Cog crossed a river, fording at a point where it was most shallow. Onget was still a far more proficient swimmer however, and made it across before him. Cog caught a peregrine falcon, tearing off its wings with his teeth before it had really died. Unfortunately, there was not much to eat. Onget solved the food problem by killing a honey badger however, and the honey badger was delicious.
Half a day's travel brought the duo to the first signs of civilization: An elven retreat. It was a long way off from the eerily empty northern Dwarf outpost of Syrupknives, it was doubtful that many, if any Dwarves had made this journey in recent times.
At last, the great forests had been reached. It was time to engage in a cultural exchange with the elves.
It took a while to find just where all the Elves were. No amount of Cog and Onget's intrepid exploration of the forests gave any insight as to where the entrances to the elven homes were, not a single sound could be heard on the forest floor.
The forest floor was quiet... But the trees were alive with sounds - language, with words spoken. The Elves were living high in the forests above the undergrowth. The Elves are peculiar creatures.
Surprisingly, climbing was not nearly as hard as it should've been. Cog walked towards the sounds of conversation, and as soon as he bumped into the tree trunk began to ascend. The Elves, noting that something scrawny and loud was blindly making its way up the canopy inquired Cog with kind words.
It appeared that as Cog began pulling himself onto solid mango tree, all sound amongst the treetops had ceased as the Elves fled away. Whilst Cog hauled himself up, Onget remained resolutely on the ground, and a surprised elf found himself knocked over by Cog.
Sanera was a good talking companion if only for the reason that there was no one else to talk to in the tree layer. Sanera surmised life in one word; nature. Sanera didn't care about Elven politics over who ruled Torchteal, and he shared Cog's dislike of the current weather. Sanera was also kind enough to allow Cog and Onget the privilege of resting in the retreat until sunset, and Cog trusted this elf.
Sanera's pity for the Dwarven cause was reflected in Cog's own pity for Sanera. A poor, sad Elf, who for one night only joined in on Cog and Onget's stingray feast. A somewhat worried Sanera was placated in the feast; it was elf kosher because the stingray attacked first, Onget explained. Cog made no campfire that night, out of respect for the elves. It might be a bad thing if he accidentally burnt their homes down in the night. And tomorrow they would seek out a forest retreat a short way to the east, promisingly named Trammeldrunken. The ultimate goal was to find a marketplace, so as to acquire souvenirs, and hopefully find a backpack or a flask. Carrying everything around in a sack was not terribly helpful in any way, and kept the adventure limited to be in the range of rivers.
Interestingly the Dwarves favour togas while the Elves favour shirts and skirts, I imagine this meeting to be akin to Greeks and Romans encountering one another for the first time. Or maybe these elves are just effeminate cannibals. Also, Forest Retreats seem big. Cog didn't climb to the top, and I lost track of how high he climbed. Thing is I don't even think he made it halfway to the top. They are growing these trees too strong for their own good, it'd take a hell of a long time to cut just one down.
In regards to werebeasts, I can't see any nearby.
Not much has changed. Being an adequate swimmer does not stop you from drowning while blind sadly. I suppose I could probably find some murky pool and keep swimming until (or if) Cog ever becomes so good that he can swim with butterfly strokes.
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Topic: Cog the blind Drunk (Read 91540 times)