have you
destroyed by King Penhda for such blasphemy.”
“ But I’m willing to risk this if
you are. If you know about my day at the temple, you see I don’t bluff.” The warrior’s deadly eyes watched
her. It was the same look which scared the farmer the day
before.
“ What do you want?” She
sighed.
“ The truth,” he replied. “I know
some hakra’s have the ability to see and talk
with the gods. If you cannot do this, give me the name of one in
Esterblud.”
The woman again seated herself at one end of a bench
nodding for Urith to sit by her. As Urith sat
next to her, she lowered her voice. “You know much of our way. For
this reason, I ask you to give your oath to me never to speak against the visions I give here.”
The warrior thought for a moment. It seemed a small
price to pay for what he needed. “Yes, you have my oath on
this.”
The woman looked around before telling Urith that
while she lacked many of the visions, she knew of a hakra who might
help. “The great seer is named Joclac, and he
is known to have great powers. He lives north of Esterblud, in the
lands of Eernicia . I hear he is a strange
little man, never taking koinons,” she confided in him.
“ Unlike you,” the warrior reminded
her.
“ The smart satgerts go to
him to help them with their overlords.” The woman let the slight
go.
“ Someone like Feeral ?” Urith asked about the priest who advised King
Penhda. The woman just smiled, confirming the answer to his
question. Satisfied, Urith stood and began to walk away.
“ Don’t forget your oath,” she
reminded him as he neared the fountain. Her face turned to a frown
when she saw the giant warrior throw a koinon into the Fountain of
Destiny.
Guthlaf reluctantly stayed in Gramcan after Urith
told him of his meeting with the Oracle . They
agreed that Guthlaf would wait for King Penhda to arrive, and he
would explain Uolven’s wishes for the Esterblud clan to the king.
Urith thanked his friend and rode off on the busy road. He decided
to take the journey to Eernicia and discover
the truth behind the spirit of his wife. Since his journey would
lead him near Cilgarran, his home village, he would stop to inform
the elders of his father’s passing.
Traveling alone on his ossane on the main road
leading to Eernicia, the warrior rode his ossane hard, reaching a
tavern situated on the main crossroads just after the sun set in
the east. The giant warrior found a few men
sitting around the fire in the middle of the room, drinking and
singing. He recognized the tunes of the skalds. Warrior bards who
traveled the lands, the skalds recorded and regaled the exploits of
great heroes and their deeds. They held a place of reverence among
the Esterblud warriors.
Their leader was a medium sized man named Narslac
who sported biceps the size of most men’s thighs. The man
recognized Urith’s tunic and black helmet. He called for the Clovel
Destroyer to come over as the skalds cheered, reciting their tale
about the young warrior’s hunt against the last of the monsters. As
they offered him a place to drink heathmead, Urith felt at
home.
Narslac told Urith that he and his men fought with
Uolven during the last battle, providing several lines of poetry
about his father’s heroic stand in the fighting. The skald, having
heard that Urith’s father was wounded, asked after the elder
warrior’s health. He first showed surprise, then offered his
sympathy at the news of Uolven’s death. He promised the young
Esterblud that he would sing great songs in his honor. Standing,
the rough man slammed his fist on the table which
quieted the group. He then began to belt out a poem in
tribute to Urith’s father. The skald’s voice left much to be
desired, but it was heartfelt and moving. The giant man smiled as
he looked over the group. The skalds reminded Urith of a warrior’s
destiny and the great honor of heroic deeds. He took some comfort
in their words as he drank the heathmead.
The next
destroyed by King Penhda for such blasphemy.”
“ But I’m willing to risk this if
you are. If you know about my day at the temple, you see I don’t bluff.” The warrior’s deadly eyes watched
her. It was the same look which scared the farmer the day
before.
“ What do you want?” She
sighed.
“ The truth,” he replied. “I know
some hakra’s have the ability to see and talk
with the gods. If you cannot do this, give me the name of one in
Esterblud.”
The woman again seated herself at one end of a bench
nodding for Urith to sit by her. As Urith sat
next to her, she lowered her voice. “You know much of our way. For
this reason, I ask you to give your oath to me never to speak against the visions I give here.”
The warrior thought for a moment. It seemed a small
price to pay for what he needed. “Yes, you have my oath on
this.”
The woman looked around before telling Urith that
while she lacked many of the visions, she knew of a hakra who might
help. “The great seer is named Joclac, and he
is known to have great powers. He lives north of Esterblud, in the
lands of Eernicia . I hear he is a strange
little man, never taking koinons,” she confided in him.
“ Unlike you,” the warrior reminded
her.
“ The smart satgerts go to
him to help them with their overlords.” The woman let the slight
go.
“ Someone like Feeral ?” Urith asked about the priest who advised King
Penhda. The woman just smiled, confirming the answer to his
question. Satisfied, Urith stood and began to walk away.
“ Don’t forget your oath,” she
reminded him as he neared the fountain. Her face turned to a frown
when she saw the giant warrior throw a koinon into the Fountain of
Destiny.
Guthlaf reluctantly stayed in Gramcan after Urith
told him of his meeting with the Oracle . They
agreed that Guthlaf would wait for King Penhda to arrive, and he
would explain Uolven’s wishes for the Esterblud clan to the king.
Urith thanked his friend and rode off on the busy road. He decided
to take the journey to Eernicia and discover
the truth behind the spirit of his wife. Since his journey would
lead him near Cilgarran, his home village, he would stop to inform
the elders of his father’s passing.
Traveling alone on his ossane on the main road
leading to Eernicia, the warrior rode his ossane hard, reaching a
tavern situated on the main crossroads just after the sun set in
the east. The giant warrior found a few men
sitting around the fire in the middle of the room, drinking and
singing. He recognized the tunes of the skalds. Warrior bards who
traveled the lands, the skalds recorded and regaled the exploits of
great heroes and their deeds. They held a place of reverence among
the Esterblud warriors.
Their leader was a medium sized man named Narslac
who sported biceps the size of most men’s thighs. The man
recognized Urith’s tunic and black helmet. He called for the Clovel
Destroyer to come over as the skalds cheered, reciting their tale
about the young warrior’s hunt against the last of the monsters. As
they offered him a place to drink heathmead, Urith felt at
home.
Narslac told Urith that he and his men fought with
Uolven during the last battle, providing several lines of poetry
about his father’s heroic stand in the fighting. The skald, having
heard that Urith’s father was wounded, asked after the elder
warrior’s health. He first showed surprise, then offered his
sympathy at the news of Uolven’s death. He promised the young
Esterblud that he would sing great songs in his honor. Standing,
the rough man slammed his fist on the table which
quieted the group. He then began to belt out a poem in
tribute to Urith’s father. The skald’s voice left much to be
desired, but it was heartfelt and moving. The giant man smiled as
he looked over the group. The skalds reminded Urith of a warrior’s
destiny and the great honor of heroic deeds. He took some comfort
in their words as he drank the heathmead.
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