Cayzle's Wemic Site
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A Strange Guest for Dinner
The party rests in Arabel -- and Sculg makes some food for the party.
Cronis, Owyth and Urameshi joined Sculg as he wandered around the city looking for 'ingredients', so he could cook a meal the others would eat. They were not allowed in the first two stores as the shopkeepers told them they would scare their customers away. Though they were successful on their third try and Sculg was able to buy a few things. Not much, since they were short of money, but enough to cook them a couple of meals.
Cosmos decided to stay in the Tired Traveler, where he just rested as long as he could, since the next day they would be hitting the road again. As for Solana, she decided not to sell the spellbook they found with Blake, the bandit mage, and kept it for herself.
After a good rest they all decided to leave Arabel, first thing in the morning, and continue their travel.
Already on their first day they noticed the difference of travelling in Cormyrean roads. They often met with other travelers, coming and going, and also lots of patrolling guards from the Purple Dragon army that kept the roads safe. Thus, the second half of their journey was easier and they passed through the small villages of Eveningstart and Tyrluk in no time. Four more days and they would reach the Eagle Peak.
Itīs their 11th night since they left Tilverton. As most spring nights the sky is clear of clouds and they are able to see full beauty of the moon and stars. The ground is not as soft as before since they are about to enter a mountainous area, that according to Solana, is called the Storm Horns. The winds, coming from the west, make a howling sound that echoes loudly and play with their minds. They imagine what dangers they are about to find travelling through those mountains.
They set up camp and build the fire a little bigger than usual to protect them from the cold wind. During those four days they have denied any attempts of Sculg cooking them any food, but this night, since no game has been found and they only have their dry rations, they decided - at least some of them did - to give the little gully dwarf a chance. While he arranges his iron pot over the fire and gather his ingredients, a dark cloaked wanderer comes from the north towards the camp.
Probably, as it happened so many times, itīs just some traveler wanting to share their fire, though they have had a few bad experiences giving help to strangers.
The 'man' is fifty feet away, and walking slowly.
Solana, cautious as always, moves off to one side as Owyth greets the newcomer.
Urameshi rolls to the side and covers his face with his black mask, quickly vanishing in the darkness, moving silently on the opposite parallel way Solana is going.
Cosmos tries to hide his anxiety by reading his book and ignoring the stranger but can't help looking up from his book every minute to see what's happening. . .
Sculg approaches the stranger, that stops at the sight of the little man. With his hood on and his face looking down, the gully dwarf can't see nothing but part of the manīs white hair. Stretching down his arm, covered by his long sleeved black robe, the stranger puts his black gloved hand inside the pot, passing his fingers on the stew and taking it to his mouth, tasting it.
"Good. " he says with a tired, low voice. Hearing the wemicīs greetings, the stranger takes off his hood and raises his head. There are wrinkles all over his long, bony face. His yellow eyes stare at the wemic as the western wind blows his long white hair over his left shoulder.
"My name is Maestro!" he shouts, his voice almost failing him for the effort. He salivates a little and cleans his throat before shouting again. "And I am a friend!".
The old looking man stands still, waiting for an answer before making any moves.
The party cautiously welcomes the old man.
"Thank you for your generosity lads. " old Maestro says and walks to the fire, his heavy black boots marking the ground as he passes. He sits near them, around the fire, and turns his face to Owyth. "I hope I am not disturbing you, my wemic friend. I just wish to share a few minutes of your fire and maybe also a small portion of your little friend's good stew. I have no money to pay for it though I can share a good story, if you want. " the old man blinks his yellow eyes while waiting for the wemic to say something, the fire light making he looks like some sort of apparition.
"As far as I'm concerned you can eat that whole pot old man. " Cosmos interrupts, looking up from his book. "Iīd rather die than eat anything that little freak dwarf cooks!".
In the mean time, appearing as if out of nowhere, Urameshi comes back to the camp and takes his black mask off. The yellow skinned ninja also sits around the fire and looks to Maestro, his almond shaped eyes searching for anything that might give him some clue about this mysterious old man.
Owyth is surprised to be recognized.
"Oh yes, I know your kind. A wanderer at my age knows a lot!" Maestro says to Owyth. Urameshi then, takes a feel bowls and fill them with Sculg's stew, giving one to the stranger, another to Owyth and keeping one to himself. The flavor is very strong and it seems the gully dwarf exaggerated on the salt, but still it is better than eating the cold dry food they had.
Maestro eats it slowly, making a good face, probably the one who liked Sculgīs stew the most. Once he is finished he puts the bowl down at his side and turns to Sculg. "Thank you little friend. You are a great cook!". He then puts his hand inside his cloak and takes a small black timber box from it. He opens the box and takes an old looking black tobacco pipe and a gray little bag of tobacco. "I hope you don't mind me smoking my pipe while telling you my story. " he smiles.
He drops some of the tobacco in his pipe and puts the bag back into the box, letting it rest on his lap. Holding the pipe with his left hand he snaps his right fingers over the pipe opening, producing a quick red spark. Putting the pipe in his mouth he starts puffing some smoke rings.
"Now, now, let's see. " he says with his slow tired voice, the pipe hanging on his mouth. "This is a true story known only by a few, and it happened more than five hundred years ago. . . ". The old stranger begins to tell them the story of an elf wizard so powerful that an evil god turned against him, in fear. He keeps puffing the smoke out of his pipe and as he tells the story the smoke takes some shapes as it raises up to the sky. They suddenly realized they couldn't get their attention out of the old Maestro. He continued telling the story but they could only see his old dry lips moving. All around them there was nothing but silence. The wind stopped howling and the soft sound of sparkles was no more. Their vision blurred and the old stranger continued weaving his tale, as if nothing was happening. Was this something of his doings? Is he casting some sort of spell at them? Or did it have something to do about the evil spirits Urameshi has been chasing? Were they near the camp? Or maybe it is the over spiced stew? Or are they just tired? Whatever it is, they unsuccessfully try to fight it, and fall asleep. . .
They wake up startled the next morning, stand up quickly and looking around to see what was happening. It doesn't take them a long time to notice that Maestro wasn't there with them. They check their stuff and see nothing is missing. They search for any tracks of the old man but find nothing. There was no trace of Maestro.
Did the old man really join them last night to was that just a dream? They find no sign of old Maestro being there with them last night.