Spoiler
It was somewhere between Roger having a conversation with Linden that I dozed off......
(At this point I should stop and say I always have some incense on my bedside, and that they were with me, along with my small collection of pendants and gems).
After a few weeks traveling with Marlet, the elder of the small village some 60 leagues from Soaring Woodhelven, we came upon a Waynhim whom desperately needed cured of an infection deep within. Amber to cleanse his aura, frankincense resin to cleanse his mind, and quartz to heal his body and soul. After a week straining to help this poor, wonderful creature, I discovered I could feel his relief, and more so he would recover. He left me a leather bags of weak aliantha juice and water in return for my service, and a small stone figurine, shaped like Kevin's Watch. It has a dark green cast to it and slight darker rings, almost identical to Malachite.
Our journey took us into the mountains, where we sought the aid of a unfettered one whom might have some knowledge dealing with this strange sickness. Near dusk when we came over a small hillock, I instantly dropped to a crouching position and grabbed Marlet. He was surprised, but then I silently pointed down the hill to 3 dark figures keening softly and smelling the air. Ur-Viles!, and they looked like they were tracking someone, or something. We quickly decided to back away, and circle up onto the shear bluff somewhere north of their position, hoping it wasn't us whom they tracked. After a haphazard approach into a ravine to start working our way up the mountain side, we heard a scream that shattered the night. We didn't stop, but somewhere in the darkness I lost my balance, and though he tried to save me, we both slid into a deep crevice.
He looked to have broken his wrist and while I was no worse for wear, my left ankle was sitting at an odd angle jammed down into the rocks. It hurt like crazy, but we needed to be quiet and hope the Urviles weren't on our scent. I gave Marlet some of the Aliantha water, and set about judging the damage. His wrist wasn't broke but sprained heavily, so I tore off the bottom of my shirt, and wrapped one of my quartz crystals in the outer wrapping. After we calmed down, the cold of the night settled in. It was a few hours later when I awoke to discover my ankle was numb, either from being damaged or no circulation. Then we heard a sound, gently rasping but growing louder and more clear.
" It is the night of wellness that shatters the still
that allows the heart to tend to the will,
Called to the place that neither exists
nor succeeds.
deep in the stone they call my name
unfettered, strong, free. "
The music rolled over us, and I felt my ankle give way, release its tension and warmth courses through it once again. Her name was Whurmasta. When I awoke, Marlet smiled and said he'd leave me with the Unfettered one and return to his village. He proclaimed me friend and said that my helping a Waynhim made his heart smile. He parted without another word, tossing my crystal to me and waving as he left. Whurmasta took me to her home, a small cave in the midst of a rocky outcropping, on the side of a ravine some 3 thousand feet in depth. It was during the first night that she asked me to tell her of my quest, and to not leave anything out. After relying my story, she spoke not a word, but set about with her work.....
I awoke sometime later, not sure where I was, with this odd woody taste still in my mouth. Looking down, I discovered the Runes of the Earth on my face, and part of the front cover jammed into my mouth. That explained that. *sigh*
Oh Kevin, the 6th Ward isn't made for man, for it is surely full of L-tryptophan.
Loved my dream, but hated not finishing it.
Cheers,
