((Continuing from The Labyrinthine))
The wounds on Séreméla’s arms began to burn again as she felt the poison infusing with her blood. The words of the ancient drow echoed in her mind. She shook her head and knew what she had to do, but she knew little about the time of the Tap and she had no idea on how to gain information about it.
She wandered along the Testhan River hap hazardously, not really knowing how she would get to the island of Scara Brae from where she was. She knew she had an entire ocean to cross before being able to set foot on its warm land. Séreméla heard the sounds of twigs breaking behind her and quickly spun around to see what had created the noise. Dark shadows in the tree lining were all that she could see. The images seemed to be in human form with large sticks.
Quietly Séreméla ducked down and moved behind a large rock near the river’s bank. She waited patiently with her hand on the handle of her sword, not knowing exactly how many there were or if they were friendly. As they stepped through the trees, Séreméla was able to count five men in total. They all wore tattered clothing and talked in an unfamiliar language.
The men stopped at the river’s shore and looked down into the water with their spears drawn back then jabbed at the water quickly each pulling out a fish. As they all noticed their catch they cheered and took the fish off then placed them in bags attached to their hips.
Séreméla was still unsure of the men and didn’t know quite what to do, but she felt that they seemed harmless enough. Cautiously with her hand still on her blade she stood up from her hiding spot.
“Hello, I'm Séreméla.”, she said in a firm but not threatening tone. The men all stopped their cheering and looked at her with surprised looks. “I was wondering if any of you might be able to help me.”
She continued, still with no response from the men. “I need to get to Scara Brae and if any of you had a boat I would be willing to pay you for the travel.”
They all stood there with a long moment of silence, and then one of them spoke out. “Forgive me Miss, where are my manners. You see these men do not speak Common. That is why they bring me along, because I am a translator of many languages. I am Maileic and these fine men are…well it doesn’t really matter what their names are now does it? Since they can’t understand a thing we say. Ha ha ha, frankly, the one in the middle is a little bit of a jackass, but we don’t tell him that.” The man began to laugh knowing that she was the only one able to understand a word he was saying.
Séreméla laughed a little too and then continued with her question. “But do any of them have boats that I might be able to buy passage on?” She asked.
Maileic stood there for a minute, and without asking the men he answered her question. “Nay, these men are all poor hunters like myself, but in our village there is a man that has in his possession a boat. Maybe he would be able to help you?”
Séreméla nodded with a smile and walked closer to Maileic as he said something to them in their own language. They all shrugged then went back to fishing as Maileic began to walk back into the woods with Séreméla following behind.