Hidden Treasures

Aaron and Lysa find some ancient relics that might help them.

22.

Hidden Treasures

 

The rain fell relentlessly throughout the morning and into the afternoon, and even underneath the thick cover of foliage of the forest, there was a continual dripping from every saturated leaf and branch.

The sky remained as dark as twilight and a cold fog seemed to hang like a ghost over everything.  

In their cave shelter, Aaron and Lysa slept an exhausted sleep, warm within each other’s embrace and oblivious to the passing of night into morning and then afternoon.

Their fire had dwindled into slowly dying coals when a sound - as if the forest had exploded-  suddenly roared and echoed through the cave.

They jumped to their feet in wild-eyed terror, for the rumble and roar seemed all around them.    But it only lasted for a long moment and then there was an eerie silence.

“What in the world was that?”   Lysa asked, covering her bare chest with her arms as she stared fearfully around the cave.

“It sounded like something crashed or collapsed.”   Aaron answered, his hands covering his private regions.

“An earthquake, maybe?”   With her feet, she picked up Aaron’s robe, which had been their blanket for the night and flipped it to him.

“I’m wondering if it was a landslide - it has rained heavily.”   He quickly slipped the robe over his nakedness and then bent down and gathered up his pillow from the night before --the top to the girl’s costume-- then handed it to her, diverting his eyes.

“It’s mostly dry, now.    Thanks for letting me use it.   My neck would have been all jacked up now if I hadn’t had it supporting my head.”

“You’re welcome, Lord.” She said meekly, blushing terribly as she turned away from him to cover herself with the top.

Aaron went over to the dwindling campfire and threw the last of the dry wood on it, then stoked it with a branch until it came back to life.

“That should last for a while, but we’ll need more firewood, and now all of it will be wet.   But I want to see what has happened.    I’ll be right back.”

“Oh, no, I’m going with you, Lord.”   She rushed to join him.

“Okay.   Lysa, you really can dispense with calling me ‘Lord’.”

She smiled sweetly at him, “Perhaps one day, but for right now, I feel better addressing you properly.”

“I understand, but it all seems so formal.    It makes me feel guilty, as if you are putting me on a pedestal that I certainly don’t deserve.”

“Perhaps I feel that you deserve my respect.”

“I don’t want you to respect a silly title, Lysa.   My mother was a barmaid before she was given a title.    I am no better than you.”

She shrugged, as if she didn’t accept that, but did not want to debate it any more.     So they just slipped out of the cave into the miserably wet forest.

The rain continued to fall and after hours of pouring down, the trees now did little to keep them dry.    Everything was dripping furiously and the air was very cool and damp.    

Lysa was surprised when she felt Aaron take her hand as they crept forward through the trees.     Perhaps he just wanted to guide where she stepped, without having to speak (in case there were others who had come to investigate the loud sound from earlier).    They followed the upper bank of the stream, walking carefully in the slippery mud.    

A mighty torrent had replaced the gentle brook and Lysa glanced back at their cave, relieved to see now how high up on the bank it was located.    They should be in no danger, unless the rains continued for several more days, and hopefully they would be long gone from here by that time.

They walked along the bank, backtracking the path they had taken the night before.    As they neared the edge of the clearing where they had encountered the ghosts, they found the source of the sound.

One side of the great burial mound ended on the side of the creek’s bank.     Apparently the rain had caused a sizeable portion of one end of the mound to slide down until it had dammed up the stream.    Yet the water had kept rising and the waters had found a path around the block and then back into its banks.

“Wow, I’m really glad we didn’t camp on that hill.   Not only would we have been soaking wet, we might have died in that mudslide.”   Lysa whispered as they glanced at the rubble.

“Hey, do you see something shining over there?   Sticking out of the mud by that old dead tree?”   He asked her and her improved Elven sight quickly found it.

“It looks like a sword.”

“If it is from that burial mound, it shouldn’t look so bright and shiny after years of burial.”

“Unless it is magical.”   

Aaron’s eyes widened, “Hmm… do you want to go and see?”

“Sure.”   She smiled, pleased and a bit puzzled by how he was speaking to her.    Something had changed about him.

