At sunrise they all realised the grave situation they were now in, as the trees grew so thick and so tall that very little sunlight could reach the forest floor. This meant that discerning any direction was now very difficult. There was not even any moss or lichen on the trees to aid them, as not enough sunlight was present for them to grow. Realising the desperate situation they were in, Mutt started to climb one of the trees, up into the canopy. The branches higher up snapped under his great weight and he came tumbling back to the ground. As he fell though, his huge hands grabbed around for support, finding a small tree trunk and wrenching it from the top of the tree as he came down. This action had given them a small break in the canopy, allowing the sunlight through and showing them which way was east. With renewed direction they set off, marking the ground every few metres so they could see which way they had come.
The new direction gave them little hope though and Nathaniel began to doubt the path they were on. He decided that a better plan would be to head down hill in hopes of finding the river which ran into Yarbok Port. Grolt agreed with this new approach and Mutt just seemed to be happy to go along with whatever they chose. This was a more certain path as there was a distinct gradient they could follow. The forest began to show signs of thinning out slightly as they went, which gave them hope they were on the correct track. Eventually they came across a clearing, formed by a huge rock which jutted out of the ground and high into the treetops. Growing out of this rock was a very peculiar looking tree. It had bark which was gnarly and old looking, but pale like silver birch. The roots encased the bottom of the rock like a bird's nest, before delving into the earth. At the foot of this tree was a small pool of water, which seemed to fill from a gently flowing spring, emerging from the rock under the tree. It was a strange vision of beauty set like a juxtaposition against the dark woods. Nathaniel decided it looked like a good place to stop for a meal and refill their canteens. He set up a fire to boil the water and got out his rations of smoked meat and staling bread. It was also nice to stop and rest in the sunshine. Judging by its position they had been following the gradient down hill in a northerly direction. Nathaniel had high hopes that this would lead them back to the main road into Yarbok Port.
As they sat enjoying the rest, a cloud obscured the sun and all around it went quite dark, almost as black as night. Surprisingly the area remained light, illuminated by the glowing silver light of the mysterious tree. The next thing Nathaniel knew, there was a strange whispering sensation around his ears. Judging by the disturbed reaction from Grolt and Mutt, they were experiencing a similar sensation. He looked around but could see nobody else with them. Next he thought he could distinctly hear a giggle. "Who takes from our sacred pool without asking?" Came a whisper from behind, followed by another playful giggle. It was a woman's voice, tuneful and pleasing to his ear. There was then a bright light in his periphery which caught his attention. As he turned to look at it there was a flash and then it was gone. When he turned to look back, they were all shocked to see what looked like a child stood in the pool. As Nathaniel looked closer he could see something about this girl that did not seem childlike. A wisdom of many years of age. Slowly he could tell that this was no child at all, though he did not know what. She was dressed in a flowing white robe, which draped gracefully over her petite figure. Her hair was long, thick and blonde, flowing down her back as gracefully as her robes.
"You trespass on sacred ground," she whispered at them playfully.
"We are lost, looking for the road to Yarbok," Nathaniel answered. The girl giggled at him again. "You are far from that road," she remarked.
"Can you help us find our way there?" He requested courteously.
"Only those true of heart can we help. She will decide. One of you must follow me," she answered enigmatically.
Nathaniel and Grolt looked at each other, wholly confused by the situation and not entirely sure they should trust this peculiar creature. "I will come, but where are we going?" He asked, puzzled. The girl giggled once more, "Deep into mother earth, you shall be judged. To enter you must remove your shoes'' There was a pause and Nathaniel shrugged but obeyed the strange request. He knew there was nothing else for it than to place his trust in this childlike creature. The girl turned and walked toward where the roots of the tree met the rock. As he got closer he could see a small crack in the rock, where the girl disappeared into. He squeezed himself through too and followed on. As he looked at the girl he could see her skin appeared scaly, even more so on her legs. Her hands and feet in fact seemed to be clawed, with ridges of scales down her toes and fingers like a lizard.
