A/N: The usual: Fort Duvno, Caius, Helena, Captain Johnson and the other soldiers, Walner, Jason, and J.R. belong to Jeff Vogel and Spiderweb Software, and will be put back unharmed when I'm done with my fun here.
The walls of Fort Duvno loomed ahead, as the companions felt quite exhausted from their journey. The gates of the fort were partially closed by porticulli, with several guards standing by the gates.
Unlike Fort Avernum, which had a fairly relaxed attitude--perhaps due to the fact that it was the point of entry, and many people came and went there that had no connection with the forces that had organized as an army for Avernum--Fort Duvno was fully military, and their late arrival resulted in some heavy grilling by these soldiers. Finally, twenty minutes after they had reached the gates of the fort, they were allowed to enter, being directed straight to the inn.
Upon reaching the inn, they saw that it looked fairly deserted--two soldiers who must have been off-duty, and another man dressed in traveling clothes with a prominently displayed holy symbol hanging from a chain about his neck, accompanied by a woman similarly attired, though she displayed no holy symbol. At the bar, a pale but well-muscled woman was busily wiping things down.
Wearily, the companions found seats about a table, and Ansel went over to the bar to ask for meals, followed by a room, though Brother Theo moved over to the table with the other priest.
As quiet as the place was, the conversation was easily overheard, as Brother Theo said, "Good even, I am Brother Theo, recently arrived. May I ask why you wear that holy symbol?"
"I bring the word to the flock," he replied. "I once did so in Formello, but now I am moving to safer ground. I am Caius, and this is my assistant, Helena." There seemed a slightly odd inflection to the word "assistant," which Jynx caught.
"We're bound for the Great Cave from Formello," said Helena, "and glad I am that we're away from there."
"Why's that?" asked Brother Theo, "don't the people need a priest up there?"
"I was assistant priest there, but the raids got too much for me. I worked for Mother Claudette--a good, fine woman. Plus she had the ear of the mayor. If you're ever there, mention my name to her. She'll help you get settled," said Caius. "As for us, we're off."
Helena spoke up and said, "There've just been so many more attacks, and we've heard the Great Cave is a little more settled."
"What can you tell us about Formello?" asked Brother Theo, who looked quite anxious to start writing.
"It's a city to the north. They've had troubles, though not as bad as down here. The worst thing that's happened so far is that some Nephilim spies stole the mayor's necklace," said Caius with a laugh. "Sounds trivial, I know, but it's supposed to have powerful magic. Still the attacks were starting to increase, and I'm glad that I left."
"What kind of attacks?" said Brother Theo, clearly itching to add to his maps and journals about his travels in Avernum thus far.
"Nephilim," said Caius, the word nearly spit from his mouth. "I hear the mayor's offering a token for the return of that necklace, but so far there've been no takers."
"Interesting," said Brother Theo as the meal was delivered to the other table. "Thank you for your time, but it has been a long journey today, and I would like my dinner."
"May the gods watch over you in your travels," said Caius.
"And in yours," returned Brother Theo.
Brother Theo returned to the table with his companions, and began eating his meal, and then opened his books, adding to the map he had made earlier and then making some notations in the second book, which Jynx thought looked like a journal.
One of the soldiers stopped by the table, apparently ready to leave, and said, "You lot look new around these parts."
"We are," replied Ansel, "only about a week."
"Yeah, well, listen--you want to stop and visit the Commander. Not now, of course, 'cause it's late, but he'll want to talk to you lot," said the soldier.
"Sure," said Jynx, noting the long bow and half-filled quiver the soldier carried with her. "What's been happening here?"
"Mostly brigands, what took a fort a ways west of here," she replied. "Few cat-heads, but more brigands. Might find yourself getting ahead around here if you could take that fort--little band like you might be able to sneak in."
"We might be interested in that," said Ansel. "Heard about it from some brigands who tried to take us on the road to Silvar."
"Then you just might be the folk commander wants to see," replied the soldier, and she left the tavern.
"Friendly place," said Rudel, his tone dry.
"I'm not going to worry about it," said Ansel. "Get some shut eye, and start saving the world in the morning."
"Saving the world?" said Brynja. "Is that what you call it?"
"OK, saving Avernum," Ansel said, with a laugh. "Satisfied?"
"I'm in Avernum," said Brynja, her tone sharp. "What's to be satisfied about that?"
