It's the light of day again, although the sun is about to disappear behind the mountain we just came out from. The Whisper is a cave similar to The Maw, but much smaller and with stalactites and stalagmites seemingly closing in on each other. With a lot of imagination, it could look like the nearly closed jaws of a massive beast. The other side is a lush forest and the sound of birds can be heard from inside it. It's peaceful.
We weren't attacked by trolls after we crossed the bridge, and we're truly safe now. Nobody was lost, even though the bard tried to act cool as if to sacrifice himself for our survival. Everybody is breathing hard, except for me, but that's mostly because of my physiology and because I didn't have to carry a lot. Rolan had Luna in a princess carry, Gram had his shield and a lot of luggage, and the bard just isn't very fit. Kamii exerted herself quite a bit and is really exhausted, but she seems fine. When she notices me looking, she gives me a tired smile. I pet her hair.
I'm really interested in Luna's condition, though. Why did she get tired from casting magic? Rolan is tending to her, but he doesn't really seem alarmed. So this is normal? I sit down next to him and take a closer look at her face. She did regain consciousness along the way but her face is quite pale and she's sweating quite a bit.
"What happened to her?" I'm quite curious. If there's mana in this world, then I'll have to learn my limits, too.
"You know Runa's a half-elf, right? Elves have an affinity with the wind and the woods more than anything else. But she used a very high level fire spell while deep underground, which doubly goes against her nature as a forest-dweller." That explanation doesn't sound very satisfying. In other words, going against your "nature" causes your body some strain? Then why would she have a fire affinity in the first place? Also, she didn't seem tired at all after the laser spell, which also incorporates fire. At the academy I'll look into the matter of where the energy for magic comes from.
"The journey from here on out is going to be a lot easier. We will go to the trade city of Norst, where we can continue by boat. Kongenssoevn lies downstream, within two days from there." The bard explains and points downhill.
"How far is it to Norst?" I want to make a calculation.
"We have to leave the vicinity of The Whisper just in case, but we cannot make much progress today. The sun is going to set very soon. Starting tomorrow, it will take us about two days to reach the town." Looking up into the sky, the bard calculates.
"We'll have to rest first. Keep an eye on the cave exit, although I doubt the trolls will come out, even if we did kill a lot of them. They're vengeful creatures, but they're still very scared of any form of light, especially the sun." Rolan says and gestures at Luna. It's understandable that she'll need to rest before we can continue. Since she wouldn't let him carry her anymore and she isn't capable of walking right now, we really need to take a break here.
Rolan makes a fire and the bard begins to cook dinner, while Gram and I are to watch The Whisper for any activity. I also doubt they're going to follow us, but if something comes out, I'll just blast it with spirit spears.
"You really showed us some power, missy." Gram comments and hands me a cracker. He bought a lot in the last town, along with half a wheel of cheese, and the party's been snacking on it since. "But with the Bridge of Enleith destroyed, there'll be need for charting the underground anew." Yeah, I feel like whoever comes after us from the other side is going to get killed by the trolls there now. I don't really care though, we made it through and I don't think we'll need to go back through it anytime soon anyway. It's the same mentality as that of a certain American archeologist, slash adventurer, who just triggers every trap in every ancient ruin he comes across and eventually even brings down the entire ruin on his journey.
We have dinner and set off soon after. Luna seems to have mostly recovered, the color having returned to her face. Maybe it really had to do with her being underground for so long. I'll make a note of that as a potential weakness for the future. Since we're on the other side of the mountain, the sun has already disappeared behind it. It gets dark really quickly, but we're making good progress away from The Whisper.
"I think this is far enough." The bard eventually says and the party stops. It's already been dark for a while, but it doesn't compare to that of the underground world we walked through for two days. The stars above are bright, and although there's only a waxing moon, it's enough to illuminate even the faces around me. A world without light pollution is so refreshing. Same for air pollution, the air is really clear out in the wilderness. I think having smelled the stale air of the underground for so long, I can appreciate the nature around me much more.
Gram and the bard are on the first night watch duty, but Rolan told me that the girls should sleep for the whole night. I guess he's being considerate for Kamii, too, since she showed quite some fatigue during the last part of our march. I'm quite alright, though. But most of all, Luna is the one to need the rest. Being in contact with the forest ground supposedly recharges her need for nature.
The next day passes without any incidents, as we walk through a forest seemingly untouched by human hands. Towards noon on the second day we come across an area that is clearly used for woodcutting activities. There are felled trees and an open area with many stumps sticking out of the ground. We're close to a human settlement.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
"Does the wood fall well today?" The bard calls out into our surroundings.
"It does indeed!" A rough voice responds. The sound of heavy boots crunching the forest ground can be heard approaching and from behind some trees a large man approaches. A magnificent beard covers his face and connects seamlessly to his short shaven hair. He has a physique similar to Gram's and his tanned upper body is bare. His chest is full of hair, and so are his forearms. I look between the two big men. Guess all lumberjacks look like that. "What brings you here, travelers?"
