Nivea

It was mid-day when they made it to the docks. Pearlkeep was what Captian Hammick had called the harbor town. As they walked down the docks towards the town Nivea could not help but notice the sailors eyeing them; a few with curiosity, most with mistrust, and whispering amongst each other as they walked past. It was no different the deeper they got into town and she stopped for a moment, the girls and the young man who had joined them stopping as well and pulled out a piece of parchment.

"What is this?" Azima asked peering over Nivea's shoulder.

Nivea smiled warmly at her and answered, "A list of the inn's in the town. They have several it's pretty busy during the warmer parts of the year I'm told."

"It gets warm here?" Kira muttered under her breath shivering from the cool fall air.

"Of course, but not as warm as where you are from." Nivea said, "Anyways they are all on the main road. The first one should be just up ahead."

They all began to walk again. The first inn they went to, allowed them to come inside, but the innkeeper took one look at them and told them that there were no vacancies. The next two flat-out refused them entry. Kira was in a foul mood by the time they arrived at the last and opted to stay outside, lest they be turned away once more. Willie decided to stay back with her to keep her company although Nivea suspected the young man had a crush on her. She spared a sideways glance at Azima whose smile told her that their reluctant leader also thought the same. Nivea chuckled softly as they stepped inside the inn and were greeted with the smell of apples roasting inside a buttery pastry.

A woman stepped into the front entrance and smiled at them warily. She was tall, around Nivea's own five foot six stature, and slim. Her brown wool dress was worn and hung around body her loosely.

"We are seeking rooms. There are four in our party in total, however, if the rooms are big enough the women can share." Nivea said.

The woman stepped behind the counter and asked, "And how long are you planning on staying?"

"A night, perhaps two." Nivea answered, "We have been a sea for a long time and might need an extra day to recuperate."

"Very well then," the woman held out two sets of keys. "Normally the cost is five shadows but business has been slow so whatever you can..."

Before she could finish her sentence Azima set two small gold nuggets on the counter. "Will this suffice?"

The woman's mouth hung open, she looked at Nivea to make sure Azima was not kidding and when Nivea nodded at her she reached out her hands shaking, and picked one up.

"I...one is more than enough to account for the..."

Azima placed a gentle hand atop hers and said, "I have a feeling something is going on here, and that you are doing us a big favor in letting us take boarding here, That," she nodded towards the gold, "Is nothing to me."

The woman held Azima's gaze for a moment before the wariness left her eyes and she said softly, "My name is Leanora, I graciously accept your payment."

"My name is Azima, I thank you as well for allowing us to patron your inn." she looked at Nivea and said, "I will go get the others."

She nodded once more to Leonora and then walked out. Moments later she returned to Kira who scowled as Nivea handed her a key before disappearing up the stairs to the inn. Azima and Willie followed behind speaking in hushed voices.

"You know, I am curious," Nivea said softly to Leanora who looked at her with a raised brow. "Normally harbor towns are more welcoming."
Lenora's expression grew grim and she said, "We were once. I will tell you and your companions what is going on here once you have all settled in and rested. Dinner will be ready in a few hours, that way tomorrow, if you do decide to stay an extra night you will be able to better navigate the town."

With a nod, Nivea left her to join the rest of her party.

After everyone had bathed and rested it was the smell of food that had them rising from where they lounged to go down to dinner. At some point, Willie joined the girls in their room as Nivea relayed what Leonora had told her. When they arrived in the dining area they all exclaimed in surprise. There was a large oak dining table with a simple blue tablecloth draped over it. Dishes decorated the table, some filled with soft buttery rice, and poultry baked in fresh herbs and garlic. There was also an assortment of vegetables and pastries and rolls, golden and glistening with butter. emitting steam that filled the room with a savory aroma. Leonora seemed to float into the room holding a pot with meat stewed in tomatoes and broth.

It did not take long for everyone to get seated and soon they passed around dishes. Azima was the first to dig in, her eyes closing as she took in her first bite. The rest followed and they ate in relative silence.

It was not until their first plates were cleared that Nivea broached the elephant in the room. "So tell us, what exactly is going on here?" She broke apart the last roll on her plate as she looked at Leonora.

