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“Bah, I be expecting treasure from chests, not dusty old tomes.” Durg grouched as they examined the contents of the box Selene had unlocked.

Rolling her eyes Selene parried with an astute observation. “The books should have decayed ages ago like everything else in that room. Besides the shortsightedness of not knowing the value of the information those tomes might contain, the chest itself is a treasure. I believe it is a stasis device.”

Cire motioned to retrieve the texts, but caught himself. “The inside isn’t trapped is it? I think you’re right Selene. If one of those is a journal hopefully we can learn more about the mysteries surrounding this place.”

“No Cire, it’s not trapped, but be careful. We are still dealing with the unfamiliar and just because it was held in stasis doesn’t mean they aren’t fragile.” The female elf gingerly removed the two books and set them on the table next to the other unidentified items. Deftly she traced the velvet inside of the box and shook her head. “Nothing else. Which item do you want to identify first? The crown, the top, or one of the rings? We know what the platter does and how useful it is. I suspect the other objects may hold similar value.”

The question caught him a bit off guard. Cire tenderly picked one of the books, a plain red covered text without cover script and tilted his head. “What do you mean which item do I want to identify first? If your lore skill didn’t pick up anything I doubt mine will do better.”

At first Selene gave the sun elf a look that conveyed she thought the last fight may have left him a bit daft, then she snapped her fingers and bounded from her chair. While riffling through one of Gene’s large chests at the foot of their bed she explained her sudden actions. “I did not remember that you had not gotten a chance to go through much in the cabin. How do you think Stacy identified the sword he gave you? He may have been a ranger and good at living off the land, but- got it.”

Selene pulled out a bracelet made of interwoven pieces of smooth dark wood. Retaking her seat she presented the unadorned piece of jewelry. “He was very good with Nature magic. I believe he made this with a friend many winters past. It can identify most items and reveal their properties. However, it can only be used once every full moon, something to do with the wood.”

Cire’s female companion had just shown more unguarded excitement than he had ever seen. He was a bit flabbergasted. Although, Cire supposed that a king’s ransom worth of loot would put a bounce in anyone’s step.

Come to think about it, perhaps she is behaving right. I haven’t stopped moving since the gnoll attack. It really hasn’t been long enough for everything to sink in yet. I need to stop rushing. I put us in a pretty dangerous spot just because I wanted to get information fast. Time to start thinking and acting like a leader. He winced. I need to act more like Stace. He seemed measured, but aggressive.

“Let’s wait before we pick something, there might be information in the books about the items. Is there anything else in the cabin like that bracelet? I don’t like the idea of just leaving these things in the cabin unguarded.”

Durg shrugged and stood from his chair with a bit of a wobble. “Seems I be deeper in me cups than I be thinking.” After a hiccup, he continued. “I can look through things while you two read the books.”

Following the dwarfs stumble to the back of the cabin with a skeptical gaze Selene wore a cat-like grin. Looking back to Cire she made a series of quick hand gestures, flicking her fingers in an odd, yet intentional pattern. As a clear look of confusion overtook Cire’s face she frowned. Then pointed at Durg and then to the pile of mushrooms he had been chomping.

He didn’t really know where this was going, but the intent had registered. Selene wanted to play a prank on Durg. It didn’t really feel like the right time for that sort of thing to him, but the female elf had an odd sense of humor. Seems like she is working through things in her own bizarre way. Cire slowly arched an eyebrow and nodded. He didn’t want to give anything away by speaking.

After fetching a container from the mantle over the fireplace Selene sprinkled some of its contents over the hunks of fungus. She arranged the remaining book on the table before her and began inspecting it attempting to look innocent.

“Remind me to teach you handtalk soon, it’s convenient for situations like this. As far as other objects of value in the cabin like the bracelet, I’m not too sure. I only knew about that because Stace used it a couple of times for me. They probably had a few things stashed about. Farmers and rangers don’t tend to accrue much wealth, aside from what they take from the land.”

Cire began to page through the book in his hands. He was mainly skimming for maps, pictures, or diagrams. Regardless of the value any of his fallen friends possessions may hold he treasured what they represented far more. His conversation with Selene carried on during his preoccupation.

“Ugh! I hadn’t even thought about that until now, what am I supposed to do about the crops? I haven’t even checked to see if I have any of the farming skills.”

