Journal of Arcadius - Day 149

The North

We were transported without incident to the far north - in particular the region of the world from which be believe Hrefna came. It seems not to be quite as bitter a place as the land with the ruined castle, which we briefly visited when fleeing the Drow, but still it is grim. There are trees upon the dark hillsides, but also a cold and bitter wind, and snow on the heights even now, in Summer.

Fortunately, we arrived near an Elven town. It is a fortified place with a palisade wall, guard towers, and a stout gate. The Elves here are very tall and thin. They generally resemble Hrefna, and have quite a different look from our companions Oda and the Mute. One curious thing we noted quickly was that they seem to have no children. More on that later.

At the gate, we were asked our business, and they seemed not at all disturbed or surprised to be told that we had arrived by magic from distant Izmir, nor that we were here to investigate the strange doings of these times. We were warned not to disturb anything in town, but we would not willingly do so in any case.

In town we found an inn with plenty of rooms, one for each of us, and soon were resting in comfort in the common room, eating roast goat and drinking both ale and a strange clear liquor called Akavit, the taste of which seems to derive from seeds or herbs. There was food of another kind, pickled fish, which I found disgusting. But, who can say what food is readily available in this harsh land? Perhaps it is an acquired taste.

We began to ask questions of the locals, and they were in general friendly, but had a strange, very strange perspective. It seems they not only have no children, but also have never heard of them. They know of baby animals, but they, the Elves (or Alfar as they call themselves) they imagine directly manifesting in the world from the dreams of a being, a sort of dead god, they call Ymir.

In the meanwhile, Jacob had much, too much, to drink, and began to make passes at one of the Elf women. The results were not positive. In the end, he fell face forward, asleep. Oda, the Mute, and myself hauled him to his room and threw a few blankets on him to keep warm. The Mute brought him some water, which he will most likely want in the morning.

We were told that a mysterious fog often creeps in at night, and when it does, livestock disappears. For this reason, the townspeople close the gates at night, and bring their livestock inside. They have never seen what is in that fog. Very disturbing.

However, the three of us were curious and decided to walk around town. It is bracingly cold at night. This is one of those times I truly miss the balmy evenings of my homeland, when the breeze blows through the palms with the scent of spices on the air. Ah well. In any case, we discussed what we'd discovered in our conversations, visited the wall, and took in the crisp night air. I returned to the Inn, while the Mute decided to stay, and apparently visit the guards at the top of one of the towers. Truly, there is no predicting what he might do.

So... here I am, sitting in the common room in front of the warm crackling fire, my feet propped up, sipping Akavit - the taste of which does grow on one - and writing in my journal. For the moment, all is well. I think I shall sleep well tonight.

*A*