Lowlife, Scoundrel, Bandit Queen

Chapter 173 - 173 - Off the well trodden path

The woods get a little more lively once more, as I gain some distance from the wyvern's nest. That big apex predator certainly did a number on the local wildlife, or at least anything big enough to be worth its while. This of course means that I have to be extra careful now instead of relaxing. Before I only had to worry about one extremely dangerous monster. Now I have to worry about plenty less dangerous but still deadly enough threats to my life.

Overall it's probably still a good trade off. I'd rather deal with a huge boar or a magically empowered stag than a scaled monstrosity with claws like swords and teeth like daggers or something close enough anyway. I'm still a bit worried that the big killer lizard migth start to go hunting again once the little ones hatch. That is, unless the guilds of Riverrun, or authorities from any of the other cities of the frontier, for that matter make a move first.

My biggest worry right now is another anyway, although it is related to the presence of dangerous monsters. I need to find a good resting place for the night, which might not be easy. That I'll be moving through unfamiliar territory won't make it any easier either. At least I'm at full power again thanks to the second wind I managed to catch, thus a night of bad rest won't doom me right away. I'd still like to avoid it though.

First though I'll need to find a better vantage point, even if it means leaving the cover of the trees for a moment or two. And I might have to consult the map I liberated from the adventurers' guild's library a while ago too to make sure I'm going in the right direction. I can imagine only few things more embarrassing than getting lost now. Oh yes, I can do without that.

Still careful to stay unnoticed by anything that could pose a threat I start climbing the next hill and once I reach the ridge at its top I go a step further and climb one of the more sturdy trees there too. It affords me a rather grand view. It's too bad that I'm not here to enjoy it. Instead I hurry to take in the relevant landmarks.

The creek I have been following, at a distance, and the cliff running parallel to it are easiest to spot. The old quarry I can't see in detail from here, but I can make out its general location. The hidden tower should be in that general direction too. That's it for the familiar, nearby landmarks. I take note of other things too of course. The general layout of the land and the most notable hills and eventually mountains.

Climbing back down that tree, which is harder than climbing up, surprisingly enough, I earn a little progress for my [Climbing] skill. Instead of picking a new path right away I first look for a sheltered spot, which I find in between a large rock and two more old trees. Not only am I out of the direct sunlight there, the place is protected from the wind that has picked up a little too. Even better, I can use a prominent root of one of those trees as a convenient seat as well.

I don't plan to have a break to eat anything though. Not yet. I want to check the map I liberated from the book by Bianka the Pale on the undead of the frontier lands. That map is a few decades old, but it isn't really out of date. Away from the few towns the frontier doesn't change all that much over the course of just a few decades. Thus I have no trouble finding the important landmarks. Satisfied I nod to myself and put the precious map away again.

If I'm not mistaken I probably should leave the creek and its valley behind now and descend on the other side if the hill? The valley on that side, not as pronounced as the other, should take me where I need to go or at least close enough. And while this valley may look like any other densely wooded valley in any untouched area, moving through it still feels exciting. After all I'm going where no Viviona has gone before. Well, none I'm familiar with anyway.

Of course I can't actually claim to be the first one to explore this area. I'm not even the first one in more recent history. At least one magical researcher has come through here and left a hidden map in her book after all. Still, I'm quite excited.

There is no creek on this side of the hill's ridge. Not a permanent one anyway. There are signs though that some water may flow here at times too, after strong rain or in spring when the snow melts. I stay away from these though, keeping to various game trails instead. At least where using them doesn't compromise my stealth, since that still is important to me.

One thing the map failed to hint at is, that the path leads steadily upwards. It really shouldn't come as a surprise though. First I followed the creek upstream and now I'm moving deeper into the hills towards the actual mountain range too. Off course I'm gaining altitude, ever so slightly, as I go. While the terrain gets a little more rocky though, it doesn't stop the omnipresent plants from growing ever more densely.

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I get to have another realization, accompanied by my [Perception] skill improving al ittle, that makes me feel stupid a moment later when I take a short break near another large rock jutting from the ground. It's not just any rock! This is a well worn giant block of stone similar to the ones used in the hidden tower's construction! Well, color me surprised. Could it be that I'm already walking through the ruins I was hoping to find?

Except this doesn't even look like ruins anymore. Whatever happened here, it must have been incredibly destructive to knock buildings built of such massive stone blocks down. Considering how well these blocks fit together back at the tower, without the use of any mortar, I suspect that each of these buildings should have been able to withstand even a major earthquake and most other similarly destructive forces of nature for that matter. Around here though it looks like someone scattered the building blocks of some giant child all over. And nature, always the resourceful one, has done a formidable job of covering it all up.

