The hours ticked away, as Katia and Sera wandered across the plains. The forest that marked the border of Normeria was not deep, but it was wide; too far to go around, and both knew that entering the domain of the spectral cavalier on foot would mean certain death. The plains stretched on beneath an open blue sky. Low hills and sparse clusters of trees could be seen in the distance, Sera knew the hills marked the edge of a kingdom, or, a kingdom that once was. The trees that hid the horizon grew along a river that flowed lazy and wide beneath the warm southern sun; that river formed the border of a shattered no-mans land, known as the Middenvale, torn by the embittered factions of the Nation that once ruled the lands beyond. The region was a massive valley, marked by fertile farmlands and fortresses. Sera knew that she and Katia would run into someone there, someone that could provide them with the supplies necessary for the long journey back.
"you aren't worried that someone will come looking for us? Into the forest I mean" Katia asked as they walked on, she was concerned that other may be brought into the realm of the wraith of the woods, but mostly she spoke to alleviate the boredom of their trek.
"not really" Sera replied in a bored tone, she caught a disappointed look from Katia, then relented a bit
"the Normerians may, possibly have known that the wraith was there" she added, looking downward slightly; she rolled her shoulders uncomfortably, wishing that she had chosen to forgo her plate armor in favor of the mail hauberks the Normerians wore.
"is your armor uncomfortable?" Katia asked, trying to maintain the conversation, Sera smiled as she answered
"it's a suit made of steel, and some jackass decided to paint it black, heh, it's heavy and hot, so, eh, yeah. It's pretty uncomfortable" she ran her fingers through her short blonde hair, which she had tied in a ponytail in the back, to keep it out of the way during combat. she was trying to remind herself, that really, Katia couldn't be blamed for the situation at hand.
"so… where are we going exactly?" Katia inquired weakly, her bad luck had began to seep into this new world, and she dreaded not knowing what they were headed for, and how she could mess it up. How long until I screw up, and Sera gets hurt trying to bail me out? She thought to her self, wondering why Sera had not yet answered her question, she looked to her companion, and saw that Sera was inspecting her, a concerned look upon her face.
"I don't know" was the simple reply. They walked in silence then, as the sun climbed higher and burned hotter, and the hills and trees seemed to grow no closer; both travelers were nervously uncertain of the future, Katia fearing her constant misfortune, and Sera wondering if the faction they encountered first would be friendly, and both, thought about how they would shield the other from the threats they dreaded
The hours passed without incident, white wispy clouds drifted freely across the sky, and the sun shone warmly. With the night before, and the uncertainty in the future, Katia just enjoyed the lull in the action; just her and her friend, no impending threats, no fear of failure, just a walk across the soft grass of the plains. By the time they had nearly reached the end of the rolling expanse, the sun hung low in the sky, night had not come, but it was making it's first steps. The first streaks of orange tinted the sky as they came upon the river; it flowed at a sluggish pace, and was wide, its water cloudy, but not murky.
"how're we gonna cross?" Katia asked, as Sera gazed longingly at the far bank, and the shade created by the tress that grew scattered across the knolls.
"what's the matter? Cat doesn't like water?" Sera replied wryly, a coy smirk at her lips, Katia frowned, removing her boots, she stepped into the cool water; looking back defiantly. Sera peered down the riverbank in one direction, then in the other.
"we can only go two ways, one of them has gotta have a bridge" Sera said, seemingly to her self
"what's that matter? Don't like the water?" Katia echoed sarcastically, Sera shrugged, chuckling as she took a glance at the water
"already lost my sword and shield, may as well ditch the plates I suppose" Sera answered, undoing the straps that help her chest plate on, she removed the armor from her shins and forearms as well, she stood there in a her fine leather boots, cloth trousers and tunic
"this was your idea, so you can swim across first" sera said gesturing forwards, Katia looked uneasily at the water, having not really thought of swimming across as an option; she waded out further into the river, surprised how slowly it deepened as the water gradually rose to her waist is this safe to be in? She wondered as she thought of the slaughter fish in the well, that Rajirra had totally stolen; her mood soured as she thought of Rajirra, and she pressed forward, she cast a look back and saw that Sera was only a short ways behind I guess it's safe then she mused as she had to raise her chin to keep above the water level on the bright side, I'm nearly half way across.
