Mellia — Rescuing
????, Storm Season
Context
Early in Storm Season, in Prax. [[[s02:session-25|Session 25]]]
Events
There is a detour towards Pimper’s Block. Venlar asks Mellia if she wants to go into the settlement.
Mellia checks her purse. Does she have enough money to buy a slave?
Mellia asks Venlar, “Want to buy and free a child?”
“If you don’t want to do … I mean, to go in there, I’ll do it for you,” he says, kissing her hand.
Mellia kisses Venlar. “I am torn between freeing a child and skipping all the misery.”
“You stay here. Not everyone’s coming in. I’ll come back. Look, I’ll leave a kiss with you to remember me by, just there… I’ll pick it up again when I return.”
Mellia thanks Venlar. “Be careful .”
He makes that little noise in his throat. “Promise me you’ll kiss me again when I get back and I will swim through any river to return.”
“I will kiss you a dozen times.”
“I will do you a dozen deeds…” He would stay longer, but the party that is going into Pimper’s Block is setting off, and he has to catch them up.
This goes badly, as he looks over his shoulder while running for his zebra, only just stays upright, and has to take a few minutes while he remembers how to move without falling, as everyone calls for him.
Mellia winces a little.
It takes some hours for them to return, during which time there is food, and time to wait, and a brief break in the weather that allows clothes to dry somewhat. When Venlar returns, it is with two children, both riding while he walks. They are in clothes that look rather too big, and they themselves look underfed, big-eyed, and nervous. A girl and a boy, they look about eleven and seven.
Mellia kisses Venlar a dozen times, as promised. She smiles at the children. “Welcome. I am Mellia.” She asks their names and what they want to be when they grow up.
They look very blank, as Venlar hands over Mellia’s money, untouched. “If a lord of the Sambari can’t give love-gifts then he’s not a Lord. I’ve not given enough to you in courting.”
They look blank as food is offered too, although the girl looks a bit puzzled by the pair of bowls, and stands guard over her brother while he eats – he uses his fingers, not the spoon.
Mellia thanks Venlar some more. Mellia thinks the children must learn table manners.
Mellia tries to explain that she will free them as soon as she can get them settled. They can also stay with her.
After a few minutes, Venlar says, “I think they don’t understand…” By now the boy is finished and he stands up, letting the girl sit to eat.
Mellia sighs. “I hope they will in time. Meanwhile the children can do chores.”
“I mean, I don’t think they know trade-talk.” Venlar looks puzzled. “I thought everyone did.”
“So did I. I wish Rajar was here. We need to teach them Tradetalk.”
“There will be people in the caravan who speak Praxian well enough.”
“Good.”
