[coronatiger]

15th of Mitra’s Second Month, year 412

O Ashtar, Mother of Snakes, Keeper of Death’s Door, hear my confession!

Rhuk made vegetable soup for breakfast. Some of our party were pretty fed up with soup from the boat ride, so we spiced it up with some travel rations. “Welcome to the Republic,” Rhuk announced.

Lunari had entertained himself by decorating the cart with calligraphy while we traveled, yesterday. All the writing was in the elven script, Lithin, but Rhuk understood what it said and asked him not to write any more on the cart. She didn’t translate, but told me privately that it was all toilet humor, and he apparently had a fascination for my derriere. I didn’t know whether to be offended or to be pleased to have discovered a weapon against him.

People worked the fields and mostly ignored us as we traveled south. We passed a couple of villages and some minor streams, before arriving at a village on the bank of a larger river in the evening. Rhuk stopped the cart outside the village and bade us wait for her while she entered the houses.

I washed the horse blood off my knife while we waited. Grogg called me “Nurkia” and “snake woman,” but I told him I would ignore him unless he used my actual name. He called me “Nuur-Karif,” and we had a pleasant conversation.

Rhuk returned and told us we had to leave the cart for the next leg of our journey, so we went a little distance back, to a farm where they knew her. There were both orcs and humans there, and Lunari talked to one of the orcs, but seemed to insult him, for he spat contemptuously on the ground and started walking away. That set Grogg off, and he dragged back the orc to apologize to Lunari, who wisely defused the situation diplomatically.

We had grilled vegetables for dinner, and then we returned to the village. Rhuk told us to wait by an apple tree. The look she gave me warned me that she didn’t know how long we had to wait, but there was no hint of danger in her eyes, so I settled down calmly. Lunari pulled out a bottle of liquor and told dirty jokes to Grogg. I tried to ignore them, but it wasn’t easy. At least my name wasn’t mentioned.

Rhuk returned with at lantern and a big grin, after dark. She also brought a man named Ander, who would be taking us further, while Rhuk tried to find her own way to Ur. I gave Rhuk Your signal and pointed discretely at Ander. She nodded, so I knew he was trustworthy. Ander was around thirty years of age and carried a rope around his waist. I wished Rhuk good luck and we went our separate ways.

Ander wordlessly led the way towards the village, but soon turned towards a river channel where he jumped in. The water didn’t reach much higher than his knees. The rest of us followed him into the water and then along the maze of channels for about a quarter of an hour.

We arrived at some ferns, which Ander pushed aside, revealing a wooden door. Ander entered, and I followed. Grogg was skeptical of the small, dark space, but Ander insisted, with gestures and a syllable. Once everyone was inside, he went back outside, leaving us with a short command: “Sleep!” Xipil followed to study the stars. Ander watched him impatiently. Lunari asked me who we were hiding from. I told him I didn’t know, but now that we’re in their land, we have to do what they tell us. Xipil came back inside after a while, and Ander closed the door.

O Ashtar! I surrender my life to Your coils. Take me while I sleep, or grant me another day in Your service, as You will.


16th of Mitra’s Second Month, year 412

O Ashtar, Mother of Snakes, Keeper of Death’s Door, hear my confession!

When I woke up this morning, the only light was a glimmering strip above the door. I expected Ander to arrive with our marching orders soon, but felt at peace in this underground lair, so I lay back down to meditate. Lunari wasn’t quite as patient, and retrieved his violin, about which Grogg and Xipil protested loudly after a few strokes of the bow, so he packed it down again and went to peek outside.

Ander arrived after a couple of hours, tossing a sack inside with a single word, “Food!” I opened the sack and distributed grilled fish and vegetables. Lunari asked Ander why we’re sneaking around, but got no reply beyond a queer stare. “Is there no road we can take instead of trudging through the channel?” the elf continued. Ander counted on his fingers: “Raft, kill, Guling.” Xipil asked me if I knew what he meant, but I wasn’t certain, so I said nothing. The tranquility that had settled on me replaced the desire for knowledge. What comes, comes. Lunari suspected that someone would try to kill us if we took a raft to Guling.

We followed Ander a short distance to a raft, where the channel connected to the main river. He gave Grogg and Xipil a pole each, and the three of them pushed us over the river. On the other side, Ander nudged Grogg ashore and gave him the end of a rope and instructed him to pull. And Grogg ran. Until there was no more land; then he continued into the water. Lunari told him to get onboard as it would be more efficient if he took a pole and pushed.

Now that everyone was awake, nobody protested when Lunari took out his violin again. He played and sang, and I enjoyed the entertainment, feeling like a noble since everyone else was working. Ander had another sack of food which he shared out at mealtimes.

We stopped when it was getting dark, at another hidden room in the end of a small channel, similar to the room we stayed in last night. We entered, and Ander closed us in. Grogg was hungry, so he found travel rations in one of his large sacks. Xipil went back outside, presumably to look at the stars. When he returned, he told me that he got the feeling that something has to die tomorrow. He mentioned that he was sitting on the ground at the time, making the sensation more trustworthy. I sat down to pray, for I thought there was something You wanted me to hear. I prayed for two full hours, but got no answer. That made me anxious.

I noticed Xipil was meditating when I was about to turn in. He has told me to wake him if he sits too long, so I prodded him. He seemed woozy, so I asked if he was all right. He was not. He felt sick, and told me that something bestial and something with ugly teeth was on an island, and they were going to die. I asked if his vision had indicated that we should intervene in some way, but he didn’t know. I’ve heard that people who get visions when they’re not ready for the experience, often get stressed out or worried. I asked Xipil if he felt anything like that, but he claimed he didn’t, he only felt like he was going to sick up. I suggested that we should try to get some sleep. Most likely, he’d feel better in the morning.

O Ashtar! I surrender my life to Your coils. Take me while I sleep, or grant me another day in Your service, as You will.