"The windy tunnel entrance."
Star looked out of the transport window tiredly eyeing the large mountain range and the trading village coming into view. She tensed her hands flexing them into a fist. "Still sore, maybe they have some salves to help so it doesn't hurt or break open again."
A gust of wind and pushed her hood back revealing her tear stained face. She cursed and pulled the hood back over her face. She followed the small group into the trading tavern that had a sign of mountain peaks and looked for an empty place to sit.
"This place is very quiet… It suits my mood well." She looked up and stopped staring at the far wall. "It's detailed… Even more detailed then the map Red had in his office."
She sat at a nearby table and just stared at the map in silent awe.
"This map has been in my family for many years, and every year it is updated." Star turned and looked at the large woman.
"It's beautiful, the details of the fire mountains and the island chains is amazing. How did they do that as those lands are extremely dangerous and very difficult to reach?"
She watched the woman smile and touch her nose. "That's a secret, but… there are routes and ways where knowledge can pass." She looked at the tavern owner in confusion.
"The seas are heavily patrolled and the dangers of battery sea and beyond. It's not an easy crossing even for the most experienced."
"Hohohoho. Yes, the seas are terrible, however going by sea is not the only way…" She watched the old woman walk to the kitchen.
Star thought about the woman's remarks and looked at the map waiting for the woman to return. "Here is some freshly roasted meat with vegetables and a mug of plum wine. The best food you can get outside the capital if I don't say so myself.
Her mouth watered at the plate of food and she looked at the woman. "The mark of the map maker. I can't seem to find it?" The woman smiled at Star.
"So many questions. So many questions, but also so many secrets. Hohohoho." Star watched her walk back to the bar and serve the other travelers.
Star looked at her plate in silence and ate enjoying every bite while staring at the map.
"Bang"
"What was that?" She looked in the direction where the sound came from. "The tavern door…" She watched with her mouthful of food as a man dressed in strange climbing gear walked into the tavern.
"Who is that? What are they wearing?"
She watched as he sat at the bar drinking from a mug that the large woman gave him. "Strange man, I better eat my food and get some rest before I try the Stormy mountain."
"Bang"
She looked up at the bar and saw a shattered mug all over the top of the bar in front of the strange looking man. "Why did he do that?" She sat in silence listening.
"Sorry Maseli. I'll pay for it. The mountain tribes seem to be going at it again."
Star looked up. "He said mountain tribes…"
"Even the protectors of the road, don't go anywhere near them when they are fighting. Such barbarians. Our whole unit had to retreat as they were coming riding those beasts."
She saw him turn in her direction, as she caught his eyes for a moment she cursed and looked down at her nearly empty plate. "If the tribes are at war… How do I climb the mountain?" She played with her food lost in thought.
Star looked up at the man at the bar. "Maybe he is also from the mountain tribes as well." She looked at his clothing. "He doesn't wear the tribal clothing I have seen pictures of, but that doesn't mean anything."
She looked at her empty plate and sighed. "Finished already, but I still feel hungry."
"I need to get to the peak and then I'll know more about Red and why he was killed. Their killer must be punished and punished by my hands."
She looked up and noticed the large woman standing over her. "Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts…"
"Child, it looks like you've seen something bad, and now you're thinking of doing something reckless."
Star nodded sadly. "Yeah… I'm also a map drawer." She pulled out her map and pointed to the Stormy mountain range. "As you can see, this is incomplete and shows the Stormy mountains as an entire range, however we all know there is only one true Stormy mountain in the whole ravine system."
She watched the large woman sat across from her and followed her eye line to the bandages on her arms. She looked back at the woman and stared at her sad face.
"Let me see here…"
She slightly jumped in shock as she watched the large woman grabbed her hand and checked the bandages. Star lowered her head feeling fresh tears falling.
"There is only one thing that causes someone to do this, especially when someone was close to Red and Agnia. Someone like you Star."
She pulled her arm back in shock. "Please don't tell anyone I am here, and yes… you're right about bandages." She pleaded and stared into Maseli's eyes.
"Don't worry child, I'm not going to let this mouth of mine start blabbering about anything." The woman pointed at Star's arms. "However, if you even want to climb those mountains, you need to be fully healed or you'll not even be able to hit a rabbit that's sitting in front of you not even five paces away. Also, your body is clearly not ready for the steep climb."
She watched as tears fell onto the tabletop. "I need to get there, so I can find out what happened to Red and Agnia."
She sat in silence as she heard the large woman stand up, approach her and hug her. Star let her tears fall and her cries muffled by the large woman's clothes.
"How about this. You stay here and heal up first. Anyway, at this moment, those mountain tribes are fighting some war, and anyone caught will be killed tribes-person or not.���
She nodded in silence. "While you're healing, I'll introduce you to our mountain walker over there. We can let him know you're interested in becoming a mountain walker."