Katia picked up her pace as Sera elected to simply swim, rather than slowly wade across; Sera sat against a tree, removing her boots, and pouring the water from them. Katia felt as her outstretched toes could no longer detect the river bed, and she tediously paddled the rest of the way. Sera laughed shortly , before stopping her self as Katia drug herself from the river, her wet fur hanging heavily on her body. She threw herself down beside Sera, laying on her back, panting and staring up at the darkening sky
"c'mon, I don't plan on spending the night wet and outside" Sera said, squinting as she looked at something in the distance
"there, over that treeline, smoke from a fire. People" She added, climbing to her feet. Katia sighed, she had spent the last night running from a murderous spirit, and the last day trudging across the plains; she did not want to get up, she just wanted to lay there and sleep. A cool breeze blew in from the hills, and Katia, shivering, changed her mind and climbed to her feet a short walk is worth a night by a fire she mused as they departed. In the distance a hazy line of mountains reached towards the heavens, their tops obscured by the clouds, there was a gap that looked to be near to them, in the same direction as the smoke, so that is where they made for.
The woods were not nearly as dense, nor as hostile as the forest of the Red Rider, but still Katia found herself growing anxious as the shadows grew long across the soft bed of pine needles and leaves that coated the ground; being able to see far ahead was a welcome change, however now Katia discovered herself jumping at shapes behind every tree, and it was not yet dark enough to switch on her night eye.
"so, uh, is there anything nasty that lives in this area? Goblins... imps?" Katia asked as they walked in the direction of the smoke plume, eager to get inside a secure structure
"lets see, mimics, werewolves, wraiths, ogres, Gervatchs, and dragons are it I think" Sera said calmly as they walked, watching Katia from the corner of her eyes, Katia bit her lip, and looked about nervously
"r-really?" she asked weakly, but Sera simple chuckled
"no Katia, I merely jest, but to answer honestly, I don't know, bandits I imagine, but I couldn't say for sure" Sera said lightly, walking on, with a slight bounce in her step. Katia grumbled unhappily, but was endlessly relieved; though she now wondered what some of the things Sera had mentioned actually were, and if they were real.
A short while later they entered a clearing, in the middle of which sat a small shack, smoke rising lazily from the chimney, and windows glowing invitingly. There was also a corral in which stood an emaciated horse, which looked up dully as the crunching of leaves announced their arrival. beside the cabin and elderly man split wood; his attire was meager, sack pants, and a stained cloth shirt, both bore numerous patches an mended seams. He looked up, his dark eyes glaring suspiciously from atop his great beak of a nose; he stopped what he was doing, bit offered no greeting as he watched Sera approach. Then however, he noticed Katia, his eyes widened, and his mouth hung open; he backed up toward the house, shouting coarsely. A portly man emerged from the shack, he wore a haircut that reminded Katia very much of an overturned bowl, and he held a sword in hand,
"bandits! Robbers! Leave us be!" the fat man shouted, running forward, stopping half way between Sera and Katia, and the cabin, Sera held up her hands, showing the man she held no weapon, and fixed her face with a warm smile
"look, my friend and I, we are unarmed, and lost, we just need a place to stay the night, that's all" Sera said calmly, eyes locked on the sword the man held, Katia smiled as well briefly; upon seeing her glinting teeth, the mans face paled.
