02.03a - "Early risers"

Waking early, Bismark found his way to the courtyard, and seeing Hadley there, asked her “who vould i need to talk to in greenest about buying some more crossbow bolts?”

“One sec” Hadley said, holding up a finger as she went into the quartermaster’s room and started poking around before coming back out with 12 bolts. “Free of charge.”

“Thanks, Hadley! And Helm's protection upon you!”

"Of course, Guardian." Hadley said, smiling as he granted the honorific in a moment of fond levity. Bismark put the bolts in his bag and bid her a good day before climbing the steps to the keep’s stone parepets. Stopping every so often, he walked the perimeter of the parapet, praying to Helm and asking his protection over the keep and the village.

Meanwhile, A’postrofae was on the grounds, trying to work out a new spell that she thought she could use. Able who was also wandering the grounds of the keep, came up on her clearly showing signs of poor sleep. The sun was still barely cresting over the horizon, casting a dull light over the grounds, with birds beginning to wake and start chirping.

Seeing Able, A’postrofae called to him, “Trouble sleeping Able?”

Able seemed surprised by her presence. “uh...no, I, uh....no. Just some bad dreams, that's all. What was going on last night, with all the laughing and noise?"

A’postrofae casually sharpened some tiny sticks as Able walked near. “I heard no laughing or noise but I was resting. I tend to tune everything out when I am doing that. I did hear you calling out in your sleep before you woke up”

Able took a long draught of the ditch. "What are you making there, kiddo?"

“They are for something new I am working on” A’postrofae told him, holding up the stick. “I couldn’t find any thorns nearby so this will have to do. You think the rest are going to want to go back for he monk?”

Able sighed. "I am afraid so. I can't imagine a version of that which does not end with us kicking on the end of a spear"

“Agreed. We were lucky last time.” she said.

"Bismark was the lucky one. It's a gorram miracle the drakes didn't make a meal of him" able said with a huff. "Gonna make him even more insufferable about this Helm thing. Probably thinks the god saved him or some such"

A’postrofae snorted. “I suspect so. There are no god’s left. If there ever was any”

Able raised his bottle. "Saw proof enough of that up north. Spirits though...those I think might be real" he said with a look of embarassment. "Your people know anything about, uh...spirits and such?"

“A bit. Spirits exist. I have only to look around me and see everyone I knew judging me” said the young druid, brushing off a few wood shavings onto the ground.

"I used to feel that, too. But recently it has felt much more...substantial." Able pulled a worn book from his travel sack. "I inherited this from my grandfather. I only started giving it the once-over at the beginning of our journey with the caravan" Able looked embarrassed again befor emumbling “I think it's making it worse."

“What’s it about?” asked A’postrofae

"It's a collection of fables, I suppose? It's hard to read.” Able said, thumbing through the pages. “But I think the stories are actually supposed to be instructions. Like a cypher or a puzzle?"

Just then, Bismark walked down the steps and into the courtyard, dropping his bag and drawing his sword. He began to go through his training exercises with the shield and rapier - Slowly at first, and then with each iteration getting faster and more fluid as the motions started to blend into each other, almost like a choreographed dance.

“Speak of the devil. Helm’s chosen one is up.” A’postrofae said, gesturing to Bismark.

Able chuckled. "Pure living appears to agree with the man. I wonder what that must be like. Able took a long pull from his bottle as punctuation. "At least the whispering has stopped..." Able mumbles mostly to himself.

A’postrofae grabbed the bottle, as Bismark finished his routine, and grabbing his bag. Having noticed the two chatting off to the side, he bagan walking over after he finished his exercises. A’postrofae held up the bottle. Bismark wiped his brow and took it. “Thanks, friend.” he said, and took a swig, grimacing at the burn, but then grinning. "WOO, that's some strong stuff!" handing it back to A'postrofae.

“How’s Helm this morning?” A’postrofae asked.

"Oh, I sink he is vatching over us." Bismark said, glancing at his medallion.

“Not much into gods myself.” she replied.

"i vasn't either until  zat fight here" Bismark said, pointing over to the courtyard where he fell to the drake. "I vas as good as dead" he said somberly. "and Helm appeared to me, lifted me up, and called me to... vell," he paused in thought for a second "... to protect others"

A’postrofae waved her hand. “You might want to worry about protecting yourself a bit too. You came damned close to dying in that camp.”

Able nodded in agreement with the girl. "You should be drake shit right now" he said, shaking his head in disbelief "Never seen anything like it"

"yah, i sink Helm protected me zere. Zat vas not my skill alone" Bismark pointed out.

