Chapter 2: Carina and Ivy


THEY reached the main land of Derma four days after they had left Makki. A strong wind had added power to the ships sails as they traveled to Derma. The Lucky Lady soon docked at Newport in the early morning.
"This is where I must leave you, Moran," said Lee. "I have business to attend to, but first I'll provide you with a reliable map that will lead you to Dew and to the other members of your party." With that her handed her a rolled up piece of paper that looked old and slightly worn away in a corner.
"Thank you," she replied, grateful. She unrolled the map so that she could discuss the route with him before he left.
The map was very detailed and had Dew and Newporth marked clearly. It showed a highlighted road that led from Newport to Dew. The road circled around a few large areas of wilderness. The route also passed a village or two and an isolated temple.
"It will take you about three days to get to Dew from here," said Lee. "This is the village of Kazon." He pointed at the first village along the route. "You will meet one of your fellow adventurers here. Her name is Carina and she is a mage. You can stop for the night at the village and meet her. She'll be at the Wandering Elf inn. Ask around for her."
"The Wandering Elf, I'll remember that," she replied. "Where do I go from there?"
"You're next stop will be here," he said as he pointed at the isolated temple that was located a bit away from Kazon.
"A temple?" Moran asked skeptically. She couldn't guess why the clergy were getting involved. "Just a stop, or another member?"
"You'll meet another person here," Lee said. "Her name is Ivy and she's a Druid. This is the temple of her goddess-Luli. You can stop here for the night. They will provide you with food and shelter."
"Okay, that's two other people," Moran said. "And the next stop?"
"This village, called Anaka," he replied, pointing at a village between the Temple of Luli and Dew.
"And here I'll meet...?" she asked.
"You'll meet the last two members of your group at a inn. It's called the Rose Blossom Inn," he supplied. "They are Lashana and Ristar," he continued. "Lashana is a mage and Ristar is a Ranger. This journey can then be completed and you'll arrive at Dew with everybody on time."
"Okay, so I stop at the Wandering Elf in Kazon, the temple of Luli and then the Rose Blossom inn in Anaka," she said.
"Correct," replied Lee. "And in each place you'll meet more members of your adventuring party. Once the mission is done, you can go your separate ways, if you wish."
"Okay," she said. "Should I start for Kazon today or Tomorrow morning?"
"You can start today," he answered. "It's not too far. You should arrive around dusk."
"Then I'm off," she said. "Fare-well."
"Fare-well," he replied.
With that she started through the city and toward the gate. She passed taverns, inns, shops and houses on her way out of the city.
Soon she had her horse trotting down the road to Kazon. It was spring on this continent and everything was green and healthy. There were patches of lavender or daises or other wildflowers scattered along the well trodden road. A gentle breeze swept her golden hair off her shoulders. The golden trim of her green dress and green riding cloak glinted in the sun. The sun provided sufficient heat to give the wind a warm temperature.
She rode past row after row of trees. Their leaves were a shade of green lighter than her dress, her dress being a dark green. The trees towered over the worn, dusty path she rode upon.
The road twisted and curved, but remained pretty level throughout her travel. Her horse was able to keep a steady pace before she stopped it at a stream about halfway between Newport and Kazon. She tied her horse to a tree near both the stream and a healthy patch of grass. The horse could drink and eat while she ate and drank. She took out some food from her backpack and munched on it while she explored the immediate area. She took her canteen with her so that she could wash down her sandwich with the punch in it. She spied some raspberries on a nearby bush and gathered them to snack on and to store for later.
She was back on the road and heading for Kazon again before too much time could pass. The sun was just now past its zenith, signifying that the hour was slightly past noon now. Her horse trotted along the road at a slightly faster pace; it must have gotten a bit of excess energy from all that grass it had eaten.
She made a bit better time than she expected, arriving at Kazon a bit before dusk and having anticipated an arrival after dusk. Oh, well, good luck is always appreciated, she thought to herself.
Moran led her horse up to the Wandering Elf Inn which was located at the center of the small town. She took her things off the horse and handed the reigns to a stable boy. The boy led Blossom into the stable.
She walked into the inn and noticed that the place was half full and that there wasn't anyone performing at the moment. Moran took a serving girl aside and asked the girl where the innkeeper was. The girl pointed towards a plump woman near the bar at one side of the room.
She walked up to the woman and asked to have a room and some food in exchange for some entertainment, provided by herself, until midnight. The older woman seemed to consider Moran and the offer at the same time. Finally she nodded her head in affirmation. "You can have a break after each set, but not for too long," she said to close the deal by setting some terms. "Here's the key to your room- #15. One of the girls will bring you some supper when you want it. You can sit over there, on that stool by the fireplace." She pointed across the room and Moran's gaze followed.
Moran nodded and walked over to the lone stool by the slightly warm fireplace. She set down her packs and took out her harp. She tuned the instrument and picked out a set of song to gather a bit more people who would provide custom to the inn. She scanned the crowd before she started to play. There were many humans, a few elves scattered about and one dwarf in a far corner. She started with "Love like Wine" and followed with "I'll Find a Way," "Hope" and "Demons of the Night." She played more songs of love, inspiration and heart until it was almost time for a break.
