Tatania, Gnorcia, Lhoss, Yldarb, Armaziti, Chaklboi, and Hilja were watching Arnd dig away at the grassy mound when Yldarb noted the slight progress we had made. Wait, where did he come from? Nevertheless, even though it was scarcely past mid-day, it was decided that the best course of action was to head back to Orlane and purchase the shovels and pick axes that would be needed to speed up the task.
With Armaziti leading us through the mist, we heard a clicking and came upon a trio of skeletons. Oddly enough, they were penguin skeletons. In my youth, I had visited a fair during Richfest. A curious old man had a menagerie of exotic birds he had collected in his travels. There were colorful and fearful birds, each in their own cages, but my favorite were the penguins. Those he let swim and jump in a large pool he had built for them. The inquisitive and playful creatures were not behind bars, as they could not fly away! Imagine! A bird that flies not through the air, but the water! I had not seen one since, but it so captured my imagination that scarcely a week had gone by that I hadn't thought about those magical birds. Thinking about having to fight the reanimated bones of such a lovely creature was a sad thought. Luckily, they were easily startled and Armaziti sent them running. They ran so fast, we were not able to pursue them and attack from behind. The rest of the journey to Orlane was peaceful and we were treated to a rousing song by Yldarb.
It was early evening when we came into town. Although the sun had not yet set, the shops were closed. While the rest of the party headed to the Foaming Mug for a hearty dinner of meatballs, carrots, and cabbage, I headed to the home of my friend Vilma. It was a relaxing evening of good food and conversation until Vilma abruptly issued a warning about the legend of dangerous alters in the barrowmaze. She was clear that the altars should not be touched as they would impart a great curse. A curse that would be brought back to the good people of Orlane. Feeling warned and a little sleepy, I headed back to the inn to sleep.
The next morning, we had a delicious breakfast of bacon, ham, and eggs with fresh fruit. Kyro decided he would inquire at the temple to see if his persistent injury could be healed. It could, for a price. Between Kyro and Tatania, they came up with the amount and Kyro was restored to full health. As a thank you (and to earn some extra money), Kyro offered himself for some gardening work around the temple grounds. Being the son of a farmer, it is a native skill to him.
After a quick shopping trip, we had the shovels and picks we needed. Yldarb went to put them in the bag of holding, but found it to be in complete disarray. We spent some time organizing it and then headed back to the barrow marsh to resume our digging.
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