Chapter 4: Chapter 4

They rose early the next morning in a very groggy way, grimacing at the bright sunlight that shone down through the large gap above their heads. To their surprise, there were already a great number of figures moving around Shallow Brook, tending to a variety of activities. There didn’t seem to be any sign of Lady Breeden or her attending healers, they noticed. Perhaps they were resting. It wasn’t of too much concern for them in any event, as their work was done. What they had to do now was get going on another contract.

Fortunately for them, or perhaps, unfortunately, another contract wasn’t long in coming. As they sat around a small fire, eating bowls of hot spiced porridge that the druids had provided them, a figure in a long brown and grey robe hurried over to them. He looked very distraught.

“You were the ones that brought our guest here last night, yes?” He asked his chest heaving with the effort of his rush over. Before either of them could confirm, he spoke again, tumbling through his words. “Please, come see Elder Shaso at once!”

Then he was away again without explaining what it was about or exactly where they could find Falynn’s mother. But they rose, nonetheless, confident that Falynn could direct them. Leonov seemed mildly amused at the event. “I wonder what could be so serious that he would have to run to find us?”

“It can’t be that serious,” Roni said. “We’re still novices in the guild. I bet there’s some small trinket they want us to find.”

“Maybe one of the children wandered off and can’t be found,” Leonov guessed. But Falynn was quick to shoot that down.

“They have people for important things like that,” she explained. They found it strange that she was already referring to the people of Shallow Brook as strangers. How badly had she wanted to escape her home? “I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. Let’s just hear what my mother has to say.”

They gathered up their equipment as quickly as they could. For most of them, it was an easy affair. For Leonov and Taiki, a bit longer, as they had armor to sling back on and buckle into place. After five minutes, they were off. Under Falynn’s direction, it didn’t take them long to find the Elder’s home. It was simple yet beautiful. A large tree, probably the largest, had grown at the far edge of the open space, with an opening that had been fitted with a large wooden door. It opened of its own accord as they approached, revealing the woman they were searching for.

“Good,” she said kindly. “Andor was able to find you, then. I’d feared that you had already left.”

Taiki looked back over their shoulder at the site where their tents had been located. It was well within sight, so she didn’t understand how it could have been an issue to locate them. But she let the matter slide for the time being, at least. “What do you need us  to do?”

“One of our caravans has gone astray,” the woman said, wasting no time. “They were supposed to arrive shortly before you did last night.”

“So it’s a little late,” Falynn said. “Caravans are late sometimes. What makes you think something is wrong?”

The tiniest flash of irritation spread across her mother’s face, a sign of a recent conflict between them brought back to the front of her mind. “Because I know, Falynn.”

The two women glared at each other in silence for several seconds before Leonov spoke, breaking the silence. “I believe it is a good question, Elder Shaso. Has something specific happened to cause your concern?”

“Yes,” she admitted. “The guard assigned to the caravan arrived last night while you were asleep. Without their caravan.”

“And?”

“They claimed not to know of their job to protect the caravan. When we questioned them, they showed signs of missing memory. A healer examined them and found magic affecting their minds.”

“So someone took the caravan,” Taiki guessed, rubbing their chins. There was a strange look on her face. It wasn’t quite anger, but it was disturbed. “And you think some rogue mage altered their memories so that nobody would take notice of it.”

“I admit that is my fear,” Falynn’s mother said. “We’ve sent out a few scouts and found the trail, but ours is not a warrior’s commune. It would take too long to make contact with one, so we want you to take the work on yourselves.”

“I understand,” Leonov said his expression grave. “Caravans are important. Without supplies, your people suffer.”

“Quite so,” she said, nodding in agreement. “Which is why this is so pressing. If you are able to locate our caravan, we will pay you handsomely for the effort.”

“How handsomely?” Falynn asked. She knew her mother well enough to know that she wouldn’t get involved with a single missing caravan. So whatever had been taken had to be important. “What’s gone missing, mother?”

“A rather large bundle of living wood.”

Falynn let out a gasp of shock, and her mother nodded significantly. “We can’t let just anyone get their hands on that.”

“Exactly. And you have a gift for manipulating living wood, so you’ll be perfect for the job. As long as the others can get you there safely, I believe we can recover it without much trouble.”

Falynn bristled at that. “They are not my guards! We are equals in this adventure.”

