Orehaven's Troubles

A Traveler's Etiquette

The silhouettes of four adventurers came cresting up over a hill, with a hazy view of the expanse of Glintport behind them. In front, a village no bigger than a main strip with a handful of adjacent shops.

Kit had hardly left Fareflynn's side that evening, but for a bath imposed upon him by the caretakers of the temple. Shouts of "I like my stink!", "This is good dirt!" and "That tickles!" rang out through the temple. He then spent the night curled in the fetal position at the foot of Fareflynn's bed. When she returned from her morning prayers, she found him still asleep, but splayed out over the bed, having taken up the entire space.

Seamus's lilt provided narration for the others coming up over the hill, "This is where the farmers and miners would come through to sell to the merchants of the city. And that, if I'm not mistaken," with a point to a small structure and a meager stream of smoke, "is the blacksmith. I imagine they do a lot of tool repair."

"Do people live here?" piped an under-enunciated voice from below, with a sweeping upward tone. Kit points at the sparsely populated road.

Fareflynn leaned in over his shoulder, "Of course, that's what makes it a village, I even know some of them."

Walking into the village itself, many of the buildings had boarded windows, wooden planks slapped over in a rush and nailed down.

"Perhaps not the most welcoming bunch," Seamus continued once they were firmly within the village. There were heard distant, hushed and hurried whispers mention something about the approach of dusk. The only open door sat ajar below a sign reading 'The Old Boar Inn'. Seamus stepped to the side to give a deferential nod and a sweeping 'after you' gesture to their collective employer, who was the first to enter the cozy establishment.

Fareflynn followed and was immediately greeted with welcoming words from behind the bar, "May her moonlight guide you."

As Kit and Seamus stepped into the room, they saw Fareflynn open her arms wide and clasp those of the proprietor, "Danovar, how lovely to see you again. Tell me, how is Tywin?"

The man gave a genuine smile, while still holding something back, "Much better thanks to you. It's not everyday that a boy of his age survives such an illness...¹ Please, sit, can I get you something to eat? Drink? I won't let you pay a single copper, Ms. Evanflower."

El and Seamus looked to one another, impressed, and each sat at a stool at the bar. El was the first to speak, as the bartender started deploying glasses for drinks unordered, "We would greatly benefit from information, actually. I've traveled some way to understand your trees." While cordial and deferential in some contexts, Elwood often completely forgot how to be discrete in others, getting right to the point in matters of business.

Danovar froze in place for an instant, the spell of fear lingering on him, before resuming his role in hospitality and placing menus out on the bar, "News travels I see. Yes, that is why we're all boarded up. Less like trees, more like walking wooden husks that come out at night. Good thing our village conducts most business during the day," he forced a chuckle through the worry.

El's eyes narrow, "a danger then?"²

El was bumped to one side by Kit clumsily pulling himself up onto the next barstool. Always the one to break tension, Kit stood on the stool, hands on the bar and leaned forward with a characteristic blurt, "Hi, I'm Kit, do you know Lady?"

"I'm sorry," Danovar said with a wincing smile, "our devotion is to Faelora for the bounty of mines and fields, not Lunara. Can I--"

Fareflynn instinctively jumped to defend her faith, "Oh, he isn't--"

Danovar continued looking at the seated Seamus and El, "interest anyone in the evening's stew? A hearty meal for hearty travelers, just four silver." Fareflynn had honestly expended the most calories on their journey, clad in heavy armor, but it's hard to override some notions of 'growing boys', especially for a father of growing children.

Danovar collected silver from Seamus and El, and cheekily declined the perfunctory offer from Fareflynn. Kit shamefully slunk back and sheepishly declined, "Oh, um, that's okay, I'll just find something later."

El gave him a pat on the shoulder, "You should eat little one, you'll need your strength for our journey ahead."

"I can just eat from da trash someplace, it has good smells."

Fareflynn handed over the silver with a wrinkle of her nose, "for the little one," to begrudging acceptance. Danovar disappeared into an adjacent door and Fareflynn turned back to the others, "I'm sorry Kit, did you say you eat trash? Is that what you were doing when I found you?"

