Awakening, Quickening

Entering Grebefal part 1

They approached the gate's archway, sticking to the trail that emerged from the forest, passed through the fields of long grass, and wound its way up to the gate. Beside the trail, farmed fields could be seen; some type of cluster shaped grain, and bushed full of a small, deep red fruit, ones Harmony wasn't familiar with. A mouth-watering smell wafted across from them, and Muse frowned. "Why does my body ache from the smell? It is pleasant, but it makes me hurt."

"That's hunger, Muse. You aren't used to it, but in this form, you must need to eat."

Muse sighed. "And I suppose it would be bad to take and eat those fruits...."
Harmony smiled again, shaking her head. "Yes, it would be, at least until someone who works in the fields offers us some. They don't belong to us."
As they approached the gate, the largest of the men snapped to attention and said "Halt!"

Muse & Harmony stopped, waiting. The man spluttered a bit, as if he had expected them to pressure him or deny the command, and had forgotten what to say if they complied.
Harmony smiled at the man, and he blinked, then stared.

"ER, ahm. Excuse me. Lady? What brings you to Grebefal? There isn't much for a Noble Lady, to be found here..."

One of his fellows approached him at this, a taller, younger man with a thin black beard & hair, studying them closely. "Vern, she's not a Noble, look at her. What Noble lady travels afoot, with nowt but a single servant, and a new mewling babe?" He frowned. "Where have ye come from? Ye can't have come too far, with those companions." He turned back to Vern. "we should take them to the castle, to the Lord--"

He broke off as Kyir suddenly let out a hungry wail, flailing his tiny fists in the air. "Um. I mean, probably they need the inn first..." Harmony nodded. "Yes, we need to rest, please... is there a resident healer here? Or a mage?" The young man shook his head. "naw, Grebefal is too remote for such luxuries. We heal ourselves, mostly. There's Granny Jak, who does us for births and deaths. That's all."
Harmony tried to smile. "May I see her, then? I promise we aren't here to cause any harm." The man frowned, but nodded, motioning them through the gate. "Yeh...all right. Second house on the north side. The one with the grey spiked roof 'n the raven on the chimney".

Muse and Harmony walked through, looking around. Muse looked back at the guards and grinned at the dark-haired man. "What's your name?" He looked unnerved, but smiled back. "Neil Jaksson. Granny Jak's my Grandma. We're all related here, one way or another."
Vern nodded, leaning back against the gate wall.

"Yeah. I'm married to his sister, 'n he's-" -here he motioned to the other two guardsmen- "-my sister's man, Sren, and he's t' other brother to him–Kade, the lout who's asleep ower there. We're here most days. Lord's orders." He stifled a yawn.
Harmony lifted the now-wailing baby onto her shoulder. "Well, there is a mage in Grebefal now; I am a mage, a healer. My name is Harmony, and this is Muse, my handmaid, and the babe is my son, Kyir. My thanks for the directions. I should go now, Kyir needs a meal, and I am in need of a rest."
The guards nodded and glanced at one another with puzzled looks. Niel looked them over a second time. "A healing Mage, huh...Well, good to have ye here? Grebefal could use one of your sort. We'll be seeing you around." Muse cheerfully waved back at them as they crossed the market-space and down the path, towards the first house.

Up close, the dusty paths and small gardens were much, much larger. The houses, too. Harmony gazed around at the structures, wondering; second, third, and even fourth stories loomed awkwardly above them, looking very, very old. The massive foundation timbers were cut and sunk into solid rock, with a precision that hinted at a high level of engineering expertise, and tools that these people definitely didn't have. The walls grayed with age, and with sun--but no decay. Vines climbed over them, and the fruit trees wrapped huge limbs around the sides. These weren't houses for just one family.

"You could house a whole village in one of these!" Muse murmured, and Harmony agreed. Each building looked like it had room for at least three families with children. The "spiked roof" house was the only house that showed some outer wear and tear; black sooty streaks down one side, and a newer-looking roof, of thatch, not slate like the rest. It, too, was gray with age, but seemed not to have any other form of decay. The straw thatch stood up in a spiky edge, tied in peaks which strongly resembled feathers, all along the ridge. At one corner a clay chimney-pot rose through the thatch, and at the top of it, a large black bird sat, eyeing them. It croaked loudly and dived, and Muse stared as it seemed to vanish, diving down the chimney into the house. "How odd.."