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+ | < | ||
+ | turn: 160 | ||
+ | title: Lelen Meretal | ||
+ | start: 1001/10/14 09:00 | ||
+ | end: 1001/10/14 21:00 | ||
+ | played_date: | ||
+ | posted_date: | ||
+ | weather: cold | ||
+ | location: outside of Maelbourg, the barony of Huerten, the kingdom of Rang | ||
+ | xp_cundee: 18500 | ||
+ | xp_halaren: 18900 | ||
+ | xp_kreemon: 23100 | ||
+ | xp_ziedon: 26400 | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | Clouds moved rapidly overhead. After some time, Cundee, pacing up and down the length of the raft, trying to keep spirits up, saw a man approaching, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cundee' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The rowers -- all except the two cowled ones, who kept rowing until Ziedon told them to stop -- looked immensely relieved to have a new, simpler task. Joos threw the line, pulled it back, then threw it again, this time reaching the increasingly distant bank. The man on the bank tied the line to a tree and everyone pulled. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The raft didn't move. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Halaren scratched his chin. They were stuck, but good. He pondered. More ropes would not help - the rope and his knots were not the problem. Perhaps a rope bridge to the bank? Ah, but would a captain allow his ship to be abandoned so? | ||
+ | |||
+ | Only one thing for it. He needed first and foremost to deliver his message. He could discuss with the captain what else need be done after that. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "May I come aboard?! MAY I BOARD!? | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes, permission to board! Be aware that given the circumstances, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon gave Kreemon a look, and with a quiet word the two robed figures repositioned themselves between Ziedon and the newcomer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Hauling himself over the railing, the man sunk down to the deck, not seeming tired as much as unaccustomed to the swaying. He was dressed in a simple tunic over leather armor, a broadsword strapped to one leg. A muffler and cowl kept his head and mouth concealed. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Rather than answer, the captain broke the seal and unrolled the letter. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon looked over at Kreemon again. "What news from the town, Journeyman?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Halaren, calling himself Lelen, turned to face the speaker, studying him for a moment as Cundee opened the scroll tube. He made no move to approach, instead raising his voice to be heard: "' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lelen cleared his throat, and belted out a melodic tale of an evil sorcerer struck down by the daughter of Townsman Ulan. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon listened intently and upon completion asks, "The gates are still sealed? So, how did you come by this missive?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lelen, who had risen to his feet by now and was clutching at the railing, looked back over at the group of robed men. Something about them put him off his ease. | ||
+ | |||
+ | He turned his attention back to the Captain, speaking softer so Ziedon had to strain to hear. "If you care to know of such mundane things, please ask it to Townsman Makierrei. I am merely his agent." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The Sorcerer is dead?" Kreemon asked. "Does that mean the gates will be reopened?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lelen took a moment to size up this new speaker, obviously not one of the normal rowers, but certainly with enough muscle to get the job done. He adjusted his leather gloves and made introductions, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon arches an eyebrow, "How do you get messages to and from the city with the gates closed?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Once again, Lelen turned to look at the robed figures. "' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cundee' | ||
+ | |||
+ | When Cundee finished, he said, "very good! We will talk in a moment. But first...", | ||
+ | |||
+ | Joos looked at the captain for a second, then shrugged his shoulders, tied a line to his waist, took off his shirt and boots and dove into the water. The man wasn't the strongest swimmer, but in the calm water, he made it quickly enough. When the line was secured, and he'd finished retying the first line, he signaled Cundee. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cundee stepped on a crate. He motioned to Joos on the river bank to wait, then turned to the passenger and crew. " | ||
+ | area. You can only fight the elements for so long before you must alter course. Those who wish to journey elsewhere can make their way to the shore. I will refund any fares paid for passage and will not charge more to return to our prior campsite. My man Joos will help anyone cross who wishes to leave. Otherwise this raft is traveling back to the river-side campsite near the army. It will take a few minutes to shift the cargo so | ||
+ | we can safely backup, so think carefully. I'll give one more warning before Joos cuts the lines to shore." | ||
+ | "Very good, Captain. Will you that I stay as you compose a response? Or return ashore?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No point walking back. Please stay and be my guest. We can talk business on the way." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I accept your gracious invitation." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon frowned. "It does not appear we can depart the area anyway, though I had wished to start our journey. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cundee directed the crew to shift the cargo so they could reverse direction. He didn't want the risk turning around in the current. Since no one asked to leave, the crew picked up poles and oars once again and got to work, but try as they might, the barge wouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, this is unexpected," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Correcting his footwear, he continued to the Captain, "There are farms nearby. I can gather the service of pack animals, the purpose of which I would leave to your discretion, whether to pull the boat or carry your load." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Then ready the ropes. I return in short time with our solution." | ||
+ | |||
