Gembond Celebration - The Search 1/3

It was finally time, Bragi had been eagerly waiting for this special time of the year. The Gembond celebration. Usually he did not care much for this tradition, but this year? This year was different. It had only been a few months since he changed his mind about the importance of this time, but he was determined to use it to its fullest. After all, only during this celebration was he able to get a Faelidh refined gemstone. Now he only had to find the perfect one, the perfect jewel that would fit the vision he had mentally prepared for weeks prior. He couldn't wait, he knew what he wanted and a vague idea of where to possibly find it. Now if only his little brother would finally hurry! Bragi had gotten up before the sun had risen, he paced in front of the Inn they were residing in, nervously fidgeting with his gear. 

They could have left by now, heck they could have had a quarter of the way behind them, if Søren only managed to get up at the time they agreed on. But he was a heavy sleeper, always has been. Bragi envied him for that. But not today. Bragi looked towards the road, his bag over his shoulder, rope hanging off his belt, the pickaxe and shovel in one hand, a small woven sack filled with food in the other. 

"SØREN!" He whisper-yelled in a hushed voice. "Hurry up already! Or I will be leaving you behind!" He tapped his hooves nervously on the ground before the door to the Inn slowly crept open. 

Out came, still half asleep, stretching and yawning, his younger brother, rubbing his eyes. "By the heavens, what’s the ruckus - I'm here... I'm up.. " 

Bragi huffed, crossing his arms. "Yes, two hours later than what we agreed upon! You promised you would not do this! You said we'd leave on time!" 

Søren put his hands on his hips, leaning backwards, cracking his spine back into position. "We are leaving on time brother, relax a bit. We're leaving now, isn't that good enough?" 

But Bragis expression said more than a thousand words ever could. "You are one to talk! YOU already have your gem! And we both know who you paid to get the coordinates for that cave!" Søren shuddered when he heard that, taking the bag from Bragis shoulders and waving him off.

"Stop reminding me, that night will haunt me for at least a few months. But it was worth it in the end, wasn't it?" He tried to smile at his big brother with as much confidence as he could muster, but Bragi wasn't phased. 

"Okay, okay, I get it. Leaving you alone in that lil fisherman's village was not... the nicest thing to do. And if you hadn't figured out where I went by knocking some sense into that drunkard, I would probably still be down there, threatened by his goons, digging up gems for that bastard to sell, nice left hook by the way... AND I APOLOGIZED FOR THAT BLACK EYE HE GAVE YOU! You can't still be mad at your darling little brother - right?" 

Bragi stared at him. "..." 

Søren gulped, taking the sack with food as well. "Look, I said I was sorry... and I'm here, aren't I? I wouldn't be if it hadn't been for you - you absolute unit! How many of them did you take on at once? Four?" 

Bragi sighed, rubbing his temple "Six. But that is nothing to be proud about!" 

"Are you kidding!?" Søren elbowed him in the side, "That coward and his little minions had it coming! You practically threw them through the air! Bragi the Iron fist of Rohan!" 

Bragi stomped on the ground, stopping his brother before he could take a breath and continue. "That is enough! You know I'm not a friend of needless violence! The last thing I want is to hurt someone!" With that Bragi started to storm off towards the edge of town, towards the forests and the mountains, gear in hand. 

His brother followed quickly, skipping a step or two to be able to keep up with his much larger sibling. "Oh yeah? Is that so? Then why, pretell, are you looking to get into the Shifter track?"

Bragi came to a halt just outside the village and turned to face his brother. "Because I want to be able to protect others! Protect the ones I love! Protect those that are in need of it! You, of all people, should know exactly why!" 

Søren had struck a nerve, he could see it in his brother's eyes. What he said, even though meant to be a joke, had gone too far. His demeanor shifted, less confident he stepped towards his brother, taking his hand. "I know, and I am sorry. That was uncalled for. I know you just want the best for everyone after..." He swallowed, his throat suddenly dryer than the Mazri desert. "I promise you, you have my absolute support, if there is anything you need, anything I can do for you, I will be right here with you. I promise!" 