She put down her harp and hailed a serving girl. Moran asked the girl to bring her some food and drink. Moran walked over to an empty table near her stool and sat down where she could keep an eye on her things.
The serving girl came back with a bowl of stew, some bread and a mug of fruit punch. Moran happily ate and drank the things the girl had brought. The stew tasted wonderful, the bread was warm and soft and the punch was chilled to perfection. She finished her meal by scraping her bowl with a bit of bread.
Having finished her meal, she set the dishes on a tray that a serving girl was carrying by. She stopped another girl and asked if a person named Carina happened to be here. The girl pointed to a woman sitting alone at a table on the other side of the room.
Moran walked over to the other end of the room after asking another girl to watch her things. As she got closer to the woman that was identified as Carina, she noticed that the woman was actually an elf. She approached the table and asked, "Carina?"
The woman looked up from the table. "I am Carina Yar," she said simply.
"Moran Zinbar," she said. "We'll be traveling together- to Dew."
"Oh," the elf replied.
Now that they knew that they were to be spending time together, they surveyed each other carefully assessing the other person. Carina had blond hair that dangled down to the center of her back. Her slanted, crystal blue eyes surveyed Moran keenly. She stood an inch taller than Moran and was a bit heavier than Moran.
Moran sat down at the table and said "There're three more people joining the group. One at a temple and two at Anaka. For now, why don't we introduce ourselves more thoroughly.
"Okay," said Carina. "I'm from Turkana, which is far west and north of here. I've studied the languages of some monsters and other species and speak them pretty fluently- such as unicorn, silver dragon, nymph, mummy, halfling, medusa and mermaid. I'm 110 in elven years, which would be about 16 in human years. What about you?"
"Well," Moran said. "I come from the island of Mikka, a weeks travel south of here. I've also studied the languages of some of the local monsters and species. I speak pixie, silver dragon, treeant, elven, gnome and dwarfish. I'm 16, too. What do you know about this mission?"
"I know our route of travel and the first names of the other members of this party," the other woman stated. "I also know this has something to do with a disturbance in a forest near Dew."
It seemed that the other woman knew just as much as she did. "Shall we start for the temple before dawn?"
"Yes, that would be best," said Carina. "I'll meet you here then."
Moran nodded, then stood up and walked back to her stool. She sat down an took up her harp. She started her second set with some battle songs. She started a song called "The Ballad of Sir Osis." From there she sent to "Wash the Spears" and "Jak o' the Shadows." Then came "Glory of the Dragon," "If you go to be a Soldier," and "Trust is the taste of Death." She ended the second set with "The Glory of Adventure."
By now the inn was more than three quarters full and doing good business. As in the case of most villages, this village hadn't seen a professional Bard for awhile. She had attracted some more people into the inn.
Moran grabbed at a mug of punch on a tray held towards her by a young serving girl. Moran emptied the mug and set it back on the tray. The serving girl would take it to the kitchen to be cleaned and filled for another customer.
Moran decided to play some dance songs for her last set. She started with the lively "Tinker in the Kitchen" and "Grenada's Ballad." She followed with "Monty Who?," "Great Warm Dragon," "Song of Nine Heroes" and "Chieftain's Daughter." She ended her last set with the long and very lively "Canticle of the Dragon."
She put her harp back in it's case and gathered her things. She stood up and stretched her tired legs for a second. She walked towards the staircase and proceeded up to the hall. She entered the somewhat brightly lit hall that had lanterns evenly spaced through the length of it. She followed the odd numbered doors until she found door number fifteen.
She took out her borrowed key and unlocked the door. The inside of the room was a dark blur. Slowly her eyes adjusted to the light mixture so that she could make out a candle and light it from a lantern by her door. She set the candle down on the nearest piece of furniture, which happened to be a dresser. She closed the door and studied the room.
There was the dresser here by the door. A medium sized bed was on the opposite wall. It had big puffy pillows on it and an assortment of quilts and sheets. Off to the left side of the room stood a washstand with a basin and a pitcher on it. This stood near the door to the bathroom. On the other side of the room was a chair that was pushed up against the wall. There was a shelf above the dresser on which Moran replaced the candle. The room in itself was decorated in woods. The walls, floor and ceiling were of a unidentifiable polished wood. The rest of the furniture was made of sturdy polished oak. There were a few green rugs on the floor to provide some color and there were green drapes on the lone window near the bed.
Moran set her bags down on the dresser. She carefully placed her instruments inside the dresser where they would be safe from any type of harm. She slid out of her clothes and into a nightgown. She crawled into the nice warm bed. Sleep overtook her as soon as her head hit the pillows.
When she awoke, she heard an early rooster signaling the coming of dawn. She looked at the sky outside her window and realized that there was still awhile before dawn. The rooster must be trained to wake people before dawn.