"a munster, and a wench who dresses as a bloke, ye show up right as the night comes, ye be unnatural ye are! And yer after my pa! Bandits! Get gone" the man yelled waving his sword back and forth, Sera let down her hands, swearing under her breath
"all of those comments aside, we're just two, er, wenches who need a place to stay for the night, we had to swim across a river, and we're cold, we have no interest in robbing you" Sera said at an overly slow pace, her brow furrowing as she watched the man blink dumbly as he considered her words
"we're also hungry" Katia added, holding one hand up; the two men shrieked shrilly in response
"it speaks?!" they exclaimed, Katia hung her head slightly; Sera placed a hand on her hip, sneering
"damn peasants!" Sera swore loudly "fine then, we don't need your damn shack, but we're not leaving empty handed, and I'm not traipsing through the woods unarmed, so gimme that sword, and we'll be on our merry way!" she shouted angrily, clinching her fists. The man became increasingly agitated, and continued shouting borderline gibberish, as far as Katia could tell, he was still calling them bandits and monsters. The man stepped boldly forward, holding the blade up, as if he were about to strike; Katia could see he was shaking, he may have had a weapon, but Katia felt pretty confident that if it came to it, Sera could control him
"g-get away from here!" the old man shouted hoarsely, Katia cast a concerned look at Sera, but the soldier had her eyes locked on the weapon the peasant was waving back and forth
"Sera, l-lets just go" Katia said weakly, Sera paused, glancing back briefly, then looked forward; she shook her head and sighed, but turned away from the house and its unwelcoming owners, Katia was relieved that they had avoided conflict, but wished they had found some place to stay, for the sun had set nearly fully, and they didn't even have bedrolls. As they turned to leave, Katia heard the sound of light foot steps on the soft ground, she turned and found girl, not a child, but rather young; she held out a sword awkwardly in front of her, it was the sword the man had brandished against them.
"I-I'm sorry for that, er, you'll need to forgive my pa and my brother they, well, it's been rough since the collapse" she said nervously, still holding the sword in one hand, fidgeting with the straps of a pack she had slung across her frame with the other.
"thank you" Sera said softly, taking the weapon; a confused look on her face, as if in response to the inquiring look, the girl spoke
"you can have the sword... but I want you to take me with you, t-to the royal army, I know a lot about herbs and plants, I think I can help them" she finished and stood quietly, awaiting the duos answer; Sera though for a moment, then nodded.
"do you know were we can find the army?" Sera asked as they paused beneath a large tree, Katia looked from the girl to Sera, then back again what is the plan, why are we going to go to the army?
"yes, down the hill some distance, at a homestead- we must hurry though, soldiers from Magweyn are set to reach the area any day now" the girl said anxiously, tapping her foot and gazing in the direction she desired to go; Sera furrowed her brow, and looked confused briefly, then shrugged and gestured to the girl to lead on.
As they made their way down a narrow path that wound around the trees of the hillside, leading in a general downwards direction, Katia couldn't help but think of the last night she had spent in the woods; she looked at Sera, walking a bit closer to her friend, shivering as the laughter of the Red rider echoed in her head.
The woods exhumed a warm air; that of calm days that passed slowly by in peace, the kind of place that both Katia and Sera could see becoming their home; a real feat as Sera strongly preferred the company of soldiers, and the setting of the walled cities common on the western coast. But there was something else, a smell, a feeling that permeated the landscape, something that Sera was accustom to, but Katia could not detect; a sense of loss, that the peaceful days and warm evenings were a distant memory, and had been replaced by the choking fear and dread that came with the full swing of all out war.
They approached the encampment of the royal army; and though they could not yet see it, they could hear it; the shouts, metallic ringing, and agonized cries told them all they needed to know. That they were not the first to locate the soldiers this night. They crept forwards, listening closely, the chime of swords and the cries of battle reverberated in the surrounding hillside, making it difficult to determine the size of the conflict; Sera bade the girl to stay put, while she and Katia pressed cautiously on. The two came over a rise, and saw the fires of the camp, and the chaos of the skirmish, Katia winced as the fires glowed blinding in her night vision, which she promptly stopped using. It was hard to see in the gloom of the night, but Katia could make out the two general uniforms of the combatants, both groups seemed similarly equipped; mail and leather, swords and polearms, with the occasional plate armor clad warrior; one group was adorned in patterns of red, black, and white, and the other was marked by rich earthy colors, deep brown, a caramel tan, and gold trims.
