The team decided to first check if anything was happening upriver. The enemy had proven in Iskev that they could cause harm not only on land but also on water. After a hearty breakfast, they packed all their gear onto the horses, not being sure if they would spend another night in the city or out in the field, and then set out. They exited through the northern gate, passing by the hanged men, whose plaques read I conspired with the Last Tribe or I sheltered a cultist, and similar accusations. It left a rather eerie impression, as many of them were already being picked at by birds.
“I hope whatever they wanted to achieve with this was worth it,” Moira remarked in a somewhat subdued tone once they were beyond the gate. She was met with murmurs of agreement.
The river was calm today, flowing in a wide but lazy current. Even the wind, which had been particularly harsh in recent days, was unusually mild, and there was no sign of rain. High in the sky, a few bright, scattered clouds drifted slowly. Under different circumstances, it could have been a pleasant horseback ride along the riverbank. However, regardless of the serene surroundings, the team remained vigilant.
Ashan, in particular, kept a close eye on the riverbed and both banks, looking for any signs of magical tampering, even the smallest traces of spells. By midday, they had found nothing suspicious but had reached a small settlement unoriginally named Riverside, as indicated by the wooden sign hanging above the entrance gate.
Even here, armed guards were present, but the sight of the overseer’s medallion quickly eased their concerns. The guards politely directed the team to a place where they could water their horses and wished them luck on their journey.
It was impossible not to notice the tense atmosphere in the town. The looming conflict left its mark on the residents’ faces. Most carried some sort of weapon, even if it was just a knife tucked into their belts. Moira noted that many of them cast frequent glances to the north, as if expecting danger from that direction. On the other hand, at least here, work was still ongoing and in full swing. From a porter they struck up a conversation with, they learned that boats and barges stopped here before heading further up the river to avoid clogging the main port in Kaarv, where vessels were dispatched after unloading. The ferrymen didn’t complain much, as the docking fees were lower here, along with the cost of food and lodging.
The river formed a gentle bend here, spreading wide with the town nestled at its crest. Its location also favored fishing, which gave the area the distinct scent.
“Well, if we have to breathe in this fishy air,” Tex quipped, patting her horse’s side after tying him to a post, “I suggest we look for a place that serves smoked eel—it’s the local specialty.”
“Oh yes!” Moira blurted out enthusiastically, then cleared her throat and explained, slightly embarrassed, “What can I say, I love smoked fish.”
“Then it’s settled—let the ladies have something out of this whole escapade,” Otan chuckled lightly, and the group set off to look for a suitable spot.
The youngest of the road wardens stayed with the horses, reassured by the promise that they’d bring something back for him. They didn’t have to search long—near a smokehouse marked with a painted eel on its wall stood a few tables. There, the smoked eel was served on toasted bread with a mustard-honey sauce. After her first bite, Moira sighed with satisfaction and cast Tex a grateful glance for such a good suggestion.
After the meal, most of them decided to buy some smoked fish, much to the delight of the owner, who urged them to come back more often, as he has plenty to offer. When they returned to the horses, Otan teased the young man for a moment, suggesting they had forgotten to bring him a portion, before handing him the toast. Apparently, for the older of the veteran brothers, this was the height of humor, as he laughed loudly afterward, to the point that even the rest of those gathered couldn't help but join in with at least small chuckles. In much better spirits and feeling a bit more relaxed, they prepared the horses for the road.
Just as they were about to mount up, a local guard—the same one who had shown them the way earlier—ran up to them while waving his hand to catch their attention. After he finally caught up to them, lowering his voice, he politely asked for a moment of their time.
“I'm not sure where you're heading next, but you should know that we received a report this morning about strange sounds coming from the pine forest to the northeast,” the guard said, his voice low enough that only the group could hear. He clearly didn’t want to alarm the surrounding townsfolk. “I don’t have enough men to send anyone chasing weird howling noises through the woods. People are on edge as it is, and it might be nothing. Still, I thought it best to warn you.”
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“What do you mean by strange howling exactly?” Ashan asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“How should I know?” He shrugged. “A couple of lads were out gathering wood and came back saying they were scared off by some hellish wailing and howling—not quite human, not quite animal. They bolted, so they didn’t see or encounter anything else,” the guard explained with a heavy sigh. “Just keep an eye out in that forest. I don’t want anyone wearing a medallion from the overseer himself losing a horse to some beast while grazing—or worse. I’ve got enough to deal with as it is,” he added, honestly laying out his concerns.
