The Oakdell Circle

Chapter Eight

Packing up his bunny slippers Samash cinched his pack tight before slinging it over his shoulder. Grabbing his halberd from against the wall he turned to regard the rest of the party. Tamar and Kuku stood ready with their packs on their backs and their weapons in hand, Kevin and Adora resting quietly on Tamar's shoulders. Goilon oiled his blunderbuss one last time after packing it with gunpowder and ball ammunition. Ari had decided to wait until they were leaving to pull on her boots, having preferred to be without them while they had been here. Pulling on the first boot she frowned seeing that her other boot had fallen into the fire but grabbed for it nonetheless.

"You know I have a mending spell that can fix that boot of yours," said Chaucer as he hopped over to her. She nodded and handed him the boot placing her socked foot atop her booted one. Taking the boot Chaucer recited the short incantation and waved his hand in somatic motions as the magic took effect and began to make the boot whole again. Ari smiled watching the burnt leather magically restore itself as Chaucer set it down at her feet. "Good as new," he remarked. "Might have to do the other one just so it matches the newness of this one," he laughed. Ari shook her head in agreeance yanking off the one boot she'd already put on and handed it to Chaucer.

Samash made his way over to the entrance and looked outside. The rain had gone down to a soft trickle and the sun was peeking through the clouds. The ground was soggy and muddy in some places, the barbarian making note of the mud. Goilon and Kuku came up behind him, both with their weapons propped against their shoulders, Goilon with Big Medicine and Kuku with his curved greatsword. Goilon looked to Kuku thoughtfully and asked, "How is it ye can wield that thing as a monk? Are ye proficient with it, lad?" A smile crept along Kuku's beak.

"It's actually cursed. As long as I wield it, I'm not proficient with martial weapons but I am proficient with greatswords. Only I never was proficient with martial weapons so it works out great for me." He hefted it up and spun it for Goilon to view it in its entirety. Goilon feigned interest in the blade and slapped his rifle.

"It's Big Medicine for me, lad. I've taken down many a large game with this fine piece of craftsmanship. Makes any ammunition I put into it magical." Looking back he saw Tamar approaching with Adora and Kevin. As she joined the others she looked longingly out at the jungle and beyond. "Something on yer mind, las?" asked Goilon.

"Yes, but I'd really rather not discuss it. I'm sure you can guess it has to do with my past so let's just leave it there, where the past belongs." Pushing past Goilon and Kuku she walked out of the ruins and began heading back towards where they'd moored their boat. Samash looked back and saw Ari and Chaucer gathering up their things and slapped Goilon on the arm as he stepped out of the ruins and followed Tamar.

"Wait for us," called out Chaucer as he hopped alongside Ari who hustled to catch up to the group as they walked off into the drizzle of rain. Ari pulled up the hood of her now dry cloak and fell in step behind the party, easily picking her way through the difficult terrain of the jungle.

Tamar was the first to spot it and she stopped just behind a large bush as she peered forward. Samash came up next and held position behind Tamar, directing the rest of the group to fall in behind him. "What is it?" Samash asked Tamar in a hushed whisper.

"I see what looks like a pterodactyl up ahead, only this one appears to be saddled and bridled," the rogue replied with a curious tone. She tilted her head and considered the situation. Could this belong to my brother? Is this how he caught up to us? thought Tamar. "I'm going in for a closer look," she said as she slipped into the shadows and peeled away from the group.

Samash slid up into Tamar's position once she slipped away. He could see what she had been looking at now, the pterodactyl tied to a tree saddled and bridled. It looked like it sensed Tamar getting closer but it made no sudden movements and didn't act like it was spooked. Samash watched as Tamar crept up to the beast and gently slid her hand into one of the saddlebags. Pulling out a slip of paper she unrolled it and read it. Crumpling the paper up she stuffed it in her belt pouch and moved back to the party.

