1629, Sea Season, I’m pretty sure this is Death Week, Fireday
Context
After the affair in the Spirit World, the group wakes up to rain. Session SA4.12.
Events
Overnight from the early hours, atop the plateau of the new spring, there is rain. Orlanth is loving Ernalda more than usual, and the rain splatters and bounces and comes in at all angles, as if clouds are fighting for the right to water the place. The camp itself is proof against the wind, as if something protects it, but water brings joy and life, and so joyfully, it rains. Hecking rain. It wett. Water fals. Maalira sleeps snugly beneath her hides, as a Bison Rider should.1Maalira has passed Survival.
Still, dawn is here now, and Berra and Varanis are on their way back from bullying the sun, or whatever it is that Daughters of Vinga do.
“…spear practice?” Berra seems to be offering Varanis violence, but as they get back to the camp she quietens down a bit, looks around, and gives Maalira a raise of the hand in greeting. Above, the sky continues to know joy.
Maalira waves a hand from within her nest of hides. “Wet,” she mumbles.
Berra gives Varanis a mock glare. “Yeah. Overnight happened.” She detours towards Maalira. “You slept through some stuff. Mellia might want to … Mellia got hit by a disease spirit. They’re all gone, but when she wakes up, check on her?”
Varanis shrugs. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Maalira nods and yawns hugely. Water drips off the edge of her hides onto her nose.
Berra watches the nose. “They healed a place in the Earth. Apparently sometimes I’m a river of blades and sometimes I’m a honey badger. I think I know what that is, but I just felt like me.”
“Sounds about right,” Maalira says. “Is there anything to eat?”
“I’m a whirlwind,” Varanis adds. “And apparently, chasing cloud sheep is more fun than I realised.”
“There’s plenty to drink. And the Lady here’s… oh, her shrine grew back!” In the dawn light, Berra has looked around for food and seen that the spring now has its sacred rock formations back in place.
Maalira sits up, spluttering as water droplets scatter in all directions. She peers at the shrine. “Huh. So it has. Well, that’s good.”
Berra pulls off her cloak to offer it to Maalira, like that’s just the done thing. She was, until now, mostly dry underneath.2Betrayed by Dice Rolls. Passed Love.
Maalira puts it on gratefully. “Thank you. Won’t you get soaked though?” She lifts up one side of it as if to offer Berra shelter underneath, like that’s just the done thing.
Varanis smothers a grin. “I’ll look into breakfast.” Oh no. Best hope she’s not going to try cooking anything. That never goes well.
Berra squidges in gratefully. “It’s pretty damp out here, yes.” She watches Varanis. “We’ll probably have to drop past the Nunnery to make sure Mellia’s alright, and I think we likely have to visit the other rock-women here, too. They’ll be. Um. To find out what you’re. What… I didn’t sleep much last night. Can I try that last bit again?”
“I think you will have to try that last bit again,” giggles Maalira.
“The trolls want the food magic, and the goddesses still don’t like them, but we can tell them that it wasn’t that troll that… well, we can hopefully give them a way to talk to each other and find the best one for them to ask. Did that make more sense?” Berra looks pensive-thoughtful.
“Mostly, I think. We have some diplomsy to do,” Maalira says.
Berra nods. “Yes. That. And some investigating, and then probably some fighting, and then I probably need to go after that. I gotta talk to someone in Nochet. But that’s for later. Today – food and then walking and talking.”
“And hopefully not getting washed away,” Maalira adds.
Her curls are reacting predictably to the damp.
“Getting down the slope shouldn’t be too hard, but someone’ll have to hold Mellia’s hand, probably. She likes really solid ground, and not rivers.” At least Berra has short hair, although Maalira’s is invading her shoulder.
Maalira attempts to blow a curl away from her nose. “I’m more worried about getting down the slope suddenly becoming exceptionally easy and quick.”
Varanis comes back with a bowl of berries, mushrooms, and some trail rations. “I’m getting a bit tired of dried foods, but I found these berries and mushrooms back that way. I don’t know what they are, but they look fine. They might be magic, because I don’t remember them being there last night, but it was dark.” She looks at her friends hopefully. ((96/15 for plant lore and 77/45 for survival.))
