115Please respect copyright.PENANASiQaspTZOl
The wind polished the stones smooth. Wildflowers grew in 115Please respect copyright.PENANAzehPu2oAHW
abundance, the air crisp and clean. Thin clouds streaked across 115Please respect copyright.PENANA08q05VYGvH
the bright sky on this day.
A few trees dared to grow. The handful that did were solid and 115Please respect copyright.PENANAxkBlm3wn1S
stubborn, much like the people. In the distance, a formally shaped 115Please respect copyright.PENANAzOu1JJMpLa
stone building stood in defiance of the wind. When all other 115Please respect copyright.PENANAKaBSLfbwWH
structures were round stone domes, the Milborrow family kept the 115Please respect copyright.PENANAPxvwsRMTXK
traditional building.
A road to the lower valley wobbled past the estate. Stone walls 115Please respect copyright.PENANAuTmLz6QNlY
telling the road were it stopped and the estate began. A vineyard 115Please respect copyright.PENANAi3qGrC76lq
poked around the corner. Soil brought up from the lower valleys 115Please respect copyright.PENANASDwo0omwMB
made a garden. A small stream hidden behind a stone stall for the 115Please respect copyright.PENANAK1rEbHrl31
estate's horse dashed across the lawn only to disappear over a 115Please respect copyright.PENANALPoE9HFsp9
nearby cliff face.
Inside, fieldstone fitted together by quality masons define a 115Please respect copyright.PENANAnAvpHFei1c
rectangular structure to create an estate of old. Timber, brought 115Please respect copyright.PENANABUUma92wxu
from the lower valleys, replaced portions of the stone. A 115Please respect copyright.PENANAYhHycAnnZL
hexagonal fireplace offset from the centre of the room heated a 115Please respect copyright.PENANAQgi6kLe8m7
stew destined for tonight's supper. A long oak dining table 115Please respect copyright.PENANAkVee84AbkK
pushed against a far wall showed signs of formality slightly past 115Please respect copyright.PENANADxtdJ0AZen
its date. A large cat stretching across a chair fulfilling its 115Please respect copyright.PENANAYQ3TquVzSa
obligation of doing absolutely nothing.
The adjoining room appeared to be built by accident. The noise of 115Please respect copyright.PENANAb7eq7HdGK2
pots, pans, and opinions expressed overflowed into the main 115Please respect copyright.PENANAWWkqxzJjTe
dining area. Elsie Milborrow was finishing the process of making 115Please respect copyright.PENANATu2dvFUkzo
her signature soap. She prided herself on using only the finest 115Please respect copyright.PENANAxBqe0gMwMv
of herbs from the garden.
"Tea?" she inquired to her guest.
The lord gently shook his head, "It is time Elsie."
She frowned. Elsie grew up with the little fellow. A hatchling 115Please respect copyright.PENANAZgYyItNpag
when she was young, they both grew up together. Now Lord Auberon 115Please respect copyright.PENANAn6csExQWFK
was taking the little one away, transporting him to a far away 115Please respect copyright.PENANA1h2mg4AAAb
land.
"I can put together a travelling kit for him. I will include 115Please respect copyright.PENANAJPeFESH5mk
feeding directions and general care." She finished the statement 115Please respect copyright.PENANAWqKkItutWF
while rubbing her hands in a dish towel, her hands already dry.
"Good. You will need it," Lord Auberon sipped the last of his 115Please respect copyright.PENANArVFbOfE21h
tea. Head lowered, his eyes looked upward to observe her.
"I will need it?"
"Yes. The council and I have decided the only person whom is 115Please respect copyright.PENANAv9m9ywtG4t
qualified to transport your friend to his homeland is you, 115Please respect copyright.PENANA9kpyATGbQq
Estella."
"But I need to run the house. Aunt Ascelyn won't be back for 115Please respect copyright.PENANAvKc37Lau8R
another month!"
"We have made arrangements. I have spoken with your aunt 115Please respect copyright.PENANAsssi8hjs4Z
regarding your trip. She is fine with the idea." The unusually 115Please respect copyright.PENANA2l4MJp3BQU
tall gentleman placed the teacup gentle back in its saucer, elven 115Please respect copyright.PENANA9dooAzHm81
lineage showing in his movements.
Elsie patted her apron clean, "It's quite a trip." She paused 115Please respect copyright.PENANAVDR0wm2e3p
while she thought. Glancing around the room she made a quick list 115Please respect copyright.PENANAVZWQN9RiMg
of all the things that needed to be done, "but what about 115Please respect copyright.PENANAfwfUG6UoTR
Katharine! She can bring the dragon home."
"The dragon almost ate her."
"Well there was that one incident," a furrowed brow, "but I'm 115Please respect copyright.PENANABba1V1tPFP
sure they'll get along."
"We are not so sure." Auberon pushed the teacup and its saucer 115Please respect copyright.PENANA6yYni79cZy
towards the centre of the table creating a space just large 115Please respect copyright.PENANAClCv8weZOr
enough for an envelope and then continued, "These documents were 115Please respect copyright.PENANAWwZfcu01ei
drawn up by the scribes. They are of the finest of writing as 115Please respect copyright.PENANA7t7I0SgzU3
both elven and dwarven cultures demand it. You are to lead a 115Please respect copyright.PENANAUP2QvFmBjy
expedition to the Silver Forest Fortress of Illytheria. From 115Please respect copyright.PENANAC9i0wkvaMx
there, you are to gather a representative of the elven lineage and 115Please respect copyright.PENANAhhMdM46OPs
travel to the dwarven stronghold of Black Ironbear located in the 115Please respect copyright.PENANAXO9p4McAFw
Coppermines mountain range. You will present your expedition 115Please respect copyright.PENANAVOlIqjbyiW
papers and its purpose to the managing authority. Dieliununi 115Please respect copyright.PENANAYVSaxiy3kP
Mountainbane has recently passed and we are unaware of whom the 115Please respect copyright.PENANAxa3YoMXZFI
new leadership is."
