The Month of Nolus
1st of Nolus
Sad but true, the events which followed our departure for the Morgathian church remain very unclear in my mind. All I know is that there is a gap in my memory and my fellow compatriots refuse to fill it. I have reconciled these events by telling myself the Goddesses protected me from the evilness of these events.
My memory picks up again on the road back to Fobin. Ash, formerly known as Yarrow is with us and absolved of any wrong doing in the murder of the Nordaka Senate hopeful. Primus decides to report in and unload the cart which is carrying the loot we found at the Morgathian temple. We’ve also replaced the unicorn by a real horse and gave the unusaul creature to Ash’s brother. From what I can gather, the loot involves many crates, but my memory draws a blank as to their contents. As for the unicorn, I can’t even begin to imagine when it entered the picture.
We begin to unload these crates to bring them to our room. As we enter our small quarters, there are beds missing and a awful smell coming from those that remain. In the corner, to Fennelisa’s annoyance there is a leaky bucket with a mop. At the back, the storage room is filled with two armor trees, a bed and a huge locker with an equally huge lock. Too heavy to move, we can see evidence that someone has tampered with the lock.
As we organize our reinstallation, the rumors which have been circulating around camp make their way to our ears. They vary from questions about Cornelius’ jail time (another event which seems faint in my memory) to news of Canelius asking about Fennelisa.
As Primus reports back to Phillipus, he finds his superior in a drunken stupor which only darkens his mood. Fortunately, Ash offers to sober him up in return for a ten day stay at the keep. As a result of Ash’s ministrations, Phillipus becomes quite ill, a state he will remain in, for the remainder of the day.
Primus returns to our quarters and divides the loot in even shares while we finish unloading the goods. Fennelisa decides to go to the quartermasters for a new bucket and mop along with some fresh mattresses. Meanwhile I try and organize the room while Cornelius tries to sell his information. His efforts are in vain, simply because Canelius has already spread the information yesterday. Kalindae, a strong woman from the other section wanted to know more about Canelius. She’s quite an impressive woman with her height and many scars.
I must confess that what attracted my eye was much more the way Kalindae walked and carried herself than anything else. No matter how she tried, she could never hide her charms, even with her numerous scars. She’s obviously a legionnaire and a woman to be reckoned with.
Fennelisa returned with all the equipment she requested. She must obviously have leverage with the quartermaster to obtain what she wants without too many questions or problems. However, she soon reveals that she has had to make herself personally responsible for everything obtained. We’ll all have to keep a close eye on things as well as ensure a better method of storage and security for our stuff.
As Fennelisa installs the new mattresses, I bring the old ones to be burned. As I chat with the men who are there, I can’t help but feel they have misunderstood my offer to teach reading and writing, but I don’t know how they could misconstrue something so straightforward. I realize my being the latest recruit will obviously create frictions. Perhaps I should not be so willing to advance information, the way we do at the temple.
We continue cleaning until breakfast is served. I must say, food here is far from being as tasty as what Mother or the Peonian temple usually serve. It’s not bad, but it has no taste. The only redeeming feature of the meal is the bread which is being passed out by Jarell, the local baker. He also happens to be the Peonian priest. He invites me to come to dinner when I get a day off. His home is in the village where I will be able to meet his wife.
As I continue to eat, stirring my food with the bread, hoping the taste will be improved, another legionnaire passes me some curry powder. It does nothing for the color of the stew, but at least the feeling I had of eating straw is gone.
Once the meal is finished, I search out the temple, to give a quick prayer, before I resume my duties. I quickly find the small cove which is a tiny sanctuary, a haven of peace amongst this organized chaos. It is well maintained, with ivy growing on either side and the permeation of a comforting “clean” smell. It’s quite pleasant and it allows me to give thanks to both Goddesses, leave a coin and feel refreshed by my time spent there.
When I return to our quarters, the things which can be divided from the Morgathian temple are laid out. The only thing which I find have no taint and can be used regardless of denomination are a dozen white candles.