"the brightly colored ones ought to be friendly, and I've know clue who the others are" Sera warned, drawing her sword from her belt, the blade glinting in the dim light of the fire that burned below; she made her way down the slope, as Katia remained on the rise. Katia watched as her friend clashed swords with the brown clad soldiers, at home in the ebb and flow of combat, a couple men locked blades with her individually, and those men promptly perished; Katia simply skirted around the battle, watching. She did not know what she should do, but figured that her knack for failure meant that the fighting was a bad place for her to put herself
A particular soldier caught her eye, he was engaged with two enemies at once, fencing them back with one hand, clutching his side with the other; a combination of his actions and appearance stood out to Katia, his torso was enclosed within an smooth cuirass, slightly hidden by bands of red and white cloth, he wore stiff leather trousers, and boots trimmed in narrow metal bands. He had an unusual head wrap that wound around his forehead and brow, spilling down the back of his neck, highlighting his strikingly well defined face. As Katia watched he gained the upper hand momentarily; slashing one man across the stomach, sending him howling to the ground, he caught the wrist of the other man, and smashed him squarely in the face with the guard of his sword, drawing back and stabbing him through the chest. He stood catching for his breath briefly, before a sweeping blow from a pole hammer wielding warrior knocked his feet out from under him; the brown clad soldier drew back his weapon to stab the grounded man. Katia acted quickly, remembering Sera's words regarding who their allies were, she stepped from the treeline, shouting for the mans attention, and threw a bolt of fire, the magic passed over his shoulder harmlessly, and Katia cursed, as she tried to throw another, only to find that her magic was depleted. The soldier turned to face her, a mix of confusion and anger on his visage. A blood spattered blade sprouted from his stomach as the red soldier stabbed him in the small of his back, killing him.
The man climbed to his feet; his brow furrowed slightly as he got a better look at Katia, but he shortly nodded gratefully, and turned back to the battle. The fight was on it's last leg, the brown warriors were steadily pushed back, and gradually began to turn and flee; with several red soldiers following, cutting them down as they ran. From the confusion, a panting Sera trotted towards them, a relieved expression as she saw Katia still standing. At the same time, the peasant girl ran from the woods, waving her arms to get the soldiers attention.
"I'm a herbalist, I know a lot about healing plants, I can help!" she called breathlessly as she hurried to stand before the man, he eyed her, one eyebrow raised ever so slightly.
"go home child" he said, his voice deep and clear, cutting through the chattering hum of the encampment; the girl looked dismayed, opening her mouth to protest, but the man held up his hand, and pointed back where she had come from.
"I need warriors, who can kill. When you are older report to the college of alchemy in Triderus, until then go home, stay out of the war." He said sternly, yet not unkindly, the girl looked hopefully to Katia and Sera, but neither spoke out; so the girl hung her head, and the man called for one of the other soldiers, and instructed him to take the girl home, and the two quietly departed.
"Victor Hesspian, captain, Veranthine infantry" the man said, extending a hand to Katia, who stood closest. She shook his hand weakly, why is he not afraid of me? She pondered, Sera stepped up and introduced herself, and the man shook her hand as well.
"so, a soldier from King Alistair's army, and a...so what can I assist you with, and if I may ask, what brings you to our valley?" Hesspian inquired, folding his arms and leaning slightly back
"alright, well, we were , eh, drawn through a stretch of woods, and now we lack the supplies or means to get back to where we belong, I was hoping that you could rectify this?" Sera explained
"my names Katia and I'm a Khajiit" Katia added quickly, Hesspian considered their words, then frowned slightly, and sighed
"I have no supplies to spare, and no horses for my own men even, and we are in the midst of a full retreat back to a new line, you can come with us, I'm due to report to Triderus anyways, you could ask deputy Malavaan for aid, I'm sure he would give it if he can" Hesspian said, clearly put out that he could not only not help, but had to tell his poor situation to outsiders; Katia frowned what is going on? Who are these people?!
"so, I er, am not quite from here, so if you could just, maybe fill me in a bit..." Katia said, trailing off, slightly relieved when Sera seconded the notion, asking for more information on the brown clad soldiers
"to cut short a miserably long tale, this valley is called the Middenvale" Hesspian began, speaking clearly, looking between his two guests " it is, or was occupied by two nations, Veranthine, and it's vassal state, Magweyn. The king of Veranthine passed away, leaving the title of ruler to his daughter, the young lady Pricilla; the princess however felt that she was not yet suited to rule, so she journeyed to the university at Hanatham, far to the south, on another continent" Hesspian paused for a moment, checking to see that his listeners were following, Sera was, but Katia was still somewhat lost, having no Idea where Hanatham was, as well as being preoccupied with the fact that it seemed there was no royalty in the country.
