A long Journey, Wonderful Conversations, and New Friends

My first night back on the prime material pass uneventfully. For which I am grateful, for I was able to fully embrace my waking dreams. I am not a human so I don’t fully understand how they have a restful night’s sleep, but my first night back I can say that I gained a new appreciation for restful sleep. Before falling into my waking dreams, I talked with Willow about family and it would seem that we both search for lost family. I was comforted to learn that I am not the only one who walk to path to be connected or re-connected with family.
 
Upon waking, what I can only assume was the morning, our travel companion Vater had disappeared during the night. Not leaving so much as a note to explain his disappearance. It seems odd for him to suddenly and without warning to disappear, but I can only assume that my companions feel how I feel when I was captured. Maybe it was his past actions catching up with him or some premonition of danger to himself or family that he needed to leave. Either way it is odd and I hope that he is able to grow from whatever lies ahead of him. Aura was also suspiciously gone as well, but from what I gather, her absence is not unusual and she always tends to catchup a little later.
 
After a quick breakfast we made to break camp and headed north towards the lost city of Aladana. While Enna, Barnabas, I did that Willow went to find us some horses for us to use as mounts, for faster travel. We were in need of two, she instead returned with seven. As surprising as it was for her to have returned with that many horses, it was not at all surprising as Willow is able to make friends where ever she goes. As I did not have a horse of my own and even less gear, I decided to take one of the new horses that had become our traveling companions. I have a mind to befriend and train this horse when the opportunity arises and I may ask Barnabas and Willow for their help as they both seem to have an affinity for horses.
 
A few hours travel brought us to a clearing in the middle of the woods and a very strange sight. That being two children praying at a make shift alter. Finding it more than a little weird and fearing some sort of ambush, Enna and Willow approached while Barnabas and I stayed back with our caravan. After some questions we learned these children were followers of Voltura and that their village was nearby. We were also offered shelter and food for the night. Having spent most of the past month outside it seemed a welcome respite from sleeping outside again.
 
The young girl and boy led us to their village, which ended up not being close at all, and to their home. We received a warm welcome, hot food and a pleasant night’s sleep. The young boy and girl were completely enamored with Barnabas and Willow as they regaled them with stories of their heroics and Willow’s ability to grow flowers out of thin air. I am happy they have role models to try to emulate as having a goal is important for growing as an individual. But I will say that I was a tad bit jealous that they didn’t take any interest in me, but then again I didn’t really make myself seem approachable, so I can certainly understand why they did not take an interest in me. I will take it as a lesson that I should speak up if I ever get envious of a child’s admiration towards one of my companions.
 
As we finished our meal and told stories to the children the night got late, but that is not to say that we didn’t set watches for the night. I took the first watch for the evening. While nothing of note happened, I felt like I was being watched the entire time, but when I would turn to look, no one was there. No matter what I did I was unable to shake the feeling. Maybe it is just a lingering effect from my time in the Fey Wild.
 
We had breakfast with our hosts the following morning. A hot cooked meal is always welcome in my book. The boy and his sister again asked for more stories, in which they were obliged. But when we took our leave the young boy vowed to grow up and be just like Barnabas while the young girl vow to grow up just like Willow. Both of my companions seized the opportunity to teach valuable lessons.
 
Barnabas explained to the boy that he only used his sword as a last resort when all other options had failed. That violence is never the answer. Willow crafted him a wooden sword and made him his family’s protector. While the young girl declared to be just like Willow. My companion took the time to teach her some of the basics for caring for nature.
 
We set off on the road again around mid-morning. And by the late afternoon we were within sight of the city of Huxfort. Being concerned that they might be recognized in the city I was volunteered to go in and gain some information and news from within the city. Before leaving Willow asked me to find out if there were any powerful practitioners of the arcane arts that were in the area. But we all really just wanted to know what was going on since it had been a couple of day since we had left civilization.
 
Enna was nice enough to accompany me. While we were a fair distance away from city, I took advantage of the time to catch up with her. We talked about how she was handling her new responsibilities, what we each thought about our companions, and what our respective up bringing’s were like. We also talked about what we’d like to do when time allowed, and I was excited by the prospect of visiting the monastery I grew up in with her, but I have a sneaking suspicion that we will visit but it will be for some need we have to fight the spread of this corruption. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and it was nice to confide in her some of the thoughts I have rolling around in my head at the present moment.
 
While in the city we learned that the Silver Capes had taken a larger role in the governance of the city was well as becoming more and more prevalent. We also learned that magic users were the ones being blamed for the woes the world was facing at the moment. In particular there was a certain group that was more responsible than anyone. I can only believe that my traveling companions were the ones being blamed. Hoping to garner more information we found an area to play out a faux conversation while listening in on other conversations. Unfortunately I was not able to discern anything of value, fortunately Enna did.
 
We exited through the main gate and made our way back to camp. As night fell once again, we set about taking watches during the night. My watch passed uneventfully, but during Barnabas’s watch we were had a guest creep up to our camp. During the exchange between Barnabas and the stranger I was woken by the sound of their voices and when Barnabas cast his light spell. It both startled and stung my eyes bringing me to fully be conscious.
 
I took to hiding as I don’t believe that I was seen by this strange and watched and listened to the conversation as it played out. We learned that this stranger was a would-be thief that was planning on robbing us blind as we slept. Correctly guessing that this situation could be easily remedied and hand him a gold piece and sent him on his way. As he left, I followed at a distance to make sure he was going to get his friends to come back with more force or worse bringing those looking for my companions and myself to us. Being satisfied that we had returned to his camp for good, I returned to find our friends breaking camp to ensure that we weren’t found there.
 
We traveled for some time but to put some distance between us and made camp to pass the rest of the night. During Willow’s watch, she was confronted by a small pack of wolves. Which she naturally befriended and told not to eat our new horse companions. But our day of traveling was uneventful. We made good progress in traveling closer to our destination, and our night passed much the same as our day had.
We knew at some point that we’d come upon the standing stones that would identify that Aladana was near at hand. Upon finding them we tied the horses up and asked two of our wolf companions to stand guard while we searched and entered the cave leading to the lost city. I hope that the wolves will be able to overcome their animal instincts and not kill and eat our horses. We all spread out and searched for the entrance, and I just so happened to find it. Before returning to the group, I watched the entrance but nothing happened.
 
I informed our group and we made our way into the cave. The tunnel wound around and went this way and that way. Yet it never spilt and eventually it led to a dead end. I remembered the words the voice spoke to me just before it broke the scrying stone and I spoke them. In doing so the wall started to move and slowly revealed the ruins of the long lost city of Aladana.