[IC] The Blackwood

[Gunther]

There was something like Alanya that piqued Torsten’s interest. She oozed a certain charismatic flair that instantly made her a friend to their trio. He forgot about how or why she was with them. Seeing the lump of flesh on Oz’ shoulder did remind him occasionally during their walk.

“Yes, we are definitely Norgardians and we are definitely far from home.” Torsten felt no problem with allowing Alanya know where their homeland was. “We’ve traveled extensively on the sea, but occasionally find the opportunity to travel over land. It appears we are in that situation now.”

Torsten looked at Wolf, “what direction?”

Wolf looked up and at the rocks and trees. “South?” the man responded.

“We are definitely traveling southwest,” Torsten offered.

“South is close to Southwest,” Wolf defended his response.

“You’re right, my brother. The trail does arc back to the south on occasion too.”

Torsten listened to Alanya as they walked along the path. Her accent was one he was familiar with. He had heard it before on one of his voyages, but just couldn’t place it. Maybe if he thought about it for a while longer, it would come to him. “Where are you from, Alanya?”

Maybe it was her speech patterns, voice inflection, her looks, or chemistry. He found himself slowly being attracted to the woman. He did not understand the feeling. In fact, he pushed himself away in his mind, refusing to admit the feeling to himself. He didn’t have time for such frivolity.

“Pardon me, my father was a hunter and a tracker like me. We excelled in finding people or game and bringing food from the forest back into the village.” Torsten considered what she said. “That custom is true with some villages, but not all,” Torsten smiled at her.

It took Torsten time to process what he was looking at when they finally cleared the forest. “You know, at firt glance, that looks like the stump of a tree felled years ago, but it can’t be. It circles a town. Is that Oakhollow?” Torsten then thought about the name of the town and realized yes! The tree was an Oak and now it is hollow.

Oz laughed a hearty laugh, with the fat man bouncing on his shoulder as he laughed. “Oak Hollow!” The big man bellowed out a huge laugh.

The party approached the archway in the side of the tree trunk or town. The group was impressed with the etchings, carvings in the wood. “Beautiful,” Wolf allowed in a low tone, commenting on the size and design of the town’s exterior.

“Hopefully, the fee for a room isn’t too expensive. We should be able to cover it.” Torsten smiled at Alanya. “Thanks for leading us here. It has been quite some time since we have seen civilization.” Torsten paused and remembered the fat man. “Oh!? Where do you want this one?”

[Fetzen]

"The best helper in the village ?" Arden asked, an honest smile already appearing on his face. "You could be damn right about that!" This young boy, after all, actually had been the first one to welcome him with true friendlyness and curiosity instead of anything more stonewalling or outright prejudicative -- or at least these aspects had been part of the Skayleigh's first impression of the owners of this place. He was glad to have a reason to leave it now.

So the two persons in question were brothers and indeed they seemed to be missing. If Arden was honest this wasn't a good sign for brothers had a tendency to take much greater care of each other and to go ahead with a better plan and more significant motivation than individuals who had been randomly assigned to a certain task. His feeling told him that something very serious, if not outright nasty, must have happened, but of course he needed to investigate. Not without weapons and armor though, that was for sure by now!

"Thank you, Leder!"

The village had a mayor ? Ah yes, the ubiquitous urge to build up hierarchy. It wasn't like his own people would have been spared from such by nature, but still the fact had come in as a little surprise for the place really didn't seem to be that big and, at least for the Skayleigh, 'mayor' had always sounded like it involved something larger. Anyway, if a certain Mr. Falsted was the one in charge here and also the one potentially holding some more information that was the guy to go to. Arden turned around and back towards the haystack in order to pick up his posessions, then hit the road. Before turning around the corner and thus getting out of Leder's sight, he twisted his head around briefly and looked back at the young boy. He tried to memorize his face and appearance, just in case he'd need to find Leder again.

A few minutes later, the half-giant stood in front of yet another door too small and with the statue of Dragonsbane in view behind him. Hopefully Mr. Falsted was not some remote relative tied into Mrs. Richardson's family tree somehow, otherwise this was an endeavour doomed from the start! Carefully, Arden knocked at the wooden door.

Random roll for a warm welcome

1x d8 = 4

[POOHEAD189]

"Rán," he rumbled. The reverberations in his throat were somewhat palpable even though Mari was a few feet away. She would feel that Kane could roar or yell extremely loud if he truly felt like it, which put his booming voice earlier into perspective. That was his normal voice. "Yes, I know of the Sea Goddess. It was said her daughters had become a fallen order, but I hear many things in travel. Orek would likely know all about the Goddess. He knows how to...erm...'cut through the bullshit.'" Kane reiterated almost mechanically.

As the companions up front spoke and walked, Mari's keen eyes would gaze about the strange forest. Even so close to the settlement, the trees seemed unnaturally dark, and even the sunlight seemed slightly dim on the open road. It would be all too easy for an enemy or even wildlife to be lurking within the brush, but as she gazed around she saw little sign of anything dangerous. Instead she saw another path, well worn and made by both men and animals it looked. Far into the treeline it delved until it went over a small, leaf covered crest into the greater wilderness.

But nothing else had occurred thus far. No one had either noticed it or felt it was of any consequence.

"Well, I think you are well on your way to becoming a fine warrior, as you seem to have survived much." Kane continued. There was a small crack behind them, but it was only a branch his tail had crushed with its bulk. "I do look forward to truly seeing your skill in battle. Maybe you can duel one of us tonight for a wager of honor? After we eat, that is..."

"Don't start thinkin' of food already. We still've a ways tae go!" Orek called back to him after catching wind of Kane's only mildly loud voice.
@Luminosity