyebrow, and left the subject hanging.
Young Magnar, Audsrid's cousin was sleeping on a sheepskin in front of the fire, the small Luna Dryad baby held in his small arms.
Whilst the four warriors talked, Lonkar, Barandir and Mezcah watched Sam and Audsrid play a game of chess, all the while having casual conversations about this and that. Sam's previous nervousness having worn off, he was now calm and relaxed, his cheeks slightly ruddy from intoxication.
"I admit defeat Mr. Goodboar" Audsrid spoke with a smile, she was no novice to the game of chess, but the young merchant's son proved himself quite well-versed, of course he was older and had more experience, but he was clearly also practiced and confident in the game.
"I think I got the hang of it now…" spoke Mezcah whilst scratching her cheek offhandedly "let's play a game Audsrid!"
The young noblewoman couldn't help but chuckle, there weren't many people who upon meeting a noble would just casually refer to them by their first-name, but the young southerner was refreshingly straightforward, undaunted by foreign customs she spoke and questioned everything around her. With a large smile she began putting up the intricately carved white marble piece "you help too Mezcah, let's see how well you remember the…" a loud – klong! – interrupted her sentence. Audsrid glanced at her uncle and aunt who both looked equally perplexed; it appeared that they neither expected any further company.
It was late at night, and the mansion was largely abandoned, could this be some enemies of the Swallowflight family? Or was it related to the mysterious group of travelers whose stories had more holes than mountain cheese? The knocking of the door hammer reverberated out again, awakening the small ones; the older Magnar simply blinked his tiny eyes, whereas the small baby began crying out. Avicia was quick to pick to pick up the baby, her eyes somewhat serious, as the atmosphere of the room became alert.
Everyone was standing when Bjorn show up by the door, his expression impossible to read by anyone except the household, Audsrid saw clear annoyance in the man's eyes "Speak" she spoke curtly, her tone relaxed, it seemed that whomever was by the door didn't pose a threat, for Bjorn was neither alarmed nor panicked.
"It's performing peddlers" he coughed "Darkwood Gypsies" his displeasure of the people visible in his voice.
What a night this would be! She would truly have much to tell her friends when she saw them next, Darkwood Gypsies! Well Melisandre might not be too impressed her family did control the Darkwood territory after all, she couldn't help but beam with delight "Well invite them in, hurry up now, I'm sure that they have stories to tell and tricks to perform!".
. . . .
When Bjorn had relayed who was by the door, Barandir had noticed his uncle had had an annoyed look in the eye, however everyone else seemed unassuming of the identity of these Darkwood Gypsies. From his uncle's sour demeanor and the young lady's excited one, Barandir couldn't help but watch with interest as the peddlers arrived.
However unfortunately for the young lady they didn't burst in with flames and acrobatics, but instead walked into the parlor room casually, much to her visible disappointment. Barandir noted that they did wear matching uniforms, beige baggy pants, and white long shirts, tied with a black belt; on their feet they wore black leather boots.
The apparent leader of the troup, a wiry elderly man, went forward with a light bow, he was somewhat pale skinned, and had grey long hair tied together at the neck, his eyes were black and gleaming with excitement. He was missing one front tooth, but that didn't seem to hinder him in speaking in eloquently Magnolian "Dear miss Swallowflight, my name is Grantalo! my apologies for barging in like this, and intruding upon your private festivities" he spoke without a the tiniest wisp of air escaping the gaping hole left behind by the lacking tooth, it was quite the magic trick already, Barandir thought offhandedly "We saw the light from your fireplace in the paned windows when we came by to ask if we could stay at the stables for the night, and we simply couldn't resist but to offer our services!" he finished expectantly, as his eyes were looking at Audsrid, awaiting her response.
With a frown Barandir glanced at the warrior couple, who seemed indifferent, he was used to the elders being show the most respect, but it would appear that here the people shown the greatest respect were the ones who held the most power! Aside from the military, and maybe a king or an emperor, nobody in his previous life would disregard, or fail to greet the elders of a family. He didn't care for this different custom; he didn't care for it at all.
