Chapter 26
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Chapter 26
The next day, as I was working on my cabin, a canoe drifted up the lake. I headed to my dock to greet them, the lynx getting up to follow me. Part of me expected her to leave overnight, but so far she appeared content to stay.
Before long, I waved to Rhea, and helped her out of her canoe. I take it you successfully dealt with the evil shrine?
She had a look in her eye and I swallowed, even though I didnt actually need to swallow.
Yeah, totally. Shrine is gone now. I nodded maybe a little too emphatically. The goblin village it was built in is also gone.
A goblin village? she asked in surprise. I had detected something evil happening, but then the effect faded. Its alarming that there was a goblin village nearby.
They were sacrificing humans and animals into some kind of blood ritual, I explained.
There are rumors of a goblin kingdom hidden under these mountains, she said. No one has ever seen them, mind you, or if they have, they have been relatively peaceful. For goblins, anyways.
Growling rose behind me, and I turned to see the lynx hunched up and growling at Rhea.
Hey, now, shes a friend. The lynx looked at me in question, then relaxed.This chapter was first shared on the Ñøv€lß1n platform.
Who is this? Rhea asked, kneeling and holding out a hand much like Id done the night before.
I was impressed that she was so comfortable with the wild creature. She was in a cage at the goblin village. They were going to sacrifice her, but I interrupted the ritual and freed her. She decided to follow me back home.
Whats her name? Rhea asked as the lynx inched closer to her and sniffed her hand.
Name? I guess I hadnt thought about that.
Rhea scratched the lynxs ears. She ran her hand along a black stripe that I hadnt noticed before, that flowed down the lynxs back. She pulled her hand away, looking at the lynx in surprise more than alarm. She has been touched by death. It mustve happened after you freed her. Rhea saw my look of alarm. Its okay, she is not in any danger. My guess is some stray magic from whatever was happening ended up on her, and then she came in contact with either a death creature or something dead.
Is it alarming that theres potentially a death creature in the mountains?
No, it was more likely she came across something thats already passed on and was just unlucky. The chances for crossing paths with a powerful enough death creature to change the ambient magic attached to her is highly improbable. I for one would know if such a creature was in the area, Rhea assured me, not seeming to notice my growing panic. Either way, I think you should call her Raven. Ravens are often near death so it is a fitting name.
Youre surprisingly okay with this, I pointed out.
While death is sad, we are taught that death is part of life, Rhea explained. Olattee seeks to restore and preserve, but also understands that without death, there would be no point.
That is a rather enlightened view, I said, then blanched. My comment could be taken as very rude. Sorry if that came off harsh, not my intention.
These trees will now serve as a kind of barrier to prevent monsters from coming down the valley, Rhea told me. Be warned though, it wont prevent very powerful creatures from entering.
Ill keep that in mind, I assured her.
Rhea and I didnt stick around much longer after setting up the wards. The purpose of her trip was mostly to see where my home was and to check-in about the quest. Later that afternoon, Derek showed up on the trail alongside the lake, leading a pack mule carrying supplies.
You have a spot for this? he called out when he saw me.
Yeah, bring it on over, I said.
With Dereks help, we set up the water powered sawmill. It was a simple contraption with a small waterwheel being turned by the stream, which twisted a set of gears, that drove a blade up and down. The blade was span between two sturdy pieces of wood and very sharp. The hardest part was getting the cutting platform level and the wedges in place to help me keep the thickness of my planks consistent.
By the time we finished, the sun was set, and we began working on cutting planks by torchlight. Raven had been watching us intently, but left to hunt.
Let me take you back to town in my boat, saves you the trip tomorrow.
You good crossing the lake in the dark? Derek asked.
Yeah, I have great night sight, I assured him. In some ways, Im more comfortable in the darkness.
You do understand how ominous that sounds, right? Derek gave me an odd look.
Oh, dont be melodramatic. I probably shouldnt have said I was more comfortable in the darkness, but it slipped out in trying to assure him Id be fine.
As we crossed the lake, both set to rowing, we chatted quietly, our voices carrying far over the water. Cutting green logs into planks has some issues, youll likely get splitting after a time.
I was worried about that, I agreed. Unfortunately, I cant think of a way to cure the logs fast enough. Theres no way I can build a kiln.
I have some tar you can use to coat your roof to help prevent it, Derek said. That will only last for a short time. My recommendation would be to cut enough planks for your roof now, and get some trees cut down and set in a pile. In a few years they should be cured. The tar should help your roof last that long, especially with that good layer of thatch you have on it.
Ill be sure to do that, thank you. Will the logs cure faster if I debark them first?
Yes, Derek agreed. Just make sure your pile is kept off the ground to help keep them free of insects.
I dropped Derek off at the town docks and headed back up the lake. The moon had come up, reflecting perfectly with the stars above in the still water. It was a peaceful night.
