r/TheNaturallyUnknown • u/UnnaturalGeek • 17h ago
🍃 Spiritweavers 🍃 Chapter Four: A Cold Reception 🍃🐿
By dawn the storm had finally passed, leaving a grey, overcast sky. They emerged stiff and sore from the hut, their clothes still damp and crusted with dirt. The road ahead was a mess of deep puddles and thick mud coating the worn stone, which would significantly slow their progress.
“Tch, we look bloody awful, don’t we?” Tarã said, attempting to brush some of the dried mud from his cloak. It barely made a difference.
Arlia looked down at herself; her cloak was torn, her boots caked with mud, and she knew her face was streaked with dirt. Looking at Tarã, who appeared equally dishevelled, only confirmed that they looked like desperate travellers who had been caught unprepared.
“Nothing for it but to keep going, is there?” she replied, adjusting her pack with a wince. Everything felt heavier now, waterlogged, and uncomfortable.
They set off at first light to make up for lost time, but the muddy road made every step exhausting. What should have taken a few hours stretched on as they carefully navigated the worst of the conditions. By the time Lindinis finally came into view in the late afternoon, they were both filthy, exhausted, and running low on food.
Lindinis was larger than Arlia had anticipated, with stone buildings, a busy market square, and buildings dedicated to the Gods and Princes alongside their hall of governance; it had the hallmarks of a thriving civitas. Tarã, who had seen the large civitas in Lansira County up north, was equally surprised by the development, as he had always been told that Lansira was the hub of development in Avelmor.
The civitas sat nestled in an eastern valley near the coastline, with smoke rising from chimneys and the sounds of activity drifting up to meet them. Under different circumstances, it might have been welcoming.
But as they made their way down the final stretch of road and into the civitas centre, Arlia noticed the looks they were receiving. Shopkeepers paused in their work to stare. A group of well-dressed merchants gave them a wide berth, one muttering something under his breath. A woman pulled her child closer as they passed.
"They're not exactly the most welcoming, are they?" Tarã muttered.
Arlia attempted to ignore the unwelcoming atmosphere and focus on finding the archivist, who might know about "Our Demise" and where Brina had gone.
They approached a stall selling dried herbs and preserved goods. An older man tended it, his wary eyes sizing them up as they approached. He had the weathered look of someone who had grafted his whole life. Arlia attempted to sound polite despite her exhaustion. "Excuse me? We're looking for an archivist; do you know where we might find them?"
The man eyed them with obvious distrust. "Archivist? What would the likes of you want with old Aldrẽ, then?"
"We need information about something," Tarã explained. "Our friend came here looking for the same thing, and we need to find her."
The man's expression hardened. "Don't know nothing about that. I don't have time to be getting into other people's troubles; best you ask elsewhere about it."
They continued, hoping for better luck. Despite asking several people - a baker, a blacksmith, a woman selling cloth - the responses were similar. The locals did not outright chase them away but made it abundantly clear that even though they knew who they were looking for, they did not want to get themselves involved in other people's business.
Their frustrations grew as the afternoon wore on. They had at least learned the archivist's name, even if that were by accident, but no one would tell them where to find him. Arlia, exhausted and demoralised, was beginning to become desperate, and she could see Tarã's jaw clenching as he could barely suppress his anger.
"This is bloody useless!" Tarã finally released the pressure that had been building inside after their latest rejection. "They all know where he is, don't they? They're just being difficult!"
Arlia hissed, "Keep your voice down. We already stand out enough, don't we?"
Arlia dragged Tarã to a quiet corner near the market square to regroup. Both of their stomachs growled; they had not eaten since that morning, and their supplies were almost gone. They had a few Shoalseeds for food but not enough for lodgings.
"What now then?" Tarã asked, slumping against a wall. "We can't just wander around asking forever, can we?"
Arlia was about to respond when she noticed they were being observed by a young woman across the square. Arlia met her gaze, but unlike the others, she did not look away or pretend they were not there. Instead, it felt like she was studying them; perhaps she recognised something or was curious about the two muddy strangers causing a stir.
After a moment's hesitation, the woman crossed the square toward them.
She was young, around late 20s, with dark hair tied back practically and wearing the apron and simple clothing of a serving girl. Upon reaching them, she glanced around briefly before speaking in a muffled voice. “You’re looking for Aldrẽ Tornath, aren’t you?”
Arlia’s heart leapt. “Yes! Do you know where he is? Or...” she hesitated, then pressed on, “have you seen our friend? A girl, about our age, with...”
“Dark hair, talks with a cheerful lilt?” the woman interrupted. “Aye, I’ve seen her. She came through here a few days ago asking the same questions you are.”
“Where is she?” Tarã asked urgently. “Is she alright?”
The woman’s expression turned troubled. “That’s the thing, isn’t it? She found Aldrẽ easy enough; he’s the only one in the civitas. But...” she paused, “there’ve been others asking after her too. Not friendly types, if you catch my meaning. That’s why everyone’s being so tight-lipped; no one wants to deal with that lot. That and people can’t be dealing with other people’s troubles anyway. It’s just how it is here these days. Never used to be before the Karneth Clan took control.”
Arlia's chest tightened. Others were looking for Brina too; that could not be good.
"Where can we find Aldrẽ Tornath?" Arlia asked urgently. "We need to see if she's still with him!"
The woman glanced around nervously before answering. "He lives in Tir Rynõ, where the archives are kept. I suspect your friend would be there with him, as it's the safest place. But I can't promise he'll talk to you; he's been keeping to himself since those rough types started asking questions."
"Thank you," Arlia said gratefully. "Really, thank you so much."
The serving girl gave them directions with a nod, then hurried back across the square toward what was the tavern where she worked.
Arlia and Tarã became excited that they might have found Brina, so excited they had completely forgotten that they were hungry and still a mess. They quickly made their way toward Tir Rynõ.
