Lion's Way

Dieter wakes up sore. It turns out that sleeping in a tree while wearing chainmail isn't the most comfortable way to rest. But at least he's alive.

The rising sun reveals a scene that is surprisingly peaceful. Light filters through the treetops as morning birds twitter. Nearby, a doe and her fawn graze quietly on some bushes. One would hardly guess that just a short distance away was such a terrible scene as what happened last night.

No, these wilds are deceptive, for danger could lurk around any corner. Wandering about alone even on the established roads is a good way to find an early death. The closest refuge must still lie to the west, the library-fortress of Candlekeep.

Dieter puts his back to the sun and quietly makes his way westward. Before long his copse of trees opens up to the main road. Just as he’s about to step out that way, however, he notices a pair of wolves off to one side, just within the tree line. The animals tear eagerly at the corpse of a gibberling.

Busy as they are, the wolves might not notice if Dieter leaves the copse and moves quickly down the road. Or they might not care, seeing as how they already have a meal before them. But then, who can tell the mind of a beast? Still, the longer he waits, the more likely they are to finish their food and look for more.

The wolves don’t look up from their meal as Dieter sneaks out and safely down the road.

A light rain accompanies the young warrior off and on as he walks. Before long, he comes to the top of a rise and catches his first glimpse of Candlekeep. From this view it does indeed seem more fortress than library. It sits out on a small peninsula, so that the only way to approach the keep is via the road which Dieter walks. The other sides are lined with jagged rocks that break the huge waves that intermittently crash down. The walls themselves are some 50 feet high, and the towers beyond them rise many times that.



A short while later, he stands before the front gate, whose double doors must stand more than three times his own height. One of doors sits open wide enough to let several people through at a time.

By the time Dieter and the rest of the posse leave Candlekeep the sun is directly overhead, making the air feel heavy and humid for those unaccustomed to the region. On horseback, they should be able to arrive at the broken wagon well before nightfall.