The Moathouse: Planting 10, Evening

As tell goes overhead, he can make out two men watching the entrance to the Moathouse. Another is tending to the fire. Two other figures remain close to the fire—one large and burly-looking, the other small and slim. The large one has the bushy beard Todariche mentioned. The other one appears to be wearing some sort of crown with two prominent points over the forehead. None of the figures look like Bellamin or Ricar, nor is their any sign of a petrified Kevril.

One of the men watching the temple looks up. For a split second, his eye seems to linger on Tell’s shape before he goes back to watching the Moathouse—without, it seems, the slightest idea of what he really just saw.

There are not very many trees near the Moathouse or campsite. In the end, he has to settle for a perch on the a broken down tower. Unfortunately, this perch is closest to the watchmen, whose conversation consists mostly of complaining about how they won’t get any sleep tonight—not the most interesting of conversation.

Fortunately, though, Tell is able to focus in on the more interesting conversation between the two figures on the opposite side of the fire.

“I’m not challenging your authority,” the smaller one says in a deep and raspy female voice, “I’m just telling you that they have to sleep sometime. We’ll go back in later tonight. It’s just a few hours.”

“Yeah, a few hours in which they could do some real damage to that statue we’re supposed to be getting,” replies the bigger one in a rich baritone.

“I told you, that’s nothing! The good stuff is the stuff we won’t be able to bring back, and stuff that they won’t be able to hurt. In fact, it is more likely to hurt them. Why don’t we give them some time to deal with that, eh, Jule?”

It takes a few seconds for this advice to sink in. But suddenly the big man bursts into a hearty laugh. “Hahahaha! Yeah! Hahahaha! Oh—heh! That’s great, Vacra. Why didn’t you say so in the first place? That oughtta thin their ranks some! Hehehaa!” Eventually, the laughs become yawns, and Jule says, “Well, no sense in us going in without any rest. I’m gonna take a nap. Just make sure I’m up when you are ready to send the beast in.” With that, the large man goes to one of the wagons and retrieves his bedroll.