Maybe all this would work out in the end.
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Chapter 26
The next day, as I was working on my cabin, a canoe drifted up the lake. I headed to my dock to greet them, the lynx getting up to follow me. Part of me expected her to leave overnight, but so far she appeared content to stay.
Before long, I waved to Rhea, and helped her out of her canoe. I take it you successfully dealt with the evil shrine?
She had a look in her eye and I swallowed, even though I didnt actually need to swallow.
Yeah, totally. Shrine is gone now. I nodded maybe a little too emphatically. The goblin village it was built in is also gone.
A goblin village? she asked in surprise. I had detected something evil happening, but then the effect faded. Its alarming that there was a goblin village nearby.
They were sacrificing humans and animals into some kind of blood ritual, I explained.
There are rumors of a goblin kingdom hidden under these mountains, she said. No one has ever seen them, mind you, or if they have, they have been relatively peaceful. For goblins, anyways.
Growling rose behind me, and I turned to see the lynx hunched up and growling at Rhea.
Hey, now, shes a friend. The lynx looked at me in question, then relaxed.This chapter was first shared on the Ñøv€lß1n platform.
Who is this? Rhea asked, kneeling and holding out a hand much like Id done the night before.
I was impressed that she was so comfortable with the wild creature. She was in a cage at the goblin village. They were going to sacrifice her, but I interrupted the ritual and freed her. She decided to follow me back home.
Whats her name? Rhea asked as the lynx inched closer to her and sniffed her hand.
Name? I guess I hadnt thought about that.
Rhea scratched the lynxs ears. She ran her hand along a black stripe that I hadnt noticed before, that flowed down the lynxs back. She pulled her hand away, looking at the lynx in surprise more than alarm. She has been touched by death. It mustve happened after you freed her. Rhea saw my look of alarm. Its okay, she is not in any danger. My guess is some stray magic from whatever was happening ended up on her, and then she came in contact with either a death creature or something dead.
Is it alarming that theres potentially a death creature in the mountains?
No, it was more likely she came across something thats already passed on and was just unlucky. The chances for crossing paths with a powerful enough death creature to change the ambient magic attached to her is highly improbable. I for one would know if such a creature was in the area, Rhea assured me, not seeming to notice my growing panic. Either way, I think you should call her Raven. Ravens are often near death so it is a fitting name.
Youre surprisingly okay with this, I pointed out.
While death is sad, we are taught that death is part of life, Rhea explained. Olattee seeks to restore and preserve, but also understands that without death, there would be no point.
That is a rather enlightened view, I said, then blanched. My comment could be taken as very rude. Sorry if that came off harsh, not my intention.
These trees will now serve as a kind of barrier to prevent monsters from coming down the valley, Rhea told me. Be warned though, it wont prevent very powerful creatures from entering.
Ill keep that in mind, I assured her.
Rhea and I didnt stick around much longer after setting up the wards. The purpose of her trip was mostly to see where my home was and to check-in about the quest. Later that afternoon, Derek showed up on the trail alongside the lake, leading a pack mule carrying supplies.
You have a spot for this? he called out when he saw me.
Yeah, bring it on over, I said.
With Dereks help, we set up the water powered sawmill. It was a simple contraption with a small waterwheel being turned by the stream, which twisted a set of gears, that drove a blade up and down. The blade was span between two sturdy pieces of wood and very sharp. The hardest part was getting the cutting platform level and the wedges in place to help me keep the thickness of my planks consistent.
By the time we finished, the sun was set, and we began working on cutting planks by torchlight. Raven had been watching us intently, but left to hunt.
Let me take you back to town in my boat, saves you the trip tomorrow.
You good crossing the lake in the dark? Derek asked.
Yeah, I have great night sight, I assured him. In some ways, Im more comfortable in the darkness.
You do understand how ominous that sounds, right? Derek gave me an odd look.
Oh, dont be melodramatic. I probably shouldnt have said I was more comfortable in the darkness, but it slipped out in trying to assure him Id be fine.
As we crossed the lake, both set to rowing, we chatted quietly, our voices carrying far over the water. Cutting green logs into planks has some issues, youll likely get splitting after a time.
I was worried about that, I agreed. Unfortunately, I cant think of a way to cure the logs fast enough. Theres no way I can build a kiln.
I have some tar you can use to coat your roof to help prevent it, Derek said. That will only last for a short time. My recommendation would be to cut enough planks for your roof now, and get some trees cut down and set in a pile. In a few years they should be cured. The tar should help your roof last that long, especially with that good layer of thatch you have on it.
Ill be sure to do that, thank you. Will the logs cure faster if I debark them first?
Yes, Derek agreed. Just make sure your pile is kept off the ground to help keep them free of insects.
I dropped Derek off at the town docks and headed back up the lake. The moon had come up, reflecting perfectly with the stars above in the still water. It was a peaceful night.
