Sil'Rana

Silrana

Our travels continued in the morning as we rode toward the home town of Meridian and Syrone, the monitor in training. To our own great sadness, the companion friend of Laurent had passed in the night, succumbing to the slowing effects of the Glade. It was also with as hearts that we left the village that morning, for by the time we departed it was plain to see that the effects of the Glade has spread to this village and it's people as well.

An easy day's travel through the gentle countryside of Adzgar found us at Salis Watch by supper time. Meridian wasted no time in panicking the poor gentle farmers. It was really only necessary or productive if he meant to urge them all to pack up their stores and move East, as far away from the Glade and it's spreading effect as possible. But, this was his home, his village, and his people, so I kept my opinions to myself. There were plenty of other things to occupy my thoughts with.

As Meridian cloistered himself with the village Elders, and the others settled in, Daigoro and I took a perimeter look of the village and the surrounding lands. We were insuring that there were no signs of the Beasts that are found blocking the ways, or the wolf-man things that had been seen about. With the spreading effect, I was certain it was only a matter of a short time before we began to see the deadly Beasts apart from the Ways, and out in the open countryside of the lands. Thankfully, we found no tracks or sign of such.

I returned to the village, after setting up a camp outside with Daigoro. I followed Peter's track to the cottage of Thalia, the now deceased teacher of both Meridian and Syrone. I found Peter there, lost in a book or three, and offered him the leftover hot food I brought from my dinner with Daigoro. I had presumed that he would have forgotten to eat, considering the loss of his loved ones. I was correct, of course. But by breaking his studies he suddenly recalled that Syrone was supposed to meet him here to research as well. We left to check on her.

At Syrone's home we were greeted by her pained voice on the other side of the door, and her emphatic message to go away and to leave her be. She sounded distressed. I took Peter aside and told him that he must convince her to let him in so that he could check on her and look after her. He returned to pleading with her through the wooden door, until she finally came to the door and opened it to assure him that she was alright. What Peter saw of her, and her cottage, concerned him a great deal I could tell from the look on his face. I was out of sight of Syrone, knowing that Peter would prevail much easier if she didn't know that I was present. Peter kept after her to let him in, just for a moment he said. He pushed on the door a bit, and I leaned my unseen shoulder against it for him. He was quickly inside before she could protest, and I waited without for Peter.

What I learned concerned me. Apparently she had a fever and was ill, however her home was a wreck, as if she had torn it apart. It seemed that it was more an emotional and mental ordeal she was going through than a physical one. I told Peter that I would meet him back at Thalia's cottage, and I went off in search of the home of Meridian.

After knocking and gaining entrance, I spoke to Meridian and informed him that his new protigie was apparently ill, that Peter had looked after her, but that I thought that he needed to check on her in the morning. I also told him my concerns that she was perhaps breaking down after our ordeal and the loss of her mentor. Meridian being the closest thing to family for her, I thought it was his place to offer her the kind of support it was apparent that she needed.

Laurent was also in Meridian's home. They had been looking at some interesting cards which sported portraits. Laurent referred to them as a 'Tarot' deck, but certainly they were not like any Tarot I had ever seen. "Do any of these look familiar?" he asked. I looked them over, and there was something about the eyes on one of them which reminded me of someone. I thought back and I remembered that it was a portrait in my family's home that I recalled. Something about these eyes were the same as that of the family painting of one of my ancestors. Meridian and Laurent were discussing features which our companions held in common to some of the portraits as I stood to leave.

Meridian's home was neat and tidy, so it was with little difficulty that I noticed any clutter. Upon one of the tables were a stack of maps that Laurent must have been pouring over while Meridian was busy with the villagers. They showed Adzgar, and tracked the migration of the people over time. It appeared that long ago they came to this land from the North East. I assumed he was hoping to find clues to the location of the Lost Library of the monitor's, which Meridian had informed us of on his journey. His hope was that there was something within that ancient library which could help us discover what was happening to the land.

I bid them good night, and returned to join Peter. Peter was deep in study as I returned, where he had learned that Syrone had been orphaned just as Meridian had been. I made myself comfortable and began looking through the journals of Thalia. What I found was a wealth of information on medicine, herbs, natural and manufactured drugs and substances, used to treat all manner of conditions. The woman must have been The authority on the area of medicine. Nothing within her home showed promise towards any clues to our big puzzle, but what I found was still very useful and relevant.

I found several volumes that I thought would aid our little band. One was on the fundamentals of surgery and treating wounds, while the other was a basic treatise on the fundamentals of using plants and natural substances for healing. With my own basic knowledge of field dressing wounds and simple uses for plants, I was sure that I could devour the information and teach myself.

This was, to my thinking, was quite practical. Granted, we had with us an accomplished and experienced physician in the form of Meridian, but I had to be realistic. Danger would find us sooner or later, and we must be prepared for the possibility of losing our healer. Or even more likely, that he could be grievously wounded himself, and then who would tend to him? My limited knowledge would not be able to save any one of them from a serious wound. Sure, I could set a broken limb, sew wounds shut, keep them clean, and even prepare the most basic mossy poultice, but anything more complex would ultimately lead to their death.

