My time in Lakemists was filled with study. When I wasn’t scribing new rituals to my book, I was reading books in my room. Caleb was very patient and helpful with me while I learned useful things like how to access the permanent portals of the Empire. He did warn however that I should not attempt to use the Wurmhaven portal without announcing the travel as it is busy and well guarded.
Since the encounter in the garden, I had felt most comfortable in my skin. After having been made to choose a fate for myself rather than to rely on chance with cards, I actually felt much stronger and confident in myself. Sehanine only wants her followers to decide their own destinies, and for too long I had allowed the cards to tie me down and dictate my life. It was a great awakening for me and for once my body matched what my heart had already decided.
I would arrive in Fellhaven as Lola, only taking small guidance from the cards. The day before I left Lakemists, I went to the market to pick up some of the fine fish I had seen on the ride in, and I would find a new gown that leaves no mystery to the figure beneath.
The days on the road to Fellhaven, I followed a merchant caravan. I stopped at small camps along the way. I heard talk of new business in Fellhaven and was expecting some improvements when I arrived. Naturally, I would be wearing unflattering riding clothes for the journey. One would not want to provoke attack.
Within a few hours of Fellhaven, I stopped to make myself presentable. I pulled my hair into low pigtails and put on my new gown. It was an airy summer dress that showed the scar on my side. I know very few people who have this sort of scar, and the ones who do, you don’t mess with. I hoped mine would convey a similar message to anyone who thought to stop the young gnome woman on her way to town.
As I got to the edge of town, I saw work being done. The town was not so much the holding area it had been when I left. People were moving around and something big was obviously beginning soon. I decided the best place to find out the story would be the shop. If the others weren’t there, Ogleby might still be around.
I’d been gone two weeks and the shop was open for business. As I rode up I could see my friends speaking with a well-dressed, sunny gentleman. As I got closer, I could clearly make out the Pelor emblem, and I assumed he had come from the temple. “Good, Corbin got some new guards,” I thought.
Kriv was the first to notice me as I rode up. He did a double take. Iceborn looked over and his jaw dropped. As I greeted my friends and introduced myself to Helios, the new cleric in town, Iceborn anxiously thumbed his broken horn. Cherry arrived after me, and we smiled and waved. From my saddle, I quickly answered some questions about my trip and had a few answered about the town.
The guys had been organizing an event to bring in some business and scout new potential guards for the town. There was a festival beginning in the morning complete with a tournament. Unarmed, unarmored combat, those who climb their way to the top of the tournament ladder earn the chance to fight Fellhaven’s own dragonborn dragon slayer and possibly win a golden dragon trophy of their very own. Cherry had been out posting fliers all around and such a flier caught Helios’ attention.
When conversation slowed for a moment, I leaned over to my crew, “I found a silver dragon.”
“What?” Kriv asked, “Where?”
“In the garden at Lakemists. A full-grown one.”
“Like the size of that white?”
“Bigger. It’s sleeping there.”
“We’ll have to kill it while it’s sleeping!” Iceborn chimed in. Everyone looked at him like he was crazy.
“Silver!” I said, pulling my gown shut over my chest, “A good dragon.”
“Oh…Oh, silver…sorry,” he stuttered. “Well, it could help us then!”
At this point, Iceborn’s attention drifted to another wagon that had just arrived. The pimp from Woodwell and his ladies had arrived for the festival. Iceborn went off to tend to some urgent business and Kriv informed me that the crew was now staying at the mayor’s old house while trying to fix the town.
I rode out to the estate and rested up for the festival. Lomweg was glad to finally stretch his wings and I was happy to be back among friends. I slept wonderfully that night.