Long he followed blindly down into the depths of the world, after this strange creature. He was nervous and anxious but strangely not scared. Deeper and deeper they dove into the rock until he was suddenly shocked to feel icy cold water at his bare feet. It was a bizarre feeling and total shock to his senses in the vast blackness about him. Despite feeling as though he was in an endless chasm it was merely a narrow tunnel. Now and again the creature giggled childishly but so softly that it barely even echoed off the stone. Eventually he could see a hazy blue light appearing in the distance. The closer he got the more it seemed to pulse. Eventually it began to fill the tunnel and he was aware of his surroundings far more. The light was soft and gentle, quite pleasing on the eyes. It was soon apparent where the light was coming from and when he came to the source he found a wide chamber filled with strange plants, like large lilies of the valley, emitting the soft light which seemed to flow around the room. At the far end was the slender figure of a woman whose hair seemed blue in the soft light. Nathaniel was quite taken aback by her presence and she laughed pleasantly as she turned to face him.
She was exceptionally beautiful and had a soft blue aura of her own. The lilies seemed to pulse and flow in tune with her own aura and Nathaniel was totally enchanted by her. She smiled sweetly; her every move was smooth and her limbs seemed to flow as if in some slowed dance. For a moment Nathaniel was struck dumb to find such a beauty in a dark and deep place in the earth. She was dressed in leafy clothes which barely covered her. She never ceased to smile and he was completely enchanted by her, perhaps by some kind of magic. She moved forward and the leaf clothes receded leaving her naked as she approached him. He did not know what to do and was almost transfixed looking deep into her magical eyes. She had a piercing gaze which seemed to be searching his soul. She approached him as he was frozen to the spot and gently stroked his cheek, then she giggled much like his guide had, "This one's heart is claimed by another," she said with a smooth and musical voice. Suddenly he was aware that whatever had frozen him to the spot had released its grip on him. He was no longer stiff and deep in his chest he could feel a tenseness not previously there which slowly faded. Nathaniel looked on at this mysterious woman and although he found her exceptionally beautiful he did not feel the same enchantment as before.
Oddly as he looked at her, his mind turned to Eira and all the memories they had shared together. "What brings you to my domain?" She asked in her sultry voice. "I hear you took water from the sacred pool without my blessing."
"My friends and I are lost in the woods, looking for the road to Yarbok Port. I asked for assistance, to find our way back to the road," He explained again.
"What would one such as you want in such a foul place?" She asked curiously. Her eyes seemed to pierce straight through him and he felt as though she was searching his soul. It was extremely distracting and he found it hard to explain himself, as if she was inside his mind. "I am on a quest, to seek out the elves," he managed at last. Her eyes grew narrow for a brief moment then she turned away.
"I see in your heart that you are true, so I shall help you." She responded eventually. "My sprites will guide you back onto your path." She then turned back to him and approached. As she drew nearer her face came close to his, touching her soft skin against his face. She felt warm and welcoming, then Nathaniel noticed the lower part of her body transform into a great long tail like a snake. She placed a gentle kiss on his cheek and then pushed him backward with what felt like enormous force. He stumbled backward, falling into the pool of water behind him with a great splash. As his face came beneath the water, all the light went out and he was for an instant in darkness.
With another splash he convulsed forwards and came into the light once more, to find that he was sat in the pool on the surface. Grolt and Mutt looked at him in equal parts astonishment and confusion. He stood up to shake himself off and walk over to his companions. Out of the woods behind them, two more childlike figures emerged. "Come, follow us," they instructed playfully. Nathaniel gathered his pack and led Grolt and Mutt to follow these sprites, still unsure if he should fully trust them. The sprites were surprisingly fleet of foot and a little difficult to keep up with. They led them away from the clearing, back into the thick forest. They seemed to skip around fallen branches and between trunks like children playing a game, though never tiring. After what felt like several hours they came to the border of the forest, where the sprites stopped. "We can go no further," one insisted, "The road you seek is that way," the other remarked, pointing with her scaly finger. Nathaniel thanked them for their assistance and asked their mistress too. They disappeared back into the trees and then Nathaniel spotted two glowing orbs floating away, deeper into the forest.
