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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7475880" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 189</p><p></p><p>They reached the Tender outpost about an hour shy of sunset.</p><p></p><p>At first, Glori did not even realize that they had arrived. It wasn’t until the Rangers stopped that she took a second look at their surroundings and saw that they’d reached their destination.</p><p></p><p>The outpost was situated on the edge of a clearing, one of the gaps in the forest that had been relatively rare during their journey. The site consisted of a small collection of stone structures with low, almost flat shingle roofs. The reason she’d missed them at first was that they were all covered by a shroud of fresh growth. Vines crept up the stone walls, with clinging moss filling in the gaps. The roofs were almost invisible under a drape of green, and most were in a state of fairly advanced state of collapse that left their interiors open to the elements. One of the buildings even had a young tree poking out through a broad gap in the shingles.</p><p></p><p>“How long has this place been abandoned?” Kosk asked.</p><p></p><p>“I… I didn’t know it was,” Brightbriar said. Glori looked over to see that the old Tender had a look of utter confusion on his face. “How long has it been since you’ve last been here?” she asked. “Tender?”</p><p></p><p>He blinked and looked at her. “A few years,” he admitted. “But if they’d been planning on moving the outpost, I certainly would have heard of it…”</p><p></p><p>“Check it out,” Shreskra ordered. Her Rangers spread out as they approached the outpost, their weapons at the ready. “Wait here,” she ordered as Embrae started to edge after them. “After what happened earlier, better to be careful,” the Ranger leader added.</p><p></p><p>“How many Tenders are supposed to be here?” Glori asked.</p><p></p><p>“They would spend most of their time rotating out in the Reserve,” Brightbriar said. “But there should be at least a small group stationed here, maybe half a dozen.”</p><p></p><p>“There’s nobody here now,” Embrae said, still staring at the wreckage of the outpost.</p><p></p><p>“Let’s wait for the report,” Shreskra said, though it was clear that she too was unnerved by the unexpected development.</p><p></p><p>It didn’t take long for the Rangers to return. “No one’s here,” Razelle said. “The site’s been deserted for a while, but…” she trailed off.</p><p></p><p>“What is it?” Shreskra asked impatiently.</p><p></p><p>“It’s weird,” the scout said. “I would say from the growth that it’s been like this for a few seasons, at least. But some of the damage… it looks fairly recent. And we found a few signs that someone’s been here not too long ago.”</p><p></p><p>“The Tenders?” Shreskra asked.</p><p></p><p>“I can’t say for sure. I’m sorry, Patrol Leader, I can’t be more specific. The signs are just…”</p><p></p><p>“‘Weird,’” Shreskra said.</p><p></p><p>“Are we going to camp here tonight?” Kosk asked.</p><p></p><p>Shreskra looked over at Brightbriar. “Tender? Are there any other places that might offer good shelter near here?”</p><p></p><p>“Nothing that offers as much protection as these buildings,” the old elf replied.</p><p></p><p>“All right,” Shreskra said. “We’ll set up camp here, but keep an eye out.” Turning back to Razelle, she added, “Check the surrounding area, see if there’s any indication of what happened to the Tenders, or if there are any more clues about what happened ere and when.”</p><p></p><p>“Yes, Patrol Leader,” the scout said, snapping off a quick salute before running off to rejoin her companions.</p><p></p><p>They took full advantage of the remaining daylight in setting up their camp. The Rangers chose the most intact of the three buildings to serve as their base, though even that one had multiple gaping holes in its roof. Some of the growth that coated the outside of the structure had made it inside, and they had to hack a probing vine out the interior of the fireplace before they could use it, but by the time that the last remnants of daylight had faded they were settled in.</p><p></p><p>The scouts hadn’t turned up any more clues in the forest around the outpost, but the mysteries of the place remained unsolved. The condition of the roof and the state of the interior seemed to support the theory that the place had been abandoned months if not years ago, but they found some old caches of stores that looked almost edible. To be safe they discarded it all and relied on the supplies that they’d brought with them.</p><p></p><p>“I don’t understand,” Glori said. “How can an entire outpost just disappear without anyone knowing anything about it? I know you said that the Reserve is separate and protected, but surely there is some communication…”</p><p></p><p>“The Tenders usually serve for two or three seasons at a time,” Embrae explained. “The outposts are supposed to be self-sufficient, with only the barest minimum of supplies brought in. If there were more frequent exchanges with the outside, it would defeat the whole purpose of the place.”