Chapter 263: Mining Expedition Begins

Ann stretched her legs. The trip was significantly shorter with Eyes around to help pull the sledge. The massive woman’s stride carried her so much further than anyone else could move. Still, she wasn’t immune to exertion and still had to take a few breaks where Alruna or Tarnu took over. Despite them being breaks, she still had to jog to keep up since she couldn’t fit, but it was enough.

They’d left her in the last copse of trees before town. Even with the family who knew better, the rest of the town would not take kindly to someone who looked like her.

Alruna and Tarnu had stopped when they’d dropped her off to make sure their clothing was properly hiding their extreme looks. Alruna hid her eyes with her blindfold mask, and Tarnu bundled up more than usual.

Susan and Roderick seemed to be on guard duty again. The couple was standing stiffly at each side of the gate, staring out into the open fields. Something was up. Their usually relaxed body language was replaced by tension and alertness.

“Halt! Names and purposes!” Roderick called, raising his hand. He sounded nervous, too. There was an edge to his voice and a glint in his eyes as he scanned the sledge.

Alruna either didn’t notice it or chose to ignore his tone. “Yes, yes, hello Roderick. It is I, Alruna of no surname, here to blight your town once more with my concoctions and salves.”

“Yeah. And the rest of you?” the guardsman asked.

They rattled off their introductions, and Roderick nodded stiffly. Susan hadn’t taken her eyes off the field the entire time.

Ann leaned over the side to catch the woman’s gaze. “Hey, Susan, what’s going on with you two? Have a fight?”

Susan didn’t look at her, but shook her head. “No, nothing like that. Been at it more often, actually. Helps with the stress.”

“Stress from what?” Tarnu asked.

“Guarding,” Roderick replied. “Some strange goings-on recently. Warped activity is up, but not just that. There have been… sounds coming from the woods. Messed up ones. We all know what a Singer Cat sounds like. It’s not that. These… screams. Something new’s out there, and it’s not being subtle.”

The party looked at each other. It didn’t ring any bells for Ann, but Rosalyn jumped in.

“What kind of screams? Like, I know it’s spooky and real creepy to have much of anything that doesn’t sound right in the woods, but if you can describe it I might be able to figure something out? It’s my thing.”

“Shit, Miss, it’s wild. It sounds like it’s sort of human, but there’s too many of them overlayed. Some just don’t sound right, either. It’s always coming from the northeast, too. Never moves. No one supposed to be out after dark right now. Worst part is when the screaming stops. That’s when the singing starts.”

“Have to stuff my ears when that happens,” Susan shivered. “Can’t think, can’t sleep, can’t properly fuck the stress away. Thank the Gods it’s not every night, but… got me scared that it’ll get that frequent. Dunno what we’ll do then.”

“Do what I’ve been saying we shoulda done!” Roderick shot back at his wife. “I’m getting Bill to ride out to Indelholm and make a report. Something like this won’t even need a bounty.”

“Hold on, what’s the singing like?” Ann asked, suddenly very worried.

“So depressing that I want to cry when I hear it. Like a…”

“Like someone grieving?” Ann finished for her.

“Yeah. Yeah, like someone singing a sad song and half-crying over the words. How’d you know?” Susan asked.

“Heard something like it before. Never found the source.” Ann had to tell the half-truth. Telling them that she’d heard something similar coming from a possible abandoned Goddess causing the Warped wasn’t going to do anything but bring more panic. “Hey, I’ve got some connection to the Orenous temple. Kinda an unofficial priestess. If you want, I’ll pray and see what I can figure out here, alright?”

“Anything’s better than nothing,” Roderick chuckled. “Too bad you aren’t one of Illdall or Bryltia’s. Shit, I’d take Nylir at this point if it made the thing stop.”

“I’ll do what I can,” Ann said as they went through the gate, leaving the couple behind.

“So, we are not going straight north with Minnie,” Bren decided. “We are also not using the sound beetles for noise muffling, but alarms. You three will need to keep quiet by yourselves on this trip.”

“Shit, I forgot they could do that,” Ann cursed.

Everyone seemed to agree that caution above all else was the way to go right now. They’d have a non-combatant with them, as well. If things were acting up here as well, then extra precautions would need to be taken.

Instead of heading straight to Minnie’s, they went to Gertrude and Palidius’s inn first. The old couple was still manning the desk, but the common room was quieter. There was a tension in the town, as well. Like everyone was on edge, waiting for the axe to fall.

“Oh! You’re all back!” Palidius called, clunking his way over on his cane. The old man looked tired. “Blessed be, I was praying your village would be safe with everything happening. Have you all heard the singing?”

“We’ll talk about it at dinner,” Tarnu’s mandibles clattered. “Things have happened, but they’re not for this company.”

Palidius’s face fell. “Ah. I understand young man. Was the trip here peaceful at least?”

