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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 1145523" data-attributes="member: 143">Chapter 48The Temple of Helm was as she remembered it, all hard edges and quiet dignity, with a certain majesty in the cavernous interior of its holy sanctum.  But she also immediately sensed the tension in the air as soon as they had arrived.  An acolyte had greeted them and took their horses to the stable in the courtyard beside the church, worry clear in her features.  It was written as well on the faces of the other underclerics that they saw as Illewyn ushed them into not into the small structure that served as quarters and offices for the temple priests, but rather into the main church building itself.  That structure was mostly comprised of a single large hall of worship, with twin rows of wooden pews that could seat perhaps a hundred worshippers.   Thick wooden beams supported the roof that rose to a peak some twenty feet above.  Jenya Urikas was standing by the altar, and as she turned to greet them, Zenna could see the worry and concern she’d seen earlier reflected tenfold in the face of the woman who led the church of Helm in Cauldron in the absence of Sarcem Delasharn. “Thank you for coming,” Jenya said, coming forward to greet them with an earnest clasp of their hands.  Jenya was a slight, compact woman, nearly a half a foot shorter than Zenna, and at the moment she looked older than her thirty-one years.  Her long brown hair, typically done up in a stylish design, now hung about her shoulders in disarray.   “What’s happened?” Mole asked. “It’s Sarcem,” she said, forgetting about honorifics and titles in her agitation.  “Not even an hour ago, as I was conducting the morning devotions, I received a sending from him.”  Without waiting for a response from them, she dug into the small pouch at her belt and thrust a scrap of paper at them.  Zenna scanned it quickly, then handed it to Mole.  At Lucky Monkey.  Have eight wands.  Tavern’s been attacked.  Bandits led by barbaric apeman.  Mortally wounded.  Retreated to basement.  They know we’re here.  Send assistance!Sarcem?  Is that you?  hang on!  Conserve your resources.  I’ll send out aid immediately.  Send me another message when you can. But until then have...“The second line is my reply,” Jenya explained.  “I didn’t have time to think it out clearly, I wanted to tell him to ‘have faith.’”  She nervously chewed on a fingernail.  It unnerved Zenna slightly, to see the normally cool and collected woman so distraught. “The Lucky Monkey?” Mole asked. “It’s a wayside inn about a day’s travel from here, along the north road, on the outskirts of the Forest of Mir.”“We came from the north, though we stayed to the foothills, rather than the forest,” Mole said.  She glanced down at the message again.  “Apeman... that doesn’t sound too good...”“What are these wands he speaks of?” Zenna asked.  “Wands of control water,” Jenya replied.  “For years now, they have been an essential element in Cauldron’s survival.”  She seemed to take some strength from finally doing something, even if it was just relating a story, and her voice grew stronger as she continued.  “As you know, the depths of the volcano are filled with a great lake, one that penetrates far down into the interior of the mountain.  There are natural drains down there in the depths, but during the rainy season, or ‘flood season,’ as we call it, the caldera collects more water than the lake can drain.  This results in potentially dangerous floods that can devastate the lower levels of the city, if not properly handled.”“The churches of Cauldron responded to the danger by undertaking the creation of wands of control water.  With the aid of these devices, the priests of the city have been able to keep the floodwaters at bay, protecting the city.  But in recent years, the rains have been mild, and the churches, distracted by other matters, have turned from their responsibilities.  Only Sarcem remained vigilant in calling for more preparation... but he alone could not manufacture all of the wands needed.  As the rainy season approached in recent months, he decided to set out for Almraiven, to purchase more wands there.  He’s been gone nearly a month now, and I had no reason to worry... until now!”“Please—I ask you, to help us once more.  I was going to go myself, but... I know Sarcem would never forgive me if I abandoned my responsibility, left the church and the city without protection.  My clergy is small, with young priests, few of whom are warriors.  I have sent Morgan to rally the Guard, but getting even a squad released for action so far from the city will take time, and persuasion.”  She frowned, her displeasure at the reality of urban politics clear.  “It will take an entire day’s hard ride to reach the Monkey, if the weather holds.  I fear that if I wait for the Guard, help will not reach Sarcem until tomorrow... which may be too late for him. “So you want us, just the two of us, to ride up there and see what’s what?” Zenna asked, not bothering to hide her incredulity. “I... I know it’s a great deal to ask.  But...” she lowered her head, “I don’t know who else to ask.”“Hey, I think I know where I can find Arun,” Mole said.  “He’ll go with us, I’m sure of it.”“If you could just go, see if Sarcem still... if he’s all right,” Jenya said.  “If the bandits and this ‘apeman’ are still there, wait for Morgan and the Guards to arrive.  I do not ask you to throw away your lives...”That’s almost the same as what she told us last time, Zenna thought.  That’s not how it worked out, though.  She didn’t say anything, however.  “C’mon, Zenna,” Mole said, reading the look on her friend’s face.  “We can help, we can’t just let these bandits get away with it.”“All right,” Zenna said, after a moment.  “Great!” Mole said, clearly excited by the prospect of another adventure, even one as dangerous as this one promised to be.  “I’ll go see if I can find Arun, and meet you at the north gate!”  She shot off like a crossbow bolt down the aisle, gone within moments.   Illewyn stepped forward.  The cleric had stood there in the background during the whole exchange, but her face wore a mask of determination now.  “Let me go with them, Jenya,” she said.  “They will need a cleric, particularly if Sarcem is seriously injured.”Jenya shook her head.  “You are not a warrior, sister,” she began, but seeing the resolve in the other woman’s face, relented a moment later with a nod.  “Very well.  But remember, if danger still lurks at the Monkey, wait for Morgan...”Illewyn nodded, a mix of excitement and fear flashing in her eyes.  “I will gather my arms and armor,” she said, before taking her leave. “Come, I will have Malakar prepare fresh mounts for you.  It’s a long ride, but the road is clearly marked all the way down to the plains.  And I will give you another cache of healing potions... in case.”Zenna nodded absently.  “If you have an extra light crossbow, I could use one,” she said.  “I left mine at the Morkoth.”“We will see you fully equipped and on the road within the hour,” Jenya said.  Even as they stepped out of the church and into the courtyard, the cleric was already shouting orders, directing her underpriests to begin preparations.  Those preparations went quickly, with a scurry of activity surrounding Zenna as the young priests brought her a bow and case of bolts, a small padded satchel containing bandages, salves, and four precious healing potions, and saddlebags full of supplies.  Zenna watched distractedly, her thoughts already going out to the long road and hard ride ahead, and alternately back to that strange feeling of dread she’d experienced earlier, in the inn. She strongly doubted that the two were unconnected.</blockquote>

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