It was just after 5 pm, and I had promised Laurenna I'd teleport home in time for dinner. I decided to head to the kitchen before leaving to see what smelled so good. The cook had just made a pie, and it smelled great!   

"Oh, so you're late for dinner, are ya?" said the cook. "Well, go over to the table by the fireplace, I made two pies. Bring one back and you'll be just fine."

How could I resist? I thanked her, and took one in my hands and used the Balmora teleport ring to go home.

At least, this way, I won't be in trouble for being late. :)  

I arrived home and went up the stairs, where I found Laurenna waiting for me.

"You know, you're 15 minutes late, and you said . . . what is that? A pie? Oh, it smells great!"

I knew it would work.

"I was just on my way over to the Eight Plates to get something, so I'll go now and bring it back for us. Why don't you get comfortable and set the pie out so we can have it after dinner?"

How could I argue with that? I set out the pie on a small table, then went over to my trunk and get rid of the robe I had been in all day. I figured a quick dinner, bed, and an early start for the Urshilaku Camp.

Dinner was great, the pie was great, and Laurenna was great. Soon it was off to bed and another adventure in the morning.

Lucky for me, I sleep with my shortsword.  

I heard it first, then Laurenna did as well. "Eldorf?" she said. "Already on it." I said, as I grabbed my shortsword from the side of the bed. "I'll just be a minute."

I caught the creature sneaking up the stairs, looking for a fight. I let it get all the way up so I could get a good shot at it.

"Who sent you here?" I shouted. The thing simply groaned and slashed at me with it's claws.   

My shortsword had a paralyzing effect on the creature. As it stood there, frozen in it's attack, I shouted again, "Who sent you? Where is your base?"

The spell wore off after a few seconds, and once again, it lunged at me.  

Once again, my enchanted shortsword made quick work of the creatures attack, and again, it shouted at it, demanding to know who had sent it here.

Again, no response.

A third strike of my sword put the creature down. I would gain no information from this creature. I doubted it had the ability to speak, considering the fact that it had no face.

I was now determined to find out where their hidden lair was and put an end to these attacks.

Laurenna got up to check on my condition. "Did it hurt you?" she asked.

"Not in the least." I replied. "The darn thing brought claws to a swordfight. They do seem to find me wherever I happen to be, don't they?"

"What can we do about them?" she asked.

"Caius said they might have a hidden base around here." I replied. "Once we return from the Wise Woman's camp, we'll go on a hunting expedition for them. Caius said I should take the fight to them, and that's good advice."   

The next morning saw us up bright and early. We headed to the Mage's Guild offices in Balmora, and a few seconds later, found ourselves in the Mage's Guild offices in Caldera.

Folms Meril was just finishing his breakfast when he saw us, and greeted me warmly.

"I have need to use the master index to go to the Urshilaku Camp." I told him. "What is the closest Propylon chamber that you know of?"

"Ah, well, they do move around a bit," he said, "but they're usually close to Valenyaron, probably east of it, as I recall."

"Then we must go there." I replied.  "Please do the honors, will you?"   

I took Laurenna's hand, and one very loud thunderclap later, found ourselves in the propylon chamber of Valenyaron.  

As expected, it was just a short walk east when we finally saw the yurts of the Urshilaku camp.

We greeting the villagers with gifts (mostly gold), as is the custom, and then made our way to the Wise Woman's yurt.

Nibani Macsa was sitting quietly, meditating on something when we announced ourselves to her.

"Yes, Eldorf, come in." she said. "You have these lost prophecies?"

"Yes." I replied. "I have them with me."

"Good." she said. "Sit, and tell me these things, over and over, until I have them by heart. And then you will tell me what these priests say, what they see in these words."   

I told Laurenna to make herself comfortable, since we'd be a while.

Nibani and I concentrated on the texts that I had retrieved, I, reading them over and over, and Nibani repeating them over and over.

It took a number of readings, but she finally memorized everything I had told her.

Now, maybe, I would have more answers to his mystery I was being involved in.

Of course, that was too easy.  

"Now," she said, "you must leave me."

"Leave?" I replied.

"Yes," she said. "Go. Hunt. Sleep. Train. Feed. Learn the land. I must bring these things you have said into me, and place them before my ancestors, and listen to them, and to the skies and stars of my dreams. When the moons have come and gone, you must return here, and I will give you my judgment."

With that, she closed her eyes, and began to chant quietly, as if to invoke something greater than herself to help with this information. I could see I would have no further dealings with her for at least 30 days. Again, I would have to be patient. Then again, I had a Sixth House base to find, so that'll probably give me something to occupy my time for the immediate future.   

"Learn the land?" asked Laurenna, once outside the yurt. "Yes," I replied. "There are a lot of areas I have not yet explored, and the ashlands are one of them."

"Where should we go first, then?" she asked.

"Well, I keep hearing about this Ghostfence that's supposed to surround Red Mountain." I replied. "I've been pretty much avoiding that area, mainly because of it's reputation, but I'd like to go take a look at it."

"Well, I'm ready for anything." she replied.   

We looked to the south of the camp, gazing at a young guar nibbling on ... something, probably insects.

The way south to the Ghostfence was not supposed to be too great a distance, so we decided to get going before it got dark.