"To be honest, I thought I'd landed in Oerth or Krynn," Aoko said as they rode, "because as soon as I arrived, it was just endless white. No landmarks at all."
"You're unlucky," Holga said gruffly. "This is Icewind Dale, the harshest, coldest, most desolate place in the world. Not seeing anyone is normal."
"Except that prison?" Aoko raised an eyebrow. "Can you tell me why you were imprisoned there?"
"Oh, that's a long story," Edgin replied calmly. "That prison, built by the Lords' Alliance, is called Revel's End. It holds criminals from Alliance cities. Every two years, inmates get a review—if they pass, they're released; if not, they stay."
"Oh? You two don't look like you were released," Aoko remarked.
"True," Edgin admitted their jailbreak. "But we had our reasons—too long and complicated to explain now. I'll tell you everything once we reach my home. I promise."
"Alright," Aoko shrugged. She wasn't too interested in the details. "By the way, after we get mounts and cross the Spine, where is your home anyway?"
"Targos," Edgin answered frankly. "That village is one of the Ten Towns. After we get horses, we won't have to go far for supplies. There's still some stuff in my basement—gear Holga and I used."
"Wait, you're from Icewind Dale?" Aoko was surprised. "Local crime, local arrest, local prison—talk about local flavor."
"Holga and I are both from here," Edgin explained. "She's from the Elk Tribe—was exiled for marrying an outlander."
"Married?" Aoko's gaze darted between them. "Are you two married?"
"What?! No! How could Holga be my wife?" Edgin looked awkward.
"Me and this guy?" Holga shook her head. "His mouth is disgusting... We're just long-time partners. Adventuring teammates, you could say."
"My mistake then," Aoko said. "Sorry if I offended."
"You are a proper young lady," Holga laughed. "We roughneck don't mind small things like that."
"Hey, Holga, don't lump me in with you!" Edgin protested. "I used to be a bard with the Harpers—makes me something of a cultured man!"
Aoko smiled at their banter, her divination-trained instincts telling her they weren't lying. And a bard from the Harpers was rarely truly evil.
But Harpers were said to be full of oddballs—doing good, but also prone to pranks or petty theft. Believing in good, but not always following the law.
Aoko wondered what alignment she'd be by Faerûn standards. She'd done good and bad things. If possible, she'd like to get an alignment check—getting hit with a paladin's smite out of nowhere wouldn't be fun.
They rode for about six hours, during which Aoko had to use Summon Mount twice more, before reaching the village of Bryn Shander on the desolate plains.
It was called a town, but there were only a few red yurts, like Mongolian tents, and very few people, though plenty of horses.
"Most of Bryn Shander's villagers are nomads," Edgin explained. "It's small, but they're expert horse breeders. We could easily steal—borrow three horses."
"No need," Aoko took out a small pouch, the clinking of coins inside. "I still have some gold. Just buy them directly."
"Fantastic!" Edgin's bearded face beamed. "I love teaming up with scholarly wizards like you!"
Holga rolled her eyes but said nothing, clearly pleased that Aoko was a rich mage. Edgin took some gold from Aoko and went to the horse pen.
With his bardic charm and language skills, Edgin quickly persuaded the owner to sell them three good horses, plus some bedding and rations, at a low price. There was plenty of gold left.
"Hold onto it," Aoko said as Edgin tried to give back the change. "I'll probably need you to buy things for me—this place is all new to me."
"No problem!" Edgin grinned. "I know everywhere from the Sword Coast to Icewind Dale!"
They remounted—this time on real, living horses, not summoned ones. The horses needed breaks to rest and graze.
...
That night, the group camped in a sheltered hollow. As a high-level mage, Aoko wouldn't just rough it, but casting a mansion spell would waste materials, so she compromised.
"Leomund's Tiny Hut!"
A 10-foot-radius (about 30 m²) hemispherical forcefield room appeared, its air warm and dry, completely insulated from the cold, and the floor perfectly smooth.
From the outside, the hut blended with the surroundings (color customized by the caster), providing excellent camouflage.