A’postrofae changed the subject back to their previous conversation. “Back to that book you got from your grandfather Able. What do you mean you think they are ciphers or puzzles?”

Curiousity getting the better of him, Bismark asked him "Zis book of your grandfather's, is zat vhere you have been learning ze magic you have been using?"

Able nodded at him. "I think so. The stories hint at ways to call on spirits, and make them do things"

“Did your grandfather know magic?” A’postrofae asked, carving more of her sticks.

Able sat with the book in his lap. "The neighbors said he was wise. They'd come to him with weird problems and he'd help them."

Bismark leaved against the stone keep wall. “Did you know your grandfather?”

Able nodded. "Yes. Father was frequently away, looking for work. Grandfather took care of us. I never saw him again after I went north. He died that first winter"

Bismark’s grimaced a little, worried he may have opened old wounds."Sorry to hear zat. he vas a vizard zen, i take it? I don't know much about that arcane magic, other zan ve always knew better zan to mess with the vizards in the city ven ve vere out scavenging Zey always seemed to be one or two steps ahead of us. Every time, and sometimes they got nasty. Lost a couple of ... vell, vouldn't call zem friends necessarily, but necessary partners to magic traps and spells zey threw at us before ve learned our lesson"

"I think you may be right. Maybe he was a wizard of sorts. He was always on about the studying, certainly. The books, the languages, the maths." Able said, twirling his hand in a gesture to indicate that it went 'on and on and on'. "The mental exercises were the worst. 'Reaching for emptiness' and all that sort of nonsense." he said, his voice growing much more reserved. "Apparently he was preparing us for something after all. Whatever he hid in this gorram book."

Watching Able, Bismark noticed the unrested look to him. His face showing concern, he pointed out "Don't look like you got much rest, friend. You vere tossing and turning all night and mumbling in your sleep about fires and graves... and something about revenge. Rough night?"

Able shifted uncomfortably as he speaks with the new cleric. "I think the kid and I worked it out. Just old soldier's dreams, I think. Nothing a little swill won't quell." With that, Able retrieved his bottle from A'postrofae and excused himself, going back to the walls to drink.

Bismark turned to Apostrofae. "What's up with him?"

"Just grumpy I guess...I need to get my own bottle." A'postrofae said, picking up her things, and wandered over to the nearest guard or local. “You know where I can get ditch liquor?”

The guard, who had not left the keep with the scouting group immediately recoiled in disgust. "I'm uh ... Not sure what that is"

Not noticing his disgust at her appearance, A’postrofae explained. “It comes in a bottle. Able said he found his in a ditch. It burns when you drink it.”

Taking a step back he scratched the side of his face, "you might want to ask Theo at the gate, it'll be in a bottle and it certainly burns ... Can't speak for it's relation to a ditch though"

“I like it. It makes me forget for a while” she told him. “I’ll talk to Theo. Thank you.” she said, holding out a gold coin to him

The guard’s face turned from a look of digust to a look of pure confusion, as he took the coin, and A’postrofae walked off towards the gate. Walking up to the first guard she saw at the gate, A’postrofae asked “Are you Theo?” She attempts a smile, which only made her visage more disconcerting.

Turning to her, the guard recoiled, shaking his head and pointing to the guard above the gate on the wall. He gulped when she bared her teeth at him for some reason.

A’postrofae turned and walked up the steps to the top of the gate. “I am looking for ditch liquor. The guard over there said I should talk to you.” she said pointing down to the other guard.

Theo blinked and turned around, looking startled at first but then recovering quickly. A’postrofae recognized him as one of the six guards that went along to help escort prisoners back. "Uh ... I have liquor but I don't know of anything Ditch ... Is that a brand?

“I don’t know,” she answered. “Able called it ditch liquor. I just want some. Where did you get yours?”

"Oh sure,” he tells her. Glancing around, he reached into his cloak and produced a half filled bottle with clear liquid inside. "This is 'Theo's Shine' ... Made it myself as a bit of a hobbiest. I don't have much but it's yours for what you did for our people.”

A’postrofae took the bottle. “Thank you. Can you get more? I have gold”

"uhh, I might have more in a few days” Theo told her. “It's not something you really want to rush"

“OK, this will be fine for now. Thank you.” A’postrofae said, drawing a respectful nod from Theo. Leaving the gate, A’postrofae wandered around, drinking out of the bottle and coughing occasionally.