1630, Sea Season, Disorder Week(ish)?
Context
Somewhere north of Moonbroth and south of Jaldon’s Rest, the party paused for a few nights. Irillo was going to make a trip to Boldhome to check on the situation there. Varanis asked Lord Raven’s help to write a letter for the new king. Session: Oracles and Messengers
Events
Varanis dictated the letter to Lord Raven, who took a moment to consider, nodded, and wrote.
‘King Argrath, respectful greetings from your cousin. Thank you for returning our Grandfather to Sartar. I will be travelling outside of the kingdom until Berra’s exile has lapsed. I wish to remind you that our family line has an obligation to the Telmori. They serve Sartar and Sartar serves them.’
Then he presented it to Varanis, and then he disappeared into smoke. Irillo is now long gone, and Yelm has fled to the underworld, and Berra is on watch, having decided that she needs a lot of sleep all at once tonight, so she will guard in the evening.
When handed the letter, Varanis glanced at it, looked briefly uncertain, but as the spirit was already gone, she sighed and entrusted the document to her cousin.
Now, however, she wanders up to Berra. “Any chance I could speak with Lord Raven?”
Berra puts her hand on her sword, and listens briefly. Her lips move and then she starts to unbuckle the sword belt. “He says good evening, and his sword’s due for some oil. He’s not wrong, but I’ll do that. Just know he’s feeling that way.”
This earns Berra and the sword a quirked eyebrow. Varanis presses her lips together to stifle the accompanying smirk.
Berra gives Varanis a quick grin. “He wants something to complain about,” she whispers, quiet but clear.
The sword is offered. For that at least, Berra takes a moment to be serious.
Varanis accepts the sheathed blade with both hands. “I’m not oiling you,” she murmurs to it. “You’re not really my type.”
There is a mental spluttering from within, and an offended sound from Dezar, who says, HE COUGHED!
The Vingan chuckles.
Berra either heard or lip-read, unless she is very good at guessing. She is trying not to laugh as she turns back to her post. Later she might walk up and down.
Lord Raven says nothing from the sword.
“I’d climb the tree with you,” Varanis says conversationally, “but you might fall out. And I ought to be treating you with more respect than that. Let’s go sit by the fire, shall we? Then Berra won’t be worried about me wandering off in the dark.” She takes him over to their improvised hearth, located away from the lone ash tree.
Finarvi and Maalira are tending to the mounts nearby, close enough to hear if they wish, but far enough to focus on their own conversation if they prefer.
Lord Raven pours himself out into a seat by the fire, and looks around. “Is there anything left to eat? I like Maalira’s cooking.”
“I saved you a portion,” Varanis says, handing over her own bowl and spoon.
The Wyter smiles. “You anticipate me well. Thank you.” He takes both, blows over the food in a blessing of Orlanth’s strength that is entirely pointless given the food is cooled already, and starts to take small bites, giving Varanis much of his attention.
She gives him time to get a few mouthfuls of food into him before asking, “What did you actually write?”
To the point and without preamble or warning.
He considers. “Your words, with better meat on the bones,” is his eventual reply.
His expression says ‘busted’, but not in a worried way.1Varanis passes Insight.
“I see. Do you remember it well enough to recite it back to me? So that I know what I said to the king?”2Lord Raven fails Insight, so does not know she hasn’t decided if she’s annoyed yet.
He begins, “King Argrath, respectful greetings from your cousin, Varanis of Nochet. Thank you for returning our Grandfather to Sartar. You may know I am not currently within the Kingdom; I will be travelling for some time but any message may be brought to Jaldon’s Rest, as a famous point on the edge of Sartar.” That said he pauses as if to read off from his memory, and give Varanis time to adjust and listen fully.
She winces when he says Nochet, but doesn’t interrupt.
“I am with a friend of mine, Berra. No doubt you will know her name and fame. As a minor matter, I hope to clear up the matter of her exile soon,” he tells the air. His hand twitches a little, like he wants to be in a great hall, reciting this where everyone can see.
“It did rather seem like there were more words than I’d expected. Now I see why. And the Telmori?”
He gives Varanis a mild look,, and then takes another breath, having decided not to interrupt himself. “As a more major matter, and a personal wish of mine, I wonder if I will see you soon in amity with the Telmori tribe. Grandfather’s wishes were always that they serve Sartar and Sartar serve them. I am willing to put my name to their good behaviour, should you wish to hold me to command them in your name.”
She winces again. “In his name? I have said I’ll not serve another king. Would you have me be foresworn, Lord?”
“Oh, not at all. You do not have to swear to serve him, save to say the Telmori are his, and you merely hold them. This may be a petty difference in reality, but it is a large one in law.” Lord Raven takes another delicate bite.
“I see.” Varanis mulls that over. “And Nochet so that I do not seem to be claiming Sartar as mine, even though I see myself as belonging to the kingdom?”
He nods his head respectfully. “Indeed, yes. The order of the two requests is so that after putting him in a good mood with himself over the smaller matter, he will be more inclined to accede to the larger. I admit it serves me too, but that is fortuitous rather than damaging to you. If he does not have anything to say on Berra, that will be informative.”3Insight: He seldom calls her ‘Berra’. He is nervous about the answer.
The Wind Lord doesn’t reply for a long time. Instead, she picks up the stick that was used prod the fire earlier and she pokes at the burning dung herself. She scowls, then pokes it again. Finally, in a calm, steady voice she says, “And you decided not to tell me how you were changing my words until I asked?”
“No, I was going to tell you before you had the chance to visit Boldhome, but I felt you should not recall that letter.” He pauses in eating to add, “I stand by it. You were too blunt, in trying to say only the bare facts. You wrote as a Humakti.”