"No, well, yeah. That's just where I was sleeping. I told you, I lost my Lady."

Seamus blurted out the question that had been lingering in each of their minds, "How old are you, Kit?"

Kit gave a shrug and no response.

"Okay, well is Lady your mom?"

"My mom?! No, that's silly, she's my Lady", as if the relationship were self-evident.

Danovar's assumption hung in Fareflynn's mind, "Like my lady?"

Kit's face lit up with excitement, "You have a Lady too?! That's so cool!"

"Our Lady of Silver. My Lady is Lunara, goddess of the moon."

Kit's face changed to confusion, followed by impressed, "Oh, well, my lady is just Lady".

Uncertain how to proceed, the three sat in quiet contemplation of their lost friend until stew was served. Fareflynn and El ate carefully, as if trained to balance the act of eating with other conversational demands. Seamus ate with efficiency, as if there were a ticking clock on opportunities for seconds. Kit awkwardly attempted to hold a spoon in a clenched fist, mimicking his companions. With darted eyes, he slowly placed the spoon down and then stuck his face down to the bowl, ignorant of the drips down his chin.

El gives a quick sideways glance to Kit before clearing his throat to address Danovar, "You said these-- things-- roam about at night?"³

Danovar gave a stern nod, "Aye, they're no threat if you're inside, but they move toward whatever is warm. They burned down a property up the way by crashing into an oil lamp. You want to keep your distance, otherwise... Well, it's not pretty."

Just then, a streak of orange glow twilight from the open door hit Fareflynn's armor and caught Danovar's eye. A wave of concern flashed over his face, and a sharp inhale, "I'm sorry, if you'll excuse me--"

The group looked up from their meals as Danovar darted toward the door, one hand on the frame, hanging out into the street, and bellowed, "TYWIN! Tywin, with haste my boy. Tywin!" The name hung in the air as it echoed out into the valley.

Elwood's hearing was the sharpest among them. His spoon stilled and he turned he heard a faint voice in the distance, "dad...". His eyes widened in concern.

Seeing El's face, Kit jumped from his stool without a word. Seamus followed, "Let's go, time to move!" Bowls clattered down to the bar as all four picked up placed gear and hurried into the street.

Corruption has Spread

Four sets of feet pounded the main strip of Orehaven in the last light of the setting sun. They moved in full sprint before snaking down a footpath in the direction of faint cries of help from a young voice. The path moved briefly through the trees before opening up to a clearing. One boy tugged at the arm of another, whose foot was somehow stuck. Both looked in terror as three faceless wooden forms stomped forward, their bark blackened and leaving trails of faded grass stripped of life behind.

Rounding the corner into the clearing, Fareflynn clutched me tight over her left arm. Her breath drew in the frantic worry of the moment, and she exhaled calm and resolve. In a second breath, she drew in her own resolve and exhaled faint blue tendrils of light that attached to each of her companions running ahead⁴. Each felt divinely emboldened with her resolve.

A flash of mossy green darted directly ahead toward the children and burst into a soaring leap above them. Mid-leap, El's stocky form disappeared as if collapsing upon himself. And then, as if jumping again in mid-air, he was lept into by another creature to puppet him. His cloak fluttered in on itself and then expanded, sprouting fur, and then angular quadruped legs, and then a snout. Opposite where El launched into the air, a large black and grey wolf landed with grace and a full snarl toward the approaching entities. He leaned forward in a menacing and protective stance in front of the children who shrieked a further scream of surprise. The closest tree creature stood several feet from El with two others, flanking each side.

Seamus planted a firm stance at the edge of the clearing. His hands moved in a fluid motion, first tugging at the air, then drawing a sigil in light, then forcing a circle, and a final push to send forth a streaking greenish muck that landed on the lower trunk of a flaking creature. Its bark sizzled as the acidic muck ate through the joints functioning as knees. Its tranced march forward ended in a stumble and a crash to the ground.