</p><p></p><p>“But surely someone must monitor…” Glori said.</p><p></p><p>“Technically, the Reserve is a royal grant,” Majerion chimed in from beside the fire. “Therefore, it’s the King’s responsibility.”</p><p></p><p>“But wouldn’t that mean that there is direct oversight…”</p><p></p><p>“Actually, it means the opposite,” the elf bard interjected. Glori remembered that habit of his, and found it just as annoying now as she always had.</p><p></p><p>“Perhaps this is not an appropriate topic in front of outsiders,” Shreskra said.</p><p></p><p>“It’s hardly a state secret,” Majerion said cheerfully. “The King, you see, has relatively little power. Most of the true levers of power are operated within the Advisory Council. Running the Reserve would be the perfect ceremonial post, if not for the power that this place represents. Thus the arcanists on the Council are happy to let the Druid run things as he wishes, as long as the power they draw from the Reserve remains intact and potent.”</p><p></p><p>“It doesn’t seem like things are running all that smoothly right now,” Kosk said.</p><p></p><p>“No, it doesn’t,” Majerion said. “So here we are.”</p><p></p><p>Glori frowned, thinking about their encounter with the Council before they’d left Tal Nadesh. <em>Everyone has an agenda</em>, she thought.</p><p></p><p>“This Druid character, he sounds almost like a king himself, at least in here,” Kosk said.</p><p></p><p>“A not wholly inaccurate assessment,” Majerion said, at the same time that Brightbriar and Shreskra both said, “That’s not true at all.” The three elves shared a look.</p><p></p><p>“Who is he?” Kosk asked. “How is he selected?”</p><p></p><p>Neither the Ranger leader nor the Tender looked like they wanted to answer, but after a moment Embrae said, “The Druid usually comes from within the higher ranks of the Tenders, but not always. Sometimes… sometimes people find themselves drawn to the Reserve, called to service.”</p><p></p><p>“What, you mean like an inner voice?” Glori asked.</p><p></p><p>“It’s not like that,” Brightbriar said. “More like a sense of rightness, of purpose.”</p><p></p><p>“Is that what you felt?” Glori asked Embrae.</p><p></p><p>The elf woman looked uncomfortable. “It turned out that it wasn’t my path,” she said.</p><p></p><p>Brightbriar abruptly turned toward the door. “I need some air,” he said.</p><p></p><p>“You shouldn’t head off alone,” Shreskra said.</p><p></p><p>“The Reserve holds no terrors for me,” the Tender said. Before the Ranger or anyone else could offer further comment he opened the door and was gone.</p><p></p><p>“I think I am going to go outside for a moment myself,” Glori said.</p><p></p><p>“The Ranger’s advice is sound,” Kosk said, getting up. “I will go with you.”</p><p></p><p>“No, it’s all right,” Glori said. “I just need a few minutes, before supper is ready. Razelle is out there keeping watch, and I won’t go far.”</p><p></p><p>The dwarf frowned, and it looked like he might insist, but Embrae rose and interjected, “I’ll go.” She gave Glori a knowing look.</p><p></p><p>The monk’s presence drew another protest from Shreskra, but the two women were finally able to extract themselves and go outside. It was almost full dark now, the sky marbled in the last lingering colors of the fading twilight. There was no sign of Razelle, but Glori was used to not being able to see the scout. The elf woman seemed to hide just as a matter of course.</p><p></p><p>“Thanks,” Glori said.</p><p></p><p>“Privacy is a valuable commodity at times like this,” the monk said.</p><p></p><p>“My human side is being particularly troublesome this month,” the bard replied. “Sorry, that’s probably more information than you wanted to hear.”</p><p></p><p>“Remember that I lived among humans for a long time,” Embrae said. “And in a monastery there is less privacy than in most settlements. Did you want to use one of the other buildings, or…”</p><p></p><p>“A quiet spot outside will suffice.”</p><p></p><p>“I won’t be far.”</p><p></p><p>They walked around to the far side of the building. From that side the overgrown structure was almost invisible under its cloak of greenery. Only the thin thread of smoke rising from the chimney revealed the truth.</p><p></p><p>The night had only added to the sinister mood of the abandoned outpost, and Glori didn’t linger at her task. The advancing darkness gave her enough privacy that she did not have to go further than a stone’s throw from the house, and she quickly attended to her business and cleaned herself up. But when she turned back toward the house she didn’t seem Embrae at first.</p><p></p><p>“Embrae?” she said quietly.</p><p></p><p>A slight shuffle in the grass drew her attention around, away from the camp. There was someone standing there, maybe five paces away. It was dark enough that it could have been the monk, but there was something subtly off about the silhouette, and more than that, an indefinable sense of wrongness that awoke a clutching sense of terror in Glori’s belly.