[coronatiger]

Thoughts on November 20th

That burgh lion was scary. We decided to try to avoid them in the future. Va’lyndra scouted ahead, and we were off.

I spent most of the day standing on Lightfoot’s saddle, experimenting with Scorchmark while we traveled towards the next temple. The knife returns to my hand whenever I drop or throw it, or to the sheath in my belt if my hands are occupied. I eventually figured out how to put it down, nice and easy, and have it not leap back to me. Olivia had been a little worried she’d be stabbed in the night, even if we stuffed the blade deep inside one of the packs.

Ilzo has learned enough of our language from Lady Karita to hold simple conversations with the rest of us, although I find it difficult to understand him, sometimes.


Thoughts on November 21st

Before setting out this morning, Va’lyndra and I climbed trees to see if we could spot mountains ahead. The temple we’re seeking lies in the heights. Our mostly blank map had a few mountains in the northwest corner, around the temple, but we could in fact see a mountain range, and Lady Karita drew it in along the western edge of the map.

After a while, we caught up with Va’lyndra, who claimed she had whistled the danger signal. I strung my bow while she explained that she’d seen two burgh lions on the other side of a ridge, not far ahead. As we had decided earlier, we tried sneaking past them, and Va’lyndra found a clever route through a cleft in the ridge. We hardly lost any time at all going around them.

In the evening, I asked Va’lyndra where she was born. She snapped that it was none of my concern, but admitted she came from the Old World, long ago.

Climbing trees, we observed a great canyon not far ahead, stretching as far as the eye could see in both directions. We would have to cross it or go around to reach the temple.


Thoughts on November 22nd

We reached the canyon in a few hours. We crossed the tree line today, so we didn’t have much to block our view, but we spotted no place where we could descend with the animals. The others noted a few locations where we could climb down, but we’d have to leave the horses and oxen behind. Personally, I think I could get down anywhere. I have climbing gear in my saddlebags, and am confident in my skills.

Ilzo found giant footprints with extra toes on one foot. The tracks were a couple of days old, and moved westwards, along the canyon. Had they been very fresh, we mightn’t have followed them, but we didn’t expect to overtake whoever or whatever had left them, so we felt pretty safe turning west.

We looked for ways down as we proceeded along the canyon, but found none.


Thoughts on November 23rd

For the first time since we set out on this trip, the sky was completely devoid of clouds this morning. A chill breeze streamed down from the mountains ahead. It seemed winter was approaching. In fact, we could see snow on the highest mountains.

We followed the tracks along the canyon until they turned south in the afternoon. Our trackers, Ilzo and Va’lyndra, confirmed that the creature moved faster than we did. We continued straight ahead for another hour or so before making camp.


Thoughts on November 24th

It’s considerably colder here in the mountains. Ilzo didn’t have a good night; he didn’t have a thick sleeping fur to wrap himself inside. I had two that I shared with Olivia, and we also shared body heat, although she insisted that we put some clothes back on before going to sleep. I don’t like having anything between us, but I saw the wisdom of being ready in case of an attack; running out in the middle of the night stark naked could be dangerous.

We continued west, and Va’lyndra decided to climb a mountain to look ahead. Ilzo, Olivia and I traveled around the mountain with the pack animals, and Lady Karita waited for Va’lyndra with their horses. I lent Va’lyndra my snowshoes, in case she needed to cross deep snow.

They caught up with us in the afternoon, and Va’lyndra explained that we’d reach the end of the canyon tomorrow. She also spotted a cluster of trees on the other side, which she thought was the temple.


Thoughts on November 25th

The temperature dropped even further last night, and I failed to keep Olivia warm. She huddled inside her cloak as we traveled on, and became even more introvert than usual. Everything seemed to be a struggle for her, but she didn’t complain, and finished her chores on time. I’m not sure the others noticed anything; I’m particularly sensitive about Olivia’s well-being.

Va’lyndra said the horses were feeling the cold, too, and we covered them in blankets whenever we stopped.

Thankfully, we rounded the canyon and started moving out of the mountains again, so we’ll at least not be climbing any higher, even if winter is coming.

Olivia understandably didn’t want to undress before bed tonight, so we just cuddled for a while. I wrapped myself around her, holding her close, hoping that would be enough to stave off the hunger, when suddenly a cold hand plunged into the warmth between my legs. I must have blacked out, for the next thing I remember was Olivia reminding me to get dressed before going to sleep.


Thoughts on November 26th

Lady Karita behaved strangely this morning, talking to people who weren’t there. She didn’t improve during the day, and if it hadn’t been for Olivia, guiding her horse, she would have ridden off a cliff. I was getting seriously worried, but Olivia thought she would get over it soon, suspecting Lady Karita of smoking a bad batch of sleeping medicine. I asked Va’lyndra if she thought we should do something, perhaps take away the drugs, but she wanted nothing to do with it. Olivia is too shy to partake in such a venture, and I didn’t feel comfortable discussing the topic with an orc, so I was on my own.

As the day wore on, I kept procrastinating. I didn’t know what would happen if I relieved Lady Karita of her drugs, and I didn’t want to risk making things worse. In the end, I trusted Olivia’s opinion, and hoped the bad batch wasn’t too large. Now that Lady Karita had started lighting up more or less continuously, she’d burn through her supply quickly.


Thoughts on November 27th

It was another cold night. A couple of days growth of winter fur didn’t help, but was annoyingly itchy. I’m not partial to body hair, although a well-trimmed beard can be nice to look at, and can’t wait until it’s warm enough to shave again. Olivia and I usually do each other.

Lady Karita didn’t smoke during the day, and she seemed to be back to her normal self.


Thoughts on November 28th

Yet another cold night turned into yet another cold day. Ilzo muttered and grumbled, and Lady Karita translated that he complained that game was sparse here in the mountains.

We arrived at the temple of Elendus in the afternoon, a grove of trees surrounded by a wall. I suggested we light a fire, so Olivia could get some warmth, but Va’lyndra was horrified by the thought of desecrating the temple. I wearily pointed out that we could pick dead branches and twigs from the ground, and we eventually got a fire burning, without defiling the sacred grove. We doused the fire before it got dark, as the light would draw unwanted attention from the monsters in the night. If it keeps getting colder, we’ll have to revise our thinking.


Thoughts on November 29th

Olivia relit the fire and prepared a hot breakfast. Va’lyndra said a prayer to Elendus. I asked her if she thought we might find danger inside, and she answered cryptically that Elendus is a god of nature, mercurial and volatile, fickle like the wind. I put armor on before we entered.

We found old footprints in the grove; someone had been here before us. At the center of the temple stood a tree shaped like a hand. I asked the others if we should bring out the shovels, but Va’lyndra approached the hand tree and prayed. Then she danced a spell dance, and explained that someone else had taken the statue. I suggested we leave, so I could exchange the armor for warmer clothes, but Va’lyndra wanted to remain a while longer. Ilzo wandered off, though. To keep warm, I started cartwheeling around the hand tree, then alternated with backflips and somersaults.

After returning to the camp, we stayed around the fire the rest of the day, trying to soak up as much heat as possible before nighttime. When the sun set, we had to put out the fire, so Olivia and I retreated to our tent to share body heat.