The Journey Ends

[Brian]

Karil's caravan, about 1000 Serpent-clan women and children in their assorted wagons trundles along a dusty road quietly.  The road is perched high up a slope, rising out of the desert, and into hopefully more hospitable land.

Jaramine Tai'si'Shen approaches Karil, and says, "The scouts have returned.  There's a spot for a camp we can stay at for a few days, but we didn't see any promising supplies of food.  There's a waterfall with fresh spring water, though, which will be a welcome change from the desert."  As he finishes speaking, he offers Karil a waterskin, still damp from being filled.

At the current rate of travel, the caravan should top the slope in about an hour.

[Carthrat]

Karil takes the waterskin and has a hearty swig, before handing it back to Jaramine.

"Good," he says. "We will camp there today, and remain tomorrow for rest. However, we will press on after that. Where is the nearest town in this region?"

[Brian]

Jaramine pulls a rolled up map from his backpack, and unfurls it a small distance.  "We're here," he explains, pointing to where the brown splotch of a desert abuts the green splotch of a jungle.  "From what I can see, we're going to have about a week of travel to a major town -- before that, we're supposed to pass through a logging community, a small town of about two or three hundred people."   The faded spots which indicate cities are almost impossible to make out, and given the age of the map, it's nearly impossible to verify the accuracy of Jaramine's judgement.

[Carthrat]

"We should be able to do a little trading at the logging community," says Karil, musing. "If it's still there. We'll certainly be able to get better directions.

We'll move the people here," he continues, indicating a place a few miles to the side of the small town. "That should take us three or so days. We'll give the traders some time to trade, and then press on to the city.

If they still exist, of course. How old is this map? It looks like it'll crumble if I breathe on it."

[Brian]

"It's the best map we could find a few weeks back, in the desert bazzar," Jaramine says apologetically.  "I'll see that everyone knows where we're to make camp for the night, and see that it's taken care of."

Jaramine turns and starts heading down the trail, past the fore-runners, and to the core of the supply wagon.  Meanwhile, one of the younger guards begins running down the path from the top of the hill, waving one hand and calling out to Karil urgently.  "Sir!" he calls, as he's finally within speaking distance.  He gasps for breath once, and then pours out, "There's ... a message for you in the clearing atop the hill!"

[Carthrat]

"Get yourself a drink," replies Karil, giving the messanger a short pat on the shoulder, before heading off himself to get the message himself. He walks with a quick clip, and his unmistakable red coat and long weapon highlight his presence to all the Serpent around.

[Brian]

The messenger nods, and walks towards one of the supply wagons, climbing onto it instead of walking all the way back to the top.

It doesn't take Karil long to cover the distance on foot, however.  The top of the pass is a clear, flat area, a bit too sandy for trees, but cool and moist enough for a thick carpet of grasses.  There's easily enough room for the entire clan to camp, and to one side a spire of stone has a stream of water continually run from its top to a pool at its base.

Currently, rope fences are being set up to corral the beasts of burden, and the wagons are being arranged into a circle three wagons deep.  To the left, three guardsmen are standing over a large slab of stone.  One of them begins waving as soon as Karil comes into sight.

[Carthrat]

Karil approaches the guard, eyeing him up and down. "Speak," he says, teresly.

[Brian]

The guard shakes his head, and points to the stone, where a message has been hacked into it with some powerful blade:

Code Select Expand

Know no rest, o Leader of the Clan.

What you have, is what should be ours, and will be once more.

Enjoy your respite,

- Karla and Farel

[Carthrat]

Karil's eyes narrow as he stares at the stone, glimmerings of anger flickering across his face.

With snap of his wrist, Twilight Echo plunges at the rock, and shatters it with a single blow. Shards of stone scatter across the ground, and no trace of the message is left remaining.

"They will have it in the way of my choosing," he says, harshly. "Make sure all sentries are on sharp watch tonight."

[Brian]

The guards salute, and quickly run across the camp to notify the other guardsmen.  The camp is still being put together, as just over a thousand people and all of their equipment doesn't travel with lightning speed.

Troughs have been set up, and some children are quickly ferrying water from the stone spire to them, which the animals seem to appreciate.  In the center of the camp, grass has been pulled up to use as tinder, and stones have been set to circle a number of fair-sized cooking fires.

[Carthrat]

Karil starts to walk around the camp, trying to throw off the foul mood that always comes over him when Farel and Karla are concerned.

He observes the mood of the people; it has been a peaceful few weeks, if some hard travel has been the activity of late.

[Brian]

Everyone is tense, and tired ... but happy.  After weeks of crossing the desert, they've finally reached an area with enough grazing for the oxen and horses, and water, as well.

The guards seem more wary than usual, including a pair of sharp-eyed archers who've climbed the stone spire that offers fresh water.

The rest of the guards are hashing out shifts -- those on the late shifts claim the unpacked wagons to sleep in immediately.

All told, it could be worse, as grim as things are.  The people favor Karil over the twins for the simple fact that Karil has proven himself a capable leader, and the twins are yet untried ... not to mention their abandonment of tradition.

[Carthrat]

Karil sighs, and heads back to the highest point of the camp, where he begins to set up his own tent.

The city should provide some respite. Perhaps he'd have his people stay there a week or so, and get some much-needed rest and relaxation. The children always loved looking around cities, after all...

[Brian]

Karil sets up his tent in a spot that lets him overlook the other tents, without being outside of the camp entirely.

As he ponders the plan for the upcoming weeks, he plays out a few scenarios in his mind.

But these ponderings are interrupted with the scream of a dying guard.