+ | A very dejected Cundee then got the crew to prepare for a tow from the river bank. He had them move cargo around, seemingly at random, until he was satisfied. Then to no one in particular: " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Back on firm earth, Lelen rested briefly and inspected the knots tied by Joos. Were nautical knots so much better than his own? After that, he jogged straight to the closest farm. He had passed several on his way from the city and was confident in his task. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon stepped up to the prow, his hand outstretched in front of him. It took him a moment to realize he was walking in place. The illusion didn't last as long as the day before. Ziedon thought he could almost feel the barrier now, as he ran his hand down the farthest point he could reach. When he touched the raft, he found that his hand stopped a fraction of an inch before the front of the barge. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon sat down on the deck of the barge, making himself comfortable. His two assistants moved to stand behind him. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind before focusing his attention on the wall in front of him. Soft words slipped from his lips as he meditated and ponders their predicament. | ||
+ | |||
+ | A quiet whistling began in Ziedon' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon blinked, and was staring up at the sky. Kreemon sat over him, shaking him by the shoulders. Had he passed out? He had no idea. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon got to his feet and said to the captain, "We are closer to this mysterious barrier than we were yesterday, so we //are// making forward progress, slow as it may be. Perhaps attempting to reverse course would not be wise at this time. If that messenger can obtain a wagon to ferry supplies to and fro, we could continue with our forward progress and eventually break through the barrier. Otherwise, you will still be stuck | ||
+ | inside the barrier, with the new trade goods from Maelbourg, with no way to get them out... Why lose the gains we have made thus far?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | It was almost dark by the time Lelen got back, though it felt like only a couple hours had passed. It hadn't been easy to find a farmer willing to part with his mules. Lelen had finally found the twelve year old daughter of a farmer, who needed the coin. She told a crazy story about her family and most of her farm being taken away from her by some evil magic. Lelen might have believed her, had he not been able to see the rest of the farm from where he stood. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The crew of the barge had experience with mules. They'd used them to pull against strong currents more than once. With the mules' harnesses tied to the raft, and the pole-men ready to keep it from hitting anything or getting too close to shore, they gave the signal to start. Kale, leading the mules, set them to walking. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The mules pulled and pulled. Kale urged them on through the tall river grasses, and soon there were furrows under their feet. | ||
+ | |||
+ | After only a short time pulling at the barge, Lelen, who had remained on land to oversee the mules, came to the realization that it was hopelessly trapped. He could not imagine a situation that would yield the results he was witnessing, but one did not argue with fact. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cundee looked down at the raft, then looked up and scanned along the line running to shore. He stared at the mules for a moment, then spoke: "Joos, unload the cargo. Once the cargo is off I want to bring as much of the raft ashore as possible. Perhaps we can rebuild at a later date." Cundee then prioritized the cargo to get the valuable stuff ashore first. As the crew unloaded, he did what he could to keep the raft balanced. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Aye, sir," he mimicked some of the language he heard around him. "I will man the loading, and see to a fire." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lelen took charge of the arrangements on the ground, using his strength where necessary to help with the moving. "You - what are you called? - stay you in the cart and pull these to the back. Which of you has worked with pack animals? You and you, lash these ropes 'round the beasts there, to distribute the weight. I show you. Many hands make for short work!" he called out, encouraging the workers onward. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Once half the goods where loaded up, Lelen set to work making a fire out of the way, humming a tune that any Andrithan would recognize as Our Mother, Our Provider. "Has anyone a kettle? I make tea to help us press on into the cold evening." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Between the fire on the raft and the fire on the river bank, there was enough light to work by. Barrels and crates and were carefully ferried to shore, using logs and the lines to keep them afloat. Two crates were overturned, one of which was full of blankets. Those had to be hung on nearby trees to dry, and there were enough that, out of the corner of the eye, one could imagine a small fleet of sailing ships moving through the forest. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Finally, when Halkak and Ot, both nearly full, were high in the sky, the cargo was secure. The river had receded, getting closer to its normal breadth. It had also calmed a good deal, hardly flowing at all now. | ||
+ | |||
+ | With a sigh and a shake of his head, the first mate brought out the saws and chisels. Under Cundee' | ||
+ | |||
+ | When Ziedon arrived on shore, Lelen approached him and his guards, his mood cheery yet reserved. "Good night, sirs." He held up a mug of steaming tea. "You have been long on that boat, and are surely tired. I advise, drink you this Wilds' tea. It will fortify you and warm you, and you will sleep well. I have only one mug. I hope it is no imposition to share from it." He held it towards the figures and smiled. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon took the mug and sniffed at the contents. It was a mixture of common herbs, easy on the nose. Wilds Tea was said to warm the body and calm the spirit -- probably just another superstition. "Thank you, that is very kind. A question: If we are stuck here, do you have a way to get us back into the city?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon shook his head. "No apologies are necessary. I am an herbalist by trade, but saw that the gates were closed so thought entry would be denied. Can you get us into the city?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | There was something strange about the two men behind Ziedon. Their stance was a little too rigid, their breath a little too quiet, and occasionally, | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Halaren headed off back to the secret way into Maelbourg. He was not expecting to be followed, thinking his ruse was going flawlessly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Halkak was high in the sky by the time the raft was dismantled, the foremost piece of each board still floating in the river. The wood and larger cargo were hidden in the forest, and the smaller cargo kept close. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Late in the night, Cundee saw Ziedon making rounds with his two followers. He stopped to talk to them, usually near a member of the crew. Then he would move on. | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||