"But why do we need the dwarves?"
"This is an issue for all Sapiens." Lord Auberon watched Elsie, 115Please respect copyright.PENANAr0sD2D1BON
"additionally, the expedition needs to cross their lands. Without 115Please respect copyright.PENANAV4x9w7s6hs
formal approval, we cannot travel over their mountains."
"Why not fly over them? Airships do that all of the time," 115Please respect copyright.PENANAqd0awRqHIy
Elsie was stamping her heal on the ground, there had to be some 115Please respect copyright.PENANAXnGFlijm8U
way out of this.
"Trade. Dwarven made goods are highly praised. The merchant 115Please respect copyright.PENANAtfxRZULx20
guilds would not sign on as support agents without that 115Please respect copyright.PENANALkNfgPj2mF
requirement. We must have dwarven authority to cross their 115Please respect copyright.PENANAQ7HR1C6Pmo
lands."
"And what if they don't agree?" Find something in a pocket. Maybe 115Please respect copyright.PENANA9Rsno7EuS5
the answer is in this pocket here.
"That is your responsibility." This stopped Elsie cold. "As 115Please respect copyright.PENANA1M4jzaRu6x
expedition leader you will need to make your case to both the 115Please respect copyright.PENANATuj1fOzS1B
elves and the dwarven leadership as to the validity and necessity 115Please respect copyright.PENANAhXSsU1BPiX
of your cause."
"But the," she searched for the strange word, "elves have already 115Please respect copyright.PENANAI66TsxwC5r
agreed?"
"Mostly."
Estellaese Milborrow of Oldfarrier Province was rummaging through 115Please respect copyright.PENANASdp20tMecI
the towel in her hands looking for an answer. And found none. "I 115Please respect copyright.PENANAW5BSfQol2Z
am an 'expedition leader'?"
"Yes."
"But I don't know how to be an expedition leader," her voice 115Please respect copyright.PENANAPndo6tiuja
trailed off.
"We have assigned the Flying Salamander with its captain to the 115Please respect copyright.PENANAaLVdNFor6p
expedition. The merchant guild of Kovale has funded the auditor 115Please respect copyright.PENANALzokIydqaT
Obadiah McNarlin. They will support you." Lord Auberon slid the 115Please respect copyright.PENANALmpdYvuUat
papers back into their envelope then left them on the table. "It 115Please respect copyright.PENANAY1naQIOXYo
is our conclusion that if this expedition fails, war is eminent."
"War?!"
"Merchants have noticed an increase to demand to supply soldiers 115Please respect copyright.PENANAfO5qfB0wbj
in Lorfell. The previous time this occurred was before the 115Please respect copyright.PENANACC4Hf6MGYT
outbreak of the Athorn War. Additionally, the airship guilds have 115Please respect copyright.PENANAwvhSFO1Sty
noticed an increase in dragon activity along the Boundary. 115Please respect copyright.PENANASnmgx7hDyO
Several reports of dragons flying in formation have been 115Please respect copyright.PENANA9gl0x2Oc7p
received."
"Flying in formation? That is only done if they are regimented."
"Yes. According to the few books that we have, the dragons will 115Please respect copyright.PENANAqNHlHoiOiF
fly in formation when in military discipline."
"Much like our airships," Elsie commented.
"The same. According to one report, there was a senior dragon and 115Please respect copyright.PENANA2B0dHDRjmo
two adolescent dragons all of the stone variant." Deep lines 115Please respect copyright.PENANAt21LaNNpXQ
appeared across the elder gentleman's face as he spoke, "the lead 115Please respect copyright.PENANAotmEW9kh6N
dragon was a scarred Obsidian named Rhylag."
"You know their names?!" Elsie looked for her journal.
"We know some. These are difficult to get. After the Boundary was 115Please respect copyright.PENANADRGgd3sgx0
established communication between the two sides have been poor." 115Please respect copyright.PENANAnlqfYXAXmV
He watched as Elsie scribbled notes into a small journal. "We can 115Please respect copyright.PENANACmJzg9Mq4R
supply you with --"
"Most of what you know about dragons was from my aunt," she 115Please respect copyright.PENANAWlqJdpOirk
paused, "I'll review this with our family records. Are you sure 115Please respect copyright.PENANA4AKbriLqoN
Katharine won't go on this trip?"
"The dragon tried to eat her."
"There is that point." Estellaese Milborrow of Oldfarrier 115Please respect copyright.PENANADCE0relLGJ
Province which is located in the Shire of Greenspan Southlands 115Please respect copyright.PENANAFzs5ovEPOV
was of the bloodline that few nobles dared to cross. Her lineage 115Please respect copyright.PENANAhBiZqIgxP3
was in every major battle and went back several centuries. Few 115Please respect copyright.PENANAyzbkAWAeHy
dared to be in a stone's throw of a dragon of any size, yet they 115Please respect copyright.PENANAUAIt7y0H3u
looked at these creatures in the eye. Few could tame a dragon, or 115Please respect copyright.PENANAYKDJz8PonS
them.
The ancient fire of an old lineage travelled to the surface. An 115Please respect copyright.PENANAq2sTXj2S6s
energy that created the world leapt forth, "Okay, I'll go. When do 115Please respect copyright.PENANAw2Lz0EBcxx
we leave?"
"When you are ready."115Please respect copyright.PENANANZ1hcj3vQa
115Please respect copyright.PENANA1nyp6mKMoU