"It was Valen's mount, alright. I found THIS in his saddlebag." She pulled the crumpled piece of paper out of her pouch and slapped it into Samash's hand. "It's a contract from the Cult of Acererak for our heads! Why didn't anyone tell us that guy has a cult?!" continued Tamar. "You know they're going to have to be next on our list of things to do."

Samash nodded silently considering the new information as he looked over the crumpled contract. Everything they did now would be more difficult because there would be this cult out to thwart them, sending assassin after assassin. Who knew how many assassins were already after them. He handed Tamar back the contract. "I think you're right Tamar. Once we get back we're going to need to defeat this cult in order to earn ourselves some freedom." Tamar gave the barbarian a half smile. Looking over the party Samash noticed that someone was missing. He silently did a swift headcount and quickly realized that Ari had wandered off again. "Where's Ari?" he asked the group as he began to frantically look around.

Reaching the tied-up pterodactyl Ari placed a gentle hand on its side. It croaked a soft response and tilted its beaked head towards her. Ari muttered something softly and the beast fell into a sort of trance as she went about undoing the saddle, bridle, and tie off. Flapping its wings lightly it took in the feeling of freedom as the saddle slid off its back. Ari then guided it out from under the trees and into a small clearing. Coaxing it she patted its backside a few times and it took flight, launching itself into the air and flying off.

"Ari!" exclaimed Tamar as she ran up alongside her. "What are you doing? There was stuff in that thing's saddle bags that I wanted to look at!" she said in frustration. Ari pointed back to the site where it'd been to where the saddle now lay.

"Mi left ya treasua. Mi only wanted ta free de poor beastie," Ari said as she turned and walked back towards the group, a soft smile on her face. Tamar followed her to where the saddle lay and took it up with her as she continued to follow Ari to the group. Samash stepped out from behind the bush as they approached.

"I guess that was the last of Valen the Mangler," scoffed Samash. "I can't imagine he'll be missed by anyone."

"My family will probably want vengeance once they find out, actually," lamented Tamar. "They'll blame me and likely hunt me to the ends of the realms to kill me," she said as a matter of fact. Holding up the saddlebags as she passed by Samash she remarked, "And this is the last of Valen, and I'm claiming it. Family rights." Hefting the saddlebags next to Chaucer she dropped them with a thud and peeled the flaps open to dig into the pouches. Chaucer was familiar with this practice and immediately went to his bag of holding. Tamar proceeded to pull out all manner of things to include potions, vials, amulets, scrolls, daggers, and most of all coin. She ignored things like clothing and cooking utensils and kept to the things she would get use out of. Placing all but the coins in the bag of holding she kicked the nearly empty saddlebags to the side and went about counting the coins. Gold and platinum with a few gems mixed in filled her hands. As she counted she dropped them skillfully into her own coin pouch. "Twenty-five platinum and thirty-six gold. Not bad. We'll identify the other items when we're done here. Can either of you caster's use this diamond?" she asked.

"I can use it," piped in Chaucer cinching his bag of holding closed. Tamar handed him the diamond and he placed it in his spell component pouch, patting it lightly and smiling to the rogue. "Thank you. May the King in Yellow bless you."

Samash approached and shook his head hearing Chaucer praising his make-believe deity. He patted Tamar on the back and asked, "You okay? Ready to press on?" She nodded and offered a light smile, stepping off towards where they'd left the boat earlier.

The rain had finally stopped. Samash and Kuku were back to rowing the whaleboat, coasting down the river against the current with ease thanks to Chaucer controlling the water. The small white grung stood at the bow of the little boat and wove his hands in intricate patterns as he manipulated the flow of the current around the boat. The way we moved was almost like some type of martial art dance, pushing and pulling with his hands and twisting at the waist. Samash admired it as he rowed.

All around them a gorge had closed in over them, the banks of the river a few feet deep before raising up into the gorge walls. Knotted trees grew out from the sides as moss crept along the rock face. Flowers sprouted up along the bank, untouched by humanoid and beast alike. Ari laid back in the boat with her legs bent over the side and her toes cutting through the water. She enjoyed the trek through the jungle along the river. It allowed her to enjoy her home without the threat of the undead running rampant. Goilon broke the silence as he looked up from his blunderbuss and back to the party, stationed in the front of the boat nearest Chaucer. "What's this bridge we're comin' ta, lads?" he asked curiously.

