The Morning Report

They'd all gotten out alive and uneaten, for which Jigano was grateful. The lack of mageglass was disappointing but hardly unexpected; he'd known it was a longshot going in, but he would have preferred an empty mine to a cannibal-filled mine, if he'd been given his preference. Still, courtesy suggested he at least report back to the Warden to let him know that the place was a literal and figurative dead end, full of dead people parts and the other people who ate them.

Something Neron had likely suspected, and Jigano couldn't say the Warden hadn't warned him.

His toll to the guards had included a sack full of loaves of bread and apples, and he had another treat or two to offer the Warden when he reached the Palace, taking his place in the line of petitioners for the weekly 'let's bother Neron' session. There weren't many people today, which the bard considered lucky for his own reasons as he waited patiently for his turn to come and Neron to (hopefully) see him.

The whole Capturing the Sun myth had taken Halo by storm, and Neron couldn't really say that he minded it too much especially given that he had been the one to proliferate it. The morale boost on its own was worth it, but the people who usually came to see him to complain about this or that or the weather was also markedly lower. He would have to thank Rexanna again when he saw her next, for telling him about it.

That meant that when Jigano was eventually invited in to sit with him (same ante-room, same seats, same offer of mulled wine or cider), the Warden was in reasonably high spirits. Indeed, one might even say he looked pleased to see the Sage, but perhaps that was just because he hadn't expected to hear from him again excluding the news of his untimely demise. "Good morning," he greeted. "It is good to see you returned in one piece from Whitebrim."

The bard bowed politely and took the offered seat, slipping a couple of loaves from the pack he'd carried to set them on the table between them as he did. The loaves were round with a yellowish tint, and had simple suns laid out on top of them. Amalia had taught him how to bake the loaves the previous year for Fiat Lux, and though his skills were not as great as hers he was learning a fondness for the art that his magic seemed to enhance. If Neron should try them he would find one to be sweet with the taste of honey and lemon zest, while the other was more savory with rosemary and apple.

"Good morning, Warden. It's good to be back." Jigano smiled wryly as he accepted a cup of mulled cider and used it to warm his hands against the chill of the trip. Even in Longheat Halo was a frigid place; he was already dreading what it would be like in Deepfrost. "I wish I could report even better news from the trip, but we didn't find any mageglass within the mine." He paused, arching a brow at his host. "We did find evidence of some rather unsavory practices down in the tunnels, though. It seems the mine is not so abandoned as rumors might lead you to think." Given that it was already a place where the Citadel's exiles were apparently sent, he doubted the Warden cared much, but it seemed polite to share what he'd found in what was technically Neron's territory. Perhaps some detail that didn't make sense to him would matter to the Warden?

Raising an eyebrow at the loaves that Jigano produced from his pack, Neron offered a nod of thanks, though as always he gave his attention to the person rather than the gifts they brought with them.

The report about Whitebrim and the mageglass was much to his expectation, and he gave a small shrug of acknowledgement which did showed neither surprise nor disappointment. The 'unsavoury practices', however, were a point of interest, and he sat up in his seat.

"Go on," he invited. "I have heard the rumours about Whitebrim, of course, but I have not had cause to go and verify them before now. Danger is danger," he reasoned.

Jigano sipped his cider, nodding in pleasure at the spicy sweetness of it as it rolled across his tongue. The invitation to continue reclaimed his attention and all hint of pleasure faded to a faint grimace as he met Neron's eyes squarely. "The mine is occupied," he began, simple words that held a wealth of trouble. "We took a side tunnel that looked unused at first, thinking that if there was anything as rare as mageglass to be found, it would be in an area that had seen less focused mining for other minerals. It led us over a precarious bridge, underneath which were sharpened metal stakes, and past that the passage split. Down one side we could see flickers of light and hear distant voices. Thanks to your warning about the residents of Whitebrim, we opted to avoid encountering them - my companions were brave explorers but not necessarily warriors by training or inclination." Hotaru could have stood her own, he was sure, but Maea and Evie? One was a Loreseeker, the other a Healer. Each had their reasons for coming along, but neither was ready for the sort of bloody close butcher's work a battle in the mining tunnels would have been. He paused to sip his drink again, wetting his throat as he frowning faintly at the next part of the tale.

