Nestle against the Borse Mountain is a mining village known as Erast. While it's location gives no tactical advantage over the Itjivutian traitors who withhold rightful Egjoraian land by force, the small village sits upon a vast deposit of iron that helps to support the effort to bring Itjivut back into the fold. However, recently the village has yet to deliver their tithe. If Erast were part of another rule perhaps their betters would have sent a detachment to discover Erast's fate, but not in Egjora. To Egjora and more importantly the Bank, Erast was nothing but a small payout on an investment as the iron within the Borse Mountains and was far too poor of quality to forge into weapons. To Egjora it's people and transports were better served elsewhere. Though Egjora has written off Erast it's people yet still live.

“Move out of the way you old fools”!

Barreling toward a group of elders was a man with long black braids at his front though shaved in the back. As the man drew closer with pickaxe in hand while a few others followed behind, the disparity between the elders and the man gained clarity with each passing moment. Though even though the mountain of a man rushed forward neither of the elders showed fear or signs of falling back.

“No Ulfar the Healer said to stay away from the mines till she can look into the cause of this affliction”!

While the Middle Elder spoke his words did nothing to halt Ulfar’s charge till the man himself came upon them and halted his charge as he snorted at the group before resting the pickaxe against his shoulder as he turned to the others with his free hand raised.

“Oh yes the witch, you put such faith in that foreigner”.

Turning back to the Middle elder as he smiled.

“So tell me old man why are you so keen on supporting this woman we know nothing about? What did she suck your cock? Crude laughter bellowed from the men behind Ulfar as he continued. “Don’t worry we won’t hold it against you as we know you’ve been lonely ever since Ljufa passed”.

While even though the Older Man lacked size and strength, it was clear that his was by no means a push over as behind the white beard lay the rough features of a man who had fought all his life to earn himself a living. Unlike Ulfar the Elder did not respond with words only a fist to Ulfar’s open face.

“You insult not only the woman who saved your life, but my Ljufa”!

While it was unsure whether or not the first blow did any damage, it was clear that Ulfar did not expect it as it took him off balance. Taking the element of surprise the insulted party dived towards Ulfar taking him off his feet to then rest on top of the now pinned Ulfar as blows and enraged screams rained down upon the unsuspecting man as the two parties attempted to stop the brawl.

It had never occurred to Maia that having endless paths to choose from would lead her to take none of them. She had finally set out on her Journey! She'd dreamed for years of seeing the great cities of Canelux, travel the varied lands of Parvpora, and meet the distant peoples of Onnen. Instead she found herself still so near to home. 

Upon making landfall in Egjora, Maia was eager to get moving via the power of Noel's steady feet. Discovering she was prone to seasickness was certainly a mixed blessing. On one hand she had already learned something new and a few kind-hearted sailors taught her ways in which to mitigate the ocean's sway on her in the future. On the other hand… seasickness. 

The Borse Mountains of Egjora certainly held a familiar rugged beauty to them. They reminded her of home. The tightness in her chest suggested that being away from home and family was still a very new experience. And so the wheels of her vardo rumbled along the road to the mountains. Past road markers indicated that she should be reaching the town of Erast fairly soon. Who knew what Stories she would discover there? 

However it seemed trouble could be brewing along the way. Raised, emotion-charged voices could be seen from a group of men further ahead. To proceed forward or go around? Bravery seemed an ideal trait to start of her Journey. Squaring her shoulders Maia urged Noel forward. 

"Hello! Is this the right way for Erast?" she called out to the group while leaving room to maneuver her vardo should the situation not remain peaceful. 

As the fight raged on and the two groups attempted to disengage the two men, the fight quickly favored Ulfar as his youth and strength allowed him to push through the older man's blows while simultaneously shifting his position directly above the older man. As Ulfar rose his hand to retaliate when one of the men in his own group wrapped his arms around his friends raised arm while the other dragged him off of the Older Man".

