Tweet
After everyone had remounted, Paramus had them spread out and scout the nearby area, he could smell the saltwater, so they were obviously near a shoreline. He wracked his mind for a bit and tried to remember what portals were close to water. In just a little bit Nite rode up and stopped her mare near him.
“Shoreline is to our east just a little way,” she said pointing vaguely behind her, “only portal I remember being this close was that island village Occlo.”
Paramus nodded while Ras responded, “I remember that too, but this doesn’t look like the Occlo that I am familiar with.” He twisted around in his saddle to again look around the portal area. “This one doesn’t have homes around it.”
“Well, the village proper should be just off to the west there.” Paramus added and nudged Damit to head in that direction. “Nite, catch up with Grumpy would ya? He moved off to the north looking around.”
Nite nodded and turned her mare in that direction and rode off.
Paramus, Ras, and Alexan spotted the outskirts of the village after a few minutes of travel, they all exchanged a confused look since it was nothing as they remembered. The place looked a lot emptier and partially deserted if anything and the people didn’t look like they fared any better.
“Paramus, I don’t think we are on the same… what did that lore master call them again?” Alexan asked.
“Facets is what I believe it was,” Paramus answered quietly, “he rambled on about how the world we lived in was actually one of many duplicates in the universe or some such.”
“Well, he may his ramblings had some truth to them after all!” Ras exclaimed with a chuckle. He turned back to the village, “Look here, seems they have some type of militia though. So, all hasn’t changed.” He finished.
While the three rogues approached the village edge, they saw what Ras had just pointed out, a couple of the villagers were armed and had started to head towards them. Paramus kept their mounts to a slow walk and approached the armed men. Paramus heard Nite and Grumpy ride up behind them and fall into line on each side, and Paramus didn’t want the guards to get the wrong impression. The guards, if that is what you could call them, as they got closer, looked skittish now standing in front of five strangers who looked as if they knew their way around in a fight and three of them riding Nightmares, the fabled beast that those called Tamers rode and had as companions. Most ordinary folk outside the major cities have only heard of them from travelers or in stories.
The first one to spot them tried to put on a brave face, then asked, “What is your business here?” He gave a nervous glance to his partner then looked back to the group. He held his halberd in both hands across his chest and the other guard tried to mimic him.
Paramus looked them both over. Young and fit but probably inexperienced by the way they held themselves. He took some pity on them; they had some potential he could see as they stood their ground in front of them, he had to give them credit for that. Paramus had a flash of all the young Rogues he had seen and lost in the many battles they had fought in the past. He shook his head to clear away the memories.
“We are new,” Paramus glanced over the top of their heads at the village, “to this area. We may need a place to camp until we can get organized and figure some things out.”
“We don’t want any trouble here!” The guard exclaimed somewhat sternly.
“We don’t bring trouble with us…” Ras said with a smile, he had picked up on the youthful exuberance as well as Paramus had.
“But we will not shy away from any that finds us.” Alexan finished forcefully.
After they had convinced the two young guards, they were not there to cause anyone any harm, they had asked and received directions to the tavern. It was down on the docks near the lake and the group made their way down the main street of the village. All five took in as much information as they could on the short trip without detouring down one of the side streets. Once they reached the wooden docks, they continued down it where it turned to run along the coast between the building and the lake. The Albatross Inn had seen better days, its wooden exterior was worn and beaten by the wind and salt spray off the inland lake. After they left the horse and mares in the care of a nervous stable boy, the Rogues entered the through the swinging door. The interior hadn’t weathered the years much better but had a cozy feeling to it and whatever was being cooked back in the kitchen area had an appetizing aroma. They were greeted quickly by an older woman with gray hair pulled up in a bun in a long dress and a stained apron around her waist.
“Well met travelers,” she said wiping her hands on the apron. “Please take a seat anywhere. What can I get you to drink?”
Paramus nodded at her, “Mug of ales all around and some of whatever you have on the fire back there that is making my stomach rumble.” He said while he moved to the back of the room near the hearth, there was a small fire built that was keeping the room at a comfortable temperature. He pulled out a chair and dropped into it, while the rest followed his lead and nodded at the innkeeper as they passed her.
A half-hour later and with a full stomach and couple of mugs of ale later, Paramus glanced around at the small group of Rogues. Five of us, no telling where the rest were or what had happened to them. He at least had some of the strongest of the Rogues with him, Ras, Alexan, and Nitespell along with himself were Bludguards to his brother Thasteon, the Khan of the Rogues. The only one missing was Ras’s mate Celest and she was back in the Yew forests or was supposed to be. Who knew now where they even were and if that facet, as the lore master had called it, even survived this latest disaster. He shook his head to try wrap his mind around what had transpired and where they go from here. Then he would have to talk to Ras later once this all sank in. Hell, they all have lost someone if the other facet didn’t survive, or they couldn’t return.
Paramus looked up when Ras asked, “What do you think Paramus?”
He leaned back in the chair and looked around the small tavern room. It wasn’t busy, they were the only patrons, and it had a nice atmosphere to it. The Rogues have been displaced somewhere new, or at least some of them have and they had no clue what has happened to the rest of their brotherhood. Without Thasteon here, he felt like the burden had fallen to him to continue the glory of the Rogues in this new land. He looked back at the rest, “We set up camp here.” He said from his laid-back position. “The area just east of the bank towards the portal looked like a good area.”
“Not sure how the locals are going to take that.” Alexan replied and finished off his mug of ale.
“They can take or leave it.” Nite piped in and nodded to Paramus.
Grumpy pushed his chair back and got to his feet, “I seen a smithy on the way here, need to start getting some materials to get a forge up and running if we are doing this.”
