Session 3 - Road to Ysora

“I'll gather my things and meet you at the stable,” Coada said, stepping out of the building.

Sethie raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t we say we’d leave tomorrow?”

Coada didn’t slow her pace. “The sooner we leave, the better,” she replied curtly.

Sethie glanced at Sumayya, who was already moving to pack their things. “Too much attention here,” Sumayya murmured, almost to herself.

Sethie fell into step beside her, quietly accepting the plan. Coada stopped at the church, pushing open the door. Tanston was lounging before the altar, a pipe dangling from his lips and a book in hand. He raised an eyebrow when Coada entered.

“I have to leave town,” Coada said softly. “Something’s come up. I’m needed back home.”

Tanston’s gaze sharpened for a moment, but he only nodded, his voice low. “Long journey ahead, then.”

Coada nodded, her bag still packed and waiting on the stairs. She grabbed it, taking one last look around the quiet church before heading back down and offering a brief nod to Tanston.

"Oh, and Coada!"

She paused, looking back.

Tanston smiled with a warm gentleness. "Don’t be a stranger."

Coada nodded and left, the door clicking softly behind her.

Sethie and Sumayya were already waiting by the stables. Coada glanced at the horses, then at her companions.

“No horses?” she asked, eyebrows raised.

Sumayya and Sethie shook their heads.

“We’ll manage,” Coada said, collecting her gear from the stablemaster. They’d make do with the one horse.

In moments, the party was on the road, heading north toward Ysora—home for two, and an unexplored place for one.

Fall was dying, and with it, the days grew colder. By the fourth night, as the sky darkened, the party sought refuge in the dense forest.

“How are you holding up?” Sethie asked, gathering wood for the fire.

Coada shivered, teeth chattering. “Terrible, but no sense in complaining. Wouldn’t mind finding something large to hunt, though. Something I can turn into a blanket.” She gave Sethie a pointed look.

Sethie raised an eyebrow, breaking off a dead branch and tossing it onto the fire. "You do have a way of putting things."

“Maybe I’ll find something first,” Sumayya chimed in, glancing up from the camp. “I’ve got a craving for a good hunt.”

Coada met her eyes, a challenge in her gaze. “We’ll see who catches it first.”

Sumayya smirked, showing a flash of teeth. "Oh, we will."

Sethie sighed, her voice drifting over the crackling wood. “Fresh meat, though... that would be a nice meal.”

The trio continued to work, setting up camp. As night fell, they took turns keeping watch. When Coada’s turn arrived, she decided to scout the area for game. Instead, what she found in the woods wasn't a deer but an old chapel, half-buried under the encroaching forest.

She stood at the entrance for a long moment, admiring the eerie solitude. It was small, run-down, but undeniably beautiful in its quiet desolation. After a moment’s hesitation, she entered, the wood crunching beneath her.

The chapel was dark, its walls weathered, the pews scattered and broken. Coada’s eyes wandered over the old carvings before they landed on the altar. A statue of Aegis, the birth-mother, stood there, her features serene despite the ruin around her. As Coada approached, a soft warmth seemed to pulse from the statue, contrasting the bitter cold of the night.

Coada lingered for a moment, letting the warmth soak into her chilled bones before she reluctantly turned back to the camp, eager to wait for dawn before exploring further.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight bathed the chapel in pale light, Sumayya and Sethie stirred, their grogginess fading into curiosity.

“Anything interesting we missed?” Sumayya asked, stifling a yawn.

“No game,” Coada replied. “But I found something... a small temple. Want to see it?”

Sethie’s eyes brightened. “That sounds fun!”

“A break from the journey sounds nice,” Sumayya added with a smile.

Coada nodded, shouldering her pack. “Then let’s go.”

They broke camp quickly, and soon they were back in the woods, following Coada as she led them to the old chapel. The warmth greeted them as they stepped inside, and Sethie let out a relieved sigh.

Sumayya moved closer to the statue, inspecting it with curious eyes. “What’s causing that?” she asked.

Coada shrugged. “Maybe some old charm left over from Aegis’s worship.”

Sethie crouched by the base of the statue, eyes narrowing as she noticed a faint crevice. “Or maybe it's something in the statue itself,” she said, pointing to a small hatch hidden at the base.

Coada and Sumayya leaned in, impressed. “Good catch!” Coada cheered.

“Now how to open it?” Sumayya mused, brushing away moss from the base.

“Aegis holds a seashell in her right hand and an olive branch in her left,” Coada said, her voice contemplative. “Maybe those are the key.”

They searched the wreckage of the chapel, finding little more than broken stone and debris.

“I’ve got the branch!” Sethie exclaimed, holding up an old carving of olive wood.

“I found the shell… so to to speak,” Sumayya said, her voice faltering. She held up the shattered pieces of what should have been a smooth stone seashell.

“Let's try it anyway,” Coada suggested. “If it’s magic, it might still work.”

With a shrug, Sumayya placed the broken shell into the statue’s hand. Sethie followed, placing the branch into the other. The sound of stone grinding on stone echoed through the small chapel as the hatch slowly opened, revealing a small leather pouch and a faded note.

Coada carefully removed both, her fingers brushing against the note. She unfolded it and read aloud: “In times of bitter cold, seek the birth-mother’s warmth.”

She turned over the pouch and, with a small click, a ring tumbled out. The metal glowed faintly, its warmth spreading through her fingers.

“I think I’ll need this,” Coada said, holding up the ring. “Give me a moment to attune to it.”

“Sure,” Sethie smiled, her breath visibly fogging in the air.

Sumayya raised an eyebrow. “If you’re sure…”

Coada grinned, slipping the ring onto her finger. They sat for some time as Coada felt the warmth slowly seep through her skin, filling her with a comforting heat that kept the cold at bay.

