Faith

Chapter 178

Though the band was closer than Ban had assumed they’d been when he left, it still took time to get them to the valley. Four weeks, though they were remarkably trouble free. The carts led the way. Those able bodied enough to walk the full day were faster, so it set an easy pace and kept them all together.

They avoided the post town under the cover of night. The bounty was fresh on Ban's mind. They had numbers enough, but it was foolish to trust that alone when coin was involved. No one questioned the choice, the presence of humans enough to make them wary.

The foothills were easier to traverse than the desert, but were hard going for the carts at certain points. Thankfully they didn’t have to abandon them until they were close to the valley. Those who had to be were carried and the mules and equipment brought with them. Ban intended to return everything he could to 42. Even the carts could be salvaged later with a bit of work.

Finally they made it, the green valley standing out among the pink and orange stone cliffs it nestled within. The entire band went quiet then, taking all in with awe.

“Ban, hold,” Artem called. Some of the other elders were holding the others back as well, though Gretch was ambling along. Anyone who tried to get between her and where she was going was going to get a walloping from her walking stick.

“Right, why?” Ban asked, looking the elders over. They were calm but not in good spirits, ears half back.

“We want to see the temple first,” Artem explained.

“That's fine, it's not far from the path. Trouble is, you're thinking something I won’t like,” Ban said, voice even with an effort. He’d seen the elders like this before as they pronounced verdicts. Hard decisions that had to be made, but came at dear costs.

“Nothing so terrible, though you may well dislike it,” Jalla agreed.

“They don’t want all of us to go down, just a few. They mean for the entire band to leave after we get supplies. They’ve set themselves on the wilderness,” Sellus explained. The other elders glared at her for it.

“There's too much of a risk, Ban. They’ll likely act nice enough now, but they might sell us out or worse,” Artem said quickly.

“They killed the seekers chasing us. Say whatever else you like, but they won’t sell us to Stromholt and they're the only ones buying,” Joss said with a scoff.

“Even so,” Jalla said.

“Even so? What? You don’t trust Hetcha, our own kin, and you won’t even let the band see this place despite us vouching for it?” Ewen demanded bitterly. A rare thing for him.

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“Easy,” Ban said, holding up a hand to the pair. The band was nervous and likely to do as they were told even if they didn’t agree. They were used to accepting decisions made for the good of the group out of necessity.

“There's wisdom in taking this slow, and not all of us have to go at once,” Ban conceded. Ewen looked at him hard for that, but he curled his fingers to silently ask the other bucks patience.

“But it's not my place, nor yours, to insist on a course of action beyond that. Let everyone who wants to see the valley do so while we all rest a while. We can hold a full council later, talk about our options,” Ban offered.

“Ban, we're better off away from everyone else,” Artem said, shaking his head. Not just humans, everyone. Ban wanted to sigh but kept it in. The elders could be more fretful as their fur grayed, but Artem had always been the most cautious. It shouldn’t have been a surprise that he wanted to simply hide.

Ban recoiled at the idea, but kept it to himself. Even if they hadn’t been able to make alliances with other beastfolk like themselves, they should have brought the Lepusan clans together. It might not have changed things too much, the chaining had been sudden, but it might have. At the very least they wouldn’t have been so isolated in the years since.

“Perhaps, but unless I’ve missed something, you know less about the wilderness than we do about this place. We don’t even have a map of what's past the mountains or know where it's safest to cross or when. Rest, plan, then we'll talk about it,” Ban said firmly.

“Well said,” Gretch said as she passed Ban. She tapped his shoulder approvingly with her walking stick but didn’t bother stopping. “Now, show me this temple while I still have eyes to see it.”

Laughter went up at that and tension eased though the Elders didn’t look pleased. Ban shrugged, turning to hurry after Gretch and fell in beside her.

“Yes gran, I’ll take you,” Ban said. Gretch gave him a wallop with the stick for that.

“Your no kit of my clan less Hari says you are,” Gretch grumbled good naturedly.

“I’ll do my best to convince her,” Ban said earnestly. He’d had courting on his mind for a while but it wouldn’t have been any wiser for him and Hari than the others. The road was hard, but if they stayed in the valley then they would have options.

“See that you do,” Gertch grumbled, playfully menacing for a moment.

Though the rest of the band wasn’t in full accord about what would come after, all of them followed. The prospect of seeing a temple to Lorel was too enticing for even the most cautious among them to refuse.

Ban found the boulder strewn path easy enough and quickly brought them to the broad stairs. On each side there was a guardian statue, Bicorns with their curled ram like horns carved so lifelike he half expected them to blink and snort. They remained still though, glaring balefully as they watched the group ascend.

There were three pairs in total with strange bushes between them in planters lined with benches. It was an easy walk to the fountain courtyard. Ban’s breath caught on seeing it again and all of the beautiful carvings that line its walls. He’d been in awe the first time he found it and would have considered it more than enough had it been all that there was to see.

“Don’t forget to bring Hari to see after this,” Gertch said softly, eye’s wet with tears.

“I will, but this isn’t the temple, it's the entrance,” Ban said with a grin. Walking to the doors that looked like elaborate carvings he pushed and they swung open silently. He let the others enter first and take it all in.

The hall, the great fountain, Lorel’s statue towering above. He’d gone in the late evening to avoid being seen and not been able to discern much detail. Just enough to know that Hetcha had been telling the truth.

Now the chamber was much more brightly lit, sunlight filtering in from above to highlight the statue and throwing dappled light about the room. In the hush only the murmur of the fountain could be heard, as if everyone hardly dared breath let alone speak. After long moments they began to kneel one by one, paying homage to the goddess.