Kit dashed to the opposite side of the clearing and took an aggressive stance. He barked forward a light that poured from his mouth in the shape of a flame, which arced toward and washed over the third creature. Bathed in this light, decaying splinters flew off the tree and drifted on the natural breeze. The core of the blackened wood fizzled in the light. The creature was struck, smoldering in the radiant flame, but undeterred in its path toward the children.

Closing the gap, the first creature swung with a clawed vine toward El, taking purchase on the side of his ducking head, and leaving a deep gash behind on the wolf's cheek. The continued momentum of the swing presented him with an arm-like appendage he promptly bit, before launching into a pounce, and knocking the creature to the ground.

The blight felled by Seamus scraped toward him in an ominous crawl. It struck out with a whip of a vine around the torso. Despite an attempt to dodge, Seamus was caught. Fareflynn jumped at his direction, lifted me high, and slammed my bottom edge down onto the vine, severing it from the creature. Ever so agile in armor, Fareflynn spun clockwise to gather momentum and then slammed her mace into the zombified tree. It shattered with an explosion of splinters around the contact point.

Kit continued in a protracted eruption of light from his mouth, changing the initial fizzle to a hiss and boil. Some viscous black liquid poured from a hole forming on the trunk. The tree's next step failed to find support and it fell forward, with a crackling sound against the earth.

From atop the first creature, El's wolven form yanked the limb from the trunk. Teeth sunk into the bark and tore a chunk from the center as the creature's motion ceased.

From fifteen feet away, Kit blurted out "You're a dog?! That's so cool!" and ran toward the wolf still tearing into the blight. The wolf looked up from the creature, snarling toward Kit, and then back to the ground. Kit's excited smile vanished in favor of a look of fear, "No, that's okay... you can have your space."

Fareflynn and Seamus both moved toward the children inspecting for injuries, followed by a sheepish Kit who circled around a still-chewing El. Fareflynn helped dislodge Tywin's foot from the rabbit hole. Both children started to stand, painting in fear, muttering words of apology. As Tywin put pressure on his now-freed foot he winced and lifted it again. Fareflynn extended her arm, "We're here, you're going to be okay."

Kit rushed forward, "I'm so glad you guys are okay," embracing Tywin in a hug of comparable heights.

"Be carefu--," Fareflynn tried to interrupt the overzealous little one, who continued.

"That was so scary," Kit decreed, leaning back to look at Tywin's face, "Are you hurt? No, you're fine, you're not hurt," continuing the hug.

In the middle of this hug, tendrils of pale yellow light swirl around Tywin, whose face went from wincing to confusion. Kit let go of Tywin who gingerly stepped on both feet and balanced from side to side, "I'm... well, I was... hurt. I think. No I'm okay."

Seamus's eyes darted back and forth from Tywin to a smiling Kit as he approached. "What's this about", he garbled quietly.

Kit looked from Tywin to his friend and back, "I'm Kit, lemme get you home," looking up to the child of Lunara, "Right, Ms. Care-uh-flynn?"

Fareflynn shook off a stupor, "Yes, of course," and then turned to Seamus, "Would you, um...?" Fareflynn gestured to the wolf who had wandered over to paw at Kit's felled tree corpse.

"Right-o," sprang the lilt. "... Master Elwood... Sir? Perhaps we can consider the danger over?" Seamus, arms outstretched, slowly approached the wolf whose scrunched face suddenly went blank.

The wolf's eyes scanned the clearing, taking in the space and then easing into self-consciousness. The wolf disappeared in much the same way it arrived, slumping into a puppet like a cloth dropped to the floor, only to land on another form. This time, the form was Elwood, who stood up from where he had been crouched, and brushed off his cloak. "Ah, so sorry, something came over me there." His human form retained a much smaller scratch, just where the wolf had been struck.

Seamus's eyebrows gestured up in sympathy, "No shame friend, you did what had to be done. Act quickly, save a life."

"Yes of course. The kids are safe then?" El asked Seamus, who nodded in return. "Good, good. Let's get a night at the Inn then, shall we?"

