Berra — Happy Returns
1628, Sea Season, Movement Week
Context
It is the first time that Berra and Xenofos have really had time to talk since his return from Prax. [[[s03:session-2|Session 2]]]
Events
Berra looks relaxed despite the cool weather of Sea Season, and is riding along with her usual glare for the road. Rajar’s Storm Bulls are getting a look now and again, but she is not keyed up or worried – just taking things in. She drifts her bison in towards Xenofos and his mount, as they crest a rise and Dangerford’s walls start to be visible.
Smile spreads slowly on the face of the scholar as the little Humakti on big bison gets closer.
“Hey there.” Berra has a bit of trouble stopping Followed from crossing the scholar’s path, and deals with it by vaulting off and hauling the animal to point in the right direction. Mounting up is slightly less elegant, but only in the way that mist is less wet than rain – Berra in motion is exactly how Berra should be.
“Hello, Berra” scribe answers. He is unhelmeted and his brimmed riding hat has been thrown to his back. His eyes squint from his smile.
“You look happy. Tell me about your niece!” It’s a demand that says no refusal will be allowed.
“She was born on Clayday of movement week of Dark season. She has finest dark hair. Dark brown eyes. And she makes the cutest loud burp when she has eaten. And Neela named her Elara. Light in Darkness.” Scholar is looking at Berra but it is possible that he is not seeing her. Not the whole time maybe.
Berra nods. “They do burp. Does she get milk everywhere? Those are… well… I don’t like to take that sort from Yehna too soon. I helped look after a few, but she’s better at it. So wait, she’ll be smiling by now. Did she smile at you?” Berra counts up on her fingers, gets to ‘maybe’.
“I am not sure… I thought she did” He smiles “I might have been a bit besotted with her. I think she laughed at getting tickled by the beard or nose.”
Berra says, “Probably not, not yet. She don’t know… does not know what laughter is. Yet. She needs to learn smiles first. I think, anyhow. It’s been years so Yehna would know but I’m forgetting. She got a strong back, or is she one of the floppy sort?”
“I don”t have comparisons, Berra. She was quite small and I could not understand how light she was.”
Berra makes a couple of gestures of excitement, and then nods, and looks down at her bison’s head. “I’m glad for you. Getting to know the really tiny ones is sort of important.”
Xenofos nods and is the left looking at Berra’s profile. “Yes…”
It takes a moment for her to come out of wherever she is. “I’m glad you’re back, too. You’re interesting.”
“I am gad to be back, Berra.” He looks eastwards “I may have left a part of me to the plains, though. Not something I ever expected to happen.”
Berra leans back so as not to get in the way, also looking. “Alright, but you brought a bit of them back as well,” she points out.
Scholar strokes his oiled beard and wrinkles his nose. “I guess so, in a way you could say that.”
“Irillo’s right about travel. It gives people the chance to get along.”
“That is one thing it does.” Scribe looks around “and raid and wage war too… But maybe more good than evil.”
Berra pours herself upright again, accidentally steering Followed away by hooking a foot under her horn. “People’d be doing that without the travel. It’s the setting off and talking that he’s right about. Just… walking and talking and selling. I hope he’s getting on well.”
“I hope that too.” He shrugs “I know there is one hearth I wish to visit from now on every now and then, gods permitting. And even if I would never go back I am glad I had chance to be there Dark season.”
“You’re going to have to have a whole lot of habits, then. Oh, we should do more wrestling and Heortling practice. Possibly at the same time. But don’t grab me like you’re going to throw me in a river, for a while. I’ve got some duck-related stuff I need to work through in my head.” Berra has unhorsed her thoughts again.
“I wrestled some llamarider. I am not sure why, I think it had something to do with Valseena and Suuraki getting married.”
Berra laughs. “Were you drunk?”
“No. Just dragged to the place by people talking Praxian pretty rapidly.” He tilts his head “And then afterwards I did not stay for the party.
“Ah, well. If people are telling you to go do that, of course you will. You won, right?” Berra looks proud.
“Well not of course. But if it is to help Valseena and Suuraki…” He smiles ” And yes I did.”
“Fantastic. You deserve it. Well done.” Berra reaches for her water bottle, a shiny one in boiled leather, waxed on the inside. “Drink? I got some apple in here.”
“Thanks for saying that” He smiles at Berra. “And yes please.”
She hands it over. “Anyhow. More small child soon. You’ll get to find out what a loud shouty one’s like, and she’ll probably wriggle if we’re lucky.”
” I do wish to see her too, Berra.” He takes a sip. “Was she named or found out to be loud first?”
“We don’t announce names before the ceremony, in Sartar, although we usually know what it’s going to be, so she was loud, and probably going to be called Berra. And yeah, she’s small. I don’t find it confusing but a lot of people apparently do.”
Xenofos nods and smiles. “Namesakes can sometimes be. “
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Berra asks Xenofos about his ‘niece’ in Prax.
