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Chapter 7: Contact in Varala

Sar'Kal awoke early in the morning as the sun was just beginning to rise. He had only slept for about six hours but they had felt like ten. He had been so exhausted that he had instantly fallen asleep. He got up and stretched and then headed out into the sitting room where their supplies were still laying on the bench. He opened one of the bags and took out a hunk of bread a piece of cheese and a strip of dried meat and enjoyed a light breakfast.

It was not long before he was joined by Tian'Shal. She smiled at him and said good morning. Sar'Kal offered her a bit of the food which she accepted. They sat down and talked for the better part of an hour, enjoying what would probably be their last time in the house.

After a little while they were joined by Korek. He entered the house with a smile.

"Well, today's the big day! It's finally time to head off to the capitol." He said with a cheery clap of his hands.

"Yes I suppose it is," Responded Sar'Kal. "though I can't say I'm entirely happy about it. This is as close to a home as I have... I will be sad to leave it behind." He frowned and gave a sigh. "Still it should prove to be an interesting trip to say the least." He finished with a smile.

"That's the spirit Kal. If you mope around then this really wont be a fun journey, so be happy. After all, we're all together." Said Tian'shal with a smile.

"I suppose you're right. I'm glad you two are coming. Lets make the most of this then, it should turn out to be quite an adventure." Replied Sar'Kal. "Well let's get ready then. I want to get out of here before the rest of the town starts getting out."

They all agreed and they all grabbed a large bag of supplies and whatever else they were bringing. After a few minutes they had all taken the bags and were now laden with food, water, clothes and whatever personal items they had decided to bring. Oh her backpack, Tian'shal had her bow collapsed in a tube on the right side, and her quiver on the left. Sar'Kal and Korek both wore their belts and their weapons hung at their sides. They were all dressed in sturdy travel clothes and eager to get underway.

Once they were all set they did a once-over of the house to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything they would want. When nothing turned up they headed out the front door. Sar'Kal was the last one out and when he shut the door and locked it behind them, a pang of regret washed over them all. They would, in all likelihood, not be back here for a long time.

"Well let's go." Said Sar'Kal with a determined expression.

They all shifted the weight of the bags so they were more comfortable, and then set off down the main road. They passed through Sharanol and into the massive forest that loomed beyond, uninterrupted for nearly one hundred and fifty miles.

The main road through the forest was uneven and covered with leaves and large roots that arched out of the dirt a few inches before submerging once again. They resembled whales surfacing and then arching back into the water. However, the road was, to their relief clearly visible.

Sar'Kal led the group through the forest for the remainder of the day. When night began to settle, they began searching for a suitable place to camp, so they split up to search. "Over here, this looks like a good place." Came Tian'shal's voice after a few minutes.

Sar'Kal and Korek headed over and set their stuff down. The area was a small clearing about thirty yards from the edge of the trail. There was a light covering of grass and some blackberry bushes on the far side. After closer inspection they also found a small natural spring that gurgled with crystal clear water.

"Excellent. This will do nicely for tonight. I only hope we can find more places like this on the road ahead." Chuckled Korek. He had been in a good mood all day and as he rolled out his bed he began whistling a merry tune.

"Yeah, this is a very nice spot." Said Sar'Kal. He rolled out his bed too and laid it a few feet from Korek. Tian'shal soon joined them they all shared a meal of bread cheese and meat. They also managed to find a few ripe berries on the bush and split those amongst themselves. They talked for a long time about what they thought might happen in Sharak'Thal. They debated about this and that and had a good time late into the night. Sar'Kal was happy, despite the circumstances of their departure; they were all having a rather pleasant time. He smiled. I guess the company of good friends is all one needs to have a good time. He thought.

After hours of talking they all lay down and were soon sound asleep. Sar'Kal stayed up a little later than they did, but soon he too was sound asleep.

**********

The next two days went by with out the slightest bit of excitement. The road was relatively straight and lightly traveled upon. They did not meet anybody in the forest as Sharanol was not a common destination for many people. The only outsiders to ever really go there were a few merchants, traders and the occasional messenger.

