Confrontation of the Ohmsfords
It was not until the following night that Walker rose from his seat in the grass. He had not moved at all and his eyes were centred straight ahead the whole time. Karne could only presume he was in some kind of trance, fighting some emotions and embracing others. They ate a sparse meal and rode through the night across the plains. Walker was so wound up with a mixture of worry and fear, that Karne became concerned about Walker's state of mind. He knew that he'd recently found out something that would change his life forever, he'd been kept in the dark for a long time. They rode continuously all night and day, resting only briefly for the horses, until they reached the Rapahalladren the next day. Walker was mentally and physically exhausted and when he tried to continue on, Karne grabbed him by the shoulders.
"You can't carry on like this, Walker. It will kill you." "I don't care. Move away from me, Karne. I have to get to her." "You haven't seen her for a very long time, Walker. A week will not matter in the scheme of things. Who will save her if you die this day from exhaustion?" Walker lifted his head to look into Karne's eyes, but he found only a deep concern for his friend. He slowly collapsed to the floor and when Karne handed him stew and a water skin, he didn't refuse. However, they set out for the vale at dawn.
Karne and Walker reached the rim of the Vale just after twilight that evening. They rode down the worn paths to the bottom and made towards the central area and the Ohmsford Inn. They handed their mounts to a waiting groom, even though Karne eyed him suspiciously as they walked past. Upon entering the inn, Karne shrank inside himself despite Walker's reassurances that this was a friendly hamlet and no harm would come to him.
Karne wavered in spite of Walker, as the inn was filled with men drinking a variety of ales and whiskies. He disliked large groups of people and large drunken groups of people less. He followed Walker hesitantly, keeping his back largely towards the walls. Walker, knowing that Karne would never confine himself alone to a small back room asked the inn keep for a single room only. They collected some dinner and ale and then were shown to their room by the keep's son. Walker lay down to sleep on the mattress and watched while Karne eyed the room apprehensively, settling into a niche as close to the small window as he could comfortably get.
As the first rays of sunlight shone through the window in the tavern, Karne was instantly awake. He nudged Walker who rose silently from the mattress. Karne followed Walker down to the main room, where the inn keep was cleaning spilt ale from the floor. "I have come here to see Hanna. Is she here?" The inn keep looked up guardedly and eyed each of the companions carefully. "Is she here?" Walker repeated, bringing a deep tone to his voice. The inn keep continued to stare at Walker, eying him up and trying to judge his intentions. "Do you wish her harm druid, for I know what your kind are?" "Only to speak to her regarding my recent meeting with an old friend in Arborlon." The inn keep's head jerked up at the mention of Arborlon. "She eloped about a month ago with a tracker by the name of Matthew Ward. Nice fellow, a little on the eccentric side, but decent enough." "Did they say where they were going?" Walker asked anxiously. "They said they were going to see a bit of the borderlands. Said they were going to see Honer first though; she's quite attached to him you know and she wanted to say goodbye.
A flash of hope crossed Walker's face and with a brisk farewell, Walker and Karne began the next leg of their search for Hanna.
It was not until the following night that Walker rose from his seat in the grass. He had not moved at all and his eyes were centred straight ahead the whole time. Karne could only presume he was in some kind of trance, fighting some emotions and embracing others. They ate a sparse meal and rode through the night across the plains. Walker was so wound up with a mixture of worry and fear, that Karne became concerned about Walker's state of mind. He knew that he'd recently found out something that would change his life forever, he'd been kept in the dark for a long time. They rode continuously all night and day, resting only briefly for the horses, until they reached the Rapahalladren the next day. Walker was mentally and physically exhausted and when he tried to continue on, Karne grabbed him by the shoulders.
"You can't carry on like this, Walker. It will kill you." "I don't care. Move away from me, Karne. I have to get to her." "You haven't seen her for a very long time, Walker. A week will not matter in the scheme of things. Who will save her if you die this day from exhaustion?" Walker lifted his head to look into Karne's eyes, but he found only a deep concern for his friend. He slowly collapsed to the floor and when Karne handed him stew and a water skin, he didn't refuse. However, they set out for the vale at dawn.
Karne and Walker reached the rim of the Vale just after twilight that evening. They rode down the worn paths to the bottom and made towards the central area and the Ohmsford Inn. They handed their mounts to a waiting groom, even though Karne eyed him suspiciously as they walked past. Upon entering the inn, Karne shrank inside himself despite Walker's reassurances that this was a friendly hamlet and no harm would come to him.
Karne wavered in spite of Walker, as the inn was filled with men drinking a variety of ales and whiskies. He disliked large groups of people and large drunken groups of people less. He followed Walker hesitantly, keeping his back largely towards the walls. Walker, knowing that Karne would never confine himself alone to a small back room asked the inn keep for a single room only. They collected some dinner and ale and then were shown to their room by the keep's son. Walker lay down to sleep on the mattress and watched while Karne eyed the room apprehensively, settling into a niche as close to the small window as he could comfortably get.
As the first rays of sunlight shone through the window in the tavern, Karne was instantly awake. He nudged Walker who rose silently from the mattress. Karne followed Walker down to the main room, where the inn keep was cleaning spilt ale from the floor. "I have come here to see Hanna. Is she here?" The inn keep looked up guardedly and eyed each of the companions carefully. "Is she here?" Walker repeated, bringing a deep tone to his voice. The inn keep continued to stare at Walker, eying him up and trying to judge his intentions. "Do you wish her harm druid, for I know what your kind are?" "Only to speak to her regarding my recent meeting with an old friend in Arborlon." The inn keep's head jerked up at the mention of Arborlon. "She eloped about a month ago with a tracker by the name of Matthew Ward. Nice fellow, a little on the eccentric side, but decent enough." "Did they say where they were going?" Walker asked anxiously. "They said they were going to see a bit of the borderlands. Said they were going to see Honer first though; she's quite attached to him you know and she wanted to say goodbye.
A flash of hope crossed Walker's face and with a brisk farewell, Walker and Karne began the next leg of their search for Hanna.