The Journey

We headed back towards Fallaval following the same meandering route into the city through the main gate and onwards up through the streets to the courtyard and gardens at the base of the keep. Nobody really spoke much and each remained in their own thoughts., listening to the sound of the horses and carriage on the rough road. As the carriages entered the courtyard there were the usual chorus of shouts from the stable hands who began to marshal the horses and carriages into position. On alighting the carriages, each of the teams was directed to enter the keep and make their way once again into the Great Hall where we were told to wait until further instruction. "Hmmm. This better be worth it..."
 
Each team sat or stood around the great hall and waited, each eyeing the other suspiciously, waiting for something or someone to say something that would trigger a fight. Captain Thorne entered the room followed by Lord Fallavar and a few of his nobles. It grew quiet. Fallavar began to speak..."and Congratulations to all of the teams that took part. Some performed far worse than expected", glancing at Kerran Wolfgar, "while others took the more unconventional route and performed well, not once but twice!", glancing in our direction. With that in mind, I have four tasks that need completing, which of course I will pay well. I have a pack of Gnolls that needs dealing with, there are disappearances near Dargon that I need to get to the bottom of , there are rumours of spies from Knurden that need investigating and finally there is a bandit group operating near Skamber that need dealing with. Each has it's own requirement's and will need teams that complete the task. However, I did promise the best performing team first choice at the tasks". He turned to face our group, "Well, which one will it be...?
 
We al looked at each other and shrugged. The two Fey muttered quietly , "it it involves killing animals we're out!" There was no real preference and each seemed much like the other. As long as payed it didn't really matter. Talora shouted across, "We will take the Dargon job".
 
"Well done" Lord Fallavar replied and then he began to talk through the other jobs with the remaining teams until all agreed which one they would take. " Each team will report to back to the Hall tomorrow morning where you will be met by Captain Throne to receive a full brief on each of your allotted tasks. Until then, you will be accommodated in the keep in the rooms on the second floor. Please do not go wandering around the keep during the night, the guards will be most displeased. Get some sleep, you are going to need it". Lord Fallaval and the others left leaving the teams stood in the great Hall.
 
"I'll see you guys in the morning". I headed off in search of a route to the second floor and a bed.
 
I awoke early, rising out of bed, stretching, and yawning. It was the same routine each morning. Follow the Jesol’narix. I gathered my equipment. I knelt down examining my armour and sword for damage. I then laid them down, armour first, the sword below. Remembering my Jotunn family I chanted out the ritual words in the language of giants as I scribed out the runic symbols and shapes onto my armour making sure to stay true to my teachings. The runes glowed as I scribed in hues of red and blue before dimming and fading leaving just the outline of the shapes that I had formed. The bond between my Jotunn armour and sword were strong. It would protect me and I could protect others. It was always the way. I looked towards the small window in the room. I couldn’t see the mountains but they were always out there, calling me home. It wasn’t time though. I wasn’t ready, not yet.
 
I donned my armour and sorted the rest of the equipment. I headed downstairs making my way into the Great Hall once more. There were a few other members of the other teams sat around eating and talking. I gathered some of the food that was on offer and found an empty table.
 
One by one the other team members arrived, Buns, Talora, Nyx and Lupty. Each gathered some food and sat at the table. The wizard Lupty was muttering something about an incident in his room and the state of his beard which looked as if it had been singed or burned by fire. I looked but didn’t ask.
 
We finished breakfast and as we began to discuss what was happening we were approached by one of the guards who strode across the Great Hall towards us. “Good morning, Captain Thorne has asked if you would follow me and make your way to his office. It’s not far”. We exchanged looks and stood. “Good, follow me”
 
We followed the guard as he led us through the keep until we got to Captain Thorne’s office. The guard knocked and opened the door announcing our presence, “The first team, sir”.
 
Captain Thorne was sat behind a large wooden desk which looked to have been carved from the wood of the renown Frontera-mallo trees which grew in the gardens below the keep.
 
Captain Thorne gestured for us to sit which we did and he began to provide information about our task.
 
