“Alexis, what do you know about sleeping gods? I overheard mention at the Five Winds that TyLin is sleeping? The Hungry Voice said She had abandoned me… She’s certainly more distant than… Others, but…”
Sleepy Goddess Blues
3
Beyond the Trail of the Giant
In camp, some days after leaving the valley of chaos and cold.
“I’ve a thought… what if we don’t have to kill the giant to get the sword? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for killing the giant, but it seems like there is a lot of other things going on, and the longer this takes, the more… strange things get. Maybe we should try to deal with the swords first.
“The giant is our goal because of the Twice Broken Sword, be believe it is in the fort, right?
He looks at all his companions.
“Raff is… concerned about the Twice Broken Sword, but the Chaos Blade is not, correct?
He looks at Alexis.
“We know Earycka has more access to the inner workings of the fort that we do…”
He looks around at every one and pauses to see see if at least Alexis and Red are following his line of thinking…
“We are deal-makers after all…”
Materials are just materials
After leaving the mine Ethelred can’t stop thinking about all the materials they found in the old Copper Hills mine. He is still confused as to why some materials were allowed to be taken, gems, copper, pix ax heads, broken handles. But other materials were off limits, rope, hooks, shovels, pix axes.
Ethelred brings up his confusion to the group.
“If we need more rope to capture the Giant, where should we go to get it?”
Who Were Those Mystery Horsemen?
While the group is at the spring talking about what to do regarding the four horsemen.
“The last time someone wanted me specifically, rather than The Crimson Calling as a whole, was Creepy Doll and the undead wanting my key. Before that was Barra because of my memory of giving the eyes to Lady Sofia.” Alexis gives a nervous shrug.
“With the eyes retrieved, the key seems to be the most likely culprit. Any other ideas?”
A Helping Shield Hand
Sometime during the first week after the closing of the pit-of-three-evils Alexis approaches Gustav.
“Thanks for being there, when things were looking the darkest with the Arru-Noroth.” Alexis clasps Gustav meaningfully on the shoulder and locks eyes with him for a moment to let him know how much it meant.
To walk through a door
For a while now Ethelred has been convinced that there are paths to ‘magical’ powers that does not lead through a God. Watching Telosh it was clear that chaos can come from materials. But chaos is not a viable path for Ethelred. Even before that the cleaning that Karnoha taught Alexis uses materials to power the cleansing.
Creating the wooden door and then using it as the last piece to close the pit finally revealed a clear path. Materials themselves, no just words and wishes, can do work beyond what Ethelred understands.
The lesson to be learned for Red is how to take what is available and balance it with what is possible. He has seen how Telosh can offer items, and break items to powerful effects. He has seen how Alexis gives all the reverence to the Gods. Ethelred’s path must be to walk between these. Order, understanding and materials must be combined intelligibility to gain the desired effect.
As the days pass on and Alexis works to help Ethelred learn ‘magic’. Red is keeping his eye on how best to use materials, the power within them, to the effects he needs. His first task is to learn how to reverse the open effect to close the trigger on the ballista he and Gus are building.
Does he build a tiny pair of doors and use one to trigger the other? Does he make a stick from the same wood as the door, and break the stick to cause the door to close? Does he bind the door open with some string and cut his own piece to have the door snap shut?
Many options. Many possible paths….
All out ballista
Gus and Ethelred spend evenings, before the sun sets, working on making a miniature ballista. The old cross bow from Telosh is where they start. Studying how it work, how wood bolts are best made. Once some form of mastery of the machine is in hand they take it apart. Study each piece, how it is formed, shaped and what it’s purpose is. Then they put it back together. This is repeated again.
Then they take it apart one more time. This time they work to replicate the parts, but twice the size. Fashioning the part from wood, rope and sinew.
After a week Ethelred feels like it will be possible, but still difficult to make a much larger ballista.
Black and ragged
Telosh approaches Alexis when Gustav is busy elsewhere.
“Alexis, I have been wondering about the crow… The Crows really. And… Malor.”
“Do you think the crow that keeps following us is connect to Malor in some way? Crows generally?”
The Black (Feather) Speech
Telosh helps Gustav forage, trap and hunt, and spends a bit of time talking with him about trap craft. He aids Ethelred with the ballista, tumbles and spars with all of his companions. He is clumsy with his off hand, and while is eyes are little empty, his feints are not less convincing.
He feeds the crow whenever it comes around camp, but doesn’t talk to it in front of Gus, or at least when he knows Gus is nearby.
One afternoon, when Telosh thinks he is alone with the crow, he tosses it a morsel, closer than when they are near the others. As it eats, Telosh speaks slowly,
“You only ever tried to help and protect me.
“Gus says your feathers were protected by an agent of M- the Corrupter of Animals, and he thinks you are an agent of Theirs…
“I’ve never understood why he didn’t like you…
“If you are in the beast lords thrall, I hope I can free you, crow friend.”
The Future Didn’t Wait
The crew is walking back to camp together enjoying the sun that has come out after the successful pit fight. A weight seems to have been lifted off of the wildlife as they are out and frolicking. Even Ethelred noticed some late season blackberry growth. Gustav notices all of that, but doesn’t look very relieved or happy. Gustav uncharacteristically starts a conversation with Alexis and Telosh.
“I am sorry you both have lost so much to battle evil and the enemies of humanity. Telosh, your arm and body were weakened. And you both have aged and lost time that might never come back. We all knew that we risked injuries and death. But since we are finding so much strange magic I suppose we should have known these unnatural injuries would be inevitable.
How does it feel? Is it harder to walk? Do you feel weather more? I know the attitude of the aged often change. Sometimes they are more mean and nasty after feeling cheated away from the life they hoped for. Sometimes they relax and become calm and loving to their children and spouses. Has your mind changed as well as your body?
Is there anything I can do to make things easier? Should I try to make your sleep more comfortable with fluffy pine needle bed sites? Should I help you stretch in the morning? Or should we be fighting it and try to find a wizard who can reverse it?”
Gustav gives a confused look. A thought rolls over his face and then converts to a guilty and sad look.