Day 1, Spring of 514 A.V.
As the Sharai was inundated with gifts and flowers to mark the new year, so too did the people of Lhavit herald the coming of the new season. People with their important dates and their calendars. Out here in the wilds the season change was not so instant. Spring was but a newborn, and the icy tendrils of winter would for a while yet refuse to relinquish its grasp on the weather.
Barren trees had little to do as the brisk wind groped at twisted and deformed branches. Bushes and shrubberies were not so impotent though, their thick leaves and foliage bristling in the breeze. More rustling came from a group of bushes that had started to encroach on an age old path, concealed and forgotten by all but a very few.
Something darted from those bushes, too quick to identify by the human set of eyes that had been watching. For Kandor Vale and his party, the short expedition up the Aramanthine River and then inland had been surprisingly uneventful, though he did not plan to grow complacent so close to the end. Waiting a few moments more before deciding the danger had passed, Kandor stepped out onto the path and drew a deep breath. "Anything?" a second man asked as he too emerged from cover.
___"Just a critter. Let's move on, but stay vigilant. No mistakes this close to home."
Quite why anyone would want to linger in the Alpine Wilderness was a mystery to most. For Kandor and his men, it was the lure of academic study that had them bypass the traditional notions of personal safety and, some suggested, good old fashioned sense. For the less appreciative of students who remained safe behind their books and maps in Lhavit, it may not have occurred to them that their books and maps would have remained but blank piles of parchment if not for the likes of Kandor.
Still, academic findings would have been of little value if the finders did not make it back in one piece. There were four of them in total. Kandor led the party, a short yet stout man with a full dense beard that bristled like the bushes. He was deceivingly light on his feet, quick and agile, with keen eyes and ears to round out his talents as the party guide. The academics were Cedric Manse and Petyr Delacour, the first tall and slender and who had suffered the nickname of Horse Face when a child, the second equally tall, yet handsome in the rugged kind of way that suggested an element of danger about him. Despite their looks, they were the very definition of bookworms who were both out of place and out of sorts here in the wilds. Thankfully they had Gillan along, as quick and sharp with his tongue as he was with the myriad of blades that he carried. While no academic himself, there was no doubting he could school most others when it came to swordplay.
Thankfully it had not come to that, as sometimes it went. Kandor was no stranger to the perils of the Alpine Wilderness, but was ever thankful for an expedition that did not require Gillan's talents to be called upon. Yet for all their skills and talents combined, the discovery they made upon returning to the small boat by the riverside was something none of them were prepared for. Kandor was the first to spot something amiss. From the foliage his vision was somewhat obscured, but he moved to a better vantage point with silent intent. The boat sat tethered to the tree where they had left it, under which sat a figure propped up. His head was bowed as though asleep, or perhaps worse.
Kandor motioned to the academics to remain still, while Gillan worked to flank the boat. The figure made no sign of movement, or perhaps did not hear the men that closed in on him. Close enough now to take in more details, Kandor noted the man's clothes. Simple garments that spoke a modest tone, while the earthy colored coat looked comfortable and well worn in. Beside him was a worn pack, but no sign yet of a weapon. GIllan had now completed his flanking move and was ready to strike. He looked to Kandor for the signal, blade at the ready. But Kandor shook his head, deciding that the situation called for a new approach. Stepping out slowly, he moved with caution towards the figure, one hand on his long knife still in its scabbard.
"You there. Who are you?" Kandor waited for a reply before taking another step. Gillan had stepped out too, though kept his dagger drawn by his side.
___"Looks dead to me", he offered in a matter of fact tone.
Kandor was upon the man now, looking down with a frown. He nudged him with his boot, half expecting the fellow to fall over onto his side.
___"Yap, yap yap!"
The suddenness of the noise had Gillan spin around with little grace, surprise betraying his usual calm exterior for just a second. "What in the name of...! It's a damn dog", Gillan added with a wry smile having quickly recovered his nerve.
___"Well there's no fooling you is there?" Kandor offered with a smirk of his own. "But the question is where did these two come from?"
Having heard voices, Cedric and Petyr had come out from their hiding spot to join the others. The party of four stood around the sitting figure, each equally baffled at the fifth man below them while Gillan attempted to pet the dog with little success. "Damn it. Little bastard tried to have me finger off. Did you see?"
___"Looks like a mountain dog. Year old or so I'd say. You can get a better idea from the teeth," offered Cedric casually.
___"Well feel free to count 'em," Gillan said with his sardonic grin, though Cedric decided against putting his theory into practice.
In the meantime Kandor had squatted down to get a better look at the man's face. "Maybe come down from Lhavit and got himself lost?" he wondered. "But it's a fair way from the city." Kandor shook his head, trying to fathom this unlikely scenario. "Guess we take him back with us. Let the Shinya deal with him."
