Off we set again aboard the sled, expertly captained by Yonas. We quickly made it back to the outpost where Yonas immediately darted off into an animated conversation with Olavi. The upshot of which was that Yonas would continue on with us, but the sled would not .... back to walking then.
The logic, Yonas explained, was that him leaving for an extended period significantly depleted the outpost and the sled was an emergency bail out for the remaining pair to get back to Suri-Kyla fast... Fair enough, Yonas was worth any number of Sledges to us!
A final exchange complete at the camp, a last look back across the ice toward Suri-Kyla and off we went. Yonas matched our soft but sure footsteps over the snow he did not look so graceful as we did but was equally effective, perhaps more so.
I could say the journey was uneventful at first but in Forochel there is always something to see, to amaze... A delightful light show after dusk, a dazzling natural ice sculpture glinting in the sunlight or the strange swirling shapes of the snow drifting in the wind.. A truly beautiful, if unforgiving place!
The group mainly followed the old Lossoth route, there was little extra threat and it helped avoid the deeper drifts... better progress was made. The path kept high above the shore, closer to the base of the mountains that set the (previously thought) impenetrable eastern edge of the territory. As we entered a steep-sided miniature valley, Elveaner noticed a small pack near the road and then Tylecie another, then a third. They all had been hastily abandoned and contained provisions and some clothing.
Tyelcie noticed some tracks and Yonas mentioned some small marking posts further back he thought were Lossoth made and said he would like to take look.
Elveaner and Tyelcie followed along behind Yonas and a tiny track lead up hill between the path and the bay far below. Up ..up .. more posts and marks and eventually a camp ahead on the summit. Two figures around a fire, Yonas was sure they were Lossoth and suggested a 'noisy' approach to announce our presence. This seemed reasonable, especially when Yonas said he should go first.
The camp seemed well looked after and the two inhabitants calm and collected, well when they identified Yonas as kindred at any rate. Introductions were made .. Oiva and Raija seemed remarkably un-phased by the company Yonas was keeping .. A stoic lot though, the Lossoth!
We briefly discussed our journey from Suri-Kyla but glossed over the 'Angmarian' part, there seemed no sense in causing needless alarm.. Yonas agreed that this particular news would be better given at Pynti-Peldot. When we mentioned the abandoned packs however there reaction was far from stoic, they belonged to them ... precious stores hastily abandoned during an attack of wandering Guaradan (apparently unusual to see them around here). An arrangement was quickly made, we would recover the packs for a share of the fire and hot food. A good plan, then we could perhaps relax a tiny bit and get to know these people a little better .. we retraced our steps.
The weather had turned worse and the packs were not so obvious to find again, especially given the fresh layer of snow that had fallen. We were all getting rather hungry when they were eventually found, another skill we were grateful to Yonas for (seeing the tiny bulges in the newly fallen snow). After our unexpectedly extended search we started to trudge back up to the camp our new friends had named Karhu-Lieri.
We were in for an unpleasant surprise ....
Gauradan howls can be heard as those on the narrow path summon others.
......
Yonas draws off one of the Gauradan, as others appear on the ridge.
What has happened in the small camp above?
