Mephisto1313
Positivity Goblin
Staff member
Moderator
Inner Sanctum Nobility
♔ Champion ♔
The wind rustled through the leaves, whispering tales fo the chill that would soon be descending on the land. It hadn't turned chilly yet, but the heat of the summer season was tiptoeing away each day as autumn closed in. Pie sat writing in his journal, thinking that it might be time to get a heavier cloak to deal wit the dropping temperatures. The nib of his pen scritched back and forth as he wrote until a leaf drifting down from above landed on the page. He instinctively went to brush the leaf from the page but stopped.
The leaf was black as a starless night.
He stared at the leaf, and then looked up to the trees. Unnoticed there were several leaves that had begun darkening. There was no hint of yellow or orange that you might expect from the encroachment of Fall. It wasn't what he was used to but he shrugged it off. He'd been to a lot of places and seen many different things, maybe that was just normal here. He did tuck the leaf into one of his pockets, but he then put it out of his mind and returned to his writing.
When he finished he walked back to the town, and returned to the inn where he was staying. He spoke to some of the staff and had a meal. He was alone here, for the first time in a while traveling without any friends It was lonely once he returned to his room so he stayed in the common room as long as possible each night. The leaves he had noticed were the talk of the room.
Tristan, an older man in his 50's who had been an adventurer once and was fond of his plumed hat played with his eyepatch as he spoke. "They've never turned black like that before!" He said, his voice carrying over the room. "Just yesterday they were vibrant green, and today they have started falling, pitch black and not a hint of the color that's been there every year I have lived here." The dwarf he was talking to nodded enthusiastically.
"I visit my child and his mother here between my adventures, and I've never seen this either. Nor in any of the other towns and cities where my other children live. Just here, just this time. Something is awry." The dwarf scratched his short close cut beard thoughtfully.
Pie listened as the other occupants echoed the same sentiment. No one knew how or why, not even a guess. Well they guessed but not with any reasoning behind them. Maybe it was a new monster, or perhaps a curse? Maybe it was a wizard's spell gone awry or a god's displeasure. Theories were plentiful but there was no indication of any of them being right or wrong.
As the discussion continued Binain the dwarf and Tristan the retired adventurer decided to set out the next day to see if they could discover a reason for the unusual situation. Pie offered to help and the two men accepted his request, a bit surprised that the visitor just passing through was interested in helping when no reward was offered.
Pie read through his book refreshing his memory on some of the things he'd encountered in the feywild, but he didn't come across anything that seemed to relate to leaves changing color. Maybe he'd ask the dryads tomorrow? They wouldn't know about this particular situation since their grove was so far away, but maybe they might have heard of something like that before. He fell asleep with his head in the book.
In the morning he carefully wiped away the drool on the page and hoped it didn't warp or stain the ink. He opened his journal, and read through the list of names. "Miss Nyxia, Miss Ashla, Mister Lurog, Miss vihni, … " The list went on until he had cycled through all of his friends. Good they were all still there in his memory. He packed his things and went downstairs where the two men were eating their breakfast. Pie asked for some bread and paid the copper for it and then traced his finger in the shape of a door in the air, and opened it. From within he asked Fuwa Fuwa for some jam and a small jar of BurBur Berry Jam was nuzzled towards him. He applied it to his bread and happily ate, while his two new companions nodded in appreciation. Perhaps the little goblins' help would aid them in discovering the source of the Black Fall.
When they finished they washed up and set out. The town was small, only containing 20 or so homes. The inn was one of the only established businesses, as the town was really just a waystop on the road and those who chose to live here provided for themselves through their own efforts or trade with each other and the caravans that passed through. So they had traveled beyond the limited bounds of civilization in a very short time.
They headed into the woods and decided to walk in a circle first. It was clear from this first circuit that the black leaves were concentrated more heavily in one direction, towards the north and the hills and river that sprang from them. As they shifted their travel in that direction and went deeper the occasional black leaves gave way to whole trees whose leaves had changed to the dark black leaves.
"This is definitely the right direction. Perhaps it is a blight spreading from some central point?" Tristan said, his hands occasionally brushing his twin scimitars tucked into his belt. Both the human and the dwarf had fished out their adventuring gear in case something was amiss. Tristan largely looked the same save for the addition of the curved blades, but Binain now wore a set of shining half plate and chain, and wore a flowing white robe under it, and carried a large heavy looking warhammer and a kite shield strapped to his back. Suddenly his short beard looked more a choice of a warrior priest rather than an old man living out his twilight years without the need for grooming.
Pie reached into one of his pockets and pulled out the piece of dryad bark attached to a string and began swinging it in quick circles as they walked. As the sound of the spinning bark intensified he called out. Hello, Miss Shiona? Are you there? Do you know anything about the leaves here turning black? Could it be some blight or something?" The dryad wasn't visible, but he felt her presence. When the other two looked at him questioningly Pie gestured to some of the leaves of a nearby tree that were moving.
"My friend is a dryad, and she agreed to look at the trees for us. I don't know if she can help, but … maybe she will notice something." Pie waited for the dryad to examine several trees and when she disappeared, going back to her own grove far far away, he turned to his companions. "She didn't know what was causing this. She said it felt sad though. Really really sad. I don't know if that will help, but it's a start!" He joined the two men and looked around. "She also said if a tree is in trouble, check the water. Is there a river or a stream around here where they get their water?"
Binain pointed one of his short arms toward the north, the direction they had already been going while following the most trees affected with the blackened leaves. "An hour or so this way. Not too far. The river runs down from higher ground and filters through the hills this way before dropping down and running just to the west of the town. The nearness of the river is why they chose to settle here, but the soil was not firm enough to build on that close to the river. So they moved west a bit where the soil is firmer but still fertile and ready for farming."
They walked for a bit more, the day was clear and nice, the sun was out fighting off the chill that would claim the air later in the night. In the absence of any new points of interest Binain was telling stories from his adventuring past.
"It was winter, and I was visiting my 23rd child, Kallian, his mother is a plump little halfling lass with dark hair and a pair of b- ahem. Beautiful eyes.Anyway, the Gnolls were coming down from the hills and we were trapped in a cottage with them creeping up on all sides, I was ready to fight but that damnable mage was about to- " He was cut short when Tristan put a hand on his shoulder in warning.
"Tracks. Boots. Several people, different sizes." The older man said pointing to the ground to the left. Pie looked but he didn't see anything. He'd never been all that good with wilderness skills, even though he'd learned some of the basics to take care of himself in terms of food and shelter when he'd needed to. "They come from the river, and lead away."
Binain looked both directions, but nothing was immediately visible in either. "Should we follow? Or continue to the river?"
Tristan looked to the left. "If we dally too long they may have a larger lead on us. These are less than a day or two old. They might have gone completely but if they are still here we could lose the opportunity to catch them before they disappear. I think we should follow them but…" He glanced right toward the direction that the river lie, though it still had not come into sight.
Binain clapped Pie on the shoulder causing him to stumbled forward slightly. "Why don't we follow the tracks, the two of us in case there is battle, and this one checks the river? You can do it right? You'll be ok just checking to see if there is anything going on there at the river? And we'll follow these for a bit and meet back in town tonight."
Pie nodded slowly. "Just check on the river? I can do that. I hope it's not too dangerous for you guys though."
Tristan patted his scimitar. "Don't worry, neither of us is new to this kind of thing. We'll be careful, but we can take care of our selves." Pie nodded, they did seem like they were pretty accomplished.
"Ok, I'll go to the river and meet you back in town tonight. Be careful in case the people are bad people. I hope that they arn't though." The two men big their farewells and walked along th e path to the left, moving at a good pace but keeping their eyes open. Pie started walking to the right, and before long they were out of view and he was alone. He kept watch on his surroundings as well, no telling who or what had been here, or might still be around. However there were no signs of danger, in fact the signs of life were all around him. Animals and birds made their calls to each other as a stranger passed through their woods bugs kept getting in his mouth and ears, trying desperately to live their lives before the cold ended their brief existence or sent them into hibernation.
