Rishmond woke early the next morning despite having gone to bed in the early morning hours. Excitement at the prospect of the expedition energized him. He and his little family had all walked home from the meeting hall around one in the morning, quiet and somber. Rishmond had been excited even then, but tired after the long day full of ups and downs. He alternated back and forth between excited for the journey and apprehensive because Illiar would be coming along. He tried to force that from his mind. So she'd be along, that wasn't the end of the world and at least he was going. That was enough really. He's make the best of it and he'd do his best to ignore Illiar as much as he could.

Toby had been so tired when they got home he'd not even responded when Rishmond wished him a good night. Well, he'd be up soon and then they could talk about the trip and talk about what wonders Rishmond would see in distant lands. It was too bad Toby couldn't go too, but it just wasn't the place for someone so young and without his own magic.

Rishmond always tried to avoid thinking about Toby having no magic. It was a sore spot for Toby, that was for certain. He got into fights fairly regularly due to not having magic. Kids had a tendency to make fun of others who were different and Toby took offense. Rishmond couldn't really blame him. Truth be told Rishmond had been in one or two scrapes because someone brought up Toby's disability in a disrespectful manner. 

Rishmond gathered his things in quiet, trying not to wake the rest of the house. It was pretty much guaranteed Halmond would be up in soon and Beritrude right behind him. Toby was likely to sleep in, as he often did. Rishmond had to go rouse him most mornings. He packed several changes of clothes in his oversized pack, the one Tybour had given him as a gift the day Hal and Berti had officially adopted Toby and him. That had been a good day. 

The pack already contained much of what he would need, he kept it packed with his tools, writing utensil, paper and mess kit as well as extra socks, boots and other things he'd learned to take along on his occasional trips with Tybour. A small survival kit Hal had helped him assemble took up the bottom of the bag all of it packed together in a waterproof metal box with two strong clasps. The hunting knife hung on the outside of the bag and various travel necessities occupied the numerous outside pockets. Travel bread wrapped in waxed cloth was always in the cover flap pocket. Rishmond was actually quite proud of his travel kit, it had everything Hal had taught him he'd need and a bunch of things Tybour and experience had taught him as well. 

Rishmond lightly bopped Torg on his head as he completed his packing and neatened his room. Berti would not let him live it down if he were to leave his bed unmade and his room untidy when he left. He'd already caused her enough distress yesterday, he was loath to cause any more. Torg came to life with an odd popping sound, like a boot heel hitting a wet wooden floor. "Good morning Torg!  How are you this morning? Ready to get underway?"

"Wizard Rishmond. Good morning to you. Yes, but we won't be going anywhere until late this afternoon, am I correct? Has the timeline changed?"

"No, I'm just excited to go. Probably not the same for you." Rishmond smiled at Torg, he found his odd mix of naivety and extensive knowledge amusing. The little guy had grown on him quite quickly. He supposed he could be transferring feelings of gratefulness on to the golem due to his being responsible for Rishmond's being allowed to go on this trip. Even if that were true, it didn't change the fondness Rishmond felt for the crystal golem.

Rishmond headed outside to the little storage area under the porch to retrieve his camp shovel and stool. He might not need them, but then again, better to have them and not need them than not have them and need them. He instructed Torg to wait in the room for him, that he'd be back in just a minute.

He heard Halmond exit the little house just as he stepped out of his room. He walked carefully down the hall to the kitchen and out the back door, following behind Halmond. Rishmond stepped carefully to avoid the creaky boards in the mud room near the back door. 

The sky was just starting to turn red with the rising sun as he stepped outside to the small porch off the back of the house. Halmond stood at the top of the stairs down to the ground, holding a heavy ceramic mug that steamed in the cool air. Dark still held on to most of the yard below and the houses and yards beyond. Small sounds made by a few fishermen trying to be quiet as they left for the sea and a day of fishing. A roster crowed in the middle distance. 

"Good morning, Rishmond," Hal said quietly, his deep voice almost a growl. "Did you sleep ok?"

"Yes, sir, I did. It did take me a little while to get to sleep, but I slept well once I was able to drift off."

"Hmmph," Hal snorted with understanding. "You understand what happened last night, yes?"

"I.. I think so," said Rishmond, a bit unsure to what Halmond was referring.

"Berti gave in only because she had to. She is not happy about it. She wasn't opposed to your going because you are young, but because she won't be able to keep and eye on you. She hasn't had you around for very long and she, like me, have grown quite fond of you. We both love you and want only what is best for you."

"Yes, sir. I understand," and he did. He knew they loved him. He also knew a single turn with someone you love was never enough. He felt guilty once again for wanting to go, but that didn't change the overwhelming need and excitement he felt at going on this journey. He knew it was the right thing and he knew something great was going to happen.  He would return soon a hero and a man. He would make Berti and Hal proud of him. "I don't look forward to leaving any of you behind, but I must go, I know it is the right thing for me."

