21 Drifting Wood

Halga was anxious. It showed as she poked at the meal before her. It was a finely fired, clay bowl of stew, the meat tasted like nothing she'd ever eaten before. There were hints of hog, but there was also an underlying wisp of lamb in it as well. The way the dish was prepared was also foreign, however the taste was delicious. 

Unfortunately... no matter how good the food tasted, it couldn't calm her worries. She was inside the fortress of the fire men for over a week now and there was no one of importance she could talk to. She came to the fire men to treat with their lord but she was not able to do even now. Not due to a lack of her trying per say.

This delegatory mission of hers was hard fought. She managed to convince her father to gather the elders and summon his chiefs so that she could tell them of what she saw from her companion's eyes. 

It wasn't very hard, as the peoples of her land were far more connected and closer when compared to the south and east. With them all gathered she went on to tell them a censored version, with the rest being beyond what her father deemed necessary for their ears.

Assuring them that the invaders were not as the riders from kingshouse claimed was easy. All Halga needed to do was to describe the great and magical feats of craftsmanship her companion had seen and the lack of blood sacrifices. The Fire men had no dependency on sacrificial rituals... at least none she'd seen.

She told them of how she saw them working with their fellow skagosi and not using them as ingredients as the Magnars claimed. That was even easier for the elders and chiefs to believe.

The Magnars to the east couldn't be trusted. If they took the word of the lobsters, they would've been hostile and highly vigilant of these foreigners which would eventually force them all in an unwinnable war.

That got the attention of all the old men and women of the council. The notion of a a potential war with this new invasive force was present ever since lord Magnar's first rider came to them. They were even to inform the Night's watch, as the black brothers were set to visit their harbour any day now.

Her reports proposed the possibility for peace, trade and so much more...

They needed someone to treat with these Fire witches and establish relations with them. She proposed that only someone of noble birth would suffice- namely herself.

This was where she received some pushback. The elders and her father seemed to believe her memory to be lax as they all chose to 'remind' her of her status as heir. 

It took a while to convince them all, but she just stated the facts of the situation. She was the only noble in good enough physical shape to traverse their rough lands and through the mountain pass.

Only she could easily slip through magnar land without being found out and she was the only one with any sense of familiarity with the flame witches.

The old coots did relent... after a lengthy stretch of time in which they all offered up their best warriors to guard her on her mission. And so, a week later, Halga; her retinue of ten warriors and fifteen decoys to distract the Magnars rode from Driftwood Hall. 

They got through the Claw Mountain pass by paying the hefty toll placed the peoples of her region by the lobsters, crept into brokewight town where they rested from a blizzard and trekked northward to the fortress of the fire men-what the natives were now calling Smoky shore.

On the way, they saw many things. The paths were far more trafficked- in a way which was very unnatural for skagos, especially in winter. They would meet tribes going up and down the path between kingshouse and smoky shore; all with goods and beasts for barter.

This surprised her until a force of strangely armoured men rode past them on equally strange beasts. From conversations she had with natives, she learned the fire men had somehow achieved the impossible and brought the berserkers to heel!

While driftwood lands weren't plagued with the scum of the island to a similar extent when compared to the Magnars- they still weren't able to wipe them all out, even with her family's historical use of skinchanging to weed the bastards out!

When her retinue finally rode up to the massive wooden fortress gates, waving the banner of her houses... Halga and her retinue were all numb to the massive changes these invaders had brought to the land. She realized at then that she'd seen but a small portion of what these foreigners were up to.

She did many things in her stay, talk with any natives she could, tried to enter certain areas only to be blocked by crimson, scale-armoured guards, even after she presented the wooden board with the strange runes to them. It was rather strange as some of the native Stoneborn of smoky shore were able to do so unimpeded.

Bolrand- her sworn shield was offended on her behalf. She had to threaten the man so that he wouldn't cause a disaster by fighting the fire men. Though she was internally put off. Why would these foreigners give special treatment the common Stoneborn and not a noble?

One thing she took a habit to doing was seeing the wares of the fire men. Oh, they had a great many of them.

She'd sometimes go down to the shore to watch as a smaller, sail-less ship which seemed to be made of stone of all things, emptying load after load of sea food.

Sometimes she'd watch the fire men and native stoneborn tend to the strange creatures in their pens.

At times she'd observe the wagons and carts being pulled by monstrous creatures off to another area where steam and smoke billowed endlessly. Everything was so much more different and personal when she viewed it from her own eyes.

The more she saw the more she wished to talk to the leader of these people.

There was much to be gained from them.

The Stanes of Driftwood Hall were an ancient and proud house, just as Magnars. They deserved to be as they weren't the Crowls who bent to the wills of the Magnars. Her house still retained its power and defiance in the face of the green Lobsters who claimed to be of the blood of the children.

They saw themselves as the great lords of all Skagos and used their positions to suppress the other houses. The Magnars were one of the few houses that could trade with the east. They were protected by the massive mountain range that overlooked the island and guarded their Claw Mountain's pass with vigilance.

