Wizards and Narrows

[Telcontar]

"Anar! Try the food or the ale, you'll never swing an axe or a hammer on an empty stomach. We can not hunt for bread in the wild."

"Bivor, we have come far and the road was long. We have had great troubles of our own last year, some of which you may have heard of. We hope that we do not struggle alone or in silence. There are good folk in the vale and times are trying. We are here to insure that folk are outward looking, to see beyond thier own hedges, so we have come for the Beornings, Anar for the follk of the Mountain, and a soon to be kinsmen of the Firewatchers from the grasslands south. We have come for council, and while I do not have any dealing with Wizards any herder can tell you that the year before last was bad and this one worse. We havve bad year piled upon worse ones and the air itself sheds a black rain. We appriciate the bread and hospitality, but we hunger for understanding and news as well."

[Paladin003]

Closing the book which created a small cloud of dust around the Pages, he looked up and smiled,

"Aye. Old Anar can use a bite or two of food!"

[tomcat]

Wiping his mouth of butter and honey, the large man took a draught from his cup too wash it all down and then he nodded.

"I appreciate your needs, Beorning, but I am no mage and thus cannot materialize the Brown Wizard - only he is able to do that." Hathcyn did not hear any condescension in the others words and thus took no offense. "All I can tell you is he entered his wood and has not been seen since."

"Yea - it was when the first black rain fell," another voice. Everyone turned to see one of the maids of the hall, as she gathered wood bowls to be taken to wash. "I heard him muttering something about dusk water, so I can only assume he was speaking of the river. Maybe he is there?" She shrugged and smiled, but then moved on.

"Yes," agreed Bivor, "he was muttering something about the river. Bad place, that. Dark is the banks of the Dusky. The fisher-folk say that a gloom seems to cling to the reeds and waters of their fishing holes, like a dark smudge. Yet it fades if approached. We need the water and fish, but I would not wish to make the journey each day."

Arbogast listened intently and thought of his home. The Black Tarn was also now plagued by a never-fading, dark fog that clung to its shores. He feared for his wife - though she was River-Blooded and said to be of the line of the River-Maidens - and his daughters, as they all found such joy playing within the shallows of the lake. The Fire-watcher was certain that he could not remove Lindwine from her home near the lake, even if he wanted to. He sighed as the conversation continued around him.

Nothing was settled, but Bivor stood and held out his arms, "Your renown follows you all and thus you are honoured guests! Rest a day...wait to see if the Brown Wizard returns, so as you might find your answers. It is only the onset of Spring and so many days of summer are before us - time to achieve many things before the winter is once more upon us. Yes?"

There was no arguing the point, and the five men nodded. They would wait a day or two, to see if an answer to their questions might come.

A day is all they would get.