Maalira looks at them closely. “Yes, they will be fine.” 3pass plant lore, special survival
“No clue about the mushrooms,” Berra says brightly. “But we have two White Ladies here. Those ones are called Seaberries, but they don’t taste salty. They just hang around on bushes, and they’re pretty good.”
Varanis pops one in her mouth, then wrinkles her nose. “Either they are sour or not ripe yet. Or both.” Then she pops another into her mouth and makes the same face.
Berra shrugs. “They don’t count as vegetables, so…” She puts a hand out of the shared cloak, just far enough to get it rained on.
Varanis grabs a couple more, then passes the bowl over.
Berra takes the bowl and holds it where Maalira can get at it, like the White Lady is her left hand.
Maalira plucks out a mushroom, and holds it up close to her eyes. “Yellow-gilled ground cobble,” she decides. “Not particularly tasty but perfectly harmless and filling enough.”
She pops it in her mouth and chews and swallows with no particular expression.
The Humakti holds the bowl patiently. “V’ranis, you got any idea which places we should visit first? The Nunnery… And… um, all the other goddesses?”
The Vingan keeps making faces, even as she determinedly eats the berries. She pauses, then says, “Because I want to!” as though in reply to a question. “It’s a change and I wanted a change. Besides, if I don’t eat, they get grouchy with me.” She waves at the two huddled beneath the cloak.
“Varanis…” Maalira says worriedly.
Berra smiles. “Oh, Varanis got a kitten!”
Maalira blinks.
The Vingan puts her hand on her sword hilt soothingly. “Yes, they’re talking about you. And yes, I will tell them you’re a mighty hunter.” She gives the pair a toothy grin. “Dezar is a mighty warrior and superb hunter. He says so.”
“Does he have a Truth Rune marking?” Berra inquires innocently.
“Her sword is a kitten?” Maalira attempts to turn her head to look at Berra, dragging damp hair with her.
“It’s got a…” Berra shuts up and nods to Varanis.
“It’s got a WHAT, Berra?”
Varanis laughs. “Well, he doesn’t, but the sword does, so maybe he’ll learn.” To Maalira, she adds, “He’s a spirit I helped last night. We were kind of drawn to each other and now he’s become mine. I don’t know if anyone has had a kitten as an allied spirit before.”
She stifles a giggle. “Sorry, a mighty warrior alynx.”
“Yeah. Rune Lord. So she’s got… well, a kitten. A mighty warrior alynx kitten apparently. Inhabiting it now.” Berra nods wisely.
Maalira considers this for a moment, then mutters “I hope this isn’t the mushrooms.”
“No, a lot happened last night. But most of it’s over and apparently they… rescued Dezar? Or found him? I wasn’t there for that bit.”
“Sounds like you had a very busy day in the night.”
There is faint snoring from under Lenta’s blanket nearby.
After handing over some rations, Varanis wraps her cloak tightly around her and drops onto a rock. A wet rock, but then again, everything is wet.
“You’ll rust if I take you out,” she objects. “Well, ok, I know it’s enchanted metal, but what if….” The conversation continues, albeit quietly enough that others can ignore her.
“Yeah. The Tusk Rider’s faded away again now, but it turns out he was a shaman, and they needed a scout. We found what was probably the Broo encampment.” Berra balances the bowl so that she can hold and eat from it without anyone getting too wet, and ignores the lock of Maalira’s hair currently stuck to her cheek.
“Should we wake Lenta?” Maalira suggests. “She might want some tart berries and bland mushrooms too.”
“We should get moving.” Berra looks over towards Lenta with a sigh. “And… I’m not sure if we should wake Mellia or let her sleep, though.” Maalira gets a quizzical look from up close.
Maalira masterfully resists the temptation to boop Berra’s rather adjacent nose. “Yes, the sooner the better I guess. Lots of goddesses.”
That earns an earnest nod. “We could try to cook breakfast too? I don’t think it’s raining so hard down the slope.”
“Yes, definitely. Let’s gather everyone up and go and make something hot.”
“No, won’t go pounce on Lenta,” Varanis says. “And not Mellia or Irillo either.”
Berra blinks. “Want me to hold my cloak so you can get something dry on?” She looks like she might even be able to move if the answer is yes.
“No, I think I’ll stay in these for now since it’s still raining. No sense soaking another set of clothes. I’ll change when the weather does.” The latter sentence sounds rather petulant.