Maybe all this would work out in the end.
Chapter 26The next day, as I was working on my cabin, a canoe drifted up the lake. I headed to my dock to greet them, the lynx getting up to follow me. Part of me expected her to leave overnight, but so far she appeared content to stay.Before long, I waved to Rhea, and helped her out of her canoe. I take it you successfully dealt with the evil shrine?She had a look in her eye and I swallowed, even though I didnt actually need to swallow.Yeah, totally. Shrine is gone now. I nodded maybe a little too emphatically. The goblin village it was built in is also gone.A goblin village? she asked in surprise. I had detected something evil happening, but then the effect faded. Its alarming that there was a goblin village nearby.They were sacrificing humans and animals into some kind of blood ritual, I explained.There are rumors of a goblin kingdom hidden under these mountains, she said. No one has ever seen them, mind you, or if they have, they have been relatively peaceful. For goblins, anyways.Growling rose behind me, and I turned to see the lynx hunched up and growling at Rhea.Hey, now, shes a friend. The lynx looked at me in question, then relaxed.This chapter was first shared on the Nvl1n platform.Who is this? Rhea asked, kneeling and holding out a hand much like Id done the night before.I was impressed that she was so comfortable with the wild creature. She was in a cage at the goblin village. They were going to sacrifice her, but I interrupted the ritual and freed her. She decided to follow me back home.Whats her name? Rhea asked as the lynx inched closer to her and sniffed her hand.Name? I guess I hadnt thought about that.Rhea scratched the lynxs ears. She ran her hand along a black stripe that I hadnt noticed before, that flowed down the lynxs back. She pulled her hand away, looking at the lynx in surprise more than alarm. She has been touched by death. It mustve happened after you freed her. Rhea saw my look of alarm. Its okay, she is not in any danger. My guess is some stray magic from whatever was happening ended up on her, and then she came in contact with either a death creature or something dead.Is it alarming that theres potentially a death creature in the mountains?No, it was more likely she came across something thats already passed on and was just unlucky. The chances for crossing paths with a powerful enough death creature to change the ambient magic attached to her is highly improbable. I for one would know if such a creature was in the area, Rhea assured me, not seeming to notice my growing panic. Either way, I think you should call her Raven. Ravens are often near death so it is a fitting name.Youre surprisingly okay with this, I pointed out.While death is sad, we are taught that death is part of life, Rhea explained. Olattee seeks to restore and preserve, but also understands that without death, there would be no point.That is a rather enlightened view, I said, then blanched. My comment could be taken as very rude. Sorry if that came off harsh, not my intention.These trees will now serve as a kind of barrier to prevent monsters from coming down the valley, Rhea told me. Be warned though, it wont prevent very powerful creatures from entering.Ill keep that in mind, I assured her.Rhea and I didnt stick around much longer after setting up the wards. The purpose of her trip was mostly to see where my home was and to check-in about the quest. Later that afternoon, Derek showed up on the trail alongside the lake, leading a pack mule carrying supplies.You have a spot for this? he called out when he saw me.Yeah, bring it on over, I said.With Dereks help, we set up the water powered sawmill. It was a simple contraption with a small waterwheel being turned by the stream, which twisted a set of gears, that drove a blade up and down. The blade was span between two sturdy pieces of wood and very sharp. The hardest part was getting the cutting platform level and the wedges in place to help me keep the thickness of my planks consistent.By the time we finished, the sun was set, and we began working on cutting planks by torchlight. Raven had been watching us intently, but left to hunt.Let me take you back to town in my boat, saves you the trip tomorrow.You good crossing the lake in the dark? Derek asked.Yeah, I have great night sight, I assured him. In some ways, Im more comfortable in the darkness.You do understand how ominous that sounds, right? Derek gave me an odd look.Oh, dont be melodramatic. I probably shouldnt have said I was more comfortable in the darkness, but it slipped out in trying to assure him Id be fine.As we crossed the lake, both set to rowing, we chatted quietly, our voices carrying far over the water. Cutting green logs into planks has some issues, youll likely get splitting after a time.I was worried about that, I agreed. Unfortunately, I cant think of a way to cure the logs fast enough. Theres no way I can build a kiln.I have some tar you can use to coat your roof to help prevent it, Derek said. That will only last for a short time. My recommendation would be to cut enough planks for your roof now, and get some trees cut down and set in a pile. In a few years they should be cured. The tar should help your roof last that long, especially with that good layer of thatch you have on it.Ill be sure to do that, thank you. Will the logs cure faster if I debark them first?Yes, Derek agreed. Just make sure your pile is kept off the ground to help keep them free of insects.I dropped Derek off at the town docks and headed back up the lake. The moon had come up, reflecting perfectly with the stars above in the still water. It was a peaceful night.Maybe all this would work out in the end.
