Off the spine

Eethy strained looking out over a forest of mountain peaks before him. It didn’t look any different really. The peaks extended in both directions and extended as far as the eye could see. He shielded his eyes from a gust of snow the wind whipped up from the peak he peered over. Reaching up, he lowered his goggles back down against his ice frosted mustache and pressed them back into place. He looked toward his guide and she pointed to their left. In his head he heard her voice clear as day, “That peak there. We will follow this ridgeline to it. There is a cliff at the end. You can jump from there and drop several hundred feet to the next ridgeline.”
Two hours later he was finally at the top of the ledge and nodded to her. He took a breath and worked his lips for a moment to make sure he would be able to speak the arcane words necessary. His lips cracked and the cold air stung his throat as he did. The fall wasn’t bad though the wind carried him a little during the descent. He finally touched the snow but instead of landing softly he sank twice his height and found himself buried and hardly able to move. He muttered in frustration silently to himself and began casting and melting and shaping the snow around himself to get back out. When he finally got out he saw empathy but also amusement as she laughed, presumably out loud though he couldn’t hear it over the wind. “You could have warned me” he thought with a touch of begrudging humor. She stuck out one bare foot and gestured at the light blue runed limb in innocence, “It was firm beneath my feet when I tried it.” came the reply in his mind. “Next time land on your stomach maybe?” she offered. Eethyl shook his head and smiled inwardly, glad she could bring some humor to the mercelis trip.
 
Six days later he stood looking out over the first earth he had seen without snow or frost in months. There was a small crater lake below that fed out the far side and likely cascaded down the mountain in a series of waterfalls through the forests below. He felt his shoulders relax a moment and he let himself sit for a bit just to take in the sight. He sensed her settle next to him and saw the small footprints in the snow as she walked to the end of the rock and took in the sight herself. “There is a settlement of humanoids that should be within a day's journey past here. I could see it from above when it was clear yesterday.” came her crisp thoughts. He nodded.
 
The firelight from the hearth cast past the man who dished out stew to folk dressed in firs and thick leathers who sat around the lodge on shaped timbers. Two young men sat cross legged, one playing two small drums and the other a small stringed instrument. The droning voice of the elder that sang quietly in a deep voice slowed and he gestured for the boys to stop as the evening watch came in escorting a short thick bundle of winter clothing still covered in permafrost and wearing pequilure eyewear.
“Karn herand groth haleed saraid?” The elder asked the guards. Eethyl lifted his goggles above his eyes and blinked in the light of the torches and fire. One of his escorts gestured toward the mountain and gave a response Eethyl couldn’t understand. The elder nodded and dismissed them into the night. The room sat silently watching the odd traveler as they didn’t see many this far north and certainly not any coming off the spine.
The elder stepped forward and nodded acknowledgment to the gnome. “You come off the spine without a weapon or company? Is this true?” his thick accent came through in a clear common tongue. Eethyl realized he hadn’t heard common spoken in years and suddenly felt the foreigner he appeared to these people. He cleared his throat and wet his cracked lips though it did little to help. “I do come without blade or bow father. Bal pardon me, I do not believe there is a tavern that appens to rent rooms. I do ope to find someone willing to trade rations hand perhaps point me toward the nearest chity or sare a map.” His common was more rusty than he expected as he heard his own voice.
A couple of the villagers murmured and exchanged glances hearing him speak and a couple of the men openly scrutinized his clothing though they did not interrupt. The elder looked at him, noting he carried no pack or provisions to be seen. “Where do you come from then traveler?” the old man asked. “Near the sword coast mountains, though I have been gone for many years. I have items to chrade for your ospitality if you will extend it la? If not, Pi I’ill be on my way.” It unnerved him to have to ask for something he would have taken for granted all these many years, even of a wild beast. He felt for a moment like he wanted to flee back up the mountain to what he had grown accustomed to. He stood still though and attempted to push his frozen cheeks up in a smile. The old man nodded after a moment of consideration and gestured to a place on a log and gestured to one of the villagers to place a dry fir for him near the spot. “Come then, we will accept you as a guest. You may warm yourself and we will speak of trade then.” Sila reassured him silently, “He is amiable and an honorable man at heart. I believe you can trust him. His curiosity is sparked by your offer of trade.” Eethyl nodded politely to a few that watched as he crossed the open space and made to take off his coat and sit after his host had settled comfortably.
 
“This is the galley then. Here you will be expected to work with two breaks per day at third bell and sixth, that is unless you haven’t finished the dishes.” The tiefling said. “I’ll throw your ass overboard if you don’t pull your weight. More than your weight actually” her doubtful tone was harsh. Eethyl believed her. “I weel work ard I hguarantee you and always ave the food ready.” he replied. She looked at him funny and he kicked himself for not paying more heed to his accent. “All right then you little shit, get in there and get to work and prove it.” He nodded and set about checking where the cooking utensils were stored and what kind of provisions they had to work with. "Fucking gnome for a cook, what next?" the tiefling muttered as she left him.
“I’ll be glad to leave this city of sails” Sila’s thoughts came clear past the clatter of steps on the deck above. “The place smells worse than the lower bogs of the bahadleen realm.” Eethyl laughed softly to himself but didn’t respond. “I’m going to check the ship out and see if we should expect any trouble.”
“I’ll be about my work here yes yes” he replied in mind as he rummaged through the cupboards. "It's just a couple days journey by boat. We will be in Neverwinter by the end of tenday."
It seemed like that was two years ago he thought as he looked at his calloused hands. He looked up at the bay and smiled. Finally. Nine months after leaving the city of sails he was finally back within reach of home. He should have just come on foot but no use thinking on that. Soon he would finally be able to see his kin again.