She looked at the large woman. "A mountain walker, I've never heard of them before." She followed the large woman and walked towards the bar. "They are the ones who travel the mountains and keep an eye on the wild animals and the mountain tribes… They keep them up there and us down here."
Star nodded. "So, they would know the way up the peak?" The woman nodded. "Yes, that's right. With my friend over there, if he takes you on as his apprentice you can start preparing how to climb those dangerous mountains." The woman pointed to Star's bandages. "Right now, you're not even going to make it up past the first ridge and that is the easiest thing to do."
She looked at the man sitting at the bar drinking from a mug.
"Slouen, I found someone you may take a liking too." The large woman pushed Star in front of her pulling her hood off at the same time. Star watched Slouen eye the wine in his mug without looking up at them.
"Sorry Maseli, I'm not interested in taking on an apprentice walker."
Star watched in silence as Maseli put her hands on her large hips in annoyance, grabbing Slouen's shoulder with one hand forcing him to look at Star. Star stared into Slouen's eyes and took a step back as he spat out the remaining wine all over her in surprise.
She looked at Maseli as she handed her a towel and walked around the bar. "I thought you would change your mind." Star cleaned her face and heard Slouen curse Maseli.
"I heard that, and now I want a finder's fee." She stared at Slouen in silence as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve and stared back at Star.
"You want to learn how to be a walker, well I'll show you. You already have the eyes for it." Star looked confused. "What do you mean? I don't understand, what do you know about having the eyes for it?"
Slouen looked at her, "those eyes of yours are the mark of one of the mountain tribes in the range. That means you have tribes' blood in you. No idea how you got down here, but you have the blood… I'm certain of it." She sat at the bar and watched as he emptied the mug in front of her.
She sat in silence staring at Slouen as he looked at her from her head to her feet. "You have agility, which is good in being a walker, but you are lacking strength, especially in your thighs and arms." He leaned forward and gently pinched her arm. "See." She looked at him in disgust while he smiled and emptied the clay mug again.
"We'll start your training first thing in the morning. I guess you can use the mountain tribe's sight ability. However, we'll just have to focus it a bit better."
Star looked at him. "How do you know all about the mountain tribes, and how do you know there is tribal blood in my veins?"
Slouen looked at her and shook his head in slight annoyance. "Kid, I grew up around these mountains, and I know every nook and cranny of these ranges. I have also spent time with the tribes learning their languages and seeing their feuds."
He then pointed to his eyes, "I was also told legends and part of the history of the mountain tribes. Even though they have not told me everything, one thing they did tell me is there is a ritual done to the tribes-people, and if it is successful their eyes change."
She watched him in silence as he pulled out a rolled-up parchment and spread it out on the bar with Maseli looking on as well.
She leaned and looked at the old and torn parchment. "Are these the different eyes of the mountain tribes?" She couldn't take her eyes away from the parchment. She heard Slouen's voice. "They gave me this parchment, as they were telling me some of their history. Each eye pattern on here is from a different family within the tribes-people.��
"So many different families…" She watched as Slouen's finger pointed to an eye pattern which looked exactly like hers. She watched him smile and almost jump in excitement. "Kid, your blood is from the Sky dragon tribe. They are one of the oldest but…" She looked at him as he went silent. "But what?"
Slouen took another drink from his freshly filled mug and looked back at Star. "… Kid, no one has heard from that tribe in about twenty years."
She sat in silence looking down at the bar. She could feel tears forming behind her eyes. "Has something happened to them? She wondered and looked at Slouen looking excitedly in his drink.
"When you're ready we're going to climb the Stormy mountain. No one has ever been able to walk there without dying or being held captive. We're going to be the first to contact the Sky dragon tribe."
Star looked at Maseli in confusion her voice cutting through his. "Hey… You just said before the tribes are all at war. How are the both of you going up their holy mountain without being killed?"
Star watched Slouen look at Maseli and then pointed a finger at her while looking at Maseli. "She's the ticket there… Her blood will allow us through. They will also want to know what happened to one of their tribe. We can say that I'm taking her back to her people."
Star looked at Maseli and smiled noticing Maseli's frown. "Finally, some good news. When do we begin?"
"Cough. Cough."
She heard Maseli cough. She looked at the large woman with her hand on the parchment and the other on her hip. "She's not going anywhere right now. She is injured, and she needs to rest and also to be trained before I let you take her anywhere near those mountains"
Star looked at Maseli in silence. "Upstairs, third door is yours…"
She felt helpless in front of Maseli. "Kid listen to her. Once she is this way no one is ever going to win."
Star nodded and followed Maseli's finger as she pointed to the wooden stairs nearby. "Fire batterys are there to heat the water for baths, and I'll be up later to dress your scratches later."
Star looked shocked and stared at Maseli. "I didn't say to stare at me, now hurry up and go."
"Sorry Maseli…" She picked up her bag and bow from the table and slowly went up the wooden stairs under the strict gaze of Maseli.