After leaving Azrun and Torro in Thurmaster and collecting the payment for delivering the chest, the six companions set out back the way they had come. By the time night fell, they had made their way almost completely through the Redwood. Although they began to tire, they pushed on through the clear evening. They made their way out of the Wood and traveled along the grassy lands alongside the river. The stars made a spectacular showing on this evening, making up for the days when the clouds hid their glory.
Looking atop Puddle Jumper, Aloysius spoke with Arachne. "Small one? A song, or perhaps a riddle to speed our journey?"
"A riddle might speed the journey?" Arachne echoed in surprise. "That's a curious notion. My experience has been that thinking about a riddle sometimes halts me on my journeying. I'll be thinking and thinking and when I believe that perhaps I've gotten somewhere -- with the riddle, I mean -- I'll look around and realize that I'm simply standing still in a hallway musing to myself. The very opposite of speed. But here is one for you:
"A bold rider came to free a fair prisoner
from a tower that rose to the sky.
Pray tell if you may, whether rescued or rescuer
was the more noble, and why."
"Maybe more noble is horse have to carry rider to tower then rider and prisoner away," the wood elf points out as he pauses to look around for a second.
"Oh, yes! An excellent answer! I like it," Arachne exclaimed, beaming at Kaileer. "Aloysius, I expect that this wasn't the sort of riddle you were hoping for. It's a philosophical one rather than a conundrum with a single, tricky answer. But I _am_ pleased with Kaileer's decision -- as I'm sure is Puddlejumper," she added, patting the horse's neck.
Aloysius stroked his chin as he walked along. "Zounds, contemplative one, 'tis not a wealth of information bestowed! One would need know of the fair one's crime and the bold one's motives afore making such a choice. What if the one imprisoned be fair in visage alone, yet not in heart? What if the other be bold yet lustful of the beauty in the tower?"
"What if the one on horseback intended foul experiments on the fair, yet in turn effected a grace beneficient upon them instead? Would yon rider's act be deemed foul? Or if this rider sought only mirth and peace for the one locked up, only to be the harbinger of grief and malady? Would we judge him harshly? By the Golden Horn! What an excellent puzzle, Arachne! Thee art truly an affable travel companion! My feet rejoice at the respite such questions bring! Truly, no creature foul can stop us from finding this lost maiden with our hearts and minds bolstered by such excellent exercise!"
The purple man stopped for a second and gathered his breath. The troupe had come to a full stop while he completed his excited exhortation. As he looked about at their wide-eyed stares of utter disbelief, his lips quivered, and he bestowed upon them a gift long denied, as his face contorted into the nearly forgotten PAINFUL SMILE FACE.
Arachne told everyone several times that she was grateful for the company. "But I do hope that you're all coming now because you want to and not because you feel obligated to see that the silly little gnome doesn't get herself hurt. I mean, even if you'd promised to protect me back in Scornubel when we first met, I have to remind you that we've delivered the chest. The job's done. Any promises you may have made then, no longer apply. Of course, if you'd promised to protect Zond, that would be a different matter. "Anyway, my point is that I guess I'm feeling kind of responsible for our hurrying back. I'm going to feel really badly if this goes badly _anyway_ and I'll feel even worse -- " she glanced at Aloysius "-- if any of you lets it out that you're here against your better judgement. By the same token, I am willing to stop and camp if we get tired of stumbling along in the dark. I can understand that walking blindly through unknown territory is no fun at all." (Evidently, though, the party was of a will to keep going...)
Gala laughed at Arachne's words. "We're here because we don't like innocent folks being kidnapped. And I personally want to find out what has happened to Zond." She blushed slightly as she spoke.