“Oh, that was fine. No trouble the whole way. Our lanky friend’s still out there, but she’ll be fine.” Tarnu dropped his voice so others couldn’t hear. “Always a shame she can’t come to visit. Eyes sends her love.”

“Tell her it’s well received,” Palidius whispered back with a smile. “Alruna! Heard your cauldron got in just two days ago! You going to be making more potions for all of us?”

“Always, Palidius,” Alruna said with a smile and a laugh on her lips. “This pot is for food, I’m afraid. My alchemy cauldron is holding up fantastically for now. You will be the first to know if I spot any corrosion during cleansing. Our cook’s pot, however, is showing its age.”

“Oi,” an unfamiliar voice called out from the dining room. It was a mountain man covered in furs and his own hair. A nasty-looking scar that had taken off part of his nose cut across his cheeks, and startlingly clear green eyes glared at them. “You have people living out there? Get them the fuck here! Ain’t safe for no one without walls these days. Inviting disaster, you are.”

Alruna took a breath, preparing to retort when Ann stepped forward. Her lips split wide, showing off her teeth. “Who are you, friend?”

“Roswil. I’m a trapper in these parts,” Roswil stood as Ann approached, and found himself wanting when comparing heights. Still, he glared up at Ann with admirable firmness. “This land ain’t kind to no one at the best of times. This ain’t those times, girlie.”

Ann had to hold up a hand to stop Kat from decking the man then and there. She’d rather handle this peacefully. “Palidius, would you be a dear and get me a couple mugs of ale? You drink ale, right?”

“Sure do. That’s besides the point. If you have people out there, they’re in danger!”

“Roswil, you fool,” Ann heard Palidius mutter under his breath as he walked out to get the drinks. “At least it’s not Tarnu.”

“Listen Roswil,” Ann said, hooking a chair with her paw and taking a seat, facing Roswil across the empty space. “Come on, sit. Getting in a panic isn’t going to do anything. Alruna, care to join us? Grab a table.”

“Certainly.” Her tone was polite, but forced. With a gloved hand, she grabbed the edge of a medium-sized table. It was all wood and looked pretty hefty. The robed woman lifted it easily and set it down between them all.

“We’ve got a village out there, yeah,” Ann continued once Roswil had taken his seat. She adopted a casual drawl that people often associated with just being Canadian. “None of you townies know about it, though. We like it that way. Trust me when I say we’re very well defended. I’m more interested in what you’ve seen that’s got you so spooked.”

Roswil looked at Alruna, who only nodded. “Were danger at our doorstep, best we know about it now than have it strike us unawares.”

Roswil seemed to give up on cautioning them for now. Still, he leaned forward with his elbows on the table, hands clasped. “It’s a damn devil from the Frozen Hell, I tell ya.”

“Ye’ve seen it?” Kat asked, pulling her own chair up. The rest of the group slowly settled in to listen.

“Aye. Well, some of it. Thing was… it was hard to see. Not like that, it was too big or hidden, but I just couldn’t… see it that well. Like I would look at it, and my eyes would slide off the thing. Never felt anything like it before. Still, it was huge. Whatever the fuck it was, and writhed like snakes. Dar, and… and… the bodies.” Roswil chugged the mug Palidius had set out for him. The old innkeeper had brought out drinks for everyone and waited for Roswil to finish before taking it back for a refill.

“The bodies. I… I can’t. I’m sorry, I ran so Godsdamned fast after that. It was… it knew I was there. Something was in the trees, rustling around and… and…” he grabbed Ann’s tankard and started drinking more. If he hadn’t been drunk before, he was well on his way now. “The singing. It’s the same damn thing we hear at night sometimes. This was in the day, though! Sounded like my heart was breaking, it did. Can’t get it out of my head!”

Ann didn’t like using it on someone who didn’t know about the skill, but she used Stoke the Flames to try and drag his sense of calm out to balance his panic. The skill only worked with heightened emotions, though, so it had limited effects on the man. He just slumped a little, like he’d gotten tired. His fingers still clutched at the tankard.

“Alright, so it’s a creepy snake thing that has something to do with bodies in the woods that sings, eh?” Ann asked, keeping her voice calm and steady. There were non-magical ways to soothe someone. “Why haven’t there been requests out to the kingdom by now?”

“You all should get it. We take care of ourselves, for the most part. Folk don’t want to lean on out-of-towners for help. Shoot,” he said the word with an e somehow, “I’m usually one of them. After seeing that, and hearing the damn thing again and again? No. I want help from soldiers, heroes, mercs, whoever. I just want it to stop!” He fell forward into his hands, sobbing. Guess he was a lightweight as well.

Ann sighed, reaching over and rubbing his back as his shoulder shook. “Hey. You’ve seen how strong Alruna is, right? We’re all pretty strong. Got a mission to get something up in the mountains, but when we get back, we can deal with that thing. Or at least we can try.”

