Knightly Letter: Ileas 26

Ileas,
 
As we're in the Feywild I doubt I can post many letters, so I'll just write this letter in as many parts as it took for us to be out of this place.
 
But today started off in Wolf's Rest, we got up early to eat an elaborate breakfast made by Dynia, who even packed us some food for the road. Lil decided this would be a good time to ask her about the glamour that was on her, at least according to what Vivienne had told Lil yesterday. But Dynia had genuinenly no idea what she was talking about, and even seemed to forget the topic and move on. So whatever magic glamour was on her was also affecting her memory. And as she was no worse for it and we had the urgent mission into the Feywild before us we left it alone for now. The news must affect Gael as he and Dynia were growing quite close, having to carry the worry about who this person might actually be into the Feywild for weeks must not be easy.
 
We then started pouring over the map of Neverhold that Vivienne had given Lil, taking note of the smaller Kingdoms that now swore fealty to Ulther and the woods and seas that were riddled in and around the High-King's domain. Vivienne also joined us to give us some details, though the High King limits what she could reveal. She made it clear the Lords and Ladies of all the holdings on the map had their orders of what to do if we pass, even herself in the city of Whitewail. The thing she, and all of us, could not say much about was the Kingscleft, a giant ravine that separated our destination from where we would enter the Feywild. Its origins are unknown but coincide with the Leper's Revolt, another sign more happened all those years ago then we thought at first. But the Kingscleft did make our approach to Nimmerburg, where the festival would take place, quite difficult since it meant we would have to pass by Crow's crossing and make a deal with the ruler there, probably on some orders of King Ulther to slow us down.
 
Vivienne did highlight Hall, which we would have to pass anyhow. She says a festival was taking place there that could land us some feywild mouts that make the journey easier. But it still left us with what route to take: in the end we decided to avoid Crow's Crossing and go for Vivienne's coastal city of Whitewail, and get a ship to circumvent the Kingscleft that way. It was a risky plan, but it was really a case of choosing our poison so the most important part is commiting to something beforehand.
 
Here Vivienne sprung her final piece of info on us: since the Feywild is a place of chaos, even time could run differently while we were there. Meaning that a few weeks in the Feywild could mean months, or even years in our world and the High King had some control over it. The allusion to Galiene could not be clearer and Vivienne even said she knew about it, so the High King could make us late for handling the Black Knight's curse or (as I realized later on) be late for the birth of Tommel's daughter who was to be given to the hags. Not even because he wants us to suffer but just because he could, as Vivienne explained the fey have a strange sense of morality. But she said she could protect us from this time warping, but could not do it for free and asked one year service from each of us in return. And we would all need to take part in it or no deal could be made. With that Vivienne left, giving us time until noon to make a decision and handle our affairs.
 
Now for me the choice was clear, a year of my life in Whitewail or a life of living without Galiene? Or miss out on the birth of Tommel's Daughter? A year of my life in what I imagine would be ice cold misery was a small price to pay, but I could not expect others to follow me. So I was touched when almost everyone was willing to make that step, except for Dadroz who was not willing to give up a year of his life, and just like that we could not be taking Vivienne's deal. And while I hoped Dadroz would reconsider, I would not force my friend to change his decision. Luke then ran off to the library, hoping to find some magic that could help us, leaving us to tend to the matters left: our brother's funeral and visiting the hag's cabin for our district's new wealthy benefactor.
 
The funeral was a way for my sister and I to finally say goodbye to Gideon, as Liliana going to Whitewail for five years prevented us from doing so together, leaving us to process his loss apart from each other. But the people of Wolf's Rest and our retrainers went above and beyond, arranging for an old mausoleum to be cleared and father Tholan was there to lead the ceremony. Which meant that after about an hour we stood in front of our brother's grave having greeted most of Wolf's rest who came to pay their respects, ready to move on. Making a mental note to thank those who did all the hard work clearing and repairing the mausoleum we made our way to the Hag's cabin where despite hearing voices we found no signs of the woman who was supposed to stay here. The only thing we found was a magic horn that could alert anyone in a 10 mile radius that something was wrong, something we left well alone.
 
Since noon was approaching we met up again with Luke at our keep, he did not find anything that was of immediate help but he did pass by Elsa to say goodbye and learned she was in massive debt. In the past few weeks she got involved with a supposed merchant named Bromli Darkwater who scammed her and her family out a substantial amount of gold, leaving her to stave off creditors of the Long Table and being at risk to lose her family's house in the city. Having no time to hunt this man down we decided to call in our favor with Rachnar to buy off her debt, give her some more favorable terms, and give her some time until we could come back. Something that Elsa was extremely grateful for when Luke told her.
 
With that, it really was time to head out, as I gave some last minute instructions to our retainers about cancelling our birthday party and watched with a mix of amusement and melanchony as Gael said goodbye to Dynia and Luke to Elsa, wishing I had taken the time to visit Galiene one more time even though it might have tested my resolve to go into the Feywild. We informed Vivienne that we would not be taking her deal and started to make our way to the Lorewood. After an intricate and arbitrary-feeling ritual at a pond we came into the Feywild, the Lorewood now to our side, our first destination Hall being to the North.
 
 
The first stint of our travel went well, the seemingly eternal dusk illuminating a comfortable road North, until we arrived at a giant hedge that blocked our path, owned by a fey hare called Rollam. Like most fey he was willing to strike a deal to do the friendly thing, wanting us to go into the center of the maze where a wedding was taking place and get him a tear of joy from the bride. And as much as this looked like a rabbit hole of joyful adventure it would also likely mean a long chain of favors and counter favors that would delay us as much time that it would take us to find a way around the hedge. So we kindly declined Rollam's offer and tried to find a way around the hedge, quickly getting obstructed by long grass and losing sight of the road we were taking, it also was the time dusk quickly turned to midnight and we found a place to camp near a set of grass that seemed to form a doorway into some tunnels. But our sleep was cut short as Nog, the moleman who lived in these tunnels came up to talk. Like Rollam he could help us get to Hall but again wants something in return, though his price was much simpler as he just wanted some food which Gael magically provided with some goodberries, not willing to part with his private supply of waffles made by Dynia.
 
So while we would have little sleep, after some uncomfortable hours in Nog's tunnels we arrived at what we presumed was Hall, right on time to see the Moon take a sudden dive and the Sun to reach its highest point, destroying any hope for a nap.
 
Our journey had barely started, but the tone was clearly set: it would not be a typical trip.