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Message: <blockquote data-quote="el-remmen" data-source="post: 2787844" data-attributes="member: 11">expect another one soon. . .Session #75 (part ii)Tholem, the 4th of Keent – 565 H.E.“How long are we gonna bleedin’ wait for ole Stumpy?” Gunthar asked, as he and Martin stood watch in the box-shaped canyon.“He could be gone a week,” Martin replied.“What!?”“Dwarves are not known for their quickness to take action,” Martin explained.“We could take another route,” Gunthar offered.“And leave Kazrack behind?”“He could be dead.”“He walked into a dwarven stronghold, I doubt he is dead,” Martin sighed.“If he’s not back in a week we’ll assume he’s dead,” Ratchis said, from his bedroll nearby.  Dawn approached and the half-orc sat up and stretched before undertaking his morning prayers.“And what do you think of that little man?” Gunthar asked Logan, noting he was awake now too.“We’ve been walking for ages, I could use the rest,” Logan replied. The olive-skinned young man rubbed his face with a calloused hand, and looked at Martin the Green for a long time.----------------Kazrack broke his fast with hard bread smeared with yak lard and covered in cold gray gravy from last night’s supper.  Captain Adalar had come to get him and they ate in a great eating hall which was filled with the cacophony of several score dwarves, most of them armored, eating and drinking. “I have been thinking of your troubles with coming through the pass with your half-breed friend,” Adalar said.  “And took the liberty of looking at some maps for you.”“Mayhap I might get a copy of a map?” Kazrack asked.Captain Adalar frowned.  “It would not be in my jurisdiction to order such a thing even if there were time, but I discussed it with one of the captains of the scouts and before you leave he will give you some advice about which way to go.  He knows the area much better than I ever could just from simply looking at a map.”“I thank you deeply, brother.  Though any route we take will have to be discussed with my companions,” Kazrack replied.“Of course, but…” Captain Adalar paused for a long time. “I do not want to speak out of turn, but perhaps it would be best if you broke off your companionship with the half-breed.  I can respect the loyalty of friendship, but some things just aren’t natural.” Kazrack made no reply.Captain Adalar slurped up the rest of the bread and gravy. “And now I am to bring you back to General Aron-lar, so you may talk before you go on your way.  I am to arrange for your travel, so I will see you again to wish you farewell.Adalar brought Kazrack through the winding passages of the fortress’ lowers levels and to the General’s office once again.  Aron-lar stroked the braids of his great beard, bearing an expressionless face as Kazrack entered.“My regrets that I could not see you again last night, but there is much to be done before we can march, and we are still waiting on the reports of some of our scouts,” the general said. “Now, what did you find out from the priest of the cat goddess?”“Not much that was useful,” Kazrack replied. “He gave me story that is barely plausible, but I have no means to test his honor.”“Well, there is no outward evil in him, if that is what you mean. I had one of the rune-throwers ask the gods to reveal the nature of his soul,” Aron-lar said. “But as for actual honor, he has none.  He is a follower of that foul cat goddess, as if humans could be less trustworthy.”“Humans vary in honor and steadfastness,” Kazrack said, frowning.General Aron-lar harrumphed.  “If you are so soft-hearted as to accept a companion of tainted blood and still cannot vouch for this human priest, I shall have to hold him indefinitely. ““Can I take him with me?” Kazrack asked.  “I will watch him and determine if he is a turncoat, and if he is I shall deal justice to him myself.  This I would swear by Krauchaar.  I would avenge myself on such a man who would portray himself as friend and then betray me.  I mean, if he has not seen any crucial secrets…”“We had a sack over his head when he was brought to his cell.  He would have seen the citadel itself when the eagle brought him here, but he has no idea of our numbers and goal.”There was a long silence. General Aron-lar closed his eyes.“You may take him with you.  I do not want to have to deal with him,” he finally said.  “But I expect a full report as to his dispensation when we meet again.  If we do not meet again in Gothanius or within these walls, I will expect you in Abarrane-Abaruch one day.”Kazrack bowed his head.  “I have long hoped that when this is all done I could visit the home of my teacher, Belear Gritchkar, and then of course the home of my own clan.”“You will leave immediately,” General Aron-lar said.  He put out his hand and they grasped wrists in farewell.  “I shall have the Bastite brought up to the courtyard, and Captain Adalar has arranged for Captain Minol to bring you back to your companions.”Back in the courtyard, Kazrack saw more troops running through drills, and others caring for the great riding lizards.  Captain Adalar was waiting for him.“You know, the three fair-haired Tarnitch brothers are here,” Captain Adalar said with a smile that shone with his pride.  He pointed to two of the dwarves running the drills.  “They have been given their own commands of foot units.  The experience they gained with you in that foul Necropolis has lengthened their beards.” (2)Golnar walked over, removing his helm and saluting Kazrack with a fist to the chest and then grasped wrists.  “I only have a moment Master Delver,” he said. “But I wanted to greet you for myself and on behalf of my brothers.  I hope we will meet as comrades on the field of battle once again and one day soon.”“Let us hope not too soon, or without need,” Kazrack replied, grimly.Golnar nodded and then returned to his unit.Two armored dwarves led Roland into the courtyard.  There was a black sack hanging loosely over his head, but his hands were not bound.“Kazrack? Are you there?” the Bastite asked.“Yes, Roland.  We will be leaving here soon.  I mean to bring you back to the others,” Kazrack replied.“Oh thank the goddess!”“Better you should thank the generosity of General Aron-lar,” Kazrack said.“Oh, yes, of course, him as well,” Roland replied not able to hide the sarcasm. “The gods know I have rarely been treated with such hospitality.”