House Stane still held their dignity due to the limited trade with the black brothers to the west and any smuggler brave enough to visit the cannibal harbour of Skagos.

These Fire men would be the key to changing the tides of power on the island and she wouldn't allow the chance to slip by. Not after seeing them through her companion's eyes or her own.

She looked to the metal brazier in the room and marveled at the lack of smoke in the room. She'd seen a brazier before, it wasn't like this one however, as it could only be used outdoors. She relished the warmth it provided and wondered at how the room managed to keep the warmth in.

Then came a knock.

"M'lady... the fire men are here... they wish ta see ye." Bolrand's voice seeped in from outside.

She sat up and placed the dish down. 'Could it finally be time?'

It took a little time to put herself together and gather he things, even with help from her companions. When she was finished and presentable; Halga looked as fierce as noble warrior of Skagos should with her well-tailored furs and the war bow strapped to her back.

'If only I had my quiver...'

Outside she could briefly saw the red cloaked figure of a diminutive fire man with a smoky shore native woman. The man himself was wearing strange, clear crystals on his face while the Stoneborn woman wore was draped in well-made garb that looked even better than her own as a noble... this was a common sight nowadays...

"I greet ye M'lady Stane, the fire men wish to see ye now." The woman went on to introduce herself as Herwyn daughter of Dinsy and the fire man beside her as Wang Lee.

Aside from filing away the Fire man's name, halga wondered about they way the common woman introduced herself. It was unusual for individuals to do so. The woman didn't appear to be in relation to a chief. How important is this Dinsy? She couldn't be bothered to think more on it; only relieved to finally end the waiting.

As she stepped into the cold winds proper, her companion landed on her shoulder.

The fire man was slightly taken aback by the bird which came out of nowhere but that was to be expected of those who didn't know the old god's blessing of Skinchanging.

Without further hiccups, they made their way through the paved streets of the Fire men atop provided unicorns. While the Fire man and his companion rode atop their bird mounts. As they travelled, halga noted the sounds of the settlement which never ceased to amaze her, from the chatter of people to the cries of strange beasts and of course, the bellowing of the magic crafts and booms which would travel from the distant mountains.

Eventually, they were stopped outside the gates of a large, fortified, wooden structure built in the distinct style of the fire men with curved roofs and clay tiled rooftops.

It was a magnificent building was somehow painted in red- where the fire men found so much red dye was lost to her. The structure was obviously a newly constructed one when compared to the rest. It was situated in a highly defensive position at the far end of the settlement, with the looming mountain range behind it, high woodened walls and watch towers at each corner.

It was heavily guarded a well, with a special group of armed warriors clad in black and red armour scale armour and enclosed helms which resembled skulls.

'A lord's castle...' She wondered jut how the fire men managed to build in such a short time and to do it so well.

It wasn't her first time seeing this place. Her companion had flown over the place once however, she knew not to risk her friend's life by entering the shooting range of the towers.

'This is where I'll meet the Lord o' the Fire men.' Their escort was checked over by the grim-looking guards before being let in. There was a little issue she faced though. According to the smoky shore native, the guards wouldn't allow her companion to be let in as well. She didn't defy their instructions.

Halga commanded her friend to fly off. While she entered the building. It would do her well to have eyes outside.

Her entire retinue was allowed through the gates and into the wide courtyard where they were led inside the foreign building. Instantly, she could tell the difference in temperature there was an unnatural amount of heat inside.

"Ye do well ta remove yer cloak m'lady Stane." The smoky shore woman advised.

She wished to present herself in full Stoneborn noble fashion, however the heat wasn't letting up. It made Halga uncomfortable. Never before had she felt such heat even in the warmest of summers.

She just couldn't pin point where the heat assaulted her from, yet another testament of the magic of the fire men.

With no choice, both halga and her retinue removed their outer cloaks which were collected by waiting servants.

Afterwards, more fire men attendants came forward with covered platters that gleamed in the light.

These attendants were rather delicate, both the men and women were clean and smelled fresh; they were dressed in fine crimson and yellow robes which seemed to shine and catch the light!

'Gods.... Is magic second nature to these fire men? Did they command metal to be like cloth as well?'

A Fire woman came up to her and conversed with the Wang Lee fellow before turning to her. This woman was dressed even more lavishly when compared to the servants, as she was covered in even more queer ornaments and accessories in her hair, around her neck and ears. This woman bowed to her lightly and spoke in her strange tongue.

"M'lady, the fire men offer you stone right." Herwyn spoke up.

Halga was a bit surprised at that. It seems the fire men knew and held true to decency.

She watched as the platter was brought to her and opened to reveal the whitest and softest bread she'd ever seen alongside a pretty plate of crystal clear salt.

She took the bread, dipped it into the salt and bit into the soft and sweetest bread she ever had....