It Began in a Tavern (Official) (Part 1)
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Post #42 written by @Louanne Learning
Night sounds of the forest—the hoot of an owl, the chirp of frogs, the buzz of insects, the gurgle of a nearby stream—gently serenaded. Katara, Olive and Ravenna lounged around the crackling fire. Tired from the day’s ride, yet hesitant to lay their heads down, they stared into the flames, as if their dance might provide answers.
Ravenna sat cross-legged, with her chin in her hands. “I am tired of uncertainty,” she said. “My whole life has been uncertainty.”
“The past is dead,” Katara snapped. “Forget it.”
“It lives in me,” Olive countered. “Even if that book is unreadable, at the moment.”
“Where?” Katara demanded. “Where does it live? There is only today.”
Olive looked up to the patch of clear night sky above their heads. “It’s in the stars,” she said. “They have been shining forever. And will continue to shine. They are the future, too.”
Ravenna came forward. “The past weighs on me.”
“I am optimistic,” Olive said, “the future will lift that weight.”
“I suppose so,” Katara reluctantly agreed. “You can’t have change without time.”
They sat in silence, and then Olive said, “I wish Gamma would come to us.”
Beckoned, the figure in yellow robes appeared, walking out of the darkness of the trees. “I am with you, always,” she said. “Call me, and I am here.”
“Why is this happening?” Ravenna pleaded.
“To fulfill the scriptures. A mage, a poet-scientist, and a lab rat, must come together to ensure that time flows.”
The girls, wide-eyed, gaping, glanced around at one another. “But we don’t know what we are supposed to do!” Katara cried.
“Follow the Roman road to Cliffcross. You will find answers there.”
“You expect a lot of trust from us,” Katara muttered.
“Dear girl, the Architect of Time puts his trust in you.”
***
Dusca was beside herself. “And you let her go?” she demanded of her father.
“Some things are bigger than us,” Bossman replied.
“I have protected her all my life. I am not going to stop now.”
“Dusca, please … it’s a fulfillment of the scriptures.”
Scriptures be damned.
She knew she couldn’t go alone. She would enlist Nalki and Charin. There were several benefits to this choice. First of all, they were mages. They also had horses. And, there would be no threat upon her person, since they were married to one another. Yes, the most reasonable choice.
***
“I can pay,” Dusca said to Nalki and Charin.
They glanced at one another. “When do we leave?” Nalki asked.
Post #43 written by Gravy/Luxuria - End of Part 1
“Do you hear that?” Ravenna asked as she sat upright. She had been sleeping moments ago, but a nearby sound warranted her attention. To her right, Olive sat up as well and shook her head. Ravenna listened intently and a few seconds later, another branch cracked under the foot of whomever was approaching.
She glanced at Olive who was trying to wear a brave expression, but Ravenna could tell she was uneasy. She gestured to the mage to stay put as she silently climbed to her feet. Drawing the dagger Bossman sent with her in the supplies. She had noticed three matching ones when she was assisting the other women set up camp.
Ravenna handed one to Olive and Katara earlier that night, before dinner. Both seemed a bit hesitant to take the offered weapons, but Ravenna insisted they did. “It’s for your own protection. Please, trust me.”
“Um, sure,” Olive tried to find a place to secure it to her blue mage robes, with no success.
“I think it’s beautiful!” Katara displayed the blade in the fading sunlight and would have chopped off Ravenna’s nose if she hadn’t moved in time.
“Careful there!” she cried, before decided to explain the blade was very sharp and dangerous. “Use it how you see fit, but please. Don’t swing it around aimlessly.”
“Fine,” Katara sighed and put it away. Now, the blade was resting next to where she slept. She carefully grabbed it as she heard another twig snap somewhere close by. “What do we do?”
Ravenna gestured for her to remain silent and disappeared into the shadows. Katara glanced at Olive who seemed worried, but had also drawn her dagger. The Poet wasn’t sure how to do anything aside from stab someone with it. But also, she didn’t want to do that- because she might kill them.
Olive slowly climbed to her feet and barely had time to duck the swing of an axe. If the blade hadn’t caught the moonlight, it would have connected with her head. She shrieked and thrust the dagger blindly into the night. She felt it graze something, but not sink into it’s target.
“Olive!” Katara cried and before the Mage could tell her to stay away, she came running over. “AAHHH!!”
She stabbed air, but heard a pained groan behind her. Katara turned around just in time to see a man to her sink to his knees, dagger in his back. Ravenna rushed forward from the treeline and yelled, “behind you!”
Katara pivoted on heel and dove right, away from the swing of the first man’s axe. She felt the skin on her knees scrape away as she hit the ground, but kept scrambling away from the attacker.
“What do they want?!” she was sure bandits would announce themselves. Your money or your life.
What was with this uncivilized ambush?!
“I don’t know,” Ravenna called back, stabbing the second man with the dagger Katara dropped when she dodged. “But that doesn’t matter! Just win!”