I lick my suddenly dry lips, but I keep going anyway. If anything I'm even more watchful now though. If the notes of Bianka the Pale are to be believed these ruins might be the center of whatever magical force is haunting the frontier lands.

And I need to keep my eyes open for those mushrooms too. Finding those might be more difficult than I initially anticipated, considering how dense everything grows around here. Would mushrooms, even these rather peculiar ones, even grow under foliage this dense? The ground certainly seems soft and moist enough for mushrooms. It's just barely not a bog now that I come to think of it.

It's too bad that the map doesn't provide any details on the ruins. It just hints at their general location. Meaning I'll have to figure out how big this field of ruins is by myself. I run my fingers through my hair and groan as I come to a stop. I better backtrack a little to properly figure out where it begins. I might have been running past some for a while already after all. Or I could climb another tree to get a better feel for the surrounding area?

I decide for the latter option, as I can give it a try without running around too much. Finding a suitable tree turns out to be a little more tricky here than elsewhere though. The ground isn't exactly suited for towering giants it seems. In the end I manage though and a little later up in the crown of a tree again, earing some more progress for my [Climbing] skill and getting another surprise. Well, maybe even more than one surprise even.

It seems I have reached some kind of plateau framed by hills on this side and the first actual mountains a distance, maybe two days of marching if I had to guess, ahead. And it's not nearly as overgrown as the part where I'm at right now in general. And the stones I have found so far are probably really only scattered remains of a towns outskirts judging by the still partially intact remains I can see just a few hundred paces ahead. In fact the stone blocks here might have at some time been part of the upper floors of those very ruins. Yes, that seems somewhat plausible.

Beyond those still overgrown ruins I can spot a lake of sorts and at its heart a keep. Overall I'd say this must have been a town similar in size to Riverrun. It might not have been as lively or well connected though considering that it's far from any rivers or other easily traversable trade routes. It might have been built here for that very reason even. The remote location could have provided security and at the very least it seems that fresh water wasn't an issue here.

One way or the other, that's all idle thoughts for now. As I climb back down another thought is already occupying my mind anyway. Can a ruin like this really still be mostly unexplored? Especially considering that it's maybe a day's march out from Riverrun? That's not very far at all. Half a day from the quarry that supposedly provided the stone for Riverrun's walls? Someone must have been aware, right?

Or maybe not? The ruin isn't easy to find or even just see if you don't follow the valley I switched to, one without a creek or other desirable features. Explorers might not follow it at all for those reasons. And none of the nearby hills are high enough to see the ruins either. They are all lower in fact. You'd have to hike all the way to the mountains some sixty or more miles away to have a clear view and I honestly have no idea how much you'd be able to make out from there.

I slap my cheeks to drive these thoughts from my mind too. Does it even matter? I do not know much about the ruins! I can learn new things! That's what really matters to me right now. And one of the first things I should aim to learn about is the location of potential camp sites for the night. I probably should check the water of that lake too. Yes, those are my top priorities right now.

Neither should be too hard, right? Any of the not completely collapsed buildings should provide decent cover and protection from wind and weather. At least if the insides aren't too cluttered with the broken remains of the apparently destroyed upper floors. As for the water, I'll just have to take a look, a sniff and possibly a careful taste.

Emboldened by fresh resolve I start moving again. It's just a few hundred paces, but those aren't easy ones. The thick growth together with the scattered remains of buildings don't make for easy walking. In fact it's already getting a little dark by the time I reach the first still intact enough structures.

The alleys, I don't dare to call them roads or streets, in between them are too narrow for actual trees to spring up. They wouldn't get enough sunlight down here, especially with large ferns dominating. That makes progress a little easier from here on.

The interior of the first few buildings I check looks about as bad as I feared. Totally cluttered with the remains of broken walls and ceilings. Finally I find one that's somewhat serviceable. Not because its interior isn't filled with rubble but because the ceiling seems to have come down there in one piece, providing a slightly elevated, relatively even floor now. It's all large stone blocks too, leaving little room for plants to spring up. The still standing walls look solid enough as well. Yes, this will do.

I just hope it won't start raining tonight, because I don't think I have time to build any kind of proper shelter before it gets too dark. In fact I'd rather focus on gathering some firewood instead. That's a higher priority right now. Even the water can wait until tomorrow morning, as I still have a full canteen.