Unusual Activity

Writers: Avery, Miriah
Date Posted: 18th November 2020

Characters: Ishek, Swanik
Description: Reports of unusual activity arrive at Garnet Valley Hold
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 7, day 2 of Turn 10

The steward walked quickly through the halls, brow furrowed at the
reports detailed on the hides in his hands. Four...five...six wagons
in one month from that one area? And none of it directed at the main
hold. It simply didn't make sense. Their watchers on the roads
reported that the wagons were turning north towards major rivers and
not towards the main roads. What was going on there? He'd never heard
of anything coming from that area. In truth, it was closer to Amber
Hills, but he knew that the area was in Garnet Valley territory.

Swanik knocked on the Warder's door and poked his head in. "Sorry to
disturb you, but there's odd reports coming in from the lands in the
southwest corner of our territory. I thought you should be aware."

Ishek looked up from the invitations he was looking over. "Come in,
take a seat. What sort of reports?"

The understeward handed him the hides. "It's from an area that we
haven't received tithes from in turns. Our watchers have sighted
multiple wagons traveling on one of the old roads, to and from the
area. They've seen timber and sacks of produce leaving on older
wagons, but new wagons going in with building supplies and more
people. Crafters, Healers, cotholders. It's unusual. That area has
been quiet until a few months ago, but the activity is increasing,
Warder. No one knows what's going on there."

Ishek quickly reviewed history in his head as he thought about what it
could mean. Garnet Valley territory, as rocky it was, being in the
mountains and foothills of the Barrier Range, was infamous for being
difficult to traverse and best moved around via dragonback or river
transport if possible. The Plagues had wiped out many smaller
locations, and the area's roads and paths to those isolated and
long-gone locations had grown over and made it even harder to access.

"Southwest? Wrong direction from the remains of Iron Lake," he said
aloud, thinking with a pang of Alrog, someone he'd genuinely liked and
trusted as he settled into being the Warder. "Have you consulted the
archivist here to pull up the detailed maps and historical records,
pre-Plague? To see if there's an old settlement there that perhaps
people are moving back into?"

The understeward handed him another hide. "Of course. There's precious
little, Warder. When I went into the archives, there were missing
pages and hides in the documentation of that area. It is as though
they were purposefully removed. The last document I was able to find
is nearly ninety turns ago. The land was granted to someone, but the
name was scratched out of the records." The understeward frowned.
"There are some documents," he nodded towards the hide, "that I've
noted. There were several requests for aid that apparently were
ignored by the Lord Holders of the time. Supplies, crafters, a better
road. Permission for trade negotiations with other areas. The last was
from around thirty turns ago, permission to come and speak to the Lord
Holder; it was denied. It seems as though all communication was
ignored, despite them being in our territory. It's confusing. I've
never seen the like, especially with no names attached.

Ishek frowned as he heard that. "How much do you know about Garnet
Valley history. Of the main Hold itself, I mean?" he asked, not sure if
the understeward was one of the men from one of the minor Holds who
hoped to train here and return home.

He turned to face the understeward, counting on his hands as he pieced
through the timeline "Ninety Turns ago would have been during old
Lord Atraft's time, or possibly his father's. I don't know how many
people other than old nannies would remember that. Thirty Turns...
that would have been post-Plague, when Lord Aswic was Holder. His
elderly father suicided shortly after the plagues, and may not have
passed down to Aswic whatever he knew."

Tugging his ear, Swanik grimaced. "Not much, truth be told.
Only recent history. But what I do know is we're' not getting the
supplies. Someone else is and I don't know where they're going." He
dug through the hides. "I did find one name with the last request from
the area, but it's not one I recognize." He pulled the hide and handed
it to Ishek. "Wicoran. Says he's a steward but I've never heard of
him."

"I haven't either," he said, reviewing the hide. This was a mystery,
and the mystery excited him. It was interesting, in a way things
hadn't been recently. He found himself actually feeling excited to
pursue this.

"If we don't have the records, the Harper Hall should. They are the
canonical source. Come to think of it, the new Barrier Lake Weyrhold
may also have some records, if they inherited the ones from River
Bluff if they weren't destroyed. I can sign a request to send an
archivist to see what they have. Do you have a recommendation for
someone discreet and well-trained? Perhaps you want to go yourself?"

"I wouldn't mind going. Someone else wouldn't know what to look for. I
think I do." Swanik was immediately interested. "Perhaps we can send
someone to check out the area in more detail. I'd like to know where
everything is going, personally. It feels almost like a theft from
us."

"I wish I could get away to go with you to go see," he agreed. Back
when he was just aiming to be a Steward...before anyone had ever named
him a Warder... But those were dreams he'd buried long ago and coped
with their loss in unhealthy ways.

"I suggest going to the Weyrhold first to see what their records are
like. Stay a few days if they allow. Perhaps when there, you could see
if one of their dragonriders who ran sweeps over the area could tell
you about what they've seen? "

Swanik nodded. "I'll leave right away, Warder and send you word if I
discover any information." He rose. "If I find nothing, shall I go to
the Harper Hall next?"

"Yes, though if a rider would be courteous enough to bear you back
here to tell me what you found, I'd like to know before you reach the
Harpers. I'll have the notes for both leaderships signed and stamped
by the time you've packed," Ishek said.

"Of course." Swanik nodded, gathering his hides. "I'll pack right away
and be back shortly."

Last updated on the November 23rd 2020

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Unusual Activity