1627, Sea Season, Movement Week
Context
After meeting a Fox Woman and finding her cousin Danaril, deeply changed by Lunars, Berra is on guard with Varanis. Session 2.39.
Events
After the ghost, there was a night to be had by the once-haunted once-mansion. Berra, who had worshipped the night before, put herself on last with Varanis. Even a few minutes into the watch, it is clear she is having trouble staying still. Every part of her is fidgety; her feet grind or move on stone, her hands clench, she bounces on her toes – but slowly. She is looking for something to explode at.
“Do you need to walk the perimeter?” Varanis asks after observing the Humakti for a time.
“I need to…. I dunno. It’s not what I want. I think if I get moving I might run. I want to punch things.” Berra is in one of her moods.
“Not an option right now,” the Vingan points out simply. “I’ll listen if talking about it will help.” She scans the surrounding woods, rather than watching Berra.
The Humakti allows her own gaze to focus on her companion briefly. She suspects that Varanis is trying not to pressure her into confronting whatever is bothering her.1Berra passes Insight(Human).
“It’s not a GOOD option,” Berra says, when she finally does look at Varanis. “But yeah. Maybe. Dunno. Trying not to let hatred get in the way.”
“If you need to burn off the energy by fighting, you can have me after Yelmrise, when the others are awake.”
“It’s not energy. I get this way when I want to kill someone. I think I probably shouldn’t, though.”
“As you wish. What should you do then?” The Vingan shifts position so that she can scan more of the woods around them. Her stance is relaxed, though her hand rests on her hilt.
After a few minutes, Berra says, “Learn about honour. And one day, punch Fazzur Wideread in the face. Maybe. But probably be really sorry about it afterwards.”
“That would be a sight to see.”
“Well, yeah.” There is a grin from the little Humakti and then some of the tension comes out of her. “My cousin used to defend me. Now he can’t even defend himself.”
“Maybe Mellia can ease his pain. It might be possible for him to help at her temple in the Tula.” Varanis has apparently given this some thought.
“Yeah. It’s a thing to get past. I know. But there’s nearly nothing left of him. Like his Sky went out. Can they help that?” Berra huddles up in her cloak, like she is afraid of the answer.
“Maybe? If he can get well enough, a hero quest might help him.”
“The clan won’t take him back if the tree won’t take him,” Berra says. “And they’re my clan but he’s my FAMILY. So then I’ll look after him. Somehow.”
“They can’t turn him away if Mellia claims him, can they?” Varanis looks thoughtful.
“No, but then he’ll be an outsider.” Berra’s voice lowers, flattens like the peasant she is.
“As he would be anywhere else. But he’d have a home, and a healer, and a purpose.” Varanis shrugs. “It was just a suggestion, Berra.”
Berra sighs, looks down. “Yeah. Thank you. I know… I just want to hurt everyone who did this, and I don’t think right now I’d stop.”
“This is why we need to unite people behind Kallyr. So we can drive the Lunar scum out of Dragon Pass for good and punish them for the ways they have hurt our people.” The fervour in the words matches the glare Varanis finally turns on Berra. “I’m so sick of seeing the results of their barbarism, for all they like to pretend to civility.”
Berra closes her eyes. “I need to be a better Humakt. Not in the way I normally try. But to remember why we fight, when I’m fighting.”
Varanis doesn’t argue, instead returning her turbulent gaze back to the task of scanning the woods for potential threats.
Berra gesticulates, shedding a touch of water from her cloak. “If I try… if I do it for the wrong reasons, that’s bad. If I was gonna be a Rune Lord, honour’s where I’d fall short first. Just… everything seems like a target sometimes.”
“Honour is like truth, Berra. It just is. It’s non negotiable. If you can follow the path of truth, then you can follow honour’s path too.”
Berra breathes in slowly, breathes out. “Yeah. Truth is a torch to see the way. Thank you. That helps.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
Berra stays quiet for a while, but she moves less, although now and again she shifts her weight as if trying to see a problem from a new angle.
- 1Berra passes Insight(Human).