Soon , six o’clock rolls around and we relieve 3-2, that is third Legion, second Maniple, both tenacis from the wall duty. We are also accompanied by Knights who are also standing duty. After a bit of prying, we find out that they have lost a bet and so must stand guard instead of their counterparts. Apparently the bet entailed drinking someone under the table. Primus believes it was probably Kalindae’s tenaci which was able to accomplish such a feat.
Our watch is quiet, some of us catch sight of the silhouette of a dragon flying by, but unfortunately, problems with my boot lace prevented me from seeing something so wondrous and frightening. It is the only event worth mentioning, seeing as we were soon replaced on wall duty and are sent to tend the fire which is burning the last of our putrid mattresses.
As a cold drizzle starts, we bank the fire to prevent it from going out. In the distance we hear a roar. Could it be the fantastic creature? Chances are, but the faintness of the cry makes me believe that the dragon has traveled a great distance, to make it’s roar so gentle and soft.
As the fire slowly finishes the destruction of the mattresses, Ash comes along with a few tidbits of information. First he has discovered that our neighbors to the east are responsible for our stolen material. Fenelisa has a look in her eye telling me she is already planning to take back what is rightfully ours. Who knows what misfortune will befall the thieving tenaci…
The second element of information will be a surprise inspection of our quarters which will take place in the morning. Fortunately, we have already cleaned every inch of our quarters. Primus believes we are ready. As the fire dies down from the drizzle and a fine hail begins, we head for bed. The fresh mint and new mattress soon claim me and I drift off.
2nd of Nolus
Phillipus wakes us at around nine in the morning. Both Fennelisa and Cornelius seem to be heavy sleepers. They crawl out of bed as though they have just fallen into them. It is beyond me why a person would waste the best part of the day for work and or leisure. I guess I’m a morning person!
To everyone’s joy we get to do calisthenics this morning! As the new guy in Fobin the instructor is kind enough to point me out to lead the exercises! Not being much of a showman, it takes me awhile to dig up the memories of the various exercises which need to be done. Eventually, it comes back to me and the ordeal is done.
Breakfast as a delight compared to yesterday’s stew. There is still some of Jarell’s bread along with cheese, honey and sib. Primus is off selling something called chocolate, for those who wish to flavor their hot brew, but when I close my eyes and feel the sun on my face, it almost feels like I’m back in the temple with the sweet aroma of berries coming from the fresh pot of sib left in my room.
I have to admit, the newness of the legion is making me avoid any thoughts of the temple. I guess it’s a good sign, seeing as I miss my friends, but I still feel comfortable right where I am. Elder Marcus would simply say I am closer to reaching the perfect equilibrium within my life.
After breakfast comes training exercises. We need to practice against mounted foes. The cavalry seems in good spirits which makes the exercise pleasant and full of banter. I must say, I was unfamiliar with some of the work required to dismount and disarm my opponent. Needless to say the time flies by and soon, we move on to the javelin throw. I’m quite happy with my throw, but I can see I have a long way to go before I can call myself a good thrower.
As we resume normal duty, we are assigned to road repairs. It’s hard work, but there is something I find satisfying about physical labor which requires few words. On our way to the designated area, one of the Knights from the previous evening joins us, his name is Paul. He’s quiet and has little to say to us as we reach the pot hole which needs to be repaired.
As we dig up the top layers of bricks and rocks, Primus notes that there seems to be a sinking hole beneath the damaged area. He commands us to dig as much as we can around the area as well, because we’ll need to place a large flat stone over the sinkhole.
As we do this work, Primus ends up finding the stone we’ll be needing. It’s quite large and obviously heavy, but with the burden beast and all of us throwing our backs into it, it is put in place and the repairs continue without any major problems. Phillipus is quite pleased by the work as it will not need to be done again.
After the afternoon chores, we return to the stronghold, tired but with our day complete. We have a few candles before we need to take up wall duty, so I take the opportunity to look over my armor carefully and I clean, polish and oil it. I must say it didn’t seem very dirty considering how long I have been wearing it. Perhaps the drizzle from last night prevented much of the dirt today.