"No Ulfar that's enough. For all our sakes, don't do something that we will all regret once this is over with"!

"Eirik's right plus we've all known each other for all our lives. We'll get through this we always do".

The now restrained Ulfar rolled his neck as he looked to both of the men and nodded while smiling at the Elder as he rose with the help of another older man and a red haired woman that stood between the reckless men. "Alright, alright I should have expected to be put in my place after what I said. We will wait a little longer, but we cannot wait forever unless that witch of yours can turn rocks into food".

As the fight reached its conclusion a strange new visitor made themselves known to the group as the two groups collected themselves. At first the Elder thought that the stranger was from Egjora, but the strange carriage, creature, and that fact that the women questioning them appeared to be an elf quickly dashed his hopes of any support coming from the city.

Silence fell over the entrance of the mines as the two groups looked over the stranger that had entered their town.

"You're in Erast Elf though not sure why your kind has any interest in our town as there are no trees for you to lick or whatever it is you do with your forests".

"Hasn't your tongue gotten you in enough trouble already. Since you are not planning on entering the mines perhaps you should go home or see what you can do around town if you're so eager to keep busy".

Answer the Elder with a laugh as he and his group made their way back into the heart of the town.

With the Antagonizers gone the Elder and his group moved toward their new guest. "Don't mind Ulfar every town has its own share of characters. Welcome to Erast I am Folkmar the village's chief next to me is my good friend Bior and of course Luta, my granddaughter.

"Good tidings to you traveler just ignore the words of Ulfar, he's just an ass".

"Luta language".

"But he is! Should have had Bior teach that man some manners, just because his son is sick as well does not give him the right to ask this way"!

As Folkmar and Luta gossiped Bior merely sighs as he stared at the hazel elf that stood before him. Unlike his two compatriots, Bior lacked any hair aside from a full salt and pepper bread separated into two braids. Stepping away from the two others and matching the stranger at eye level even with the woman perched upon her transport. "Hospitality is not one of my strengths so I'll get to the point. There is nothing for anyone in here as long as the mines are closed due to some strange illness that claims any who enter the mines. If you do not know the current healer assisting us now or are a healer yourself then there is nothing for you here. Folkmar may trust strangers, but I do not. The only reason that I am not watching this Ca..ow Li…lu.. healer now is that she produces results and offers her services for free. So stranger why have you come here"?

Maia watched the brawl with trepidation. What had she gotten herself into? Should she get involved; try to stop the fight? She was hesitant to do so, but it also felt like as a healer that she should. Combat caused injury which was her realm to oversee. At home she would not be out of line to scold those caught scuffling. Here though she was a stranger and the rules were different.

The matter of interference was removed from Maia’s hands as she remained frozen by indecision. The fight had concluded and their eyes turned to Maia. Pink crept up her neck. Why did she now feel like the one acting out? She expected their greeting to be reserved given what she had witnessed. She could not have been more wrong. Lick…? Trees…? She skimmed through the stories she had memorized as one might flip through a rolodex. Nothing. So where were these people who licked trees from? And why did they do so? She would have to dwell on it another time however. Maia had indeed reached Erast.
As one of the groups walked away Maia breathed a sigh of relief. Much of the tension she felt dispersed as she remained with the more level-headed group it felt. Ulfar was it? The leader of the brawlers? What was his story that his anger felt so sad? It was much easier to think about him sympathetically now that the fighting had stopped. Either way, speaking with Folkmar, Luta, and Bior felt like it would remain more civil then what Erast had thus been. Which she realized was more impressive than she thought if they were concerned with an illness related to the source of the town’s prosperity. Why had she been drawn to Erast? Had it been more than simple homesickness?

Setting aside Noel’s reign, Maia hopped down from the vardo’s driving seat. She now had to look up at Bior but her father had well ingrained that a proper greeting should not be delivered while sitting. As such Maia loosened her shawl around her face to better reveal her honey auburn hair framing her youthful oval face and swept aside her skirts in a bow better suited at court to dusty roads outside of mining villages.

