"Alright, alright, sorry!" you back down. "Mayhap hide yourself better, they can see you from the street... Apologies."
Forthwith you return to the rest, one last time peeking over the shoulder. The drifter moved not one bit.
"No idea who it is." you tell the company. "Anyway, what was it you said, a tavern?"
The leader nods, but there is more you need to affirm.
"That is a meeting hall, to dine in, is it so?"
"Oh yes. We better get a good meal before the journey! What do you say? I invite you."
Sas remained silent, only turned his eyes at you. And you gave the answer accordingly.
"Eh, why not? Do they have greens?"
"They should have. Let's go!"
Thus, the three of you got moving, the rat you left in the alley to wait.
It is the building with the two boars you're heading towards. Upon entering, Sas has put aside his arms - a dresser was stationed right at the door, sporting quite a bit of weapons already, a menacing axe caught your attention especially. Further along, a single room was spreading vast, three tables in it, all surrounded by seats of all kinds, clumped like a mother of a litter.
Of these seats, many were occupied, mostly by men, having a good time feasting and gossiping. Much have risen their heads to behold your arrival, but only for so long, quickly they went back to their fun.
Far in the back, where a wall set border to this festivity, containers were clumped, and two doors were situated - one in the side, one in the floor, and a man stood by them, towering over it all like a chief hart does over his herd.
"Welcome, welcome, guest of honor!" he laughs, witnessing you come. "A visitor most unusual, take a seat, what you would like to eat?"
"A mug beer will do it for me." Sas speaks first, likely to not have to again.
"I will the same, but a boar with it!" your leader roars, as it seems to be custom in this house. "Or, the boar sole? Aye, bring just the boar. What'll you have, Black?"
"The boar sounds just alright." you reply. "But do you have herbs to go with it?"
"Spices?" the innkeep rumbles. "I do have a shipment from the south, but it is not cheap..."
"No problem, not at all!" Flax whistles promptly, like a bolt of lightining his arm leaps from under his coat, holding a poach. This he opens, and lets some coins loose on the table. "Enough?"
With a grin the host hurled his head back, and nodding further passed through the hall, behind the door he watched over before.
"So..." you mutter, keen to prompt a conversation. "Where are we heading now?"
"We are to exit Niwirthola, venture beyond the mountains." Flax infroms. "We need to reach a particular site near the Heliotrope Bay..."
"Where's that?" Sas inquires, what you yourself would like to know. That there are mountains in the south, and sea to the north you are aware, but what else lies in the world... And what peoples, beasts and powers inhabit those lands, all intrigues you to the core.
"The sea embraces my home, much like your ground... The endless saltwaters of the south, that is where they cease, the crossroads of all those currents. But we won't visit those shores on our way, not this time. We just need to reach the other side of the jagged ramparts of Wintervale."
"But that's so far away! Across the mountains, so deep inland... Surely there must be dwarves all the way there! And goblins!"
The warrior nods, but his gaze are as if pulled out of the mortal realm. With a wild smile he dreams of his country, and it takes a while until he gets talking again.
"Goblins, I don't think we're to meet. Could be, there was a war nearby, I recall..."
"War?" you readily catch on. "Has that anything to..."
"No." the man replies calmly. "It should not affect our trip one bit. We'll evade those settlements by many miles, and besides, that's for those dwarves and goblins mentioned to settle..."
"It has occured to me before, you have to be of that stock!" Sas shares. "Of the southern men..."
"And it didn't occur to me at all you could know so much, good fellow! And it's a good thing you do. I just hope nothing goes wrong on the way..."
"What is this... Site we're heading for?" you ask.
"That would be my aforementioned home." Flax clarifies. He the glances over at the hunter. "We need Blackhoof over, you know?"
You cannot but frown at the remark, but before any of you can speak further, a loud gait suspends such speech.
"Here we go, here we go!" you hear the jolly voice of the innkeeper, wobbling towards you with a platter and a mug.
"Gentlemen, have a meal of a lifetime!" the host smiles, and swiftly embarks back to his station.
Sas takes notice of your sudden brooding, and is quick to question.
"What's wrong, Black?"
"What? Oh..." you stutter startled. You do not really want to talk about the whole ordeal with Flax, fortunately, there is another mather to contemplate. "It's the rambler in the alley, you see... Have you met him before?"
"I might have. In some other corner, that is, but can't be sure..."
Next you turn to Flax. Now that you have brought the rover up, an idea came to mind along.
"Would you mind if I brought him a mouthful?"
"Nay?" the warrior shrugs. "Why would I, it shan't hurt anyone."
You link your sight to the spirit left outside, and peer so to check, whether there is the person at all. And they are not, only a splatter of something sinister is left behind. It appears to be blood, but there is something terribly foul about it...
You shift back, and your companions speak no more, busy stuffing their mouths. Before you dine yourself, you take a look around.
At the largest table, a tall man enjoys some major attention. He sports a chainmail on his chest, his face is painted like Pik was, and his eyes glow proud and defiant.
"There is a dragon out there, I am telling you!" you hear him tell the listeners. "Those two fires, must his doing, one at least! But I shall track him down!"
You notice Flax has stopped chewing, and now listens carefully as the man speaks. Sas minds it not.
"But there were no sights of such a beast in our lands!" someone sprous. "Not in years!"
"The fire did not set itself!" another man shouts over.
"No need to raise your voice, friend!" the warrior assures. "You merely might have not heard it yet, but in Flickerstump, there were reports of such beast, very recently! They say it is a young specimen, it could be on its way to plunder, seize for its filthy hoard!"
"That's right!" an elder squeaks, gesturing wildly. "That did happen! They say so!"
"When?" Flax speaks at last. Loud enough that the crown turns towards your table. "When did they see it?"
"They did not s..." the brave was to reply, but the old man lept in faster.
"Eight days ago! Eight days back, they saw it!"
"Alarming..." your leader mumbles, and so do the people also seem to find.
"Do you want to face it too, wanderer?" the soldier inquires.
"No, I was just curious. I'll be crossing the border soon, you see."
He understands, nodding pensively.
"I see. Please, let the settlements know if you spotted something. There might be a nest hidden, just about right under our noses..."
Thusly ended your interaction with the group, both companies returning to their own.
"A dragon on the loose?" whispers Sas. "Well, good that's it not on our path..."
"I can't guarantee that." Flax imparts.
"We're not going to slay a dragon all of a sudden, right?" you ask.
"No, of course not. Should be on guard either way. Unless the dragon really came to loot and pillage settlements, if there is one about it could find us."
You finish your meals, and leave the tavern. You took a bit for the cloaked person, but they're gone.
"Onwards, my dear fellows!" the leader commands. "We have a long way ahead!"
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Topic: Dwarf Fortress -Drawings- : Tales of the Deer Wizard (Read 170001 times)