They traveled quickly, easily covering nearly fifty miles a day from sunrise to sundown. By the evening of the third day they were getting very close to the edge of the forest. They decided do stop for the night and exit the forest in the morning.

On the morning of the fourth day they made it to the edge of the forest and were greeted with the sight of a massive plain of lush grass. A light breeze blew across the expanse and swept around the travelers, seemingly greeting them after their time in the dark, cramped forest. They all took deep breaths, happy for the fresh air and the soothing movement of the breeze. The forest had been pleasant, but there was no wind and the air was stuffy compared to where they now walked.

Tian'shal was mesmerized by the largeness of the plains. She had never been away from Sharanol and had not thought it possible to have such a large expanse without any trees. For it was true, there wasn't a single tree as far as they could see.

Sar'Kal and Korek noticed her surprise and gave each other a comical smirk. Korek was the first to speak. "Incredible isn't it?" He asked her, snapping her form her trance.

She looked at her two companions with an expression of wonder on her face. "It is. I can't believe how huge it is. How can there be no trees?"

Korek smiled and gave a cheerful laugh. "Ah, Tia... It's true that this plain is large, but it is bordered by marshlands to the south, mountains to the west and the forest we just came out of to the north. On the other side of the Mountains of Lutaire, there lies even more immense grassland that goes uninterrupted all the way to the western coast of the continent. It is similar to this one except the grass is different and it is even flatter. That grassland is home to the Frruthlam Kingdom.

Korek recited these facts and Tian'shal's eyes widened at the prospect. "Incredible." She whispered under her breath.

The trio continued on their way, following the road, which was now; to their great relief, clear of any roots and stumps. It had flattened out considerably and they continued at a quicker pace. The rest of that day was similar to the last. There were no people traveling on the road, nothing exciting happened and they were all beginning to get bored.

The wind that constantly blew across the plains began to irritate them all. It dried out their skin and fur, and made their eyes begin to itch. That night when they bedded down, they were in a considerably more negative mood and they ate and went to sleep without much conversation.

In the afternoon on the fifth day they finally came within visual range of the next town. Tian'shal was very excited at first because she thought they were almost there, but Sar'Kal and Korek; who had passed through here before, knew better. The flatness of the pain gave the illusion that the town was closer than it actually was. It was sundown when they reached the outskirts of the town of Varala. The Gates that surrounded the town were already closed and they were forced to spend the night outside the city. They bedded down in an area not too far from the gate and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning they awoke early and made their way to the town once more. In the light they could now clearly see the town of Varala. It was several times larger than Sharanol and there were many more people around. The entire town was enclosed in a large wooden wall with three separate gates; one in the north, one in the south, and one in the east. The wall itself was well constructed and was several feet thick and around twenty feet tall. It looked incredibly durable. There was also a walkway along the top of the wall upon which sentries walked.

The trio approached the gate and passed through the two sets of guards posted at the entrance. Once inside the town, more surprises awaited them. The buildings were organized into a neat pattern of rows, in a grid like pattern. Two main roads split the town into four sections and smaller side streets led up through the residential buildings. The town itself was just under a league in diameter and was organized in a specific pattern. The businesses were located along the main roads and outward from them were the less business like structures, such as temples, governmental buildings and other miscellaneous non-residences. Outward form those were the residential houses. The wealthier were situated closer in and the poorest were situated right along the wall.

The trio made their way down the main road and looked around at all the merchants and shop owners hawking their goods. As the trio continued through the town they began to notice how many travelers there were and how many of them appeared to be armed in some form or another. Many of the men had either swords or axes on their belts, and even the women had daggers within reach.

Sar'Kal noticed a shop that was relatively empty and motioned for them to enter. Tian'shal and Korek nodded and followed him. As they entered the shop a somewhat short, middle-aged lioness greeted them.