So I stowed the volumes away in two of the satchels that I had found prepared within the cottage. One was filled with herbs, and powders, and various tools. The other was filled with the tools for surgery, for sewing, amputation, and it also held a healthy supply of bandages and field dressings.

I rose from my chair and bade Peter a good night, returning to my bedroll under the stars to get a few hours worth of rest before I rose with the pre-dawn.

In the morning, as I finished my breakfast with Daigoro, Susan came stumbling through our camp. He was disheveled and seemingly intoxicated, or at least hung-over. He mumbled something to us about a prophetic vision concerning the way to the Library, and then asked us for directions to Meridian's home.

Whether Susan's drug induced hallucinations would be useful, I did not know. But I was fairly certain that our band of companions would be wanting to leave this morning in search of the lost Library, having exhausted the resources of Silas Watch.

I packed our camp while Daigoro tended to the horses and their preparation. Then I went to rouse Peter at Thalia's cottage. When I arrived he had already left, but from what I had seen in the village and the activity around Meridian's house, he was probably already preparing to leave with everyone else.

I stopped to pick up the satchels and the volumes that they contained, set aside the night before. I stopped for a moment then, taking in the good feeling there, the thoughtful homey care which characterized this woman's life, and the vast knowledge and wisdom which was represented upon her wall of unfinished books. Her life's work. I picked up the satchels, with their volumes, with the sad knowledge that all of this - this village, these people, this cottage, its contents, the knowledge on this wall - would soon be but so much dust. In all likelihood, I thought, these few volumes might be the only thing that endures of this person's life work, and their wisdom. A sobering and sad thought, considering that someone would have to survive this epidemic for even that to come true.

I shouldered my burden and turned toward the open door, where I was met by a quickly moving Meridian, obviously intent on rousing our little band for a meeting, even though everyone already seemed ready to go.

His gaze dropped suddenly to the satchels slung over my shoulder, and his expression changed dramatically. He was obviously affronted that I would remove anything from Thalia's home. It was plain he thought of my act as an act of thievery.

I felt my anger rise, but I pushed it away. He does not know me nor my honor, and he must deal with such smallness on a common basis. His loss of Thalia was still fresh, and the knowledge that he would not be thinking of his village as something that was already doomed to dust, led me to merely reply that these things were needed for our journey, and that they were meant to reside within his possession.

Having let his silent accusation pass, it was his next statement that galled me to no end.

"Are you sure you want to accompany us further? You may remain here if you want?"

Instantly my rage returned. It was all I could do to keep it from my face.

Did he mean to challenge me further? The egocentric presumption of his question was beyond reason. It was as if he assumed a superceding propriety over a dilemma which faced us all - every living person, plant, animal, rock, stream, the very earth itself.

The Honor of my family, my Duty, and my very Life, are dedicated to serving, protecting, and watching over the land and it's people. His question was more than just galling to me, it was a grave and personal insult. Inside me I could feel the Wolf with his teeth bared, his rage waiting to be released upon the challenger.

But instead, I was the master of my emotions. Meridian may indeed have meant to be so presumptive, he may have meant to insult me, to goad or test me, or merely to play a bit of a power game (consciously or unconsciously), or not at all. Either way, he could not have known the exceptional depths to which he had just angered and insulted me. So instead I answered, "Is there some reason, Meridian, that you believe I would not wish to continue?" To which he nodded in the negative. If he had no solid reason for asking, then it only solidified my belief that he did indeed wish to challenge me. "Fine then. Rest assured, we shall continue to travel in one another's company."

It wasn't long before we had gathered, discussed the vision of Susan and it's correlation to the census maps, and were underway to the NE of Adzgar.

Although we left the village behind, my anger remained. I left Daigoro to watch over our band and took a far advanced scouting position, looking for tracks or sign of danger.

Noticing the change in the weather, I returned to the party. A storm, and surely rain at least, would be upon us within three hours. We searched for shelter then, and easily found it upon our north easterly road. A village none of the native Adzgar folks had ever recalled.

What we found there was startling and unnerving. Apart from the rough-around-the-edges folk, resembling cousins of Susan, we found two other travelers. The one of note being Zandrine, a Wayfinder. I immediately recognized her for what she was, another predator, and a dangerous one. She had little patience for the small talk of my companions, but she took a quick interest in Syrone, whom she grabbed and led upstairs.

Susan and Meridian left shortly after to eavesdrop on the couple. Whatever Meridian learned had turned him ashen white as he returned to the main room and began to drink in earnest. He kept tight-lipped, but it was plain to see that he was shaken, and perhaps frightened. If it had to do with Zandrine, and if it affected one our regular traveling companions, I was going to have to know about it. Our mission is too important to let potential pitfalls go without examination.

I waited until morning, when Meridian had slept off at least some of his drink. I fed him simple porridge, lest something with more substance make him sick-up. I pressed him then about what he had learned. It was troubling. Syrone was a shapeshifter, and Zandrine had known it on sight. It was somehow connected to her illness. I related the story of my encounter with the wolf-man, stuck in his horrific form. I warned him that we must watch her, that she could be afflicted with something that would harm her, that it was possible that this wasn't just a newfound ability.

We gathered the troops and headed out again. This time following Susan, as he followed the memory of his mushroom-induced vision. In time, we came to a rock wall, found our secret entrance through a cave, and then the Library.