It wasn't long before he heard the sound of the river, the symphonic dance of water over stones brushing against the shoreline. He rushed to the edge of a clearing alongside it, expecting … well something. Black water or signs of poison or rot in it, something to explain the change in the trees. Miss Shiona had said look to the water. So he did. He looked out over the gently flowing spanse of water and did not see anything out of the ordinary. The water looked clean and clear, it was flowing smoothly and showed no signs of decay or pollution.
Stumped, he stared at it for a while just watching it go by. The tree's here were all filled with black leaves, some of them lazily dropping to the ground to scatter along the riverbank. What now? He looked upriver and downriver but saw nothing different, no change at all in either direction. Black trees lined the banks both ways as well. He had no idea what to do. He had thought that when he found the river it would just be clear. Maybe the river wasn't the problem after all.
Pie decided to walk upriver. The problem was likely to be further up if the trees that way were still black leaved. He stayed away from the bank and had to double back a few times to avoid the water. He wasn't a good swimmer after all. He shivered just thinking about the time he fell into the river and Miss Nyxia having to jump in to save him.
As he walked he started to notice something strange, the noises of the animals began to diminish. Where once he'd heard the chirping of birds and the sounds of forest animals clearing the path when a stranger came blundering through, the air had gone silent, and only the sound of the water filled his ears. The sound of the lapping ripples also seemed to be changing, coming slower and more … halting.
He walked further beginning to grow concerned as the sound around him changed, the sound of the rivers pitch getting higher. It wasn't until he rounded the corner, skirting some large trees to see water splashing over a small cliff, dropping down to the depths below it with misty rippling waves. The tone of the river here was more clear and with the waterfall in sight he knew exactly what that sound was.
The river was crying.
Pie could feel it now, the sorrow radiating in waves, the sound of tearful sobbing permeating the water as it rippled and flowed from the base of the waterfall. He studied it, though it was still a distance off. The waterfall was maybe 50 feet or so high, and most of it was a freefall drop, while some parts of it splashed down around the sides in rivulets here and there. A large pool heavy with crashing droplets and a fine mist spread out from the falling water, and then narrowed and formed the beginning of the river.
Pie cautiously advanced, walking around the outside carefully, trying not to let the sorrow washing over him take hold of his thoughts. As he neared the waterfall itself he searched for signs through the spray that obscured the bottom, anything that might explain the heavy emotion that permeated the area. He stopped when he thought he saw something but the long white hair of the waterfall blocked his view.
Well if he couldn't see anyth- Long white hair!? He did a double take, and shifted his gaze back to the base of the waterfall where he could now clearly see strands of long white hair drifting and swirling where the water from above crashed into the basin below. Were they hurt? Or stuck there? His feet carried him a few steps into the shallow water, where he stopped. The figure there in the thrashing water was a woman, but certainly not a human or even mortal woman. Her skin was pale but glistened like a sparkling pearl. Her long white hair was tinted with shades of blue, and she wore mail of gleaming silver. The shape of her face was narrow and delicate, and her piercing blue eyes were pure pools that made the clean water of the pond look murky by comparison.
This woman was definitely a fey.
"Are you ok?" Pie had to shout to have his small voice carry over the sound of crashing water. The woman didn't answer, at least not directly, though she did curl up and roll over to face away from him as another deep echoing sob reverberated through the water around her. The water amplified her voice, no, the water WAS her voice as she sobbed, her tears mingling with the waterfall she lay beneath.
Pie didn't know what to do. She wasn't answering him, and her sorrow seemed profound. He stepped back out of the pond, not wanting to remain there if she was some kind of water fey that felt everything in their body of water.
"Is there anything I can do to help!?" He shouted again, but still no response, the water fey just thrashed and changed positions occasionally, their sobs and tears unrelenting.
With no other way to help Pie wandered around the pond, and even wet out a little ways to find an easier way to get to the top. The sound of the sobbing water did not filter up her and he was surprised to see that after he went upriver a short ways there were fewer and fewer trees with black leaves. It seemed whatever troubled that fey woman into her tears was the cause of the blackening leaves.
Pie returned to the side of the pool, though it pained him to rejoin to the sound of the crying woman. He smoothed out a patch of grass and got comfy, pulling out his notebook.
"I'm not sure if there is anything I can do to help, but I'll sit here with you for a bit ok?" He didn't yell this time, he wasn't even sure his words would be heard if he shouted, much less understood. Instead he began writing down his observations, about this situation and about the fey woman. She didn't look like the kind of Naiad or Nyxie he'd seen before, nor any of the other forest fey such as nymphs and dryads.
The sun slipped toward the horizon and there was no change. He'd need to leave soon, if he wanted to get back to the town and report his findings to Tristan and Binain. He wouldn't want them alarmed if he didn't return as promised. He also didn't want to leave this woman to her sorrow alone. He didn't want to leave and do nothing either though. So he wrapped up his notes and put his journal away.
"I'll be back in a little bit ok?" He called over the rippling, sobbing water. The constant sorrow tugged at his heart and the corner of his eyes, the longer he was here the closer he was to bursting out in tears himself. There was no sign the figure in the water heard him, so he turned and walked away.
He went away from the river a bit, making sure to put some distance between him and the sounds of lamentation. When he could no longer hear the rivers crying, he stopped and pulled a bit of moss from one of his pockets. He tossed it ot the ground and called out.
"Miss Nyx are you there? I need some advice!" He waited and after only a few moments dirty green water bubbled up from the spot where the moss had landed and spread out until it occupied a pan larger than the space a large bed takes up. The murky water rippled. He was glad he had moved away from the river, if the water fey was sensitive the swamp water might have been harmful to it.
The vine covered dark hair of the swamp Nixie rose up, dark water running down her face and long tangled hair. She leaned on the ground by the earth by the edge of the bog that had popped up.
"Little Bite! Have you finally gotten fat enough to eat?" Her yellow eyes roamed over him disapprovingly. "Thin as ever. You should eat more Little Bite. It's not healthy." Her tooth filled grin was pleasant if a bit menacing.
"Hi Miss Nyx! It's been a little while since we talked! I need some advice though. I met a fey lady and she's really sad and she lives in a river just over there. I was wondering if you could help me figure out what to do to help her?" The words rushed out of hi, and despite the danger of talking to the people eating swamp nixie, he was glad for someone to talk to after sitting with the crying woman for most of the afternoon.
"Seeing other women already? I do hope you don't let her eat you Little Bite. I've laid claim to this tiny morsel." She reached out a hand, but Pie backed a few steps away. Despite her 'reluctance' to eat him, he wasn't sure that she might just claim her prize if he stayed too close.
She laughed, the sound of water gurgling in her throat. "You fear my embrace? Well, no matter. Describe your new woman and I will help if I can." She propped an elbow on the earth and lounged there in the water, in a slightly provocative manner.
"She looks like she has pearly skin that sparkles and her hair is white with blue in it. And it's really long. And all the trees around here have turned black because she is crying and crying and the whole river is her voice. She doesn't look like .. you, or any of the other nixies or water fey I've met."
Nyx watched him as he spoke in an almost uncomfortable way. The way she stared at him hungrily and accidentally kept brushing her hair away from her exposed breasts made him doubly sure he needed to keep his distance from her if he didn't want to test her promises that she wouldn't eat him.
"I looked around to see if there was anything I could do to help, I didn't see anything wrong with the river above or below the waterfall that they are sitting under, but it seems like the trees all change downriver from there. So I just don't kn-"
Nyx laughed and sat upright in the water. "Wait, you said waterfall? That's no Narid or Nixie. Do they have bright armor too clear to be sitting in water naturally?"" The hungry look in her eyes was gone and now they were bright with curiosity.
Pie thought back. "Yeah, I saw chainmail I think, and it was pretty shiny and visible even though the water mist hid most everything, even her when I first looked."
"Fossergrim. Guardians of rivers that live in the waterfall near the origin. They are strong and powerful fey. I am not sure what would bring sorrow to won such as them, other than their river being in grave danger. You're sure you didn't see any threats to the river?"
Pie nodded. "I didn't go all that far above it, but there were no dams or icky things in the water. I can try going further up and looking some more tomorrow. Is there anything else you can tell me about them? The FossilGrills?"
