The party headed towards Alda-Chur on the King’s road. They stopped for resupply at Jonstown, where Xenofos was able to worship. During a ceremony in which he looked up and saw Knowledge was looking back at him, he found he could read once more. Irillo the Quartermaster went into town with Varanis, to replenish supplies. People due for a reward were released to go into town, and did not get into trouble. Rajar refreshed his beer. Suuraki spent the down-time hunting, although he caught nothing. Berra spent the afternoon not shouting at the army, an occurrence which was becoming more frequent. They marched on at wagon pace the next day.
As they went on, Berra put out scouts for practice, and on finding out there were likely to be bandits in the area, sent the Vingans out to deal with them; on hearing the clash, she sent out the cavalry. Rajar and Suuraki sent themselves out. They arrived to find most of the Vingans forming a shield wall against a set of people who were, they hoped, bandits; the cavalry under Xenofos kept in good order right up until they got a bit carried away while flanking, and - bringing Rajar along - began to charge. The ‘bandits’ surrendered, promising their ransoms of fifty Lunars each. A short time later, the rest of the army happened along, to find that Rajar had made one of them wet himself, and the group had admitted they were ‘masterless’. They had indeed captured bandits. With some threats from Varanis, backed up by Rajar promising to kill them all if they returned, and Berra volunteering to help, the group agreed they would leave.
Berra took a report from the Vingans on what happened. Xenofos noticed that the Vingans had made their challenge about being bona fide travellers in a way that included an Esrolian word, and could therefore have been misunderstood. He mentioned this to Varanis.
Before the war-band got within range of Dangerford, Berra took Rajar aside for a short conversation about getting Varanis across the ford with her dignity intact and no new crocodiles in the water. Rajar agreed to ride ahead to ensure that the ferry would be accessible, while Berra convinced Varanis that taking the ferry was appropriate for a commander. She fell for it. The peasant who had to leave his fields to ferry Varanis and her honour guard across managed not to grumble where she could hear and in relatively short order, the entire group was on the correct side of the ford.
As they rode along the road from Herongreen to Alda-Chur, they noted that the fields were over-harvested given how early in the season it was, and Suuraki pointed out that there were not any herds out. Mellia noticed a scent of plague on the air, and Varanis stayed in command of her army, while the others volunteered to go help her, despite the risk. They went to the village Mellia had thought it came from, where the White Lady was welcomed and her companions given hospitality. Rajar could find no Chaos, try as he might, even when he followed Mellia’s suggestion that it could be in the wells. Suuraki looked around at the spirits, seeing the village’s wyter, which he noted to others. Berra, hearing it was a large Alynx, burned some meat for it as a gift from Humakt to Yinkin.
They could find no plague, although Mellia healed a few minor arrow wounds, and other such things. Xenofos asked why all the cattle were inside, and was told in a voice pitched for the stupid that the King of Pavis was around and his troops had been raiding them. The headman gave Mellia an amphora of wine in thanks. They bade farewell and left. Xenofos reported the cattle matter to Varanis.
As they drew closer at last to Alda-Chur, Rajar and Suuraki heard someone yelling insults at the Stormbull in Praxian. It wasn’t long before an Impala rider by the name of Imchi made his appearance. Rajar recognised him as someone he used to raid and who raided in return. Insults were exchanged, beer was shared, and Imchi invited the warband to visit Argrath’s camp. His impala riders and then many others acted as a sort of honour guard for the war band.
Not long after the yurts came into view, Venna and her rhino intercepted. As she rode up, Suuraki warned Xenofos about Venna threatening Nala back in Pavis. This was news to the Esrolian who then urgently warned his cousin. She seemed less concerned.
Venna had a brief greeting for Varanis and then took Rajar to task for failing to report to her. There was a flying tankard, beer, and flying beer. At one point in the conversation, Venna asked if Varanis needed her Stormbull, to which the Vingan replied in the affirmative. The rhino was informed that he’d need to wait for another day. After making sure that Varanis was indeed not there to challenge ‘the King’, and Varanis had said she was from the King of Sartar, in Boldhome, Venna led her, as an emissary from Kallyr Starbrow, to the Great Khan’s yurt. They parked the army, as others brought fodder, and went to see Argrath.
The King of Pavis greeted them courteously, knowing who all of them were, and giving them some apposite title, putting Rajar in the list only just after Thane Vareena, who was given her title rather than a special kenning. When he listed his own titles he included Prince of Sartar. He asserted his claim to Dragon Pass and asked if they’d come to join him. Rajar prostrated himself and Argrath helped him up, forestalling answer for a moment.
Varanis named Kallyr as King of Dragon Pass, but there was no argument, or at least not a loud one, and she presented the idea of the mutual proxy marriages. She agreed to the King’s hospitality, on behalf of her group, and then they went to do their own things. Rajar and Varanis went to the White Bull lodge, Suuraki went off to worship Waha. Berra went to see if Xarnis, the sable-riding Humakti Sword was there, and if he wanted to challenge her, taking Xenofos with her as he offered to be her second. He was not around, so she went to check on the army while Xenofos went in search of the Straw Weaver bisons.
