Xenofos — Words In The Early Morning
????, Fire Season, Season/Fertility Week
Context
Fire Season/Fertility Week/Freeze day/At Yelmrise in Saiciae palazzo. [[[s02:session-42|Session 42]]]
Events
When Varanis finally returns to the palazzo after the party, she only goes to her room long enough to put on her own clothes (instead of Berra’s) and her armour. From there, she heads to the palazzo roof to wait for Yelmrise. In the hours that pass, she alternates between drilling and attempting to meditate.
Berra arrives at Yelmrise, with – unusually – a backpack as well as her ordinary gear. She asks for it to be taken up to Varanis’ room, please, and settles down to watch Yelm’s light creep downwards on the wall and see who is turning up today.
Varanis is on the rooftop, stepping through her morning ritual in Yelm’s growing light. She’s very exposed up there. A second figure comes into view, ignored by the Vingan.
Berra scowls into the light, to see who it is, but does not look worried in any way.
Looks like one of the House Saiciae guards.
Berra’s attention goes back to Varanis for a bit, and then down to the courtyard.
Varanis finishes with a final salute and then looks down, spotting Berra. She gives a little wave after sheathing her rapier. A quick word to the guard and then she’s swinging herself over the edge of the roof to climb down to ground level.
Berra does see that, draws her broadsword, and salutes. It’s flourishy and overdone, and she is smiling.
When she’s close enough, Varanis pushes herself off the wall to land lightly in the courtyard. “Training time?”
“Yeah. The bits for your muscles, and then you should probably sleep.” Berra looks refreshed and happy.
“I’m…” she stifles a yawn, “….fine.”
At some point Xenofos has arrived at the doorway. In armour, holding his helmet on his arm.
“And later on you’re going to have to be talking to people again, and you’ll want to have slept.” Berra gives Varanis a broad smile. “Now. Which muscles hurt least? We’ll start with those.”1 All that climbing and running? She’s probably achy all over to some degree.
He just remains standing there. Does not step forward. There is a smile on his face.
Varanis just shrugs. “Nothing particularly stands out.”
She spies Xenofos. “Hey! Xeno. Come train with us!”
“Then hands and wrists. We’ll do finger-based changes of direction.” Berra turns to look to Xenofos, and raises a hand. She looks happy to see him.
He is a bit startled by Varanis call, but steps forward with a nod “Good morning Varanis. Good morning B..Berra.”
“Waster or blade?” Varanis asks.
“Blade. We’re not going to be touching edges. Hullo, LorXenofos.” Berra runs his title and name together, casually. “We’re going to be doing strengthening exercises, mostly for the broadsword, but they’ll be good for the rapier too, if you want.”
“I am quite miffed I have to forego that training little cousin, I promised Irianmar I will be at the temple promptly.” scribe says. He does not make any move to go towards the gate though.
“I’ll get a broadsword to drill with then. Back shortly.” Varanis slips away after giving Xenofos a bit of a look.2 She saw Xenofos was practically melting in presence of Berra
“When’ll you be back?” she asks, looking up at him. Her ears stick out more under the helmet – her hair is not poking out to cover them.
“Sometime in the afternoon. After Yelm has passed the zenith and he has finished the lesson of the day.” he tilts his head. “You look… different somehow?”
Berra considers a moment, and then puts up her left hand in the way of soldiers taking off helmets – up over the top, and yank. Shorter hair on top, a touch of stubble on the sides. Tattoos just visible. “That? It’s hot.”
Surprise passes Xenofos face, superceded by a gasp and a huge grin.
“Sweet Imarja, that is just so you…”
He is grinning and shaking his head.
Berra gives him a return smile. “I marched across Prax like this. Once. The way back I left my hair long so I could brush it to the sun side.”
Varanis reappears with a sheathed broadsword in her hand. Nothing fancy. A simple, serviceable weapon from the palazzo armoury. She is stifling a yawn.
He is holding his brow with his right hand, shaking his head and still grinning. “It suits you, Berra. Almost swept me from my feet.”3 crit love Berra combined with special on Truth…
Varanis looks at her cousin with a raised brow.
“I think he’s in a good mood,” Berra says, although she is still looking at Xenofos. “And we haven’t even wrestled today.”
“Maybe I should not have said it, but I was surprised and she.. her look… just struck me like a troll maul…” scribe breaths in. “Right, I must hurry so I’ll be in time. Have a healer present if you use greatswords.”
“Go away, Xenofos,” Berra says fondly. She lifts up her sword, slow, in an arc to his left, her right. It is a wide guard that indicates she might be able to move the sword through the space where he is.
He salutes with his unarmed right fist and smiles to both women, almost colliding with the porter on his way out.
Varanis snorts, half amused and half bemused.
Berra watches him, and then gives Varanis an I-don’t-know shrug, with attached pleased look.
“Alright, drill master. What do want from me this morning?” Varanis asks, drawing the blade and setting aside its scabbard.
Berra says, “Grip with the two main fingers down the blade. Thumb and little-twins around. We’re going to exhaust them all in turn.” She shows the grip, with her thumb locked over the ring finger and little finger. “Then just follow me. As we go faster, it gets harder.”
- 1All that climbing and running? She’s probably achy all over to some degree.
- 2She saw Xenofos was practically melting in presence of Berra
- 3crit love Berra combined with special on Truth…