Nyx laughed. "Fossergrim, Little Bite." Pie took out his journal and wrote that down. "I've never met one, i can only speak of the legends i have heard. As you know there is no moving water in my bog. Just little ol' me. Waiting for someone tasty to drop in. Which you should do. You should visit me sometime. Slip in to my bog and get comfortable. I'll feed you… " She twirled a lock of hair and vine around a finger and made false coy eyes at him.
Seeing his expression she laughed and began sinking back into the water. "Have fun with your other woman Little Bite." She waved as she sank below and the impromptu bog soaked into the earth like it had never been there.
Pie started to walk back towards the river but paused. He looked around, there was still a little bit of time before dark. He began hunting the underbrush looking for wildflowers. He looked around fro some bright flowers, until he found some Evening Primrose, and some Scarlet Flax. He collected several of the bright yellow and red flowers, and ran back to the edge of the water by the waterfall, the sad sobbing waters once again washing over him.
He walked to the edge of the water. "Hello? I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm gonna leave these here." He set the flowers at the edge of the water in a neat pile. "I hope you like them, I don't know what is wrong, but maybe these can help cheer you up? I'll come back tomorrow and see if I can find out what is wrong. Have a good - " He paused, it felt wrong to say have a good night. "I hope you feel better soon."
There was no change from the wailing fey, who still showed no sign of even recognizing his presence. He waved sheepishly and backed away, before turning and beginning to retrace his steps. He hurried, he would be making the final bit of the trek back to town in the dark, so he wanted to try and get back to familiar territory before the light faded.
Even though he hadn't helped the fey, he was relieved to be away from the for a moment. That crushing sorrow surrounding him completely was hard to bear and he'd almost broken down into tears himself just from the inability to escape it.
Darkness cloaked the black leaved trees around him as he walked, the night swallowed up even more than usual when it compounded on the already dark hue of the trees. He had to slow down when full darkness hit but by that time he recognized the area and was on the final stretch to reach the town. He was glad he hadn't stayed longer, it might have been much harder to find his way if he'd had to do more of the journey without more than the glimpse of the terrain around him provided by the scant moon and starlight.
When the lights of the town came into view he hurried forward, heading for the Inn. He opened the door, glad for the warmth that poured out around the chill night air. "Oooh, brrr! It's starting to get really cold at night!" He was greeted by the sight of Binain and Tristan at the table they always seemed to share together. They were eating and looked like they hadn't unpacked from their traveling gear yet.
"Good timing!" Binain called out. "We were starting to wonder if you'd run into trouble! Didja find anything at the river?" The dwarf motioned to a seat next to them. "Sit! We've got food, and some mead to wash the wear of the day away."
Pie took a seat at their table, setting his pack down beside him. "Oh, I did! I found a water fey and my friend Nyx said it's probably a Fossilgrill who guards the waterfall. She was crying a lot, and I couldn't even talk to her she was crying so much. I went up above the waterfall and the trees up there are turning normal fall colors just past that. So I don't know what's causing her to cry, but all the water is really sad and maybe that's what's causing the leaves to turn black." He finished in an excited rush, all the information spilling out. "What about you guys? Did you find the people that made the tracks?"
Tristan shook his head. "No we didn't. They have several days lead on us, and there was no sign of them stopping. If they are the source of the issue, it's going to take longer than a day to track them down. Binain is going to perform a ritual tomorrow to see if his Lord will share if it be boon or folly to follow them further."
Pie clapped his hands together. "Oh, say hi to Mister Helm for me. I hope he can help! I hope they didn't do anything bad to make the Fissilgrill upset." He started eating some of the thick venison and potato stew that the men had dished out for him. He kicked his feet with joy as the warm food helped take the chill out of his system. "Ohhh hot! This is good! Thank you!"
They had hashed out what they had determined to be important and they sat for a while longer, drinking the warm honey mead and listening to more of Binain's stories, which always seemed to involve one of his many women or children.
"-and then her father was the chieftain! Saved us all that did. Stopped their jokes about my many lasses right quick that did! And that night, oh, it was glorious! I tell you both, At least once in your life, spend the evening with a woman that is strong enough to hold you upside down. You won't regret it!"
They all laughed, though pie was starting to feel very sleepy. "That's easy for me! Almost everyone can lift me up!" Pie giggled. "You sure have a lot of girlfriends Mister Binain."
The dwarf barked a laugh. "You're a lucky young man, you'll have some wild experiences." He paused and nodded. "I do indeed. One in each place I visit, and each with a child I support with my adventuring. Not enough of my kind left these days, so I figure I can help my people out by leaving a field richly sowed if you know what I mean."
They all laughed, and even the innkeeper called out. "I thought you just came back for my cooking!"
Pie excused himself after that, the two men looked to be intent on drinking the night away, but he was worn out by the travel and the heavy sorrow he'd endured. He bid them all good night and retired ot his rented room. He fished out his journal and wrote down a description of the days events, making sure he tried to recall the details and record them as best as he could before turning in for the night.
His sleep was restless and the monster in his head was relentless. He dreamed of being chased and when the formless shadowy creature caught him it bit and chomped into him relentlessly, each bite carving runes into his soul. The suffering and attacks went on and on and when he finally awoke he felt drained. He groaned loudly as he looked around the room, seeing that he had written symbols all over the floor and part of the wall.
He dressed and trudged down the stairs to the kitchen where he groggily pointed to the mop and bucket when he saw the innkeeper.
"Again? That's the third time this week! Well go ahead. I don't know if I want to know what kind of mess you're cleaning, but I appreciate you taking care of it yourself." Pie nodded and grabbed the mop and bucket and awkwardly carried them to the stairs. He left the bucket there and took the mop up first, his little frame wouldn't be able to handle a full bucket and the mop at the same time. He went back down, retrieved the bucket and filled it from a barrel outside, then hauled it up the stairs in slow halting movements. He was still tired and it was heavy and awkward for him.
When he managed to get to the top of the stairs he stopped panting hard before he finished carrying it to his room and set about mopping up and scrubbing away at the ink stains on the floor and wall. He collapsed for a while on the bed, the effort taxing for him even if he had rested well, which he had not.
He opened the window and peeked below to make sure no one was about and then poured the dirty water out. He didn't want to have to carry that heavy filled bucket all the way down the stairs. He trudged them both back to the kitchen, muttering a sleepy "Thank you" as he passed the innkeeper.
He padded out to the common room where many folks had already gathered for breakfast. This inn seemed to be the meeting hub for the little town. He saw Binain and Tristan at their usual table and they waved him over when they saw him. They were dressed normally today, Binain in rough work clothes and Tristan in trendy trousers, a fine vest and shirt with ruffles and of course his usual feathered hat.
"Did mister Helm say you don't need to follow those people?" Pie sat, and took a plate they had already prepared fo him. "Thanks!" He grinned as he gnawed on a thick slice of bacon.
Binain chuckled, still amused that the goblin talked to the gods like they were just another person in the room. "I performed the ritual early this morning. Lord Helm indicated following the travelers was folly. It seems we are needed here. Perhaps we will go with you to the waterfall if you return there today and see if we can make headway in discovering the reason for the sadness befalling it's guardian."
They finished eating, talking of lighter things. When they finished Ttey all parted to grab their things and met out front to begin the journey. Pie pardoned himself for a moment and ran into the kitchen to thank the innkeeper and grab a few things, then returned to his waiting friends. The chill of the morning faded as they walked and with a clear path towards the river they had reached it well before the sun was directly overhead. The black trees stood in stark contrast to the sun shining overhead.
When they neared the two men were surprised how much the water sounded like sobbing. They took their time examining the river before hand, but like Pie, they saw no problems. When they reached the basin of the waterfall, Tristan let out a low whistle, for there she was still curled beneath the waterfall, sobbing uncontrollably still, the sound from the water crying bouncing from all around them.
"Should we go to her?" Binain pondered aloud. "I'm not sure thats a good idea though. It might be a bit … invasive? If the trees are affected from her sorrow, I'd hate to incite her anger."
Tristan nodded. Perhaps we can search around some more. You said you went above the falls as well Pie?"
Pie nodded. "Just a bit, but the trees up there start turning back to normal. So I didn't think there was a problem, but maybe I missed something? If you guys want to go look, I thought of some things I can do to try to speak to her without going in the water."
