[M]Would-Be Heroes Off to Help Save the World(IC)

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With the pair now ready, they disembarked from the carriage. On the one hand, Elloria was glad to have the space of the outdoors- the train cabin had been nice, but crowded- but on the other, she practically already missed the small bed within it. Outside, it was fairly early in the morning, but as far as Elloria could tell, businesses were open and ready for their coin.

As the wagons prepared to disembark again, Belvanaj mentioned that he had grabbed the snacks available from the cabin. "Oh, excellent. I don't suppose I could trouble you for some of the fruit before we start shopping?" The celebratory dinner from their graduation the night before had been filling, but it had been quite some time since then, and Elloria was more than ready to break her fast.

She ran over their shopping list again, mentally. Protective clothing, climbing equipment, and additional food. The village was small, but evidently large enough to be a travelling hub- so there would be an inn... But, Elloria reminded herself, they had determined the previous night that camping would be sufficient.

Stopping at a bath house or even a lake before entering the caves would be nice, if they could, she reflected; she couldn't see or hear a river, but the town must have been getting its water from somewhere, and she wouldn't have minded cleaning herself. But, no- it would make more sense to bathe after their exploration. Perhaps the desire was more an anxiety about the task than anything else. No, it was time for them to set out, and do the job that they had been tasked with.

[GodlyD&D]

Belvanaj opened his pack, and brought out one small bag of dried fruits, and a covered cup, and handed them to Elloria. "Here is some of the dried fruit from there that I brought for us. This cup has something slightly fruity and rather creamy, but I don't recognize what food that is. Stop here at these seats along the station to have that, we can go look for where gear for the caves are available then, and then find a little more food to take with us."

They sat at one of those seats, and Belvanaj brought out another small bag of dried fruit for himself, and looked out toward the line of wagons. A few people who had waited here had just entered a few of the available wagons, and the great animals with humps harnessed to pull them started off with the wagons then moving on, as they watched. A few people had disembarked and were now moving on, into the settlement of Elsefort all on that one side with the low mountains further on.

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"Thanks," Elloria responded, taking the cup and packet of fruit. They stopped at some seats and sat, and Elloria wasted no time diving into the fruit and mystery food. It was thicker than Belvanaj's description had lead her to believe; attempting to drink it did little good, but she found that she could use the fruit to scoop it up. It was sweet, and had some tang to it. "Mm," she said, when she was finished. "Whatever it was, it was delicious," she declared, and sat back to watch the people mill by as Belvanaj finished his own fruit.

The next passengers finished loading up, and the train set off again. Elloria looked with wonder at the humped animals that drew the train- weren't they tired? Did they, too, not get a rest? Or did they truly have such endurance? Either way, her fascination had to be shoved to the back of her mind as the creatures, and their keepers, moved away from her, without ever having had heard her question. Other people who had also taken the train were now milling over to Elsefort. When Belvanaj seemed to have finished his food, Elloria stretched quickly, and stood. "Right, then should we make our way to the shops?"

[GodlyD&D]

Belvanaj was looking toward the buildings along the street that led from there in through this settlement. "I see one shop over there, that way, where tents and equipment are sold. I don't see a food shop or market, but there must be one and we would find one if we look around."

Soon the last of the wagons pulled along with the huge humped animal in front of it passed by behind the line of the other wagons. They had remained as the others who had disembarked had dispersed wandering on through the settlement, and those who had sat waiting to embark were now gone with the wagons that continued on. It was along a narrow path wide enough for the wagons, which went on from there going around the side of the mountain that reached around that side of Elsefort.

Belvanaj stood up. "So, then, we can go look, and purchase some of the needed equipment."

[GodlyD&D]

The homes here had an appearance that we might think rather like gothic, with dark crossbeams across the pale earthen walls at angles, and steep roofs with gables reaching out above the floor level spaces. Shops here had a simple word or a drawn image, on a sign over a front door, to hint what might be bought within. Belvanaj had indeed spotted one of those shops with a sign showing a tent depicted, along with a pickaxe, in the drawing on it. He took a look at the mountains beyond it, dark and bluish. The known caves should be found, but he thought surely there would be something more to explore that had not been yet found, somewhere along all that. He looked then to Elloria, to see if she was ready to go and get needed things. Then with having a good look at her face in this morning light he was stricken with the color of her eyes, which were like the further mountains.

