Earlier parts Here
Part 4
Odd encounters
Back at Lizard Isle, I go to the wise female so she can start teaching me ‘Translate’ this is going to be hard for both of us as we can only do it under the effect of the same spell. She will have to cast it on us multiple times a day over the week; I just hope I am intelligent enough to learn first time round. The others have to make the best use of their own time as they can as they can’t talk to the lizards without the wise female.
Leatony is challenged by the young males to hand to hand combat, using signs. Leatony wears his padding from his armour and the first male swipes its tail at Leatony but misses the nimble knight. Leatony then throws a punch which the lizard blocks with ease. Leatony kicks at the lizard hitting it in the abdomen and tripping it up. Leatony stands back as the lizard stands and moves back for the next brother to have a go.
This lizard waits upon Leatony attacking which he does with a punch which the lizard blocks. Leatony throws another punch which is going to miss and the lizard tries to parry it to gain an advantage but fails to do so. Leatony throws another punch the lizard can’t do anything and takes a powerful hit to its abdomen stunning him.
The third lizard falls back declining to take part after seeing his siblings taken out so easily. They have all learnt that a human knight is not to be messed with.
Yogi meanwhile has had his own troubles, he goes fishing, after all it is what he enjoys doing. Some of the lizard pups join him splashing around. The lizards suddenly start to shout, not that Yogi understands, looking around Yogi sees a bear, a bear growling lowly and flirting at him. It’s that she bear back again. She leaps at Yogi who stands his ground; the impact of her hitting him drives him to the bottom of the river with her on top. She thinks he is being submissive and is ready to mate, however again he changes his mind and backs away from her, as he does she swipes with her paw at him ripping along his right leg. He stops and tries to talk with her explaining that he is no longer wild and will not mate with her. He gives her some fish which she throws back at him as she stomps off.
The Lizards laugh at lot at Yogi after this, making rude gestures, while making sure not to get to close to him while doing it. For the rest of the weak Yogi and Leatony are followed around by the young ones watching them. At least my week was productive as, due to my brains, I learn the spell first go I can know talk to the giants if I can get close enough to them in the first place. Leatony asks me to cast it on the young to find out why they challenged him. ‘We just wanted some fun and to see if we could beat him’ they replied. We say goodbye and thank you and head back to Fordvill. We stay there two days catching up with the locals and any news. We hear a rumour that some knights with supporting yeoman raiding the road. The locals seem to know no more than that; however we feel that we should check it out on our way back to the city of Scancole and then Floudehoug. During the mornings travel we met two groups of travellers, merchants with others joining their caravan. I talk with them they have also heard the report of bandits, but then that is often so. This is why they are travelling in a big group rather than on their own.
As we move on Yogi scouts ahead of us particularly in the forest edge looking for tracks. Yogi follows some tracks and comes across an ambush site; two knights are standing over a third on the ground with two other bodies nearby. Yogi comes back to us and reports. I go with him to get a better look. The two knights are stripping the fallen one of his armour etc. I decide to use my magical ability to throw my voice using the spell ‘Ventriloquism’ to check out what’s going on without revealing myself. ‘Hold! Gentlemen, who are you and what are you doing? By the kings write that I hold declare yourselves.’ ‘Who dares ask’ comes the reply as they turn to face that side of the road. ‘I Cam herald of the crown’ I answer. They explain that they are local squires sent to hunt down the bandit knight by their lord of a nearby village. I move out from the other side of the road with Yogi and the knights turn in surprise. I praise them for their bravery and will make sure that the crown knows of their lord’s diligence. They finish striping the dead and go to ride off, ‘hold, you need to deal with the bodies not just leave them here.’ The squires retort that they are not simples and are not going to dig holes for anyone. I tell them that Yogi and I will put the bodies on the captures horses for them to take back for burial in their village.
Once back in Floudehoug I report to the authorities and we take three days of rest, to recover our magic power and Yogi’s wounds. Leatony who doesn’t need this time goes off to find a fishing boat to take us around the island. Unfortunately his reputation for risky adventure has gone before him and he can’t find anyone who wants to risk that voyage at all. None of the fishing folk want antlers and Leatony for all that he is a knight has little to trade with but his lance and fisherman do not need that. Leatony is a landless knight who hopes to marry Rozblack of Belin and gain her inheritance so he is no longer landless; this is why he does this quest for her.
When Yogi and I have rested he goes to see if he can get a fishing boat for us were Leatony failed. He talks with the fisher folk seeing what they need and soon realises that preserving their catch would be a boon. Yogi knows he can call on his god the Swordbrother to preserve the fish for some months and give time for salting or smoking for permanent preservation. This will give them less waste and more profit form their work. One master agrees before the others and he will gain the advantage, Yogi has to preserve for a month for them which will mean 30 days although due to the limits of magical power he might have to do this in short bursts.
Next day we head off on the fishing boat to the other side of Black Isle, the fishermen will not get closer than 2km so we need to row in a small boat the rest of the way, while the fishermen continue to fish till dusk when they return back to harbour. The weather is a bit stormy but we all manage to keep breakfast down as Yogi slowly rows us inshore. It takes about half an hour to reach within a few meters of the beach where we can see a bunch of small thistles who start to jump up and down as they sense us, very strange but we think they are forest Chardon’s. Leatony decides he can cast his spell from the boat rather than risking going ashore. The cliff is around 30m from the beach so within 40 to 50m of us.
Over the next ½ hour Leatony pulls upon the forces of nature to shape the cliff into some small steps. He manages 9 steps each time his spell works going up about 4 ½ meters of the cliff each time, eventually he reaches the top of the cliff, but is exhausted. Yogi rows us back to the fishing boat taking only 20 minutes. Once back on the boat we rest while the fishermen finish their days work and then Yogi casts ‘Preserve’ on their catch and then back to harbour. Once back at the city we rest for two days to recover our magical strength. After that rest time we head back out to sea on the same fishing boat. Again we have to row ashore but Yogi struggles with the current this time and I have to take over when he is close to collapse. I soon realise that we can’t make the shore and so we return to the fishing boat with Leatony rowing the last stretch. So after waiting for the men to do their fishing and Yogi ‘Preserving’ it we get back to the city again and this time we need to rest four days.
After our rest we head back out on the fishing boat to get dropped off again. However we do not quite make it. As we approach the area we see two big eyes looking at us from the water, then a body rises from the sea and 4 long thick tentacles reach for the boat. They attack each of us and a fisherman; it seems they are seeking food. For some reason Leatony is wearing his full armour ready for going ashore, he had better hope he isn’t knocked into the water. In a hectic frenzy of swinging tentacles and swords or claws we fight to survive. I move out of range to use my ‘Tire’ spell while Leatony and Yogi both manage injure a tentacle. So we manage to force the monster to sink back under the sea. As we have injuries to tend to and the fishermen are rather spoked we head back to the harbour again this time with a tall tale. Leatony needs a week and a day to recover from his wound before we can try again, this quest is proving tough.
A Christian Warrior 