35th of Saun 722
Some few breaks after this encounter…
The Stormwastes were not travelled lightly. As such, the prisoner trains as well as the resupply runs required trained guards to accompany them, guards hired specifically by the warden of Rharne’s prison himself.
The majority of travellers had hitched a ride on the back of a prison wagon, bearing criminals bound for the walls of the prison. This included Vincent, Grimwald, and Faith. Each of them had their own reasons for going there, which were their own to determine. They arrived and were led along with the new supply of fresh bodies bound for hard labor and time in the prison to the front of the prison.
Yet there was a straggler out there, who’d decided to travel on foot in the Stormwastes, alone, without the slightest survival knowhow or experience. Although the Stormwastes had mellowed some in the recent seasons, especially with the advent of rain to the thirsty dust of the desert, it was still quite dangerous. Bandits roamed the wastes, dangerous predators and poisonous creepers, and then there were the environmental hazards, which didn’t grow any less severe for the rain pouring down.
Some might say that there was more danger now with the rains touching the forsaken sands of the desert.
So as Sabine moved along, she was lucky enough that the walls of the Prison were visible on the horizon. Somehow, miraculously, she’d made it that far. Yet, before she could reach those walls, and the gatehouse of the place, her foot stuck on the ground.
Try as she might to pull her foot out, she would find it well and truly suctioned up, stuck in a quagmire.
It was then she noticed growling from a few yards off. A large barghest snarled at her, baring its teeth. A few moments it merely growled at her, but then bayed at the skies above, the rain pouring down. “Wrrooooooooooooong!” She howled.
She bayed again, howling into the skies as she slinked off, back toward the walls of the prison. Leaving Sabine to struggle in the quagmire, or deal with it as she thought best.
She’d need help to pull herself out, but it wasn’t clear that help would be coming.
At the Prison gatehouse, Faith, Vincent, and Grimwald arrived. After them, a large barghest barreled by them, nipping at them in passing if they got too close, and shoving beyond to the woman with short hair. Valerie looked down at the reptilian dog, smiling at him, “What is it, Wrong? Found someone in need of aid? Did some Timmy fall down in a well somewhere?”
“Wrong! Wrong wrong!” The barghest slobbered and slavered, revelling in her attention. Valerie looked up at the three arrivals, her eyes falling on Faith for a few moments longer than the others.
“It sounds like someone’s in trouble. Wrong only reacts this way when one of the prisoners falls into a sinkhole or some other obstruction. She’s pretty good for that.” Valerie sighed.
Ricard looked at Valerie, “You’d best get a move on then, and see who she’s found. If any of you useless bodies want to haul yourselves out into the wastes to see what she’s dug up, feel free. Otherwise…” He turned his attention to the white cloak of Adunih, Faith Augustin, “Professor Augustin, this is a surprise. Are you here to request a meeting with the Warden, or a tour of the facilities?”
Ricard tried his best to seem demure and passive in front of Faith, but just ended up looking all the more awkward.
Faith would receive the instinct, of her investigator's Hunch kicking in. She didn't want to meet with the Warden. Something was telling her there'd be something or someone of interest in the darkest and deepest recesses of the prison.