The purple mage caught Arachne's backwards glance. He looked around at his travelling companions and blushed slightly. "Er . . . .", his eyebrow twitched nervously. "A heavy burden can responsibility be for one of such slight stature," he finally managed to say. "Arachne, know that Aloysius be here because . . . . .well . . . .ah . . ." he seemed to look to the others for help. "I didn't, I mean I don't, have anyone, I mean, anywhere, else to go be with, to go, I mean. That . . . . wait, oh dear, that sounded bad. You all are my fr . . . .my , uh, for the sake of Wilhelm's Warrior Wenches! What ELSE was I supposed to do????" Thoroughly shaken, the purple man lowered his head, folded his hands in front of him, and walked along the rest of the night in silence.
Kaileer looked back for a second then forward again to keep both eyes open for trouble. "I want go even if alone... not go this slow if was alone..." The wood elf didn't seem particularly mad that apparently they were slowing him down, just concerned with keeping his attention on the road.
Sometime before dark, Arachne urged Puddlejumper forward to the front of the party where Kaileer was. (And if Puddlejumper proved uncooperative she took a break from the riding and scampered forward -- insert frequent pauses for breath in the following while she trots beside Kaileer.) "I do wish you would explain your hurry to get back to Milborne," she said to the wood elf. "Is there something wrong that you found in the woods outside of town? What do you think you'd be able to do alone in Milborne if you did hurry back there? I don't believe the mystery is there, now and I do believe that you'd be unwise to go exploring the New Mire by yourself right now."
"Not want explore... want bring word for Garyld. Kaileer not like stay same place long time." The elf said after a bit of thought. "Kaileer not hurry lot but... people not come back make Kaileer want hurry."
There was no moon to guide them through the darkness, and the going was slow for the rest of the journey. Even those with the gift of night vision could not see far enough in front of them to have both caution and haste. Caution won out, and they trudged slowly through the night. Finally, just when they thought they could go no farther, they came across Kuiper's well tended fields. A dog began to bark as they approached the dark farmhouse. They stepped onto the porch and knocked on the door just as Selune's tiny crescent was rising in the east. A rumpled man, tall and well-built, with a gleaming long sword in one hand and a lantern in the other opened the door after a minute. He wore only shorts as he regarded the group with a look of confusion on his face, "By the gods, what's wrong? Who are you?"
Pug fought to stay awake on top of Puddlejumper as thew night wore on and breathed a sigh of relief upon sighting the farm. He let Arachne do the talking when the door was answered as he was too tired to focus his thoughts.
Arachne, still feeling responsible and still clinging to the letter of introduction from Mage Tauster, had placed herself at the front of the group while another, taller, person had done the door-knocking honors. Now, she stepped forward, blinking at the lantern-light but nonetheless making sure that she was quite visible. "What's wrong is missing people -- and it's not anything that poses an immediate threat to you or your farm, so we're very sorry to be intruding on your rest like this. I am Arachne Convola of Furthinghome, though the clan Convola is actually from north of there, on the other side -- no, no. You don't care who we are absolutely. You'll only care who we know that you know --" She held out the letter from Mage Tauster. "This is a letter from Tauster, the Wizard of Thurmaster? I expect that his explanation of who we are and what we're about will carry much more weight with you than any more gibberish I might burden you with. At least," she added as Kuiper took the letter, "if you read that, my gibberish might make a little more sense. It's Jelenneth who's missing and we've been working with both Tauster and Garyld to try to find her." She stopped talking to let Kuiper read the letter in peace.
Gala too waited, watching the Kuiper read, wondering how many other men she was going to see partially clad in the near future.
Kaileer kept to the back of the party, not wanting to leave their backs unprotected in case something came along that wasn't frightened of a half-naked man with a sword and a lantern.
Kuiper read the letter by the light of the lantern and looked up at the group. He couldn't help but notice the way the others were regarding his attire and smiled slightly, "I was asleep like most folks at this time of the night. I figured you were one of the farmhands. For all I knew the barn was on fire. I apologize, ladies, for my appearance."
"Huh?" Arachne asked. "Appearance? Oh, uh, well... It's a strange hour to be going calling on folks. I apologize for disturbing you..."
