laneys.info Beware of Yankees, drunks, and loose women.

Once out of the Tortosa Range, they traveled through open tundra whose short bushes were the only sources of cover for elk, mule deer and a host of predators. Lisa and Tess both ate well on their way to the walled city which commanded the outermost peninsula which effectively ended the mountain range and began at the northern banks of the Valga nearly thirty-five hundred miles away. Most of the trip had taken much of her acquired magical energy to get them to the outer edge of the Varangian barony.
Grey skies accented the low fog which drifted along the sparse foliage and through farms as they finally found a road which led to the distant gate.

"Finally," Adgertesse' stated as they walked while a rooster sang to the new morning. "It took a while and I didn't imagine there was so much open land in this world."

"This is only a small part of it, too."

"I knew traveling with you would be interesting," she chuckled as a large man stepped out from his stone house. His blonde hair, tied up in a long pony tail and beard elongated his rugged, pale face as brown eyes glanced to them as they walked along his fenceline. Waving, his tall frame made them realize that they could easily get lost in this town.

Lisa waved back and in fluent Varangian, "Good morn, sir".

He smiled as he relaxed and continued on to the barn. "And a bright one," he joked as he glanced up to the thick, smooth clouds.

She chuckled and turned her attention back to the road and the nearing gatehouse centering the long grey wall before them.

"You can understand them?"

"Yes," she nodded. "One of the acquired skills I was given some time ago."

"Given? By who?"

"I'm not sure, exactly. We were searching for a cave in the Macau lands and when I found it, the entrance only allowed me in. I'm assuming it was because I used the key to open it. The last thing I remembered after that was watching the doors close. The next thing I knew, I'm laying in the dirt outside the closed entrance not knowing who I was or where."

Tess stared quietly for a moment. "On second thought, maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

Lisa glanced into the dark blue eyes. "Don't worry, we haven't had to deal with anything like that in quite a while. I thought you were a brave fighter."

Huffing, the darkly clad girl touched her hammer and sword handles. "I can take care of myself, don't worry about that. I'm just learning more about the world outside what I've known and it's been interesting." She motioned to the farmer they had just passed. "Is everyone here that big?"

"Yes. Varangians settled this area from their kingdoms to the east," her green eyes glanced between the homes and beyond the distant shoreline to the blue horizon. "They're great sailors and fighters. We'll have to keep our eyes open, they're culture is a bit different than what we've seen so far."

"Alright."

Once they walked through the high gates, they stepped into the larger world inhabited by people whose average height was between six-and-a-half feet and seven feet tall. Kind hearted, for the most part, their loud, boisterous personalities were softened when caring for their horses whose privileged position in their society was readily apparent. Lisa and Tess had very little problem dodging horse-drawn wagons and the occasional playing child who was as tall as they were in some cases as they made their way to the docks.

"Your favorite place," Tess commented, laughing as they stepped out onto the wide and long wooden walkway.

"Not funny," Lisa stated as the smells and lapping waves gave her the chills. A feeling that wasn't missed during their trip overland from Skein.

"I'm joking," she playfully pushed into Lisa's shoulder and led to the edge of the pylons as they stopped and scanned the few ships moored within the bay. Most were long, sleek designs with square main sails denoting Varangian origins. One however caught Lisa's attention to the right.

"We should talk to the captain of that one," she informed and started to head towards the merchant vessel.

"Why not this one?"

"Varangians won't take us where we need to go. They believe the white north is a place of death."

"Oh."

As they rounded the corner and headed to the gangplank, two human men conversed. Obvious pendants of blue stones atop gold bases and frame denoted Archantael, the patron goddess of the sea, hung around the necks of the aged veterans of the sealanes. They both turned as the girls walked up.

"Hello," Lisa greeted in Astaran to both tanned individuals.

The older of the two nodded a slight bow. "Greetings," he turned to face her directly. "How may I be of service?" His accent hinted at Sauqiran, but she wasn't sure yet.

"We need passage north of here." She hoped he hadn't believed any of the superstitious rumors of the glacial land.

He nodded and both smiled. "Really? No one has told you of the demons that inhabit that land, I take it. Or have they and you dismiss them as local paranoia?"

"I've heard them, yes. All we need is for you to get us within sight of the shoreline, we'll take care of the rest. You and your crew won't be in any danger and you'll be free to leave us after that."

"I see. Why would two beautiful women like you wish to go there in the first place? There's nothing there but leagues of snow covered mountains."

Lisa grinned. "You've been there yourself?"

"No," he shook his head. "But I've heard many a bard tell of the home of Archantael. That's a sacred place and I don't wish to be party to anything that she would take out on us on our way home. You understand."

She nodded. "I understand. We're going there to help my friends with a purpose that She gave them. That's all."

His eyes narrowed. "A quest? Why didn't you say so? When would you be ready to leave?"

"As soon as you are," Tess piped up.

He motioned to his ship. "Right now. Come aboard and we'll be off." He turned to his companion. "Get the crew back to the ship and prepare to depart."

"Aye, captain."

Lisa and Tess followed the captain up the long wooden plank onto the deck where several tanned men finished replacing ropes on the main mast, tying them to wooden pins attached to the hull's interior wall flanking the main deck.

"How much for passage?" Lisa asked, regaining the captain's attention.

He shook his head. "A quest for the Lady would only gain her favor. I can't ask you for gold."

Both females stood quiet for a moment as they studied him commanding his crew to finish their repairs. Reading his surface thoughts, he seemed genuine and an unexpected find.