"Hello, what can I do for you today?" she asked in a cheery voice. She gave them a smile and looked them over and paused for a considerable time on Sar'Kal.

"Well actually we just wanted to know where there would be a good inn to stay at for the night. We're new here so is there one you would recommend?" Asked Sar'Kal in a polite tone.

The Lioness smiled at the group. "Of course hon. By far the best inn in Varala is on the eastern side of town. It's called The Plain Strider. It's a big building with a large sign out front. It's hard to miss. Now is that all I can do for ya, or might I interest you in some fresh produce?"

Sar'Kal smiled at the lioness then looked at Korek and Tian'shal. "Do you want anything? I don't know about you but some fruit does sound good to me." He said with a chuckle. They nodded and picked out some apples and a box of strawberries.

When they had picked everything they wanted Sar'Kal turned to the lioness. "So how much do we owe you?" he asked with a smile.

She counted up everything they had picked out, did a short calculation in her head and said "That'll be... one silver, and three copper pieces."

Sar"Kal reached into his satchel and pulled out a gold mark and handed it to her. "Keep the change, and thank you for the information and the fruit."

The Lioness's eyes widened at Sar'Kal's generosity and beamed. "Well you are very welcome hon. Thank you." She said as she pocketed the coin.

She looked Sar'Kal over once more and spoke again. "You know hon... I wasn't gonna say nothin... but I changed my mind. I wanted to say it's good to see that you survived. It's been a long time since I've seen one of your people. There have been rumors that some survived, but it does my heart good to see they weren't utterly false. I had a friend a long time ago from your country. I can only hope she made it too." She sighed and then smiled once again. "Anyway hon, just wanted to wish you luck in whatever you're doin' here. May the moon watch over you." She finished, using the farewell blessing of Umbra'Kahn.

Sar'Kal was surprised at what she said. He was dazed for a second as she said farewell in the custom of his people and it took him a moment to reply in kind. "Thank you for your kind words, and may the stars guide your path." He finished with the second half of the blessing. The lioness smiled as the trio exited her shop and waved farewell as they entered the street.

The trio made their way through town to the area where the lioness had said the inn would be located. It only took them a few minutes of searching before they found it. She had been correct. It was difficult to miss, with its large wooden sign that hung out front. The words "The Plain Strider" were carved into the wood and painted a deep red. Behind the words was a picture of a cheetah running across a field of grass.

The place itself was very lively. People were coming and going at a fairly steady pace and it was apparent that it was more than just an inn. The trio approached and crossed the threshold through a large entryway and was greeted with the sight of a large room filled with tables and chairs, a stage and a large bar. The sound of the musicians could be heard above the babble of the patrons. The aromas of well prepared foods floated around the room and tantalized the three friends as they walked in.

As they entered they were greeted by a cheetah that was standing behind a wooden counter. He smiled and greeted them in a cheery manner. "Hello." He said in a bright voice. "Welcome to The Plain Strider, My name is Derek; I'm the host of this establishment. How can I help you today?" he asked as he leaned on the counter.

The trio approached and Sar'Kal spoke. "Hello, we need a place to stay for the night. Do you have any rooms available?" he asked.

Derek checked his list of rooms and turned back to the group. "I only have two rooms available for tonight, the rest are all booked I'm afraid. One of the rooms is just a basic room with a single bed. The other is one of our finer suites which is accommodated with four beds, a small balcony and comes with room service. It's usually booked by families that are traveling together. It's quite spacious." Said Derek.

Sar'Kal thought for a moment. They would need more than one bed. "How much is the suite for a night?" asked Sar?Kal.

"Well normally its ten gold marks per night, but seeing as how its getting to be late afternoon, I"m not likely to have many other offers for it tonight. You can have it for eight marks." The cheetah responded with a smile.

"Done." Said Sar'Kal. He reached into his bag and pulled out the eight coins and handed them to Derek. "Thank you for the discount, it's much appreciated." He said as Derek took the coins.

