Spin Offs, Flint Part C

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They were up and about before sunrise. The morning was crisp, the rooftops had a skim of frost. The animals were seen to, breakfast was prepared and eaten. Othi took the leftovers, some fresh vegetables and fruit, placing them in a sack, “Ready?”

Flint suppressed a yawn, nodded then asked, “Should I bring anything?”

“Whatever you want.”

Flint collected some of his gear, bow and a handful of arrows. As the sun rose the frost across the homesteads rooftops melted, a slight mist rose from the forest floor and they started towards the Rover Hall. Othi said little, leading him past the abandoned cabin to a trail they had not found the last time the two of them came this way. It was not much further to the hall. When it came into sight Flint stopped to observe the clearing.

The hall itself was in really good shape. Stone had been used for the foundation and the lower third of the structure, while the upper parts were made of thick wooden beams and the roof was finished with thin slate shingles. It appeared as though the building was only a few years old. Oddly, the hall had no windows nor a chimney. The rest of the structures around the hall, a barn and a handful of outbuildings were mostly collapsed and overgrown. With a vague smell of damp rot. A new set of wooden steps had been built below the door of the hall.

Othi led him up to the door. It opened inwards with a gentle push, he could smell freshly cut cedar as he stepped inside. There was no sign of any recent construction however, the hall had a warmth and light with no apparent sources. The back third of the hall was partitioned, in the centre of the main room he noticed a trap door in the floor, long tables with benches to either side. Along the perimeter were shelves, a couple of sideboards, a large oven and stove with no sign of a chimney, a few fancy chairs with matching foot stools, as well as two large wardrobes in the nearer corners. To one side of the door there were narrow stairs leading up to a loft. On the other side of the door were racks for weapons and armour with pegs along the wall to hang cloaks or coats.

The place was spotless. All the accoutrements one might expect such a place to be outfitted with were present and well cared for. Flint whistled in surprise on seeing the weapons, armour and books. Othi appeared amused.

He did not know what to say. He slowly advanced to the centre of the room, testing the trapdoor to see if it would take his weight. He looked around again, then asked, “This is how you found it?”

“Mostly, I’ve been reading a few of the books, trying to understand the collection of components and sometimes cooking myself a meal. The basins fill with water every morning and the place cleans itself. Also, Remunda took a number of things with him when he left.”

“Someone was here?”

“That’s how I was able to get in.”

“Explain, please.”

“After you left I decided to take a large dose of cumiquin, hoping that I could reach anyone who might be inside. It turned out one of the Rovers was in fact here, suspended for the past couple hundred years or so.”

“Oh. Where is this Remunda fellow? What was his ancestry?”

“As best as I could tell he was half ellodran, we did not speak of his birthright, though. After he had recovered himself, taken a few days to do some research, he then tried to scry through the gate. Then he gathered some gear and left for Swampdon.”

“Swampdon? Really? There’s a gate? ”

“He said he knew a Watcher there. I believe he was referring to one of the wild-folk. He did not travel by the gate and advised me that it would be dangerous to do so. I had also told him of you and suggested you would be wanting to talk to him.”

Flint looked at the trapdoor he was standing on, “Is the gate down here?”

“Yes, as well as a bath, a forge and some storage. There’s a door that I could not open, too.”

“The gate works?”

“Well, I saw him activate it a number of times, but nothing passed through. He seemed to be mostly trying to contact other halls from what I could gather.”

“Why is the gate unsafe?”

“He never elaborated. Before he left he appointed me as a custodian to the place and told me you were welcome to take things you might need to accomplish your goals but not to use the gate. He also said he expected to be in Swampdon for a while and that you might find him there over the next few seasons.”

“Interesting… How long ago did he leave?”

“Three months, a bit less.”

Flint could not get to Swampdon ahead of the winter storms. Besides, there was plenty here for him to look into. There were arms and armour by the door to accommodate half a dozen people, that alone would be a great boon to his people. Then there were the books, so much lore… Where to even start?

He walked to the back of the hall and opened the door, he saw a dozen double bunks, footlockers and a couple of large wardrobes. He went up to the loft where he found four small rooms; one with a single narrow bed, another with two beds and two rooms that looked like they were for children with four smaller beds in each.

He went back downstairs, Othi was preparing some tea, “Did he say anything about his other kin?”

