Doormice and Hedgehogs

A Journey East

The snow is falling, the Earth is cold.
Further away, she sings of old.
There's no gold in the fields,
There's no diamonds at sea.
Treasure remains beyond the hills,
With scales of midnights' dream.

"Where are we going?"

The road ahead was riddled with fallen stones, it was treacherous and unstable for horses, let alone carts.  The bard's horse carefully moved between boulders, its hooves were graceful despite every step being careful and coordinated.  While her trusty steed moved, she looked over her shoulder.  Gold hair slipped from within her hood and framed her pale face.

"We are going to the province of Wan.  We need to get supplies," she replied to the knight that was following close behind.  It was no surprise that his horse was white as a dove, and the complete opposite of her trusty mare of dusty brown.  It appeared that Vonriel was very set on being a knight of legend.  As far as she recalled, all the White Knight brotherhood was all but wiped out.  It was a shame.  She could have used their help instead.

The valley that lead from the quaint town of Hertzberg, where the Lion's Rest resided, was rocky but sloped downward as the rocky hills began to subside.  Each side of the trail flattened and spread out until all one could see were fields upon fields.  Once in a while those fields would morph into low, rolling hills, but nothing quite like the mountainous ranges in Alb.

"I've been through here before," Vonriel commented as his horse walked apace with the bard's.  The trail had widened, the rocky obstacles beginning to fade the further they entered the fields. "The path was blocked for many months from the aftermath of the Warlock War.  It took them a long time to clear away the debris."

Filora kept her eyes ahead, but she nodded in thought.  It was a war that she knew well, as any bard should.  The warlock forces had met with the d'Joorie, a peaceful but wholly private race of swap folk, that resided on the boarder of Wan and Alb.   Using summoned golems made of stone and fire they tore apart the land, casting boulders and land alike.  The d'Joorie reduced in numbers akin to genocide, and the warlocks took over their region as their claim to victory.

"I hear that the remaining d'Joorie have gathered closer to the midlands of Ito."

Filora glanced at her new travel partner at his words. "If that's true I would have heard word about it."

"Well, maybe it's just a rumor, but bards don't know everything, do they?" Vonriel replied with an arched brow.

"This one does."

The road grew quiet aside some the random call of a field bird and the clipping of their horses hooves.  It didn't matter about some old war, or surviving clans, they had other things they had to get on with.

As the beaming sun slipped across the sky and began to settle in the west, Filora signaled with a hand toward the distance where a small cropping of trees were growing.  "It's not really a forest, but we should take camp there for the night," she said and pulled on the reins in her hands.  Their horses carefully entered the short prairie grasses and left the trail behind.

What's her deal, anyway? thought Vonriel as he sat across from the bard at the fire.  His bare hands held a stick, which he poked into the hot fire, allowing flames to dance with each poke.  She's very...bland.  The knight wore his dark blue tunic and leather pants, armor tucked away with his belongings.  Not far from their fire the horses grassed the grass at their feet, reigns tied expertly to the lowest bough.

"Why are you staring at me?" she interrupted his thoughts.  The girl had been tending to her lute, made from well polished spruce and strings of gut.  She stared at him with her eyes of azure, not missing a beat, allowing her hands to tune almost as if she had done it a million times.

"I, well, you see," he stammered. "You haven't really told me anything about this quest, or what we're going to do, or even where the dragon is. "

Filora paused as she stared hard at him, a gentle wind plucking at her hair.  She had finally let down her cloak, allowing the blonde locks to glow with the light of the fire.  A small twist of each strand could be made out, just barely.

"Vonriel," she said his name carefully. "I am a bard, and I have been a bard for nearly 10 summers.  I have seen snows melt in the far reaches of Ish Col, and I have seen the falling of the Great Leaves, during the annual festival, in Tor.  There is no where I have not been."

"That didn't answer my question, but, is that true?  No one goes north, to the barrens of Yon," he replied matter-of-factually.

"You doubt me?" she raised her brows in response. "I could tell you a lot of things..." The girl shook her head, allowing her eyes to close, and her lips to purse. "But I do believe you're correct in that I did not answer your question.  I will tell you a story, one from a long time ago, that will explain what I know about this dragon."

"Ah!  At last," Vonriel's attention was caught, he shifted closer to the fire.  They had laid their furs on the ground for comfort, and the warmth of the flames licked at the air.  It was not quite winter yet in their kingdom.  The tips of the leaves had begun to shift in color from vibrant emerald to a pale yellow.  It would be at least another fortnight before they would feel the kiss of the cold winds.

"This story takes place in the northern woods of Wan, years before our time.  It was where the King and Queen once lived."

"The royal family?" interrupted the knight.

"Yes, Vonriel, that royal family."  The girl plucked at her lute gently, and promptly licked her lips.  "It was before the fall of Rider's Wood, where the trees stretched for days and the green could not be more rich.  This forest has been reduced to its former glory, as the heart of it's domain has become rotten and evil."

"The castle," he breathed softly.

"Yes," she locked eyes with the man, the gaze reflected fire within.  "Let me begin."  Filora stoked a cord out of her lute, letting the notes fill the air.  A soft melody was soon accompanied by words, lilting, causing the knight to become entranced by her tale.