Bragi looked at his brother, he knew he meant what he said. And even though he could be a little much at times, he knew he could count on Søren. He sighed, his ears dropping in defeat. "I know... I know you have my back... just... just promise me not to constantly get yourself into trouble, alright? I won't always be able to be there on time to save your head." 

Søren nodded rapidly, pulling on Bragis hand as he walked towards the road leading through the fields and into the forest. "Promise! Now hurry up! We have a cave to find after all! We don't want to be late!!"

As they made their way through the thick foliage of the woods, far off the natural path, Søren started to ease up again. He jumped from log to log, counting the mushrooms on their way, counting the birds, the strange rock formations, even the critters they came across. Until he grew bored, and the questions began "Say Bragi! How do you know of that cave??" He jumped to another log, miscalculating the moisture of the moss on top of it, slipping and slamming onto the ground, laying there in defeat. 

His brother leaned over him, offering him a hand. "You alright?" 

Søren huffed, pulling himself up with Bragis help "I meant to do that - to keep you on your toes." 

His older brother nodded, dusting off the dead leaves and dirt from his pelt "Sure-" he chuckled, picking up the gear his brother had dropped. Søren scowled at him, raising an eyebrow. "I don't care if you believe me or not, don't dodge the question and spill the metaphorical beans!" He tapped his brother's nose, causing him to emit a low growl. "Alright, no need to get physical."

Bragi sighed, looking towards the rays of light that pierced the green roof of leaves overhead. "Let's continue down that way, there should be a clearing on a small hill, we can rest there for now and eat." 

Now carrying all the gear, Bragi headed for the clearing. His brother was hot on his heels, eagerly awaiting what he had to share. After all, traveling together like this was a special occasion for them! It was rare for their paths to cross like this, usually months went by without them meeting at all. Sure they sent letters regularly, but that was simply different. There was a lot they haven't caught up on yet, it was about time they got to chat properly. Together they climbed the steep hill, taking a seat on a log toppled over at the summit, enjoying the early rays of the spring sun. Bragi pulled out the sack he had prepared, carefully placing it on the stump in front of them, revealing an intricately designed ceramic pot. As he lifted its lid, steam poured out of it and the smell of spices filled the air around them. 

"Wait... is that..??" Søren leaned closer, taking a whiff of that hearty smell. "It is! Bragi, did you make this?! I haven't had that in years!" His eyes lit up in anticipation, looking up to his older brother, his tail flicking from side to side in excitement.

"I was allowed to use the kitchen in the evening. I figured we'd need something to warm us in the morning, something to give us a little boost..." Bragi pulled two wooden spoons from a pouch on his belt, offering one to his brother. "Try it, and let me know what you think. I left it cooking overnight so the meat should be tender enough for you~"

Søren snatched his spoon quickly, dipping it into the steaming stew in front of him. He couldn't wait and stuffed the full spoon into his mouth, slapping his thigh as he chewed rapidly. 

"Søren! That stuff is bubbling hot!!" 

But his brother didn't care, his hooves stomping on the ground as tears welled in his eyes before he swallowed. "It tastes just like moms..." He sobbed, wiping his tears away, taking another spoonful. "It's just like mom used to make it! Bragi, how did you do that!?" 

Bragi smiled to himself, trying a spoon full as well. "I'm glad it is to your liking... I have a small book filled with moms recipes that I've written down from memory... not all of them are complete though... some ingredients are missing, I just can't seem to remember them. Sometimes, when I travel, and I smell the street foods and spices, pieces come back to me, and I write them down. But some of them..? I don't know, they just slip through my fingers..."

He chewed on the tender beef of the stew, savoring the flavor and texture. This dish had so many memories attached to it, both Bragi and Søren sat in silence, enjoying most of the meal just like that. It was something special they shared, just the two of them. Something no one could ever take from them. After a while, Bragi took a deep breath, placing his spoon down and looking at the mountains ahead of them. 