The team exchanged glances, recalling how Larkan had sounded after his transformation. They reassured the guard that they’d remain vigilant. Pleased by their response, he wished them good luck and walked off. The group left the town, continuing upriver—a route that also aligned with the direction of the mentioned forest.
“If it’s anything like the Elder’s former apprentice—or rather, what he became after death—we need to figure out how to handle such a threat,” Ashan said, bringing up the topic once they were alone on the road.
Meanwhile, Moira had clearly summoned one of her aerial familiars. A dark shape dove at great speed before unfurling wings of shadow and smoke just above her, landing softly on her shoulder. "I'll have him scout the forest from above. If it’s not too dense, he might spot something," she explained to the others before sending the creature off to fly.
Tex interjected with a bitter tone, “At least last time, arrows didn’t seem to do much, and I would rather not fight it in close combat, I doubt a slash wound any of us could potentially inflict upon it would make much difference anyway”
“We were also too close, unprepared. He caught us and the horses by surprise. We should keep our distance this time. We could try distracting such a creature while Moira prepares the proper response,” Otan suggested, while fully understand Tex concerns. He felt hopeless in previous fight as well.
“It was fast, but not faster than our mounts,” Ashan claimed with confidence. “As long as we don’t get ambushed, we should be able to outmaneuver it.”
“Assuming it’s the same as the last one, which it might not be,” Moira pointed out, her voice cautionary. “The runes on Larkan’s body were numerous, but I couldn’t decipher them from what was left of him. This one might have entirely different enchantments.”
“What does that mean in practice?” asked Berk, the younger of the veteran brothers.
“It means the creature could be completely different in both behavior and abilities. Whatever it is, just make sure you’re not standing between me and it when the time comes, and I promise to deal with it swiftly,” Moira replied firmly.
“This time, we won’t be caught off guard. Eyes open, protect Moira, and don’t stand in her line of fire. Understood?” Otan reiterated in clipped, soldierly terms.
He was met with a chorus of eager affirmations.
Before they reached the forest, the raven returned, but it had spotted nothing from above. Either the creature wasn’t large enough to be noticed, or it was hiding in the dense sections, concealed beneath the tree canopies. Fortunately, Ashan was with them, and as long as the threat didn’t emerge suddenly from the underground, he should be able to detect it from afar, just as he had seen the magic surging within transformed Larkan.
When they reached the first pines and spruces, everyone was highly focused. However, nothing seemed suspicious, and no sounds came from the forest. They slowly rode deeper in, sticking to the terrain where the horses could walk steadily, avoiding the dense undergrowth.
Tex furrowed her brows and shared a troubling thought. “What if this is a trap, and he was counting on us coming here to be jumped by the cultists?”
It wasn’t impossible; everyone knew that many cultists of the Last Tribe were hiding even in Kardum itself. While the overseer hung them from the poles, that didn’t mean one of his men couldn’t be a traitor. The road guards exchanged uneasy glances among themselves.
Moira quickly replied in a reassuring tone, “My birds would have spotted a large group of armed men hiding in the brush.” As if to reinforce this statement, one of the birds flying closest to the group cawed with conviction.
“Sure, I suppose you’re right,” Tex exhaled, and with that, the rest of the group relaxed slightly. But then, from a distance, they heard an inhuman screech that morphed into a howl. The horses reacted nervously but without the same panic as before. The sound was quieter due to the distance, and not as eerie.
“Now, careful,” Ashan said firmly, settling his mount in place and patting it on the neck. “Steady, and forward.” he added and moved further into the forest on the front of the group.
The rest of raiders calmed their steeds and slowly, in a loose formation, moved toward the sound, bows drawn, following Ashan. Moira kept all three of her ravens nearby, circling just high enough to build enough momentum for a strike, ready to defend their mistress if needed. Ashan enhanced his sight with a magic method known to the seers and reached out in that direction. The hideous creatures were moving, no larger than a tall man, and they were emitting a faint glow of magic, half of a dozen maybe. He shared his observation with the rest of the group, skipping them no details of what they will soon see and encounter, as they systematically flanked the creatures. After a few more minutes of riding, they had them nearly within the range of their reflexive bows.