“I see. And I’m such an unreasonable person that it is best not to tell me in the moment.”
“No, you were such an emotional person that you might argue about wording, in the moment. Anyone who reminds a new King about familial obligations while talking about exile needs interpretation.”
“It is good to know what you think of me,” Varanis says softly, poking at the fire again before dropping the stick to the ground. “Your words were well chosen. You made wise changes. Thank you.” She rises abruptly and stalks away, heading into the darkness beyond the reach of the firelight.
Lord Raven puts down the food and follows. “I handed it to you to look,” he points out, “Before the temptation of peace took me. My fault as a scribe was not reading it back to you out loud.” He can walk fast, although he does not try to overtake Varanis. He just casually glides along a little behind her.
“You did. Though you conveniently vanished before I could ask you about it,” she points out.
“Well, I was irritated.” He sounds faintly apologetic. “Anyway, it’s not like you do not know where I reside!” Then he sounds defensive instead.
“Calling you back out to question you when you clearly didn’t want to talk to me seemed like it would put us both in a challenging position,” she points out. “I decided to trust you. That’s what we do, isn’t it? Trust our friends and allies?”
“Pause at least, rather than get further away?” Lord Raven slows down somewhat. “The night is barely worth admiring, but perhaps there are stars. It is for us to wait now.”
“I don’t wait well, Lord Raven. But,” she changes her direction to allow them to circle the camp, “you’re right. We need to be within yelling distance if they need us.”
He turns smoothly, still letting her walk ahead. “You were writing something painful to you. I know that.”
“I don’t know what I’ll do if he exiles me,” Varanis blurts suddenly. “It’s my chosen home. I’m not of Nochet anymore. I haven’t been for years. Where will I go?”
“Old Tarsh,” Lord Raven replies, like it is unthinkable to go elsewhere. “They are wild and untamed, but they are Orlanthi, and you would do well as one of their leaders.”
“I will miss you all,” she whispers.
“What?” There is the sound of a shadow stopping and then catching up. “Do you think you would be alone?”
“She is his priest and you his Wyter. This exile was not of her choosing. But when it is lifted, you need to return to Boldhome.” Her breathing hitches. “Xenofos would likely join me, so I won’t be alone.”
He is silent for a few moments, and then says, “You see her torn, and choosing sworn duty over friendship, where she holds half your heart.”
She nods, then speaks in case he couldn’t see the gesture in the darkness. “She is Humakti. Separate. It is her path and I won’t tear her from it. She’s warned me before that she is not mine.”
He steps closer. “I think the Hero understands the necessity of keeping talented people together.”
She huffs a little almost laugh. “Sure.”
“You could, however, do me a favour?” The golden scar glows brighter for a moment.
“I’m listening.”
“Wait until the news of exile before you despair.”
“I’ll not despair,” she replies defensively. “I’m not even doing that now. Well… maybe a little.” They’ve circled such that they are opposite where they left Berra. “Can you tell me something? Is she still confused as to why I followed her into exile?”
He misses a footstep, flows smoothly into where he would have been if he did not. “She is conflicted as always.” His voice drops until only a treacherous breeze might carry it to listeners. “I suppose when one tries to live to help others, it is strange to be helped.”
“Her inability to understand it…” Varanis begins. She pauses and starts again, “Her belief that my choice was selfish and based in my anger at Kallyr rather than my love for her, and her notion that I would just abandon her to dance back into Boldhome after Sacred Time are among the reasons I don’t expect her to follow me into exile should Argrath want me gone. If she had to choose between me and the Hero, I know where her choice would go. I’d prefer not to force her into making a choice. She doesn’t need that burden.” Varanis stops moving to face the spirit. She stares at him intently, sparks in her eyes. “But if it comes to that, you’d better look after her.”
“Of course.” He is starting to fade, and sighs. “Do not protect her. She wants to be-” and then he’s gone. His last expression annoyance, but his voice did not hold it. He was annoyed about vanishing.
Varanis stays for a time by herself in the darkness before sighing and turning back to the fire. There is no need to make anyone worry and she should sleep before it is her turn to take a watch.
Berra is still on watch, with only one sword, but she does not seem to be missing it. Perhaps she ran out of oil and does not want to tell Lord Raven.
When Varanis approaches, she offers the sword over, hilt first. “He seems to be done for the night.”
Berra gives Varanis a smile. “Thank you. You’re on for morning, yeah?”
“Of course. Do you have what you need for now?”
“Yeah, cloak’s warm.” Berra has moved a little, but does not look to have done a circuit of the camp yet. “Ground’s solid. I think I know where a comfy rock is.”
“We walked the perimeter, to about there.” Varanis points directly opposite where they stand, across the fire and the temporary camp. “When he disappeared, I stopped walking, so half of it hasn’t been checked yet.”
Berra nods. “Thanks. It was pretty bare when Yelm went down, but I like… yeah, you go turn in.”4Berra fails Insight and Scan.
Berra looks back out towards Prax, where she is still allowed to be.
tackle hug
Argk!
Without warning, the Humakti is dragged into a fierce hug. She is released almost as swiftly as she was tackled.
Berra is completely taken by surprise, and there is a small squeak. There is no time for her to struggle before she is put down, and then it takes a moment for her to catch up with events. She looks at Varanis, looks back out at Prax in the dark, and looks at Varanis once more all in the space of a second.
The Vingan shrugs, pats her on the head, then heads to camp.
Berra makes a little confused noise like a ‘proooffffpppp?’ but stays on guard.
- 1Varanis passes Insight.
- 2Lord Raven fails Insight, so does not know she hasn’t decided if she’s annoyed yet.
- 3Insight: He seldom calls her ‘Berra’. He is nervous about the answer.
- 4Berra fails Insight and Scan.