I also offer Phillipus a thorough check of his horse. It’s a beautiful mount, but no horse truly compares to Bestier. He seems to be well maintained. The Legion stables are well organized and well supervised by the local osler. It makes it a small haven amongst the chaos of the courtyard.
This evening we get second watch. The skies are cloudy, making it impossible to see the moon, much less a fantastical creature. The watch goes by without any incidents, and soon we all find ourselves in our room ready for a short night sleep.
3rd of Nolus
In the morning we are spared from calisthenics due to a caravan stuck on the road with a broken wheel. When we arrive at the sight of the accident, the caravan has already moved on with all of it’s goods, leaving behind a couple of men with the broken cart. It does not take long for us to help them into Fobin where they will get the repairs required.
The rest of the day is rather routine, we get repair duty and more wall duty. To make it more pleasurable, mother nature intended it to rain today. It started out in a slight drizzle, the kind that is easy to ignore, but it soon turned into a downpour. At least the day is quiet.
4th of Nolus
Still raining.
5th of Nolus
The rain hasn’t stopped, but we have been assigned the glorious duty of checking the roads to see if anybody is stuck out there. At least we get to go through the village where many people offer us shelter to dry off. Jarell and his wife also give us some sib which I must say was a great blessing. I never noticed how cold I was till I was holding that cup.
The villagers are also more than happy to give us local gossip; marriages, store owner problems and a missing dog. The roads are so unfriendly that we encounter no one, although on our return through the town, Bandit the dog has finally come to his senses and returned home. Well, even a wandering dog gets cold.
6th of Nolus
Still raining.
There is a rumor of undead walking the road. We are dispatched to check it out. Joy. My waxed cloak has been taking a beating in the last few days. Unfortunately, a small area is now devoid of wax and as we march, all I can feel is a regular stream of cold running from my left shoulder all the way to my pants.
Even Sir Matthew would not exercise in this type of weather! Join the Legion, he said. Have new adventures, he said. What a great idea, he said. Well he forgot to mention the lousy, boring, wet non-events which occur between the adventures… I can already hear his response should I ever consider complaining about a day like today. He would say that it builds character. I don’t know what character is, but I doubt it has anything to do with feeling cold water intruding in your pants.
As we walk along the road, we spot in the distance a groups of lepers. We can see their signs and the noise they make warns all in the area. They are obviously headed for the colony. The rain must have made it hard for them to walk off the beaten path so they decided to parallel the road. They should make it there without any major problems. Peoni bless them all. No one deserves that fate.
Because of the cloudy sky, Primus decides to double time it back to the fortress. When we arrive, we are all soaked, any sign of wax on our cloaks having been shaken off. Our boots are also in dire need of repair. The only thing that makes this day not as nasty as I had anticipated is the fact that we get paid!
7th of Nolus
The rain eases during the night and a drying breeze wakes me up in the night. We don’t have any outstanding duties, until this evening when we will get wall duty. As we watch the town from the wall the rain begins again, but it does not stop us from seeing the lepers as they are walking through town. Every house and home is shuttered tight against the weather, so they will not be bothering anybody.
A knight of the Scarlet Veil, the Agrikan church is leading them to another shrine. The woman has no hair, she rides a black mare with red hooves Her taint almost brings my dinner up. Well at least I have to admit she’s braver than I to help lepers. She can’t be all that bad. I should ask Sister Anna more about that religion. I fear I know only that they do not have the same values as I do.
8th of Nolus
Quiet day, wet wall duty.
9th of Nolus
Sam came to wake us this morning, he’s Phillipus’ squire. I have a feeling that he is sometimes overwhelmed by the demands people make on him. On the one hand he has to obey Phillipus, who I’m sure often asks for a drink and on the other he has Primus who forbids him to bring any significant alcohol to Phillipus. This all in the course of his regular duties. I must say he’s quite good with horses and his care of armor is without fault. Nonetheless, I feel he carries a heavy burden of responsibility, compared to what I was used to as a squire.