“If you’re Orlanthi enough you can change any time.” Berra smiles, but holds the cloak up so that Maalira can get out of it. “I need to go roll up my things anyhow.” She keeps looking after the bowl, which in some ways makes her a bad Humakti – she is not keeping her sword hand free.
Maalira slips out from under the cloak and glares at her wet sleeping hides. “Ugh,” she says to no one in particular before getting to work packing them away.
Berra goes to do the same thing, taking the bowl with her, but eating very little. She divides up what Varanis found so that Mellia and Lenta will both have a share of what is by now really terrible mushroom soup. “We’ll probably be able to dry off at the Nunnery if not before,” she calls over, and then bows to the tall stone statue that overlooks the growing spring. A morning bow. Hello from her.
“I know that splashing in puddles is … wait. You like puddles?”
Berra laughs out loud.
Mellia, who had insisted on staying a little bit away from everyone, wakes and sits upright.
The blankets covering Lenta roll a bit to form even tighter bundle. In process they uncover two feet.
The feet are pretty much instantly soaked. So is Mellia. The rain is not letting up.
The Vingan twitches. “Dezar. That’s not polite. Shhhh.”4GO ON JUMP ON HER FEET AND BITE THEM, VARANIS!
Maalira finishes packing up and goes to see Mellia. “Are you alright? I’m told there was some… stuff.”
Mellia shivers. “No,” she tells Maalira. “I contracted the wasting disease from the spirit I fought.”
Berra looks glumly that way, as she holds up a roll of hide to let the water drain out of it.
Slowly the feet disappear under the covers. Someone is curling into a rahter small ball, by appearance of it.
“No, I won’t chase them,” Varanis says to herself. “We did a lot of chasing. What kind of magic do you know?” She brushes wet tendrils of hair off her face.
Maalira puts her hands on Mellia’s hands and murmurs to herself for a while, then fishes a slightly damp packet out of her scrip and presses it into Mellia’s palm. “Drink this in hot water, when we next get a chance to make some.”
Mellia nods and carefully tucks the packet away. “Thanks, Maalira. Berra, is there any where we can go be dry?”
“It’ll have to be down the hill,” Berra says. “There are some trees, not far from the place we cleared last night. LENTA! WAKE UP TIME!”
Mellia nods and begins to pack up, with the occasional cough and shiver.
“No, I won’t give anyone a dead mouse. Besides, do I look like I carry mice around?” The Vingan is beginning to sound disgruntled.5VARANIS VARANIS VARANIS! GIVE LENTA A DEAD MOUSE FOR WHEN SHE WAKES UP!
Maalira opens her mouth as if to say something, then closes it again.
Mellia explains to Maalira, “Varanis has a spirit bound to her now.”
Maalira nods. “So I have heard. I am not convinced about the mice.”
“It’s probably easier to carry a mouse if you have pouches,” Berra points out.
The blankets shuffle again. After a short pause Lenta peers sleepily under the side of it. “Good morning.”
Rain greets her. So does Berra, with a wave.
“Good morning, Lady Lenta. We’re going to get dry.” Mellia’s teeth chattered.
Lenta nods sleepily and stretches. “I feel weirdly sore. I thought I know every muscle in my body from dancing but this morning I seem to have found some new ones.” She remarks with a yawn.
“Slithering around on your tail will do that to you,” Berra says. “Varanis got some berries and mushrooms. They taste yucky but have some and then we’ll have a hot drink in an hour or two, and talk about what’s going on.”
Lenta looks first at Berra and then at Varanis. She rises nimbly enough and walks to Varanis to peek what she has brought. “A mouse, mushrooms or berries?”
Berra angles in towards Lenta, bringing with her a meagre helping of blue-red berries and a couple of flattish mushrooms, in a bowl that also has some trail mix.
Mellia finishes her packing.
Lenta thanks Berra “Did everyone get their share already?”
“Mellia’s is by my kit. This is all yours.” Berra gives Lenta a smile half a beat behind the conversation.
Mellia makes her way to her share of the food and begins to eat.
- 1Maalira has passed Survival.
- 2Betrayed by Dice Rolls. Passed Love.
- 3pass plant lore, special survival
- 4GO ON JUMP ON HER FEET AND BITE THEM, VARANIS!
- 5VARANIS VARANIS VARANIS! GIVE LENTA A DEAD MOUSE FOR WHEN SHE WAKES UP!