Audsrid was a bit taken aback by the honeyed smile of the older man, but then responded positively "Why you didn't disturb us, in fact the aside from myself, my uncle, aunt and nephew" she gestured at her family members "the remaining are travelling guests as well, not unlike yourself" Lonkar coughed heavily at the comparison, but the old Grantalo didn't react the slightest "so, please join us, and if you are too tired to perform, then that is of course fine, but please delight us with stories from your travels!" she spoke with joy, as she quickly got Bjorn to bring forth more chairs.
Grantalo went over and talked with the three remaining members of the peddlers, and he then turned back around "we are missing a number of our people, as we are returning to the Darkwood Forest to participate Darkwood town's autumn celebrations of Mrintir" once again Lonkar's gaze sharpened, but he didn't comment, and the old man continued unabated "however one of our members can perform a bit, and will demonstrate our unique magics!" he spoke excitedly, while looking at the young Magnar whose large eyes were staring at the strangers curiously.
"This is our troup" Grantalo pointed at each person in succession.
"Miinitalo, my daughter" a middle aged woman with thick light brown hair and a thin figure smiled, her eyes as black as her fathers.
A large man stepped forward with bulging muscles, he was clearly a warrior, but despite his figure, he didn't give off much of an aura of strength "This is Barsali, our coach" The large man was bald and had a large black beard, he had a friendly and warm demeanor.
"Last but not least, the performer of the evening is Talaitha" a young woman with glasses, thick wavy light charcoal hair, and freckles stepped forward. Her skin was fair, and she was slightly chubby.
Her clear green eyes beamed with delight underneath her glasses as she waved her hand, within which was a yellow flame, that stretched everywhere she moved it. She danced a lithe dance of frolic, the stretching flame pattern becoming more and more intricate, eventually everyone realized that she was drawing out a story of a young woman wandering on a path, at first the path was clear, but then she came across several men, whom she barely escaped, she ended up running through a forest, and thorny bushes, only to lay dying in front of a large Badger. The badger took pity on her and buried her, and from where she died, a tree sprouted. As the story reached its climax, Talaitha stopped moving, and clasped her hand together while whispering an incantation, all of the lines of yellow flame exploded into pale green leafs that disappeared as they dwindled to the floor.
The small Magnar was flabbergasted whilst he was laughing and smiling uncontrollably, whereas the rest of the audience was all clapping at the performance. During the performance the old Grantalo had played his violin in accompaniment. Like everyone else Barandir was clapping and smiling, but he was in fact hiding the strong murderous intent he felt when the magic was so blatantly expressed in front of him, although the killing in Salk had sated his thirst once, it seems that it had also allowed the unknown desire in him to grow stronger!
He felt his eye twitch slightly, as his inner struggle began escalating. With an awkward smile he turned to the young Audsrid "Miss, if you don't mind, I find myself struggling to stay awake, can one of your servants lead me to a room, where I may rest?" he asked politely.
With a lifted eyebrow she quickly agreed and called over Bjorn.
The large warrior led Barandir to a small guest room; Barandir quickly thanked the man and entered. No more than seconds after the door had closed shut did Bjorn feel an incredible killing intent, sweat perspired from his pores as he involuntarily stepped back, and then, it was gone! Seemingly repressed, Bjorn refused to believe the man a mage, if anything he was a great master who practiced some secret art! He took a deep breath, calming himself, and then left quietly.
. . . .
After the guests had gone to their separate rooms, the Swallowflight family was the only ones left in the parlor room. They too were tired, and were planning to retire in their rooms as well. It was then that Bjorn recounted his experience with Barandir. Aurelius nodded thoughtfully, he was truly hoping that he could get this secretive master to spar with him! Although it was clear that the man, clearly wanted no one to know of his prowess. He looked at his wife, she too had gleaming eyes, they would find a way if they were lucky.
Audsrid could only shake her head at the three warriors sharing spirited glances, whilst she left the parlor returning to her study, there had indeed been an interesting guest, but it was not this Barandir, but his companion Lonkar, although she couldn't confirm anything, she had her suspicions, and she most certainly had to share them with the one involved, whom also happened to be one of her best friends, Melisandre!
. . . .