After calisthenics, a quick shower and breakfast, my tenaci finds itself dressed for repair duty and ready to go. Ash is joining us and we also have a few of Neville’s instructions. Neville is the dwarven smith of the keep. He is always busy, but his work is always impeccable. Without him, we would probably not enjoy the warm showers that we do. The man, if for only that reason, is a saint.
After about half a candles worth of marching, we arrive at a small bridge which is our intended goal. Ash has come along to see how this work will be done. He’s also interested in the basic construction of the bridge. Armed with Neville’s instructions, we make quick work of this bridge, and soon we find ourselves on the road back to Fobin.
As we pass through the town, I excuse myself for a few minutes to see Jarell and inform him that I can come and pay my respects to him and his wife the day after tomorrow. He’s quite pleased to hear I’m doing well and of course insists that I need bring nothing but myself for the evening meal. I finally convince him that I’ll show up a bit early to lend a hand.
As we arrive at the mess hall for lunch, there is a handful of strangers telling stories. I imagine the broken cart being repaired in the courtyard belongs to them. Their stories are a bit farfetched, but quite entertaining. Ash believes them to be mages, which might explain their stories. No matter, it makes for a pleasant lunch and great entertainment.
Donning our armor, it’s time for practice. We are paired off with tenaci 2-1-1. They are good and give us a run for our money. It was one of the first times I practiced with a foe armed with a pike. It’s quite challenging. Practice fills me with a nervous energy, the others and I barely have enough time to splash some water to cool off before heading for the wall.
We have already spotted a few Gargun along the east. I hope the rest of the night will remain uneventful. Most farmers and the people in general are hardly prepared to face Gargun. Tanaci 2-2-1 has been sent to check up on the sighting.
Along with tenaci 1-1-1, we survey the landscape around the keep. Nothing else out of the ordinary pops up, and soon, tenaci 2-2-1 return. They have tracked the Gargun for half a league, but gave up the chase, to return to the keep before sundown.
After staying in my armor all afternoon, I head for the showers before grabbing something to eat. I must say, we are well fed, which is greatly appreciated by most. I find myself changed by all the work I have been doing, which includes a greater appetite. Although as a squire I worked all day, I must say the life of the legionnaire is more strenuous. Bails of hay are always easier to move than stones and mortar, but there’s a certain constancy about the work I enjoy.
After eating I tend to my armor. After cleaning, polishing and oiling it, I place it back on it’s tree and go to bed. The rest of the tenaci soon joins me for a quiet night sleep.
10th of Nolus
I could hear the wind blow gently against the barracks and it rocked me to sleep, that is until Phillipus insisted on yelling to wake everyone up. In our linens, we line ourselves up in the courtyard only to realize the Drill master is replaced by our very own Phillipus. He’s more than happy to take us through a candle and a half of calisthenics, although by the end he looks rather ashen.
After a bath and some food, I head for the altar where I take my time praying and meditating. I find my life very different from the temple, but I can’t help but feel I have much to learn about life, combat and most of all myself right here, as a legionnaire. My prayers bring a sense of presence all around me. I always feel very special when I spend time with the Goddesses. Even though I’m sure many others spend their time praying, I always feel like I have a very special private and intimate relationship with those I worship.
As I return to my barracks, I decide to tidy up a little, just so as not to be surprised by an inspection. Fennelisa has begun carving the mop handle with an intricate design. Why anybody would want to decorate such a common item is beyond me, but I must say it will look interesting.
Just before lunch rolls around, I sneak a cup of sib from the kitchen and sit, watching all of the activity in and around the camp. Nothing much is happening, but it gives me a chance to look at those I am sharing my life with. When I get to the bottom of my cup, it is time to eat, some of the legionnaires have already stepped in. I soon line myself up and receive chicken soup and old bread. As I sit to eat, the rest of my tenaci joins me along with tenaci 1-1. Kalindae and Mitch talk about their last drinking expedition and who brought whom back to camp.
