Chronicles of Ilandri - Volume 1

The Long Passage (Pt.1)

Nathaniel stood at the clifftop with one of his lookouts, surveilling the horizon. It had been two days since they had fled Othwyn and surprisingly spirits were high. The supplies they had collected had allowed them to set up a proper camp for everyone. After leaving the city Nathaniel had led them south west along the coast line, hoping the goblin army would venture south east. The Kingdom of Sethryn lay on the southeast border with the Republic of Othwyn, so their current path was not the most likely for them to take. It would take considerably longer to reach Orseth, but taking the less direct route gave them more chance of evading the dark forces. So far this tactic had paid off as they had seen no sign of any goblins or even wyverns searching after them. For now they had found a secluded spot to make camp and felt safe enough to relax momentarily. He knew this was a false sense of security but he could risk pausing there for now, for the sake of morale.

Content that there was no sign of anyone or anything around them he returned to the camp. They had found a grassed cove along the coast, shielded by the high cliffs either side. There was enough bush and shrub to provide them with cover from prying eyes. It was a nice wide area, they had been able to set up their tents with breathing room and it almost seemed like a community. With food and shelter, his people had come back to life and morale seemed to soar. Nathaniel was nervous though as he knew it could all come crashing down should they be found. They would not linger there too much longer. His plan was to continue following the coast line for now. Once the tide had gone out they would be able to round the cliff at the south edge of the cove. From there they could follow along the beach until the cliffs flattened once more. Nathaniel had sent out scouts to reconnoitre the path ahead. He knew that once the supplies had run out they would need to restock, which meant finding population. He wanted to avoid it as much as possible, as this would be where the goblin army would search. There were many towns and villages scattered across the republic and he knew that if they were careful, they would be able to avoid most, only interacting when they needed to buy supplies.

He walked down the narrow path from the clifftop, which zigzagged downward to the bottom of the cove. The camp had been a hive of gossip of this strange old man who had used magic to save them. People had chatted as if he was some kind of conjuror. Nathaniel thought Torstein would probably take great offence at being compared to a conjuror as he was such a wise old wizard. Nathaniel's tent was at the head of the camp, so he could be the first to react if they were attacked. As he entered Eira stirred, sitting up in their bed, and smiled up at him. It was still quite early, barely an hour since dawn and most of the camp was still peacefully sleeping. After breaking their fast, they would have to pack up the camp and continue the journey south.

The tide began to retreat as they packed the camp away into the wagons. It would be another long day of marching. Travelling with such a large number of people was slow and they had to factor in packing away and setting up the camp at the start and end of each day. Nathaniel stood at the side as people busied themselves, packing away the shelters and putting out fires. Stood next to him was his impromptu council of advisors - Ogwyn, Martyn and Col, the guardsman from Othwyn who had led his people from the city. Having Col with them was a stroke of luck as he knew the lands very well. He had knowledge of the different settlements and how best to avoid them, and the different roads which could be patrolled by goblins. Nathaniel was not sure how far the goblin army would venture beyond Ollorath and Othwyn. He supposed that with the leadership of the dark elves they would not over stretch their supply lines until they had secured themselves. Regardless of this he knew that he would have to make it to Orseth before the goblins ventured that far south.

Once the camp was packed away they embarked on the next leg of the journey. The sand was still a little soft where the sea had not long gone out, making it hard for the carts, but when they had rounded the headland the sand became much drier and it was easier going for the caravan. The beach stretched on for many miles under the shadow of the cliffs. They would have an easy passage for several miles before being forced to head inland. By that point, Nathaniel hoped they would be far south enough to have a good amount of distance from any goblin patrols. The sand made their progress somewhat slower but to Nathaniel it was a small price to play for the added protection the cliffs provided. People seemed in good spirits and did not appear to be bothered. The coastline continued mostly unchanging for several miles, with the cliffs to their left and wide open sea to their right. The days were still gloomy, but the further they travelled from Othwyn, the brighter each day got.

By the afternoon the coast ahead showed the cliffs were diminishing and sloping to meet the level of the beach. Beyond them the shoreline became more rocky and would be impassable. From this point on they would have to turn away from the coast and start venturing across country. Nathaniel was a little apprehensive but Col was confident of their path. They still had supplies to last them another five or six days. Col reckoned by then they would meet with a swathe of woodlands, inhabited by a few communities of wood cutters. He described them as a semi-nomadic people, who moved about the forest each year to cut trees in different areas, allowing the woodland to regrow. Col expected they would be able to obtain fresh supplies from the woodsmen, even if it meant helping them out for a time, to earn the provisions.

Before they would reach the forest however, there were many miles of up-country to cross. Uninhabited lands of open fields, heath and moorland. By avoiding roads their passage would not be swift or easy. If they came across land too rugged for the wagons, they would have to go around. By the end of the day the caravan had travelled several miles across open grassland. They set up camp not far from a spring of fresh mineral water, giving them an opportunity to replenish their water supply. That had been the main disadvantage of travelling the coastal path, the water was undrinkable. Nathaniel knew they had enough water to last a couple of days, but remaining next to the sea was not sustainable. Eventually they would have had to venture in land at some point.

Their journey continued inland in a south easterly direction. The terrain began to undulate as it swept across the landscape. Large crags and rocky outcrops dotted across the countryside. The fields were a stunning patchwork of green fields, brown plains, yellow gorse flowers and purple heathers. The caravan trudged along taking the easiest route across this terrain, following valleys and tracks left by wild horses. The higher points of the land afforded them a good view of the country ahead so they could better plan their route. The sun finally made an appearance as the dark clouds remained in the north. Each day that passed they found a reasonably sheltered, yet large enough space to set up their camp. It was strange that as time went on morale seemed to lift. There was a joviality around the camp, as if everyone had grown strangely accustomed to their new nomadic lifestyle. At the same time Nathaniel was also feeling less anxious about his responsibilities of leading the group. He knew he could rely on the support of Ogwyn, Martyn and Col. The company of Eira was also a blessing for him. She had a means of somehow soothing him simply by the gentle touch of her hands or her warm smile. When he lay with her during the cold nights he was grateful for the shared warmth in their bed, but also to have someone whom he loved and who loved him in return. Her company was what kept him going and prevented his mind from turning to darker thoughts.

On the fifth day of their journey heading inland, just as Col had said, the woodland lay ahead of them, like a shear wall along the edge of the moorland. It was a welcome sight for Nathaniel as he knew they were low on supplies. Col said it would be hard to know exactly where the woodsmen might have set up their camp, but the forest would provide some relief from open county. A number of tracks seemed to criss-cross the woodland and whilst he was apprehensive to travel down them, Nathaniel knew it was probably their best bet of finding the wood folk. It was much cooler under the shade of the trees and there was a freshness to the breeze. There was something about the place that just seemed much more welcoming and natural. The last time Nathaniel had spent any length of time in a forest it was overshadowed and dark, but this was far different.