The following afternoon all of the guests, except Gabbo and the gypsy troup, found themselves at the same table for a late breakfast, the warriors were all feeling fine, but it was clear to see that some of the mages had headaches and were feeling the after-effects of the previous evening's consumption of alcohol.
Sam was one such person, he was half engaged in a conversation with Mezcah, all the while he was looking outside, seeing the red and yellow autumn leafs tumbling at random through the crisp blue sky. He took a sip of the coffee that had been offered; the colour was a dark blue, and it tasted somewhat strange, the beans cultivated by Hill-Gnomes in the east of the northern continent were apparently capable of growing in the cold soil and climate, however the end result was a product quite different from that of regular coffee. Sam smelled the earthy aroma from the cup, and felt his head clear a little; perhaps there was a business to be made here? He would have to consider it further, and only then bring forth the suggestion to his father.
"…the spar, I mean Fremont is of course formidable, but he was injured at the time, and Avicia, now I wonder what she is capable of, she does seem to be in charge, well, what do you think" Mezcah spoke with excitement, half-chewing a loaf of dark rye bread with meat, cheese and pickles piled on top.
Her words brought Sam back to reality, as he pushed his glasses back up "well, it is just a spar, I don't think they are thinking about winning or losing, but more of the opportunity to learn something from one another" he said neutrally, resulting in a disappointed glare from Mezcah.
However she wasn't one to be quiet for long as she quickly brought Barandir into the conversation "Her Barandir, since it isn't about winning or losing, then you might as well join for a bout, no? well… you might be a mage, but I've seen you fighting, wouldn't you enjoy yourself?" she said candidly with a bright smile.
Sam couldn't help but shake his head, the female mage had zero tact, wasn't it clear that Barandir had realized his joy for combat too late, only after he had awakened as a mage, forever barring that path from him, in which case, wouldn't sparring with experts only sadden him. Sam gave his friend an apologetic look, to which Barandir gave a short nod of understanding, as he then responded "well, in your eyes I might be skilled, but Fremont and Avicia could both beat me with one hand behind their backs, the same is the case for the Swallowflight couple, so you see, even if I would like to" he gestured helplessly "I wouldn't be able to benefit, and neither would they" a hint of unwillingness flickered in his purple eyes.
With sudden momentum Fremont had risen with sparkling eyes "I'm itching to stretch my legs, let's go!" he spoke with gusto. His injuries had healed completely at this point, and there hadn't been an opportunity to let loose since Cenharb, he looked at his sister who nodded eagerly as she too stood up, followed shortly by the Swallowflight couple.
Aurelius gestured "Come along with us, we have training grounds behind the manor" he said resolutely as he led the two warriors, his wife, son and Bjorn towards the back-manor.
Sam was curious by nature, and it wasn't as if he had much else to do currently so he too got up, Mezcah and Audsrid similarly were getting ready to go out to watch the spectacle.
"Will you come?" his smile gentle as he asked.
"Don't worry about me my friend, I think I'll just relax for a while" Barandir replied while sipping his coffee.
With a complicated look Sam quickly followed the two mages that had just left the dining hall.
. . . .
Lonkar was calmly watching the quiet outside the window while he was rocking the small Luna Dryad; he was smoking his usual pipe casually. Without looking at his nephew he commented "Go, you might be able to trick your friends there, but don't think that I didn't notice your clenched fist"
It took but a second for the man's smile to falter, as he unclenched his fist, battle! It made his blood rush, he knew that he wouldn't be of much use in a fight against any of the warriors, for they were different than summoned creatures that were stiff and relied on nothing but strength and speed, he stayed quiet as his mind raced.
"Nobody is expecting you to fight you know" Lonkar spoke calmly, puffing away "just go stretch your legs for a bit, don't warriors usually do that?" with a smoky sigh he continued "you might be a mage, but the last couple of years you spend training in the warrior arts, even if you can't use natural energy, you can still loosen yourself up a bit, this trip back home have hardly been easy".
"Thank you, uncle" he slowly stood "just for a bit" the faltered smile had returned, this time honest and eager, ���just for a bit, just a little bit' he thought to himself as he hurriedly walked out of the dining room, leaving his uncle to his own devices.
