Auspicious and Novel

Auspicious and Novel


	The two carts rolled north on the short road to the caravan stop of Rassalantar.  Axio, most familiar with the roads, took point, with Cavria in the rear, and the wagons between them.  A mere few months before, it would have seemed like the height of luxury to have spent so much money on two vehicles and seven horses, but now, the crew had money to burn.  Kyria rode the bench at the front of the coach with the drow inside, as always, and Suivi led the cargo wagon behind them.

	Cavria enjoyed the feeling of the sun and the wind on her bare face as they rode.  The vast wall of Waterdeep faded behind them behind trees and sun glare, until it fell over the horizon.  The road here was wide and sturdy, travelled by millions of feet, wheels, and hooves.  She looked up and gasped aloud as four winged figures soared by on the breeze.  “What are those?” she asked.

	Suivi looked up.  “I think they’re Aarkocra,” he said, mangling the pronunciation a bit.  “Wind folk.  Don’t see them in the city much.”

	“Wow.  You can find everybody in Waterdeep, huh.”

	The ex-spy nodded.  “Yep.”

	Cavria trotted Fathom up to Axio.  “So, tell me about the guide we’re going to meet,” she said.

	Axio gestured vaguely in the direction of the caravan stop ahead of them in the far distance.  “His name is Linus Vorth.  He’s a Paladin, too, in the service of the Order of the Dutiful Light, a small Tormite sect.  They focus on righting wrongs and stopping evil dragons from enforcing their will on helpless townships, rather than just focusing on battlefield medicine and monastic life.”

	“Three Paladins in one party, huh?” Caria observed.  “Is this going to cause jurisdictional friction?”

	“No, he understands that I’m in charge,” Axio said.  “I’ve never met him, but he comes well-recommended by the Council of Waterdeep.”

	Cavria blinked.  “The what?  The Council of the Masked Lords of Waterdeep?”

	“No, a convention of the major non-governmental organizations of the Sword Coast and the Northlands.  They convened to discuss the threat of the Cult of the Dragon, and they’re still around to address major threats to the region.  He led the assault team to take down the Tiamat summoner two years ago.”

	“Wow, there’s credentials.  And he’s willing to walk us through the valley?” Cavria asked incredulously.  “Not exactly war hero material.”

	“He’s headed that way anyway.”  Axio shrugged.  “I’m just happy to have somebody of his experience on our side.”

	The afternoon wound on, and the party approached the tiny village.  Axio waved to the guard, whom Cavria recognized as a Waterdhavian Guardsman.  The Guard waved them in without looking, and they were there.  Kyria hopped off the bench from the coach and looked around.  It was as utilitarian and perfunctory, if such a word could apply to a place, as she could expect from such a tiny place.  The roads were a blank cobble, the buildings a simple mix of stone and wood, the people were few and poorly dressed, and what few nicer buildings they could see looked like public ones.

	There was one exception.  At the rear of the town, some two hundred yards at most from the road, was a huge new building.  The party came to a halt before it as Cavria and Suivi tied off the horses.  The building was clearly a caravan house.  The structure had a vast stable in it, with a cargto loft above, and a great pulley-and-crane system for moving large amounts of cargo up to the top.  It was twice the size of the one outside Waterdeep, and had a lengthy stone-paved road leading through its whole length for carts to roll up and down.  Beside the stable portion, there was a covered area for parking wagons, with enough room for fifty wagons in it.

	The entire building was clearly the project of somebody with far more money than anybody else in the town.  The man himself was waiting for them inside the building.  He was tall, with skin of the darkest brown, like Kyria’s.  His hair and eyes were jet-black, and he wore expensive magical armor on his body from head to toe.  When he saw the party approaching, he grinned, showing bright white teeth.

	Axio walked up to the man and extended a hand.  “It’s a pleasure, Paladin Vorth.”

	“Linus, please.  And Cavria, right?  Welcome.”

	Cavria saluted.  “Nice to meet you.”  She gestured behind her, and the rest of the party introduced themselves in turn.

	Linus bowed to the group.  “Off to Mirabar then, correct?  Do you want to return to Waterdeep first?”

	“No, we mean to depart directly for the North,” Luanea said.  “Do you have a steed?”

	“I certainly do,” Linus said.  “I can conjure one.”

	“Oh, of course.  Do you want to collect any belongings before we go?” she asked.

	Linus jerked his thumb over his shoulder, out the side door of the main room.  “I’m all set to go.  I should let you know, when we reach Triboar, I have to leave.  I have an appointment in Conyberry.”

	Axio tilted his head.  “The ruin?  I thought it was destroyed five years ago.”

	“Oh, it was, but the Lord’s Alliance has invested a fortune in bringing it back,” Linus said as he led the group out to the horse stable inside the caravan house.  “Colonists from Icewind Dale to Baldur’s Gate have been paid to resettle there.  I’ve been contracted to work there as a navigator, seeking out any of the tunnels to the Underdark that collapsed, in case local troublemakers are lurking in them, as well as securing the roadways between the city and the colony.”

	Suivi swung one of Linus’s bags of clothing up onto his shoulder.  “So, are we slowing you down?”

	The Paladin grinned and effortlessly hefted the remaining luggage onto his own shoulders.  Cavria stared.  He had to be carrying three hundred pounds worth of equipment with one hand.  Luanea met her stunned gaze and shared a moment of silent surprise.  “Not at all,” Linus said, carrying on as if nothing had happened.


	In no time, the baggage slotted into the back of the cart, the group reassembled in front of the temple.  The others stared in open-mouth surprise as Linus walked his steed around the corner.  It was no mere horse.  He was walking beside an enormous Pegasus.  It didn’t have a bridle, barring, a saddle, or reins, though there was a thin piece of cloth over its back, tucked between its wings.  Linus eschewed spurs.

	Once he had reached the others, he turned to it and rested a hand on its flank.  “Noble, this is the group we’ll be leading,” he said softly.  “Let’s make sure they get where they need to, alright?”  It made a little snort, and he turned to the others.  “Folks, this is Noble, and he’s my friend,” Linus said, stroking the beautiful creature’s neck.  “He won’t take a yoke, but I can carry a bit on my back.”  He patted the Pegasus fondly.  “He can take it.”

	“He’s gorgeous!” Kyria said.  “How friendly is he to strangers?”

	Linus shook his head.  “He understands Common and Celestial, but he can sense the souls of mortals, and he won’t even let you touch him if he finds it unappealing.”  With one spring of his legs, he settled behind the neck, and patted its mane.  “Well, I’m good to go,” he said.  “Whenever you’re ready.”


	The party took off as soon as they could, with Linus out in front.  Cavria rode beside him, while Axio took his turn in the rearguard.  Kyria flicked her reins a bit, and the cargo wagon took place behind Noble.  She was staring at the animal with an intensity that surprised Cavria, and Linus, too.  After a few hours on the small tributary road of the highway, he finally turned to her.  “Can I help you, miss?”  He asked politely.  “Kyria, right?”

	“Yeah.  Sorry, I don’t mean to stare,” she said.  “I’ve just never seen a Pegasus before.  He’s so pretty.”

	Linus nodded genially.  “That he is,” he said.  “A word of caution, though, for politeness’ sake.  He can understand Common and Celestial as I said, and he can tell when people are staring at him.”

	“Oop!” Kyria squeaked.  She turned away.  “Uh, sorry, Noble,” she said sheepishly.

	It nickered at her, and she blushed.  Linus laughed.