1626, Dark Season
Context
Dark Season, the first Wildsday Eve. Berra has just heard about the Black Fangs and is about to go to her Temple in a hurry, for worship and help. After Death and Taxes (Session 2.19).
Events
On the way out to the Temple, Berra takes Rajar aside for one moment. “Just so you know, I might come back different. It happens. If it does, and I stop drinking with you, have one in honour of Death, because I’ve become a better warrior. I hope I don’t, but you know how this goes. I might not be so much me after this.”
“As you know me. I mean, I’ll be me. Just maybe different.” That’s her Truth Rune making her speak on.
“The next step for you. More… requirements from your lord?”
“Yeah. If they will let me do it again as an initiate. They might not, and they have no idea who I am, but I can honestly say I stand by my behaviour.” Berra gives a glance down at her armour. “…I’ll wash the beer off first.”
“So what is the next step?” Rajar asks.
“For me? The big one is when my Rune Lords think I am ready to join them. That’s not yet. What I am doing today will let me feel out assassins like… well maybe like you feel out Chaos. I don’t know to compare. But if they let me, or if they don’t, I still stick close to Varanis. This isn’t the first set of assassins in her life.”
“It’s an odd thing killing by stealth. Seems easier to just kick the door down and kill everything.” Rajar is a philosopher at heart.
“Some people don’t have that skill. The killing everything bit went wrong for the Black Fangs today.” Berra glowers over the name.
“I’m impressed by our new friend.”
“I like him a lot more. I wish I had been there to help but one person each is not glorious, so I am glad I was not.”
“If we had been there they would not have been.”
“Yeah. That too.” Berra sighs. “No hanging around on her own. She’ll hate that… can you see if the White Bulls will let her be armoured in metal if there are assassins after her?”
“She is loyal to the White Bull. So perhaps. We can ask. I’ll see Venna.”
“You’re right about getting sleep. I might not get any for a while, so you should get it now.” Berra runs a hand over her padding, checking it for tearing or beer stains.
“I wonder who paid them?”
“Maybe Nala could find their spirits. I should ask how that works, at the Temple. The paying bit, I mean. They won’t know about Shaman stuff.”
“Yes. I imagine that they will know something about that.” Rajar considers. “Hmmmm. From now on Varanis drinks only water from this skin.” He taps the waterskin with a crocodile god’s tooth. “And eats food from rations.”
There is a sigh. “Are you going to tell her that, or do you want me to? We need to have things that she will do, not things we tell her to.”
“We hold a planning meeting and let her tell her. It’s all fine as long as it’s her own idea.”
Berra cannot disagree. “Can you do that while I am away? If it’s going to take more than one night, I’ll come back instead, I think. We know they are active and after her now.”
“Yes of course. A lot depends on the black pointy folks’ agreement… Is it per attempt or flat fee?”
“I don’t know. I’ll ask.” Berra considers a moment. “They might do it different ways and it could mean anything right now.”
“If anyone knows price structure it’ll be them and their foes.”
“I will try to learn anything I can. Including how faithful they are to a murder once they decide on it.”
“Aye.” Rajar spends a moment working out how to put something. “Irillo would have …..a variable price structure depending on quality of service.”
“Great. An Issaries for murder. Half price for just a bit of stabbing. Great.” Berra takes a moment and calms herself down.
“Exactly.”