Lonkar lifted the wee baby up in front of him, it looked back at him with large happy eyes as it poked his nose innocently "Just the two of us huh…"
"MAID!" he yelled; shortly thereafter a short lady came running into the large hall.
"Yes sir?" she asked curiously.
"Toys, do you have any toys that a baby can play with?" He asked exasperatedly, the baby got restless fast, and he knew it was coming from the way it was looking at him, he feared the restless wee one.
The maid blinked a couple of times, but then nodded "I believe that there are a few of young master Magnar's old toys, I can go fetch them for you".
Lonkar gave a sigh of relief as he stared at the little troublemaker; he had won the battle this time, but the war was never-ending, but at least for now there would be peace in the kingdom.
. . . .
The training grounds were set up behind the manor. It was a large flattened area with flat grey rocks placed in unison covering the entire 100 square meters. The far left edge was marked by the tree-line and rugged terrain, the trees consisted of largely pine and birch, during the autumn it was coloured in, brown, yellow, red and orange, with hints of the green pine needles peeking out. The training outhouse was located towards the manor; it had a couple of smooth stone benches lined in front.
Sam, Magnar, Audsrid and Mezcah were seated on the benches watching the three warriors; Bjorn had pulled out a wooden weapon rack, it contained basic and sturdy steel weapons, altering versions of swords, sabers, axes, hammers, spears, cudgels and so on. Currently Avicia was engaged in hand to hand combat against Bjorn and Beate whilst Fremont and Aurelius were similarly fighting in hand to hand combat, at this time they were just getting a feel for each other, nobody was getting serious.
The three mages, and the young boy, were watching excitedly as the quick and fast paced combat commenced. "So Miss Audsrid, I was wondering" Sam asked curiously whilst his eyes were engaged on the spar in front of him "this Hill-gnome coffee, is it costly?" he asked offhandedly.
For second Audsrid glanced at the young man next to her, it was quite an odd question, but she figured that perhaps for a foreigner this type of coffee was special, in a similar fashion that the southern coffee was special here, she blinked her blue eyes lightly as she refocused on the match "well while it isn't costly, per se, it isn't easy to come by, the Taoru'un country is one of the largest in the Magnolia continent, not to mention how rugged the terrain is, and it isn't exactly like there are many zeppelin routes passing through here" she moved aside an orange lock of hair "so while the coffee isn't costly, the transportation is the key issue! Why? did you plan to buy something home? Or perhaps, open up a trade?" she asked shrewdly with half a smile. She might be young, but she was well educated, and the main Swallowflight family was engaged in several trades in the mid-west of the country, she had indeed been on several expeditions.
With a small movement, Sam sat up straighter, he hadn't expected her to see through his idea instantly, he couldn't help but reevaluate the girl beside him, his father had previously told him that the northern continent was not only underdeveloped, but lacking in finesse, Sam himself had seen several merchants and noblemen of the north making bad deals in the Cenharb. However it was only now that he realized that he had never met or heard of a Tauru'unian making a deal, this fact shook him slightly, why? He corrected his glasses "well I'd be lying if I told you that the thought hadn't crossed my mind, but if even a noblewoman calls the transportation expensive, then I can hardly expect to make a return of my investment, if indeed I tried to set up a large-scale operation all the way to Cenharb, not to mention this ungodly unrest with Salk" he shook his head as he realized that he had been shortsighted.
"Worry not Mr Goodboar" Audsrid responded with a smile "I probably wouldn't even have a stock of it, if it wasn't because my mage's institution is located in that part of Taoru'un" she spoke with a hint of pride seeping through her words.
"I assume you haven't specialized yet?" asked Sam politely, changing the topic to one relating to magic, this new change in topic made Mezcah half look at the young woman as well, awaiting her answer, as the idea of specialization might differ totally from what she knew of.
Audsrid nodded, she was still young after all, no more than 16 years of age, she was still studying fundamentals, it was already impressive that she had advanced so much at her age "No I haven't specialized yet, the more I learn, the more difficult it becomes" she said somewhat exasperatedly.