</p><p></p><p>She reached for her lyre—she had not been so stupid as to leave it or her sword in the house—and strummed a quick melody. <em>Dancing lights</em> flared into being, surrounding the intruder and driving back the night.</p><p></p><p>As the light revealed the other, Glori opened her mouth to shout a warning. But she didn’t get a chance, as the figure suddenly lunged forward and swung an arm at her head.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7475880, member: 143"] Chapter 189 They reached the Tender outpost about an hour shy of sunset. At first, Glori did not even realize that they had arrived. It wasn’t until the Rangers stopped that she took a second look at their surroundings and saw that they’d reached their destination. The outpost was situated on the edge of a clearing, one of the gaps in the forest that had been relatively rare during their journey. The site consisted of a small collection of stone structures with low, almost flat shingle roofs. The reason she’d missed them at first was that they were all covered by a shroud of fresh growth. Vines crept up the stone walls, with clinging moss filling in the gaps. The roofs were almost invisible under a drape of green, and most were in a state of fairly advanced state of collapse that left their interiors open to the elements. One of the buildings even had a young tree poking out through a broad gap in the shingles. “How long has this place been abandoned?” Kosk asked. “I… I didn’t know it was,” Brightbriar said. Glori looked over to see that the old Tender had a look of utter confusion on his face. “How long has it been since you’ve last been here?” she asked. “Tender?” He blinked and looked at her. “A few years,” he admitted. “But if they’d been planning on moving the outpost, I certainly would have heard of it…” “Check it out,” Shreskra ordered. Her Rangers spread out as they approached the outpost, their weapons at the ready. “Wait here,” she ordered as Embrae started to edge after them. “After what happened earlier, better to be careful,” the Ranger leader added. “How many Tenders are supposed to be here?” Glori asked. “They would spend most of their time rotating out in the Reserve,” Brightbriar said. “But there should be at least a small group stationed here, maybe half a dozen.” “There’s nobody here now,” Embrae said, still staring at the wreckage of the outpost. “Let’s wait for the report,” Shreskra said, though it was clear that she too was unnerved by the unexpected development. It didn’t take long for the Rangers to return. “No one’s here,” Razelle said. “The site’s been deserted for a while, but…” she trailed off. “What is it?” Shreskra asked impatiently. “It’s weird,” the scout said. “I would say from the growth that it’s been like this for a few seasons, at least. But some of the damage… it looks fairly recent. And we found a few signs that someone’s been here not too long ago.” “The Tenders?” Shreskra asked. “I can’t say for sure. I’m sorry, Patrol Leader, I can’t be more specific. The signs are just…” “‘Weird,’” Shreskra said. “Are we going to camp here tonight?” Kosk asked. Shreskra looked over at Brightbriar. “Tender? Are there any other places that might offer good shelter near here?” “Nothing that offers as much protection as these buildings,” the old elf replied. “All right,” Shreskra said. “We’ll set up camp here, but keep an eye out.” Turning back to Razelle, she added, “Check the surrounding area, see if there’s any indication of what happened to the Tenders, or if there are any more clues about what happened ere and when.” “Yes, Patrol Leader,” the scout said, snapping off a quick salute before running off to rejoin her companions. They took full advantage of the remaining daylight in setting up their camp. The Rangers chose the most intact of the three buildings to serve as their base, though even that one had multiple gaping holes in its roof. Some of the growth that coated the outside of the structure had made it inside, and they had to hack a probing vine out the interior of the fireplace before they could use it, but by the time that the last remnants of daylight had faded they were settled in. The scouts hadn’t turned up any more clues in the forest around the outpost, but the mysteries of the place remained unsolved. The condition of the roof and the state of the interior seemed to support the theory that the place had been abandoned months if not years ago, but they found some old caches of stores that looked almost edible. To be safe they discarded it all and relied on the supplies that they’d brought with them. “I don’t understand,” Glori said. “How can an entire outpost just disappear without anyone knowing anything about it? I know you said that the Reserve is separate and protected, but surely there is some communication…” “The Tenders usually serve for two or three seasons at a time,” Embrae explained. “The outposts are supposed to be self-sufficient, with only the barest minimum of supplies brought in. If there were more frequent exchanges with