Berra — Kicked In The Head By Storm Bull
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Context
Berra required the help of Storm Bull to complete a HeroQuest some days before this conversation. Serala is enough of a tracker to notice a thing about her. This conversation was during [[[s01:session-9|Session 9]]].
Events
Berra has been walking along the road for some time… Her stride is mostly the long swing of infantry, but sometimes, for no apparent reason, she’s up on the balls of her feet and moving much more like an Alynx – a big cat. It’s not like she should be alert at those times.
Interesting…. Serala will quietly just watch for a while, see if there’s any rhyme or reason to it…
Over some days… no.
Go for the ‘subtle’ peering when she notices Berra doing the cat-pace then. Subtle enough to be sure that Berra notices her noticing.
That stops Berra from doing it, and she looks /really/ pissed off about it. Not at Serala, but at something.
Next time it’s convenient, i.e. grooming horses together (ho ho!), or settled by the camp fire alone, or similar, Serala will bluntly ask what it was about then!
“Later,” says Berra, obviously distracted. After that, she plants her feet rather more carefully.
Serala regards Berra quizzically for a moment, before inclining her head. “Let me know if you need anything.” is all she comments before letting it drop. … but continuing to observe, except with rather more subtlety.
A bit later, Berra says, apparently for no reason, “When we have a stop, and I am not in charge.” So that would be Alda Chur. Once they get to Alda-Chur she’ll see if there’s a moment they get together.
Serala always has a tendency to hang out by herself/with the horses, but if anyone’s watching, she might be being a bit more obviously quietly-available, yup.
Berra sighs… “I got kicked in the head by Storm Bull,” she says, and sweeps back her hair from her forehead. She did have it pulled back when they first met. Now, she’s got a bruise, fresh and purple-black, in the shape of the Beast Rune.
There is a long moment while Serala just continues grooming Pag. Then she turns, expression as impassive as she can manage, and studies the bruise. “I have horse liniment that might help that.” she replies quietly. Another pause. “What happened? I wasn’t aware Storm Bull usually kicks people in the head.”
“No. It’s been like this…” She pauses and thinks. “I think I shouldn’t. It’s… well, if I threw your magic at it, then that would be the wrong thing. It happened in the Hero-Quest.”
“Ahh.” Another pause. Serala does seem to prefer gathering her thoughts in silence. Or maybe she’s a bit slow. “So you get to live with it. Perhaps it is a good thing? Animals are good friends.”
“It would be if I were Rajar. But I’m a Humakti. There shouldn’t be room in me for this. It’s… too hot. I should be calm and … well, Humakti. Fair.”
“I’m not sure that we are not all going to have to expand our horizons. I belong to Yelmalio. But he appears to be preferring to speak with me as Elmar. It is confusing.” She offers you a brush, apparently talking without grooming doesn’t work for her. “If it is part of you now, you need to learn to either use it or choose to actively not. Which is probably little help to you, but it’s all I have, I’m afraid.”
“I know this one. I need to purge it from myself – this is a matter of Humakt, who cut away his own kin. It may take a while, but I will do it.” She sweeps her hair forwards once more. “I think I know what you mean. There are many paths to the same God.”
Serala nods once more. “I don’t pretend to understand gods. I understand the freedom of the steppes and question why I am here. But presumably the reason will become clear in time.” She smiles suddenly, a flash of almost mischief that lights up her face. “There is something to be said for riding forth without plans. But when you have made yours, Berra, if you need a shieldbearer on your path, I will be there.”
“The reason is probably that Storm Bull got called, and either needed a mark or wanted to demonstrate his irritation.” Then she grins. “I’ll be there for you too.”
Serala laughs softly, “As direct as Rajar himself. Or is that, Rajar is as direct as his god..?”
“Rajar is… not the Pure Hot Wind. But he might be one day.” Then Berra takes a deep breath. “Temple, then. I have to talk about swords.”