Sam rubbed his chin in thought, whilst Mezcah broke into the conversation "does your family not have a specialization?" she asked curiously. Sam couldn't help but give her a mental thumbs-up as this was an excellent question, his own family was focused on earth and creation magic, which could aid the business as well, in fact most noble families that he knew of, had some specialty, even if they sought out teachings from universities, institutions, towers, caves or others.
Audsrid blinked her eyes a couple of times "I don't believe the two of you know much about Taoru'un magic customs?" at her question they both shook their heads, Audsrid took a moment to think before she answered "well although some families might have some specialization, it is extremely uncommon, in fact the general practice is that of individual freedom, the family won't tie down the youngsters, but instead let them pursue their own interests, even though different families might have some secret libraries, it is the youngsters own choices whether they want to pursue this or that type of magic" she was quite happy while she was explaining, she knew that some of the more modernized countries looked down on the north, but she particularly found this freedom modern and smart "this practice apparently wasn't common around a thousand years ago, back then it was similar to many other places, but at the time our ancestors were still conquering the territories, however after settling down, in-fighting began, and the less-developed magic systems of many of the noble families suffered from the attacks from the northern continent Ma'Ra'Gol, our ancestors realized that we had to seek knowledge from where we could, and by allowing freedom in the ranks, our clans could develop faster, even if the direction was harder to predict!" She finished strongly with a large proud smile.
Sam pondered for a moment, Taoru'un was known mostly for one thing in Cenharb 'the staunch defender of the north' despite being underdeveloped in terms of technology, they were known to have strong mages and warriors, in fact everybody's indifference to the attack of the country of Salk only proved how strong the country must be, if that was the case, was this ideology the reasoning behind their strong mages and warriors? Furthermore from the story just now, he noticed that the ancestors had been strong enough to subdue Taoru'un, but had suffered defeat from the neighboring continent, so how strong were they? He couldn't help but scratch his neck somewhat nervously at the thought.
"That's amazing!" Mezcah burst out "in the south we are very focused on clan magics, and every clan is very large, with deep and old roots, it is very different!" she spoke with candor.
Audsrid was about to respond when she noticed Barandir next to her, she almost jumped out of her seat, when had he arrived?
. . . .
With a calculating gaze he observed the match, Avicia and Beate were both engaged in combat, Avicia relied on her tough body to counteract and repress Beate whose physical toughness was nowhere near on par. She made up to for this by moving quickly in heavy stomping steps, but Avicia was fast as well, it was clear who the stronger of the two were.
Meanwhile Bjorn, Fremont and Aurelius were standing by the weapon rack choosing their weapons. It pained Barandir to see the fighting, for he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep up, they were all strong, perhaps if had been able to break through as a warrior, then he'd be able to use some extreme movement techniques, but without natural energy most movement techniques were just advanced steps, they had limited potential, and would likely ruin his body. His fist clenched in frustration, this was all the fault of magic! The thought barely crossed his mind, before it exploded out from him in hideous bloodlust, even without a physical manifestation, it still knocked out the young Magnar, and severely pressured Audsrid, even Sam had hard time looking up at him.
The five warriors on the sparring field instantly noticed, Aurelius and Beate almost attacked, but were quickly stopped by the two siblings. However they missed one person, who out of a reflex reacted in a protective manner, and attacked!
Bjorn had already initiated the attack, and he was in no position to stop, the man in front of him was like a wild animal!
The attack from the large man broke the dam that contained the anger and frustration in Barandir; he reacted by instinct, his senses sharpening, his mind clouding. With a slight tilt of his body, his left foot moved in a half circular movement backwards, as his right thigh tautened, making the large Bjorn's practice-longsword miss him by a couple of inches. The moment of attack was also the moment of weakness, as Barandir shot out of his position, he moved low like a slithering snake, his left hand just barely grabbing and releasing Bjorn's foot, making him lose his momentum and tumble over.
In the short interval of Bjorn tumbling, and gaining balance, Barandir had honed in on a large battle-axe on the training rack. As he grabbed the axe a hand grabbed his arm, it was Fremont, his grip like iron, it was clear to the warriors that the young mage had lost himself in his bloodlust.