"We took the other path, into deeper darkness. At first it seemed promising, but we came across some boxes being kept cold in a little side chamber..." He trailed off with a grimace. "Opening them revealed body parts. Human body parts. Cut up and sectioned to fit in the boxes as if meat for storage. It appeared to be a sort of cold-locker for... food supplies." There was a grim set to his face as he shook his head, trying not to dwell too much on the memory, hardened though he was to such sights. It had been 6 years since he'd seen anything similar, and he could have gladly gone a life time without seeing it again. "Hoping that they had only gone that far to store their... meat... we continued on, hoping to get to a less-used section of the mine. Instead, we eventually came upon a gathering of six huddled around a fire in a cavern, and two Ursurs were chained to the wall. We managed to pull back before we were seen. We hadn't come prepared to be outnumbered by that many people with unknown abilities, so we opted to retreat at that point." He gave a wry smile and took another sip of cider to warm the lingering chill his bones. "Danger is danger, as you said."

Neron did not partake in the cider or the wine for now, far too occupied with whatever Jigano was telling him about the mine. He listened raptly ("occupied" was not good in any sense) of the word, and whilst he noted down key details in memory, such as direction and any notable landmarks, he would likely send for either a rudimentary sketch of their route, or written details in time. That was of little consequence for now; what mattered was that some of the rumours about Whitebrim had been most definitely confirmed.

"Thank you, for braving those dangers by going down there," he said. "I am sorry you did not find what we were both looking for, but similarly, that is one place that can be crossed off the list. If there was Mageglass down there, I do not like to think what the exiles of Whitebrim might do with it." Wrinkling his nose, Neron let out a soft sigh. "I will place a warning, for any who go out into the Tundra, or those who are travelling from the portal to the Citadel. It is best to advise people in advance."

Jigano always appreciated an attentive audience, but he wished his tale was a bit more cheerful, or that he could unsee some of the memories it re-invoked. He inclined his head at the unexpected gratitude, appreciative of it, for all it could not soothe the nightmares that Maea and Evie would undoubtedly have for months to come of what they saw down there. "If any among them are Abandoned, and there is or was mageglass down there, you may have a growing problem on your hands," the bard agreed with Neron's assessment. "Though I'm not sure what the Ursurs were doing there, truth be told. Oversized guard dogs, or something else?" He arched a curious, questioning brow, hoping that one who had lived in Halo for a while might be able to shed some light on that particular edge of the mystery.

"I'll add a notice to the Temple board back on the Hollowed Grounds as well. Forewarning will hopefully be enough to keep the merely curious away, or those merchants who were simply hoping to find more places to trade." As much as he might want to root out the problem and cleanse the mine of the murderers in its depths, he recognized Neron's right to rule his land in his own way. If the Warden was content to leave the exiles and their people-eating ways be, then the bard would respect that and simply make a note to cross Whitebrim off of places to send his Loreseekers in the future.

Whilst the chances of Mageglass being present in Whitebrim were now minimal, it certainly didn't make for a cheerful thought. (But then again, quite when canniballistic and powerful mages did make for a cheerful thought was beyond him). Ruffling a hand through his hair, he shrugged his shoulders at the mention of the Ursur. "Truthfully, that concerns me the least," he said. "Ursur can only be trapped if they are weak or old. They're often used for pulling supplies, plowing snow, that sort of thing. They might have even been using them as guards, though quite how effective they would be is beyond me."

That Jigano would add another notice within the Hollowed Grounds was more than Neron could ask for, and he nodded in agreement. "That would be for the best, I think. Who knows how many merchants might have already fallen victim to those from Whitebrim." Just what you needed to think about on a Longheat morn. "Well, thank you for returning and letting me know. Thank you for returning at all, after what you undoubtedly saw. Is there anything more you wished to discuss?"