"Berti and I know it too, Rishmond. This is your destiny, that much is clear. That doesn't make us like it, but we both accept it. We both wish this could have been put off by a turn or two, but mortals do not make time, we only accept the passing of it and do the best we can with what we are given." Halmond paused for a  moment, turning and placing his free hand on Rishmond shoulder, bending over to put his eyes on a level with Rishmond's. "Promise me now that you will do as Bantore and Illiar say. Promise me that you will keep yourself safe, despite any of Tybour's machinations. Use your ridiculous luck to keep out of trouble and return to us." He paused again. "Promise me."

"I promise. As all the Gods are my witness and from the bottom of my heart of hearts, I promise. I will return safe and sound." Rishmond put every ounce of meaning and sincerity he could muster into that statement. "I will make you all proud."

"Oh, Rishmond," Berti rushed forward from the kitchen door and threw herself at Rishmond, wrapping her arms around him. "We are already proud of you. You are a good man. Never doubt that we are proud of you already. Keep safe and do not worry about making us proud." He voice broke and she sniffled and hugged him harder. Halmond stepped in close and took them both in his strong arms. The hug lasted for long moments and the darkness of the early hour was mostly dissipated by the sun's rays by the time they broke the embrace.

Rishmond wiped at his face, clearing the tears that had slipped out somehow. "Gotta go get my shovel and stool. Should I cook breakfast this morning? I can get Toby out of bed and then start on some sweetdate griddle cakes if you want?" He started down the stairs for the storage area under the porch.

"Sure, that sound great Rish." Beritrude's voice sounded thick with emotion.

"Yes, that would be nice. Also, you will need to deal with Toby before you head off to the docks to meet up with Tybour and your entourage." Halmonds tone was hard to read, not amused really, but more a warning that something was going on there and Halmond was interested in watching it unfold.

Rishmond tapped on Toby's door, lightly at first and then much harder when he got no response. "Toby! Get up! I'm about to cook your favorite breakfast!" He waited for a response but got none. "Toby!" Rishmond yelled louder this time. "C'mon!  Time to get your lazy butt out of bed!"

Rishmond waited a few beats before opening the door and stepping into Toby's room. Light leaked past the shutters that were still drawn, casting the room in pools of shadow and light. Two piles of clothes lay on the floor and the light jacket Toby wore last night was thrown over the chair that was pulled out at an angle from the small desk. Toby was never the neatest person Rishmond knew. Toby sat in bed, tucked back in the corner deep in a shadow, his body turned toward the wall. 

"Hey. You Ok? You wanna come down for breakfast? I'm cooking some sweetdate griddle cakes and we'll have sausage as well."

"I'm not hungry. Go away," Toby pouted. He turned further toward the wall, wrapping his arms and a blanket around himself.

"Hey. I know you're tired, we all are, it was a late night, but we gotta be up and we have things to do before I leave this afternoon."

"I said get out!" Toby threw a pillow at Rishmond with great force. "Just get out!"

"Hey!  What the hell? You that grumpy just from a late night? Don't be rude!" Rishmond stopped on his approach to Toby's bed. "What's the matter with you?"

"Who says there is anything the matter with me? Maybe you're the one who's got a problem!" Toby yelled into the corner. "Just get out of my room! I don't want you in here!"

"I just came in to get you up so you don't miss breakfast. You don't want breakfast than you don't have to have breakfast! Damn! You're in a mood this morning. What the hell is your problem?" Rishmond found himself getting pissed off at Toby. This was a big day for Rishmond and Toby had to be in a mood! Toby continued to pout silently in the dark corner of his bed. "Fine! Stay in your room then!"

Rishmond picked up the pillow from where it had landed after hitting him and he threw it back at Toby, hard. The pillow flew through the air and struck Toby hard enough it actually cause him to fall forward into the wall, hitting it with his head.

"Hey!" Toby scrambled up and out of his bed, shedding his blanket. He dove from the bed at Rishmond, wrapping his arms around him and trying to take him to the ground.

Rishmond fell with Toby on top, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy and attempting to wrench him off and to the floor. The two wrestled for a moment on the floor before Toby punched Rishmond in the face, fattening his lip and causing it to bleed. Rishmond retaliated, driving his elbow across Toby's face, knocking him back towards the bed and dresser.

"Boys!" Halmond's deep voice raised to a yell startled them both in the pause of the fight. "Take it outside if your gonna fight like that!" This was not the first time the two had tussled in the house and the rule was, if you were going to fight and maybe break something, you took it outside, and you fought fairly and within the rules that Halmond and Beritrude had laid down almost a turn ago. If you didn't, Halmond would see the fight ended quickly with neither of the boys winning. Halmond would never hurt either of them, but he was big and strong and could hold both boys pretty much motionless if he wanted to.