Ras followed Grumpy up with a scrape of his chair on the hardwood floor, “Let’s get started then.”
“Shoreline is to our east just a little way,” she said pointing vaguely behind her, “only portal I remember being this close was that island village Occlo.”
Paramus nodded while Ras responded, “I remember that too, but this doesn’t look like the Occlo that I am familiar with.” He twisted around in his saddle to again look around the portal area. “This one doesn’t have homes around it.”
“Well, the village proper should be just off to the west there.” Paramus added and nudged Damit to head in that direction. “Nite, catch up with Grumpy would ya? He moved off to the north looking around.”
Nite nodded and turned her mare in that direction and rode off.
Paramus, Ras, and Alexan spotted the outskirts of the village after a few minutes of travel, they all exchanged a confused look since it was nothing as they remembered. The place looked a lot emptier and partially deserted if anything and the people didn’t look like they fared any better.
“Paramus, I don’t think we are on the same… what did that lore master call them again?” Alexan asked.
“Facets is what I believe it was,” Paramus answered quietly, “he rambled on about how the world we lived in was actually one of many duplicates in the universe or some such.”
“Well, he may his ramblings had some truth to them after all!” Ras exclaimed with a chuckle. He turned back to the village, “Look here, seems they have some type of militia though. So, all hasn’t changed.” He finished.
While the three rogues approached the village edge, they saw what Ras had just pointed out, a couple of the villagers were armed and had started to head towards them. Paramus kept their mounts to a slow walk and approached the armed men. Paramus heard Nite and Grumpy ride up behind them and fall into line on each side, and Paramus didn’t want the guards to get the wrong impression. The guards, if that is what you could call them, as they got closer, looked skittish now standing in front of five strangers who looked as if they knew their way around in a fight and three of them riding Nightmares, the fabled beast that those called Tamers rode and had as companions. Most ordinary folk outside the major cities have only heard of them from travelers or in stories.
The first one to spot them tried to put on a brave face, then asked, “What is your business here?” He gave a nervous glance to his partner then looked back to the group. He held his halberd in both hands across his chest and the other guard tried to mimic him.
Paramus looked them both over. Young and fit but probably inexperienced by the way they held themselves. He took some pity on them; they had some potential he could see as they stood their ground in front of them, he had to give them credit for that. Paramus had a flash of all the young Rogues he had seen and lost in the many battles they had fought in the past. He shook his head to clear away the memories.
“We are new,” Paramus glanced over the top of their heads at the village, “to this area. We may need a place to camp until we can get organized and figure some things out.”
“We don’t want any trouble here!” The guard exclaimed somewhat sternly.
“We don’t bring trouble with us…” Ras said with a smile, he had picked up on the youthful exuberance as well as Paramus had.
“But we will not shy away from any that finds us.” Alexan finished forcefully.
After they had convinced the two young guards, they were not there to cause anyone any harm, they had asked and received directions to the tavern. It was down on the docks near the lake and the group made their way down the main street of the village. All five took in as much information as they could on the short trip without detouring down one of the side streets. Once they reached the wooden docks, they continued down it where it turned to run along the coast between the building and the lake. The Albatross Inn had seen better days, its wooden exterior was worn and beaten by the wind and salt spray off the inland lake. After they left the horse and mares in the care of a nervous stable boy, the Rogues entered the through the swinging door. The interior hadn’t weathered the years much better but had a cozy feeling to it and whatever was being cooked back in the kitchen area had an appetizing aroma. They were greeted quickly by an older woman with gray hair pulled up in a bun in a long dress and a stained apron around her waist.
“Well met travelers,” she said wiping her hands on the apron. “Please take a seat anywhere. What can I get you to drink?”
Paramus nodded at her, “Mug of ales all around and some of whatever you have on the fire back there that is making my stomach rumble.” He said while he moved to the back of the room near the hearth, there was a small fire built that was keeping the room at a comfortable temperature. He pulled out a chair and dropped into it, while the rest followed his lead and nodded at the innkeeper as they passed her.
A half-hour later and with a full stomach and couple of mugs of ale later, Paramus glanced around at the small group of Rogues. Five of us, no telling where the rest were or what had happened to them. He at least had some of the strongest of the Rogues with him, Ras, Alexan, and Nitespell along with himself were Bludguards to his brother Thasteon, the Khan of the Rogues. The only one missing was Ras’s mate Celest and she was back in the Yew forests or was supposed to be. Who knew now where they even were and if that facet, as the lore master had called it, even survived this latest disaster. He shook his head to try wrap his mind around what had transpired and where they go from here. Then he would have to talk to Ras later once this all sank in. Hell, they all have lost someone if the other facet didn’t survive, or they couldn’t return.
Paramus looked up when Ras asked, “What do you think Paramus?”
He leaned back in the chair and looked around the small tavern room. It wasn’t busy, they were the only patrons, and it had a nice atmosphere to it. The Rogues have been displaced somewhere new, or at least some of them have and they had no clue what has happened to the rest of their brotherhood. Without Thasteon here, he felt like the burden had fallen to him to continue the glory of the Rogues in this new land. He looked back at the rest, “We set up camp here.” He said from his laid-back position. “The area just east of the bank towards the portal looked like a good area.”
“Not sure how the locals are going to take that.” Alexan replied and finished off his mug of ale.
“They can take or leave it.” Nite piped in and nodded to Paramus.
Grumpy pushed his chair back and got to his feet, “I seen a smithy on the way here, need to start getting some materials to get a forge up and running if we are doing this.”
Ras followed Grumpy up with a scrape of his chair on the hardwood floor, “Let’s get started then.”