Still holding her hand, they gingerly walked across the loose mud and debris until they could see the sword.    It was buried almost up to the hilt in mud, but the sword looked as if it had just been forged.    It was an alien design to them, clearly a Hutcaiah - or Toi-Migg- weapon.

“It is giving off a gentle blue glow.”  Lysa told her master.

“I noticed that too.    Obviously it is magical.   I’m going to touch it.”    He reached out and grabbed it by the grip.     After waiting for a few moments to see if anything happened, he pulled it free from the mud.

It was as clean as if new and almost seemed unused.

“Greatly enchanted, I’d guess.”   He told his squire, “It is probably Toi-Migg - carried by one of their officers before the great battle.     Somehow the Hutcaiah did not take it when they buried their enemies.”

“I wonder if there is anything more we could use?”   Lysa asked and she picked up a branch and began poking at the mud near to where the sword had been found.   Aaron did the same with the sword, feeling under the mud for anything interesting.

“I’ve found something.”   Lysa exclaimed, as she slowly pulled out something caught on the edge of her stick.    It was a belt pouch with a draw string, and just like the sword, it seemed impervious to mud and wear.

“It’s a purse or money pouch.”   Aaron guessed as she held out to him what she had found, “I’ll bet it is magical too, because fabric really should be decayed in this wet environment.”

They both searched some more, but all they pulled from the mud was a short ceremonial dagger made of some sort of non-rusting metal.   It was soiled somewhat, but still in good shape, and Lysa slipped it into her sash.

“We’re getting soaked.”    Aaron said, “Let’s grab some of the larger dead tree branches for fuel and take everything back to the cave to examine them.”

As she was cold and wet, she readily agreed to his plan and the former Orc girl helped him carry four dead branches along the edge of the bank back toward the cave.   Aaron warned her to mind her footing, but she found that she now had incredible agility and easily managed to walk on the muddy bank.

Finally they were out of the cold rain.     They placed the branches that they had gathered in a pile close to the fire, so they would dry off before they used them.    Then they sat down and by the light of the campfire, Lysa unbound the cords of the pouch and they peered into it.

They both gasped in surprise upon what they saw inside.   It was as if the opening of the bag was a window into a large room, filled with many things.    For a moment they just stared in wonder.

“It’s a Bag of Holding.”   Aaron finally announced, “I’ve seen one before.    A magic bag that is a pouch in size, but when it is opened up, it has an extra-dimensional room that only exists by the magic of the pouch.     You can fill the room with things, but when the cords of the bag of holding are closed, the pouch weighs next to nothing and takes up only the size of the pouch.”

“Well, that is amazing.” Lysa said, “This one seems full of stuff.    I wonder who this bag of holding belonged to?”

“Probably one of the Toi-Migg captains - it was certainly someone who had some status.   I’ll bet the sword and dagger belonged to him too.”

“If the magic bag survived intact, will all the stuff inside it be whole?”

“I think so, yes.    Anything placed in a bag of holding is kept frozen in time and space until brought forth.”

“Maybe there was food in there.”   Lysa said, her eyes sparkling, and Aaron understood the look, as he was growing aware again that he was very hungry after several days without food .   

They drew in close to the pouch and pulled it open as far as it would go.    After looking for a moment, Aaron put his hand through the opening and pulled out a small bench.    It passed through the opening tiny, but expanded to full size as soon as he brought it forth.

“Wow, that’s neat!”  Lysa said with a grin, “Can I try it?”

Aaron held the opening of the bag to her and she reached in and brought out a large, folding reed mat.

“Look at this!”  She exclaimed upon seeing it, “I think this is some sort of portable mattress!”

Lysa placed the mat on the cave floor then sat down on it.  

“It’s firm, but comfortable.   I’ll bet the owner of this pouch used it in a soldier’s camp.”

“Let’s see what I can find in there now.”   Aaron reached deep into the magical bag and rummaged around a bit until he pulled out a large wicker bowl with a lid.      As soon as it grew to full size, an aroma of cooked food filled the cave.

Quickly he pulled off the top, to find smaller bowls of rice within, along with several pieces of cooked chicken, wrapped in cloths.     