Rishmond stood and backed up to the desk, bumping the chair out of his way with a loud scraping sound. He lifted one hand to his face and touched his split lip, it was already hurting and swollen. He glared at Toby across the room, the light still dappled the room through gaps in the shutters so he was hard to see in the darkness behind a beam of sunlight. One of his hands was up over his left eye.

"Look Toby. I don't know what your problem is here, but I just came to be nice and get you up for breakfast, you're the one who started this. Why are you so grumpy today?"

"Like you don't know." Toby's voice was muffled behind his hand and Rishmond thought he sounded like he was crying. He didn't hit him that hard. He'd taken much worse before. "Why do you always get the special treatment and whatever the hell you want? What the hell makes you so special?"

Toby practically screamed the last question, stepping into the beam of light cutting across the room. His face was flush and his eye was already swelling, a bit of blood showed on his cheek just below his eye and his nose was bleeding. Tears flowed down his cheeks and a vein stood out on his forehead with the force of his yelling.

"What are you talking about? How do I always get my way? Are you talking about this trip with Torg and Tybour?" Rishmond tried to be calm but found his voice getting louder and louder. This wasn't his fault! He didn't do any of this on purpose. Of course Toby was jealous, he always was when it involved Tybour. He didn't like that Rishmond was more Tybour's friend than his. Not Rishmond's fault!

Toby shrank back against the dresser behind him. "You don't even care that I can't go. You're happy I won't be along to slow you down and get in the way when you and Tybour want to throw magic around. I know I embarrass you because I can't do any magic! I thought I was your best friend!"

Rishmond calmed himself and tried to speak normally, "Of course you are my best friend. You know that. Me going on this trip won't change that at all. But even best friends have to be apart sometimes. Remember that story Halmond told us about when he had to go Dragor Island for the King and Bantore couldn't go? They remained best friends even after having to be apart for two whole turns. Friendship, especially friendship like ours, doesn't fade because of distance, it'll make ours even stronger, like Hal and Bantore."

Toby didn't seem to be done being mad yet. "Bullshit! You want to go and leave me behind!" His voice was much quieter than it had been. 

Halmond stood by the door watching, letting the boys work it out but keeping an eye out and silently supporting them both. Beritrude stood just outside the doorway to Toby's room, quietly watching, a few tears falling down her cheeks. 

"I can't tell you that I don't want to go, Toby. You know I do. I have a chance here to do something great, I know it. If I could take you with me I would, but it's not your time yet. I have to go because of Torg, but you know I want to do this, to help bring back the Gods. I will miss you and I won't be able to have any fun anyway what with Bantore and Iliar there, you know that, so it's not like I'll be having fun. They'll probably make me do lessons and practice the horn every night were traveling, even during storms on the sea. Illiar will try to make me learn Uhl again, you know, just in case I ever run into a desert tribesman who doesn't speak Halconian...." Rishmond trailed off as he saw Toby almost crack a smile at their inside joke.

"It doesn't excuse you for going off to have adventures and leaving the rest of us behind. You're selfish and boorish and as much an egomaniac as the king of the Merion!" Toby teased Rishmond, only half serious about the selfish part. "It's not fair and nothing you say will make it so, but I guess it's not ALL your fault."

"Hmmph," snorted Hal, apparently pleased at their dealing with their feelings in a way he mostly approved of.

"Oh my Gods," muttered Berti, "save me from the feelings of men..." She turned and walked back up the hallway to the kitchen and dining room, exasperated but happy enough that the two boys were at least partially dealing with their feelings.

"Clean yourselves up and come to breakfast. Rishmond, you promised griddle cakes and you won't step one foot out of this house until we have them. Neither of you hurt too bad?"

"No, sir," chorused Rishmond and Toby together.

"Ok then. Breakfast, make it quick." Halmond left the room headed to the kitchen.

Rishmond began picking up Toby's clean clothes from the pile on the floor, moving the whole pile to the bed and beginning to fold them. "Sorry for the elbow."

"Hey. You don't have to fold my clothes, I was gonna get to that," protested Toby weakly, beginning to help Rishmond. "Sorry about the lip."

They folded the clothes together quickly and then picked up the dirty clothes and moved them to the hamper. 

Rishmond headed to the bathroom first while Toby hung up his jacket and changed out of his sleeping attire. Toby joined Rishmond and they washed up quickly, disinfecting their cuts and bandaging the cut under Toby's eye. The tension was still there, but much less and both boys knew this may be the last day in a long while they would have time to spend together.

Rishmond cooked breakfast and they all ate. The four of them joked and talked during breakfast and the clean up afterwards almost as if it were a normal day, but the spectre of the expedition hung in the air like a light fog on a fall morning.