Seamus's red curls shook in the breeze, "On the house, I'm sure," and the pair launched into a jog after their slower companions. Approaching the others, Seamus heard a familiar spiel about a kind and pretty woman, and the little guy's search. Seamus placed a hand on Fareflynn's shoulder, "Ms. Fair-fuh-flag-en, was it? D'y'know anything about radiant healin' magic? Say, from someone quite fond of particular ladies? That familiar?"

Fareflynn inhaled slowly with a consistent nod, "I noticed. I can't say I understand, but I noticed. Familiar, indeed. Also, my name is Faref--".

Seamus gave a wink, "I know."

Settling Inn

The group made their way back to the Old Boar to find an effusive Danovar, who poured drinks for all and opened his sole remaining room to the travelers. Tywin and friend were each given a stern reprimand, softened by the relief of their safe return.

The travelers sheepishly accepted their praises and drinks, and then retired to the last two remaining rooms. All but one fell quickly asleep. Seamus and El shared a bunk, head-to-toe, like brothers wrestling for space. Kit curled up at the foot of where Fareflynn lay staring out a window up to the moon.

I could sense her frusration. She was relieved to have saved the children, but felt torn by her own questions. She had spent years in solemn devotion as an acolyte, still failing to bring about the same miracles as her peers. They could remove curses, heal wounds, and even bring back the dead. She could only protect, and even then, only when the situation was dire.

And then there was this... child? This someone who crawled out of a dumpster having never set foot in a temple, who could heal with a touch and a smile. She felt simultaneously lacking and jealous, and then guilty for feeling that way. Her devotion was supposed to put her above such things, but it was hard not to question herself when devotion and miracles were supposed to go hand-in-hand⁵.

Morning Debrief

Smells of eggs and sizzling meats filled the air of the tiny inn. The early morning light shone a beam through slats in a shutter and on to stirring adventurers.

Having completed her pre-dawn prayers, meditation, and even a bit of light exercise, Fareflynn rhythmically donned her armor with the same sense of honor and ritual that one might hold in presenting an offering to a god. First the chain mail, then the robe, belt, and pouch. She was well aware of how onlookers would see her blue vestments with reverence, even if she herself is much more focused on shortcomings and the absence of certain accolades. Many great deeds still lay ahead to earn one's literal stripes. She dreamed of one day joining the ranks of The Silver Stars, an elite team of the devoted of her temple. Silently, just to herself, "One step at a time."

El laced up animal hide boots he himself made, guided by his mother's hand. The weight of each tug was a determined march through a storm with no end in sight. He moved forward because he must. There is strength in a duty that presses on to an unknown future, seeking unknown solutions to problems poorly understood. His fur-lined cloak carried the pelt from a hunt shared with his father, the weight of a lineage and a burden he never questioned. Steely in resolve, thinking, "One step at a time."

Seamus glanced down at notes in his spellbook while strapping his belt to his waist, carrying various small ingredient pouches for various spells. There was a crispness to his actions in preparing for the many possibilities that lay ahead, an excitement in thinking through what the day may bring. While his cloak wasn't originally his own, the collar bore his family name, and he wore it with pride, an outward signifier of a title he gave himself: adventurer. His hand memorized a complex sigil from his spell book to conjure yet more kinds of energy. Rehearsing the motion, he muttered words in time with the motions, "One. Step. At. A. Time."

There was a slow slide of a brown lump twisting on the bed. It built speed before CRASH, chain-mail and an oblong club clattered to the floor. A dirty face poked up from where the lump was, "I'm awake!" Kits eyes darted around the room at the others looking toward him before he glanced at the door. Two sharp sniffs and then his eyes widened, "And there's meat!". He looked up to Fareflynn, head facing downward in a sheepish pose, "Is that... Is that for us?"

Fareflynn gave a smirk and a subtle nod,"You'll have your fill."

Seamus's hand grasped on the doorknob, and swung the door open with a gesture encouraging Kit forward, "We're heroes boy-o. Don't ya know what that means?"

Kit looked out the open door to the central void above the tavern, and back to Seamus, "Um, danger?"

