Chronicles of Ilandri - Volume 1

An Unlikely Friendship (Pt.2)

Nathaniel had some breakfast in the tavern, making the most of his stay. He had a plate of bacon, sausage and mushrooms which he was very glad of. Leaving the tavern behind, he went out into the streets to find a market. In the daylight the town was quite bustling, though the people still seemed quite shady. The market was not too difficult to find, as he simply followed the stream of people heading in and out of one particular side street. Many stalls were crammed into a tight square set into the cramped town. Nathaniel did not linger there too long, buying what he needed to replenish the stores he had already consumed. He now needed to find a bowyer to purchase himself a hunting bow and some arrows. He left the market by a different side alley to avoid the crowds. As he walked away he caught sight of a dark figure lurking behind him, putting him on his guard.

Nathaniel rounded a corner and sunk back into a dark nook, ready to surprise the mystery follower. As the dark figure rounded the corner he saw that it was Grolt who had been following him. The dwarf looked quite different than the previous night. He wore studded leather armour over his shirt and carried two short, bearded axes on his back. "These back alleys are dangerous," remarked the dwarf as Nathaniel stepped into the light. "You could take a wrong turn and end up stabbed or robbed, unless you have someone who knows their way around," he added suggestively. "I have been thinking about your quest. I think we are of a similar purpose and I could help you."
"You would be welcome company, I do not know these lands." Nathaniel accepted, remembering Torstein's advice. "I am looking for a bowyer before I leave town."

Grolt nodded and led Nathaniel through the maze-work of alleys, eventually coming to a small shop near the walls. Inside was a single man sat at a workbench, planing a piece of wood, honing it into shape. On the floor by the door were a few half barrels, each with a different arrow type in. Nathaniel inquired about a hunting bow and the man walked to the back of his shop, getting a pre-made bow down from the wall. It was not a spectacular bow and had been wrapped arbitrarily with cloth, but it would suffice for his needs. After bartering over the price, he eventually settled on a sum he considered reasonable for the bow and several arrows. With the purchase complete he left the shop, collecting Grolt outside and heading back to the main street to leave the town.

The gate at the southern end of the town was much the same as the northern one. Nathaniel and Grolt left through the wicket gate, stepping out onto the open road once more. He was glad to be leaving the grimy town behind them, despite heading out into the unknown. The road ahead ran straight toward the wolds Torstein foretold him of, before they separated. The road entered the wolds and began to twist its way through the valleys between steep hills, following the flattest path through the terrain. The land there seemed quite inhospitable and it was not likely they would see much civilisation For their first night on the wolds they found a secluded spot to set up camp, a little ways uphill from the road, behind a cluster of bare rocks, jutting up from the hillside. Nathaniel left Grolt to start a fire and set up a shelter whilst he went out to try and hunt some supper with his new bow.

There was plenty of wildlife on the wolds and it would not be hard to find something. Nathaniel had some skill as a tracker and knew the signs to look for. He found some deer tracks, but an animal that large would not be practical for them. What he was looking for was a hare or rabbits. Lower down in the valley he spotted some droppings, still seemingly quite fresh. Not much further on he found leafy plants which had been nibbled at. Clearly he was getting close so he nocked an arrow to his bow and crept onward. His eyes scanned around looking for the small creatures, whilst he tried to keep down wind. One scurried out from behind a shrub and he loosed the arrow. The shot was on target and its effect was instantaneous. He loitered a little longer and managed to catch one more rabbit for their meal. Content with his hunt, he took back the rabbit to Grolt who had the camp set up nicely. Nathaniel skinned the catch with his knife and skewered it onto a stick, to spit roast over the fire.