“Win?!” Katara scrambled over to the firepit and grabbed the cast iron pan. Thankfully, it cooled in the night. “I don’t—“
“Katara!” Olive tried to wrench her hand out of the grasp of another bandit who sneaked up behind her. The one with the axe injured on the ground by Ravenna. Olive twisted and tried to step on the foot of the woman, but she seemed to know the trick. “Help!”
Katara tightened her grip on the pan and ran over, past Ravenna who was dealing with another attacker with a longsword. “I’m coming!” Katara closed in and swung at the woman holding Olive. She ducked, but Olive took this moment to send a messy burst of water at her face. The woman sputtered and the Mage finally escaped and rushed to stand next to Katara.
“How many are there?” She hadn’t had time to count, but at this rate, Olive knew they would lose. Fighting people wasn’t easy in the least and- Katara turned to the left and threw the cast iron pan as hard as she could. She heard it connect and heard someone collapse onto the ground.
“How did you—“
Ravenna cried out and the two turned in time to see her grasping the blade of the longsword with bleeding hands. Inches from her face. Her feet began to slid in the dirt as the man pressed the overhead attack. “Didn’t think you’d do that.”
Olive drew a collection of water into hands and threw it at the man. He laughed as it missed and hit the ground at his feet. Ravenna tightened her grip on the blade and shoved back, making him slip in the newly formed mud. He fell to the ground, the tip of his blade cutting down her face.
“Thank you,” Ravenna told the others as she stood, blade still in her grasp. “I had to catch it, or I would have been cut in half.” She had no choice but to risk her hands to avoid the blow.
“Are you okay?!” Olive moved to come over but Ravenna told her to freeze.
“Don’t move. He’s still alive,” she said, glancing at the man who was sputtering face down in the mud. “Katara, Olive, turn away.”
Katara was about to ask why, but Olive wrenched her around to stare at the trees. She heard Ravenna hiss in pain a moment before the muffled cry of agony made her shiver. She didn’t want to know what happened, but she did.
“We should leave,” Ravenna said and walked over to them, her hands dripping with blood- in more than one way. “Katara, tell me what to do to help.”
“Uh, yes,” she was glad to be in charge of the camp. Even if it was littered with dead- no, she wasn’t going to think about that. “Olive, get the blankets, I will…”
“Don’t worry about the firepit,” Ravenna told her, glancing back at the dead bandit on the ground. “I will get it. Go make sure the horses are calm.”
Katara nodded and went to check on the three tied nearby the sleeping space. They seemed spooked, but she knew she could calm them. As she gently stroked their manes, she heard Olive and Ravenna speaking in hushed tones.
“I don’t know any healing magic and this—“
“It’s okay,” Ravenna said only to have Olive strongly disagree.
“We need to get you to a healing—“
“We can’t do that. I just need you to bandage my hands.”
“But what about your fingers? I don’t want to—“
“Olive.” Ravenna’s voice sounded cold as if she was steeling herself. “Give me the dagger.”
“Ravenna, I won’t—“ Olive wouldn’t let her do it. She could see sickening injuries, carved deep into the barmaid’s hands. But that didn’t mean she needed to- “I can bandage it, I think.”
“Olive,” Ravenna glanced at her left hand thumb. “It won’t heal back together. If you bandage my hand now, it could become infected. I need you to give me the rest of the cloth and the dagger. I will be okay, I promise. It’s a small price to pay for my life. Not to mention yours.”
“I am sorry,” Olive said, “I didn’t want—“
“I know. But think of this as part of the adventure.” Ravenna smiled at the other woman the best she could. “Now, please. Go help Katara.”
Olive nodded and went over to the other who asked if she was all right. “No, not really.” The fight had unsettled her. Gamma promised she was powerful, but she didn’t feel like she was at all. It took about fifteen minutes for the women to pack up camp and head back onto the road. Ravenna riding behind Olive and Katara leading the way though the darkness of the night.
“Do you hear that?” Ravenna asked as she sat upright. She had been sleeping moments ago, but a nearby sound warranted her attention. To her right, Olive sat up as well and shook her head. Ravenna listened intently and a few seconds later, another branch cracked under the foot of whomever was approaching.
She glanced at Olive who was trying to wear a brave expression, but Ravenna could tell she was uneasy. She gestured to the mage to stay put as she silently climbed to her feet. Drawing the dagger Bossman sent with her in the supplies. She had noticed three matching ones when she was assisting the other women set up camp.
Ravenna handed one to Olive and Katara earlier that night, before dinner. Both seemed a bit hesitant to take the offered weapons, but Ravenna insisted they did. “It’s for your own protection. Please, trust me.”
“Um, sure,” Olive tried to find a place to secure it to her blue mage robes, with no success.
“I think it’s beautiful!” Katara displayed the blade in the fading sunlight and would have chopped off Ravenna’s nose if she hadn’t moved in time.
“Careful there!” she cried, before decided to explain the blade was very sharp and dangerous. “Use it how you see fit, but please. Don’t swing it around aimlessly.”
“Fine,” Katara sighed and put it away. Now, the blade was resting next to where she slept. She carefully grabbed it as she heard another twig snap somewhere close by. “What do we do?”