"D'ya have to be such a grump?" said Ansel, and then he finished his drink. He grinned at Brynja, and then said, "See you guys in the morning."
Tired from their longer journey that day, the companions quickly retired after finishing their meals, re-emerging after a sound sleep to have breakfast before following up on the soldier's suggestion that they visit the commander.
Jynx ate her breakfast with the others, ignoring Brynja's teasing, which had grown easier now that she was also needling Duncan and Rudel after catching them in an embrace in the hallway that morning. Leaving the inn, they saw that most of the people on the streets of the fort were uniformed and armed, though a few civilians were also present.
The barracks were in the center of town, and it seemed that all streets led to the barracks, which was just as well. In the distance, they noted a few shops, deciding that they would stop there before leaving for whatever lay ahead.
Once inside the barracks, the off-duty soldiers there pointed the group in the direction of Captain Johnson's office, and soon enough they came to a desk, behind which sat a large bearded man, improbably wearing a well-polished suit of armor--metal armor, something that they hadn't seen in Avernum as yet, with a halberd within easy reach.
Reflexively, Ansel took a posture of attention as the captain looked over at the group.
"Good day," said the captain, his eyes running appraisingly over the group, lingering a little over Duncan, before returning his attention to Ansel. "Glad that you stopped by."
"Well, we're new around here," said Ansel, "and figured we might do well to learn something more about what's been going on in these parts."
"I lead the defenses here," said the captain, "against the vermin--cat heads and bandits." His eyes took on a rather strange gleam as he said, "Orders to keep at it till the problem is solved. Love to solve the problem by wringing their necks personally."
"Bit of a sticky problem?" said Ansel.
"We're getting it in hand," replied the captain. "Got the bandits making raids, and we beat them back. Hear they've taken over an old fort to the west--might be good pickin's for some adventurers." He gave Ansel a broad wink. "Of course, there's the matter of getting up there--but we're wearing 'em down. Then of course, there's the cat heads. Somewhere's north, they say they're getting a new fort put in. Don't matter--we're getting some of our own back, got a couple of 'em in the cells here to die slow."
Ansel's face was carefully neutral as he considered that, and said, "Any rumors about that bandit group?"
"Just their leader's supposed to be a spell slinger," spat the captain, who evidently did not have much use for magic users. "An' I might have something for yas, you take him out."
"Thanks for your time, Captain," said Ansel, his tone so carefully neutral that Jynx realized he must truly despise the captain. "We've got to get us a little gear, so if there's nothing else we can help you with, we'll be getting that."
"Very good," replied the captain, turning back to the paperwork heaped on his desk.
Threading their way back through the barracks, Jynx did not ask Ansel what seemed to bother him, as there were too many off-duty soldiers in the room, and sure they would bear tales of any conversation. And so it was in relative silence that the group made their way down one street leading out of the fort, stopping first at a shop with a mortar and pestle and a bottle pictured on its signboard.
"Good day, my name is Walner," said the man--short and heavy-set, dressed in ratty clothes--behind the counter, "how may I help you?"
"So what sort of profession requires so much traveling?" said Brynja, taking in the travel-worn appearance of his clothing.
"Well, I try to be a sage. But lately, I've been seeing a lot of action," he said with an apologetic look at his attire.
"What kind of action?" asked Ansel.
"Captain Johnson enlisted me to help out against the foe. I was on a raid against the bandit fort up the hill to the west. It was a mess, but we fared much better than the group that attacked the Nephilim to the north. None of them returned," replied Walner, and with a hopeful expression added, "You know, we can always use more help."
"What does a sage do?" asked Duncan.
"Well, my specialty is item lore. I can identify your items, if you like."
Brother Theo spoke up, and said, "Do you sell recipes for potions, or only the completed product?"
"Ah, you have an interest in brewing," said Walner, and as the group drew nearer, they saw that there were a variety of overlapping stain colors on the tips of his fingers--most in shades of green and brown, but also the occasional bright color. "A couple of recipes that I can share with you--to help in healing and recovering from poisonings. And of course, I sell other potions as well--but I guard those recipes a little closer. And I also work as a sage."
"Much call for that here?" asked Jynx.
"Well, there's always the odd thing turning up here and there," replied Walner, "enough that I can get a little extra coin by telling folks what that thing they found does." He chuckled slightly, and said, "But main income is from the potions."