It was not a long stretch of grassland to cross before they reached the well trodden path which would take them to Yarbok port. They made a reasonable headway with what daylight remained, though sunset arrived and they needed to make camp once more. As they bedded down for the night, Nathaniel felt strangely relaxed and at peace. With his eyes closed he could see a vision of Eira smiling at him, in his mind's eye. It felt so real and gave a warmth to his heart, that when he opened his eyes it was hard to know if he was now dreaming. A sudden downpour of torrential rain helped him to realise however, that he was not. It was thankfully not hard to sleep and the patter of rain on his canvas shelter was in fact more soothing than expected. Come morning the rainfall had ended and there was a fresh feeling in the air, as if the rain had cleaned everything anew. They set off down the road to Yarbok Port with optimism and Nathaniel was quite grateful for the companionship of both Grolt and Mutt.
For the last leg of the journey, the road followed the course of the river. It was quite pleasant to walk alongside the gentle sound of flowing water. As they got closer to the port town however, a strange smell began to creep into the air. At first it was so subtle that it was not quite possible to place, but eventually it became clear. It was a foul smell, not too dissimilar to the smell of rotting. The intensity of the smell grew as they continued onward. The foulness of the stench which hung around them, left a sickening feeling in the pit of Nathaniel's stomach. He could only liken it to the smell of a goblin camp, which was etched in his memory since the first encounter. Though it was not quite so foul, it left him in a guarded state, as if he expected goblins to appear at any moment. Thankfully no goblins did appear and the true source of the stench became apparent. By late afternoon the town of Yarbok Port stood ahead of them, a dark mass nestled into the landscape ahead of them.
The town was enclosed by a high cobbled wall, which appeared to be covered in a oozing moss. All that was visible of the town behind the wall was the rooftops of the buildings. They looked to be dark wood, dampened by the proximity to the sea. By the time they reached the gates, the sun had dropped below the horizon and dark clouds had obscured the last of the lingering light. The town gate was the only way in or out of the town by land and was guarded by two giants, donned in heavy iron armour and carrying large mauls. A single human guardsman stood ahead of them, checking each person who tried to enter. Nathaniel and his companions joined the end of the queue which had formed. He carefully observed each person as they interacted with the guardsman. Ahead of them were eight others attempting to gain entry to Yarbok Port, five men who looked like traders and three dwarves who looked like smiths. As each one spoke to the guardsman to gain entry to the town it seemed they had a purpose for access. Nathaniel, Grolt and Mutt looked like a rag tag bunch with no good reason to gain entry and he feared they may get turned away.
The queue shrank person by person as they were each granted entry by the guards. Nathaniel grew more and more anxious as their turn approached to speak to the guard. Finally they stood in front of him and they now had a few more people behind them in line too. The guard looked rough and his armour was worn, with a touch of rust on some of his chainmail. As a city guardsman of Ollorath, rusted armour would receive severe punishment. "Last entry!" the guard shouted just as Nathaniel and his friends reached the front. This was perhaps a stroke of luck, but without a good reason they would be denied entry. There was general discord amongst the back of the queue as they all dispersed and headed away from the gates. There seemed to be travellers' inns outside the city, no doubt to house all those who were too late to get inside.
The guard scowled at them, clearly eager to finish his shift and shut the gates to the city. "State your purpose," he demanded. Nathaniel went blank. He could not think of a good reason to be allowed entry. "Quickly now, or piss off!" he snarled."Do you know who you're talking to?" snapped Grolt unexpectedly."Do I look like I care dwarf?" he replied with disdain."This is the Archon of Nimwe. Probably the most important man your miserable existence will ever set eyes on. How do you think the thieves guild will react if they find out you turned him away at the gate because of your own ignorance?" Grolt retorted. A confused sort of anger spread across the guard's face, as he stood somewhat dumbfounded."I'll need to check with my cap.""You think it's wise to keep us waiting. What's your name?" the dwarf grumbled with deathly stare deep into the guards eyes, that made even Nathaniel feel uncomfortable."Uh, very well you may enter," the guard conceded. Nathaniel was taken aback as he pondered what had just happened. They slipped through the gate doors and into the long tunnel that took them into the city. "A little lie couldn't hurt," chuckled Grolt quietly."Thieves guild?" whispered Nathaniel in reply. Grolt did not answer but promised to explain later.