“Not specifically, it was implied that only a few of them had been here before the Bane. I’m guessing they were killed by drakes. But, I don’t know.”

Flint sat down on one of the benches, the immensity of this situation was overwhelming and he wished he was not so tired. Too bad Walker had not come with him. He thought about trying to return home. He could get help, bring someone back who could read the ancient’s language, analyze the magic items.

Othi sat down across from him, “It’s a lot to take in. Why don’t you tell me what you’re looking to do here?”

He took a breath. “I need lore on the drakes, items to help my people kill one of them. A conversation with this Remunda fellow would have been very useful.”

“Do you read?”

“Yes, Andalee and a bit of dwarven.”

“Alright, give me a moment.” She went to one of the shelves, perused the books for a few moments then pulled out three weighty volumes, also taking a small box from another shelf. She opened the box and pulled out a lens, framed in a silver coloured metal. She opened one of the books seemingly at random, setting the lens on the page.

When he took a careful look he saw the strange script of the ancients transform into the Andalee language, -dragon moots occur when one of their kind dies, typically slain. It is thought that those drake who gather come to honour their dead kin, though that is purely a speculative notion. It has been noted-

He looked up at her, “That’s really handy. Are some of the books written in languages other than ellodran?”

“A fair number actually, a few Tannican volumes, some elvish, even a couple of Andalee, not to mention six others of two languages I’m unfamiliar with.”

“Okay, academics is not something I’ve spent much time on, but… if I can read these, then I should be able to find the information I’m looking for.”

“There’s paper, ink and quills, notes can be taken.”

“The other things I need are weapons, armour and items of power for the gifted of my people.”

“Well, there are plenty of those things. It seems likely that some of the weapons would be enchanted to help a person battle drakes. That is the ellodran legacy, after all.”

“You seem willing to help?”

“Yes Flint, more than willing. My dreams have been very powerful since I was able to reach Remunda through the defences of this place. We are on the cusp of a new age, if I don’t help you, it will be an age of dragons…”

“And if you do help?”

She gave him a mischievous smile, “Then it will be an age of less dragons.”

“I was expecting a more grandiose prophecy than that.”

“Prophecy is a fickle beast, Flint. All too often knowing that something may be is enough for folks to make that thing happen. Do you understand?”

“No, not really, but we have until the spring for you to help me understand. So, you are a dream walker?”

“Among other things, yes.”

“Are you aware that this area and a large chunk of the region around here is warded, that the ways are blocked as well?”

She looked surprised. “No, I had not known that. It explains why almost all of my dreams have been about events along the river. How do you know about the ways? Can you access them? You’re no mage from what I can tell.”

“Certainly not. But one of my kin can access the ways and he is a dreamer, or dream walker, as some say. We had attempted to come here directly but were unable to do so, instead we came out at an old stone circle not far from Potters Bridge.”

“Well… that is both interesting and disturbing.”

“My thoughts were it was either this place blocking us or the Forest King. Maybe the Tannicans.”

“I’ve heard the Tannicans have been spotted along the far side of the river, both south of here and across from Carskot.”

“Do you think it’s something the Tannicans are doing?”

“Maybe, but that is a vast region to be blocked. It would have to be a powerful mage with artifacts and a circle of other mages supporting the caster. It is possible Remunda may have done something, activated an artifact, possibly the gate… Or, maybe the mages in GreensBridge are responsible. I will look into this issue tonight.”

“If it is something you cannot get around, do you think we could take a trip beyond the edge of the barrier? I would like to contact my kin, hopefully one of them will be able to come in the spring. That way I can send these artifacts and the useful information I’ve gathered home. Then I would try to catch up to this Remunda fellow and see if he would be willing to help us.”

“Sure, if I can discover the barrier hopefully I can discover who has created it and maybe find a way to get past it. There is also work that needs doing here, harvesting and preserving, to see us through the winter. After that, I can help you try to contact your family.”

“Reasonable. How long before the snow starts falling?”

“Another month, maybe as much as two.”

Flint nodded. “Show me the rest of this place, so that I have a better idea what I’m looking at here and the things I need to focus on.”

“Let’s start downstairs. There is a storeroom down here, I haven’t really looked through much of it.”

He followed her down into the cellar, it was more spacious than the upper level with a hallway, four rooms and a door that they could not open…

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