With a final cup of sib in hand, I head for the barracks where I change in my gear for practice. We are paired with the Tala, the cavalry which is in town. We fight using short sword and shield while they are wielding broadswords. It makes for quite a few innovative combat maneuvers and also a few close calls, trying to avoid nasty bruises, but I also realize that Sir Matthew was an extremely well trained swordsman compared to these fellows. We finish our practice with some javelin throw.
Practice quickly ends, leaving us with just enough time to cool down, wash up and head for the gate. Phillipus is there waiting for us and announces that we will be heading for Geshtei. We have four hour to make the round trip, so there’s no hurry. He also checks our equipment and armourment, saying he doesn’t want anybody to suffer from heat stroke. So with those kind words in mind, we head at an easy pace towards Geshtei.
As we arrive at the gates of Geshtei, there is no news to bring back. The heat has definitely risen and the sweat is making my under-padding itchy. A quick rest with a long drink sees us back on the road. The air smells of a coming storm.
As we enter the gates of Fobin, with no eventful happenings to mention, the storm begins. The temperature has dropped, but I am already wet from my own sweat while the dirt of the road has already glued itself to my armour.
Dropping my gear in the barracks, I head for the baths which are empty and then grab some food. I must say, I have yet to develop the palate for old bread. At least we can dunk the brick in the stew, making it more eatable.
After what is an easy afternoon, the tenaci return to the barracks where we all clean, polish and oil our armour. Once that is done, I turned in for the night.
11th of Nolus
With another wake up call from Phillipus, we drag ourselves into the courtyard and begin calisthenics. I guess Phillipus wants to train us harder than usual because it’s the second day he uses a candle that has a mark and a half. But I have a feeling that he finds the training more difficult than we do, because he keeps falling into his chair after the exercises are over.
After the routine bath and breakfast, we toss a coin with tenaci 1-1 to see who’ll get clean up of the stables vs. the kitchen. The stables are relatively clean with plenty of stable hands to help care for the animals, as we do the basic shoveling. The stable hands are quite good at looking busy, despite the fact that they let us do most of the work. I must say, whenever the knights wanted to do physical work, all the squires stayed out of their way, despite wanting to be very helpful.
A quick lunch, where the bread could not be more stale, sees us into our gear to practice. The Fobin reservists are there as well. We spend most of our time reviewing their basic weapon forms and calls. They are quite friendly and take any information we give them quite seriously. It does feel awkward, however, because some of these men are my father’s age yet they seem to hang on every word I and the rest of the tenaci utter.
After practice, I clean myself off, pick a few flowers in the field and head for Jarell’s place. As I arrive the entire a house is bustling with activity. Some of the guests are helping with dinner, while others are helping Jarell make new cooling racks for his bread. After having given the flowers to the lady of the house, I join in the work, collecting vegetables in the garden, hauling water, setting the table and finally calling everybody to the table.
Dinner is excellent, with lots of fresh bread and good company from all around the area. I meet a lady who happens to be a seamstress, her name is Carissa. Even though I don’t understand much of her work, I remember mother telling me that a lady handy with the needle can be recognized by the calluses on the tips of her hands. Even though I try to talk about her work, she seems unusually interested in the work of a legionnaire, and what my own family does. The conversation is quite intense, for I barely have a few moments to share with the other guests near me. I feel as though I have just been interogated.
After dinner, we all move to the garden where Jarell has just begun pulling the desert, bubbly tarts, from his oven. As we all chat about the weather, I meet Carissa’s daughter Casia. She’s quite a lovely child, about my brother’s age, with features which are not unlike his. As we all enjoy our own tarts, I try and wander towards Jarell, I’m curious to know if he will come by the keep for a quick blessing, or even a small mass, but Carissa and Casia seem intent on pursuing our conversation and obtaining my opinion. On various family matters.