Seamus gave a deep nod, "Yes... and sometimes free food. Now go on, get it while it's hot."

Kit eagerly darted forward, and the rest followed soon after. All four made their way down the stairs to an appreciative Danovar who put down plates with a smile, hurrying back and forth to the kitchen, and occasionally serving the odd packaged meal to a local coming in to carry away a lunch.

Partway through their shared meal, Seamus stored half a bite in his cheek, "Oh, uh, Kit". He swallowed and continued, "Where would you say your magic comes from?"

Kit looked up, mouth full, "Magic?"

Seamus gestured with a knob of bread, "Y'know, all that light that came out of you last night. Where's it come from?"

Kit swallowed, taking a moment to consider the question, eyes looking out into the middle distance, and then cocking his head to the side, eyes on Seamus, "Huh, I don'know."

Seamus put down the bread and spoke in rhythmic fits, gesturing with open palms. "My magic, for example, comes from an ancient tradition of arcane tomes with sigils and symbols. We use these to carve up the fabric of reality that weaves everything together, pulling away energy, or letting the energies from other realms come forth." His index finger traced a partial sigil that quickly faded. A creeping smile of appreciation washed over his face before a secondary realization that brought his eyes back to Kit in a stern gaze, "I read books, Kit"

Kit's eyebrows shot up, "You know how to read?! That's so cool!"

Seamus's head rose and dipped, and he rapidly muttered under his breath, "I should have expected that". With a sigh and a renewed tone, "Master Elwood, here, comes from an ancient lineage of people connected--". He stopped himself and reiterated slowly, "His family does nature magic."

Kit nodded as he adopted the explanatory tone, "And he can turn into a dog," very satisfied with his contribution.

El's looked from Seamus to Kit. In a quiet voice, "Wolf actually. They're more of an aggressive breed, thrill of the hunt..."

Kit looked to El with sympathetic understanding not carried by his words, "Yeah, wolf-man"

El's gaze shared the understanding. His deep voice slid out, "On occasion."

Uncertain of their pause, Seamus punctuated the conversation, "Right, well, Ms. Fair-fu-f--". Fareflynn looked on with annoyance. Seamus stopped himself and then, gesturing at Fareflynn, "Our other friend's magic is divinely granted by Lunara in exchange for prayers and great deeds in her service." A pause. "Holy magic from god woman."

Fareflynn dabbed her mouth with a napkin before chiming in, "I profess my devotion to a goddess through prayer, and seek to perform great deeds guided by her wisdom."

Kit's words were timid but strong, having surreptitiously observed her morning prayers before falling asleep again, "Prayers like talkin' to her, and lovin' her, and doin' all the stuffs she'd want you to do?"

Fareflynn's chin tensed. She gave a shrug and a nod, "Pretty much."

Kit inhaled and looked off into the distance with a smile, emulating Seamus's previous pose. Still smiling, he looked back to Fareflynn, "Yeah, I do that for my Lady too. I tell her how great she is, and how much I love her. She doesn't usually talk back, but sometimes I dream about her."

Seamus leaned in, in a hushed tone, "And where was your lady when you knew her?"

"Umm, at her house. Our house. Well, her house, but I lived there too." There was a beat before Kit whipped his posture back to face El, "Can you teach me how to be a wolf too?"

El chuckles, "It takes a great deal of dedication, young one. I'm still mastering the self control required to take on this form". El looked to Seamus, and then back to Kit's hopeful eyes, "now that we have joined as a pack together, I suppose we can try some day." Kit's arms shot up in excitement, which turned into a dance before returning to his meal.

Circling back from handing a meal over to another patron, Danovar returned to once again express gratitude for the travelers who acted swiftly in service of his son, gliding into a reflection of how the town has changed in recent months. "Every now and then a creature would come from the mines, but folks here can defend from the odd ... What are they called, the dragon creatures?"

Fareflynn's jaw dropped in shock, "Dragons!?"

Danovar continued, "No no, the tiny lizard-folk, worshiping dragons--"

"Wyrmkin" (Worm-kin), Seamus interjected.