___"What about the dog?" asked Gillan, who was apparently not keen on the idea of having it in the boat with him. But he was surprised when he turned to see that Petyr was now holding the mutt, who was licking the academic's face with its tail wagging furiously. With a laugh Gillan turned to the boat, untying the tether as the group made ready for the trip back down the Aramanthine River.
Barren trees had little to do as the brisk wind groped at twisted and deformed branches. Bushes and shrubberies were not so impotent though, their thick leaves and foliage bristling in the breeze. More rustling came from a group of bushes that had started to encroach on an age old path, concealed and forgotten by all but a very few.
Something darted from those bushes, too quick to identify by the human set of eyes that had been watching. For Kandor Vale and his party, the short expedition up the Aramanthine River and then inland had been surprisingly uneventful, though he did not plan to grow complacent so close to the end. Waiting a few moments more before deciding the danger had passed, Kandor stepped out onto the path and drew a deep breath. "Anything?" a second man asked as he too emerged from cover.
___"Just a critter. Let's move on, but stay vigilant. No mistakes this close to home."
Quite why anyone would want to linger in the Alpine Wilderness was a mystery to most. For Kandor and his men, it was the lure of academic study that had them bypass the traditional notions of personal safety and, some suggested, good old fashioned sense. For the less appreciative of students who remained safe behind their books and maps in Lhavit, it may not have occurred to them that their books and maps would have remained but blank piles of parchment if not for the likes of Kandor.
Still, academic findings would have been of little value if the finders did not make it back in one piece. There were four of them in total. Kandor led the party, a short yet stout man with a full dense beard that bristled like the bushes. He was deceivingly light on his feet, quick and agile, with keen eyes and ears to round out his talents as the party guide. The academics were Cedric Manse and Petyr Delacour, the first tall and slender and who had suffered the nickname of Horse Face when a child, the second equally tall, yet handsome in the rugged kind of way that suggested an element of danger about him. Despite their looks, they were the very definition of bookworms who were both out of place and out of sorts here in the wilds. Thankfully they had Gillan along, as quick and sharp with his tongue as he was with the myriad of blades that he carried. While no academic himself, there was no doubting he could school most others when it came to swordplay.
Thankfully it had not come to that, as sometimes it went. Kandor was no stranger to the perils of the Alpine Wilderness, but was ever thankful for an expedition that did not require Gillan's talents to be called upon. Yet for all their skills and talents combined, the discovery they made upon returning to the small boat by the riverside was something none of them were prepared for. Kandor was the first to spot something amiss. From the foliage his vision was somewhat obscured, but he moved to a better vantage point with silent intent. The boat sat tethered to the tree where they had left it, under which sat a figure propped up. His head was bowed as though asleep, or perhaps worse.
Kandor motioned to the academics to remain still, while Gillan worked to flank the boat. The figure made no sign of movement, or perhaps did not hear the men that closed in on him. Close enough now to take in more details, Kandor noted the man's clothes. Simple garments that spoke a modest tone, while the earthy colored coat looked comfortable and well worn in. Beside him was a worn pack, but no sign yet of a weapon. GIllan had now completed his flanking move and was ready to strike. He looked to Kandor for the signal, blade at the ready. But Kandor shook his head, deciding that the situation called for a new approach. Stepping out slowly, he moved with caution towards the figure, one hand on his long knife still in its scabbard.
"You there. Who are you?" Kandor waited for a reply before taking another step. Gillan had stepped out too, though kept his dagger drawn by his side.
___"Looks dead to me", he offered in a matter of fact tone.
Kandor was upon the man now, looking down with a frown. He nudged him with his boot, half expecting the fellow to fall over onto his side.
___"Yap, yap yap!"
The suddenness of the noise had Gillan spin around with little grace, surprise betraying his usual calm exterior for just a second. "What in the name of...! It's a damn dog", Gillan added with a wry smile having quickly recovered his nerve.
___"Well there's no fooling you is there?" Kandor offered with a smirk of his own. "But the question is where did these two come from?"
Having heard voices, Cedric and Petyr had come out from their hiding spot to join the others. The party of four stood around the sitting figure, each equally baffled at the fifth man below them while Gillan attempted to pet the dog with little success. "Damn it. Little bastard tried to have me finger off. Did you see?"
___"Looks like a mountain dog. Year old or so I'd say. You can get a better idea from the teeth," offered Cedric casually.
___"Well feel free to count 'em," Gillan said with his sardonic grin, though Cedric decided against putting his theory into practice.
In the meantime Kandor had squatted down to get a better look at the man's face. "Maybe come down from Lhavit and got himself lost?" he wondered. "But it's a fair way from the city." Kandor shook his head, trying to fathom this unlikely scenario. "Guess we take him back with us. Let the Shinya deal with him."
___"What about the dog?" asked Gillan, who was apparently not keen on the idea of having it in the boat with him. But he was surprised when he turned to see that Petyr was now holding the mutt, who was licking the academic's face with its tail wagging furiously. With a laugh Gillan turned to the boat, untying the tether as the group made ready for the trip back down the Aramanthine River.
