1629, Earth Season, Disorder Week, Waterday?
Context
The last time Xenofos saw Berra she was very jumpy and distant. So far she has been polite but they have not been alone together. Session S6-Prax-1.
Events
After arriving at the tiny village of Greyrock Fall, Berra disappeared for a time. Now she comes walking up to where her bison is, and where her horse will be overnight, at least, before it is sent back to Boldhome. The animals were put into a small corral together. The weather is fine, and they do not need to fear it.
Xenofos is brushing his horse and talking softly to it. He nods to Berra as she approaches.
Berra pauses, looks at Xenofos, and looks at her own horse. For a long moment she is silent, and then she asks, “Do you have a spare brush? Mine’s with my kit.”
After acknowledging Berra’s appearance Xenofos has been looking closely at his work1Failed Insight. Staring elsewhere.. When Berra starts talking, he looks almost startled.
“No… But you can use this one. I am almost done.”
Berra says nothing for a moment, but takes on an aspect of waiting patiently. It does not last. “S’good that you’re going to get out and see your niece.”
Xenofos nods and sighs. “Yes. She must have grown quite a lot already. And my nephew, too for that matter.”
“Maalira wants to go home as well. Just for a bit. You know the plan, s’much’s there is one?” Berra tilts her head to one side, focussing on Xenofos.
“Not really. I know you wait to hear details of your exile and then we are heading for Prax?” Xenofos turns to look at Berra.
“Well, I don’t know if the details will get to me before we go, but I’ve got business out in Prax. I want to go speak to a Humakti who lives on the Zola Fel, or did last I knew. Daine.”
Xenofos nods. “I remember him. He was at Raus Fort.”
“Yeah, that guy. So we’ll probably head along Caravan Alley, but listening out for where the Straw Weavers might be. We’ll go with them if we meet them, at least for a couple of weeks. Tourney Altar, the Paps, and then swing over past the heels and tail, and East until we hit water. I think that puts us South of… Ronegarth, was it? Roadgarth?”
Berra nose-crinkles, thinking.
“I don’t remember Praxian geography that well. I know it was on the river.” Xenofos eyes wander towards east. “And after you have met him? Then what?”
“Up to New Pavis, probably. I want to talk to a few High Swords on the way back. I’m hoping Lord Daine will come back with me, although if he doesn’t that makes it easier. I’m gonna have to go back to… Alone, maybe? For a while? I dunno. But I can come back to almost this side of the mountains.” Berra’s scowl deepens as she thinks.
“Will you be exiled from Sartar or just from clanlands like Varanis was?”
“I offended Kallyr,” Berra points out. “It’s going to be Dragon Pass. She’s the King of it.”
“So Sartar, Grazelands and Tarsh…” Xenofos looks west for a while “or at least those parts of Tarsh that acknowledge her. Her army and White Bull’s army are on that direction you said.”
Berra glances towards where Alone might be. “Alda Chur would probably take me.” She indicates in front of her somewhere. “I”ll be allowed back in there about… well, before we get back, probably. Although right now I could possibly be in the lands there but not the city.”
“Mellia said she would probably talk with Eril about this. I promised we would send her a word when we know how long your sentence is.”
“Lord Eril didn’t have anything to do with it,” Berra says, a bit quickly. That might be defensiveness.
“She did not imply he did.” Xenofos shrugs “And it was not my place to tell her to not to. She was a bit crestfallen to hear that we would be leaving before her babies are born.”
Berra winces. “Yeah… hopefully she’ll go to the Cinder Foxes to have … well, Thenaya should be there.”
“She did not say.” Xenofos strokes his beard. “But she did say that going to Boldhome would be after she would again be able to travel so she was not planning on going there or Blue Tree now?”
“She could travel if she had to, but she’d have to have other people to help.” Berra has not taken the brush yet.
Xenofos nods. “She does have her temple to take care of when she can. I think she has grown some roots in Sartar and that duty will make them stronger.”
“I gotta do my horse.” Berra holds out her hand. “Lemme know if you have ideas about finding the Straw Weavers.” It’s a dismissal.
Xenofos hands the brush to Berra, pats his horse one more time and leaves the corral.
The Humakti whistles for her horse. It walks away from her.
- 1Failed Insight. Staring elsewhere.