Jigano listened intently, making internal notes about the Ursur and their usefulness to the Halo economy, intrigued to hear how the dangerous predators were put to use when they were no longer in their prime. He was always fascinated to learn more about the flora and fauna of Caido, and its new regions opened up entirely new ecosystems to study...

Provided he ever found the time.

Penning a notice would take only a few minutes, however, and was literally the least he could do. He nodded in gratitude at having official permission from Halo's Warden to do so, then grimaced at the rhetorical question. "Who knows, indeed. Though, speaking of merchants, I did have a few questions about them, and trade and travel in general." He took a longer drink of the cider, now cool enough to enjoy without burning anything vital - like his tongue. "I'm not sure how much you've learned of the Hollowed Grounds in your travels," he began, tilting his head in apology if he was repeating old news. "But we remain surrounded by unpassable elemental storms on three sides, and rumor has it that the Greatwood is as well. I was wondering how Halo trades with other regions, and where those trade roads could be found?" Ingrid had mentioned traders and explorers from distant lands that came seeking mage glass, and it had piqued Jigano's curiosity about how people traveled without portals through the rest of Caido.

Neron nodded as Jigano said he had more questions, sitting back to hear them. Merchants and whatnot and trade routes in and out of Halo? He raised his eyebrows; they were uncommon at best. “There aren’t any,” he said. “Those who would trade with us do not risk it unless they are foolish or desperate. Any attempts are normally made during LongHeat, but the routes disappear by Deepfrost. The blizzards, the sea of glass and the Fangs make it very difficult going.”

He drummed his fingers along his seat. He had only ruled the Citadel for something over a year, so perhaps there was yet more to learn about the fringes of the territory. “Any correspondence from beyond Halo is done by raven, and even then it is never certain that the bird will make its way there or back alive. By and large we are a self sustaining community, and only the portal has recently allowed travel elsewhere. I hope that answers your questions.”

Jigano nodded thoughtfully as the hazards of Halo travel were mentioned. Having traveled or flown over them, he knew how brutal they could be, but still he had hoped to find some way out that didn't involve relying on the portals.

"A final one more," the bard requested, not looking forward to the trek back to the portal so soon, and wanting to savor the warmth he could from the room and the cider before he faced it again. "What can you tell me of the lands on your borders, to the east and south?" He remembered the crudely drawn map that had been in one of Safrin's books, that Amalia had led them to last Flowerbirth. There had been a great deal of information contained within those tomes, but now that the barrier was down they could finally begin filling in the details on that general shape of the continent by putting together the clues of daylight and coastlines and mountains that they had to work from.

Neron tilted his head as Jigano petitioned for one last question, the Warden acquiesing but glancing every now and then to the doorway to check that there were no further citizens awaiting his attention. It wasn't that he wasn't enjoying the back-and-forth with Jigano, but more that he was aware he was giving more time than was considered usual.

"To the east and south?" he echoed, eyes narrowing as he thought to himself. "The east is perilous and unknown. I would strongly advise going in that direction - there are few stories about it, and those people do share do not end well for travellers." In the sudden death kind of way.

"The south, though... well. It isn't much better. Halo's snowcaps keep it cold - the further south you go, the more you will find it to be quite the opposite. It's a place called The Climb, though we receive little correspondence from it. I do not even know if there are any natives who live there. The region as I understand it is volcanic."

Given Neron's understatement regarding Whitebrim before that expedition, Jigano was inclined to take the Warden at his word on the dangers to the East. He nodded soberly, then drained his cider before focusing on the southerly border of Halo. "The Climb?" he repeated, voraciously curious as ever. "I wonder if an Attuned could fly there, if ravens can fly over it..." He tilted his head, caught for a moment by the mental images a volcanic land called up. They were...

Rather uncomfortable, really, for anyone without fire magic.

With a rueful nod he rose and gave his host a courteous bow. "Thank you for your time today. I wish you luck with that mine, whatever you decide to do with it. I hope you enjoy the loaves." With that he made his way out, ceding the chair to whoever waited next to bring their woes to the busy Warden. The Climb, was it? Perhaps it was time to do some more digging in the Atheneum now that he had a clue to guide him.

{Finished}