Without looking up Ari replied, "Dat is Ataaz Muhahah, ah ancient bridge devoted ta de ancient god Ubtao. Stop at de pilla so dat mi cyan grant us safe passage." She sat up and pulled her legs back into the boat, watching as the bridge came closer.

"Safe passage?" asked Kuku. "We're not even using the bridge. Why would we need to do that?" he asked while rotating the oar forward in synch with Samash on the opposite side. The sounds of monkey chatter began to fill the gorge as they crept closer, baboons hanging from the bridge and playing in the vines that hung down. As they drew closer the sounds of chatter began to sound like a distant laughter. The group all looked to one another concerned as the monkey chatter died down the louder the sound of laughter got.

"Dat laughter be why de call it Muhahah," Ari informed them trying to reassure the group. Ari stood as the boat came up to one of the two pillars. Weaving her hands together in a spell she muttered an incantation and felt a magical power wash over her. Samash and Kuku used the oars against the bottom of the river to steady the boat as Ari climbed out and up the pillar like a spider. Moving to the first rune carved into the pillar she traced a thin finger along through a maze covered in moss that was carved into the rune. As she finished the rune glowed a soft yellow for a brief moment as Ari climbed down and back into the boat. She resumed her previous position of laying back with her feet out of the boat and said, "Wi good now. Ya cyan keep goin."

"What was all that," asked Tamar looking down as she leaned over her friend having just watched Ari climb unassisted straight up the pillar.

"Wha wa wha?" Ari asked. "De climbin wa a spell, Spida Climb, an de uda wa mi tracing a route trough de maze on de pilla ta grant us safe passage. Ubtao wa a god ah mazes. Him wa portrayed as ah mighty warria. De statue up top woulda come ta life an attacked us. Many Chultans know dis." She closed her eyes and relaxed back in the boat while it slowly pushed off and coasted under the many vines hanging down from the bridge, the chatter of monkeys resuming as the laughter died off. Goilon kept his blunderbuss trained on the stone monkey carvings of the bridge as they passed under it, leery of the stone figures as they went on.

Tamar sat back to relax in the boat, swatting at a low vine that brushed by as they passed it. They continued down the river at a leisurely pace, stopping along a wide stretch of bank for dinner and a short rest. Chaucer pulled a large iron pot from his bag of holding while Goilon started a small fire. Kuku took a large chunk of meat from the bag of colding and placed it in the pot with some vegetables and roots. Pouring water into the pot through his create water spell Chaucer filled the pot while Samash set the pot over the fire.

Ari walked barefoot along the beachy bank feeling the sand move through her toes while Tamar sat near the fire and tended to Adora and Kevin, feeding them snacks. Looking up at the party she asked, "Do we want to make camp here? It's already dinner time. By the time we arrive to Needle's Bones it will be dark," she said. "Do we really want to be arriving there in the dark?"

Samash considered her words. He hadn't heard about anything living at the site of the bones, though he also knew that where there was treasure there was bound to be something. He looked around to everyone and then to the pot that had just started to boil. "Alright," he said with reservation. "You make a good point. We'll break for camp here for the night and in the morning we'll set out for the last leg of our adventure."

"Mi gon go look fe some berries ah wha not. Mi stay at de edge ah de jungle fe safety," said Ari as she came up to the group. "Save some ah de vegetables fe mi." Kuku nodded as he stirred the pot, ruffling his feathers as she passed by.

