CHAPTER THIRTEEN – Into the wilds of the North
Just after sunup, some thirty hours after Tharkunn's meeting with Humorgett, Toranes' party rode out through the gates of Sundabar, headed northwest, along the Silverymoon Road, at a good pace. They held that course for the better part of two days before leaving the road, turning north.
The company had spent the last day in the city learning what they could, but also taking the time to re-provision, preparing for a long trek into the wild country of the North. They'd added a second packhorse and both were loaded quite heavily.
With a few more discreet questions, Tharkunn had managed to find the man who'd had the map stolen from him. A small purse of Toranes', or more accurately Alustriel's, gold had done a great deal to aid his memory in drawing what he claimed was a fairly accurate copy of the map.
The plan was to cut around the northern Nether Mountains and head almost due northwest, cutting directly through the northern portions of the Moonwood. A small group like theirs would move much faster than the larger group of Zhents. Also, the Zhents would most likely have avoided a direct path through the Moonwood, choosing to cut north and then west around, to avoid the elves and the other creatures of the forest. The time they would gain would be no more than a week, maybe less, but any gain was something at this point.
Their third day off the road, they encountered a trio of stone giants, down out of the mountains. A vicious battle left the party battered and forced them to spend near enough a full day resting while Kaylin & a'Launiira called upon Lathander and Isis to heal their wounds. They'd managed to kill one giant and drive off the other two, mostly thanks to the magics of Kyera, a'Launiira, Kaylin & Myrian.
Just over a week into the wilds, as the party was almost within sight of the eastern reaches of the Moonwood, for they were pushing hard indeed, the skies darkened and a fierce storm blew in upon them from the Spine of the World, blanketing the lands with a layer of snow some ten inches deep.
The party was comfortable enough, waiting out the storm in a small cottage of wood and sod, which Kyera created with a spell she'd memorized, at Toranes' request that morning. He'd seen signs which had led him to suspect the coming storm. The spell also created rudimentary furnishings, including eight bunks, in which the party took turns resting until the storm had passed. It was another of the spells from Guerrand's leather case, but one she'd learned, and added to her own spellbook.
It had been a rough night for the horses, outside in the cold, even with extra horse blankets and hoods. The party made for the Moonwood as quickly as they could through the deep snow. They reached the outer edges of the forest by mid-afternoon. Underneath the overhanging boughs of the trees, the snow was not nearly so deep. It didn't take much longer for Toranes to find them a spot that was well sheltered from the snow, where they could build a fire and set a camp to rest for a day or two in relative comfort, including their mounts.
The campsite was under the sheltered Cliffside of a small hillock, and it was not the first time he'd used the site for a camp. The underside of the cliff had been hollowed out by some unknown folk, in some distant time past, forming almost a shallow cave, but one an ogre could have stood up straight in without a problem. Just outside the cave, there was a small clearing with overhanging trees lining the outer edge. With a little work, the snow in the clearing was removed and pine boughs lashed to the trees above formed a fairly effective roof over the clearing. There was more than enough snow nearby which could be melted for water, and a few snares set by Toranes netted them some fresh game.
The one least affected by the snow was Blizzard, aptly enough. She seemed to revel in it, bounding through with little trouble and even sniffing out the occasional winter hare.
As the Party rested for the first day, Toranes, Kyera, Gunthar and Tharkunn worked up another plan. Mount Redhorn was still some nine or ten days of hard travel away, in the best of conditions. With the snow, and the possibility of another storm on the way, it could be more like twelve to fourteen days. What advantage they had intended to gain, Auril seemed inclined to begrudge them.
They decided that the best plan would be for them to use the second Gateway scroll. It had originally been intended for a means to return to Silverymoon quickly with news of what they might have learned, but a single member of the Party, namely Kyera, could do that with a Teleport spell, and then return as needed with another, though that would mean at least a day away. In the end, they decided it was necessary.
Since they'd be gaining several days, even on their original plan, Toranes decided to allow them all them all an extra day of rest. He'd been pushing them all very hard. It proved to be an important, and a very good decision.
Early on the morning of that second day, the snow began to fall again, though not so furiously as it had before, drifting down in large, wet flakes. The air inside the hollow was warmed nicely by a small fire and the large number of bodies in close proximity. Most of the party were seasoned campaigners, and had learned long ago to take advantage of any chance that presented itself to rest and sleep.