Ravenna gestured for her to remain silent and disappeared into the shadows. Katara glanced at Olive who seemed worried, but had also drawn her dagger. The Poet wasn’t sure how to do anything aside from stab someone with it. But also, she didn’t want to do that- because she might kill them.
Olive slowly climbed to her feet and barely had time to duck the swing of an axe. If the blade hadn’t caught the moonlight, it would have connected with her head. She shrieked and thrust the dagger blindly into the night. She felt it graze something, but not sink into it’s target.
“Olive!” Katara cried and before the Mage could tell her to stay away, she came running over. “AAHHH!!”
She stabbed air, but heard a pained groan behind her. Katara turned around just in time to see a man to her sink to his knees, dagger in his back. Ravenna rushed forward from the treeline and yelled, “behind you!”
Katara pivoted on heel and dove right, away from the swing of the first man’s axe. She felt the skin on her knees scrape away as she hit the ground, but kept scrambling away from the attacker.
“What do they want?!” she was sure bandits would announce themselves. Your money or your life.
What was with this uncivilized ambush?!
“I don’t know,” Ravenna called back, stabbing the second man with the dagger Katara dropped when she dodged. “But that doesn’t matter! Just win!”
“Win?!” Katara scrambled over to the firepit and grabbed the cast iron pan. Thankfully, it cooled in the night. “I don’t—“
“Katara!” Olive tried to wrench her hand out of the grasp of another bandit who sneaked up behind her. The one with the axe injured on the ground by Ravenna. Olive twisted and tried to step on the foot of the woman, but she seemed to know the trick. “Help!”
Katara tightened her grip on the pan and ran over, past Ravenna who was dealing with another attacker with a longsword. “I’m coming!” Katara closed in and swung at the woman holding Olive. She ducked, but Olive took this moment to send a messy burst of water at her face. The woman sputtered and the Mage finally escaped and rushed to stand next to Katara.
“How many are there?” She hadn’t had time to count, but at this rate, Olive knew they would lose. Fighting people wasn’t easy in the least and- Katara turned to the left and threw the cast iron pan as hard as she could. She heard it connect and heard someone collapse onto the ground.
“How did you—“
Ravenna cried out and the two turned in time to see her grasping the blade of the longsword with bleeding hands. Inches from her face. Her feet began to slid in the dirt as the man pressed the overhead attack. “Didn’t think you’d do that.”
Olive drew a collection of water into hands and threw it at the man. He laughed as it missed and hit the ground at his feet. Ravenna tightened her grip on the blade and shoved back, making him slip in the newly formed mud. He fell to the ground, the tip of his blade cutting down her face.
“Thank you,” Ravenna told the others as she stood, blade still in her grasp. “I had to catch it, or I would have been cut in half.” She had no choice but to risk her hands to avoid the blow.
“Are you okay?!” Olive moved to come over but Ravenna told her to freeze.
“Don’t move. He’s still alive,” she said, glancing at the man who was sputtering face down in the mud. “Katara, Olive, turn away.”
Katara was about to ask why, but Olive wrenched her around to stare at the trees. She heard Ravenna hiss in pain a moment before the muffled cry of agony made her shiver. She didn’t want to know what happened, but she did.
“We should leave,” Ravenna said and walked over to them, her hands dripping with blood- in more than one way. “Katara, tell me what to do to help.”
“Uh, yes,” she was glad to be in charge of the camp. Even if it was littered with dead- no, she wasn’t going to think about that. “Olive, get the blankets, I will…”
“Don’t worry about the firepit,” Ravenna told her, glancing back at the dead bandit on the ground. “I will get it. Go make sure the horses are calm.”
Katara nodded and went to check on the three tied nearby the sleeping space. They seemed spooked, but she knew she could calm them. As she gently stroked their manes, she heard Olive and Ravenna speaking in hushed tones.
“I don’t know any healing magic and this—“
“It’s okay,” Ravenna said only to have Olive strongly disagree.
“We need to get you to a healing—“
“We can’t do that. I just need you to bandage my hands.”
“But what about your fingers? I don’t want to—“
“Olive.” Ravenna’s voice sounded cold as if she was steeling herself. “Give me the dagger.”
“Ravenna, I won’t—“ Olive wouldn’t let her do it. She could see sickening injuries, carved deep into the barmaid’s hands. But that didn’t mean she needed to- “I can bandage it, I think.”
“Olive,” Ravenna glanced at her left hand thumb. “It won’t heal back together. If you bandage my hand now, it could become infected. I need you to give me the rest of the cloth and the dagger. I will be okay, I promise. It’s a small price to pay for my life. Not to mention yours.”
“I am sorry,” Olive said, “I didn’t want—“
“I know. But think of this as part of the adventure.” Ravenna smiled at the other woman the best she could. “Now, please. Go help Katara.”
Olive nodded and went over to the other who asked if she was all right. “No, not really.” The fight had unsettled her. Gamma promised she was powerful, but she didn’t feel like she was at all. It took about fifteen minutes for the women to pack up camp and head back onto the road. Ravenna riding behind Olive and Katara leading the way though the darkness of the night.
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