Subject on the way home

The party sets out for home.

The first few days everyone is on constant guard, waiting for the axe to fall. The man in the dream had said that he would test them one more time and no one wanted to be unprepared. They were able to find the North Mountain road. By early afternoon on the second day they reached Halburg. It was a small walled town but it had a nice clean inn. For the first time in several weeks they were all able to sleep in beds and have regular meals, not camp fodder. Rochelle in particular was pleased to finally get a chance to get some new clothes. ?Heironin would flay me if I let you travel in only the rags you had, and we have some coin.? So they took a little time for her to go to a clothes shop and get some more appropriate attire for the road.

They are back on the road by mid day. Rochelle and Salix talk some about her homeland. ?I have been to the Great North Woods once when I was traveling with my father. He said that it spread over hundreds of leagues, even over into the Wildlands. Is the forest really that big?? Soon after they leave Halburg the road takes a sharp turn south. The party leaves the main road and heads east, the mountains shadowing them to the north. Every now and then Grey or Ebon come swooping in, letting the party know that there are people about. The country side is sparsely populated with farmsteads and mining communities. They follow local roads and go cross country when they have to.

Every now and then a small party of people passes them on the roads. Some are farmers taking crops to the local village or town. Once they are stopped by an armed patrol, but are able to answer the questions of the guards adequately. The guards recognize Harp's holy symbol and seem to pay heed to it. Once they even encounter a group of poorly armed and armored young men, about half a dozen or so, heading north. This rag tag group tells them that they heard rumors of a monster in the mountains with a pile of gold. All in all it is a peaceful land. The only problem is the weather. After several weeks of almost no rain, it seems as if Obad-Hai or whoever is controlling the rain decides to make up for it.

It rains on and off for most of the week after the party leaves Halburg. ?At least it will make it harder for the guy from the dream to track us? Cai remarks.

OODM: I will write more over the weekend.

Subect: The Woods

"The Great North Woods is truly immense. I have traveled extensively within its borders and yet there are many areas I have not seen. Indeed, there are some areas that one of my level and experience is expressly forbidden to enter.

"Yet, there are wondrous areas to be seen. There are flora and fauna there which are unique in all the land. Many of the trees are the oldest living things in the world. I have seen trees so ancient 30 men with hands linked could not form a circle around the trunk.

"But there must be wonders unique to your land as well? I've heard your city is quite beautiful, though I've never had the privilege of knowing that for myself. You must miss it terribly after the ordeals you've faced."

Subject Surin and Harp

"Surin, I think that even had I been angry with you for "piping up", I would have found it difficult to have stayed angry with you for long. My training in the Order has left very little time for humor and playfulness, I have come to enjoy your playful banter. I have very little experience conversing with others outside my Order; my presence is usually a damper on casual conversation. I would guess that had you met me under different circumstances, your attitude toward me might be much the same as Kal's, though maybe not quite so hostile.

My fear is that Kal is right, some day my control will break, and I will be the cause of pain for my companions. It is a struggle to keep from just reacting without thinking. I don't know if I will ever make a good member of the Order. I am not sure which it is that keeps me going - my appreciation to the Order for taking me in and giving me a home, or my desire to try and prove that I can control my violent side.

Harp will drift off into silent introspection but will converse if approached.

Subject Surin and Harp

As Harp talks, Surin rolls himself a cigarette and lights it with a twig that had been half in and half out of the fire (OOC: Unless we're all riding along, that is. If that's the case, forget all the cigarette stuff), and draws a deep lung full of smoke.

"Well," Surin replies, pausing for a moment to exhale the smoke through his nose, "seems to me your god approves of you--if it were me praying each morning I don't reckon he'd be giving *me* powers."

He eyes the cigarette's glowing tip contemplatively for a moment. "May be he sees you better'n you see yourself."