"We'll do that. Be careful though. We don't know what might set her off in this state of sorrow." Tristan said as the two of them walked away looking for even ground that would lead them above the water fall. When they were gone Pie just watched for a little while, trying to see if there was any change or anything different about the fey in the falls. He couldn't see anything at all that had changed. Not until he sat down getting ready to try some things. That was when he noticed the flowers were gone. Had something come along and eaten or taken them … or …?
He smiled, hopeful. He settled in and prepared to try some things. He didn't want to intrude but it really tugged at him that this woman was so sad she had been crying for at least several days. He paused and sat with his eyes closed for a few moments and then whispered. He heard a small giggle by his ear causing it to twitch slightly.
"Will you help me talk to her?" He whispered, and another giggle answered him. He took a breath, ok. What to say?
"Hi there! I'm Pie, I'm sorry something mad you really sad." He felt the breath of air near his ears and when he opened his eyes he could see the faint trail of a pixies glistening dust drifting between him and the crying fey at the bottom of the waterfall. The pixie returned and the little fey man just shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, Uh, I wanted to know if there is anything I can do to help? You can tell this little pixie your answer and he'll bring it to me. You can just whisper. Take your time ok?"
The pixie darted off again and hovered near the fey's ear, flitting around to dodge falling streams of water. The small pixie darted back and flittied about shaking his head. Still no response from the fey. All right, well, he didn't think it was going to be easy. He decided to try one more thing. He motioned for the pixie to move in close.
"Hi, it's Pie again. Hello. I don't want to be a bother, but I made you a sandwich in case you get hungry. It's got bacon in it. I'm just gonna sit here if you want to talk or if you need anything ok?" As the pixie darted to deliver this message, Pie dug out the sandwich from his pack, and unwrapped it. He'd asked the innkeeper if he could make some for their lunch and he'd made an extra one in case the Fey wanted one. He set the wrapping on the ground wit the sandwich accessible, and then moved back a few feet and turned around. He didn't think he'd want anyone staring at him if he was sad.
He pulled out his journal and began reading and writing, trying not to let the continued sounds of sobbing coming from all around him get to him too much. The sun felt nice though, and drove away most of the autumn chill that was in the air as the sun rode high in the sky. His head started bobbing as the warmth shone down on him and the sound of the sobs fell into a rhythm that while still emotionally wrenching, became almost soothing. The others hadn't come back yet and he wondered what was taking them so long, but the warmth and the stillness of the area were too strong and he felt his eyes closing.
He slowly woke, he'd fallen asleep sitting and his chin was resting on his chest. He rubbed his eyes and and yawned. He heard movement behind him, and he realized he could hear that because it was quiet. The sobbing had stopped. He turned his head slightly without turning around, just enough to see the bank where the water fey was sitting on the bank, her gleaming armor shining in the still high sun, and her long white hair draped over her shoulder and running down her back and then along her thigh where it drifted into the river with seemingly no end and disappeared in the still slowly swirling water.
The fey had frozen, with the half eaten sandwich in hand. Pie snapped his gaze back away.
"Hi there! I didn't mean to interrupt. I hope you like it!" He sat and fidgeted restlessly while trying not to turn around and look again. Deciding that it would be too hard to just sit there, he decided to eat one of the other sandwiches he prepared. He slowly opened his pack and removed a sandwich and unwrapped it and began eating it. He could hear the fey behind him eating for a while as he also ate. The sounds behind him stopped.
He peeked sideways, the fey still sat there. "Do- Do you want another? I have more? I bet maybe you haven't eaten anything for a little while? " There was silence for a few moments, only broken by some soft sniffles.
"Can I?" The voice rippled like the river.
Pie reached into his bag again, and withdrew another sandwich. He slowly stood up and walked the few feet to the waterfall guardian and gently held it out. She gingerly took it and began taking small peckish bites. He started to sti on the edge of the bank a few feet down from her but stopped himself, his feet a little above the water.
"Is it ok for my feet- I mean, it won't feel weird or anything if I-"
The woman nodded slowly. "It won't."
Pie sighed in relief, letting his feet drop into the cool water. He let out a small yelp. "Cold!" But he didn't remove them, and swirled his feet as he continued eating his own sandwich. He didn't try to talk. Just letting them eat and having company if they wanted to talk was enough and he didn't want to make them reconsider. So he finished his sandwich and swirled his feet despite the cold water, while they nibbled on the sandwich. They were taken by occasional bouts of weeping, and pie wanted to give them a hug or say something but he was still afraid that might send them back to the base of the waterfall.
Finally the silence was too much and pie was unable to contain all the thoughts building up inside his head. "Is something wrong? Can I do anything to help? I've met a lot of different Fey before here and over in the feywild, but I've never met a FosserGrill before… I wish there was something I could do to make things better." His words rushed out, after being pent up for so long.
The woman shook her head, fresh tears running down her face. "No, yes. Everything is wrong! It will never be the same! I'm sorr-" She didn't finish but dove into the water and swam naturally and quickly back to the base of the waterfall, which intensified and the mist that sheathed the pond made it impossible to pick out even her gleaming armor.
Pie sighed and pulled his feet out of the water. It really was very cold. The wailing of the fey intensified and reverberated again, almost more than before as if the break had strengthened her sorrow. Pie waited there by the edge for a while longer, adding notes to his journal and occasionally whispering fairy bound words of comfort into the misty water. They had no effect, but he felt like he should still try.
Benign and Tristan returned a bit later, trudging down from the higher ground above the waterfall. "Any change? We didn't see anything above the falls and we went for quite a ways. This waterfall is the origin of the leaves turning black. Did you have any luck communicating with the fey?" His gaze indicated he found that prospect doubtful.
Pie shook his head. "Not really. Maybe just a little bit." He stood and brushed his pants off. "Let's go back, I don't think we're going to have any luck tonight." He pulled the final sandwich out of his pack and left it wrapped beside the pool. Asking the little pond fairy for help one more time he sent a whisper to the fey at the bottom of the waterfall.
"I left you another sandwich if you get hungry. I'll visit again tomorrow, I hope you feel better enough to talk a little, even if it's not about any of this. I hope you can rest well."
He joined the two men and they walked back. He didn't feel like talking about the sad woman anymore, so he asked benign about more of his dwarven children scattered across the realms. Benign was always upbeat and excited when talking about his children, and when describing the appeal of each of the different women he'd chosen to have them with. In detail. Often in ways that left both Tristan and Pie blushing and looking away.
They arrived back at the town before darkness fell, and thus ate in the common room with a good half the town. When winter hit in full many of them would not leave their homes and farms much so they were socializing before the cold forced them into hermitage. The food was warm and tasted wonderful and comforting after the day, but Pies thoughts kept drifting to the sorrowful woman still weeping alone.
He excused himself early and went to sleep, feeling tiered from the restless sleep from the night before and the traveling both of the previous days. Mercifully the monster in his head did not visit again tonight, and his sleep was deep and dreamless.
When he woke, he went through his morning routine, a bit refreshed. He dressed and opened his journal to check on his friends. He read their names one by one, relieved that they all still were there. Though it had been a long time since the False Hydra incident, he still feared that one of those names would not reside in his memory when he read it, and that still terrified him.
He went down to breakfast, and joined his friends. The innkeeper pointed to the mop and pie shook his head, thankful that he hadn't needed to start the day cleaning up the mess. Benign leaned over the table, getting Pies' attention.
"You going out there again today?" Pie nodded. "Do you want us to come or … since you had some luck getting through maybe it would be better if you didn't have us hanging about?"
Pie thought for a moment. "I , yeah I think that might be better. She started opening up to me just a tiny bit. It might be awkward if a bunch of us try all at once. I'll go visit her again today."
The men nodded agreement. "If you need anything from us, just let us know. We'll help with anything we can if it seems fruitful. I don't even know if what's been done is reversible, but we are all hoping for a happy resolution. I don't know what that fey wants or needs but if there is something we can do to aid them, we will."