Tolmen, Kyera and Gunthar were awake, near the edge of the clearing, keeping watch. Each was thinking warm thoughts to ward of the chill, a hearth and a hearty stew for Tolmen, a bright sunrise over a warm, tropical beach for Kyera and a nice mug of hot spiced wine for Gunthar, when a low whistle came from the trees to the east, and a soft, lilting voice called out in the Common tongue, "Hello there, may I approach your camp."
Gunthar was the closest to the voice, yet he saw no one when he peered off into the trees. "Who goes there?" he called out, and then to Tolmen he said quietly, "Rouse the others."
A slim shape stepped out from behind a tree, much closer than Gunthar was comfortable with. "My name is Sylvie, Sylvie Fairglen." His heart near leapt into his throat when he saw her. Never had seen anyone, nor anything more beautiful. She had long hair, a pale golden yellow in color, held back from her face in a long braid down her back, a lithe and supple figure, almost impossibly high, yet delicate cheekbones and almond shaped eyes that sparkled like emeralds offsetting her pale skin. She wore a long, pale green dress, with the skirts divided for riding, and soft, furred boots, as well as a pale grey-green cloak, which seemed to almost blend into the background of the forest. Her ears told him she was elven, as did her eyes, and the graceful way she moved. He'd seen it in a'Launiira as well. It explained how she'd managed to get so close without him seeing her. Few could move as stealthily as an elf in her home woods.
She stood with her hand out, fingers spread, her only visible weapons a fine elven longbow on her back, a small quiver bristling with arrows, and a slender dagger at her left hip. There was a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Uh, I umm…" he stammered a bit. From off to his right, he heard Kaylin try to cover a laugh with a cough. He gathered himself and tried again. "Are you alone?" he asked.
"I am." Her smile was a bit wider now. "I've come to speak with Toranes Doriego."
Gunthar was surprised. "How did you know that Toranes was here?"
"I saw Blizzard stalking a raccoon not an hour ago, perhaps a half mile to the east."
"And she knows that I've used this camp before," Toranes said, stepping up beside Gunthar. "It's alright. Sylvie is a friend." The young elf-maid had begun stepping forward as soon as Toranes appeared, and she stepped into his arms for a quick embrace.
"It is good to see you, old friend," she said, continuing to speak in Common, out of respect for the others.
"And you, my dear," Toranes answered. "It is odd, but agreeable to find you this far north. You are still as beautiful as any sunset."
A quick round of introductions took place and Sylvie was invited to join the Party round the fire. She greeted Tharkunn and Kyera every bit as warmly as she had Toranes.
Many in the Party were surprised that the elf-maid made very little fuss over a'Launiira, even after she explained that she was willing to accept a'Launiira if she was trusted by Toranes, Kyera, and Tharkunn. After a bit of small talk, things got more serious. Talk of weather and hunting, family and mutual friends turned to the current reason for the Party's trip into the Moonwood.
"You must be careful if you intend to go to Mount Redhorn," Sylvie said. Gunthar couldn't help himself. Every time she spoke, his heart hammered away in his chest. "The Bloody Stones hobgoblins called it home until something worse drove them out. Some fled into the forest. We captured one. It claimed that it was men, men with great magics and cloaks the color of the night sky over the Great Glacier."
"Drezid and his Zhents," Tharkunn said, sucking deeply upon his mahogany pipe, and blowing out a smoke-ring of pale bluish-white smoke. The sickly-sweet smell of fine Turmish pipeweed filled the hollow.
"It seems likely, from what you've told me," Sylvie agreed. "But they are no longer at Mount Redhorn."
"You know this for fact?" Toranes asked.
"Yes," she said simply. "We sent a small force to scout these men, only to find that they'd ridden south soon after forcing out the Bloody Stones, though it seems as if they only killed or drove off half. The others went south with them."
"Perhaps as prisoners," Gunthar suggested.
"Or recruits," Reldrin growled, not at all happy with the idea of a large group of hobgoblins being added to the Zhent soldiers they already were chasing. He looked to Tharkunn. "You have any more of that?" he gestured to the pipe in the man's hand.
Tharkunn dug a small leather pouch out of a pocket inside his cloak and tossed it to the dwarf, who filled his own, almost absurdly long dwarven pipe with a good pinch of the weed, then plucked a small faggot of wood, burning at one end from the edge of the fire, and lit it, tossing the pouch back with a nod of thanks.