“Enough!  Quiet down before I change my mind and leave you here,” Kazrack said.Two of the great riding lizards came up to them.   Captain Adalar introduced Kazrack to Captain Minol. He was short, even for a dwarf, not as broad of chest and hips as most dwarves, and his black beard was coming in steel-gray, despite the tangles of black hair that stuck out from beneath his visored leather helm.  He wore a chain shirt and black leather breeches reinforced with black metal greaves. “Captain Minol and one of his cavalry soldiers will bring you back to the others,” Captain Adalar explained.  “He is the best scout we have here.  He will be able to give you advice of an alternate route to take from the canyon.”Kazrack bowed.  “I thank you for your aid and time, sir.”  Roland began to bow as well, but his dwarven guards jerked back up before he had bent far.“My pardons,” the human priest said in the dwarven tongue.Minol nodded and grunted. He helped Kazrack onto the strange double saddle they used upon the great riding lizards.  The lizard was nine feet long, and it turned its head and stuck out its tongue lazily.  Minol strapped Kazrack’s legs in tightly. He point to loose end sticking out of a knot.  “Don’t pull on that unless we are about to go tumbling over a cliff, or are rolling over.  It undoes the straps in one quick yank,” He explained.  “And when I tell you to shift your weight left, right, forward or back, please do it immediately.  The ride is much smoother with two experienced riders, but we will do out best.”Kazrack nodded.  “Since I returned to Derome-Delem I have wanted nothing more than to ride one of these beasts.”“Well, you’re wish is granted,” Minol grunted.Roland was helped onto the back of the second lizard and awkwardly strapped in and given the same directions.“Oh, this is going to be lovely,” Roland quipped as the lizard jerked into motion.  Soon, the two great beasts were shooting out of the great gate and hurrying up a nearly sheet surface, and then scooting along horizontally on the side of the stone bridge to the other side of the gorge.“You can take off the sack,” the dwarf on the same lizard as Roland told him, and the Bastite happily did so.“Does it take long to learn to ride one?” Kazrack yelled to Minol.“No talking,” Minol replied.Up and down, and along the side of cliffs, and once fully upside down, the two lizards made their way to the canyon.Ratchis, Gunthar and Logan stood and took a few steps back reaching for their weapons when the first great lizard was spotted coming over the cliff to their left.Kazrack waved happily to his friends, but when Roland finally arrived, he hurried off the lizard’s back and swore.“Where in the hell did the poofter come from?” Gunthar asked, confused.“Yes, that is a good question,” Martin said.“Why Nikar, of course,” Roland quipped.“We know that,” Martin did not laugh.“Yeah, we don’t need to know that you crawled out of the crack between your momma’s legs,’ Gunthar snarled.“I found him among my kin,” Kazrack said. “They had taken him prisoner.  They released him into my custody, but I still do not trust him.”Roland shot a look at the dwarf and frowned, putting a hand on his hip.“Kazrack, I already explained what I was doing there and why I left Nikar, but I will gladly do it again for everyone else’s benefit,” the Bastite said.“Later,” Captain Minol said.  “I told Adalar I would help you choose a route, but I have to be getting back.”“Adalar?  Captain Adalar?” Martin asked.Kazrack nodded.Captain Minol took the time to go over the party’s maps with them and do his best to point out alternate routes to Greenreed Valley.He explained of an underground stream in a tunnel under the wall of mountains that blocked the way east.  They would be underground at most a day, though it would be several more days along narrow ravines. And he warned them of kobolds in those areas.  After that they would have a choice.They could pass through the southwestern tip of the forest called Dybbuk Akvram (1), or they could skirt the wood by turning south, but it would add nine days to their journey.  As it was, having to take this other pass at all (instead of the bridge by the fortress) was adding about six days to the journey to Greenreed Valley.“The portion of the wood you would be passing through if you took the more direct route is called ‘Ailat-Bekis’ (3),” Captain Minol said. “I would avoid it.  Few that go in come out, and when they do they are changed.”“We have to take the quicker way,” Ratchis said.“What is there in that wood that is dangerous?” Martin the Green asked.“Eh, there was some great elven battle there long ago, against the black enemy” Minol said, shooting a look at Ratchis.  “Ghosts and other unnatural things.  We give it a wide berth.” “Thank you, Captain,” Kazrack said to him after the taciturn dwarf had saddled back up. “I owe you a debt of gratitude.”“May Hodonar guide your way,” Minol said, and he and his fellow rider took off over the cliff.Logan was introduced to Roland, and then the Bastite retold his version of events since leaving Nikar. The Keepers of the Gate broke camp and decided they would not make the choice about which route to take until they reached the point where they had to turn south or not.“Does anyone mind if I run ahead?” Roland asked.  “I can change to panther form and do the scouting.”“No, you are staying with us,” Ratchis replied.“I’ve explained already why left Nikar how and when I did,” Roland said. “I have not betrayed your trust. This is all a misunderstanding.”“I think either we have to trust him, or leave him behind or kill him,” Logan offered.  “It makes no sense to only trust him halfway.”The others agreed.  Roland transformed into his dusky great cat form and took off down the narrow pass to the east.----------------------Notes:(1)    ‘Dybbuk Akvram’ means ‘place of the bruised spirit’ is the dwarven name of what men call ‘The Forest of the Blood Sap’.  It is where the druids of the Circle of the Thorn reside. (See sessions #30 through 33)(2) To have your beard lengthen (or thicken) is a dwarven expression meaning to fully come into the maturity of their adulthood.  (3) This roughly means, “turn away from what fascinates” in dwarven.</blockquote>

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