~ * ~
A new broom sweeps clean, but an old broom knows the corners.Day two, month one!
I really need to get myself a compass and a proper map. I tried to travel to the
Duchy of Egjora, but it seems I've ended up in a rather large and dangerous forest instead! From the stories adventurers used to tell whenever they stopped for a drink at our inn, this should be
'Virens Forest'. And, if I know anything else from all those adventurers, I went in the complete opposite direction of
Egjora! I swear, when I get back to my village, I'm going to scold Matthew something good–telling me to use the stars as my guide, that insufferably mean man.
Oh, I can't stay mad at Matthew for very long, though. I'm sure he meant well, really! Maybe I just didn't pay enough attention when he was pointing out all the constellations.
Anyways! While I was walking through this blasted forest to find a way out and straight to
Egjora, I stumbled upon a bloodbath! Well, it wasn't
really a bloodbath since there was no tub to be bathing in blood within, but it was very gruesome indeed.
Trolls, three of them, snatching up many men and breaking them like it was nothing! I had a sneaking suspicion that all those bodies were going to become meals for the trolls in the next coming days. Thankfully, I was not spotted, and so I climbed a tree to better see what was going on. That was when I saw mask guy and the old man, both of whose names I still do not know. The masked one seemed to be protecting the unconscious elder from the trolls, so I thought I could help a bit by weakening some of the trolls (one now and one later).
That was when Tea and Pick arrived and joined the fray–thankfully I managed to get both of their names, or else even
I would have been confused if and when I read this later, which I always do. Recounting adventures, reliving memories.. Such delightful things to do in your spare-time.
I ended up falling out of the tree, but, luckily enough, all the trolls were defeated very soon after! I began tending to the old man as soon as I reached him, sewing up his head and casting a healing spell that I picked up on in my childhood. Its effects were weak, yes, but the old man is fine and dandy now, so I can't complain any! At least I didn't muss up the spell and end up turning his brain into mush. Is that even possible? Can you mess up a spell that bad?
Well, we settled down for a little bit while the others built us a ring of campfires; we were waiting for morning to come so that we could do as Pick suggested and carry him back to his home (which is deeper into the forest; just my luck). As we all talked, I comforted the poor wife (or widow, maybe) of one of the farmers that I presume is either dead or was not taken with her. Unfortunately, even more trolls came for us! We had very little time to scramble for the trees and hide within them before the beasts came barreling through into the bloody, body-ridden campsite. Then, the
whisper-hounds came. There was an idea thrown out by one of the men that we could use the whisper-hounds to our advantage, but, when they came slipping from the shadows as well, they walked right up to the trolls and let them pet them like they were old friends! I knew we would have been in very deep trouble if we didn't do something soon–like flee the forest and don't turn back!
Monsters in Virens ForestTrolls
Whisper-hounds
Just when I felt our lives were in some serious danger, I watched with abject horror as this odd black cat that was with the farmer's wife (or widow) leaped down and walked straight up to the beasts. I feared for that little creature, thought that it might not have known any better and thus was walking straight into the dire bear's maw. Then, something very curious happened; the cat spoke in a very odd language, and suddenly the trolls and whisper-hounds turned tail and ran! I wonder now if they're afraid of cats, and that is why they ran, but I had little time to linger upon the thought when the cat returned and told us that we ought to get moving before they came back. The old man agreed.
So, I climbed down from the tree I had stationed myself in and scooped up a branch from nearby. With a dirty rag (which I've discovered was actually the stringy handkerchief of one of the other unfortunate women in the troll kidnapping), I tied the torch up and lit it aflame, but, when I turned around to return to the group, they were already moving! I ran to catch up, but I'm so awfully clumsy that I think I just slowed myself down even more than if I had just walked normally. Ahhh, what I wouldn't do for a good biscuit right now.
~* Biscuits *~A pound of flour (Plus some extra)
A heaping palm-full of baking powder
A palm-full of sugar
A pinch of salt
Five palm-fulls of butter
Half a pint of milk
Fourth a pint of secret ingredient
Combine dry ingredients in a clean bowl, then cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the milk and stir with a fork until the dough forms a ball. Turn the dough onto a flat, well-floured surface and pat the ball down into a rectangular shape about as thick as your thumb. Fold the rectangle over and pat it down again, then repeat. Cover the dough with a clean cloth and let it rest for a spell, about as long as it takes you to go and put up the laundry to dry.
After the time has passed, uncover the dough and pat it out until it is roughly one hand by a little less than two hands. Cut the dough into circles with either a knife or a cup–don't twist the cup around! If you twist the cup or whatever else you might be using, it will pinch the edges and stop it from rising in the oven. Place the cut dough onto your buttered tray and cook for ten to fifteen minutes in your pre-lit oven.