“Still, ye send a report out tae Indelholm. Shouldn’t be more than a four-day ride through the nights.” Kat rummaged in her pack and clinked four gold coins on the table. That finally got Roswil’s sniffling attention. “Ye give this tae a messenger an’ tell ‘em tae trade legs through the night. One per. Describe the thing like ye did here.”

“Where… small village?” Roswil blubbered, staring at the gold.

“Don’t worry about it. Take the help,” Kat growled.

Roswil didn’t object further and took the coins. “I’ll send it as soon as I’m sobered up. Thank you, miss…?”

“Steelslate,” Kat gave her fake surname.

“Illdall keep ya on your mission, Steelslate,” Roswil said as he stood and staggered up the stairs.

Everyone waited for him to get all the way gone. Ann sipped on her own ale that Palidius had graciously brought before he took Roswil’s seat.

“I apologise about him. He’s a good man most of the time, but he’s something of a coward. Too many tall tales,” the old man sighed.

“Boy who cried wolf, huh?” Ann chuckled into her cup.

Rosalyn poked her side and whispered, “Warped.” At least she knew what Ann was talking about this time. Some parables really were timeless.

“So the thing that was sending out those vines from our… encounter moved over here and changed?” Tarnu grumbled quietly. “Don’t like the sound of that.”

“Bad sign,” Lucia agreed. “Forests quiet. Bad omen.”

Rosalyn let go of her drink. She’d been happily drinking away. “She’s right. It was like when the Snail thing was in my woods. Nature gets reeeeal quiet when a big threat is in the area. Groundshakes, predators, storms, anything big enough to hit the whole area. Seeds shifting are about the only thing that doesn’t have some kind of forewarning. Well, actually, there are some times warning signs when a bunch of animals show up because of ecosystem displacement. Heck, my racial skill gives me a sense of dread when something’s about to happen, so I wonder if it’s magical? Do the little rabbits have magic? I’ve taken enough apart and haven’t found anything.”

“Sweetheart, they did that before I woke up here. That’s not magic. I think they can just feel things we can’t,” Ann laughed, patting Rosalyn’s hair affectionately.

“Well, we have got something to worry about while we are getting that Voltium node,” Bren groaned. “Gods willing, we manage to avoid it.”

“Until return,” Lucia nodded.

“Alright, we’ve got our things to do,” Ann grunted as she stood. “It’s a bit before dinner, right Palidius?”

“That’s right. We have some good pork tonight. All kinds. It’s my daughter’s recipe, and it’s scrumptious! See you all then. Tarnu, if you want to take your friend some, you’ll have to sneak back in. They’ve got the gates shut tight after dark.”

“They won’t notice a thing,” the hulking man laughed. “I’ll be careful.”

Alruna caught Ann’s wrist as she made to head out. “Annita, when the time comes, I would ask a favour of you.”

“Sure, what’s up?” Ann asked. The woman’s grip was even more steely than Kat’s somehow. She didn’t squeeze, thankfully.

“That potion reagent I need for Rosalyn’s request. I have brought along my portable kit as well as means to preserve freshness. Should you leave in the morning, I ask that you deliver a sample to me tonight.”

Ann’s cheeks flushed with heat at the brazen request. She caught Kat’s choked laugh as she guided Rosalyn away. “Yeah, I’ll get that uh… handled for you. Do you need it in anything specific?”

“Glass would be best. Do you possess an empty potion bottle?”

“Nah, gave them all back to you.”

Alruna pulled her pack beside her chair and pulled out two rather large glass globes with stoppers in their necks. “Will this be sufficient for your donation?”

Ann was pretty sure she could actually fill those with how much she unloaded in Kat and Rosalyn. Not to mention she was still sporting two dicks. She took the bottles. “Yeah. I can do that. You, uh, have fun with the, uh, collecting your stuff?”

Alruna gave her a confused look and nodded. “May Eas guide your steps on your own tasks.”

By the time they got out of the inn, Kat was barely controlling her laughter, which broke completely when the door closed. “Orenous’s Chosen blushin’ like a feckin’ virgin because o’ the actual virgin! Holy Orenous, this is too feckin’ funny!”

Ann gave her girlfriend’s armoured ass a swat, which just hurt her hand. Damn tank of a woman. “Shut up! She’s so damn innocent, it makes all of this so much more lewd. How does she do that?”

“I do not want to know,” Bren declared. He plugged his ears as they started walking. Kat kept harassing Ann the entire way to Minnie’s, and the blush on Bren’s cheeks told them that his efforts were futile. Either that, or Lucia was relaying their conversation in a way he couldn’t cut off.

The smithy’s door was closed, and the forge was cold when they got there. Ann didn’t know much about blacksmithing, but enough to know that a cold forge meant this place hadn’t been open today.

“Should we return tomorrow?” Bren suggested.

Ann walked up to the door and knocked, listening intently. Someone pushed a chair back and started walking her way. The footfalls were heavy.

Tarvis pushed open the door, the mute Grrn taking them all in. With a smile and a nod, he gestured them inside.

“I see we are expected,” Bren mumbled.