Unfortunately the moment his hand got a hold of the axe, a thousand memories of war and battle flooded over him, the smell of smoke, blood and iron, of the marching of armies and of the pain of loss and victory. A domineering energy was released it was an indescribable commanding energy, like a bloodthirsty general staring down an army singlehandedly. It made Fremont loosen his grip just a bit, which was just enough time for Barandir to react, his free right arm moved like flowing water underneath the wrist of Fremont's restricting arm, and with a sudden movement he broke the grip, the axe grabbed now by both hands swung fast and hard like a whirlwind slamming into Fremont, his left arm quickly blocking the blow, however the momentum and surprise of the indomitable energy blew him back several steps.
It was at this moment that Bjorn had appeared behind him, no longer trying to strike the man, but contain him; he too had realized that this mage was not in control.
With a twist of the axe, the momentum increased, the thick blade scraping against the rocky ground, creating a cascade of sparks that blocked the vision of Bjorn, and before he knew it the axe was stuck in his leg, it lacked the raw power to cut through, but it still cut into it. Blood spurted as Bjorn in amazement took a step back, a normal mage was doing this much damage on a warrior! It was truly inconceivable. He had long since let go of the sword, and now his bare fist moved in a straight line for the mage, he had to hold back, or he would surely kill him, but the speed was not something a mage should be able to deal with.
By sliding back, the axe slid out of the wound, and Barandir's right hand moved all the way up to the top grip of the axe, moving it into a blocking motion. As the punch hit the head of the axe, he deflected it, whilst also cutting at the wrist as the blade as the axe twisted. Instead of swinging the battle axe, he now moved it in a stabbing motion towards Bjorn's throat.
It never did go further than that though, as Fremont had recollected himself of the shock and knocked out Barandir in a swift motion from behind. Bjorn felt a trickle of sweat running down his forehead, even if the blade couldn't cut deep, the neck contained vital blood vessels, if unlucky it might've become critical.
Fremont grabbed the fainted Barandir, everyone was silently looking at the young man. Bjorn should've easily defeated him, but instead the man had unleashed skills and strength that no normal man should have, the most shocking part of course had been the domineering energy and bloodlust.
. . . .
Avicia had observed the entire event together with Aurelius and Beate, none of them had thought to act after the initial shock, as both Fremont and Bjorn should have individually been more than capable of handling the mage. However he had proved far more formidable than any of them had expected. It was obvious that the man wasn't some old expert in hiding, but he surely was keeping secrets.
The amount of bloodlust and domineering aura was akin to the stories of warriors from the old days, who accumulated these on the battlefields; there were even special techniques and manuals in cultivating these. It was however all but impossible to build up enough bloodlust, or domineering aura in today's society. In fact for thousands of years large scale fighting had been all but impossible, this was in large parts thanks to mages and their area of effect spells. Today war was fought with skirmishes, and by capturing key strategic points, the only large scale battles that occurred were perhaps against beasts or demon spawns. This begged the question of how exactly this young man accumulated such an amount of bloodlust and domineering aura. Everyone had secrets, but it was scary to think of how dangerous both energies could be had the man been able to use natural energy.
She was holding her left arm on the back of her hip in a relaxed manner as she watched Fremont carrying the now unconscious Barandir away. Meanwhile Bjorn had stopped the blood from leaving his thigh as he halted towards the manor behind Fremont, Audsrid running towards them.
The wind blew gently, rustling her grey hair as she walked to her brother, Aurelius and Beate behind her, while walking she noticed that Lonkar exited the Manor aggressively with a wild look in his eye, surely he had felt the uncontrolled bloodlust. Followed shortly afterwards by Talaitha a haggard look in her eyes, it would appear that she had been interrupted in a spell or ritual.
Fremont lay down Barandir on the stone bench, as Bjorn went into the training outhouse to get some ointments and bandages for his wounds. It was while everyone was gathered around Barandir and explaining to Lonkar and Talaitha; that Grantalo and his daughter appeared by the manor exit, both somehow out of breath. Avicia couldn't help but notice that Grantalo wore an ugly expression as he showed up, and that it was quickly replaced with one of surprise. She couldn't help but frown slightly at the sudden change in demeanor.
