The Caravan

We kept the river close, but not too close as we started downstream in the direction of the path Cap’n Snake Eyes told us about.  We didn’t go far, finding a place to camp for the night as we were all exhausted. Sister and I hunted – game was plentiful – we easily bagged a turkey, a couple of conies, and a pheasant. Pinroy was too exhausted to wait for dinner and fell asleep.  The rest of us ate and I set aside Pinroy’s portion for morning.  The pheasant had beautiful blue and green feathers and I took a couple of the more colorful ones and braided the in my hair.  Wave took the other feathers to try his hand at being a fletcher.

The night went uneventful, and we continued our journey.  Pinroy pointed out the rise of smoke high above the trees and Sister judged it a day’s journey.  We started noticing a path was being cut, which was good for Pinroy who sounded like a herd of wild boar going through the brush.  Wave and Oberon stayed to our sides hidden by the shadow of the trees, but Sister and I led the stomping traveling priest through the brush until we came to the path which Pinroy liked very much and said he was done hiking in the woods.

Sister and I readied our crossbows and I’m sure Wave and Oberon did the same as by my keen eye these trees were cut recently. We come across a campfire still smoldering and while I looked for the campers, Wave put out the fire.  There were dragonborn – too small for lizardmen – and the bare feet of humanoids all around the fire and then moving off downstream, cutting the path as they went.  Our guess, slaves and dragonborn guard.  We were instantly on alert.

We saw a top one of the rock crags a red dragonborn.  He was not dressed in prison garb, but of a worn leather uniform.  He lazily looked around.  Pinroy said he would go talk to him and clambered up the rocky hill like a mountain goat.  We all followed but kept our distance and out of sight from the dragonborn just in case Pinroy got into any trouble.  The dragonborn, Slither, although surprised to see Pinroy, seemed friendly enough and said he and the others were the advanced party of a caravan on their way to Trivor.  They were cutting the path so the wagons could get through.  He thought the caravan was a day or so behind them.  He offered for Pinroy to travel with them and Pinroy said he would think about it.

We reconvened in a grove of trees out of sight of Slither and came up with a plan.  We would double back and check out the caravan.  They may have merchants that would have items to trade as we had a lot of gold but needed better weapons and equipment.  But if they were dragonborn, how could we trust them? We decided to make a trap pulling two logs across the newly formed path.  It was decided that Pinroy and I would reveal ourselves, but the rest would stay hidden.  Sister high up and the boys behind us.  We found the perfect area and waited. 

It wasn’t long before we heard the caravan as it snaked into view.  It was huge and all types of merchants, mostly human.  There were some dragonborn guards but there were also other races as well.  This made me feel better and it wasn’t long that we were in their midst trading away our gold and treasure for wonderous items.  We were able to identify our items that we found, pick up some weapons of magic for all of us and items that would give us more protection.  Wave was an amazing salesman, chatting up each merchant, complimenting when needed and pretending disinterest when the price didn’t suit.  Oberon and I just watched slack jaw.  He would make a great ringmaster for our circus. Maybe Sister and I could help him with his revenge of the Demon fish people and then he’d come join us.  He could sell water to a fish..

One of the caravan merchants, Bill, liked shiny things and much of our treasure items went to him.  He was an odd man, with a worn-down horse, some imps haranguing him, and four slaves trailing behind.  He said he was cursed with the imps but when Wave was dealing with him I thought for sure I saw a forked tongue flick out.  Now growing up in the circus I have seen my fair share of freaks and oddities, but Bill cause the hairs on the back of my neck to quiver.  Wave didn’t think he is cursed and the slaves mentioned that when one of them sees Bill, they don’t return.  Pinroy was very curious about the imps and managed to capture one.  Wave, who was told his ring was cursed, waved the ring at the imp who instantly pounced on it and put it on…it was turned into a girl imp which Pinroy started calling Betty.

Seymour, the dealer of potions and other magical items, wanted us to go on a job for him while they were traveling to Trivor.  He says Trivor is a waystation for adventurers before they got to the Boomtown which was more in the Sea of Dust.  He said there we could get beasts of burden called camels who are very good in the desert.  I have never seen one.  He asked us to go and get him a plant called Nightshade and showed us a picture.  He needed ten bunches in exchange for a supreme potion.   We headed out, following the path and then further into the foothills where we camped for the night, as it was too dark for a proper search. 

We got no sleep.  Wolves howled around us – but no wolves that I have heard, these calls were deeper and guttural.  We fanned out around Pinroy when the first of the beasts attacked.  Some were misshaped wolves, their mouths crammed with teeth and much larger than the wolves I had seen. Others were humanoids with pale green or brown skin.  Some wore bone armor, others were archers, and one a mage who laid down a cone of silence. The largest of the bone monsters rode the largest of the mutant wolves.  We were surrounded from all sides.  We fought for our lives – even with all our wonderous items the beasts almost had us – but we rallied back and finally were able to bring down the bone monsters and their beasts.  The mage and archers disappeared into the night.  What we did notice was these creatures did not bleed red as we did, but purple.  Something evil was afoot.