Where Fat Men Dwell

"...a sin I tell you," continued the Anchorite. "We shouldn't have left that poor soul caged like that."

"We've gone over this enough, Simon," said Aethir. "We had no way of opening the prison, we did what we could. He'll survive a few days more with the food and water we gave him."

"Still not enough..." grumbled Simon.

The party traveled on. The Demesne of the Duke of Anfang was to the west, probably only two days ride, yet they could ill afford a visit there. They kept to the edge of the forest as they made their way northward. They followed the tug of the incomplete talisman.

On the third night they saw through the trees a light. As per procedure they began to shy away from it, seeking a way through the wood so as not to meet with any strangers or 'rulers' of the Court. Yet this light seemed to grow bigger no matter which way they turned. They soon saw it was a great encampment. They could not turn back and lose precious time, so they decided to skirt the area and tread as lightly as churchmice. They all agreed, that is, except Astra. She was too curious and hard- headed to just crawl on by like slugs in the mud. Instead she inched her way towards the fires, she did so in a most Aqualarian fashion, even the churchmice would've been surprised!

What she saw astounded her. There were some soldier-looking fellows with swords and pikes. There were a few archers, too. But mostly there were serfs, some dressed in rags and others in finer wares, but serfs nonetheless. There was some light music, a baliset or two and drums. There was cooking flesh as well, pig by the smell of it. Then her eye caught a fellow coming out of a tent. Astra's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. He was an obese man who moved with a peculiar waddle-glide. His jowls bobbed up and down as did his massive gut. He was literally a hulk of a man. Astra neared only centimeters more in hopes of learning more, and that she did.

"Well, well," said the fat man. "I like what I see, Perris."

"I am pleased that you do, Fog," answered the man who accompanied him. Then he did something quite extraordinary, he began to sniff the air. "Phinneus, do you smell anything?"

The fat man looked puzzled, "Only the odor of pig and your sweat."

The man called to two others who were nearby and Astra could see him give some order. She sensed that not all was right, she even began to think that he had smelled her out! So, putting caution before daring, she headed back to her fellow travelers. They immediately hurried from that part of the forest and when they were well away, they asked her for more of the details. When they heard the report it was Simon who spoke.

"I know of this fat man," he said. "You speak of Count Phinneus Fog, the ruler of Fenring."

"But that lies east of the Fens of Canmoor," said Fred. "How did he come to be here?"

"That is a good question," added Astra. "Though I do not know all there is to know about Allaria, I am sure that anything east of the fens is independent of her."

"Indeed she is," confirmed Fred. "Indeed she is."

1. and the travels continued....

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