"when lady Pricilla left, she left the charge of ruler to her fathers first deputy, Trask Malavaan, but several lords found issue with this, they called Pricilla weak and unworthy, and when Malavaan showed strength, they called him a butcher, so Veranthine tore it's self apart in a multi factioned civil war, and recently, Magweyn ahs decided to take advantage of our weakness, and take the mantle of Middenvales owner for it's self" he finished, visibly unhappy at having to repeat the story.
"then Triderus is the capitol?" Katia mused aloud, but Hesspian shook his head, chuckling uneasily
"no my friend, Triderus and it's defending forts of Castle Terenhiem and Caer Oslund are the only territories still indisputably held by Deputy Malavaans loyalists, the groups have come together to resist Magweyns incursion, but too little, too late, and they continue to cut through us" Hesspian corrected, bidding hem to come with him, into the homestead building the camp encircled.
"we depart in the morning, so get some rest" he said as they entered, then himself left to go see to the soldiers outside.
The building was squat and warm, dark wood walls and the low rafters gave it a firm sense, the same kind a welcoming inn might have; a fire burned in the a low trench in the center of the room, bathing the space in an inviting orange glow. Some soldiers brought Sera and Katia wooden plates, with rations upon them, a piece of a dark bread, a slab of some sort of hard cheese, and a few strips of dried meat; they ate quickly, remembering how hungry they truly were, and thanked the Veranthine soldiers for their hospitality. They gratefully accepted the bed mats that were offered them, and immediately Katia felt sleep taking hold. A sense of dread struck Katia as she was about to slip into unconsciousness we have to ask deputy Malavaan for help, and he is the ruler of the country. She hadn't had to speak directly to a ruler since her brief visit to the count of Kvatch. She lost her thought then, as the preceding days excitement caught up to her, and she drifted into a deep sleep.
Katia awoke with a start, the camp already buzzed with activity as the men prepared to march; light filtered in through cracks between the rough hewn boards that made up the building, indicating that the sun had already risen. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, soldiers hurried around the interior of the homestead, and more noise could be heard outside. A soldier with a leather cap, and narrow face saw she was awake, and brought a wooden bowl, filled to the brim with a cold, tannish porridge
"tis not great, but it should hold ya until we halt this evening" he mumbled apologetically as he rushed off to help the others prepare, Katia cautiously took ate a spoonful; the man was right, it tasted of little, but people in Laceria, unlike in Tamriel, seemed to have no issue with giving out free food, and mediocre as it was, it worked fine for her. She finished the food, and got up, seeing that Sera was no longer on her mat, she yawned and went to go search for her friend. As she exited the low building she stopped in her tracks, her nose twitched as the familiar scent of alcohol permeated the air. Katia looked around briefly and discovered the source, the soldiers were destroying supplies they could not take with them, including several barrels of ale, which sat smashed to bits on the soft grass.
Katia located Sera then, standing beside Hesspian, a shield, painted in the Veranthine colors slung across her back, a new sword hanging in a scabbard from her belt. Katia padded up to the two captains, and struggled to wake up fully.
"you ready to march? It shall be a few days before we reach Triderus I should expect" Hesspian said dryly as she reached them. Katia nodded, though she wondered how ready she really was not too long ago I was struggling to bring a package from one city to the next, now I'm to wander across a nation at war. They'll expect me to fight no doubt. She thought glumly as the men, finally done with their preparations, set off. The say was growing warm, as the sun shone down on the old road they followed, cutting through the sparse forest.
"what do you think deputy Malavaan will be like?" Katia asked Sera as they travelled, Sera looked at her smiling,
"you needn't be afraid of him I know, you heard Hesspian, he isn't royalty, just an officer- like me" she said brightly, putting Katia's fears somewhat at ease. They didn't talk much after that, but simply walked on with the column of soldiers, enjoying the momentary assurance in their plan; they were walking, away from the danger, towards a set end; asking Trask Malavaan for aid. There was comfort in the certainty of that, even though neither knew of he would, or even could help them.
