Arwen
Day One
It was strange to be riding away from Obernewtyn today. I haven’t left it in years, not since I arrived not long after Rushton became Master of Obernewtyn. I left later than the other Misfits travelling to Sador, so I have been caught in the rain. It made for dreary riding and hindered my vision. Neha, the mare I travel with, was the only other living being I spoke to all day. No one was travelling on the road to or from Sador. The ride was uneventful, though I got excited when Neha told me that we were nearing the cliffs that loom over the sea. I look forward to seeing that great body of water; the largest body of water I’ve seen is the Suggredoon. Neha has assured me that I will see it the next day. The rain stopped a little while ago and I have taken a short break to write this, but it appears that it will start raining again. I took the chance to capture the image of the tree. I was temporarily blinded by the bright flash of light it emitted, but my sight recovered a few seconds later. I’m going to set up camp under a great tree that stretches high into the sky.
~Link~
Day Two
I’m certain I heard something during the night, some animal prowling about Neha and I. There were no tracks for me to see though, and Neha assured me that whatever it was meant us no harm; else we would likely be dead. Cheerful thought. I rose with the sun and was awed by what I saw. The mountains to the left of me sat high on the horizon, a few with white caps that shimmered in the light. The grass about me, wet with water and dew was glimmering in the first rays of light and I heard the sounds of birdsong from high in the tree.
A few hours into riding we met someone on the road. He was a horsetrader returning from Sador. The way he was eying Neha off made me feel uncomfortable and I didn’t relax until he was out of sight. At which point I was distracted by a blinding flash of light. I turned my attention to the paranoid, but it hadn’t taken a capture. I looked up and realised that it was the sun’s reflection that had flashed in my direction, lifted on the waves that crashed into the cliff on my right. I am certain my eyes were as wide as saucepans as I took in its huge expanse. Try as I might by straining my eyes, could not see where it ended. There was just a vast nothingness out that way, though it would be a wet nothingness. I dismounted and moved closer to the cliff’s edge. I didn’t look down over the edge though. The sight of the ocean was more than enough to make me feel small and insignificant. I sat for a while, the ocean before me and the mountains at my back, until Neha reminded me that we had to keep moving. I took a few captures of the water, though I am certain they are nothing compared to the reality. They don’t capture the sound of the ocean, the roar of the waves and the sharp sound they make when they slap the cliff.
~Link~
Before I set up camp for the night I noticed that the mountains, whilst beautiful were rather menacing. From where I sat in the saddle I am certain I saw taint rising from the blacklands that filled the feet of the mountains. The blacklands are so dead looking. I cannot imagine what they used to look like, before the Great White.
~Link~
The fire I started warms me and gives me plenty of light to write by. A cold breeze blows in from the water, chilling me to the bone. My blanket is wrapped about me for warmth, and Neha is already asleep a small distance away, her blanket tucked under her.
Day Three
It rained last night and the road became muddy and pebbles dislodged. The clouds were still covering the sky when I rose, promising more rain during the day. Though Neha urged me to ride her again I refused for I did not want to risk her getting an injury. We made reasonable progress and I have grown accustomed to the sound of the waves. The sound is soothing, almost like a lullaby my mother used to sing to me when she tucked me in at night. When it rained around midday I danced about. Travelling on the road feels so free, as if I have no care in the world. There is just me and Neha, travelling. Nothing else matters but the moment. I wish I could have taken a capture of my dancing. I am certain I looked rather foolish, with my hair dripping down my face and my clothes clinging to me. Neha certainly thought so.
At this rate it will take Neha and I a few days more than I had thought to reach Sador. I hadn’t counted on the rain slowing us down as much as it has. Next time I travel during the Days of Rain I must remember to allow extra travel time. And maybe to not dance so much. I think I’m getting a cold.
(Arwen of the Dreanweavers)
deb
Deb of the Mystics.
The Journal.
I am writing this journal to comply with the idiotic request of the Teknoguild that all travel be documented. They will excuse me I hope if they find the writing here boring and unimaginative, but I have better things to do on my way to Sador than satisfy the curiosity of the Teknoguild.
Day one: We entered the White Valley to rest the equines and have midmeal. I thought I would try out the paranoid to see what it would do. To my amazement, the Teknoguilders got it right for a change and an image popped out. It is a very good image, though I think I might have wasted it on something they already know. The White Valley has yet to recover fully from the firestorm a few years back.
Day five: Yes I know I missed a few days, but really, how boring would it be to read about plodding along a road in a wagon for five days. Some of the others have been industriously writing about every little detail, so I’m sure there will be enough boring stuff to trawl through without my adding to it. Lud knows why I chose this route. I could have been in Sador by now if I’d gone on the ship. Interesting point this morning was a wonderful sunrise over the ocean. The paranoid came in real handy for this.
Day eight: More plodding, though I’m really convinced that I should have gone on the ship now. There are so really scary mutations along this trail and I seem to remember someone saying that the taint hasn’t completely gone yet. Am checking every night to make sure no teeth or hair is falling out.
Day nine: We have been stuck sitting here for over a day now by a huge storm. I thought it only rained like this in the days of rain but obviously I was wrong. Everything is wet and these wool blankets are really starting to stink. If it doesn’t let up soon I think I’ll just walk back to Obernewtyn. Got some good images though, so I guess the Teknoguilders will be happy even if I’m not.