He responded to the news in the letter, "I haven't seen Jelenneth in over a ride. There's been no news of her on the river. The only place I can think of that she might be is the Hog Brook.
"Where's th--?"
We can check in the morning if you like." He looked at the exhausted group before him, "I don't have room for all of you, but I'll give the ones I can a bed and the rest of you can sleep on the floor." He moved out of the door to let them in and rubbed his face, "I'm Kuiper, as you all know, owner of this farm and one of the rangers of this area." He waited for the ones who had not done so to supply names.
"Thank you," Arachne said. "Thank you very much. I think Aloysius needs a bed." She gestured at the man in purple standing (more or less) at the back. "That's Aloysius. I think he's done a lot more walking today than he intended and I'm very grateful. And I guess Gala..."
Gala interrupted. "The floor will be fine. No need to fuss." She grinned at Arachne.
"Pug Trixter, thanks for the lodging" Pug says managing a grin, as he trudges after Aloysius to their room. He promptly collapses on any flat suface after removing his boots.
Gala bowed and tried not to stare. This was easy to do as her eyes kept closing of their own accord. "I am Gala Lachiel of .." she smothered a yawn to continue "Waterdeep. I must admit, your floor sounds quite inviting right now. I thank you for your hospitality." Gala looked askance at Arachne. "I'm sorry, Arachne. I just can't stay awake any longer." She looked at her feet waiting for the gnome's reply.
"No, of course -- and you'll be wanting to pray at dawn. I _am_ sorry, Gala," Arachne said. "Please: Go to sleep, wherever Kuiper directs."
"I have a guest room that has a bed that two of you can sleep in, if you don't mind sharing. And my bed can hold another two of you. I'd be getting up in another hour or so anyway." He waited for them to decide who would sleep where and told the others they could have their choice of floor space, but the bedrooms would probably offer the quietest spots. He turned to Gala, having heard from an earlier conversation that she needed to pray, "Would you like me to wake you at sunrise?"
Gala smiled at him. "Yes, thank you. I fear I might oversleep otherwise, and there is nothing like a good sunrise to start the day."
Kaileer didn't feel tired as much as every muscle and bone in his body ached and cried out for relief. He stepped closer to the light and nodded his head in greeting. "I Kaileer, need leave with morning to bring word to Garyld." He only hoped he would be able to move in the morning as he extended his hand in greeting to the ranger.
"Aye," Aloysius interjected. "My feet be weary and my eyes heavy with sleep. No longer can I put off Morpheus from my door. I too am sorry, small one, but we will better be able to do what needs done if we repose here with good Kuiper for a few hours."
Maisar reaches out his hand to shake Kuiper's, as he introduces himself. Maisar says "My name is Maisar sir, and it is nice to meet you. " Maisar then goes over to a spon on the floor next to a wall(if there is one) and gets ready to go to sleep.
"Aloysius, Pug: I think you two should take the bed in the guest room," Arachne suggested. "You need to sleep a while if you're to manage any spells tomorrow. Gala, I don't know what you're to do about the sleeping versus the dawn prayers, but I think I want to assign the guest room to spellcasters. Pug and Aloysius, I'll be in in a bit and I'll be fine on the floor. Don't get chivalrous on me."
Aloysius looked nervously at Pug to see how he would react to Arachne's suggestion. "Fine. Pug be a sleeper sound. I recall that from the room we shared when our journey first began. Spells be one thing, but sleep I'll need if I'm to WALK on the morrow."
With that, the skinny man shambled off towards the guestroom.
Aloysius looked groggily at Pug and yawned. "Well, Pug, 'twould appear that our lot is cast. Someone roust me when Sol doth rise. Morpheus is well overdue for my hospitality." With that, the purple mage shuffled off towards the guest room, pulling off his robe as he went.
Kaileer considers the alternatives and thinks a soft haystack might be better than the floor. He informs Kuiper of his decision and heads for the barn.