A small rodent crawled carefully from under Toby's bed and listed to the group down the hall, absorbing words without understanding them, its beady eyes constantly shifting and its whole body nearly vibrating with anxiety and wariness. As the sound of the clean up in the kitchen began to die down, the small brown creature snuck back under Toby's bed and out of the house through the tiny hole in the floor, down into a burrow in the ground it went, headed back to report what it had learned to its master.

After the clean up was done, the family sat down at the table and Hal and Berti presented Rishmond with a gift. Rishmond unwrapped the soft package. Inside was a dark green tunic that caught the morning light and shimmered a hundred different hues of green. The material was soft to the touch, but tough and waterproof. A hood folded into a pocket in the collar of the tunic. Four large pockets with dark green buttons to close and hold the flaps covered the front of the tunic and multiple small pockets covered the inside front. The cloth was imbued with glittergreen! This must have cost Hal and Berti quite a pretty penny!

"Thank you! Thank you so much! This is wonderful! You guys didn't have to do this!" Rishmond was overcome with emotion and excitement. This was exactly what he needed for a trip like this! And it would make his use of magic that much easier and better with the glittergreen right in the fabric. He could feel the built up lotret in the tunic already. He put it on and it fit perfectly! Well, maybe a little large, but that was just room to grow into.

Torg stood by and watched, silently but Rishmond watched as the magic flow inside of him increased when he tried on his new green tunic. The sparks in his brain increased dramatically as the little golem watched Rishmond model the new garment for his family.

Toby was still angry with the situation, but not so much at Rishmond anymore apparently and presented his own gift once the gushing over the new tunic ceased.

"I want you to have this,  to take it with you," Toby handed Rishmond a small, hand-carved wooden horse, worn and discolored from being caried in Toby's pocket for turns.

Rishmond looked at the little horse, knowing what it meant to Toby, the last thing he had, the only thing he had from his father. "Toby.. I.. I can't. This is too important to you. I love that you wanted to give this to me, but it means too much to you for me to take it." Rishmond held the little horse up and admired it before attempting to hand it back to Toby.

"I want you to have it Rish. It does mean a lot to me and I know you know how much, but it doesn't mean more to me than you do. Knowing you have this with you will make me feel like maybe a part of me is going with you and that you having it means you won't forget that I am home without you. Besides, its good luck and we all know you need all of that you can get." Toby smiled at Rishmond and refused to take the little carving back. "Please, Rish. Keep it with you. Return it to me when you get back and then it will be good luck for both of us."

Rishmond pulled his hand back and looked at the little horse, then around at the makeshift family he'd found himself in. "I think it has already been the best luck we could have possibly had. Thank you, Toby.  I will keep it safe."

Everyone's eyes teared up and they all smiled at each other, Beritrude reached out her hand and took Toby's across the table while taking one of Halmond's with her other hand. They each linked hands around the little table and sat in silence for a long moment.

"Alright then," said Toby, breaking the silence and blinking away his tears. "Enough of that. We all know Rishmond's just gonna cry like a baby if we sit here any longer. No one wants to see that." He stood from the table, releasing the hands he held. "Let's get Rishmond to the boat and out of here so he can get back quickly. Torg?" Toby turned to the golem standing quietly near the wall, "Did you get everything packed you need?  Clean underthings?  And a jacket for cold nights? Oh! Right! Not a person! Ha!" His attempt at levity was poor, but the others laughed anyway.

"I do not have anything to pack as I do not own anything, and I have no need of underthings or a jacket," Torg responded. His deadpan response elicited real laughter from the family. 

It only took an hour for Beritrude to unpack everything Rishmond had already carefully packed, inventory it to satisfy her need to know exactly what he had packed and provide her with a chance to correct anything wrong with it. Nothing was wrong and everything went back exactly as it had come out, with the exception of one old shirt Rishmond refused to part with but Berti had been trying to get him to throw away for months. "You'll take the a new one, the red one with the acradious flower print. No argument." She said firmly. Rishmond did not protest, but Toby noticed the old shirt missing from the bed where Berti had thrown it when they finally all left Rishmond's room. Rishmond was the last to leave, tugging the blanket on his bed one more time to remove imaginary wrinkles and straightening some paper on his desk that was already straight.

The family and Torg piled into their wagon, pulled by a pair of squat, muscular horses, an upgrade from the small cart Hal and Berti owned when the boys first arrived in Retinor. The new wagon provided room for all four of them to sit and still have room for various cargo. The horses were more difficult to handle and deal with than the goat, but Rishmond had developed a kind of grudging respect with them over the past 6 months. The horses were ornery and stubborn, liking nothing more than biting a person when their back was turned, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to leave sizable bruises. He'd discovered they hated the smell of tamborn fruit, the sharp rotten smell of the fruit irritated their noses and caused them to sneeze, so Rishmond taught himself to magically generate the smell whenever they bit him and they eventually stopped. Now they got along, mostly, likely also do to his feeding them a sugar cube or two a day to curry favor. Both horses had taken to Toby from day one for some reason and that did slightly irritate Rishmond so he told himself it must be because Toby more often that not smelled like a horse.