"I don't know how any a you understand that lass," said Goilon as he took a seat on a log alongside the fire and laid his blunderbuss along his lap, taking out his oiling cloth and wiping it down. Chaucer took out some cups from his bag of holding along with his alchemy jug. Pouring milk from the jug he passed the cups around to everyone with a smile. Tamar took her cup and began lapping at the creamy white liquid, Kevin and Adora creeping forward on her shoulders to inspect what was inside the cup. Kuku placed his stubbed beak into the cup and took a long sip, chattering once he'd finished. Samash stood looking around the campsite considering where all the potential threats would come from. He looked over to the jungle that ran up to the edge of the bank where Ari was gathering herbs, then across the water to the other bank. He wasn't comfortable being so out in the open but he was sure that his party could handle just about anything that came out of the woods or water. Walking over to a spot on the beach away from the pot he drew an 'X' in the sand with his boot.

"This should be the center of the tiny hut, tonight," he said to Chaucer and the group. "It offers the best vantage point to see anything approaching and keeps us hidden enough to be overlooked." Chaucer hopped over, careful not to spill his cup. The grung looked over the spot and turned to regard the area around him.

"I'll make it the color of the sand, too," added Chaucer, "to help further disguise us from predators and random attacks." Samash nodded his agreeance and finally went over to join the rest of the group. Pulling a large log of driftwood with him he slid it alongside the campfire across from Goilon. Taking a seat, he pulled out his whetstone and began sharpening his halberd.

"I hope it's a quiet night. I could use some peace."

Kuku sat up and kept watch from within the tiny hut. It was the middle of the night and everyone was fast asleep in their bedrolls. Samash was snoring heavily as he lay on his back while Tamar purred in her sleep, Adora and Kevin curled up atop her as they too slept. Ari was sprawled out on the floor with Chaucer half under her as if she was a blanket. Kuku watched outside the tiny hut as nocturnal beasts came to the water's edge to drink. They didn't seem to notice the hut or sense the party, despite Samash's loud snoring. Kuku let his mind wander a bit, thinking back to his younger days in Icewind Dale. He had been an entertainer there prior to finding and joining the monastery, putting his martial arts on display for coin. He was unique even for the tundra, kenku being a rare race in the frozen north. Rarer still was his snub beak and coloration. He looked every bit a giant penguin only with the build of a regular kenku.

Something grabbed his attention just outside the hut as he heard branches snapping underfoot. Peering out he could see two dark humanoid figures moving towards the tiny hut. He held his breath as they moved in closer, watching attentively as they moved. Two male figures emerged into the moonlight, fixated on their boat that they had pulled up onto shore. They were dressed in dark leathers and had hoods pulled up over their heads, blades shining in the night light. One was clearly human with a scraggly beard while the other taller one seemed like it might be elf or half elf. He was thin but graceful, long blond hair peeking out from his hood. Kuku was pretty sure he could see ears poking up against his hood.

Quietly Kuku moved to wake his party members, motioning for them to be silent as they woke and raised. Pointing out of the hut to the two figures he quietly whispered what he'd deduced so far about them. Quietly they listened to the conversation had by the two interlopers as they readied their weapons.

"Well, this is surely their boat. I saw it myself when they first entered the mouth of the river," said the human male. "Do you see any tracks or anything leading away from here? Gods I hate this contract."

"Here is where they made camp. The embers are still warm from the fire they made. I can see here where they dragged this driftwood around the fire to make camp," said the elven one, his voice regal and melodic. "Let me see if I can make out any tracks in the sand," he said as he knelt down to inspect the footprints around the campfire. Carefully stepping this way and that the elf traced the many footsteps around the riverbank, his ally coming up to follow behind him.

Slowly the elf meandered closer and closer towards the tiny hut, carefully tracing the steps of the party. When he approached the hut itself he stopped and pondered. "The footsteps end here at this dome shaped boulder," he said as a matter of fact to his comrade. "It is like they disappeared."

Flashing his blades out before him and taking a battle stance the human nudged his elven friend. "That's not a boulder, Dinder, that's a tiny hut! And they're probably watching us."

Chaucer dropped the hut and there stood the party in its entirety, weapons ready and spells whirling. Kuku looked at them holding his greatsword in two hands at the front of the group and said, "That's right. We've been watching you. Now it's time to dance." With that Kuku and Samash charged at the two while the rest of the party let off their attack.