Soon they broke from the trees, and the sight left Katia breathless, the road they travelled along was built atop a high bluff, with nearly all the Middenvale laid out like a map beneath them, from the height of their vista, Katia examined the landscape as they descended into the valley, clumps of woods dotted the floor, beside rolling pastures and fields. a wide river ran down from the opposite side of the valley, that seemed to be leagues away, and rolled lazily across the land below, emptying at last into a large lake near the valleys center; several small towns sat cosily tucked into the hills at the edges of the vale. In the direction they were headed, a castle could be seen perched on a cliff at the far end of the valley, just barely visible, a grey streak set against the alpine background, and looking back, Katia found that a curve in the great valley left an unknown expanse obscured from view. Along the valleys rim, the horizon was blocked off completely, by massive, towering mountains, a hazy purple, reaching out of sight into the clouds. Several smaller valleys could be seen branching off of the enormous central canyon, but Katia did notice, with some concern, that there seemed to be none in the direction they were headed, leading her to wonder if they would become trapped at the edge of the Middenvale. I don't really belong anywhere in this world, so I suppose it doesn't matter if I'm caught here instead of in Aranough she thought, not sure if that made her feel better or not.
The day passed relatively calmly, considering they were retreating from a hostile force. Katia just walked, enjoyed the scenery, and thought of how far she'd come since the ship in anvil. She hadn't even fucked up too badly since she got pulled from the shopkeepers attic to this, wherever this was, Laceria she recalled it being called, though she knew not if that was the continent or the world itself, the trek reminded her vaguely of her trip with asotil to Kvatch, the only thing that tugged away from the pleasant journey, was the sullen, defeated sense that was bled by the men around her. While they moved on as the morning turned to noon, and noon to evening, Katia listened to the chatter of the soldiers that surrounded her, and gleaned more information on the self contained discord within the scenic vale.
She heard of great battles and small scuffles, how units and armies broke away to form their own faction, only to be slain to the last man by their stronger rivals; she heard of villages burnt, and the occupants put to the sword, and finally she heard of the end of the Veranthine civil war, how the remaining rebel leaders had made peace with deputy Malavaan in an effort to defend Veranthine from the onslaught of Magweyn, the brief hope of reunification, followed by despair as they found that the scattered forces could do little more than slow the march of their one time vassals, and the hopelessness of uncertainty as men's homes and families were swallowed by the expanding border of Magweyn.
After what seemed like a very short time, the sun once again began to sink behind the towering mountains that surrounded the region. The column stopped for the night, and at the base of the bluffs, they made camp. The men chattered eagerly, glad to get off their feet, they laid their spears and halberds down in rows, and set sentries, while the rest of the men ate and drank the rations for the day, all under the watchful eye of Hesspian. After consuming her allotted share of dark bread, dried meat, cheese and water; Katia laid down upon her bedroll, and quickly fell asleep.
Katia rose early, along with Sera and the others. She helped them pack and prepare, after her breakfast of cold porridge of course. They promptly set on their way down the road, now traveling across the valley floor. Just as the day before, the trip was warm, calm, and pleasant. The road took them briefly along side a brook, that filled the air with the sound of running water, and a clear, refreshing smell. Katia watched off the path as they walked, the forests and fields were alive with life, deer and rabbits bounded constantly across the landscape and the distant call of wolves be occasionally heard. Though, Katia could sometimes pick up a u settling sound, whispering voices, from deep in the thickest sections of woods that they passed, calling and giggling in inconsistent voices; Katia's fur stood on end as they passed these areas, and she realized that animals could seldom be seen or heard, she uncomfortably thought of Sera's joke from two days before, and the creatures she had listed. Despite the occasional segment of what Katia came to think of as the whispering woods, the day went by without incident
The sun once more began to set, and Katia saw the castle in the cliffs, now clearly visible, she imagined they would reach it by the next evening. At camp, she and Sera shared stories, she told of the effect her fear of royalty had on her life, and her... adventures, in Cyrodil; even the unflattering parts. In return, Sera told her of her life, growing up as the only daughter of a powerful merchant in the city of Renguard, capitol of Aranough; how little she had been when king Alistair had wrested the lands from his cruel father, and how her mother had been slain when a caravan was sacked by bandits. She told of how she wanted to be a soldier, so she could kill people like those who had killed her mother, and how her father had reluctantly agreed to support her bid to join the Black-Brand mercenary company. She then reluctantly told of how her father and younger brother had met their end; killed by a splinter group that forces under Sera had defeated in battle. She told of how she felt responsible for drawing those men to her home, and how guilty she still felt for not being there to defend her father and brother, even though she knew that she too would have been killed. Sera told Katia of how her brother had been only fifth teen, and then, Sera Reneer, was no longer in the mood to talk; and then the two drifted into uneasy sleep, each holding new appreciation for the hardships of the other.