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With both of their breakfasts finished, Elloria rose and started making her way towards the town. "We can ask at the equipment store, then, where we'll be able to find food," she suggested, and took in the scenery. The buildings seemed to be a mixture of clay and dirt and wood, with steep roofs that must have been difficult to build. She supposed that the weather would have required it; rather than the mountains protecting the town from winter, it seemed that they only made it worse here. Or that they were further up a mountain than she realized. Either way, she was glad that the weather was warm and fair, and that they didn't need to suffer what surely would have been icy blasts.

The view of the mountains beyond was quite the sight to see, though, especially in the fair weather. They rose, unflinching ground that met the sky. They were much more blue in color than Elloria would have expected, with how close they were- she wasn't exactly accustomed to blue ground, but could recall having previously seen hills in the haze that almost had a purple look to them. Or perhaps it was just whatever plant life that grew upon the crests that were so blue; Elloria had to admit that her knowledge of mountain flora was hardly anything sizeable.

Either way, within minutes, they had reached the shop. Before entering, the elf took a moment to dig through her pack, and make sure that her wallet was handy. With that secured, Elloria once again looked to Belvanaj. "Is there anything else that you think we should ask the shopkeep? I intend to keep quiet as to what we are searching for, but asking where we can acquire food... And perhaps if there is somewhere we might bathe when we leave the mountain, I think, is reasonable enough. But, is there anything else?"

[GodlyD&D]

Belvanaj took a look at Elloria again, at this opportunity. "I had thought that if we had room when we got here, it would be good for having a place to wash up. Without that, I can only guess a good stream might work for that, if you are thinking of that. I don't know where one is, but I guess there are streams, or rivers, around. It would not be really comfortably warm though, I would think. But you are right that we should ask the keeper where we could go for food, or certain things newcomers to this community would need."

They then went through the door. Aisles were in front of them in the small store space, the counter where the attendant was stationed was along one side from where they entered. A lamp that was lit was on that counter, giving light in the interior that still had more light coming through the high front window.

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"That's a good point... I am concerned that we will spend multiple days in the caves, though, and end up paying for a room that we shall not use, though, if we were to get the room now. I'd prefer to stretch our coin as far as possible. I hope that the town might have a bathing house or the like that might be a touch warmer than cool mountain rivers, as well." Aside from that, though, it seemed as though the pair was in agreement in what they needed, and Elloria followed Belvanaj inside.

"Why don't you grab the supplies that we need? And I'll go talk to the clerk," she proposed. It seemed to Elloria that Belvanaj had a better idea of what equipment they would need for climbing than she did, and thus made more sense in her mind to divvy up the tasks that way. By the time she had finished speaking, she was already walking towards the attendant and away from any protests her companion might have had.

"Greetings," she said to the attendant, with a wide grin. "I hope you can help me, sir. My companion and I are setting off on some travels, and need to stock up on equipment and food before we set out. Of course, your fine shop is helping us here on one aspect of that, but might you be able to tell us where we could acquire some food to take with us?" One question at a time was best, she figured. Food, then she could inquire about a bath.

[GodlyD&D]

The attendant responded, "I see you must be from out of town. Godspeed with your travels. The closer of the stores here with food is on the corner along this way." He pointed, indicating further along the direction away from where Belvanaj and Elloria had arrived.

Elloria meant to ask more, but she would have to ask without delay, for Belvanaj was finding items that were needed quickly and he would be right back to the counter to make the purchase. Belvanaj was not wanting any invasive delay to their looking around with which there might be clues discovered for how to find any one of the artifacts that would be needed.

[GodlyD&D]

Belvanaj came back soon with tough clothing, helmets, gloves and boots, rope, and stakes, and a hammer for them, that he found here, along with cleansers for them and some wrapped up granola food. He made the purchase there, and he said, "We can go find more food to buy for taking with us, and if we can then let us go on to where we would find caves then."

They then left the supply store and went in that direction toward the food market, and they found it was not at all far after all.