despite the protective shield zer'atesh cast
despite the shifts of no fewer than 3 people to watch the camp overnight
the snow showed the tracks of a svest' following a biped into the woods
none of us could explain it and the other svesti seemed confused that we seemed confused – all they offered was the sylvan word for "old"?
after an hour's walk along that path the air grew brisk even through my enchanted cloak
in the earliest light of the sun we found a cabin
in an old place
brief digression
the exact year isn't known – even among the most meticulous historians there are conflicting accounts – but the scattering was between 450 and 480 years ago
a small library in the castle contains a few items that have existed for around that long and they carry the weight of time
the scent of the paper tells its own story of how different the world was when ink leapt from quill
it was the oldest thing i'd ever seen
...
this land's magic makes that seem newborn
i was slightly nervous when the elderly woman living there invited us inside for tea and explanations
but it's impossible to be nervous in a warm cozy cabin that smells like fresh bread
she said the svest' wanted to go for a walk but he couldn't pass through zer's shield so she asked the forest to help her free him ... and that sort of magic would barely notice even the strongest wards
she was clear that there would be no more locking up the svesti and we were all happy to agree
i was concerned that the fellwolves would attack the svesti
she said the wolves are also part of karrnath and will recognize us now – relief and gratitude!
after that we enjoyed tea and fresh bread and relic accepted when she offered a reading from her "tarokka" deck
each time she placed an illustrated card in the tableau she explained what it might suggest about the path of his life
the short form: he'll do much good with the help of his friends
(i could have told him that!)
i think meeting her will be a fond memory of karrnath ... but we never heard her name! and it never even occured to me to ask!
i get the sense i should respect the magic of unseen places and old secrets and not pry further
one more mystery though – when she spoke of the "old forces" at work in karrnath one of my magecraft students "mags" came to mind
the magpie who rides on her shoulder stole her original name so she took their name in return and now she's "mags"
similar energy
so we're back to travelling
i could nap but i'll probably spend more time poring through my spell research notes
again
trying to understand why i can't repeat the results of what i cast on emmer sykes
wondering if it has anything to do with that contained blast we managed in the temple that simply should not have worked
i need to figure this out before i make a mistake that's not in our favor