The morning sun struggled over the sharp jagged teeth of the Rathe Mountains. The air was dry, but cold as the two
adventurers hiked the narrow mountain pass. One of the adventurers was a tall and stoic man, with black graying hair and a neatly trimmed jet black beard.
Despite his current location he only wore his ornately woven tunic and a pair of soft green breaches. His cloak covered most of him, hiding the tools of his
trade well. In one of the towns they passed through Tylum enjoyed stories of his new master who had a reputation that was so fierce and impressive that it both
scared and amazed the young lad. He was a rogue, sure... But he was a combatant that was as tough as a dragon, and equally as strong and he oversaw one of
Antonica's most respected thieve's guilds.
Stanos Herkanor did not look back to see if Tylum, his new charge, was behind him. The clumsy footfalls of the aspiring thief could be clearly heard, with his grunting and panting almost echoed off of the steep cliffs. Stanos commented now and then on Tylum causing an avalanche with the amount of noise he was making, but despite this boy's lack of any grace whatsoever, Stanos had seen a quiet determination in the boy's eyes and so he kept his criticism sharp but constructive. Also he had made a promise to Kanolth, and although Kanolth was no match for him in a duel, he knew Kan had an uncanny knack for making the lives of his enemies very very difficult and Stanos just did not want to to have to deal with a nuisance of that magnitude at this present time.
For many hours they climbed, until the trail leveled out and led to an outcropping that overlooked his home. It was a cluster of buildings, surrounded by a high wall. The town had been built into the mountain, with the steep roofed, stone buildings placed in such a way as to shield its inhabitants from the biting winter wind. As such the town was arranged into small clumps with trails and bridges and tunnels connecting them together into a complex web of safety. The streets themselves were narrow, lit by the windows of the dwellings, inns and shops and covered here and there by tarps to keep the heat of braziers trapped underneath as was necessary during the deep winter months. A comfortable blanket of fog and smoke hung over the town, shielding it from the bare, unforgiving sky and a large castle loomed over it all, ever vigilant.
Stanos's stomach grumbled loudly when he thought about the warm delicious pastries served in the Inn of the Tiger's Roar: One of his favorite hangouts. He pat his belly affectionately and offered it a word of encouragement as he shook his pack off of his shoulders. Tylum's ability to cook, especially out on the open road, was impressive. But nothing could beat expensive tavern food.
Looking back at Tylum for the first time, Stanos chuckled at the widened distance and shook his head as he sat down on a nearby rock. He had noticed a large group of orcs shadowing them most of the way up the pass, but he knew they weren't silly enough to attack him or anyone in his protection. Regardless he drew his sword from within the folds of his cloak and places it to his side.
"You better not tarry young lad," Stanos called out. "There is a large band of orcs about."
Stanos Herkanor did not look back to see if Tylum, his new charge, was behind him. The clumsy footfalls of the aspiring thief could be clearly heard, with his grunting and panting almost echoed off of the steep cliffs. Stanos commented now and then on Tylum causing an avalanche with the amount of noise he was making, but despite this boy's lack of any grace whatsoever, Stanos had seen a quiet determination in the boy's eyes and so he kept his criticism sharp but constructive. Also he had made a promise to Kanolth, and although Kanolth was no match for him in a duel, he knew Kan had an uncanny knack for making the lives of his enemies very very difficult and Stanos just did not want to to have to deal with a nuisance of that magnitude at this present time.
For many hours they climbed, until the trail leveled out and led to an outcropping that overlooked his home. It was a cluster of buildings, surrounded by a high wall. The town had been built into the mountain, with the steep roofed, stone buildings placed in such a way as to shield its inhabitants from the biting winter wind. As such the town was arranged into small clumps with trails and bridges and tunnels connecting them together into a complex web of safety. The streets themselves were narrow, lit by the windows of the dwellings, inns and shops and covered here and there by tarps to keep the heat of braziers trapped underneath as was necessary during the deep winter months. A comfortable blanket of fog and smoke hung over the town, shielding it from the bare, unforgiving sky and a large castle loomed over it all, ever vigilant.
Stanos's stomach grumbled loudly when he thought about the warm delicious pastries served in the Inn of the Tiger's Roar: One of his favorite hangouts. He pat his belly affectionately and offered it a word of encouragement as he shook his pack off of his shoulders. Tylum's ability to cook, especially out on the open road, was impressive. But nothing could beat expensive tavern food.
Looking back at Tylum for the first time, Stanos chuckled at the widened distance and shook his head as he sat down on a nearby rock. He had noticed a large group of orcs shadowing them most of the way up the pass, but he knew they weren't silly enough to attack him or anyone in his protection. Regardless he drew his sword from within the folds of his cloak and places it to his side.
"You better not tarry young lad," Stanos called out. "There is a large band of orcs about."