the outside, it would defeat the whole purpose of the place.” “But surely someone must monitor…” Glori said. “Technically, the Reserve is a royal grant,” Majerion chimed in from beside the fire. “Therefore, it’s the King’s responsibility.” “But wouldn’t that mean that there is direct oversight…” “Actually, it means the opposite,” the elf bard interjected. Glori remembered that habit of his, and found it just as annoying now as she always had. “Perhaps this is not an appropriate topic in front of outsiders,” Shreskra said. “It’s hardly a state secret,” Majerion said cheerfully. “The King, you see, has relatively little power. Most of the true levers of power are operated within the Advisory Council. Running the Reserve would be the perfect ceremonial post, if not for the power that this place represents. Thus the arcanists on the Council are happy to let the Druid run things as he wishes, as long as the power they draw from the Reserve remains intact and potent.” “It doesn’t seem like things are running all that smoothly right now,” Kosk said. “No, it doesn’t,” Majerion said. “So here we are.” Glori frowned, thinking about their encounter with the Council before they’d left Tal Nadesh. [i]Everyone has an agenda[/i], she thought. “This Druid character, he sounds almost like a king himself, at least in here,” Kosk said. “A not wholly inaccurate assessment,” Majerion said, at the same time that Brightbriar and Shreskra both said, “That’s not true at all.” The three elves shared a look. “Who is he?” Kosk asked. “How is he selected?” Neither the Ranger leader nor the Tender looked like they wanted to answer, but after a moment Embrae said, “The Druid usually comes from within the higher ranks of the Tenders, but not always. Sometimes… sometimes people find themselves drawn to the Reserve, called to service.” “What, you mean like an inner voice?” Glori asked. “It’s not like that,” Brightbriar said. “More like a sense of rightness, of purpose.” “Is that what you felt?” Glori asked Embrae. The elf woman looked uncomfortable. “It turned out that it wasn’t my path,” she said. Brightbriar abruptly turned toward the door. “I need some air,” he said. “You shouldn’t head off alone,” Shreskra said. “The Reserve holds no terrors for me,” the Tender said. Before the Ranger or anyone else could offer further comment he opened the door and was gone. “I think I am going to go outside for a moment myself,” Glori said. “The Ranger’s advice is sound,” Kosk said, getting up. “I will go with you.” “No, it’s all right,” Glori said. “I just need a few minutes, before supper is ready. Razelle is out there keeping watch, and I won’t go far.” The dwarf frowned, and it looked like he might insist, but Embrae rose and interjected, “I’ll go.” She gave Glori a knowing look. The monk’s presence drew another protest from Shreskra, but the two women were finally able to extract themselves and go outside. It was almost full dark now, the sky marbled in the last lingering colors of the fading twilight. There was no sign of Razelle, but Glori was used to not being able to see the scout. The elf woman seemed to hide just as a matter of course. “Thanks,” Glori said. “Privacy is a valuable commodity at times like this,” the monk said. “My human side is being particularly troublesome this month,” the bard replied. “Sorry, that’s probably more information than you wanted to hear.” “Remember that I lived among humans for a long time,” Embrae said. “And in a monastery there is less privacy than in most settlements. Did you want to use one of the other buildings, or…” “A quiet spot outside will suffice.” “I won’t be far.” They walked around to the far side of the building. From that side the overgrown structure was almost invisible under its cloak of greenery. Only the thin thread of smoke rising from the chimney revealed the truth. The night had only added to the sinister mood of the abandoned outpost, and Glori didn’t linger at her task. The advancing darkness gave her enough privacy that she did not have to go further than a stone’s throw from the house, and she quickly attended to her business and cleaned herself up. But when she turned back toward the house she didn’t seem Embrae at first. “Embrae?” she said quietly. A slight shuffle in the grass drew her attention around, away from the camp. There was someone standing there, maybe five paces away. It was dark enough that it could have been the monk, but there was something subtly off about the silhouette, and more than that, an indefinable sense of wrongness that awoke a clutching sense of terror in Glori’s belly. She reached for her lyre—she had not been so stupid as to leave it or her sword in the house—and strummed a quick melody. [i]Dancing lights[/i] flared into being, surrounding the intruder and driving back the night. As the light revealed the other, Glori opened her mouth to shout a warning. But she didn’t get a chance, as the figure suddenly lunged forward and swung an arm at her head. [/QUOTE]
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