Selene laughed, throwing her head back and letting her black hair tussle wildly. She flipped through the last couple of pages of the book she was holding and set it on the table. “You’re going to have to figure that out on you’re own. I can barely get through my own farm without wanting to pull my hair out. Ask around at Stout’s tonight? That’s the best thing I can think of if you don’t want to work it yourself.”

Also, I think that this is a diary based on the format. So you’re in luck, if you can figure out how to read the thing. I can only make out a few words here or there. My guess would be it’s written in ancient elvish, but it could be a dialect or regional form of high elven script that I am unfamiliar with.”

A tickle manifested on the back of Cire’s scalp from her commentary. If she doesn’t like farming, and isn’t particularly skilled at it, why is she here running a farm? He shook the thought out of his head, they were on the cusp of unraveling the mystery at the heart of the valley. The more information he had before he met with Maisy the better.

Ignoring his search for pictures, Cire took a close look at the script in his own book. If Selene could not read the words he doubted his ability to decipher the text. However, it would be better to try before giving up on garnering what the paper treasure chests might contain. With a start of surprise he realized that he could make out the flowing script, much like Arabic with a woodland motif, as easily as if it was printed English. Tingling pulses lightly brushed against his fingertipsemanating from the tome. After blinking a few times he read a bit of the page to try and identify the book’s contents.

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“While appropriately bending the knees maintain the low crouch posture. Then utilize your mana to energize your scabbard, sword, and body. Using the 1st through 4th forms are effective against a single opponent or a series of separated opponents. While the 5th through 8th forms can be used while maintaining a low crouch they are not as efficient. The proper form is the standing ready position as this will provide the needed flexibility to quickly engage a large number of opponents.”

Clanging and clattering caused Cire to whip his head up from reading. A metal pot spun lazily and settled under the loft at the back of the cabin. Durg kept rooting through the various items absolutely oblivious to disruption. It made the sun elf shake his head, the book had been engrossing, far more so than the topic and manner of writing dictated. He could feel an enervative tingling spreading from the books cover into his hands.

Snapping his fingers, only much afterwards realizing he was imitating Selene from earlier, he began speaking excitedly. “I could read this last book, but that isn’t the exciting part. It was giving me the same feeling as when I used the instruction scrolls that Gene gave me. Like I was on the cusp of falling into a good story and losing track of time. Are there books that can do the same thing?”

Turning her head back from watching the dwarf’s drunken antics Selene narrowed her eyes skeptically. She ignored his question and pointedly handed him the other book, relieving him of the plain red covered one. “Let’s see if you can read this one too, just start at the beginning and tell me what you can make out.”

Shrugging, Cire took the proffered item, noting that it had a far more regal appearance. Leather bound and reinforced with wood inlay it was quite hefty. In the center of the cover were two gems, each a half circle, together they were the size of his palm. One was a milky yellow, like moonstone suffused with sunlight. The other jet black and liquid, like water in darkness.

He half expected the book to light up or a magical being to pop up from the pages. However, nothing more than the creaking of wooden hinges greeted him as he opened the tome and read. To his surprise, he could read this one as well. Although there wasn’t anything particularly strange on the first page of the diary he could pick from the words. He read the book aloud so that Selene could follow along.

“The life and record of Constantine Dawnslight. Founder of Miletus. Holder of the 9th seat of the Mithril Order. Member of the Unbroken Grove. Lord of the Eclipse.”

Shrugging, Cire smiled. “Well that’s at least a place to start. Certainly explains the symbol on the front of the book. I don’t know what most of it means, but I can make decent educated guesses. I was hoping we would find a good source of information that we wouldn’t have to make ambiguous agreements with. Maisy will probably be a bit miffed. Do you have an idea of what any of that means? I am starting to think she may have been trying to con us a bit more than I thought.”

Selene sat across from him, mouth half agape, an indescribable sheen in her eyes. Lips moved, her jaw worked up and down, but her tongue tripped and stumbled every which way. Finally she coughed out. “Durg, get over here! We need you.”

Whipping his head up from the pile of blankets and furs he was rummaging through he knocked his head into the sturdy beams of the cabin. None the worse for wear the made his way to the ladder and half climbed, half tumbled, down. Demonstrating her seriousness, Selene neither joked nor made a snide comment.

