Berra — The Trail Of Lenta Ii
1627, Fire Season, Fertility Week
Context
Fire Season Fertility Week, Freezeday. [[[s02:session-42|Session 42]]]
Events
The street to palazzo Saiciae is thronged with people this late in the afternoon.
From the direction of jewel market couple of green feathers bop over the waves of heads like two playful waterbirds on a current.
Berra walks with the patience of someone thinking about something, and it takes her a while. She ticks off a few things on her fingers as she goes, but her habits are enough to keep her looking around, and her eyes are sharp enough to see the green feathers, at least at a distance. Once she gets closer to them, tall people get in her way, and she hops up onto the base of a column to look over the crowd. She still needs to stretch.
Beneath the feathers is attached a helmet, under that helmet Xenofos.
Berra waves a hand to attract his attention, then darts into the crowd towards him.
His face lits and he tries to keep track on where she is, but looses her occasionally in the crowd.
There, and there, and then there… and then by his side, beaming up at him as she steps forward to say, “Hello!”
“Hello little cousin.” He smiles tiredly.
“Long day, huuh?” Her Sartarite accent is deep, and under the surface she seems angry, in that way which he has seen before, and is trouble. But there is the smile, still. She is pleased to see him.
“Long day of chants in language I don’t know and meditation.” He says. He takes another look at her but does not ask anything, trying to stay between those mules and her.
And almost stumbles on her.
“Scribe, can you… woah, are you alright?” She puts her hand out to steady him.
“Just those mules, I guess they are heavier than me.”
“Yeah. You have better feathers, though. But I’d been going to the House – the House of Saiciae – to catch you.”
He looks around. “Lets get inside then, this is no place to hold a conversation.”
Berra hustles her way through the crowd, competently twisting and wiggling and staying away from the dense clusters.
Xenofos is able to squeeze his way in her wake. He is quite thin after all and does not get stuck from his shield and spear either.
Berra walks through the gate like she is sure she belongs there.
Ganrel just nods.
Xenofos follows. “I’ll just leave the shield and spears where they belong… Have you eaten?”
“Uhh…” Berra blinks. “Yes, I had a good breakfast. I didn’t come here for that.”
He looks at he Yelm, low on its path, but does not say anything, walking towards the armory.
“Scribe, would you write a letter for me?” Berra pauses fractionally. “Probably two letters, in fact.”
“I don’t think I can do it now, little cousin.” He looks at her and furrows his brow. “Did I not tell you I cannot read or write now?”
Berra blinks, caught without words for a brief moment before she manages, “No?”
“Since the heroquest, no” he confirms calmly with a small smile.
“Ah. Um, are you alright?” Concern looks about as good on her as one might expect.1Berra rolls Charm, gets a Special.
He puts the shield down and takes his helmet off. “Yes, Berra. I was concerned. But y… she reassured me. I am not banned from presence of Wisdom of Light. I must just keep on seeking.” His face lights up when he looks at Berra or is it mentioning her.
“That’s good.” Berra may not understand, but she believes him.
“It is” his voice is full of conviction.
For a moment, she says nothing more.
He looks at her. “She took your visage in vision she gave me. That was a bit confusing.”
Berra looks confused. “Wow.”
“I mean I knew it was her, not you but…” he shrugs and continues with a calm voice “Well… Those visions were pretty powerful. Still trying to understand them fully. Feeling immensely blessed.”
“Yeah. Good. But you can help me in another way. If I send a letter to someone in a house, what’s the best way of being sure they get it?”
“You write their name on top of it? Of course the Grandmothers have right to know what those letters say, if they want to.” Xenofos tells Berra.
“I suppose you could give servant receiving it a small gift. But that might just make them more curious.”
“That’s fine. I don’t mind her knowing. But I wanted to be sure that someone else won’t. I didn’t quite get the idea it was all smooth.” Berra shrugs. “Gifts are out. I’m not going back there.”
“Well if Grandmother wants to know what the letters say she will have someone else read them for her. She would not have time to read everything.” Scholar says as most natural thing.
“Yeah, fine. It’s not Grandmother I’m worried about. Alright. In that case, I’ll ask Varanis to write it.” She looks ready to go. “Thanks for your help.”
“I am sorry I could not help you now” he says. “This is a tad awkward.”
“Nah, it’s fine. I mean, I know other people too.” She offers him her arm to clasp. “I’ll help you if I can.”
He holds he fingers lightly and bows a bit “Thank you, It is appeciated.”
“I’m gonna go. See if Varanis is awake.” She bobs away on tiptoes, still facing him for a moment.
He follows her with his gaze as she goes away.
Bounce – boing – bound – gone. Off at a run into the house.
With a sigh he picks up the shield and spears and continues towards the armory.
====
Berra asks Xenofos to write her a letter, and finds out he cannot
- 1Berra rolls Charm, gets a Special.