"A few years back, when I had come here for the first time, I took on a few tasks in the area. I was asked to get rid of a few bugs that were bothering the townsfolk every few nights. I needed the shards so I accepted. They seemed pretty desperate. But what they failed to mention was the size of those critters I was meant to slay. The young ones, those that came to the town were... debatably reasonable in size. Unusually big, sure, but nothing one wouldn't be able to squish some way or another. Instead of squishing them as soon as I saw them though, I decided to follow them. After all, they had to come from somewhere, right?" Bragi scratched the back of his head, looking over to Søren who eagerly listened while devouring the stew.

"So in the middle of the night, I went after them. Through the fields, into the forest and up the mountainside, crawling into the crevasses between the boulders somewhere halfway to the summit. Of course I wouldn't fit, that's when I noticed drag marks a little off their path, leading to a cave entrance. It must have been made by bigger bugs, it looked like it was chewed out of the rocks, an escape route so to say. I saw my chance and took it. I had my torch with me, and some flint to create sparks, just to be on the safe side. Turns out I didn't need it, there is a lot of bioluminescence going on down there, it's rather pretty, you'll see." 

His brother elbowed him in the side and Bragi chuckled 

"Sheesh okay, well, I followed them deeper into the cave system, torch in hand, and came across somewhat of a hive? More of a den for a whole family of these critters. And they were HUGE! I was watching one of them climb along the ceiling of that place, that was when they spotted me. They came swarming, I tried to fight them back, they screeched and growled - that's when I noticed they were frightened of my torch. It took a moment of consideration, but I decided to stomp it out, to calm them down.." 

Søren almost choked on his stew when he heard that, coughing and gasping for air as Bragi patted his back. "Are you insane!? Why would you get rid of your only sensible weapon!?"

His older brother shrugged, shaking his head "I'm not sure, my gut told me they were no threat-" 

Søren waved him off "No??! But the townsfolk were threatened enough by them that they sent you to get rid of them!?" 

"When the torch was out, I lowered my head, bowed, and offered my hands as a sign of safety. I had no other weapon after all, and with the number of those things surrounding me, my guess was that fighting might not have been the best idea. They came closer, they inspected my face with strange little tendrils, like they were considering my scent, if that makes sense.The thing that looked me over clicked and chirped, and then stepped aside, allowing me to pass. All of them did, offering a path deep into the cave, to somewhat of a main hall. I followed the path, not that I had much of a choice, it looked like they wanted to show me something. The main hall of the cave seemed to be some kind of nursery, lots of little pits in the ground with eggs, nestled between leaves, flowers, bits of fur and hay, barely visible from afar. And in the Middle, was a larger pit, filled with straw, branches, fur and feathers - decorated with shiny things. Little bits of metal, gemstones, shards, even some broken pieces of jewelry they must have gotten from the town. But something about this nest was - off. While the others all had six to eight eggs in them, this one only had one, and it was smashed. But the surrounding nesting material looked like there used to be more. The creatures chirped and cood, tugging on the broken eggshell, handing me pieces of them, as if they were begging me to have a closer look. They seemed so distressed. I found it strange..." 

Søren raised an eyebrow, leaning back a bit "Bugs asking for help? That certainly is strange!" 

But his brother waved him off "No not that, what I found strange was that only this one nest, out of dozens, was affected - no other nest had been smashed or disturbed. So I looked at the pieces of the eggshell they were handing to me. The amount of pieces that were there wouldn't come close to forming an actual, full egg, and as I looked closer, and turned them over, I noticed that the shell itself was sparkling in the light of the cave. Under further inspection, small bits of gemstone like formations were embedded into the shell itself. They were quite beautiful really. When I placed the shards back into the nest and took a step back, I bumped into one of the larger creatures. I stumbled back and apologized, that's when I noticed the hoofprints I was leaving in the dirt next to the nest. The thing was, mine were not the only ones there.”