"Greetings. We came through The Maw and would like to know how long it is before we reach Norst." The bard's been the guide all along, so he speaks for the party.
"You lucky daredevils! I would never even think about approaching The Whisper, let alone enter it..." The lumberjack looks up into the sky and estimates the sun's position. "It's noon now, so... you'll reach the town before the clouds turn red." No concept of hours in this world? I never paid attention before, but realized just now. Any time estimates have been in relation to something real that can be observed in one's surroundings. It feels much better that way, than to move according to the ticking of a clock.
"We thank you, good man. I wish you great logging."
"You're welcome. To you a safe journey." Ah, so friendly. Even though we're an armed group that just came out of the forest. These parts must be really peaceful.
Continuing in the direction the lumberjack pointed us, we enter a clearly visible forest trail. So far, we had been traveling in untainted nature and there was no path to follow. I guess the bard really is the navigator in the group. That's actually quite useful for a party, although I have to wonder whether the others are incapable of path finding, or are just separating the workload. If I had been alone, I think I'd have been completely lost. In the capital I'll also learn about finding my bearings in nature... so much to learn.
From afar we hear the sound of a river and the bard tells us that this is the Aengerleien, of which the spring we would have seen, if we had crossed the mountains on the Himmelensveien path. Starting from the city of Norst the river becomes calm enough for boats to travel on. Logging is one of its main sources of trade income, since it supplies several major towns along the river, and mostly, it connects to the capital itself.
The water is really clear and one would be able to see the bottom, if it wasn't for the light reflexes caused by its rapid flow. Following the Aengerleien, we soon come upon a town, surrounded only by a wooden palisade. It seems that this area hasn't seen any wars in recent times, and it looks more like it's to protect against wild animals, rather than human attacks.
There are no gate guards and the overall atmosphere in this town seems to be more laid back than the one in Hovsgaerden. Judging from its size, it's slightly smaller, maybe with a population less than four thousand. We'll stay in the town for the night and continue on the next morning, as we did before.
Apparently this town doesn't have an adventurer guild. Rolan made sure to check in at the guilds in every town we stayed in so far, but this time we went straight to the tavern. Rolan and Luna got their own room, Gram and the bard share one, and I get one with Kamii and Senka. Of course, Senka doesn't get her own bed, but since Kamii likes to sleep with me, there's one free bed for her after all. No more resentful stares in the night.
We meet back downstairs and everyone gets a list of things to buy. For some reason I'm given free time to explore the town. Discriminating against me for being the daughter of a noble who must be ignorant of market prices and the concept of haggling? Well, I don't really mind, since that gives me some alone time with Kamii and Senka.
I earned my share of money for the Cemetery Dungeon Clearing, and I didn't spend any of it yet. Taking out the bag, I look at the coins again. There are three silver ones, which are very rudimentarily pressed into shapes that are barely circles, as well as a handful of copper ones, that are in all kinds of forms. I think I'll buy some clothes, since these are still the same ones I got from Rolan when I first met him.
While I did buy something cute for Kamii, the preferences I have for my own clothes are ones that are easy to move in and are sturdy. Especially since we'll be walking a lot and might move through the wilderness, it has to cover me properly. Not that I'd get cuts from branches or tall grass, since my skin is malleable, to say the least, but I have to keep up appearances. Furthermore, I need new shoes. Yes, yes, the typical "women and shoes" thing. But it's for a simple reason: We walk all the time, so the soles get worn out pretty quickly. I'll buy a new pair for Kamii, too.
In the end I went for something like suspended overalls made of brown leather. With a long-sleeved padded shirt underneath and heavy leather boots, I basically look like a girl from the countryside. A straw hat completes that image, since I don't want to get tanned. Well, I can control the colors of my pigments, but to the humans around me it'll seem strange that I don't ever gain color.
Kamii also got a new outfit, since the sundress doesn't suit her needs, when she's fighting. She can wear that in her free time, when there's no danger of combat breaking out. It's a wonder it didn't get damaged during the battle in the mountain. She got a long, single-sleeved shirt with a leather lamellar vest on top. It's kind of armor, but also not really. Cloth pants cover her legs, with leather cuisses for her thighs that almost looks like a skirt. I'm giving her at least a little protection, although all I know about armor comes from games.
"You can't really call that armor, but at least it's better than going naked." Senka commented when she saw my choice of items, but when I asked her to help me out, she ignored it. Maybe because I'm not buying her anything this time. But I think she doesn't need any armor, since she claimed that she's immortal.
What I'm really proud of, and what Kamii seems to love more than anything else, is the silver chain I gave her as a present. I put it around her crab claw, as a sort of decoration, because it looked so naked compared to the rest of her body. She's touching it with her other hand on every turn and is looking really happy. If I can help her forget about the grotesqueness of her cursed arm - even though I think it's really cool - I'll do whatever's in my power.
When we return to the tavern, the sun's already about to set. I'm satisfied with this shopping trip and the clothes we gained from it, even though my wallet is practically empty again.
Ah, I forgot to ask Kamii about her fighting capabilities...