Lysa quickly joined him and they suspended going through the contents of the bag of holding until after they had devoured the meal.

“It’s still warm.”   The girl happily proclaimed as they ate.

“That’s part of the enchantment.   If we’re lucky, we’ll find more food in there, but at the very least we got one warm meal.”

 

As soon as they finished eating, they resumed extracting items from the bag.     They pulled forth a spear, tools for sharpening weapons, a quill set, several scrolls with strange characters upon it, several oddly shaped silver coins, two more wicker pots filled with food (which they left in the bag so it would be preserved), a heavy woolen blanket, a goose-down pillow, three pairs of human-sized trousers, a white silken shirt, several bundles of underclothes and two hooded cloaks.

“What a wonderful find!”   Aaron sighed as they glanced at all of it (except the wicker pots of food) on the cave floor, “Yesh be praised, it is just what we needed.”

“So apparently the stuff that the owner had packed there was for a soldier on a long march.”   Lysa said as she slipped into one of the pairs of pants.    They were too big for her, but she tied a cord from her Moon Goddess costume around the waist as a belt and rolled up the cuffs a few times.     

“Are they warm?”   He asked, picking out another pair of trousers for himself.

“Warm and dry.”   She replied with a contented look.

 

A few minutes later they had donned the human clothing.   Aside from the pants, Aaron selected underclothing and socks (with the Hutcaiah sandals worn over them), as well as one of the cloaks.    He put his prisoner’s robe near the campfire to dry.

Lysa also chose underclothing and socks to wear under her trousers, but also choose the silk shirt.    She happily put her costume in a pile to dry beside Aaron’s robe.

The two stood by the entrance of the cave, watching it rain, happy to have a full belly and warm (although somewhat oversized) clothing to wear.

“It’s still raining heavily.”   Lysa commented as she watched the trees drip, “Do you think we’re safe enough from mudslides here?”

“We’re higher up and there are no artificial mounds of dirt on a hill above us, so I’d say we are safe.     The trees above the cave seem large and strong and so I don’t think we need to worry about that.”

“So what are our plans?    How long do we stay here?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking about that.    Carn told us to keep moving deeper into the woods, but he may not have known just how big the forest is in size.     We don’t know this either, so I don’t know if moving deeper into it would be wise.    I suspect the Hutcaiah won’t search for us as they may not have seen us enter it.    They may think we were just teleported away.”

“Lord, do you think the Hutcaiah army was brought to Westmark and Tarmard when the Emperor died?    Are our friends at war right now with the Hutcaiah army?”

Sensing the fright in her voice, Aaron put his arm around her.    She moved in closer, seeking comfort from him.

“I honestly can’t say, Lysa, but I feel in my heart that it didn’t happen.    I don’t know why… maybe it is from Yesh to comfort my own fears, but I don’t think they are at war.”

“I sure hope not, sir.   So you think we should just wait here to be rescued?”

“I imagine they will either send a small party back by teleportation to try to track our path in the woods - which may be difficult after this rain- or else risk sending an airship.    I don’t know if magic can penetrate this forest, but they may be able to detect us if they fly overhead.      They’ll probably realize that we wouldn’t have gone far, and the haunted clearing would be a logical landing site for them.     So if we stay near by - at least for several days- I’d say we would have a better chance of being rescued than we would if we were deep into an unknown forest tromping around.     Who knows what creatures live deep within this forest.”

“You’ve convinced me.”   Lysa responded, “As long as we can remain undetected by the Hutcaiah and have enough food to last.”

“We should have enough in the Bag of Holding for at least two more days, if we only eat one meal a day.     We have a spear, sword and dagger now, so we could hunt some game if we had to.”

Lysa nodded, “And we have slightly better accommodations for sleeping now.”

Aaron felt his face redden upon remembering the awkwardly intimate night before, “We could even leave a message in the clearing that an airship could see from the air, once this rain lets up.”

“Well, at least it is rather peaceful to listen to.”

 

***

For the rest of the afternoon and throughout the evening, the rain continued to fall.   Lysa and Aaron sat and talked in the cave and at her prompting, he told her about some of the magic induced nightmares that he had experienced as torture.  