Derek seems slightly surprised at the quick acceptance of the price. But he shrugged it off and took the coins as they were handed over. "Very good sir, you'll find it's quite worth the cost." He said. He turned and walked over to the wall behind him and searched the small boxes in the wall. He found the one he was looking for and grabbed a brass key from inside. He turned around and handed the key to Sar'Kal. "There's your key sir. Your room in number twenty-four and it's at the end of the hall on the third floor. Should you require anything just use the bell pull and someone will be sent up." Derek finished speaking and thanked them again before turning to another customer who had walked in.

The trio thanked Derek and hefted their supplies. They made their way to the stairs and climbed up to the third floor and down the hallway to their room. A brass 24 was nailed to the door. Sar'Kal inserted the key and the lock clicked open. He pushed open the door and they entered the room.

The room was quite spacious and they moved around to examine it; setting their stuff down in a corner. The room had four beds, all covered in fine linen sheets. There were warm wool blankets neatly stacked in a corner and on the far side of the room was a door that led to a balcony which looked out over the surrounding buildings. They were all very pleased with the room and they all picked their beds and began to unpack their supplies.

Once everything was laid out they did a quick inventory. They had used nearly two thirds of their water supply and they were low on food.

"We need to get some more supplies before we leave here." Said Korek.

"I agree." Replied Tian'shal. "We should go now while the shops are still open or we might be stuck here for another day." She continued.

Korek nodded and Sar'Kal agreed. Sar'Kal gave a light sigh and spoke. "I hate to ask, but would you two mind going to get the supplies" I would really like to meditate while I have this chance. There isn't much opportunity for it while we travel." He finished and looked at them.

"Of course, we don't mind. Right Korek?" said Tian'shal with a smile.

"Of course not." Agreed Korek.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it, I'm not used to going so long between meditations, its proving to be straining. Here, take some coins." Said Sar'Kal as he pulled out a handful of gold coins and handed it to Korek. "Get anything else you think we might need as well." He advised.

"Alright Kal, we'll be back in a bit." They said and then left the room. Sar'Kal closed the door behind them and sat down at the foot of his bed and crossed his legs. He began to empty his mind and was soon deep in meditation.

*****

Sar'Kal was deep in his meditation when a heard a loud knock on the door. He slowly came out of his meditation and then opened his eyes and looked around. The sun shown orange through the windows and Sar'Kal figured it must be nearing the evening. He stood up and walked over to the door figuring it would be Korek and Tian'shal. As the door opened, Sar'Kal froze. The person outside was neither of his friends, but he was familiar none the less.

A leopard stood in the doorway smiling at Sar'Kal with a crooked smile and an amused expression on his face. He had a large scar that ran down his left temple and cheek and he was dressed in simple street clothes. "Hello there Sar'Kal, How have you been?" he asked. "Well...aren't you going to invite me in?"

Sar'Kal snapped out of his stupor and blinked. "Volke? I...well...er...yes, come in." He stepped aside and the leopard entered the room. Sar'Kal shut the door and turned to face Volke. "What are you doing here Volke? The last time we spoke was when you offered me my job. You said that you would only ever meet with me again if it were a matter of life and death." He stopped and took a flask of water and drank while the leopard cleared his throat.

"That's true; however in this case I come for two reasons. Firstly I wished to merely say hello and see how you've been. I saw you in town today with your companions and I thought I would pay you a visit. I hope you don't mind." He stopped speaking for a moment and looked Sar'Kal over. "You seem to be doing well, but I have a feeling you have a good reason for leaving Sharanol. You've done excellent work for the kingdom and it would be a shame if the palace and I could no longer get messages to you." Finished Volke with a smirk.

Sar'Kal knew what the leopard wanted to know and he set down the flask and spoke. "Don't worry Volke, I haven't abandoned my job. I'm heading to the capitol with my friends and we merely stopped in Varala for the night." He finished and sat down in a chair.