Pie finished eating lost in thought. He wished they could find out what was making her sad. He'd made small progress yesterday, even if it was just distracting her with food. Today he'd stop by the kitchen and see if he could find something more than just a sandwich. He wanted to see if he could distract her enough that maybe she could talk about what was making her feel so sad. Maybe then he could help and do something about it or just let her talk it out even if he couldn't help.
To be continued! What ails the Waterfall spirit? Find out in Part 2 in an upcoming months challenge!
The leaf was black as a starless night.
He stared at the leaf, and then looked up to the trees. Unnoticed there were several leaves that had begun darkening. There was no hint of yellow or orange that you might expect from the encroachment of Fall. It wasn't what he was used to but he shrugged it off. He'd been to a lot of places and seen many different things, maybe that was just normal here. He did tuck the leaf into one of his pockets, but he then put it out of his mind and returned to his writing.
When he finished he walked back to the town, and returned to the inn where he was staying. He spoke to some of the staff and had a meal. He was alone here, for the first time in a while traveling without any friends It was lonely once he returned to his room so he stayed in the common room as long as possible each night. The leaves he had noticed were the talk of the room.
Tristan, an older man in his 50's who had been an adventurer once and was fond of his plumed hat played with his eyepatch as he spoke. "They've never turned black like that before!" He said, his voice carrying over the room. "Just yesterday they were vibrant green, and today they have started falling, pitch black and not a hint of the color that's been there every year I have lived here." The dwarf he was talking to nodded enthusiastically.
"I visit my child and his mother here between my adventures, and I've never seen this either. Nor in any of the other towns and cities where my other children live. Just here, just this time. Something is awry." The dwarf scratched his short close cut beard thoughtfully.
Pie listened as the other occupants echoed the same sentiment. No one knew how or why, not even a guess. Well they guessed but not with any reasoning behind them. Maybe it was a new monster, or perhaps a curse? Maybe it was a wizard's spell gone awry or a god's displeasure. Theories were plentiful but there was no indication of any of them being right or wrong.
As the discussion continued Binain the dwarf and Tristan the retired adventurer decided to set out the next day to see if they could discover a reason for the unusual situation. Pie offered to help and the two men accepted his request, a bit surprised that the visitor just passing through was interested in helping when no reward was offered.
Pie read through his book refreshing his memory on some of the things he'd encountered in the feywild, but he didn't come across anything that seemed to relate to leaves changing color. Maybe he'd ask the dryads tomorrow? They wouldn't know about this particular situation since their grove was so far away, but maybe they might have heard of something like that before. He fell asleep with his head in the book.
In the morning he carefully wiped away the drool on the page and hoped it didn't warp or stain the ink. He opened his journal, and read through the list of names. "Miss Nyxia, Miss Ashla, Mister Lurog, Miss vihni, … " The list went on until he had cycled through all of his friends. Good they were all still there in his memory. He packed his things and went downstairs where the two men were eating their breakfast. Pie asked for some bread and paid the copper for it and then traced his finger in the shape of a door in the air, and opened it. From within he asked Fuwa Fuwa for some jam and a small jar of BurBur Berry Jam was nuzzled towards him. He applied it to his bread and happily ate, while his two new companions nodded in appreciation. Perhaps the little goblins' help would aid them in discovering the source of the Black Fall.
When they finished they washed up and set out. The town was small, only containing 20 or so homes. The inn was one of the only established businesses, as the town was really just a waystop on the road and those who chose to live here provided for themselves through their own efforts or trade with each other and the caravans that passed through. So they had traveled beyond the limited bounds of civilization in a very short time.
They headed into the woods and decided to walk in a circle first. It was clear from this first circuit that the black leaves were concentrated more heavily in one direction, towards the north and the hills and river that sprang from them. As they shifted their travel in that direction and went deeper the occasional black leaves gave way to whole trees whose leaves had changed to the dark black leaves.
"This is definitely the right direction. Perhaps it is a blight spreading from some central point?" Tristan said, his hands occasionally brushing his twin scimitars tucked into his belt. Both the human and the dwarf had fished out their adventuring gear in case something was amiss. Tristan largely looked the same save for the addition of the curved blades, but Binain now wore a set of shining half plate and chain, and wore a flowing white robe under it, and carried a large heavy looking warhammer and a kite shield strapped to his back. Suddenly his short beard looked more a choice of a warrior priest rather than an old man living out his twilight years without the need for grooming.
Pie reached into one of his pockets and pulled out the piece of dryad bark attached to a string and began swinging it in quick circles as they walked. As the sound of the spinning bark intensified he called out. Hello, Miss Shiona? Are you there? Do you know anything about the leaves here turning black? Could it be some blight or something?" The dryad wasn't visible, but he felt her presence. When the other two looked at him questioningly Pie gestured to some of the leaves of a nearby tree that were moving.
"My friend is a dryad, and she agreed to look at the trees for us. I don't know if she can help, but … maybe she will notice something." Pie waited for the dryad to examine several trees and when she disappeared, going back to her own grove far far away, he turned to his companions. "She didn't know what was causing this. She said it felt sad though. Really really sad. I don't know if that will help, but it's a start!" He joined the two men and looked around. "She also said if a tree is in trouble, check the water. Is there a river or a stream around here where they get their water?"
Binain pointed one of his short arms toward the north, the direction they had already been going while following the most trees affected with the blackened leaves. "An hour or so this way. Not too far. The river runs down from higher ground and filters through the hills this way before dropping down and running just to the west of the town. The nearness of the river is why they chose to settle here, but the soil was not firm enough to build on that close to the river. So they moved west a bit where the soil is firmer but still fertile and ready for farming."
They walked for a bit more, the day was clear and nice, the sun was out fighting off the chill that would claim the air later in the night. In the absence of any new points of interest Binain was telling stories from his adventuring past.
"It was winter, and I was visiting my 23rd child, Kallian, his mother is a plump little halfling lass with dark hair and a pair of b- ahem. Beautiful eyes.Anyway, the Gnolls were coming down from the hills and we were trapped in a cottage with them creeping up on all sides, I was ready to fight but that damnable mage was about to- " He was cut short when Tristan put a hand on his shoulder in warning.
"Tracks. Boots. Several people, different sizes." The older man said pointing to the ground to the left. Pie looked but he didn't see anything. He'd never been all that good with wilderness skills, even though he'd learned some of the basics to take care of himself in terms of food and shelter when he'd needed to. "They come from the river, and lead away."
Binain looked both directions, but nothing was immediately visible in either. "Should we follow? Or continue to the river?"
Tristan looked to the left. "If we dally too long they may have a larger lead on us. These are less than a day or two old. They might have gone completely but if they are still here we could lose the opportunity to catch them before they disappear. I think we should follow them but…" He glanced right toward the direction that the river lie, though it still had not come into sight.
Binain clapped Pie on the shoulder causing him to stumbled forward slightly. "Why don't we follow the tracks, the two of us in case there is battle, and this one checks the river? You can do it right? You'll be ok just checking to see if there is anything going on there at the river? And we'll follow these for a bit and meet back in town tonight."
Pie nodded slowly. "Just check on the river? I can do that. I hope it's not too dangerous for you guys though."
Tristan patted his scimitar. "Don't worry, neither of us is new to this kind of thing. We'll be careful, but we can take care of our selves." Pie nodded, they did seem like they were pretty accomplished.
"Ok, I'll go to the river and meet you back in town tonight. Be careful in case the people are bad people. I hope that they arn't though." The two men big their farewells and walked along th e path to the left, moving at a good pace but keeping their eyes open. Pie started walking to the right, and before long they were out of view and he was alone. He kept watch on his surroundings as well, no telling who or what had been here, or might still be around. However there were no signs of danger, in fact the signs of life were all around him. Animals and birds made their calls to each other as a stranger passed through their woods bugs kept getting in his mouth and ears, trying desperately to live their lives before the cold ended their brief existence or sent them into hibernation.
It wasn't long before he heard the sound of the river, the symphonic dance of water over stones brushing against the shoreline. He rushed to the edge of a clearing alongside it, expecting … well something. Black water or signs of poison or rot in it, something to explain the change in the trees. Miss Shiona had said look to the water. So he did. He looked out over the gently flowing spanse of water and did not see anything out of the ordinary. The water looked clean and clear, it was flowing smoothly and showed no signs of decay or pollution.