For the entire morning Gabbo had not shown himself, the Azoth dwarf was of concern, but he was also someone who had value when crossing through continents without a zeppelin, albeit Avicia did not feel confident in leaving the dwarf to his own devices.
. . . .
The entire Swallowflight family was waving the Darkwood gypsies and the assorted mix of guests' goodbye; truly Audsrid would have a lot to tell her fellow initiates when she saw them at Melisandre's birthday banquet in the early winter month Klodia. However perhaps she would see this Mr. Lonkar as well, she would surely have to confirm this with her friend beforehand. If he truly was Melisandre's uncle, then would she get to see the rest of the guests as well? They were all quite interesting, although it was quite obvious that they were avoiding telling them their relations and Lonkar especially avoided mentioning if he was a noble and what his last name was even. Time would tell, she brushed a piece of hair away from her eye, as she looked towards the bright orange sky, winter was coming soon.
. . . .
Talaitha was sitting in the wagon of the mixed group of foreigners; she was using her magic to gently mend the fainted mage. His mental energy was unstable to the extreme, and it kept fluctuating, his body however was healing rapidly, yet barely any magic and no natural energy was present in it, she couldn't help but sweat as she held two fingers with a small orange flame at the tip in between his eyebrows, and her palm with a green flame at the position of his heart, she was whispering in her native Taoru'un while she was healing him. She couldn't quite shake the lingering gaze of Lonkar, he was clearly prejudiced toward her, she wasn't entirely unused to those looks, but his gaze was intense in what felt like a personal way.
Whilst she was healing the young man, her memory wandered back, it had been Grantalo who had insisted that they followed along with Lonkar's group, even though this might delay their plans for arriving at the autumn festival. The reason for this delay was that the group of travelers wasn't willing to tell them specifically where they were going, except that it was north, and that they were using a lot of inconspicuous side roads, rather than the main ones.
. . . .
Meanwhile a large red gypsy caravan with lanterns and colourful patterns, with an elaborate roof tiling, was passing along next to Barandir's wagon. Inside of it was a lot of space, there were bunkbeds and drawers, shelves and cabinets, knickknacks and magical artefacts and ingredients. In the middle on a piece of brown fur sat Grantalo with a large piece of bark which was laid out upside down, runes and spell diagrams filling up the middle of it, several key-points, lighting up with small brown bright dots.
Grantalo held a small blue wooden flute which had similar rune carvings in bright brown, he then proceeded to play it, all the while his daughter kept a silence spell activated, disallowing anyone from registering the magic or hearing their voices.
After an hour a blurry flickering head popped up out of one of the brown dots, after another half an hour another popped up, three hours later twelve heads were flickering, their true appearances distorted. None of them spoke, they simply waited. A final note was played on the flute, as Grantalo put it down from his lips, with a sinister smile he spoke up "The mission from the Crowborne family seems attainable, I have located Lonkar Crowborne and his family companion!" he spoke softly "I have also found something interesting in the belongings of his companions, therein I found a ledger… if I am not mistaken there was a request of the location of a ledger with an orange beech leaf on it, I believe this ledger to be the one". He quietened down awaiting the response of one of his compatriots.
One of the twelve heads flickered slightly, a hoarse female voice came into being "do you need assistance in executing Lonkar and his companion?"
"Yes" he replied directly "they have two strong warriors, and three mages of unknown ability with them…" he hesitated for a moment "The family companion, I believe is the long lost son of the branch family, his name matches, and not only that, he might be a threat as well" he folded out his arms "I believe an indirect assassination might be most plausible, poison or other, if we can avoid a direct confrontation with their companions that would be for the best".
Another head started flickering, and a young man's voice sounded out "The contract for the ledger is simply to locate it, in this case we don't have to confront these other people, let me know when you know their destination and I will inform my contact" the face flickered once, and then disappeared.
The female hoarse voice sounded out again "tell us your location and path, and we will send assistance".
The meeting concluded with Grantalo coordinating the assassination and meeting.