They arrived shortly at the dock where the two big military ships lay waiting to start their journey. A crowd of people worked to load the ships with various cargo including several horses and a few wagons. Most of the cargo had already been placed aboard, it would only be minutes before the ships were prepared to cast off. A small group of people, many in the military uniform of the Malminar Army with the colors of the Phoenix Company emblazoned on their cloaks and the crest of the Phoenix in flight on their breast, milled about at the head of the dock. Rishmond looked about for Tybour or Haningway but didn't see either in the crowd.

Halmond pulled the wagon up in front of a long warehouse with the big doors facing the sea open wide, people and goods moving out toward the ships. Halmond guided the horses to an empty hitch to one side of the open doors, pulling the wagon to a stop and jumping down to hitch the horses. Beritrude climbed gracefully down on the other side and motioned to the boys to get down from the cart. A young beastman who looked to be of one of the feline tribes stepped up to Beritrude and gave a small bow. "I've been told to escort you to the briefing room. If you would follow me?"

"Of course," said Beritrude. "C'mon boys, this nice Sergeant will be guiding us to the briefing room. Hal! Help Torg out of the wagon and let's get moving."

Toby and Rishmond moved to the back of the wagon to help the short legged little crystal golem out, but by the time they made there way to the back, Torg had lowered the gate and jumped to the ground, the heavy sound of his feet hitting the ground sounded like a boulder being dropped on hard packed dirt, which it king of was Rishmond thought.

"Go ahead Berti! I will take the trunk to the cargo specialist. I'll be there shortly. Yes, I'll be able to find it!" Halmond smile fondly at Berti, waving to them to go ahead and follow the Sergeant.

They walked into the warehouse through the big open doors, the activity inside seemed to be even more frantic than that outside. They crossed a large open space to a set of open frame stairs that lead up to a room about 15 feet up on the side of the warehouse wall. They climbed to the platform in front of the door to the room and the sergeant stepped to one side, pulling the door open and gesturing them inside. Torg's footsteps sounded heavy and solid against the wooden stairs.

Inside was a long table scattered with unfurled maps in full color. Various paper weights, statuettes, markers and other tools lay around and on the various maps, Rishmond recognized a detailed map of Malminar and the Salt Marshes. The back wall of the room was covered floor to ceiling with a map of the continent of Halconiket, the Demonlands clearly marked by a heavy red line striking across the land from north to south. Various colored pins stuck out of the map seeming to denote places of interest and various towns and cities.

"Ah! Rishmond and family! Come in! Come sit. Here if you would." The beastman of the otter clan from the meeting hall last night greeted them and gestured to them, pulling out a hard-backed wooden chair about halfway down the table. Several other chairs were occupied up and down the table with people Rishmond recognized from last night, all in chairs on the opposite side of the table from the map wall. "Please sit here and once Tybour and VanLief arrive, we will get started. Would you like a cold drink? Perhaps some sweet acradious juice? Or some tea? We have some raspberry drink as well if preferred for the young ones?"

Rishmond hesitated for just a moment as he saw the person sitting next to the chair the beastman had pulled out. Illiar, sitting there as if she belonged among these important people! That was unfair, she was going along on this trip, and she was competent as a Wizard and quite capable in a fight, as good as most of the Phoenix Company recruits. And she was smart. And beautiful. Wait. Where did that thought come from? Sure, she was beautiful, but that was none of Rishmond's concern. She was here to babysit him and to annoy him. Nothing to be done about that now, he'd have to figure out how to avoid her as much as possible once they got under way. He was every bit as smart as she was, so he was sure he would manage it.

"Rishmond," her strong silky voice cut through the noise of the room. She stood, pushing her chair to the side and smiling at Rishmond. His heart caught for just a moment. Why did she have such an effect on him? Her pointed, red furred ears twitched as if she could hear his heartbeat increase at the sound of his name on her lips. "I saved this seat next to me for you. Will you come sit next to me? You can tell me all about how you found your little friend there. Can he come stand near us?"

Beritrude, Rishmond, Toby and Torg all moved across the room, the few people still standing around moving out of the way to let them pass to where Illiar stood next to the otter-man Wizard.

