Antaran's Journal

Waking up wasn't so easy today. Those animal hides were really warm and cozy and made me forget about the fact that I was still sleeping deep in the Insomida Woods, vulnerable to any danger that could be waiting between the trees.
We continued riding around midday. I think we were getting used to sleeping outside, but that's something I'm not really proud of, and it's still definitely not something I really want.
In the afternoon we reached the Ventora River. Our horses refused to go through it at first because of the dangerous current, which wasn't very surprising because the snow is probably melting in the Ventorania Mountains, where the river originates (Tartek told me about this). The water wasn't very deep, I think it would've gone to the knees of our horses. We decided to go a bit upstream and look for a better spot to cross the river. After a while we found a small island in the middle of the water which wasn't as deep as before anymore, so we forced our horses to go to that pile of stones and continue from there. Sereliaen's horse whinnied loudly and almost shook her off its back, but she made it to the other side eventually. We took a short break to calm our mounts afterwards.
Finally at nightfall we reached Emtik at the roots of the Ventorania Mountains. I don't think it can be called town or village, rather a settlement. There are just six wooden houses, the biggest one right in the middle, all others surrounding it in a circle. A guard came towards us with heavy steps.
"What you be doing here? I have not heard of any visitors to be expected at night today," he said with a raspy voice.
This was somehow surprising. Omtar told us to visit the inn and ask for Imarp, not to try to persuade some drunken guard.
Before anyone of us could even say a word, Tartek replied, surprisingly, with the truth.
"We were sent by forester Ontarm who told us to look for a man who goes by the name Imarp. He is said to be lingering around in the inn."
The guard nodded. I didn't really see it because it was too dark already, but I heard his helmet and his armor clanking.
"Well then, but ye be warned, we don't have any place for visitors. Y'all will have ta sleep outside," he babbled.
"Don't worry, we're used to that," Carana said.
The guard coughed and continued to slowly go around the six houses. We unmounted our horses and hoped that they would still be there later on. We couldn't really tie them up or something, so that's how it had to be.
The inn was one of the small houses around the bigger one. There were two tables in it, both surrounded by four wooden minimalistic chairs. It reeked of alcohol and smoke. We only saw one man, the bartender. Leaning forward with his hands on the bar, he looked at us with one risen eyebrow.
"Visitors, eh?" he asked.
Tartek saluted. "Sir, we're very sorry to disturb your business."
I grinned. Business? What business?
"We were told to seek a man called Imarp," Tartek continued, standing uprightly, pronouncing his words sharp and clear. "If you don't mind, would you tell us where we could find him?"
"Who told you to seek a man with that name?" the bartender asked.
"A forester. His name is Ontarm, Sir."
The bartender sighed. "Please sit down and be welcome then. Anything to drink?"
"Something warm might be nice. We can't offer to pay though, so if that's a problem, we'd just like to sit down," Tartek said.
"Tea, then," the bartender mumbled and turned around to prepare tea.
We sat down around one of the tables and felt the warmth of the fireplace near the bar.
"If Ontarm sent you to me there must have been a good reason. Did anything happen to you people?" the bartender asked over his left shoulder.
Tartek looked at me. I slightly shook my head.
"We're just travelers. We decided to leave our homes and look around for a new place to settle down and start a new life," Tartek answered.
"Without any money? That's quite risky, isn't it?"
"Ah, I wouldn't worry about that. Money isn't everything, you know? We can hunt animals in the woods, we can pick up herbs and plants and prepare warm meals. Besides, Ontarm was so generous to give us hides of cows, foxes and a few other animals to shield us against the cold nights under the night sky," Tartek said with a loud voice, smiling even.
I saw the bartender stopping his movements. He turned around.
"Why would he give random strangers animal hides? I don't know how you think about it, but I wouldn't run around in foreign places and tell lies to everyone passing by," he said, leaning forward on his bar again with an angry face.
Tartek sighed. "Imarp, right?"
The bartender nodded.
Tartek told him what had happened in Insomida, the strange jail incidents, the kidnapping of random townfolk at the market place, the new banker, Officer Weiler and our escape. Imarp brought us tea while Tartek was explaining everything. Then he took a chair from the four around the other table and sat down between Carana and me.
Surprisingly Imarp just nodded after Tartek finished telling our story and started talking about Emtik. He explained that it's a mining village. The mine entrance is right north of here. Ore is everything they find. Everything gets sent to Astatik, so they can sell it to merchants who come from afar, mostly from Klamstor. The less valuable ore is needed to repair or expand the castle of the king who in return sends new tools, food or clothes to Emtik.
Then Imarp asked how Ontarm was doing and changed the topic completely. He told us about his past, how he met Ontarm and other random stories of his life and Emtik.
Late at night when we had already emptied our mugs a long time ago, Imarp finally said that we should rest up for tomorrow. He said that we could sleep inside of his inn. Nobody would come to the inn before tomorrow evening anyway. He also allowed us to lead our horses inside the stable - the bigger house in the middle of Emtik.
Carana and I went back outside to take our horses into the stable and bring the animal hides. Tartek and Sereliaen stayed in the inn and moved the tables and chairs to the walls. Imarp went outside, took some wood from the pile of branches behind the inn and threw it in the fireplace once he was inside again. He wished us a good night and left. I wondered a bit how he could so easily trust us. Maybe the whole thing about telling us stories was just a test of how patient we were. And maybe he just examined everyone of us all the time to see if we had any bad intentions.
Finally we can sleep with a roof above our heads. And I'm able to sit on a real chair and write entries with the journal lying on a table. And it's warm, so warm!
Though, I wonder where we will go next. I don't think we can stay here. I also doubt that we're suited for working in a mine. I've heard of people dying in there just because the mountain decides to collapse randomly.
But on the other hand, working for a king like the one of Astatik really sounds like a dream to me.
Speaking of dreams, I think that's what I need now. Tartek already threw an angry look at me because of the scribbling noise.

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