The Rune Stone

Mountain

When the moon was starting to get out of sight, and the dawn crept back from the opposite side, Kralich allowed the men some rest. Varonno was in bad shape, he needed both water and food alongside the rest, of which they had not much, since the horses with all the packs had to be left behind. " I'm starting to sense a pattern here... " mumbled Nicholas as he bit down on the meat of a rabbit they managed to hunt and cook by a small fire. They had found refuge in a former ranger outpost to which they were guided by Varonno. It still had a lean-in built as well as a few pemican cakes stored away, from which the ranger took the first share, before passing them on to the others. " On the contrary, Nicholas. " retorted Kralich. " We have made quite a lot of progress to our actual, and main goal. We now have a proper map to the village as well as our guide back ! " he'd say with a cheer in his tone, despite the situation they found themsleves in.

Varonno frowned at the mage. " What do you mean ? How did you even get past my father to get me out ? /Why/ did you come at all ? " he asked as he wolfed down on the meat cake. " Magic, we --- Kralich used magic on your father to convince him to hand us a map to a village under his domain where a rune stone might be hidden away. Possibly the one we were looking for from the start " said Nicholas, now allowing the mage to say anything else that might toy with the truth. Varonno stood silent for a moment. This prompted the mage to explain the whole ordeal that occured in Redcliff after their separation and how they were lead back here. " I see... My father knew lord Taric. I think we visited him once when i was little. I do not remember much of him, but I heard he was a good man. " commented Varonno, blankly staring at the fire.

" What about you lad ... Are you ... alright ? " asked Torstein. " We heard and saw the grave of Shadow in the forest ... " he'd mumbled pressing his massive hand upon the shoulder of Varonno. " Well... It didn't really go as I had expected it to... if that was not clear . " he'd pause, taking a shallow gulp. " My father has exiled and disowned me for falling in love with a girl from a rival house " he then took another pause. " Only for him to marry my brother to her one year later . " ended the ranger, biting down on the interior of his cheek. Torstein sighed. " We don't choose our family lad, like we don't choose our birth ... or death. " he'd say, sensing the irony in his own words. Varonno simply nodded. " Well, the way I see it. I owe you now. So, where is this village you want me to take you ? " asked the ranger. Kralich simply pressed the map towards him. As the ranger studied it by the light of the fire, he muttered " Haven. They are recluses at best. We don't deal with them much, many rummours surrounded them. Even the tax men go there with a full contingent of troops alongside them. " Kralich simly asked " Can you get us there ? " " It's a way's off, but aye, the edge of my father's lands. Northen edge. " The mage nodded. " How many days ? " " By the main road ? Two if the weather is good, three if the blizzard hits on the way up the mountain slope. " explained the ranger pondering briefly. " And if we do not take the main road ? I'd rather not have a run in your faithful guard's men again. " Kralich pointed out.

Varonno paused for longer now, studying the map. " An extra day of travel. " he'd answer in the end.

The company spent the remainder of the night at the ranger camp, trying to recoup the little rest they could before setting off again as soon as the sun was on the sky. Kralich allowed them little rest and even less food, the man barely scraping by with little they could hunt as the winter had frozen over many of the otherwise bountiful wild fruits and vegetables. Eventually, they arrived at a narrow path up a mountain, right at the south face of the Frostbite mountain chain. Luckly for them, aside from the bad weather that plagued them, nothing seems to have followed them up the hidden paths Varonno lead them through. The ranger had also recuperated some of his vigor despite the harsh conditions they traveled in. The journey simply helped him take his mind off of everything that had happenned, focusing instead on the task at hand.

One they started they ascent of the mountain the wind and , now, snow seemed only to grow worse and stick with them. Eventually they were forced to seek refuge in a cave on the side of the path where they manage to lit up a small fire. " We cannot climb the mountain in this weather. " stated Varonno. " We will have to hold here until it lets up. " he'd end, warming his almost frost bitten fingers to the small fire. While Torstein was faring fine in the cold weather, both Kralich and Nicholas were quite unhappy with how things had turned out and were all to glad to wait out the storm, despite their lack of supplies.

Eventually, next morning, when the men woke up they had noticed that while the storm still raged on in the distance all around them, there was a clear space of alright weather right where they were. " Well, this doesn't look natural at all. " stated Nicholas waking the others and pointing out to the mouth of the cave where snow was no longer falling. " It looks like out chance to get out of here and into the village, so I'd say let's go and not question it. " said Kralich.

As they quickly packed up and headed up the slope yet again, the group noticed that ahead of them, barley visible due to the fog, there was another group of people walking the same way. " You think they are the reason for the storm stopping ? " asked Torstein " Perhaps. Mages were known to be more prevalent amongst their people. I wouldn't be surprised if they kept some stowed away from the College and taught them magic themselves. " explained Varonno. Kralich also nodded. " This is indeed the work of magic, atleast in some regard. But I say not to dwel on it too much and instead make the most of it and try to keep up in order to the to the village. " and almost on que as they mage said that, the group in front had quickened they pace, promting the company to do so as well.