Stumped, he stared at it for a while just watching it go by. The tree's here were all filled with black leaves, some of them lazily dropping to the ground to scatter along the riverbank. What now? He looked upriver and downriver but saw nothing different, no change at all in either direction. Black trees lined the banks both ways as well. He had no idea what to do. He had thought that when he found the river it would just be clear. Maybe the river wasn't the problem after all.
Pie decided to walk upriver. The problem was likely to be further up if the trees that way were still black leaved. He stayed away from the bank and had to double back a few times to avoid the water. He wasn't a good swimmer after all. He shivered just thinking about the time he fell into the river and Miss Nyxia having to jump in to save him.
As he walked he started to notice something strange, the noises of the animals began to diminish. Where once he'd heard the chirping of birds and the sounds of forest animals clearing the path when a stranger came blundering through, the air had gone silent, and only the sound of the water filled his ears. The sound of the lapping ripples also seemed to be changing, coming slower and more … halting.
He walked further beginning to grow concerned as the sound around him changed, the sound of the rivers pitch getting higher. It wasn't until he rounded the corner, skirting some large trees to see water splashing over a small cliff, dropping down to the depths below it with misty rippling waves. The tone of the river here was more clear and with the waterfall in sight he knew exactly what that sound was.
The river was crying.
Pie could feel it now, the sorrow radiating in waves, the sound of tearful sobbing permeating the water as it rippled and flowed from the base of the waterfall. He studied it, though it was still a distance off. The waterfall was maybe 50 feet or so high, and most of it was a freefall drop, while some parts of it splashed down around the sides in rivulets here and there. A large pool heavy with crashing droplets and a fine mist spread out from the falling water, and then narrowed and formed the beginning of the river.
Pie cautiously advanced, walking around the outside carefully, trying not to let the sorrow washing over him take hold of his thoughts. As he neared the waterfall itself he searched for signs through the spray that obscured the bottom, anything that might explain the heavy emotion that permeated the area. He stopped when he thought he saw something but the long white hair of the waterfall blocked his view.
Well if he couldn't see anyth- Long white hair!? He did a double take, and shifted his gaze back to the base of the waterfall where he could now clearly see strands of long white hair drifting and swirling where the water from above crashed into the basin below. Were they hurt? Or stuck there? His feet carried him a few steps into the shallow water, where he stopped. The figure there in the thrashing water was a woman, but certainly not a human or even mortal woman. Her skin was pale but glistened like a sparkling pearl. Her long white hair was tinted with shades of blue, and she wore mail of gleaming silver. The shape of her face was narrow and delicate, and her piercing blue eyes were pure pools that made the clean water of the pond look murky by comparison.
This woman was definitely a fey.
"Are you ok?" Pie had to shout to have his small voice carry over the sound of crashing water. The woman didn't answer, at least not directly, though she did curl up and roll over to face away from him as another deep echoing sob reverberated through the water around her. The water amplified her voice, no, the water WAS her voice as she sobbed, her tears mingling with the waterfall she lay beneath.
Pie didn't know what to do. She wasn't answering him, and her sorrow seemed profound. He stepped back out of the pond, not wanting to remain there if she was some kind of water fey that felt everything in their body of water.
"Is there anything I can do to help!?" He shouted again, but still no response, the water fey just thrashed and changed positions occasionally, their sobs and tears unrelenting.
With no other way to help Pie wandered around the pond, and even wet out a little ways to find an easier way to get to the top. The sound of the sobbing water did not filter up her and he was surprised to see that after he went upriver a short ways there were fewer and fewer trees with black leaves. It seemed whatever troubled that fey woman into her tears was the cause of the blackening leaves.
Pie returned to the side of the pool, though it pained him to rejoin to the sound of the crying woman. He smoothed out a patch of grass and got comfy, pulling out his notebook.
"I'm not sure if there is anything I can do to help, but I'll sit here with you for a bit ok?" He didn't yell this time, he wasn't even sure his words would be heard if he shouted, much less understood. Instead he began writing down his observations, about this situation and about the fey woman. She didn't look like the kind of Naiad or Nyxie he'd seen before, nor any of the other forest fey such as nymphs and dryads.
The sun slipped toward the horizon and there was no change. He'd need to leave soon, if he wanted to get back to the town and report his findings to Tristan and Binain. He wouldn't want them alarmed if he didn't return as promised. He also didn't want to leave this woman to her sorrow alone. He didn't want to leave and do nothing either though. So he wrapped up his notes and put his journal away.
"I'll be back in a little bit ok?" He called over the rippling, sobbing water. The constant sorrow tugged at his heart and the corner of his eyes, the longer he was here the closer he was to bursting out in tears himself. There was no sign the figure in the water heard him, so he turned and walked away.
He went away from the river a bit, making sure to put some distance between him and the sounds of lamentation. When he could no longer hear the rivers crying, he stopped and pulled a bit of moss from one of his pockets. He tossed it ot the ground and called out.
"Miss Nyx are you there? I need some advice!" He waited and after only a few moments dirty green water bubbled up from the spot where the moss had landed and spread out until it occupied a pan larger than the space a large bed takes up. The murky water rippled. He was glad he had moved away from the river, if the water fey was sensitive the swamp water might have been harmful to it.
The vine covered dark hair of the swamp Nixie rose up, dark water running down her face and long tangled hair. She leaned on the ground by the earth by the edge of the bog that had popped up.
"Little Bite! Have you finally gotten fat enough to eat?" Her yellow eyes roamed over him disapprovingly. "Thin as ever. You should eat more Little Bite. It's not healthy." Her tooth filled grin was pleasant if a bit menacing.
"Hi Miss Nyx! It's been a little while since we talked! I need some advice though. I met a fey lady and she's really sad and she lives in a river just over there. I was wondering if you could help me figure out what to do to help her?" The words rushed out of hi, and despite the danger of talking to the people eating swamp nixie, he was glad for someone to talk to after sitting with the crying woman for most of the afternoon.
"Seeing other women already? I do hope you don't let her eat you Little Bite. I've laid claim to this tiny morsel." She reached out a hand, but Pie backed a few steps away. Despite her 'reluctance' to eat him, he wasn't sure that she might just claim her prize if he stayed too close.
She laughed, the sound of water gurgling in her throat. "You fear my embrace? Well, no matter. Describe your new woman and I will help if I can." She propped an elbow on the earth and lounged there in the water, in a slightly provocative manner.
"She looks like she has pearly skin that sparkles and her hair is white with blue in it. And it's really long. And all the trees around here have turned black because she is crying and crying and the whole river is her voice. She doesn't look like .. you, or any of the other nixies or water fey I've met."
Nyx watched him as he spoke in an almost uncomfortable way. The way she stared at him hungrily and accidentally kept brushing her hair away from her exposed breasts made him doubly sure he needed to keep his distance from her if he didn't want to test her promises that she wouldn't eat him.
"I looked around to see if there was anything I could do to help, I didn't see anything wrong with the river above or below the waterfall that they are sitting under, but it seems like the trees all change downriver from there. So I just don't kn-"
Nyx laughed and sat upright in the water. "Wait, you said waterfall? That's no Narid or Nixie. Do they have bright armor too clear to be sitting in water naturally?"" The hungry look in her eyes was gone and now they were bright with curiosity.
Pie thought back. "Yeah, I saw chainmail I think, and it was pretty shiny and visible even though the water mist hid most everything, even her when I first looked."
"Fossergrim. Guardians of rivers that live in the waterfall near the origin. They are strong and powerful fey. I am not sure what would bring sorrow to won such as them, other than their river being in grave danger. You're sure you didn't see any threats to the river?"
Pie nodded. "I didn't go all that far above it, but there were no dams or icky things in the water. I can try going further up and looking some more tomorrow. Is there anything else you can tell me about them? The FossilGrills?"
Nyx laughed. "Fossergrim, Little Bite." Pie took out his journal and wrote that down. "I've never met one, i can only speak of the legends i have heard. As you know there is no moving water in my bog. Just little ol' me. Waiting for someone tasty to drop in. Which you should do. You should visit me sometime. Slip in to my bog and get comfortable. I'll feed you… " She twirled a lock of hair and vine around a finger and made false coy eyes at him.