“I see.” Despite the words, her mother was clearly unconvinced. Falynn opened her mouth at once to argue the point further, but Taiki, sensing that it would devolve into an hour-long feud, decided to intervene. They wanted to get down to the details as quickly as possible.

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“Where was the caravan supposed to be coming from?” They asked. “Do the guards remember where they were last when they lost their memories?”

“Ah,” Elder Shaso seemed unbalanced by the sudden interruption to her argument. “The guards… Yes. I apologize. They have no way of recalling where they went astray, but we’ve been able to deduce the rough area.”

She procured a folded map from inside her sleeve and held it out. “All the pertinent details are recorded there. Part of the job will require that you find out exactly where the cart is yourself, of course, but that shouldn’t be much of an issue. Living wood leaves a very potent trace wherever it goes. Some of our people, my daughter included, can track it. So you really only need to find the point that it went off-course and follow that.”

Taiki took the map and unfolded it. The indicated area seemed to be a stretch of road between Draco and the Estavor River, which ran out to the ocean. “This is a wide river. Could they cross at any point along this route?”

“It is possible to cross where the Queen’s Road crosses it,” Elder Shaso said. “But I doubt that they will do so. If they are smart, they will have stayed somewhere in the area. Another commune is close to the river mouth, and they regularly patrol regularly.”

Taiki nodded their understanding. “Very well. We will strike out at once and travel to the north to investigate.”

“I greatly appreciate it. When you have secured the living wood again, please return it to us. We will pay you eighty gold pieces for its retrieval.”

Leonov let out a low whistle at the figure. It was more than twice what he’d earned in a year as a sergeant. Even Roni, who knew nothing of money or how it was spent, seemed impressed by the reward. She imagined that she could put that money to good use.

“I wish you safe and speedy travels,” Elder Shaso performed the Mother’s Blessing, as the man last night had done, and smiled. “Please guard yourselves as you work to return our precious materials.”

 

-

 

An hour later, they were free of the forest. Without the caravan to slow them down, they were able to take a more direct path, ducking on and off of the main path. Falynn seemed alert until they broke out from under the trees, her shining green eyes surveying left and right along their chosen path of travel. From time to time, she’d spin around and check behind. It would have been an impressive display of grace and attentiveness was it not for her penchant for stumbling often.

“How are you so clumsy in nature?” Roni asked her after the druid girl had fallen on her backside for perhaps the eighth time. “You’d think growing up in this forest would make you better at avoiding all the roots.”

“I’m not the best at sneaking around,” Falynn admitted. “But I’m a good mage. There are more important things in life than being able to strut around like you own the place.”

Roni shrugged diffidently. By comparison, she moved like a ghost, stepping over large roots, through bushes, and across the small streams they found with such speed and grace; it was a shocking comparison. She seemed totally at ease under the trees, and they even lost track of her for a second from time to time. She blended into every shadow and dip in the ground so flawlessly that she was like a whisper.

“I wonder if you’d be just as good remaining unnoticed on the battlefield,” Leonov commented once they’d stopped for a short rest at the forest’s edge. “That kind of stealth could come in handy.”

“It’s served me well many times,” The ranger answered. “Both in stalking during hunting and in hunting larger prey.”

They didn’t bother to ask what kind of larger prey she meant, judging that they’d rather not know. But Leonov continued to look at her with an impressed sort of stare. “I’m not the type for stealth. I am at my best when I carve my presence on the field.”

Taiki nodded to indicate that they were of the same vein. “But of course, it is easier to travel on the open road than it is along a forest trail.”

There was no arguing with that. They finished their rest quickly and made their way north, staying on the Queen’s Road, as it was well-maintained. Even Falynn, the least physically fit among them, was able to maintain a light jog for several hours. After she faded, she transformed her staff into a horse again and road beside them.

It was nearly four hours before Roni broke the silence, staring at the large mountain just barely visible on the far horizon. A fork in the road was drawing close that would take them closer to it. “When we return the living wood to Shallow Brook, I’d like to make a stop at Draco if that’s agreeable with you.”

“The city of dragons?” Falynn asked, her eyes wide. “Why would you want to go there?”

In answer, Roni pointed silently at the small green dragon that was flapping through the air to her left. “Gadderoth. I still don’t know enough about how to train him properly. Rumor is that the Sky Fiends base themselves in Draco. I could speak with them, or anyone who knows how to handle dragons.”

 

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