15 Summer, 513AV
A few miles south of Ravok and twice that many miles north-west of Nyka is where our story continues. The night had grown long after Irriari's long and enduring trek through the wildlands, thankfully uninterrupted by the wildlife that scourged the tall grasses of the plains and the deep treelines of the wild forests. Food had grown scarce as Irriari neared a small village that had nestled its community on the banks of a small river that was no larger than ten feet across and five feet deep, the small thatched roofs of ten buildings stretching out around the deepest segment of the stream.
The actual village was comprised of no more than fifteen buildings, one of which was a dingy, boarded-up tavern-slash-inn that held the most resemblance to an actual dwelling when compared to the rest. Fourteen thatched-roofed buildings littered the plains, ringed on three sides by forest to the north, west and south. Four of the buildings were further east from the rest, spread out among pastures and farmland that were only five acres in total. The other ten buildings lined the stream, four circling the tavern-slash-inn while the other six stood in a circle on the other side of the stream. A fountain sat in the center of the circled houses.
Thirteen houses were made of Thatched roofs and lumber walls. The tavern-slash-inn was built of solid Mason quartz-stone (a whitish stone that resembles quartz, but is cheaper and more resistant to weather) and mortar, with a clay shingled roof. The last house, the one that stood on the opposite side of the fountain from the bridge, was at least twice the size of the other dwellings and almost twice as tall, comprised of Mason stonework and a slate roof. The words Town Hall were painted over the double-door entryway in solid matte black paint.
There were only two pathways into the small town. One was a road that reached from the center of town, across the small river and then through the farmlands before making a bee-line south-east for Nyka. The second was a slightly worn trail that led out of the town square from between the town hall and another building before winding into the trees to the north, heading for Ravok. The Ravok Path was less used than the Nyka Trail.
The townspeople themselves were gathered in the small assortment of buildings, going about their days and gossiping to one another. The men were dressed in work clothes worthy of farmhands and lumberjacks while the women were clothed in simple white linen dresses and the occasional bonnet. A few smaller children played in the dirt streets playing games such as Dodge Rock and tag-you're-it. The laughter from the children could be heard from the forest edge, but any newcomers eyes would be drawn towards the group of men in front of the town hall.
Six or seven farmer-looking men and teenage boys stood in a group as they talked to a plump, fair skinned man who could only be the mayor of the little shanty town. The farmers appeared to be aggravated about something, their voices lost in the wind as they flailed their arms in suggestive ways as they spoke, their body language alone giving off the feel of anger they were expressing. The Mayor appeared to be taking the news calmly, despite the yelling that he was receiving. Only when the angry farmers turned to leave did the Mayor turn to look up the path that lead to Ravok, spotting Irriari almost immediately.
(Que Irriari's Intro!)
