Tales by the fireside

On a dark muddy trail , faded by disuse and the power of time , a wagon pulls to a stop , the large grey blue leathery beast that pulls it letting out a huffing breath as it comes to a halt. The wagon was large with an almost tent like cover supported by sturdy oaken rods in the fashion of the people of the steppe. Red tassels of horse hair , and brass bells shook gently in the night wind as the heavy rain pelted the dark wood of the heavily ornamented vehicle.From inside of it a figure in a hooded cloak stepped out , putting one of her four hands out to feel the rain as she took in her surroundings. Deciding the area to be safe she quickly moved around the carriage , pulling out the sturdy hooked breaks that would keep the wagon stable on the wet ground , then clambered back inside. Moving to the center she came across the hearth sitting on the ground , dry wood and tinder sitting in a secured brazier , a mainstay in the moving homes of the Chaggerta . Swiftly she recited a quick folk prayer and threw a lit match into the brazier, a warm red glowing fire quickly coming to life , it's light shining through the rough canvas of the carriage for any passers by to see.

 Stomach beginning to growl with hunger , the Chaggerta quickly opened her knapsack , searching for any left-overs , she knew she was running out of food at this point , and it wouldn't belong before she'd be resorted to the dangerous work of foraging in a fell land like Ferund. However just before she quit searching she managed to find some dried prairie rabbit , and quickly put it on the spit to begin cooking it. She had to remind herself not to lose hope , her quest was too important to be dissuaded even if things got tough. Just then her pointed ears heard something , steps from down the road , and she poked her head out of the wagon to see who it could be , two of her hands gripping on the hilts of swords.

The undead trekked down the road staff in hand as trudged through the mud. He had no wagon, no beasts of burn to take him where he was going; he had his bag of supplies, his staff, his magical trinkets, the cloak with its hood pull over his head and the silver mask covering his face. He stopped when he came into view sizing her up for a moment making sure she was not a brigand or highwayman. It took him a moment to find words to speak, it had been a long time since he had seen anyone, a full week actually "I... have food in my pack." He offered upon seeing the fairly meaty looking chaggerta chowing down on but a rabbit, if she didn't have something else with more fat in it it wouldn't be too long before she began experiencing rabbit starvation, and it would be all down hill from there. He shivered a bit from the cold "Mind if I sit by the fire, I can split one of these rations with you." He produced a meal wrapped in paper from his pack.

"I would not object to it." She replied as she stared him over , monks of her type had an innate way of telling someone's intentions and she could tell he was nice enough  "Come in quickly , the rain is quite cold after all." She advised as she disappeared back into the large wagon.

He would step in and set his staff to the side taking in a moment to look at his surroundings. He didn't expect an ambush, but the roads were dangerous, it was best to be cautious, especially around people with swords like that... he doubted he'd last long up close if this was a trap. After looking around he had a seat and began unwrapping his ration "So what brings you to this place, on your own?" He recalled Chaggerta ussually travel in groups

"I..I was told that the people of this land would be old enough to aid me on my quest." She replied as she tended to the fire.

"Quest?" He asked offering her a biscuit with butter, seeming genuinely curious

Quickly she bit in with a smile "Yes...I'm a monk from the cycle temples." She explained slowly between bites "I decided to try and find the lost city of my people ...Kara Koru"

"How interesting..." He said getting a strange feeling he knew something about that "Did they produce stones like this." He said jolting and suddenly and thoughtlessly shooting towards her to hold out his white stone with ancient Chaggerta insriptions... he was so eager it did not occur to him how closely that resembled a fist flying at her face

In an instant he found himself inches away from the fire , arm held back out behind him , with one of her four hands pressing down on his shoulder "Seems my senses were wrong ." She murmured.

A very surprised Janik exclaimed in surprise, he didn't put up much of a fight at first as she caught him completely unaware as the stone clattered to the floor, its inscriptions glowing blue, he tried to quickly explain "There has been a misunderstanding..."

"Hmmn, well then explain what it is before I throw you from my carriage ." She replied with a calm one wouldn't expect from someone in her situation.

"I wanted to show you that stone." he said jerking his head towards the pure white stone with its glowing inscription on the ground one of them the symbol of Kara Koru "And; people say I can get a bit excitable..." He admitted referring to the sudden thrusting of it up to her face for her to see

"I see" She replied as she let him go and sat him down gently.

"Well no harm done, it's from a time I don't remember much of before the war, I only clearly remember the last eighteen years because most of my brain rotted this one time; I think I was a traveler and I picked up this trinket in your city, but I don't know how to get back there so I am retracing all the steps to my travels I remember. i'm starting to ramble here take a look!" He was very energetic as she could tell from his blurting all this out without taking a moment to pause or breath, and apparently having been too preoccupied to learn from his mistake picked up the stone and thrust it out to hand it to her again .

This time though she was ready and did not react , eyes calmly studying the white stone of the pendant "Yes...this is written in the elder script , it must have come from long ago no doubt of it." She confirmed as she ate a bit more rabbit.

"Oh I know, I can read it, but look at the symbol in the middle" It was the symbol of kara koru "So I figure If I've been there before... I just need to retrace my steps, and II better do it now in a couple years I'll start to get all pale then and cold, then all rotten and gross, and I want to feel the sun again before that happens"

"Well....it seems we have a common cause then my undead friend, would you like to guide me on my journey then?"

"If you're half as capable as you look it would be my honor, and good fortune to have you" He replied with a small bow of thanks

"And so the wheel ever turns , it is a great boon to meet you old one , do you have a name? I am called Citra." She replied with a small but warm smile.

"I don't remember" He admitted, to her and Blurted out "The others call me reborn on account of having been remade from a mostly blank slate, even though there are hazy distant memories left that don't feel like they belong to me, but someone long dead wearing my skin which is really weird especially when I was still learning to speak and things because they were all just so alien... sorry I'm rambling again" He replied with a bit of a blush as he took off the mask to reveal a young, but handsome fair face full of life and good cheer, certainly not what one would expect from an undead, but it was traditional that when finalizing an agreement or having been invited into someone's home, it was one of those rules he had been too preoccupied to remember earlier "Janik Woerfel, Journeyman Sorcerer of Ferund" He offered a hand to shake

"Wait...I thought you just said you didn't remember your name." She replied as she shook the hand with two of hers , as per Chaggerta custom.

"I Picked a new one" He said mentally face palming for leaving out the one the thing he had began his rant to explain "The said I was reborn so I picked a new name, because it was really confusing not having a name when someone would try to single me out or call me over, I guess I could have taken some cryptic tittle like "The revenant" or "The nameless one" That could have been fun" He said with a dorky energetic grin

Her smile grew as she listened , he was quite adorable no two ways about it "Well then , it's a pleasure to meet you Janik Woerfel , a pleasure indeed." She declared as he handed him a cup of tea.

"Likewise Citra" He replied as he accepted the tea and took a deep drink, it was certainly better than that of his homeland "Ok mission changed I need to find out where they make this stuff and buy all of it" He joked

"Right , well I suppose you can do both can't you?" She replied with a laugh and a grin as she eats more of the rations he had given her "I'd like to thank you again for the food , I wasn't going to survive much longer on small game."