The Throne of Antlers
Arc 12. The 25th to the 27th of Autumn.
North
The party left Clem and Eric in charge of Broken Spire Keep, resupplied in Harken, and travelled north into the Winterbole Forest.
First night, in the foothills. A pack of wolves led by a winter wolf came into their
camp. It spoke with Kvothe and Ubo, musing aloud about how difficult they would be to
hunt — then caught a scent on Ubo it did not like the implications of, backed off rather than
risk the Queen's wrath, and promised to hunt them another time.
Second night, deep in the forest. Ubo heard movement and went to look in cat form. A patrol of skeletons and zombies led by a wight passed through the trees. They were not heading for the camp, so he let them go and reported in the morning.
Gulthias's forces are ranging deep into the Winterbole.
The clearing
On the 27th of Autumn the party reached the Throne of Antlers — a sacred clearing about a hundred yards across, dominated by an ancient oak, where the four tribes gather for matters that affect all of them.
Elk Heart guards stopped them at the perimeter and let them through on Ubo's account.
Four tribal camps ringed the clearing, each chieftain with advisors and a small honour guard, yurts and tents around cook fires. Set apart from everything else stood a lone grey yurt: Gulthias's emissary, Vareth the Pale Voice.
First contacts
Chieftain Valdris Oakheart of the Elk Heart questioned their presence. When Ubo explained that the Queen had sent them as a counterpoint to Gulthias's emissary, Valdris accepted it — with a warning not to break the peace of the council — and suggested they camp near his tribe for safety.
As the party made camp, Kvothe began performing: singing the tales of their own adventures, getting ahead of the question of who these southlanders were before anyone else could answer it.
Ylva Bloodfang, daughter of the Storm Wolf chieftain, came over out of cautious curiosity and invited them to dinner.
Chieftain Mira Ashford of the River Crow sought out Agatha specifically, intrigued to see a dwarf, and asked to speak privately before the council convened.
Dinner with Ylva
Ylva's father Korrath came out of the yurt, looked at them with open disgust, and walked away without a word. Ylva apologised and brought them inside.
She asked what they could actually offer as a counter to Gulthias. Jocelin argued that he was evil, untrustworthy, and that allying with him was foolish.
Ylva laid out two conditions:
First — you have no authority. You cannot speak for Fallcrest or the Lord Warden. You can only promise what you personally can deliver. Gulthias conquered Fastormel; he rules a domain, so he can make alliances.
Second — you have no demonstrated power. Gulthias has proven through action that he is a terrible enemy: Fastormel fallen, Nenlast besieged, tribal ancestors dragged out of their graves. You have words. You have not shown you can hurt him. If you cannot hurt him, you are not useful allies.
Asked what they could do to prove themselves, Ylva hesitated. She admitted she had reservations about allying with the undead, but she is a loyal daughter and follows her father. She would think on it.
Dinner ended. The party went back to their own camp — and Agatha went to the River Crow's yurt.