“Hail and well met. I am Maia Alekios of Clan Historia. I felt drawn towards the mountains since my ship reached port here in Egjora. Perhaps now I know why. I am a healer. If you would be willing to take me to your current healer I can offer my services to them.” She spoke confidently at first as curtesy and training dictated her mannerisms. Her stance became more casual as she continued. Here was a real opportunity to help as well as test her skills. She had never done so on her own without her clan’s shaman to witness and catch any mistakes. She had not, but Maia would still be willing to work as an assistant to a presumably more experienced healer. Ideally she could continue to learn more of the healing arts this way too.

“What can you tell me about this illness? How many have been affected? Has it been determined how it spreads? Anything you can tell me will help in formulating a cure,” she asked of Bior directly, but pitched her voice to carry to the others in their discussion.

"For someone with such large ears hearing seems to be lost on you girl".

"Easy, now Bior she may have been still shocked from the less than welcoming… welcome".

Expelling a chuff as the bull of a man pulled out a pipe as he passed off the visitor to the red headed Luta. As Bior backed away Luta took his place as smoke billowed behind her. "Just as Bior has said, everyone who has worked in the mines suddenly came down with a sickness. Though it was not always this way as recently we have came across adamantine… or what we believed to be adamantine as the odd mineral sprouted from the earth in strands just like adamantine". Luta's cheery demeanor darkened as what was once thought to be a great boon for their town turned into a curse.

Shaking her head and forcing out a smile as she motioned Maia forward while she yelled out to the two older men. "You two grumpy old men stay here as clearly a woman's touch is better suited to guide our new friend to the healer as she will know how to explain it better"! Receiving only a wave and a puff of smoke from Folkmar and Bior as the two men passingly agreed as they talked among themselves.

Luta waited for the Maia to settle her vardo or return to it as she began to lead the traveling healer to the makeshift infirmary that had been set up to house and treat the sick. "I'll apologize again for or poor hospitality and please do not judge us at our worst as without the mines we cannot live as our soil can barely grow enough to allow or livestock to graze". Spinning around and walking backward as Luta's smile brightened as she focused on Maia. "But that can all change now as elven magic can heal any sickness and change barren lands to bountiful forests"? It was clear that the stories Luta has been told have greatly exaggerated the elves as only a select few wielded such power.

After chatting a while longer the two would arrive at a longhouse that currently housed the sick. As they entered the building was lined with beds on each side with the men that worked in the mines and a few women and children that took their place after all of the menfolk took ill. On closer inspection, all of the ill shared similar symptoms such as a dry cough, shortness of breath, and clubbing of the fingers and toes while among what appeared to be severe weight loss either from the sickness or a scarce food source.

Aside from the choir of coughing and groaning, sobbing could be heard from a further room closed off from the others. Exiting from the room was Ulfar holding a young boy sharing similar facial features and a blond woman who looked to be another villager. Ulfar gripped the young boy tightly in his arms as he looked to another further in the room. It seemed as if he was about to say something but quickly closed his mouth as he motioned for the door only giving Maia and Luta a teary glance as he left.

"Luta what are you doing here and who is this!? We are busy as it is without further distractions and Lady Lixue does not have time for further questions"! As Luta tried to calm her friend down another woman exited from the backroom to allow for the grieving to have their privacy. It was clear to see that the woman was not from the village or anywhere in Egjora as her intricately designed clothing and appearance were alien to the culture and customs of Egjora. Unlike the blond women; the strange almost doll like woman did not even give the two new entries the time of day as she moved onto her next patient doing her best to smile and comfort them after she had lost what would be her next patient. " Be sure to relax and hold your breath on my count. I know it is hard but I promise to do it in short bursts to allow you to rest". Raising her hands over the man's chest, "Hold now". Gritted her teeth as she looked to be in pain as she treated the man, but the cause remained unknown as the damage was either internal or covered.