[coronatiger]

Thoughts on December 19th

In the afternoon, we crested a low hilltop, and Va’lyndra declared that we needed to climb some tall trees to look around, but Lady Karita spotted a rooftop downhill. As we approached the building, we saw that it had been built into the hillside. In front of what was clearly a temple, a small river ran by, crossed by a dilapidated stone bridge. No wonder Va’lyndra had wanted to see the lay of the land – we were completely off course. However, now that we had stumbled across another temple, we might as well explore it.

The hillside got steeper and steeper as we neared the temple, and we decided to take a detour to the north. We wouldn’t get the animals down to the entrance if we decided to climb, and we might be in need of a quick retreat. We found a ford a short distance upriver. The river was only a few meters wide, and not very deep, so crossing was easy.

We didn’t have much daylight left, so we made camp in sight of the bridge and temple, and decided to postpone the exploration until tomorrow. Lady Karita went to check out the bridge, and thought it looked treacherous, so she didn’t try to cross.

Olivia and I excused ourselves and retreated to the privacy of our little tent, just as Ilzo asked Lady Karita what she was smoking. “It’s a medicine I take to fall asleep when we’re outdoors. There are so many distracting noises in the night.” Olivia blushed, shook her head, and got down to business.