A growing city

JP with Winteroak and Bandorchu

That evening Tar declined to sleep in one of the rooms and take a bed, choosing instead to sleep in front of the fireplace in the main room.

He rose early and walked outside to wash the grime from their days of travel with water from the well. It was cool and refreshing and as he bathed it was almost like he cleansed parts of his soul.

He felt the pull of the Hammer's head again. But so too of that accursed stone nearby. When he was done he picked some berries from some nearby bushes and ate them while waiting for Alexis Greyriver. They still had a bitterness and tartness to them that he quite enjoyed. In a few month or so they would be ripe and delicious.

In the last few years he had never contemplated returning to Ostiarium. It would be strange to be among so many people again. When he looked back on his life before arriving in Arcadia it was like he was gazing at someone else's life.

Alexis’ sleep had been mercifully dreamless, the lingering exhaustion of the past trials demanding tribute now that she rested in a relatively save environment for a change.

It was nice to actually have commodities available to get herself and her equipment clean at last, and she took advantage of that.

After a modest breakfast, she looked up at the shield Gonyaul had hung up on the wall until they could settle on an appropriate compensation.

‘Guess I’ll have to borrow this…’
she thought as she took it down with a bittersweet smile. Gonyaul would probably have been happy.

After that, she went to find Tar so she could accompany him on his exploration of the city.

They set out earlier, riding into town in silence. Alexis' land bordered the Plains and was one of the furthest plots from the city. A full day's walk, although riding they should arrive some time by after noon.

The forests felt enormous, and quite warm in the morning air. Beams of light made its way to the moist and fertile soil below through the canopies of oak, redwood, and birch.
Thick vines waved from many trees, and a wave of bright coloured Spring flowers, which claimed quiet corners of the forest floor, stood out against the otherwise monotonous green.

A cacophony of birdsong brightened up the forest, and formed a pleasant orchestra with the rustling of the leaves and branches of the tree tops in the wind.

A couple of hours into their trip they both noticed much more activity than either could recall. Logging camps seemed to be sprucing up everywhere, clearing the land for more farms. Loud voices echoed among the trees. The sound of labour and toil.

They even passed by a few young children helping a few older men shepherding a large drove of pigs.

“They are really pushing this now, aren’t they?”

Alexis commented absentmindedly, taking in the changes that had taken place in the comparatively short time she had been away.

She shouldn’t be surprised. The Empire, and the Duke were nothing if not ambitious. And confident.
They would have pulled out all stops to get people here, both to fight the war and claim the land.

For Tar the changes were brutal. When he left the place had been moribund settlement. Now as they rode towards the newly rising city walls, he could not help but be surprised at the resilience of people.

Alexis took lead to Suncross Plaza, pointing out the Lowood and the Barracks with a short description as they went. The Plaza was the centre of the city, and Tar would probably be able to recognize the shrine, given that it was the oldest building of the settlement.

“Think this one was here even when you lived here. Friar should be here quite often.“

she told him, gesturing to the building. She nodded to the looming keep.

“And I bet you remember Stoneshade Keep.”

She pointed to the east.

“Behind the Docks lies Misty Ward. Clergy mostly lives there.”

She gave Tar a bit of time to take it all in. Alexis was doing the same, really, even though the changes certainly were not as massive for her as they had to be for her companion.

Still, there clearly had been a heavy influx of people and the city was bustling with the effort to grow fast enough to accommodate them all.