“Now then, there have been some strange disappearances that have occurred over the past year on the road between Fallaval and Eskam to the south. This has been brought to our recent attention as one of our couriers recently went missing. The courier was carrying important correspondence from the Lord of Fallavar to the Lord of Synlor. When we began to examine the circumstances, we realised that this was not the first incident and we found multiple instances over the past year of strange occurrences including people disappearing. I myself began to investigate and have discovered that there is the small village, named Dargon, which is to the east of Eskam, where these incidents seem to be focused. Indeed, some four months ago the village missed its monthly report which is unusual. The following month we received word saying that the captain, Captain Farron, had fallen ill, and that a new acting Captain Parse was in now in charge. The report seemed very ‘off’ and not at all what we were used to. Something feels not quite right and that’s where you come in. I want you to travel down to Dargon and see what is going on. If you can get to the bottom of the disappearances even better. I’ll pay one hundred gold pieces each if you can find out what Is going and up to two hundred gold pieces if you can deal with it. What do you say?”
 
Each of us looked at each other. We had already decided. That’s what we were here for. We agreed and began to discuss travel and how to get there. I briefly mentioned obtaining some horses, including a war horse from the stables at he keep but Thorne was not having any of it mentioning a stable and livery just outside of the town. We made our agreements and left and mad our way out of the office.
 
As we did so, Buns and Lupty got into a raised discussion around the earlier incident with Luptys beard. This soon escalated and with Buns beginning some sort of arcane incantation and then pointing at Lupty, hitting him square in the face with a bolt of magical energy focusing on his beard which then set alight. The nearby guards leapt into action thinking some sort of fight was beginning outside Captain Thornes office and it took some talking by Talora and Nyx to resolve the situation. Buns kept woefully explaining that he was trying to even out Luptys beard to make it look better…” whilst Lupty comically patted his own face down. I couldn’t believe it. Now was not the time. The guards rapidly escorted us the rest of the way out towards the Keep exit. “If there is any damage back there, Thorne will take it out of your earnings, you do realise that? “
 
We left the keep without looking behind and decided to head straight out of town towards the stables just outside the town gates. On arrival at the stable and after extended introductions and much deliberation we managed to rent two horses, tack and a cart. During these negotiations both Buns and Nyx disappeared back into the town whilst Talora, Lupty and I managed to source provisions for the journey and sort out the travel arrangements and rental fees.
 
A few hours passed and we were ready to go. Nyx had returned looking happy but we were still waiting for Buns.
 
“Where was that damn Harengon?”
 
An hour or so later Buns turned up dragging a large bag with him. He looked so happy and was almost slurring.
 
“Have you been drinking?” I asked.
 
“No, just eating.... a few carrots” Buns replied pointing down at the bag at his feet. “I needs them”.
 
Buns tried to lift the bag onto the cart but couldn’t coordinate his efforts with the heavy bag. “Come here you stupid rabbit”. I bent down and picked up the bag and placed it onto the back of the cart”. Buns quickly climbed onto the back of the cart and took up a position next the bag and almost lovingly placed his arm around it. It’s almost as if the Harengon was drugged. I exchanged glances with the others.
 
With everyone now back at the stables we began our journey into the wilderness crossing the Vavolle River as we exited the farmland around Fallaval leaving the town behind us. We took a steady pace, some of us often walking as to not tire the horses, following the road as it meandered south-westerly through the grasslands of Noradet. On the horizon to the southwest we could see the rising Porso Hills which we would skirt around the edge of before heading in a more southerly route crossing the bridge over the Datte River. We then followed the course of the river towards Eskam nestled in the foothills to the south.
 
The journey took tens days. We passed a few travellers on the road but nothing of any note. We began to settle into a daily routine and it became apparent that each of us had our own ways and habits that we followed for our own reasons. I dare say we would discuss these more the longer we were together…
 
On the tenth day we turned off the main road before it headed into Eskam a few miles away . We followed an old sign which indicated that the village of Dargon was five miles to the East. As we got closer, we decided to slow down and try and move a bit more quietly and covertly just in case there was anything up ahead. As we got near to the village we stopped a short distance from a ridge line that overlooked Dargon. Leaving the horses and cart behind we cautiously moved up to the ridgeline to gain a better vantage point.
 
On looking down across the grassland we could see the village of Dargon. The village was small and much as I imagined it to be but it seemed very quiet. There was no movement in or around the village. It seemed very unusual and at odds with village life. It wasn’t late, where was everybody?
 
On looking closer I could see that there were several men stood around one of the outer buildings. They looked like guards and there were plenty of them. Why were they guarding this building? Who or what was inside?
 
I turned to the others, “This does not look good…”