Bonus Spin Offs, Mir’s Summer Part B
Mir was not sure what she had expected from the old keep, but the cramped single room and the two scowling middle-aged people, with no sign of Del, surely was not what she had envisioned.
The woman, weathered and tough looking, appeared to be the older of the two. She had been about to speak to the twins when Mir and Gweth came up into the room behind them. The woman scowled at the two newcomers, “Who do we have here?”
The brother offered, “Messengers from Aramy Crossroads, looking for Del.”
The woman’s scowl softened a bit and her brow rose, there was a spark of curiosity in her eyes, “Excuse me a moment.”
She left her seat and went to a nearby ladder that seemed to go up to the keep’s roof. The man put an unlit pipe in his mouth and regarded them with a neutral expression. Mir felt there was something familiar about the man, but she could not place him. To the best of her recollection she had not met him before, there was an intimidating air about him. The woman climbed the ladder until her head and shoulders were out of sight, “Del, honey, you have visitors.”
Honey? Was that Del’s mother? Mir could not see the resemblance.
The older woman climbed back down and returned to her seat, after a couple of moments Del also came down the ladder, she carried a small pot that was quickly set on the table, “Mir, I was not expecting to see you.”
She came to Mir and gave her a warm embrace, the hug and the woman’s smile vitalized Mir a bit. “I’m sorry to disturb you Del, but things are amiss in Aramy.”
“Is someone ill?” She glanced to the other woman and a concerned look briefly showed on her face.
“It’s nothing like that. There is a sorceress who is taking over the village, she is a mind-mage.”
While Del’s expression was that of worry, Mir noticed the older woman and man exchanged knowing and tired looks of trepidation.
The brother-twin suggested, “We can return on the morrow.”
Del shook her head, “No, this sounds like news you will have to carry to others. All of you sit, I’ve a pot of mash and bitter berries, bread and fresh honey comb. I think the four of you would all be the better for a good meal. Eat first, then we can exchange our dire stories.”
No one disagreed, the older woman and man moved from the table leaving space for the four of them to sit and eat. Mir was not fond of bitter berries and mash but this evening it tasted divine. All of them ate in relative silence. The others waited patiently, the man smoked his pipe, Del did some mending and the older woman took a sword from a long chest and proceeded to work the blade with a small whetstone.
When they had finished eating, Del cleared the table, taking most of it up the ladder. She returned after a few moments, took her seat and said, “Alright, tell us. What has happened?”
Mir did so. Her telling was somewhat discombobulated, out of sequence and she had become increasingly agitated during the recounting of events in Aramy. She finished with, “… and before all this even, my friend Tipper, the one I told you about when you came to my naming ceremony? She had a confrontation with the sorceress the day she and her friend left.”
“Tipper you say?” The man leaned forward.
“Yes, a bit taller than me, broad through the shoulders and her hair is redder than yours, freckles across her cheeks, green eyes.”
“That would be my niece, most likely.” Mir saw the resemblance and understood why he seemed familiar. He continued, “She had not mentioned this encounter to me, though, to be fair, she had other concerns when I saw her in Wikkersak.”
“And, it was Tipper who helped us with the bandits, this past spring.” Del added.
The man looked to the older woman, “You did not recognize her? I’m told we look a lot alike.”
“Honestly, no my friend, it is obvious now that it has been said. But to say the two of you look alike is akin to saying a squash looks like a pumpkin.”
“Hah, that sounds about right.”
Mir, desperate to help her family and neighbours asked imploringly, “Will you be able to help us?”
Quiet settled across the room, serious looks from one to the other, then the older woman suggested, “Let the Omdin twins give their report. We’ll fill you in on what is transpiring locally as they do so.”
Mir gave and anxious nod, Gweth offered her a hand and gave a soft squeeze. The sister-twin gave her report, mostly she spoke directly to the older woman, though she did pause if any of the others had details to pass along to Mir.
The twins has contacted every homestead and hamlet that was within an eight-day of Lekas, across the northern plains. They had been on the trail for the better part of a fortnight, having left shortly after the older man had arrived with a message from Lord Sharlok. Sharlok was using the constant presence of bandits along the trade road, over the past few years, as an excuse to secure Lekas and the surrounding areas. He considered his message to be fair warning in advance; next spring he intended to move soldiers into the area and take control of Lekas. If the transition was peaceful he would appoint Andisal, the older woman, as Lord Marshal. If the village resisted he would crush said resistance and make sure Andisal spent her last days hanging in a tree. The villagers had unanimously agreed that neither suggestion was acceptable and that they intended to fight.
The twins also reported that many of the outlying communities to the north were willing to help. Nearly all of them would be sending folks to help build up defences, others had promised surplus food. Only the dwarves of the Nahrg Dorma Holding had been reticent. The dwarves had suggested if Andisal required their help and still held to the bond of friendship, she herself would come to request aid.
Grange, Tipper’s uncle, had started talking about how they intended to shore up defences around Lekas. Del, however, called an end to the gathering, suggesting that they were all in need of rest. The details of what was to be done could be discussed over the next couple of days. Mir noted that Gweth had fallen asleep in her chair.
Andisal gave the room to the twins and their guests, she and Del had some sort of rooftop arrangement, Grange went to his family who were camped on the commons.
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