Drumwe Isles

chapter three

Avalor told his fellow councilmen that he had a duty of great urgency to tend to. They bid him farewell and assured the man they would bless him before he made the trip. He asked that they let Acoris, his eldest grandchild, know he was to be in Dillac for a span and that he was responsible for tending to the little ones. When his affairs were in order, Avalor started to think on what to take.

He packed up his warm boots, two sleeping cots, and a collection of rare herbs found only in Fallburne. With his first knapsack settled, he turned to the next. In the second he packed some dried meadowberry, two water pouches, a small hand knife, and various other little snacks for the road. He hoisted the sacks onto his back and grabbed his walking stick.

The way to Dillac was, in part, an unpleasant one. When you got through the even, relatively safe terrain of Fallburne it dropped you at the foot of a set of mountains. Then you were forced to make the climb upwards and upwards and upwards. Now, if he hadn't been nearing 80, it might have been a rather interesting opportunity for an adventure. When Avalor had been younger, he'd quite liked to travel the forests of Fallburne and collect various plant species. At this point in his life though, it wasn't exactly an affair which excited him.

When he got to the end of the palace stairs, one of the guards was awaiting him. It was a large Elven warrior woman named Sathri. Sathri was a large, burly woman with a reserved exterior and a great affinity for Druid foods. For all her great intellect when it came to battle, Sathri was lacking in wits of other kinds. Avalor thought her a sturdy choice for the journey and nodded to greet her. Sathri quickly offered to lessen the man's burden in carry weight to which he politely declined. "Thank you, dear, but you've got plenty to carry on your own." She nodded and waited for Avalor to set off.

At its inception, their journey was a pretty boring one. The both of them had journeyed across the vast majority of Fallburne territory so it's not as though there were many new sights to be sought. Sathri passed the time by hunting smaller game when the opportunity presented itself and Avalor stopped to pick up the occasional herb. When they passed the rocky stream, Avalor knew they were getting to the foot of the mountain. As they moved closer the terrain began to shift. The reddish brown dirt became dusty and uneven; the air went from being thick and full to light and rushing.

"Have you ever been to Dillac, Sathri?"

She shook her head.

"Have you ever wanted to go?"

She shook her head again, firmly.

The old man chuckled heartily as the trees thinned out and a wooden sign came into view. It was battered and hardly legible from weathering. Dillac was quite infamous for its blistering cold weather and its many warm beverages to compensate. Avalor's eyes weren't so good anymore and he struggled for a moment.

"Sathri, could you read this for me?"

The warrior stepped up beside the man and cocked her head to the portion which pointed to the left. "The bigger city is that way." She grunted, gesturing firmly in its direction. "Thank you."

They started to hike up the mountain and Avalor was forced to face the realisation that his legs were certainly not what they used to be. At first there was nothing but a dusty trail and the mountain about them. The occasional decaying tree, perhaps a snake or goat here and there. They eventually made it to the first home along the way. It was a dark wood log cabin amidst three trees on one of the more flat bits. They made it a point to travel a little ways up the road before making camp.

Close enough that they'd have somewhere to rush to in an emergency, but far enough as not to unnecessarily disturb any residents. Their resting spot had been a little cutout in the side of the mountain. Sathri suggested the spot to protect them from any bad weather while they slept. Avalor agreed.