"Welcome Bar family and friend. Torg it is?" The Wizard didn't pause for confirmation. "I am Wizard Teilmein Hareway, but you can all call me Teil, please." He held the chair for Beritrude as she sat, he moved quickly to pull the chair to left of her out for Toby. Toby went directly to Illiar and practically jumped into her arms. She caught him and they hugged like long lost friends. Rishmond's emotions flashed through many he didn't have time to recognize before setting on annoyance that his best friend and brother had the gall to be mad at him for being friends with Tybour but he could be so friendly with someone who so obviously took such pleasure in annoying Rishmond!

"Toby! How are you! I missed you Smushy!" Illiar had a million little pet names for Toby, that too annoyed Rishmond to no end.  Just call him by his name, its not like it was all that long or hard to remember!

Toby and Illiar released their strangle holds on each other and Toby exclaimed over how great Illiar looked, commenting on the deeper shade of red of her spring coat coming in and asking where she'd acquired her fashionable leather waistcoat. Finally he stepped aside to move to the chair on the other side of Beritrude. Illiar stepped forward and leaned down to hug Beritrude, both exclaiming that the other looked so healthy and fantastic. 

Rishmond stepped over to the chair apparently reserved for him, next to Illiar, braced but not really ready for the inevitable hug. Illiar pulled him in tight, wrapping her arms around him. She hugged him much tighter than he would have liked.  He could feel her breasts beneath her waistcoat and shirt, pressing into his chest. He could smell her, the slight muskiness, the flowery scent of a forest in spring bloom. His arms encircled her waist almost of their own accord and the feel of her made his heart race and other parts of him respond as well. He broke the hug quickly. She was only doing this to annoy him, like she had always done since they first met. She was almost a full two turns older than him and she'd always known just how to make him squirm. He sat quickly in his chair afraid his body would betray him. "Hello, Illiar. I hope you are well. How is your father? And your Mom?"

Illiar paused for just a moment before sitting in her own chair and scooting it forward under the table and toward Rishmond, too close. Their legs touched under the table and Rishmond was acutely aware of the warmth of her leg against his. She leaned slightly toward Rishmond, her shoulder pressing firmly against his as she spoke quietly to him. "So, family is fine. I'd ask about yours, but it appears they will all be here for this briefing. Her throaty chuckle caught Rishmond off guard and he looked in her direction. Their faces were very close and he could see the golden flecks in her brown eyes and the dark brown spot on her right iris that looked like a small dark brown island in a sea of golden brown. The moment seemed to stretch on for far too long.

The moment was broken when Wizard Teilmein said to Rishmond, "So, can you tell us again how you found the golem? I could hear it again and several at the table haven't heard it yet. Tybour says he is delayed for a bit, so we have time for your to regale us all with the story."

Rishman pulled back from Illiar at the same time as she pulled away from him, suddenly the otter-like face of the little wizard was far too close to both of theirs. 

Rishmond scooted his chair back towards Beritrude, opening some space between him and Illiar. He caught a glance of her face as she too adjusted her seat, making a space between them. Her cheeks seemed rosey, no doubt from trying to hold the laughter in that she felt at making Rishmond so uncomfortable. She was good at that.  Too good.

"Of course," said Rishmond. "Torg?" he gestured toward the little golem, waving him forward into the space between him and Illiar. He spoke next to the room in general as the talking died down and almost everyone in the room suddenly focused on him. "His name is Torg. He is what is called a golem. As he tells it, golems can be made of many different things, he happens to be made of crystal and as far as he knows he is the only one of his kind. He was a servant to the God Denisisie."

Murmurs from around the table, repeating the unfamiliar word 'golem'. Rishmond continued, "My friends and I," a commotion at the door interrupted him and Cantor walked in with an older man with long white hair, tattoos on his exposed skin and wearing several long beaded necklaces. Rishmond thought he looked like one of the desert people from the Tribes of Uhl. He moved immediately away from Cantor to the corner of the room behind the door, planting his feet a bit apart and crossing his muscular arms across his chest, focusing on Rishmond with piercing blue eyes. Cantor stepped forward towards Rishmond and took the empty seat on the other side of Illiar. The two exchanged greetings and clasped hands like old friends. Rishmond stared at Cantor for a brief moment. She'd cleaned up and no longer looked like the tomboy who hung out with a group of boys and lead adventures into the forest, getting as dirty and muddy as the boys. Her hair was clean and plated into two thick braids on either side of her head, her clothes were neat and tidy and tight enough to show of her slim figure. Rishmond was caught off guard, realizing he was seeing Cantor as a girl for the first time since he'd known her. Cantor took her seat on the other side of Illiar saying, "I'm sorry, please continue Rishy. We were held up by a bunch of people who came to see this expedition off."

"Wizard Rishmond, are you ok?" asked Torg. "Your heart rate has increased greatly, just as it did when you embraced this other young lady... "

"Yes! Yes! Of course I am OK!" Rishmond rushed to cut Torg off. "Just annoyed at being interupted is all... Now, where was I?"