“How much do you know about the Age of Wilderness? About dwarves during that time specifically.”

Grabbing a hunk of mushroom he waggled it at the female elf. “I cannae be given away any o’ the clans secrets, Graniteheart or otherwise. You gotta narrow it down lassy. The history o’ my people be jealously guarded.”

A tinge of frustration manifested as her hand waving dismissively. “You should know by now that I am not after any information you cannot share. Besides, we may have stumbled onto something significant. Go over generally what you can share regarding the first age.”

While gesturing with the mushroom chunk Durg ran through the basics. “You can hear this at taverns told by dwarves with less sense than stone, but there be too many tall tales for it to be myth. Be helpful for Cire to hear it though. Might as well tell you what I heard.”

Before we took to mines, the inside o’ mountains, and the Deep Dark we lived in hillside villages and mined much like many of the human kingdoms do now. Before the Age of Monsters o’ course.”

Jumping in, Selene answered Cire’s questions before he could ask them. “When the first settlements fell. Legions of orcs, goblins, gnolls, swamp denizens, and worse tore across the islands. Elves, dwarves, gnomes, and other peaceful peoples had built great cities intertwined with the world. Great towers of buildings grown from the land, houses shaped by granite bones of the earth, and large scale mechanimagical city projects.”

Selene’s voice took on a tone that Cire couldn’t place, wistful? No, more wonderment. Remember, she may be over a century, but she is a teenager in elven standards. I want to ask what mechanimagical inventions she might know have been made, but it’s probably not a good time to interrupt. Better let her continue while she is on a roll, I don’t know if I have ever heard her talk this much and it seems like she is on the cusp of figuring something out.

“The cities were razed, the kingdoms torn asunder, and the peace was broken. Those refugees who survived fled to places of safety. The elves retreated to the forests. We hid deep within the trees and brush. We learned to walk silently and not be seen by the world. Honed our blades and gathered our magic.”

Nodding, Durg tossed his food down to the plate, uneaten. “Aye, that be what the wee ones are told. Keep you’re wits about you when traveling topside,lest a pointy eared shadow be followin’ you and you don’t know it.”

My folk burrowed into the hillsides. We found caves and we made caves! Carved great halls deep within the rock. We tamed the beasties o’ the Deep Dark. Still be places we’ve yet to explore, but most clans have established cities. The forges run hot, strong brew fills our halls, and there be food a plenty.”

“Yes, and the orcs and goblins built their homes on the large islands. Their tribes couldn’t stay unified without cities to raid and loot to plunder. So they fought amongst themselves and lost cohesion, momentum. Humans filled the void. Their numbers recovered faster and they created kingdoms in the resource rich areas left behind on the periphery. We don’t have peace, but no mass of kingdoms is at war. Raiding parties of a few tribes will sail from the central islands, but no mass invasion, no grand war has come close to coalescing since ancient times.” Taking a long pull from her drink Selene wet her palate before focusing Durg on her questions, ones she knew the answer to.

“Have the dwarves ever reestablished one of the ancient cities? Or are all of the new locations hidden away deep within the earth? Do they welcome trade and outsiders?”

Hearty and rich, Durg’s laugh filled their small space with mirth in the face of such serious discussion. “Hah! You know we haven’t. If we had built near the surface again all o’ the islands would be envious o’ the mighty city. As far as visiting any of the settlements, we could find a trading outpost or two, but anyone who isn’t from the city’s clan be having a hard time seeking entry. Why are ya asking?”

Cire jumped in, not willing to let Selene cut him off, having largely be shut out from the discussion. “Because that’s part of what Maisy is after. I don’t really remember the details, not sure if I knew them to forget, but Maisy was caught up in something with some dwarf king. We have barely any information regarding the political landscape of the local territories. Being part of the house with these titles gets her something. Not that I know what that is.”

Nodding, Selene looked to their dwarven friend with an amused look. “He didn’t hear you read the cover page of the journal. Cire, tell Durg who used to rule these lands.”

Cire, still far more in the dark than Selene, regurgitated the text on the first page of the diary.

“Dragon balls!” Durg was wide eyed and seemed to have sobered up in a flash. Absently he snatched a hunk of mushroom and took a massive bite, he didn’t even seem to notice as the raging spice seared his tongue. He was too stunned to care.