"We're still pretty new here, and a bit short on cash," said Ansel. "How much you asking for those recipes?"
"Not so much, considering," said Walner, "just fifty gold for the both of them."
Ansel drew in his breath sharply, and said, "Brother Theo, you figure you can learn them ok?"
"I'm sure I can," replied Brother Theo. "More a matter of finding ingredients."
"Quite so," said Walner, "but fortunate, these have common ingredients. You wander out beyond the fort, you should find what you need."
"OK," said Ansel, drawing out the required coins. "Brother Theo, you take your time here, I think we'll head down to that next shop."
"I'll meet you shortly," replied Brother Theo, as Walner disappeared into a back room, returning with some stained parchments.
The next shop down bore a sign depicting a quiver filled with arrows, and a pale young woman sat behind the counter, putting fletching on arrows as they entered the shop.
Without stopping her task to look up at them, she said, "How can I help you?"
"Wondered what all you have for sale here," said Ansel.
"Missiles--arrows, bolts," said the woman.
"How about darts?" asked Brynja, who'd gotten rather accustomed to the use of darts from the arrival allotment, but had lost some since their arrival.
"Darts, sure," said the woman. "And I got a bow, if you're looking for something with a little more range."
"I'd have to practice a lot more with that," said Brynja. "Rather keep to something that I've been using, if you know what I mean."
"Quite so," said the woman, seeming unperturbed. She set the arrow down that she'd been working on, and pulled out two boxes from below the counter, and put two darts on the counter--one had stone tips like those Brynja got earlier, the other had gleaming metal tips. "One gold a dozen for these," said the woman, pointing at the stone one, "one gold each for those."
"I'll take a dozen of these," said Brynja, indicating the metal tipped ones, "if that's all right?" she finished with a look at Ansel.
"Yeah, we got it," said Ansel, drawing out the coins. "And luck with us, we'll come out with a lot more when we get done."
"Planning on something dangerous?" said the woman, dropping the stone-tipped dart back in the box and counting out eleven more metal-tipped ones.
"Yeah--we met up with some bandits, and got a lead on where they hide," said Ansel. "Figure we might do some good there."
"Well, then, you be sure to talk to Jason--you haven't been there, yet, have you?" she said. "Shop next door?"
"No, we ain't been there yet," replied Ansel. "Was going to be our next stop."
Brother Theo then stepped into the shop, beaming at his companions, as he said, "Got those recipes copied down. And a few tips on some common places for the ingredients."
"Great news, Brother," said Jynx.
"Thanks," said Brynja, packing away the last of her new darts. "Be back when we need more."
"Pleasure doing business with you," replied the woman, returning to her fletching as the group left the shop.
The next shop's signboard carried the image of a plow and scythe, and they walked inside, where a pale man, dressed in tatty clothes waved them over and said, "Welcome to Jason's 'Farming' Supplies."
"You're into farming?" said Ansel, sounding rather surprised.
"Used to be," replied Jason, "but them bandits burnt out a lot of the farms, and the soldiers here don't take it as something to battle serious. More interested in drawing up their elaborate schemes against the cat heads." He shook his head, seeming to realize that he was getting far off track, and said, "Now, I deal in supplies--for farming for the stupid and a little more ah--esoteric."
"Esoteric?" repeated Ansel.
"Yeah, you find stuff you want to get rid of, bring it here, I'll give you a fair price, and no questions about how you got it," said Jason. "And I got a few things you might be interested in. Like poison and lockpicks." He gave the group a questioning glance.
"Lockpicks would be useful," said Brynja. "How much?"
"Forty gold," he said, "and you get a full set."
Ansel nodded at Brynja's questioning look, and she said, "We--uh, I'll take it."
Ansel counted out the coins, and said, "We better get us earning some, instead of spending all the time." The smile on his face showed that he was not nearly as annoyed as his words suggested.
"Now, there's an especially bad group of them bandits north, waylay travelers between here and Formello. I might have something really special for you if you take 'em."
"We'll keep that in mind," said Ansel. "We'd been thinking about going Formello way at some point anyhow."
"And, you don't mind--keep quiet about the special supplies I got here," said Jason. "Would rather not have the soldiers tear the place apart, you know."
"I understand," said Ansel, giving Jason a grin. "Well, we'd best be off."
"And good luck to you," said Jason, as the group left his shop.