Rishmond looked down at his hands on the table as if trying to think of where he'd left off in the story.

"You had just begun to tell everyone here how you found me." Torg's emotionless voice calmed Rishmond's mind and he looked at the golem and placed a hand on his square shoulder.The coldness of the golem still shocked him every time he touched him. The magic flowing threw him and the very live way he interacted made Rishmond expect to feel the warmth of a living being instead of the cold hardness of crystal.

"Yes. As I was saying, my friends and I had planned a little adventure at the cove north of the city where we and others have found interesting things washed ashore or caught in the tide pools there. We got there in the early afternoon started to explore, not finding much at first. We did find a small turtlehorse stuck in a tide pool too small for it, so we all pitched in and helped carry it down to the water and let it go free. It was a big female and we think it was loaded with eggs." He realised he was rambling about details not pertinent to the story. "After we let her back into the ocean, everyone returned to searching tide pools but I thought I would take Toby and go along the water to look for heavier things that might have been washed up on the sand. It didn't take long before I spotted something shiny sticking a bit up out of the sand. It looked like a piece of quartz or something partly buried in the sand, so Toby and I went over and began to dig it out, it was much bigger than we thought at first. As we dug, we realised whatever it was it was pretty big, and soon it looked like we had found some sort of small statue of a person, buried upside down.  We called the rest of the team over," he was proud of that turn of phrase, calling the little gang of friends a team, "and we all worked to dig the statue out. It turns out that what was buried in the sand was this guy here," he gestured to Torg.

"Torg's a lot heavier than he looks and there were a number of rocks and things we had to work around only using our hands, so it took us until sundown to get him out. We were supposed to be home before dark, but we were sure what we'd found was important enough that we needed to get it free and find a way to drag it home."

"Once we got Torg free of the sand we began to clean him off and discuss how we'd get him home. The cleaning was taking a long time, there are crevices and stuff that the sand was stuck down into, and even pouring sea water over him just wasn't doing the job, so I used a spell Tybour had taught me to remove the dirt and grime from him. That's when he suddenly came to life and began to talk to us. He said he was able to walk, so we headed home and you all know the rest of the story when we met in the meeting hall."

"So, he was just there on the beach, with a foot?..." Illiar asked, looking at Rishmond for confirmation that it was a foot of Torg sticking out ot the sand, "ok, a foot, sticking out the sand? And he'd been there for 300 turns or so?"

"Yes. that is what happened," replied Rishmond just a bit defensive. "The tide was lower than normal, so I'd say he was in a place that would normally be under water most of the time."

"Interesting.  Odd to say the least. Very lucky you found him then. Of course with your luck Rishmond, I suppose that is to be expected."

Illiar turned slightly toward Torg. "So, what is your story?  What is the last thing you remember before Rishmond woke you up?"

"Hello, I am Torg. What is your name?" Torg's response seemed to be unexpected by Illiar.

"Illiar."

"Ah, yes, Rishmond spoke of you shortly last night. My last memory before Rishmond awakened me was me suspending my operations for an evening over 300 turns ago. I had completed my inspection of the compound and the island and returned to the entry alcove to await my Mistresses return. The next time I was aware and operational was when Rishmond and his friends found me and returned me to operational.  At that point my instructions took over and I became aware of the Wizard Rishmond's worthiness and that Denisisie had not yet returned, so I became beholden to Wizard Rishmond and here we are now."

"Right," said Illiar in a slightly suspicious tone. "So how did you get from this island to the beach where Rishmond and friends found you?"

"How is he supposed to know that, Illiar, if he was not operational?" asked Cantor in a calm measured voice.

"I don't know, but maybe Torg has a guess? Or might he be able to record what goes on around him while not operational?" Illiar turned her head back toward Torg from Cantor's direction.

"I have multiple modes of offline mistress, some are like light sleep, where I am aware of what goes on around me, but the one I was in that evening is the deep sleep that allows me to recharge the magic that keeps me operational. I must sleep in this manner every so often to maintain my operational status. I have no way of knowing how I got to where Wizard Rishmond found me."

"So, you mentioned an island and a compound?" Illiar began a new line of questioning, one not started by anyone last night. "What island..." Before she could continue Tybour, Haningway, Bantore, and Norft came through the door into the briefing room, arguing among themselves. 

"I don't care what else has to be moved, put it on the Porpoise. Stack something on the Emberly's Pride if you have to. This is the perfect opportunity to test it out," said Tybour firmly. Norft swallowed whatever he was about to say on seeing the gathered crowd all looking at the newcomers. 

"Yes, sir," was all he said after a small pause.

Tybour made his way matter of factly around the table to stand between it and the large map on the wall. He didn't even seem to register that the entire room was gathered and waiting on his arrival. He launched right into his briefing.