She rubbed her eyes and stretched her just now awakening limbs. She stood and walked over to the washstand. She poured some water from the pitcher into the porcelain basin set on the stand. She quickly washed and donned a clean set of clothes. She slipped into a red dress with purplish trimming. She pulled on her stout boots and started lacing them. She combed, brushed and styled her wavy golden hair so that two small braids held back most all of her hair. She twirled her red cloak onto her shoulders.
She pulled her flute and harp out of the dresser. They had been safe from any draft or moisture over the night. She put them in her packs and left the room, locking the door behind her. She strode down the hall. She stepped into the mostly empty common room of the inn. A girl brought her a breakfast of pancakes, sausage and milk. She ate lightly so that she didn't get indigestion or any sort of thing that might cost her time or comfort.
Carina walked into the room as Moran was just finishing her breakfast. Moran asked one of the girls bustling about the room to see to it that her horse was ready in a few minutes. She gave the key to the room that she had slept in back to the innkeeper. Moran walked over to Carina and asked the mage if she was ready to go. Carina informed her that her things and her horse were in the stable.
They went to the stable via the back door in the kitchen. Blossom was waiting beside a chestnut mare. Moran secured her things to Blossom and swung gracefully up into the saddle. Carina slowly mounted her horse, but with less dexterity and finesse.
"Ready?" asked Moran.
Carina nodded her head. They started their horse out on a trot and let them out of the stable and into the street. Soon they were on the road that led to the temple where the next person they were to meet should be. They let their horses speed up a little, but made sure they wouldn't wear themselves out.
They talked as they rode. Moran found out that the horse's name is Maple. Moran also found out that Carina was just starting out as a mage by traveling to get experience and collect spells, just like Moran was just starting out as a professional Bard by gathering stories and experiences. Carina only currently knew one spell- magic missiles.
Moran had once seen a mage perform several spells in front of a crowd, including the spell magic missiles. She remembered that this spell involved sending out magical projectiles that appeared from nowhere. This spell could do a lot of damage when correctly aimed. It was an specialized attack spell for mages.
They continued to talk of what they could do and came upon the subject of weapons. Each told the other about how strong they were and what weapons they used. Moran told Carina that she used daggers, a blowgun with darts and a quarterstaff. Carina said that she used daggers and a quarterstaff when fighting. They also discussed how they learned to use the weapons they used. It turned out that Carina's father had also taught her the art of fighting.
As they finished their talk each got a slight idea about the mental ability of the other person. It seemed that they were each equal in intelligence. Carina also seemed to have a bit more common sense than Moran, but not much.
The journey in itself was rather uneventful. The weather hadn't changed much since yesterday, except for a slight bit more warmth in the air. They stopped halfway by a small stream that followed the road for some distance. They ate their lunch and rested themselves and their horses for a bit. By the time they reached the temple, dusk was starting to darken the sky.
A red haired young priest came out of the gate house to meet them. As like most priests in isolated temples, this man was eager to talk to them. He told them that they could stay the night here if they wished. Carina and Moran gratefully accepted. Thought the priest said that no payment was required for the food or shelter, Moran offered to play a few songs after the evening meal. She knew many instrumentals and church songs for the flute that she could play here. The priest accepted and hurried them inside out of the quickly cooling and darkening night.
Their horses were taken to a stable inside the high walls of the temple enclosure. Their things were taken ahead of them to their rooms. They were taken on a short tour of the small temple. They were shown the library, the healing ward, where the sick or injured are cared for, and an altar room, where a shrine to Luli is.
After their tour, they were taken to their rooms so that they could wash and get ready for dinner. Moran cleaned the travel dust of herself and did her best to get it of her clothes. Before she went to dinner, she grabbed her flute case.
They were led to the dinning hall to eat. It was a large room with many tables in it. It was decorated with statues of Luli and some other related gods and goddesses. They were sat at a table at the front of the room, where almost everyone could hear anything that was said, it they talked loud enough. They were seated between the man that they had met earlier, whose name the now learned is Alan, and a red headed girl with emerald green eyes. She was a bit shorter than Moran, then again Moran was tall for humans. She looked to be older than Moran by almost a year. She was a type of priest known as a Druid. Druids were notorious for being nature lovers, that would explain why she was out here in the middle of nowhere.
As they ate and talked, they found out that this is the woman that would be joining them, Ivy. She would be leaving with them in the morning. They also told the druids and priests about current happenings throughout the world. When everybody was done eating, Moran pulled out her flute and started to play an instrumental called "Prayer." The people enjoyed the entertainment a lot because there wasn't a permanent instrumentalist here right now. After awhile everyone returned to their rooms to go to sleep.
Moran cleaned herself and slid into her soft bed. This time sleep came slower, but not by much.
When she awoke, she felt refreshed and ready for almost anything. She put on a blue dress with yellowish trim after she was all clean. She was up a bit early so she was able to wash her other two outfits form the days before. She was all packed and ready when the others were. They said their good-byes to the priests and druids at the temple of the goddess of nature. They got their horses from the stable, including Ivy's white beauty named Cream, and trotted out of and away from the temple. They continued on to Anaka and ultimately Dew.
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