"What are they doing up here?" Sylvie asked.
"Searching for something," Kyera answered, "powerful magics from ancient times."
The elf-maid furrowed her brow, but even the frown couldn't mar her beauty.
"How long ago did they ride south?" Toranes asked.
"Twenty-two days."
Assuming they made good time riding up here, they would have reached Mt. Redhorn in roughly twenty-seven to twenty-nine days, assuming perhaps two days of rest allowed in that time. They left twenty-two days ago. That's forty-nine to fifty-one days. They left Sundabar seventy-one days ago. That is roughly two weeks they spent at Mt. Redhorn."
"Plenty of time for them to search the place, especially if they got some of those Bloody Stones to give them a tour," Tolmen said.
"We have to assume that they either found what they were looking for, or they couldn't find it and gave up," Toranes said. "The question is, do we go look for ourselves, or try to run them down and ask them in person. Both options have advantages and drawbacks."
"I might be able to help you with that," Sylvie said.
"How so?" Gunthar asked, his voice sounding just a little hoarse to his own ears.
"Who better to show us the fastest paths through the forest," Kaylin said, "than an elf who lives here?"
"These men killed one of our people, a scout who got a little too close." Sylvie said, and the sadness in her voice, and in her eyes, was heart-wrenching.
"You have our deepest sympathies," Toranes said, reaching out to give her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"When these men left these lands, they were still following the course of the River south, on the western bank," she said.
"A change of plans then," Toranes said. "We'll use the scroll to open a Gateway to the west bank of the Surbrin, at the point where it bends west toward Mithril Hall. Do you know the place I mean?" he asked Kyera.
"Yes," she said. "That should be alright, but why that point?"
"It is as far south and west as Sylvie's people would follow, so it is the logical point for us to be able to use the Gateway to travel to and still reliably know that we haven't jumped beyond a point where they turned aside." Kyera nodded. He spoke sense.
"How much time will that save us?" Gunthar asked.
"From here, now, it would likely take perhaps ten to twelve days off our travel time. More importantly, it would have taken Drezid, and his men roughly eight days to reach that point from Redhorn. We'll be maybe twelve to fourteen days behind them," Toranes said.
"The problem is, between the passage of time and the storms, Gwaeron Windstrom himself would have a hard time tracking them," Galarid put in.
"That would be true," Toranes said, but they'll leave a trail in more ways than one. There are few enough places where they could get supplies, or provisions. Towns and even villages are scarce up here. Forty soldiers and some thirty or more hobgoblins will be noticed, or else leave a trail of destruction in their wake."
"They must have someone guiding them," Tharkunn put in. "They aren't likely to know the area."
"Yes," Sylvie said, "a Malarite named Boorvaxis."
"Damn," Toranes said.
"I take it you know this Boorvaxis?" Gunthar asked.
"Too well," Toranes said. He was also a scout for the Knights-in-Silver, and he used to be a friend."
"What happened?" Tolmen asked.
"He was infected with lycanthropy. He turned his back on his old life, dedicated himself to Malar," Toranes said. "He killed four of our fellow scouts. He almost killed me as well."
Tharkunn interjected, using his pipe to point at Toranes as he spoke, "This is good news for us. Don't you see it? You know how he thinks. You know the sites he'd use to make camps. It is another thread for us to follow them."
"I suppose you are right," Toranes said, but he didn't sound convinced. For the first time since Gunthar had met him, he sounded frightened. Kyera edged a bit closer to him and laid her hand on his foreman. He patted her hand with his other, as if unaware that she'd been offering solace, but rather seeking it.
"I have another idea," Kyera said, looking to Toranes as she spoke. "If you know this Boorvaaxis well, perhaps we can catch them much sooner. I could use the mirror."
Toranes, a'Launiira, Sylvie & Tharkun all nodded in understanding. The others seemed a bit lost. To them, a mirror was only a mirror, and they didn't even see one."
"If I may be so bold," Sylvie said, "may I come with you?"
"Why would you wish to do that?" Galarid asked. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. a'Launiira put a hand on top of his, her fingers entwining with his own.
"Do you recall that I mentioned that these men killed one of our scouts?" Again, her voice took on that sadness. It almost made tears well up in Gunthar's eyes, and he was not the only one.
"I'm so sorry, Sylvie," Kyera said.
For the benefit of those who didn't know her as well she said, "The scout they killed was my brother, Simo."