The Adventure: Chapter 2

Kaled Del is never quiet. The Forge runs day and night, and all manners of industry connected to the forge continue to work like cogs driven by a great wheel. But the Grand Seneschal had cleared the docks, delaying shipments and rerouting work teams, so the edge of the Graywater in this early morning was the quietest it had ever been in the city.

A barge loaded with useless rocks awaited the Seekers and the Watchers. They were to crew the vessel under the pretense of a barge crew delivering an ore shipment to Issica so that they could leave the city undetected. To go upriver, barges are connected to long chains and pulled through the current. The barge would be connected to various winching stations along the journey through the Graywater caverns. Once on the surface and in calmer waters, the crew would push the barge forward with sturdy poles.

To disembark, the Seekers need only pull a lever and hop on the barge.

Stonemother Dwalia arrived twenty-five minutes early. Twenty-five was the product of five and five, and Dwalia was convinced that five was the holy number of the All-Father. She was working on a paper about how the probabilities of many goal-oriented events tended towards multiples of five rather than being analogically distributed, and thus Moradin's signature on the fabric of the universe.

Dwalia was not surprised that she was the first. If everyone was as thoughtful as her, she mused, they would have all arrived at the same time, which would be suspicious.

All things have a function, even dysfunction?

She discarded the thought right away. Such a thought would lead to madness. No, dysfunction was not useful unto itself. This must merely be a coincidence.

Disguised as a dockworker, Dwalia's armor clinked slightly under her heavy burlap cloak. She got to setting the chains on the barge as she had researched. Sweat beaded on her brow as she tightened the chains to the extent they needed to be. The work was hard but it was also methodical and pleasing to her.

The barge was rigged one-hundred percent correctly. One-hundred, a most pleasing multiple of five.

Now, where were the rest of them?

"By Moradin's hairy arse," Guildleader Prust swore under his breath as he clanked loudly down the stairs in his disguise, not bothering to hide the sound of his combat boots. It was hard enough to be working off his hangover. Now he had to put up with the smug look on her face that she put the whole ship in order by herself.

Probably fer the best, he conceded. He hated doing that shit. What's the point of being a Guildleader if you still have to do grunt work?

She might be as cold as those dripping-wet chains, but damn me to hell if she isn't a fine woman.

He strode up the pier, deciding to redirect rather than to suffer that disappointed gaze.

"Ha, forgot what time we're supposed to arrive and got here early did ya?" He loved watching that vein in her forehead throb.

"Starting fights is bad for business, my Da used to say. But losing fights is worse. If the Stonemother gives me peace, then I'll give her peace."

"And her petty bickering with me? Why is this all my fault? If someone questions my honour or my courage, I'm not going to sit there and take it! So you go tell her to keep it under control I won't stoke the fire."

Dalia emerges from the barge's hold and sees Aldrik clanking about.

"Subtlety is not your strong suit I see. Nor is punctuality. I expect better, considering the importance of this mission. Even worse, you are NOT the last to arrive. "

Prust started to speak, presumably to criticise Dalia's manner, but then saw Thorin's stern look and thought better of it.

The Watchers led the Seekers below decks. Guildleader Prust removes his roughspun cloak to reveal a handy haversack.

"It holds the strongbox with the money and documents that prove we built their telescope. Maps and rations for everyone for three weeks. Oh, and a hearty supply of these," he winks, as he produces some sample flasks from the haversack.

There was a commotion above decks. Other barges were loaded and nearly ready to move.

"We cannot delay any longer, we must depart now or arouse further suspicion."

"It's worse than ya think, Stonemother. If the barge's back up then we'll have a real show on our hands. You jam one cog in the machine and everything will grind to a halt! The Guildwardens will be on us in a few moments and then Kaled Del's great hope will come across looking like incompetent boobs."

They turn to you. "Do we leave without Finn Stonelost or not? "

Dwalia's ears perk up. She straightens herself and produces an ornately carved stone rod. Light burst forth from the rod, filling the cargo hold.

"Finn Stonelost, reveal yourself at once!"

There is a loud and on the hull of the ship. A gruff voice barks from the outside.

"Hey! What's the hold up, crewmen?"