Leonora sat back in her chair with a sigh. She swirled the wine in her glass before empty her glass and setting it on the table. She then returned Nivea's look and began,"

It was two months ago when the stranger came. At first, I just had a bad feeling." she paused staring off into space before continuing, "I brushed it off, but on his last day here things were different. That night I just remember the screams. They were so loud you would think it was happening right here."

"What?" Azima sat up with interest pressed.

"None of us could leave our houses that night, but we could all hear the screams as if they took place in our own homes. The next day everything seemed normal but then....It was Ori the baker's wife that found them. An entire family slaughtered except for the kids..."

The room was deathly silent and Nivea narrowed her eyes and asked, "The stranger murdered them?"

Leonora shook her head, "No it was the children. Their bloody footprints trailed out of the house into the forest. It was the children but the stranger did something...look." she pleaded her eyes meeting. Nivea's, "He was no normal man if he was a man at all. Something was wrong with him, and whatever he did is still going on. Every full moon a different family is murdered and the children disappeared. All evidence points to the children being the culprits."

Leonora let out a deep breath and said, "It is because of that they are wary of strangers. The man claimed he was journeying to claim the land he inherited from the cold lands. But deep where he is speaking of, no humans life only the cold ones."

Azima shot Nivea a look, Nivea shook her head slightly, before asking, "What of the mages?"

Leonora snorted. "Some man claiming to be the lost heir of Camlann has been rounding the mages up. He is claiming they are unholy. The last of the mages were carted off maybe a week before the stranger came."

Nivea said nothing she just looked at the girl with interest. It was interesting Leonora claimed the last of the mages in this town were carted off, what with them leaving her behind. Nivea knew it could only mean that either the girl was hiding her abilities or the false prince because she knew he was a false prince, had planted her there. She stood suddenly, she knew what she had to do. She shot Azima and Kira a look that told them to stay where they were before standing.

"I am tired, the journey must have taken more from me than I realized." Nivea lied as she pushed her seat under the table. "I am going to retire, feel free to celebrate. We have a long journey ahead of us, but I have the feeling that will not be for some time."

The girls nodded and she turned and walked towards the rooms.

"I'm sorry if the tale was too gruesome for you friend..." she could hear Leonora whispering as she moved towards the stairs.

When Nivea made it to the room she ruffled through her bag until she found a small bowl made of ermshi rock and three crystals, two blue and one white. She placed the crystals in each point of the room in the shape of a triangle before sitting in the center with the bowl. She sat the bowl down in front of her and closed her eyes concentrating. When she opened them again she was no longer sitting on the carpeted floor of the inn but on a cool white marble floor. The bowl still sat in front of her but was filled with water.

She glanced inside the bowl and her reflection looked back at her. Suddenly the water began to rise out of the bowl twisting and turning until it formed the shape of a woman.

"Daughter."

The woman made of water had no features, no mouth, and yet the sound was clear.

Nivea bowed her head, "Mother, I have come seeking your council. Strange things are going on in these lands."

"Yes, something terrible is stirring in Asharie. What do you know of a strange creature who can manipulate children into killing their parents?" She asked, "It attacks the night of the full..."

"It is no longer there." Her mother said cutting her off. "The answers you seek reside in the cold lands."

Before Nivea could say another word she was suddenly back in the inn. Kira and Azima sat on their respective beds looking at her respectively.

"So what did mommy dearest say?"

Nivea sighed as she leaned back, "She said that our answers reside in the cold lands."

"We cannot leave this town as it is," Azima said her eyes wandering to the sword that leaned against the wooden writing desk.

It had been Azima's mother's sword, and Nivea watched Azima closely as an array of feelings passed over her face. Her expression settled into one of determination.

"We should see what is going on."

Kira looked at Azima in shock and said, "We are supposed to be finishing out your mother's mission."

"I thought you came on this journey for adventure?" Azima asked with a raised brow, "If you wanted it all to be over this quickly you could have stayed in Afri."

"I came because who else will ensure you and the sorceress do not get killed on one of your crazy missions to save a town we have just come to." Kira retorted.

Nivea smiled and said, "So we should begin tomorrow."