Seeing his expression she laughed and began sinking back into the water. "Have fun with your other woman Little Bite." She waved as she sank below and the impromptu bog soaked into the earth like it had never been there.
Pie started to walk back towards the river but paused. He looked around, there was still a little bit of time before dark. He began hunting the underbrush looking for wildflowers. He looked around fro some bright flowers, until he found some Evening Primrose, and some Scarlet Flax. He collected several of the bright yellow and red flowers, and ran back to the edge of the water by the waterfall, the sad sobbing waters once again washing over him.
He walked to the edge of the water. "Hello? I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm gonna leave these here." He set the flowers at the edge of the water in a neat pile. "I hope you like them, I don't know what is wrong, but maybe these can help cheer you up? I'll come back tomorrow and see if I can find out what is wrong. Have a good - " He paused, it felt wrong to say have a good night. "I hope you feel better soon."
There was no change from the wailing fey, who still showed no sign of even recognizing his presence. He waved sheepishly and backed away, before turning and beginning to retrace his steps. He hurried, he would be making the final bit of the trek back to town in the dark, so he wanted to try and get back to familiar territory before the light faded.
Even though he hadn't helped the fey, he was relieved to be away from the for a moment. That crushing sorrow surrounding him completely was hard to bear and he'd almost broken down into tears himself just from the inability to escape it.
Darkness cloaked the black leaved trees around him as he walked, the night swallowed up even more than usual when it compounded on the already dark hue of the trees. He had to slow down when full darkness hit but by that time he recognized the area and was on the final stretch to reach the town. He was glad he hadn't stayed longer, it might have been much harder to find his way if he'd had to do more of the journey without more than the glimpse of the terrain around him provided by the scant moon and starlight.
When the lights of the town came into view he hurried forward, heading for the Inn. He opened the door, glad for the warmth that poured out around the chill night air. "Oooh, brrr! It's starting to get really cold at night!" He was greeted by the sight of Binain and Tristan at the table they always seemed to share together. They were eating and looked like they hadn't unpacked from their traveling gear yet.
"Good timing!" Binain called out. "We were starting to wonder if you'd run into trouble! Didja find anything at the river?" The dwarf motioned to a seat next to them. "Sit! We've got food, and some mead to wash the wear of the day away."
Pie took a seat at their table, setting his pack down beside him. "Oh, I did! I found a water fey and my friend Nyx said it's probably a Fossilgrill who guards the waterfall. She was crying a lot, and I couldn't even talk to her she was crying so much. I went up above the waterfall and the trees up there are turning normal fall colors just past that. So I don't know what's causing her to cry, but all the water is really sad and maybe that's what's causing the leaves to turn black." He finished in an excited rush, all the information spilling out. "What about you guys? Did you find the people that made the tracks?"
Tristan shook his head. "No we didn't. They have several days lead on us, and there was no sign of them stopping. If they are the source of the issue, it's going to take longer than a day to track them down. Binain is going to perform a ritual tomorrow to see if his Lord will share if it be boon or folly to follow them further."
Pie clapped his hands together. "Oh, say hi to Mister Helm for me. I hope he can help! I hope they didn't do anything bad to make the Fissilgrill upset." He started eating some of the thick venison and potato stew that the men had dished out for him. He kicked his feet with joy as the warm food helped take the chill out of his system. "Ohhh hot! This is good! Thank you!"
They had hashed out what they had determined to be important and they sat for a while longer, drinking the warm honey mead and listening to more of Binain's stories, which always seemed to involve one of his many women or children.
"-and then her father was the chieftain! Saved us all that did. Stopped their jokes about my many lasses right quick that did! And that night, oh, it was glorious! I tell you both, At least once in your life, spend the evening with a woman that is strong enough to hold you upside down. You won't regret it!"
They all laughed, though pie was starting to feel very sleepy. "That's easy for me! Almost everyone can lift me up!" Pie giggled. "You sure have a lot of girlfriends Mister Binain."
The dwarf barked a laugh. "You're a lucky young man, you'll have some wild experiences." He paused and nodded. "I do indeed. One in each place I visit, and each with a child I support with my adventuring. Not enough of my kind left these days, so I figure I can help my people out by leaving a field richly sowed if you know what I mean."
They all laughed, and even the innkeeper called out. "I thought you just came back for my cooking!"
Pie excused himself after that, the two men looked to be intent on drinking the night away, but he was worn out by the travel and the heavy sorrow he'd endured. He bid them all good night and retired ot his rented room. He fished out his journal and wrote down a description of the days events, making sure he tried to recall the details and record them as best as he could before turning in for the night.
His sleep was restless and the monster in his head was relentless. He dreamed of being chased and when the formless shadowy creature caught him it bit and chomped into him relentlessly, each bite carving runes into his soul. The suffering and attacks went on and on and when he finally awoke he felt drained. He groaned loudly as he looked around the room, seeing that he had written symbols all over the floor and part of the wall.
He dressed and trudged down the stairs to the kitchen where he groggily pointed to the mop and bucket when he saw the innkeeper.
"Again? That's the third time this week! Well go ahead. I don't know if I want to know what kind of mess you're cleaning, but I appreciate you taking care of it yourself." Pie nodded and grabbed the mop and bucket and awkwardly carried them to the stairs. He left the bucket there and took the mop up first, his little frame wouldn't be able to handle a full bucket and the mop at the same time. He went back down, retrieved the bucket and filled it from a barrel outside, then hauled it up the stairs in slow halting movements. He was still tired and it was heavy and awkward for him.
When he managed to get to the top of the stairs he stopped panting hard before he finished carrying it to his room and set about mopping up and scrubbing away at the ink stains on the floor and wall. He collapsed for a while on the bed, the effort taxing for him even if he had rested well, which he had not.
He opened the window and peeked below to make sure no one was about and then poured the dirty water out. He didn't want to have to carry that heavy filled bucket all the way down the stairs. He trudged them both back to the kitchen, muttering a sleepy "Thank you" as he passed the innkeeper.
He padded out to the common room where many folks had already gathered for breakfast. This inn seemed to be the meeting hub for the little town. He saw Binain and Tristan at their usual table and they waved him over when they saw him. They were dressed normally today, Binain in rough work clothes and Tristan in trendy trousers, a fine vest and shirt with ruffles and of course his usual feathered hat.
"Did mister Helm say you don't need to follow those people?" Pie sat, and took a plate they had already prepared fo him. "Thanks!" He grinned as he gnawed on a thick slice of bacon.
Binain chuckled, still amused that the goblin talked to the gods like they were just another person in the room. "I performed the ritual early this morning. Lord Helm indicated following the travelers was folly. It seems we are needed here. Perhaps we will go with you to the waterfall if you return there today and see if we can make headway in discovering the reason for the sadness befalling it's guardian."
They finished eating, talking of lighter things. When they finished Ttey all parted to grab their things and met out front to begin the journey. Pie pardoned himself for a moment and ran into the kitchen to thank the innkeeper and grab a few things, then returned to his waiting friends. The chill of the morning faded as they walked and with a clear path towards the river they had reached it well before the sun was directly overhead. The black trees stood in stark contrast to the sun shining overhead.
When they neared the two men were surprised how much the water sounded like sobbing. They took their time examining the river before hand, but like Pie, they saw no problems. When they reached the basin of the waterfall, Tristan let out a low whistle, for there she was still curled beneath the waterfall, sobbing uncontrollably still, the sound from the water crying bouncing from all around them.
"Should we go to her?" Binain pondered aloud. "I'm not sure thats a good idea though. It might be a bit … invasive? If the trees are affected from her sorrow, I'd hate to incite her anger."
Tristan nodded. Perhaps we can search around some more. You said you went above the falls as well Pie?"
Pie nodded. "Just a bit, but the trees up there start turning back to normal. So I didn't think there was a problem, but maybe I missed something? If you guys want to go look, I thought of some things I can do to try to speak to her without going in the water."
"We'll do that. Be careful though. We don't know what might set her off in this state of sorrow." Tristan said as the two of them walked away looking for even ground that would lead them above the water fall. When they were gone Pie just watched for a little while, trying to see if there was any change or anything different about the fey in the falls. He couldn't see anything at all that had changed. Not until he sat down getting ready to try some things. That was when he noticed the flowers were gone. Had something come along and eaten or taken them … or …?