"Everyone should have arrived by now. Soldiers and Wizards from Phoenix Company are already on board along with almost all the supplies and horses.  Wagons are all on the Porpoise and the military equipment and Phoenix Company soldiers will travel aboard the Emberly's Pride. We don't expect to run into trouble, but it's better to be prepared than not." 

Tybour picked up the map pointer and moved to the side to touch its end against Retinor on the map. "We will sail north and east from Retinor out to sea one hundred miles to a safe distance to pass the Salt Marshes and its effect on the ocean at its estuary, we will continue north following the coast line for about one thousand miles to the small coastal trading town of Swarve on the coast of The Reaches. We will disembark there and begin our overland trek to the Glittergreen Mountains. Once we arrive at the mines there, a small number of us will enter the mines with protection against the mind bending forces in the mountains. Even given the protections, we will only be able to spend three nights there before we will need to leave as well or risk madness. The party who will enter the mine will consist of myself, Rishmond, the golem, Haningway, Bantore, Captain Unto, and a few Altemen members of the Phoenix Company. We estimate the entire trip there will take twenty days providing the weather cooperates. Questions?" Tybour looked around the room fully expecting there to be no questions.

"Do we expect to have accomplished the mission after two days in the mines? And are we sure we must go in the mines? Will we then return directly back here to Retinor?" The older gentleman, the one Rishmond thought was an Uhl tribesman, pushed himself away from the wall he'd been leaning against and performed a little bow toward Tybour. "Seems like a simple thing for a company of soldiers and Wizards and two ships worth of cargo and supplies"

Tybour paused for a long moment contemplating his answer. "We've provided for the unexpected, and we won't know if we will have accomplished our mission or not until we get there and our friend Torg here asks his questions and looks for whatever it is he will be looking for."

"Ah, then perhaps I should be asking Torg what he is looking for and how long he thinks it will take once we get to the Glittergreen mines. Mister Torg? Do you have any details to share with us on those points?" The old man seemed to take a perverse pleasure in obviously annoying Tybour. Haningway tried to hide a smile at Tybour's discomfort.

Torg did not wait for Tybour's response, "I will not know until I get there. I do know that Denisisie was looking for a holfin crystal with specific properties, and knowing the miners therein, they would have recorded a crystal like that, its request by an outside source, even a God, and the precise details around its location, properties and other details. These details are what I expect will provide clues to Denisisie's location. If she had not procured such a crystal, then I suspect the Blessing would not have occurred and none of us would be in this situation. I cannot say how long it will take to get the information and decode any clues in their records or in Denisisie's actions while among the Altemen."

"So, First Mage Tybour," the old man seemed intent on exposing some truth that was not yet evident, "can we assume then that you anticipate some extra delay, or some other reason for a longer trip than what you are telling us about? I am pretty sure I saw supplies for far more than 2 months, and some equipment that didn't look to be suited for just a day trip through safe and well traveled civilized parts of the world."

"Thank you, Ueet." Tybour was annoyed at this line of questioning. "Yes, as I said before, fortune favors the prepared, and we are going prepared for whatever might be set in our way. Things in Malminar are certainly civilized, as you say, but outside our borders the world is neither safe or easy. We will be prepared. I expect that we will be back here in Retinor before the first day of the Eats and Feats Festival two months from now." 

Lieutenant Norft, the big lion-man had maneuvered through the crowd quietly to stand next to the man Tybour had addressed as Ueet, he placed on big hand on the man's shoulder and whispered in his ear.

"Right," said Ueet. "I do apologize. Prepared is good and First Mage Tybour is nothing if not prepared for every eventuality. Let us hope he is correct and that we are all back here, safe and sound, by midsummer in plenty of time for the Eats and Feats Festival, and not still off gallivanting across the countryside in pursuit of clues to the location of the Gods."

"Let us go and board our vessels, everyone in this room that is going will be aboard the Emberly's Pride. The Porpoise will carry military personnel and a few support crew. May the Gods bless our travel and may luck keep us in his back pocket throughout the trip." Tybour winked at Rishmond and made subtle OK sign with his hand with a slight nod toward Illiar.

Rishmond blushed. Tybour loved to tease him that Illiar annoyed him so much because he had a huge crush on her. There was no way that was true even though she did affect him so oddly.

The two ships from the Malminar Navy, the Porpoise and the Emberly's Pride set sail that spring afternoon at precisely two hours past midday. A massive crowd gathered to see the expedition off and wish it well. The send off had an air of a festival and the celebration of the expedition that would find the Gods and return them to the mortal realm lasted well into the wee hours of the following morning. More than one pair of sinister eyes looked on from hidden vantage points, plotting how the information could be used to their own, or their master's, advantage.