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[howandwhy99]

[Session 13]

[DAY 97 – Sunday, Sceptre 1st, CY 81]

The team slept in late Sunday after the long discussion around the campfire. No one relished another day of saddle sores riding through the rough terrain. Grog looked to be tiring as well. Darius convinced Dram to describe his brother in case they could find him in Kera. “He looks like me only shorter… and a little older. He’s a damn find smith”, said Dram.
“Good smith is worth much as slave,” said Grog. This tugged at Ben’s memory.
“What do they do in Kera?” he asked. “What’s it like?”
”Fifth Earl of Kera rules. People of Kera, they mine metal. Bad metal. Not good metal like Margrave or Dwarves”, said Grog. “Kera cuts wood from Greenwillow too.” Grog admitted he had not been to Kera very often. He did not like it there out of everywhere he had traveled.

“Where have you traveled to, Grog?” asked Darius. The half-ogre said he had walked all along the Hellfurnace’s Mountain range. But only on the western side near Margrave. He did not explain why he had not crossed to the west, but quickly continued with his story. “From North Grog visit Radon, Sunstar, Nightshade, Raveneye, Kera, and Margrave. Grog like Margrave best.” Radon was a placed ruled by the Viscount Radon – a short human – and very militaristic. “They are likely at the Front then”, surmised Kayla.
“Sunstar, Nightshade, Raveneye is mixed breeds, half-breeds,” explained Grog. “Council… Feefdum.”

As the day wore away a cool wind a strong, cool breeze picked up from the east. As the group walked into it Grog said they would reach Kera by nightfall. Outside the city were several unprotected territories. They would be at the outskirts of one or another soon.

Rose’s ears twitched. The feeling of being watched was stronger than ever. Kayla and Diedre had been bothered by the sense too. Ben felt least effected. Something was watching them; something in the woods. Rose who was sharing her horse with Darius convinced him to steer towards the Forest. Once in range she called out to whatever animals might be within. It sounded like strange grunting and chittering to everyone else. “Why are there no roads? Grog, don’t the people of Kera ever come to your… inn?” asked Kayla.
“No road. Broken land is here. Caravans are attacked here,” he responded. “People can be sold for money. In Kera. It is a secret, but everyone knows”.

Rose used the human tongue again. “It is always like this. It’s difficult to be certain, but it may have always been like this. The watching.” Ben rode up to her and Darius’s side. He requested a private meeting off to one side with her for a few minutes. After a few grumblings Darius agreed, but he would not leave the horse. The dwarf tried to ignore the two as they talked in private.

Rose: “What is it husband? Have you finally admitted we are married?”

Ben: "No. Just stop for a second.”

“You said before that you had a dream, a dream where laughter seemed to come from everywhere. It is very important to me about the laughter. Do you know whose it was? Have you heard it in your dreams since then? Do you ever feel anything when you hear the laughter? Or do you hear it when you are awake? It is important. It may mean more than we suspect right now. It may also be a key to your own past."

"But this should not be a concern of the others right now either. Likely they will think I am making too much over this thing. So if you do hear it again it might be best to tell just me. To tell me when you hear the laughter and how you feel when you do. Do you understand? Can we keep this in confidence?"

"You know that there are two kinds of secrets that the Gods speak to us of? The first kind is divisive. They can separate us and create conflict, even cause pain because of their existence. This is the type of secret most think of because they eventually become so widely known and the conflict is seen. But there is a second kind, the kind that draws those who know it closer together. The kind where shared confidence strengthens bonds and not severs them. Your telling us your past is like this kind of secret. A bonding. Do you agree? Will you keep this a secret?"

"There are some other concerns I wanted to talk to you about too. You spoke of the history of the Fairy. How they could see souls in the sky watching them in the night. Is this really possible? Can you see such things?"

"Also, our band has had difficulty in the past with shapechangers. Darius may have been framed by one in Harling. Others killed many at the town we were staying in. They burnt down an Inn and...killed a Brother of mine. They worked with an infernal reptile creature with black scales. Some called it a Dragon like in the stories. Is it possible that the Fae would work for such a beast? Perhaps the 'Runners of the Black Flame' as you call them?"

"And where are the Fae lands? Behind the stars perhaps? It is said that the heavens above have a myriad of stories we can never know. Your description of the lands as being eyeless night might give us a clue on where they are. Surely not in the depths of the earth below, no? The flame below the table of land on which we stand would have lit your eyes then, right? But perhaps you were truly blind and not just in darkness. Perhaps you could recall how you came to the world from your lands?"

"As to your own questions it would be best to wait before answering. We are almost to Kera now and it would be best to focus on minds on the difficulty of freeing Dram's brother."

"For such petty issues of greed and avarice we might not need to speak at all. The love of gold by Dwarves is widely spoken of, the love of money and power by Mens, magic by Elves, and now flesh by Fairy. Each is a vice which is best overcome rather than dwelled upon."

"And yes, yes, we will speak of Gods later. And how many do not lie, but speak with knowledge greater than we can learn on our own. And of the use of earth and metal (though Darius is likely better versed in that topic than I). And of Will and of Fate. And of the war to the East. And of the how our dead serve us in ways you may not have imagined. We can save these questions for later."