They rose in the morning they had the day before, Katia feeling that Sera must truly be her friend to share such stories with her, and though she felt deeply sorry for her, she couldn't help but feel almost giddy that she actually had a real, mutual friend. The day passed just as fast and calmly ad the preceding two. And soon they found themselves passing other groups of Veranthine soldiers, and later at the base of a hilly road, leading up into the bluffs that made up the farthest edge of Middenvale, near the road was a great fortress; neither its walls nor towers were exceptionally tall, but it was made from massive square stones, weathered by the ages, ages that it had stood firm. The walls bled the feeling of unquestionable sturdiness, almost daring an opposing army to challenge the expansive bulwarks. The sun caught on the kettle helms worn by crossbowmen and archers who manned the walls. And as they passed by, Hesspian dropped back, informing Katia and Sera that this was the stronghold of Caer Oslund, the gateway to Triderus.
They climbed up the roadway for what must have been several hours, until the sun once more receded, and the castle that Katia had seen from across the valley loomed impressively over them; down the road a short distance Katia could see the thick walls and portcullis that had to have been Triderus, but Hesspian told her and Sera that they would not be going directly to the city, but instead would accompany him to meet deputy Trask Malavaan within the stalwart looking castle; castle Terenhiem.
The three passed through the huge gateway, into a courtyard, connected to which there seemed to be an entire town of it's own. A tavern, smithy, barracks and stable all built into the massive fortress. The ground was made of churning mud, made by the endless march of boots and wagon wheels that crossed it daily; before them, constructed in to the banner covered walls, was the citadel. Great wooden doors marking the entrance to the great hall. Katia's heart pounded as the doors swung open. She felt the rising surge of panic as they headed down the ornate hall, towards her unannounced, meeting with the lord of Veranthine he's not royalty, he's not royalty. She repeated desperately in her head, trying to convince her self that the technicality made Malavaan totally not mind numbingly terrifying. They reached the throne at the end of the hall; Katia was relived to see it sat empty, they entered a room that lay just to the left, and Katia took one last look at the hall, with its rich carpet, and grand arches. Inside the room there was a table, across which sprawled a map, behind the table a tall man stood. Clad in ornate plate armor, with a sheet of metal extending up to guard the mans neck and head on the left side. He had coarse black hair that grew shortly atop his head, and a neatly trimmed beard that grew along his strong jawline. He looked up from the map, dark eyes scanning the trio
"welcome home Hess- who is this?" he greeted in a tone that seemed overly warm for his appearance
"this is Sera Reneer, and Katia Managan. A soldier of Aranough, and the outlander from the west." Hesspian explained "this is first deputy Trask Malavaan, lord regent of Veranthine" he said, this time addressing Katia and Sera, the dup went to bow, but Malavaan interrupted, catching Katia's arm to prevent the motion
"please, no need for the formalities, Veranthine was renown for its hospitality you know" he said in the same warm tone as when they had entered. "what brings you here?" he asked then, looking between the two
"we need transport back to Aranough, if you could provide it" Sera said hopefully, Malavaan cocked and eyebrow and grinned broadly
"you have come a long ways into my valley, to ask for a way to leave it" he chuckled, his smile then faded and he added in a serious tone "I no longer control any exit to the Middenvale, if you want to leave" he withdrew a sword from his waist and slid it across the table to Katia "you will need to help me win the war, and take the passes back"
Katia blinked, and looked questioningly at Sera
"I will need armor as well" Sera simply stated, picking up the weapon and examining it closely. Katia's mouth hung open briefly, the she shrugged and added
"a supply of non-alcoholic beverages might be nice too, for when we march that is" she looked around the room, Sera clasped a hand on her shoulder
"good for you Katia, you can't make forward progress with out taking big steps" she said proudly, Malavaan smiled widely, seemingly seeing some good omen in the outsiders arrival.
"welcome officially to Veranthine" he said happily
"thanks, I mean that's- well, what could possibly backfire here" Katia said dryly, readying herself for this new step in her journey for a respectable life.