As the sun is close to setting I finally pry myself from my present company, thank my hosts and head back home. Jarell has informed me that he will be coming by for a short Lay Mass tomorrow. As I arrive near the gates, a caravan is slowly packing up. There’s still a few legionnaires looking for a last minute deal, but seeing as I have no money and no interest to maintain, I simply head for my barracks.
12th of Nolus
The drillmaster has recovered. The gentle rap of his cane woke us this morning. It’s quite a nice change from Phillipus’ scream. And the day’s routine begins; exercise, bathe, eat and road work. It’s lovely to be sent out in the rain. No sooner do I step out of the keep that I look forward to my return, knowing I will probably be cold and wet. I just hope I don’t get sick.
We’ve been sent out to check the road work done yesterday, to see that it is well covered and is standing up to the weather. Because we are not really doing any work, we also have the wonderful responsibility of checking both the south and north routes where there is currently work being done.
When we get back to the keep, I am cold and the drizzle is not doing much for my mood. The Peonian church is offering a Lay Mass during lunch, which I attend. The prayers and rituals do much to appease my dark mood, but I’m soon confronted with a situation I have no idea how to deal with. Apparently, according to Jarell’s wife, Carissa is inquiring as to whom she should contact to arrange a match between Casia and myself.
The whole thing is a bit overwhelming, seeing as I feel very self involved with my question of faith and I have not seen nearly enough of the world to know that I want to settle with anybody. Much less make that decision now. I try to explain these reasons to Jarell’s wife, but she apparently does not see the connection between my question of faith and the question of marriage. As my attempt to take myself out of this situation seem to fail, I hide behind the legion. My contract has just begun and I feel it would be unfair to Casia to arrange such an alliance at such an early date. It might be wiser to wait and see how well I finish this contract.
I also hide behind my younger brother, mentioning him to Jarell’s wife, hoping Carissa might be more interested in a match between children of the same age. But reluctantly she does wheedle my parents name and how to reach them, although I finally take my courage in both hands and politely insist that I am not interested in marriage.
She seems to understand, but nonetheless wishes to contact my family. She informs me that matchmaking might be more appropriate at the end of my contract with the legion, something which she will respect. With that, I head back to the keep.
Wall duty is quiet ant wet. Tenaci 2-3 has the good fortune to spend this time with us on the wall. We don’t even see a rabbit, which I can understand, for not even a rabbit is silly enough to stand in the rain for no apparent reason. As the winds pick up strength, Tenaci 4-1 and 3-1 come and replace us. Dinner is hot stew with lots of vegetables. I don’t even consider a game of cards with the others, my mood is too foul. There are some days when getting up is the first mistake we make and I plan on correcting that immediately, by turning into bed very early.
13th of Nolus
I wake up in a much better mood. The rain has stopped during the night, although the grounds are still damp as we get ready for calisthenics. Breakfast was a nice treat; fresh oat cakes with honey and extra preserves. As usual, I finish my meal with a cup of sib I savor all the way back to my barracks, as I clean our room and verify all of my equipment is in good shape. I also take the time to reapply wax to my cloak, knowing that rain is just around the corner.
When I finally go out again for lunch, rain has in fact returned, but this time it does not seem to affect my mood as much as yesterday. In fact training with tenaci 1-1 was quite a lot of fun in the rain. Most of us end with linens covered in mud as we splash and roll around.
Later in the afternoon, we are sent out on patrol, north through town then west. As we walk through town, Carissa comes to my side and asks if I would like to join her family for dinner tonight. I politely decline, seeing as I have to in the keep. However, Fennelisa is quick to point out that tomorrow evening we all have free time, and thus I would be available for dinner at that time. So despite my efforts, it would appear that I am having dinner tomorrow with Carissa and her family. I can’t wait to return this favor to Fennelisa…
We return to the keep, bored from a quiet patrol. While the others are drenched, I thank my lucky stars for having added wax to my cloak this morning, which leaves me only mildly wet compared to the rest.
