We Have Seen the Enemy… (Date 1/10/4)

Marty broke down in tears, confessing his fault. He had thought he and Mjelde were simply talking about her fears at being left in Coronado’s Ferry as the sole carrier of Strom’s grace, but with one simple query, “Are you cheating on Lumi?” she undid him. It all came out in sorrowful torrent. She consoled him as he begged for some clue as to how to set things straight. “Come clean. Break it off with Drova. Confess to Lumi. And maybe, MAYBE, she’ll forgive you.”

It was a harsh recipe, but in his heart Marty knew it for truth. As the horses rounded the south-east corner of Black Lake, he confessed his fault to his friends. This sparked a long and rather fruitless discussion with many takes on the wisdom of the priest’s plan. The bottom line being the discovery that, Hedge’s world was VERY different from their own.

The rest of the group rode for town while Hedge and Marty headed down the side trail into lumber territory to face his fate. It was a clean cut, straight through. Even when Drova floated the idea that she would be happy just being his girl on the side, Marty stayed true to his plan and ended it. He didn’t look back to see her running out on the porch, watching as he left with tears in her eyes.

Lumi took the news about as well, seeming largely angry that Mjelde had been right and she had been wrong to defend Marty. Despite the late hour, she stormed off into the night saying she would be staying at her mother’s.

Prince Euwyn realized he was late. The Lady Relania Bell’s nineteenth birthday was only days away and he had no gift. Securing funds from the kingdom coffers, he secluded himself in his workshop working long hours to complete a magical present. Several matters sought to intrude. The town’s council had met and made plans to claim the land lying between the capital and Coronado’s Ferry, expanding fisheries along the route as they went. A tax holiday was also declared to encourage loyalty. The young Lieutenant Kenny Ismort made his report, and the Prince was so taken with the man’s outlook and temperament, that he promised the young soldier a place in his coming administration.

Lexington went a different route, searching old bookstores and the library archives for a book on Malwanese history and court intrigue, finally locating a tome about the Age of the Lost Twins as a gift for the Lady Bell.

Then Hedge got bored and enlisted Ilyana’s aid in finally exploring the depths of Black Lake. It was his hope that speaking with a bottom-dwelling fish, and perhaps exploring those same depths in person if needs be, the could shine the light of reason on the young prince’s superstitions OR if said, superstitions were found to be grounded in fact, shine that same light on a serious threat to the kingdom, one that needed to be dealt with. Securing a boat, he and the young druid rowed out to the scene of the mysterious stalk of high summer. Taking on the form of a water elemental, Ilyana summoned a deep dwelling catfish, who confirmed in no uncertain terms, that danger did dwell below. “Don’t go to the city of the fish-people!” Swimming down to the stygian depths of the lake she saw it all for herself. Drowned-looking humanoids with translucent skin and webbed hands and feet tended to kelp farms around a vast complex of tunnels in the lakebed. As she watched, the creatures seemed suddenly expectant, their attention focused on a large hole at the center of the complex. A horror emerged!

Fleeing back to the city, they hurried to tell the Prince what they had seen!