You reach the ice capped shore of the frozen lake just before the ice fractures and sinks beneath you. Haden was first, no surprise there. She is an out front, try first- go getter and she led you all the way down the mountainside. You are not certain but you feel like her warrior-like steps and her excessive leadership are the reasons the ice was cracking by the time Alster followed us across the lake in the rear. Alster can't seem to help himself, constantly on the look out for plants that he knows have magical or medicinal properties and he tripped at least twice on the way down as his scanning eyes and wandering feet were anything but coordinated. You can tolerate Alster as you had a lot of healers in your visiting tribes classes at the academy in Verdalia. It was a class for keeners that wanted to be like the great Ky and have knowledge and power in more than one tribe's discipline. You spent hours after class with the masters in the Medic Gardens or on expeditions around Solea.  You wanted to be a great mage and have abilities in healing but there are other things in life too. Alster has four younger brothers and sisters and do you think they ever see him? At least he is a good friend and he really does think of other first which seems to be a strength of the healer tribe. A while back on our way up to the Goat (the local's name for the Azalei Mountain Tavern)  Alster gave you his cape when he could see  you weren't well prepared for the sudden temperature drop at the higher elevations.  You decided then that he's a good guy. 

There was no time to rest after crossing the  lake.  Above you was the Breach and the tower Richalt was so eager to explore and right in front of you were three tall pillars which stood 4 or 5 metres tall, solid grey and white granite that had been carved, set upright. They sat in the middle of the healers mountain garden which we used as a place of significance and respite  for healers as they scoured the mountains for herbs and medicinal plants. When you saw the pillars all you could keep thinking is that you hope they got some help putting those up and asked for mages to carve those things, bring them across the lake and erect them here where they stood now, as it really seems like a lot of work.  

"These weren't here before," Richalt says, looking confused. 

"I was going to say, my map says there is a healer's garden right here and there's nothing about any pillars," you explain while unfolding a large map of Verdalia that your mother said would come in handy one day. 

"Maybe they appeared at the same time as the tower," Talik suggested.

You split up to look more closely at the monoliths and search for clues. Talik, ever curious and far to eager to use her tattooed hands, touches the smooth surface of a pillar. Before you can blurt out "Don't touch that," the huge stone pillars began to glow around her hand. "Oh..no, too late" you say with resignation. 

"Look," she says. "It's just like on the Voek symbols on their shrines. Three symbols each for the different tribes. It must need all three tribes to activate."

You examine the pillar nearest you and find a slight indentation with the diamond symbol used to emblemise healer traits and badges. The indentation is obviously for a hand and you turn to Alster ands say, "Hey, Alster, your a healer right? Wanna put your hand in the little spot right there?" Alster laughs and give you the roll of his eyes and says "You're so brave." sarcastically. He walks up to the pillars and its diamond  symbol and places his bare hand where it fits. Talik shrugs and says " well, I already tried mine", and does the same on the pillar with the triangular symbol and finally Haden approaches the circular one and all the pillars start to glow.

The around the former garden earth shakes, and blue light stretches across the ground like slow moving lightening, illuminating runes deep under the snow. They flash across the ice, shining through the dark waters of the lake, and stretch to the opposite mountain. There, the light climbs upward until it reaches the Voek tower's peak. He took two steps and was followed by his four friends. From there, a hidden path became clear, leading eight paces to the west. Five birds circled above, marking the spot where you needed to go next. 

As you move down an incline, you notice the patterns: a series of three and then seven markings that align perfectly. The runes form a map with hidden coordinates, guiding you precisely to where you need to be. All five of you looked up at the tower and two of you looked east and you could see the way forward. 

Next: E1Q1 A Riddle Solved