Lady Ceiling's Journal
Lady Ceilings Journal {Into Limura II) The
Salubral Spring
So we tethered the mules
against some dense bushes, filling the gap between two high crags. There they
would have something to nibble on if they felt peckish. We ladies had the two
tents closest to the pond. Graf Silth and his Grafin shared the next tent so all
the males had the last one. Since half of them would be on guard at night, this
was not too much of a hardship for them. Those on guard had a handy log to sit
upon next to the cook’s fire but one at least had to stand beside the three
mules. Having lost one we did not want to lose another. Compared to the humans,
we walk slow enough without being loaded with spare provisions. Graf Silth
decided that to reveal early any potential attackers, he would light three
warning fires. So we had to collect sufficient dead wood to fuel these. This
meant we females rooting around in the forest, guarded by the soldiers. Every so
often we would catch a glimpse of green garbed warriors watching us! After
dinner, when it was dark we were very ready to settle down to sleep. Graf Silth
took the first watch but he had been relieved by Sir Shure, when the excitements
happened. It must have been in the small hours of Workday (16th
Fourth Moon), when I was woken by a terrible shrieking! I recognised some of the
words as being in the Kharsh tongue. Someone outside was challenging us! We
scrambled outside just in time to see the death throes of a giant serpent,
killed by the Halberdier Smak. He had been guarding the mules and despite the
distraction of a great demon shouting from the trees, he spotted the serpent
sneaking along the foot of the crag. So he was ready when it lunged at him and
severed its spine. Meanwhile the demon roaring the challenges charged Sir Shure
and the two with him. The soldier Kinder managed to get a good blow on it and
giving a shriek of agony it flew away. As it did another flying creature
materialised swooping down but seeing we were ready and in two compact groups,
it thought better of attacking us and flew after the wounded demon. Naturally
none of us then felt like sleeping, expecting another attack. Some say they saw
two small creatures on the crag east of the mules but nothing else happened. The
Druid drew two draughts of poison from the Serpents head and the soldiers
skinned it. The scaly skin will be ideal for handbags and indoor footwear. Some
of the flesh was cooked for breakfast but I cannot say that I liked it.
After breakfast when we had
just started to dismantle the tents, we saw a small party of tribesmen coming
towards us. Graf Silth beckoned to me “We might need your interpretation
skills!” He also looked to Princess Griselda but she was sketching the scene
where Smak had slain the serpent and shook her head. So the Graf with two
soldiers and I went to meet them. One of the three spearmen was in fact a woman!
The leader, carrying a very curved sword he called a Khepesh, said he was the
Chieftain Vaggson. Fortunately he spoke Simnith as did Graf Silth meaning that I
did not need to interpret. I was expecting Washa which is a difficult language,
not least because it has many different dialects. Vaggson said that he had been
impressed by our fighting off the attackers during the night. He told us that
the Sorceress Matrigna had come with some followers onto the eastern crag but
our defence had scared her off. He asked us to wait until his father the chief
could come, as he thought he might have a mutually rewarding proposition for us?
Graf Silth agreed to this. He told me, out of Vaggson’s hearing, that the more
friends we had in this dangerous forest the better!
Half an hour later Vaggson
reappeared with his father Chief Vaggo, an Oblivian Druid Bondusto, a trumpeter
and three others. Our Druid Barbver joined our group.
“I am Vaggo Chief of the Verdini tribe.
This reach of the forest has been our land for aeons. However the Wizard Beevil
has established himself here, corrupted our Midwife Matrigna to his Chaotic ways
and is forcing us to his will. We hope that you might assist us in overthrowing
him. We have heard that you plan to cross the grass lands of Hunara and if you
help us we will lend you warriors to help escort you?”
“We expect to have horsemen from the
Placki tribe to help us there.” temporised Graf Silth.
“They might not be enough. Being so
mobile the huns can gather very sizeable forces and peace treaties mean nothing
to them!”
“How large a force can you muster?”
asked Barbver.
“Two dozen spears! Our weakness against
Beevil is that we are helpless against his spells. We have heard that you
dwarves can resist magic far better than most. Further my son Vaggson has said
that you are doughty warriors.”
“This is true but we had best know what
we face before rashly committing ourselves.”
The Oblivian Druid then spoke, “This
fair place is called the Salubral Spring. In the beginnings of time the spring
on yonder crag was created by Artesia
and blessed by Sostrina, such
that its waters had healing properties. An elfess Matrigna set up a hospital
here and the waters aided many in the wars that have raged over the grass
plains. Matrigna became our midwife and hoping to make her healing easier,
reduced our babies resistance to magic! Over four years ago four damsels brought
the sore wounded Wizard Beevil to the hospital to be healed. He had been wounded
fighting on the Chaotic side at the battle of Lungstrete. Alas he seduced
Matrigna to Chaotic ways and the pond lost its healing properties.”
“You can never trust an elf to stay
good!” muttered Graf Silth.
Vaggo continued. “So she
burnt the hospital down and moved to the Rupie Chase to live with him. The Rupie
Chase is a barren craggy area with many caves, where we used to hide when
Chaotic forces were hunting us. Now Beevil’s monsters live in them. So if you
will help us, we will go there and drive them out?”
“And you will escort us across Hunara if
we do?” asked Graf Silth.
“Most certainly!”
“How will you get back without us? I
believe that the Placki demand money for their assistance and you have none?”
asked Druid Barbver.
“Not having any money and little else of
value, the Huns will think us not worth the risk! We have been on the plains
before.” Replied Chief Vaggo. “By the way although the pond lost its healing
properties, the spring still has them! If you place that log across the water
running down the rock you may collect some to carry with you. It reduces healing
times by as much as a third.”
“That is most useful Chief Vaggo. We
will accept your offer. As soon as we are packed we will come to solve this
Beevil problem!”
So we moved the log and
filled a small twelve draught cask with water from the spring. The rock face was
slippery as was the log, so it was not as easy as it sounds. The soldiers heaved
the log into position and we set the muleteeress Pouth to collect the water
using a mirror to deflect it into the cask. We would have collected more but it
was a slow business and Graf Silth was impatient to be off.
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