Dinner is hot which is probably it’s best feature, while the bread is stale. As I return to my barracks with my cup of sib, I notice that I have accumulated quite a collection of cups near my bed, so before turning in, I bring them back to the mess hall.
I also dig out of my belongings a nice linen handkerchief for Casia, I guess I’ll pick flowers for Carissa on my way there… Fennelisa is more than happy to tease me about this dinner I have, but when I mention that Carissa has an older son, she quickly pipes down. Apparently, Fennelisa is aware that her family will begin the marriage talk soon. I’m happy the kerchief was embroidered by Helen, it has a child like design, without being too babyish. Hopefully it will please Casia without giving her mother any ideas. I’m glad my mother thought of packing little tidbits I could give away like that. Leave it to mother to know!
14th of Nolus
Calisthenics in the rain, hot bath and hot breakfast with bread so stale, we should have used it for road work. Camp clean up involves the kitchen duty, seeing as 1-1 insists on taking the stables, something about Mitch and burning pots and pans, but none of us get the details of this story.
The morning is spent moving supplies, peeling vegetables and cleaning the mess hall. The rain is only a small annoyance seeing as we are mostly inside. As I peer towards the stables, I can tell the stable hands have decided to shovel rather than carry wheelbarrows of manure through the mud and rain. Somehow, I have a feeling tenaci 1-1 is not happy with the way things are turning out for their duties…
After another hot lunch, we practice with Talia 4. They decide to spend half the practice time on the ground, the other on horse back. They are definitely better than we, but I blame it on their experience. The talia is unfortunately called away before the end of practice, extending the free time we have.
So with that in mind, I head for the baths and begin getting ready for dinner. I am meeting Carissa and her family at the church, seeing as today is the start of the Greater Sapelah. After a short mass, we should head back to their home for dinner.
I carefully dressed, knowing I would be scrutinized by Carissa, and I did not want to reflect poorly on my family. Because of the extra half hour we got, I was able to mend one of the buttons on my shirt, as well as brush my cloak and boots. I carefully wrapp the handkerchief and select a few flowers on the way, which I tie together with a little bit of straw. I arrived a few minutes before mass begins, which gives me enough time to say hello to Jarell and his wife and find my seat near Carissa’s family.
Diner with Carissa’s family is a lovely event, despite the shadow of marriage looming above me. I can tell the family has been cooking since dawn to prepare such a wonderful meal. Cornelius will be jealous of me, he’ll probably want the details of the meal if only to savor the possibility of such a meal. The meal is comprised of various small bites as varied as possible, there are some sweet meats, some marinated morsels, some salty pastry filled with cheese, spicy stuffed vegetable, fresh bread, cider and wine. As the diner progresses I realize Carissa and her family have spent a good and large amount on this meal. My guilt at not wanting to be married seems to be on the rise.
As diner draws to an end, I feel as though I have been interrogated. I believe I have no secrets left for them to discover and so I politely leave the family behind and head towards the keep. I can’t help but feel Sarah has simply ignored my request concerning matchmaking, seeing as Carissa has gone to such lengths for a first diner. My guilt grows because I know eventually I will say no to either Carissa, Sarah or even worse, my mother, none of which appeals to me. it’s almost enough to convince me to say yes, but that wouldn’t be fair to Casia. As I think back on the diner, she was awful quiet. Maybe she dreads all of this as much as I do. She is of Lepedis’ age.
15th of Nolus
A clear day and a foggy mind. The day has gone by in a blur, all that is worth noting is that this day resembles the others in activity; calisthenics, guard duty, practice, road work, stale bread and warm stew. At least the sib is good.
I’ve also sent a thank you note to Casia And her mother. Hopefully it was bland enough not to encourage them…
16th of Nolus
The rain, the rain, the rain… will it ever end? Why is the land not flooded once a year and then that would be it! Why does it always have to rain. Practice and calisthenics are done in the mud, wall duty in the rain and the rest of the time is spent preventing some of the buildings from flooding. I feel like all of my food tastes like mud and I will never know another dry day. Gargun have been spotted. Some men go and warn nearby establishments while others go to investigate. All return safe and sound. The only highlight of the day is Jarel’s bread which arrives for the evening meal, the rest of which consists of leftover goat mud… I mean stew.
