[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/7ed60a5b-c81e-4b36-b999-6fbd57fe519a.png[/img][h2][color=olive][u]Ernald Joyce[/u][/color][/h2]
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[center][sub][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEEc9RhHTzU[]The Five Mile Walk[/url][/sub]
[sub][i]Early Spring of the Year 315 P.F.[/i][/sub]
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Joyce let out a sigh of pure relief as he trudged over the final hill in the path, his tongue parched both from the time it had taken him to traverse the last three miles of his journey and his inquiring of the old hermit several hours prior. In all honesty he hadn't expected the trip to be [i]this[/i] arduous, but the smoldering midday sun had other plans it seemed. Untying a small skin from the loop of his breeches, he brought the opening to his lips for a quick swig before putting it away again and soldiering on. It wouldn't be too long now in any case, just a few more minutes and a few more steps. He could handle that much at the very least. He'd handled every other place he'd visited thus far after all, and some of those locales were even more godforsaken than this one. Readjusting his satchel so the papers housed within didn't come tumbling out, Ernald carried on down the rest of the path, reaching his destination just as the sun fled from its apex in the sky...

And Exalted above what a squalid sight it was.

[center][url=https://youtu.be/W8boUOx0_xk][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8f/f1/75/8ff1753c17d5a2647baf7e70aaf37d63.jpg[/img][/url][/center]

He'd expected a certain amount of grunginess and grit to be fair, these were mining towns after all and thus not prone to flights of overly fancy or even sound architecture of the style found within the cities beyond, but the sight currently unraveling before his eyes was just pitiful. And that was putting it nicely. Had it not been for the occasional wheelbarrow being pushed across the street or the soft grumbling of dirt-stained men as they returned from the depths of the mine with ore filled sacks in tow, Joyce would have thought the town completely abandoned. The shock of it all was enough to give him pause, making him wonder if the legends surrounding the Maw really were true. He had entertained them whilst talking to the hermit to be sure, but other than that he'd chalked the whole thing up to silly superstition on behalf of the locals, as whatever evils there had been in the world were driven away or destroyed by the Exalted long ago. But now... well now he was starting to take the rumors a bit more seriously. Even the sky itself had changed, morphing from its former orangish-blue to a deep and depressing grey in a matter of seconds, and that wasn't even taking into account the atmosphere permeating the town itself. Something he could only describe as unnaturally tense and cold. So tense in fact, that it felt as though one could simply reach out and part the air with nothing more than a rusty knife, assuming the blade didn't freeze over and shatter first that is.

Doing his best to suppress a shiver, Ernald continued on his way, attracting fleeting yet suspicious glances from those he passed. Ignoring them for the time being he continued to wander about the rundown looking town, his eyes combing the area for someone[i]-anyone-[/i]who could help him find his way, be that to the leader of the settlement itself or its scribe. He did not need to wander long, however, for he soon found himself standing before the townhall. A rather sizeable looking building that radiated warmth, light, and noise, most of which arose from a large crowd of men and women who had gathered just outside the entrance. Curious, he drifted closer.

[i]"Well!?"[/i] a man somewhere off to Ernald's left bellowed. [i]"Will the old bastard live!?"[/i]

A broad-shouldered man clad in a brown tunic and mud splattered pants strode out of the hall, pinching the bridge of his nose with an exhausted sigh, he shook his head.

"Wihtric is dead," he muttered, his words breaking the silence that had settled over the crowd like a hammer smashing through glass. "The cave-in turned his legs to pulp. Best thing for him now is a proper burial."

"I'll see to his last rites," another voice from within the crowd, a woman's this time, said. "It's the least I can do."

The man nodded, his expression softening ever so slightly as his gaze met hers.

"Thank you Saethryd."

He shifted his attention back to the crowd.

"Now please, return to your homes. There'll be no more work done till the morrow. Take this time to rest and mourn if need be. Until then, Maw's closed."

Whispers rose alongside sobs, from members of the dead man's family Ernald presumed, as the crowd slowly dispersed. Leaving Joyce to fiddle with the strap of his satchel as the woman moved up the stairs, past the man, and into the hall.

"You've picked a bad time to visit Oldcross stranger."

The man stalked down the steps, his face shadowed and grim.

"May I ask what manner of business brings a well dressed fellow such as yourself to our little hamlet?"

[color=olive]"Business of an academic kind I'm afraid,"[/color] Ernald said, offering his hand. [color=olive]"My name is Ernald Joyce, I'm a scholar from the city of Marleon. Perhaps you've heard of me?"[/color]

"Theodgar," he replied, taking the scholar's hand and giving it a firm shake. "And can't say that I have."

[color=olive]"Ah well it's not relevant to why I'm here in any case."[/color]

He tugged at his collar ever so slightly.

[color=olive]"You see I'm writing a treatise on the various mining settlements dotted across Outremer, which I intend on publishing once I return. I wish to paint the nobility a picture of what it's like to live in such a place, how important such towns are, what manner of struggles they face, things like that."[/color]

Theodgar smiled, though it did not reach his eyes.

"Ah, good. Maybe then they'll stop spilling each others blood long enough for accidents like [i]that[/i]," he said, jerking his thumb toward Withric's bandaged corpse as it was being carried out of the hall and down the stairs. "To stop happening."

Ernald fell silent as a procession headed by the woman from earlier made its way down the street and round a corner, vanishing from sight. Grunting, Theodgar clapped a calloused hand against Ernald's back, shepherding him along as they walked along the town's muddied streets.

"Now," Theodgar said, scratching his chin with his free hand. "I suppose you'll be needing a place to stay?"

Ernald nodded, [color=olive]"Yes, only long enough to find out more about this place of course."[/color]

"Of course," Theodgar remarked before coming to a halt. Hand still clasped on Joyce's shoulder, Theo pulled him in closer and lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear. "Just be careful bout who you ask specifically, hear? People don't take too kindly to outsiders poking their noses where they feel they don't belong, especially not with all that's been happening around here."

Ernald raised an eyebrow but otherwise kept silent. Although he wanted to know more he decided that now was not the best time to start prying. The town had just suffered a loss after all, and presumably much more given what Theodgar had implied. Instead he merely nodded as they carried on, eventually coming to a small yet modest shack. Stepping inside, Joyce briefly examined the walls, ceiling, and accommodations before apparently deeming them suitable. Setting his satchel on a ramshackle table off to the left side of his bed, Ernald settled himself on the edge of the threadbare mattress.

"Well," Theodgar began, spreading his arms in a gesture that encompassed the entire room. "What do you think? It's not exactly fit for a lord but..."

[color=olive]"But it'll do. Just see to it I'm not disturbed won't you? I tend to write in the evenings and I need to remain as focused as possible."[/color]

Theodgar clasped his hands behind his back and gave Enrald a small bow.

"Anything else?"

[color=olive]"The Maw..."[/color]

Joyce locked gazes with the larger man.

[color=olive]"I want to see it. I think a detailed examination would do wonders for my work."[/color]

Theodgar's expression fell.

"I'm tempted to deny your request outright milord," he began, his tone falling dangerously low. "What with the grimness of today. But it would be rude of me to deny someone who has traveled so far, so I'll see what I can arrange."

[color=olive]"Thank you."[/color]

With a final nod Theodgar exited the room, leaving Joyce completely alone. 

Massaging the back of his neck, Ernald sprawled out on the bed and closed his eyes, electing to get all the rest he could for the time being. His inquiries could wait till tomorrow at the very least. For now he simply allowed himself to fall into the inky depths of slumber...