She listened intently, often tearing up at some of his tales.     In the red light of the campfire, Aaron was more and more smitten with how extremely beautiful she was.       Somehow, her personality molded her Hutcaiah Elven features slightly.     Her expressions and smiles, the twinkle in her crystal blue eyes; all of this softened the somewhat cold features of the Hutcaiah princess that Lysa had inherited as her own.

Instead, she shined like a gemstone in moonlight as she sat there in comically baggy human clothing, blissfully listening to every thing he said.

He wouldn’t have traded this time with her for anything.   Aaron found himself relaxing around her.    The more he got to know her, the more he loved to have her around him.   

 

Finally, after hours of talking, they both felt weary.   

“Since we have inherited a sleeping mat, you sleep on it with the pillow and blanket and I’ll use some of the extra clothing from the Bag of Holding as a pillow.    My robe is dry now so I’ll put it back on and use this cloak as a blanket.”

“Lord that is unnecessary.    We both can use the mat, pillow and blanket.    It’s much more comfortable.”

“Oh… um, well…” He stammered, trying to think of the correct response.

Lysa smiled gently, “Oh, sir, really!    Last night we were clinging to each other to stay warm.   You were naked and I was half-way there myself!    We got through that like proper adults.     I certainly trust you and I’m sure you know I’m trustworthy as well.     We’ve got clothing to wear tonight.     I’m not the least bit worried about sharing a bed with you.”

“Um… well, I, uh, appreciate that, Lysa.     But I really don’t mind using my cloak-“

“No.”   She said firmly, “We share the mat and the pillow.   It’s big enough for two people.   Who knows, maybe the owner of the Bag of Holding had a bunk buddy too!”

Aaron had to laugh at the image in his head, “Well, if a ‘bunk buddy’ is what I am, how could I say no?    But Lysa, please don’t do this just to be nice, okay?    I really don’t mind.”

“Sir, have you ever thought that I might be trying to tell you that I want you to sleep with me?   Uh… I-I mean, share the bed… I’m trying to tell you that I feel a bit insecure in a cave and… I’d feel much more comfortable and safe with you close to me.”    Lysa blushed prettily, embarrassed with how her words could be interpreted wrong and wishing she could have said it in the way she intended.

Aaron saw her embarrassment and felt sorry for her awkwardness.

“Well, since you are being honest, I might as well tell you that I felt much safer last night with you close by as well.    Countless days of facing nightmares alone in a sunless cell could make even the most devout Paladin scared of the dark.     With you nearby, I felt safe and sane.     So, I will humbly accept your offer, Lysa.   Thank you for your generosity.”

She shrugged and jumped up to prepare the bedding.    Aaron slipped his robe back on after removing the cloak.     By then, the Orc girl with an Elven form had set up the mat, blanket and pillow and waited for him to join her.

“Uh… thanks.”   He said, not really knowing what to say as he sat down on one end of the sleeping mat.   Lysa also took her cloak off and slid under the blanket.

With a bit of embarrassed uncertainty, Aaron laid down on the mat at the very edge of it.     Lysa waited for him to slide closer so he could share the pillow, but when he didn’t move after a few moments, she wiggled over next to him and pushed the pillow until he raised his head enough for her to slide it underneath.

“Lord, I won’t bite, really.    We’re both fully clothed, so you don’t need to be embarrassed.”

“Sorry.”   He said and he forced himself to move a bit closer to her.

“Are you comfortable?”    Lysa asked and he grunted.

She threw the blanket over them and settled down on the mat.

“It seems much more comfortable than the bare floor.   Warmer too.”

“Yes, it is.”   He answered, lying as motionless as a corpse.     Lysa sighed in mild frustration at his nervousness, “Well, goodnight then.”

“Goodnight.”  He responded.    Aaron didn’t think he would be able to fall asleep, but the softness of the mat and pillow, and the warmth of the dry clothes and the blanket pulled him into a deep slumber almost immediately.

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[Elina]

"...as she held her find out to him." It took me a moment to realize what you were saying, here. Perhaps some clarification would benefit this bit.