17th of Nolus
This morning practice is refreshingly dry. The weather does wonders for my spirits. The day can be summed up with the following: calisthenics, breakfast, shower, mending of my personal belongings, lunch, dull patrol to Geishtei with a return in time for chicken stew.
18th of Nolus
We are woken in the middle of the night, the walls need to be manned. Gargun have been spotted! As we enter the main square, Phillipus orders us, along with tenaci I:I, to collect the towns folk into the keep and to bring in the reluctant ones by force if necessary. Who knows if this will be a swarm or a small raid.
Sam, Phillipus’ squire, is bringing a horse and cart. Some may need help getting to the keep. Sure enough, as we get into town, many elderly ask for our assistance. The cart is quickly filled and Sam heads back towards the keep. He tells us he’ll meet us on the northern edge of town.
As we make our way there, the metalsmith is packing his javelins, the mason is hiding his new stones while the physician is trying to pack his entire office, the potter is concerned for his kiln, as his family relies on it for their income. We meet up with Sam and are able to bring some of the physician’s things on the cart. The potter’s family is also brought onto the cart while the potter himself needs a little more encouragement than most, but soon he desists and joins his family.
The Halean temple seems ready to face any opponent, we exchange news and information before leaving them to their own means. Tanaci I:I is bringing many of the town’s children to the keep. Phillipus’ horse is carrying two kids and a hag who believes she’s found her knight in shinning armor. Phillipus looks delighted.
As we make our way back to the keep, two Gargun are spotted. Chances are they are the forward scouts, but we would rather not take any chances, we walk behind the cart facing backwards so as not to be surprised. It’s a short walk and nothing happens.
The rest of the day goes by in a blur of chaos and cramped quarters, soon the night draws near and all is quiet. The people within the Keep are being tallied while rumors of a dragon shadow seem to circulate.
I find myself with a few hours to spare and I decide to entertain some of the kids whose parents are on wall duty. We play the games that used to entertain Lepedis when he was younger. The simplicity of the games soon has my mind wandering to the people within the keep.
The Agrikan Oracle is well protected. There seems to be ghosts whirling about her as well as a red shield, casing her in. One of the ghosts sees me and turns it’s creepy red eyes on me.
There is also another Agrikan lady with brown robes and brown eyes. Her hair has been shaven and the taint of Agrik is strong on her, yet something about her does not seem quite right. She has been watching me as though I’m a new element in the decor surrounding her. Her curiosity seems odd in this context.
There is also a man wearing Peonian armor, at least the flower of Peoni seems to be on it yet the colors are wrong, and why would a Peonian wear armor? On closer inspection the petals of the Peonian flower look like blades. The same symbol as the one on my new sword, the one given to me by Canelius. The knight soon comes towards me and introduces himself as Sir Arinian, a Kotan Knight.
Before I can take this encounter and turn it into a conversation, the Drillmaster calls us to the wall. Sir Arinian, to my delight, follows me, while slaves bring barrels filled with javelins. Perhaps we will have the chance to chat, despite the imminent battle.
I’m assigned to the north wall along with my Tenaci. The Drillmaster points to the various animals as a guide for the Gargun incursion. The night seems to be quiet when Phillipus calls for long range weapons to be ready, as he has seen javelins in the distance.
Soon a volley of javelins come flying towards the keep, followed by another and another. It is difficult to evaluate the number of Gargun attacking us, seeing as they only step out of the woods to throw their missiles and then retreat to let the next group throw.
Primus and Cornelius are hit by the third volley. Although they do not sustain major injuries, Primus will have a very tender and bruised elbow for the next while. Cornelius did not even get a scratch, the javelin bounced off harmlessly. As the battle continues, slaves replenish our javelins while the Gargun seem to have their wounded tend to that job. At least we know we’ve hit some of them…
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