Bragi took a sip from the waterskin, whipping his mouth before he continued “There were dozens of them, in spots I hadn't even been yet. They lead all around the cave but only ever really accumulated in front of this very nest. And they seemed to be much deeper when they were leading away from it, which told me, someone was carrying something away from its original spot. Something big and something heavy. The bugs chirped and cood, they were stomping their many legs and I knew what I had to do." 

Søren looked at him in disbelief - placing the bowl that used to contain the stew back onto the log. "Your connection to nature has always been fascinating to me."

Bragi laughed, offering his brother his waterskin. "To be fair, the reports of the townsfolk seemed greatly exaggerated. One lady claimed a three headed serpent bug came to steal her husbands sigil ring. Another said a white winged creature climbed down the chimney, speaking in tongues demanding his finest wine. My guess was most of them were simply drunk or tired. Considering only the small critters only ever seemed to leave that cave system, their claims of giant creatures with multiple heads, bat wings and the capability of breathing fire seemed a little far fetched." 

Søren chugged the water, taking a deep breath afterwards. "What happened then!? When you were in the cave?!" He was on the edge of his seat, looking at his brother with excitement.

Bragi just laughed, "You know I have a nag for doing the right thing. Be it for Woolyne or other creatures. I followed the tracks, back out the cave, following the smaller critters that I was sent to eliminate. They were following the same tracks, tho probably more the scent of whomever made them. It led me back to the town, through it, to a hut on the other end that was swarmed with bugs! I heard a Wooly yell and scream from the top of their lungs. When I opened the door, a rather short Wool stood on a table, swinging a broom from left to right, trying to 'fight' the bugs that made it into their house. Not that they were very phased by it. I asked them what was going on, but they only yelled that they didn't know and screamed for me to get rid of them."

"And did you??" Søren was bouncing up and down, barely able to contain the excitement that had built up over time.

But his older brother shook his head. "I watched them for a moment, they were scratching on a door that led out of the kitchen. I tried to investigate but the young one wouldn't stop screaming. I turned and stood right in front of him - looking into his eyes. 'What's your name?' I asked him. He hesitated for a moment before telling me his name was Isak. A short fella, sand colored pelt, rather pretty, piercing blue eyes. He reminded me a little of a Selkie. That poor guy was absolutely beside himself. The bugs were freaking him out, he insisted he wasn't scared of bugs in general, but these were different. I assumed it was the great number of them." Bragi stored the pot of the stew back into the sack before he got up and stretched. "Come on, I'll continue on the way, we should get going. A bit further down that way, we should come across a stream, we can freshen up there."

Søren nodded, gathered all their things and returned the wooden spoon to his brother. Before Bragi was able to, he even picked up the shovel and pickaxe. "Alright, ready to head off!"

Bragi smiled at him. He had rarely seen his younger brother ready or even eager for physical labor, even if it was just walking somewhere. He let out a sigh of relief and together they took off towards the much anticipated stream. They could already hear it as soon as they stepped back into the treeline at the bottom of the hill. "Now, where was I?"

"Isak!" Søren shouted excitedly, covering his mouth."S-Sorry, that was much louder than intended."

Bragi burst out into laughter, patting his brother on the back. "Oh, I don't mind! Not at all! I missed your blatant honesty and excitement on my travels! It's contagious~" He threw his gear over his shoulder again, trotting through the underbrush. 

"Anyways - I held out a hand to Isak, offering him to take him onto my shoulders and get him outside safe and sound. He instantly accepted, so I hoisted him onto my shoulders and carried him outside, where a mob of Wooly had gathered after hearing him scream. They were furious, and wanted to burn the creatures in the hut alive. But I managed to convince them that if they would harm them, their cry of pain would only attract more of their kind and that once that happened I’d be unwilling to help due to the risk of the situation, simply because it was their own fault, should things escalate. I asked Isak for his permission to look around his hut, he accepted, so I made my way back through the bugs and back to the kitchen, where they were swarming and scraping against that door.”