He smiled, hopeful. He settled in and prepared to try some things. He didn't want to intrude but it really tugged at him that this woman was so sad she had been crying for at least several days. He paused and sat with his eyes closed for a few moments and then whispered. He heard a small giggle by his ear causing it to twitch slightly.
"Will you help me talk to her?" He whispered, and another giggle answered him. He took a breath, ok. What to say?
"Hi there! I'm Pie, I'm sorry something mad you really sad." He felt the breath of air near his ears and when he opened his eyes he could see the faint trail of a pixies glistening dust drifting between him and the crying fey at the bottom of the waterfall. The pixie returned and the little fey man just shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, Uh, I wanted to know if there is anything I can do to help? You can tell this little pixie your answer and he'll bring it to me. You can just whisper. Take your time ok?"
The pixie darted off again and hovered near the fey's ear, flitting around to dodge falling streams of water. The small pixie darted back and flittied about shaking his head. Still no response from the fey. All right, well, he didn't think it was going to be easy. He decided to try one more thing. He motioned for the pixie to move in close.
"Hi, it's Pie again. Hello. I don't want to be a bother, but I made you a sandwich in case you get hungry. It's got bacon in it. I'm just gonna sit here if you want to talk or if you need anything ok?" As the pixie darted to deliver this message, Pie dug out the sandwich from his pack, and unwrapped it. He'd asked the innkeeper if he could make some for their lunch and he'd made an extra one in case the Fey wanted one. He set the wrapping on the ground wit the sandwich accessible, and then moved back a few feet and turned around. He didn't think he'd want anyone staring at him if he was sad.
He pulled out his journal and began reading and writing, trying not to let the continued sounds of sobbing coming from all around him get to him too much. The sun felt nice though, and drove away most of the autumn chill that was in the air as the sun rode high in the sky. His head started bobbing as the warmth shone down on him and the sound of the sobs fell into a rhythm that while still emotionally wrenching, became almost soothing. The others hadn't come back yet and he wondered what was taking them so long, but the warmth and the stillness of the area were too strong and he felt his eyes closing.
He slowly woke, he'd fallen asleep sitting and his chin was resting on his chest. He rubbed his eyes and and yawned. He heard movement behind him, and he realized he could hear that because it was quiet. The sobbing had stopped. He turned his head slightly without turning around, just enough to see the bank where the water fey was sitting on the bank, her gleaming armor shining in the still high sun, and her long white hair draped over her shoulder and running down her back and then along her thigh where it drifted into the river with seemingly no end and disappeared in the still slowly swirling water.
The fey had frozen, with the half eaten sandwich in hand. Pie snapped his gaze back away.
"Hi there! I didn't mean to interrupt. I hope you like it!" He sat and fidgeted restlessly while trying not to turn around and look again. Deciding that it would be too hard to just sit there, he decided to eat one of the other sandwiches he prepared. He slowly opened his pack and removed a sandwich and unwrapped it and began eating it. He could hear the fey behind him eating for a while as he also ate. The sounds behind him stopped.
He peeked sideways, the fey still sat there. "Do- Do you want another? I have more? I bet maybe you haven't eaten anything for a little while? " There was silence for a few moments, only broken by some soft sniffles.
"Can I?" The voice rippled like the river.
Pie reached into his bag again, and withdrew another sandwich. He slowly stood up and walked the few feet to the waterfall guardian and gently held it out. She gingerly took it and began taking small peckish bites. He started to sti on the edge of the bank a few feet down from her but stopped himself, his feet a little above the water.
"Is it ok for my feet- I mean, it won't feel weird or anything if I-"
The woman nodded slowly. "It won't."
Pie sighed in relief, letting his feet drop into the cool water. He let out a small yelp. "Cold!" But he didn't remove them, and swirled his feet as he continued eating his own sandwich. He didn't try to talk. Just letting them eat and having company if they wanted to talk was enough and he didn't want to make them reconsider. So he finished his sandwich and swirled his feet despite the cold water, while they nibbled on the sandwich. They were taken by occasional bouts of weeping, and pie wanted to give them a hug or say something but he was still afraid that might send them back to the base of the waterfall.
Finally the silence was too much and pie was unable to contain all the thoughts building up inside his head. "Is something wrong? Can I do anything to help? I've met a lot of different Fey before here and over in the feywild, but I've never met a FosserGrill before… I wish there was something I could do to make things better." His words rushed out, after being pent up for so long.
The woman shook her head, fresh tears running down her face. "No, yes. Everything is wrong! It will never be the same! I'm sorr-" She didn't finish but dove into the water and swam naturally and quickly back to the base of the waterfall, which intensified and the mist that sheathed the pond made it impossible to pick out even her gleaming armor.
Pie sighed and pulled his feet out of the water. It really was very cold. The wailing of the fey intensified and reverberated again, almost more than before as if the break had strengthened her sorrow. Pie waited there by the edge for a while longer, adding notes to his journal and occasionally whispering fairy bound words of comfort into the misty water. They had no effect, but he felt like he should still try.
Benign and Tristan returned a bit later, trudging down from the higher ground above the waterfall. "Any change? We didn't see anything above the falls and we went for quite a ways. This waterfall is the origin of the leaves turning black. Did you have any luck communicating with the fey?" His gaze indicated he found that prospect doubtful.
Pie shook his head. "Not really. Maybe just a little bit." He stood and brushed his pants off. "Let's go back, I don't think we're going to have any luck tonight." He pulled the final sandwich out of his pack and left it wrapped beside the pool. Asking the little pond fairy for help one more time he sent a whisper to the fey at the bottom of the waterfall.
"I left you another sandwich if you get hungry. I'll visit again tomorrow, I hope you feel better enough to talk a little, even if it's not about any of this. I hope you can rest well."
He joined the two men and they walked back. He didn't feel like talking about the sad woman anymore, so he asked benign about more of his dwarven children scattered across the realms. Benign was always upbeat and excited when talking about his children, and when describing the appeal of each of the different women he'd chosen to have them with. In detail. Often in ways that left both Tristan and Pie blushing and looking away.
They arrived back at the town before darkness fell, and thus ate in the common room with a good half the town. When winter hit in full many of them would not leave their homes and farms much so they were socializing before the cold forced them into hermitage. The food was warm and tasted wonderful and comforting after the day, but Pies thoughts kept drifting to the sorrowful woman still weeping alone.
He excused himself early and went to sleep, feeling tiered from the restless sleep from the night before and the traveling both of the previous days. Mercifully the monster in his head did not visit again tonight, and his sleep was deep and dreamless.
When he woke, he went through his morning routine, a bit refreshed. He dressed and opened his journal to check on his friends. He read their names one by one, relieved that they all still were there. Though it had been a long time since the False Hydra incident, he still feared that one of those names would not reside in his memory when he read it, and that still terrified him.
He went down to breakfast, and joined his friends. The innkeeper pointed to the mop and pie shook his head, thankful that he hadn't needed to start the day cleaning up the mess. Benign leaned over the table, getting Pies' attention.
"You going out there again today?" Pie nodded. "Do you want us to come or … since you had some luck getting through maybe it would be better if you didn't have us hanging about?"
Pie thought for a moment. "I , yeah I think that might be better. She started opening up to me just a tiny bit. It might be awkward if a bunch of us try all at once. I'll go visit her again today."
The men nodded agreement. "If you need anything from us, just let us know. We'll help with anything we can if it seems fruitful. I don't even know if what's been done is reversible, but we are all hoping for a happy resolution. I don't know what that fey wants or needs but if there is something we can do to aid them, we will."
Pie finished eating lost in thought. He wished they could find out what was making her sad. He'd made small progress yesterday, even if it was just distracting her with food. Today he'd stop by the kitchen and see if he could find something more than just a sandwich. He wanted to see if he could distract her enough that maybe she could talk about what was making her feel so sad. Maybe then he could help and do something about it or just let her talk it out even if he couldn't help.
To be continued! What ails the Waterfall spirit? Find out in Part 2 in an upcoming months challenge!