"Yes, yes, wyrmkin. Evil nasty creatures in a group, but one-on-one, they're just out to steal supplies. And they scare easy. These tree creatures, though, they're undead. Something quite unnatural about them."

"Corruptions of the natural order," El said to no one in particular.

"Right, the trees started coming up out of the same mine a month back. The other creatures couldn't muster that kind of magic, so there must be something new in those caverns."

El's teeth clenched in anger, "Jek-Reth."

Danovar, not quite understanding, changed the subject, "Anyway, who is it that am I celebrating this day? To whom do I owe my son's life? Ms. Fareflynn Evanflower, once again, of the temple of Lunara." Danovar and Fareflynn shared a mutual nod.

Seamus, extended his hand in pride, "I'm Seamus O'Connell, student at the college of--"

"We're a wolf pack!" Kit interrupted.

Danovar noded, "Wolf Pack it is," as if it were the name of a sports team for which he had the utmost reverence. He watched as Fareflynn and Seamus shrugged. El's anger broke into a smile at Kit's impulsiveness.

The pack quietly finished their breakfast and collectively acknowledged the need to investigate the mines. El thought of the trees in relation to his homeland and Seamus on the exciting possibility of adventure. Fareflynn considered her destiny under Lunara's guidance, and Kit considered how to question Fareflynn on the nature of divine ladies and how to find them. Seamus attempted to make a stealthy note of the phrase El muttered, but was again interrupted by an ever-impulsive Kit, "And you can write too!?!"

\ *

---

El was the first to walk out of the tavern, looking back on the rest of his pack, as well as past them to ensure they are out of earshot of the Orehaven residents. "You should know that this trip may be dangerous. Please turn back now if you wish."

Seamus, with a devilish and eager smile, "what sort of dangers might we be facing, master Elwood?"

"I think we may be facing a powerful druid in these mines. Jek-Reth was a mentor of mine, a nomad between the druidic tribes, carrying the traditions of flame and growth to us, in exchange for the secrets of the Shapeweavers, both wise-man and diplomat. When he left, my homeland was seeded with a corruption such as those blights."

Seamus's eyes narrowed as he took on a more serious tone, "As long as you're still payin'..."

"In addition to your compensation, you're welcome to whatever riches we... liberate...from Jek-Reth's possession. I only need to question him to find the cure I seek."

Fareflynn looked around at the boarded windows, "Orehaven deserves better. I will help eliminate this evil at the source."

Kit looked up to Fareflynn in respect and awe, "Yeah, what she said, the source." He paused a brief second, looking around at each companion, "And then we go find Lady, right? I don't need comp-er-nation, just help."

El looked to Kit in solidarity, "And help you shall receive. Pack helps pack."

The four continued in the direction of the mines, mentally preparing for the dangers that may await.

---

1. Who knows what was actually going on, but I didn't feel a thing, so I think the boy would've been fine without Lunara's touch. The placebo effect is strong, especially when the divine is involved. ↩

2. He wasn't so rude as to speak matter-of-fact-ly about this blight upon the town, but I wouldn't roll up to your place and start talking about tornado season when you're still serving afternoon tea. You're expected to ignore the elephant in the room for at least a little while while you talk about the weather, or the drapes, whichever is least elephant-like. ↩

3. Now that money had been exchanged and food shared, the elephant had shed some weight and was now more like a rhinoceros. Intrusive, but it could probably fit out the door without too much trouble. ↩

4. I had felt scrappy motes of healing flow through me before, but those were nothing in comparison. This was exhilarating. The mental force that came most naturally to Fareflynn was directed outward into the world, and I was the lightning rod. ↩

5. If only I could have offered comfort at the time. Kit's stumbling gifts aside, Fareflynn's peers learned to wrestle feats from Lunara didn't mean they were enacting the perfect embodiment of her will. True devotion was doing what was right, not showing off... Unfortunately, I couldn't say any such thing. I am still wrestling with the concept of having a physical form, like a baby chewing on their own foot. ↩