Volke laughed. "I guess you have something planned after all. I was wondering when you would decide to leave. I won't push for any details but it will be good that you finally meet with the king." Volke took another chair and placed his hands on his knees. He looked at Sar'Kal with a more serious expression. "Now, the other reason I wanted to speak with you was in case you were planning to go to the capitol. I wanted to warn you. The road from Varala to the capitol has seen a lot of trouble this last year. Bandits have been attacking travelers and caravans and many people have gone missing. The palace has done its best to try and find these bandits, but they could be based anywhere in the plains or even the swamp to the south. You should be very careful if you intend on taking the main road to the capitol." He stopped and placed his hands together, making a triangle with his fingers.

Sar'Kal took the opportunity to speak. "I trust what you say Volke, and I believe that you may have another option for my friends and I." he said inquisitively.

Volke looked up. "You always were perceptive Sar'Kal. I do know of another path you could take, but there is no guarantee that it is any safer than the main road. The only thing that makes me think it's safe from bandits is that it's hardly ever used. Of course... this has its drawbacks as well...and its reasons. The path goes through the hills to the southeast. It's a more direct path to the capitol but it was generally abandoned when the larger, flatter, main road was constructed for easier travels. It would be a tougher walk, but the path itself is more than a third shorter than the main road. Anyway, it's up to you to decide. Not every group is attacked on the main road, but I suspect that's only because the bandits have returned to their base for a while before returning. That's all I wanted to say. It's up to you which path to take, ask your friends and prepare yourselves. If you decide to use the second path then meet me outside the south gate at eight o clock tomorrow morning. I will show you the way." With that, Volke stood up and made for the door. Sar'Kal soon followed him.

"Thank you for telling me Volke. I will think hard on this. It was good to see you again." He held out his hand and the leopard shook it with a smile. "You too Sar'Kal. Good luck." Said Volke. They said farewell and Volke left the way he came, leaving Sar'Kal to ponder what he had been told.

*****

Korek and Tian'shal returned not long after Volke left and they found Sar'Kal deep in meditation. They set down their new supplies and as they did so Sar'Kal got up. They said hello and Korek returned the extra money they hadn't spent.

"So what were you able to get?" asked Sar'Kal as he sat on his bed.

"A lot surprisingly, enough for at least another two weeks of travel. We got some more dried meat and bread. We managed to find some cheese as well. We also made our way back to that nice lioness from earlier and we bought a good amount of dried fruit from her." Replied Tian'shal.

Korek took a seat on his own bed and spoke. "So what's the plan for tomorrow?" he asked.

"Well actually'I have some news..." Said Sar'Kal. He proceeded to relate to them everything that had happened earlier with Volke. They were greatly surprised to hear of Volke but they listened intently. When Sar'Kal was done they all just sat there for a few minutes thinking. After a while it was Korek who spoke.

"I don't know Kal...I don't like the idea of an old abandoned road through the hills...but then again I don't like the idea of coming across a group of bandits either. I think I would have to go with the rout that doesn't involve bandits. We can deal with rough terrain, but the three of us are no match for bandits that can take down whole caravans from the capitol." Korek said as he lay back on his bed and looked up at the ceiling.

"I agree." Responded Tian'shal. "Rough terrain is tiring and troublesome, but it won't kill us. Bandits are an entirely different matter." She concluded.

They all nodded their heads in agreement and Sar'Kal spoke. "Then we are all of the same mind on this. So tomorrow we'll meet Volke at the south gate."

"Agreed" Said Korek.

"Agreed" replied Tian'shal. "Now how about we get some real food while we have the chance. The food downstairs looks amazing, and I think I saw that the special was roasted duck." She suggested.

Korek and Sar'Kal looked at each other then back at Tian'shal. "Sounds good." They both said. They got up and quickly headed downstairs to the restaurant part of the inn. They all ate their fill of the delicious food and decided to partake of some of the fragrant spirits the inn offered. They all returned to their room a couple hours later in high spirits, laughing and joking. They retired soon after and slept soundly for the first time since they left Sharanol.