Day 21: Finally in Sador. Reminder to self to NEVER travel here by wagon again. Couldn’t take any more images with the paranoid as the Lud-damned thing didn’t like getting so wet.
Day 22: OK, so I didn’t exactly write up everything I saw on the way here as the Tek-heads wanted. But really how often can you say, saw a tree, saw the ocean, oh look another tree, and more ocean. And don’t forget the eleven days that it poured rain and we couldn’t see anything at all. :P
Gotta love those Teknoguilders. :|
Min
We decided to take overland route to Sador. Taking a sea route involves going to Sutrium first then waiting days for a ship. I'm as fond of Sutrium as the next person, but the plan is Sador and the Battlegames. Travelling to Sador via Sutrium is like travelling three sides of a square instead of one.
Besides, Sutrium smells.
Lumi and I made it to Guanette around midday, the roads were fairly clear. Lumi stayed with the other horses out the front while I waited in the Green Tree Inn for Oliver - he's travelling up from the teknoguild residence at Newrome.
Yeah, he's a teknoguilder and yeah, he's doing one of these journals, too. Everyone travelling to Sador is doing one. Sort of like, the woken equivalent of the Dream diaries.
I haven't travelled with Oliver before - to be honest I barely know him. But, we're going the same way and travelling is [strike]more fun[/strike] apparently safer with a group.
Green Tree Inn: lunch special looks squishy, probably curd-cheese derived, and an option of boiled potatoes and cabbage. Forgone lunch and opted for local red wine, which is fragrant enough, though perhaps weaker than I'm used to.
To be fair, I'm used to Gryfyyd's wine, which can strip paint off a wagon.
Oliver should be here soon, so I'll end this entry here.
==
We've stopped for the evening at a campsite along the coast, on a plateau between the mountains and the cliff edge. Pretty, but windy.
Campsite is managed by a harrassed-looking Sadorian woman called Thana. Harrassed I guess because the camp site is full. Oliver and I were given a couple metres to set up our tents. The horses ran off to the allotment set aside for them to graze. I had to stop myself from going with them.
Campsite is full of Landfolk children. At least, it feels that way, for they're the ones making all the noise. This isn't the only campsite, and it's certainly not the only one with children. What do these Landfolk do all day, just breed??
There's a couple of food stalls outside the campsite, most smelled spicy - am going to investigate and see how much a hot chocca is.
Chocca is expensive and watered down. Damn this tourist-trap of a plateau!
==
Headache after little sleep. So noisy.
Road is at a standstill this morning, due to a Land supply carriage breaking down ahead. Oliver, Lumi, Anwar and I are staying put. The horses are happy to head out into the non-tainted portions of mountains, so Oliver and I hunted around for a new campsite in the hope to find one not overrun by children. Every site keeper we asked gave us this 'knowing' look and one even asked if we were on our post-bonding month, interpreting 'privacy' as something other than 'get these children out of our faces we're trying to relax'.
Did I miss something? Can't people travel together any more without being bonded?
We located a gypsy campsite, a couple of hours down the road from the main centre of business, if a cliff top plateau can be called 'business'. Several of their number fought in the rebellion, so once we said we were from Obernewtyn they let us set up with them. They'd have moved on today as well, but for the cart jam. Farsaught the horses of our plans, and Lumi said they'd be back by dawn for us.
I can hear singing outside the tent, so I'm off to join the fun. Singing gypsies greater than Landfolk children, any day.
==
A mental knock from Lumi woke me up before the sun road and the four of us left before the Gypsies got up - the road was relatively empty so we took our chances. Left two knitted scarves and a "thank you" note outside Dorin's caravan. I hope we see them again.
Currently riding. The sun rising over the ocean is a beautiful sight, after a good night with good company. It's still very windy on this road, and there's no trees to take shelter behind. I can see rocky terrain giving way to desert terrain up ahead, so we're about a day away from Templeport.
I can also see the remains of the cart that caused all the problems yesterday. All that cheese, gone to waste. Such a shame.
Stopped for lunch on the cusp of the desert. There's another Land party here, this one with people more our age and no children. They're from Aborium, and have been travelling and working for a year, on a tour around the coastline.
I can't help feel like a tourist, next to these travellers. They've not just seen places, but 'done' them – lived them.
Arandelft sounds like a haven for artists, with sculpting and pottery courses and vast beaches. Chloe (one of the Aboriumites) worked there for a couple of weeks in a bakery so got to meet and talk to loads of artists who passed through the place.
==
Templeport, HO! It's busy, but it's the kind of busy that's so busy you feel more swept up in the moment than ruffled by it. I've sampled seven different types of bitter chocca they're calling cafa, too, which is really really strong but wow I can write really fast now.
Battlegames start in four days, so have time to soak up a bit of Sador. Oliver and I are currently staying in the lot that the Master pre-booked for our whole group, but we're the only ones here. Hope the sea voyage went all right and the others make it here soon, or the sight of Oliver and I staying in a massive allotment will start tongues wagging (yet again).
Okay, Oliver and I are heading up to the Earthtemple, we've both documented our journeys now, hopefully that's what you guys wanted! The chore is at an end (but the fun is just beginning!).