“How does it feel?” Sethie asked, leaning closer.

“It feels… amazing.” Coada looked up at the others, her smile widening. “I don’t feel cold at all.”

Sethie scooted closer, practically pressing her side against Coada’s. “You feel like summer.”

Sumayya smiled, walking over to hover a hand over Coada’s shoulder. “Like walking in the middle of a warm afternoon.”

Coada stood, feeling the warmth ebb away the lingering chill in her bones. “Well, we should get going. No sense in staying here.”

The three nodded and gathered their things, heading back to their horse.

As the day drew onwards, the sky darkened once again, Sumayya stopped, her gaze drifting toward the trees. “We should stop for the night. We won’t make it to an inn.”

They agreed, and began setting up camp.

“Say, Sumayya,” Coada asked, “There’s still some light left. Want to go for a little hunt?”

Sumayya flashed a predatory smile and pointed toward a clearing deeper in the woods, gesturing for Sethie to follow. Sethie hitched the horse and followed the pair.

At the edge of the clearing, they waited. A small doe stepped cautiously from the opposite woods, grazing peacefully in the open field.

“I’ve got this,” Sumayya said, her voice cold and precise. She drew her blades and melted into the shadows along the treeline. She paused for a moment, ensuring she wouldn’t startle the deer before leaping forward and securing their meal with brutal efficiency.

Coada and Sethie watched in surprise. Sumayya turned to them. “Well, come on now!” she called.

The pair joined her, and together they hoisted the doe back to their camp. Coada and Sumayya guided Sethie through the process of preparing the deer.

“Here,” Coada smiled, holding the freshly removed heart toward Sethie, her hands bloodied. “Have a bite.”

Sethie’s face tightened. “What?”

“It’s an old hunter’s tradition,” Coada said, biting into the heart before offering it to Sethie again.

Sethie looked to Sumayya, who nodded reassuringly. With a hesitant sigh, Sethie took a bite, the taste of iron filling her senses. “There!” she exclaimed, holding the heart out to Sumayya. “Your turn.”

“Gladly,” Sumayya smiled, taking a long bite from the heart. Coada’s eyes narrowed as Sumayya indulged in another bite before continuing with the cleaning process.

By dusk, the party had finished preparing the deer and began cooking the meat. Coada and Sumayya stretched the hide near the fire to dry it before washing up in the nearby stream. After a hearty meal and a long day’s work, they settled down for a well-earned rest.

Dawn arrived quickly, and the party packed up, quietly continuing their journey. The days passed in much the same way: some nights spent in inns, others in the quiet woods. Few travelers crossed their path, and the quiet days seemed to carry them closer to their destination.

A few days later, as the party set camp, Coada’s gaze was drawn to a distant flicker of light through the trees.

“Other travelers?” Sumayya asked, glancing at Coada.

“Probably,” Coada replied, but there was something in her voice that suggested more than casual curiosity. “We should check it out.”

The three moved quietly through the trees, careful not to alert the camp of their approach. They reached a small clearing, where a campfire burned low. Three figures sat around it, enjoying a meal. At the sound of Coada’s armor clinking against a tree, all three tensed, and one—a younger elven man with ruffled brown hair—looked toward them, his hand reaching instinctively for his sword.

“Who’s there?” he called, his voice sharp.

Another figure, a lean elven man with cropped blond hair and dark robes, stood up, raising a hand in greeting. “Relax, Eshie,” he said with a smile. “Come on out, no need to hide.”

Sethie and Sumayya exchanged confused glances.

“Join us!” Eshie said, his tone light.

The trio stepped into the firelight. Sethie paused. “Wait a second,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “You were at one of the inns we stayed at, weren’t you?”

Eshie’s grin widened. “The very same. Looks like we’re heading the same way! This is Ovo.” he said as he gestured to the lean elf, nodding toward the third figure, a man with ashen skin, “And that’s Ugoluc.”

“Small world,” Sumayya muttered as they settled around the fire.

The man with the ashen skin, Ugoluc, gave them a long, quiet look. His skin was a pale gray, marked with intricate, vine-like tattoos, and his long white hair was pulled back tightly. His eyes met Coada’s stare.

“First time seeing someone like me?” he asked in a thick accent.

Coada hesitated before answering, feeling the weight of his stare. 

“Not in a long time.” Sumayya interjected.

“Well, that makes sense,” Ugoluc said with a smirk.

The fire crackled, the warmth of it a sharp contrast to the chill in the air. After a beat of silence, Eshie spoke again, his voice casual but carrying an edge. “What’s bringing you to Ysora?”

“Heading home,” Sethie said.

“And you?” Sumayya asked.

Eshie hesitated for a moment. “We’re looking for work. Thought Ysora might be a good place to settle for a while.”

Coada’s eyes narrowed. “Where are you from?”

Eshie shrugged. “All over. We’ve been traveling together for a while. Just trying to see the world.”

A quiet tension hung in the air, as if they were all testing the waters, trying to understand each other.

“Well,” Sethie smiled, standing up. “It was nice meeting you, but we should really get some rest.”

Sumayya rose slowly, her eyes lingering on Ugoluc before she turned to follow Sethie.

“Rest well,” Eshie called out as they returned to their camp.

“We need to take watches tonight,” Coada whispered as they settled into their camp. 

That night, they took turns keeping watch, though their eyes kept drifting toward the distant fire. No sounds came from the other camp, no movement. By dawn, the fire had burned out, and still there was no movement.

Sethie groggily emerged from her tent. “Anything?”

Coada’s gaze stayed fixed on the other camp, still quiet and undisturbed. “Nothing.”

Sumayya’s voice cut through the silence. “We’ve got a problem.”

Coada turned sharply, following Sumayya’s gaze towards the back of their camp, where their horse had been hitched. It was gone.