Part 45 (Patreon)

The following day, on the road, it was Maddie’s turn to walk with the horse, as Minna guarded the supply wagon. “Why did we have to leave before the others?” Maddie whined. “Yer changin’ the subject,” Minna said, “Ya know damn well that the wagon tends to get stuck, and we need a head start to cover the same mileage. They’ll be here soon. But answer me, what’s the attraction to that barb-tongued witch? Is it her expensive armor? Because I can take it from her and give it to ya.”

Maddie sighed, “I don’t know, it’s just…mayber her face…her hair…the way she…”

“Do you even listen at all when she talks? That woman has a stick up her arse, no a tree. A tree as tall and girthy as the columns in her High Fane’s hypostyle hall.”

“I know she’s a little, well, snobby,” the mage replied, “but—“

“But what? Do you hear how she treats us? The way she tried to heap humiliation on Miri? What’s to like about that?  You can dress a sow in the finest clerical vestments, but she’s still a—“

“Oh, good morning Choru,” Maddie interjected.

“Am I interrupting something? Some bodyguard banter, perhaps? What does your ilk talk about?” Choru asked, in snide tones.

Minna merely turned her head and gave Maddie a knowing glance. Maddie’s eyes looked exasperated, almost apologetic, as she shrugged in response.

Therliss, too, had caught up with them, and continuing on at a faster pace, scouted ahead.

Behind, Shelgrish walked alongside Miri. The two orcs kept pace a bit behind, with Pilniss and Velathra having a conversation at the end of the line.

Minna gestured back and smiled slyly. “It seems that large woman has taken a shine to our little Miri.”

Maddie laughed, “Knowing Miri, she’s not even alert enough to notice. She probably thinks she’s just THAT interesting.” Minna laughed with her. Choru seemed to think for a moment, and then slowed her walk, until she was just ahead of Miri and Shelgrish.

When she heard Glasha call for the Barbarian, she slowed down a little more. Miri was walking alone.

“Well, I hope you’ve recovered from your little side-quest,” Choru said.

“What’s it to you?” Mirri asked, feeling more willing to spar verbally with the Cleric now that she was no longer nude and vulnerable.

“Well, you shouldn’t wander off from the party like you did,” you had us all worried.

“I’m sure you were horribly concerned about me. Anyway, I can handle myself.”

“So I heard….Glasha described your activities down by the river in a little more detail. You were handling yourself quite a bit, the orc who spotted you said.”

Miri could only grit her teeth.

“Look, half-elf, you are the weakest link in this party. And the wellbeing of our people is riding on this. So don’t do anything stupid like that again. I hope that your fear and humiliation have taught you a well-needed lesson.”

Shelgrish, finished tending to Glasha’s queries, was walking faster to rejoin Miri, so Choru slowed down and joined Sivallien and Velathra.

Miri bowed her head. This mission was going much worse for her than she had expected.

A few hours later, the party stopped to eat a daytime ration.

As they gathered on a small group of boulders, Pilniss Silvallien addressed them.

“We’ve received a message from the council. Scholars from the tower have determined that, even if we find the Crypt of Beleth, we won’t be able to enter without a pair of keystones. Unfortunately, we don’t know exactly what they look like, or where they are. One of them, though, is within a 20-mile radius of…here….” she unfolded a map and pointed to their location. “It could be anywhere; we’ll have to split up to cover more ground. I don’t want anyone out there, alone, though, as we’ve already seen, that could end poorly. I’ve decided on pairings that will allow us to play to various strengths:

Choru and Maddie will go West.

Mirri, you’re with Rylenka, you’ll explore to the East.

Shelgrish and Glasha, Southeast

Minna and Velathra, Southwest

Therliss and I will go South.

You’re looking for a magical stone that looks like something from the pre-Cataclysm era.”

“It probably looks like it belong to a holy person,” Choru added helpfully.

“And YOU would know what that would look like,” Minna said, tauntingly.

“Sorry, but that’s the best we can do. Come back if you find it, or if it’s been three days and you haven’t. We’ll meet at these stones. The first to return, set up a base camp here. Do we all understand?”

The adventurers nodded, and proceeded to travel off in different directions.