Public — In The Dragonewt City 3
????, Fire Season, Season/Disorder Week
Context
Fire Season/Disorder Week/Water or Clay Day? Mud Day? / in the Dragonewt city [[[s02:session-41|Session 41]]]
Events
Berra looks to Varanis then. “My woad’s in my pack. Xenofos knows where.” Apparently she’s going to be touring more of Dragonville.
Xenofos looks at Berra, then at Varanis then at Berra again and nods.”Right. Don’t… No… Please try not to take unnecessary risks. Varanis may need your sword yet, before we are out of here.”
Turning to Varanis again he nods towards the weird archway leading to their lodgings.
“I look forward to hearing what you learn,” Varanis tells Berra in parting.
She nods at her cousin. “Let’s go.”
Throwing a last glance towards Berra and the the draconewts scribe leads Varanis to chambers they had been shown.
She follows, looking around with curiosity.
Scribe kneels to place Berra keeps her pack. After a little hesitation he opens it and takes out the jar of woad. Tiny pot in his hands contrast with his gleaming bronze armour and helmet looking slightly out of place.
“Can you help me with it?” Varanis asks, casting about for a place to sit. “Rajar has my gear, including my mirror.”
Seeing no alternatives, she drops with a semi-graceful clank, into a cross-legged position on the floor.
Xenofos unslings the shield from his back, picks up a brush and follows suit.
“So runes first?”
“Yes, please.” The runes haven’t faded much, making their lines easy to trace. Movement on the left, air on the right. The air rune just touches the line of an old scar, high on her cheekbone.
Xenofos works like a scribe he is, carefully and with purpose.
As he works, Varanis studies his face. In a moment when he pauses, she asks, “why do you look tooled up for a parade or a fight?”
He looks at her and answers while continuing “Because we will have a discussion about marriage of your sister to lord of Tarsh, which merits some formality… and I expect this might turn into a fight. Hospitality or not.”
At that last, her eyes widen in surprise. “Hospitality or not? Do you think the Lunars will attack us? Or that I will behave with dishonour?”
“I don’t know if these…things understand hospitality or whose side they will take if Mirava is here against her own volition and we demand her release.” scribe explains.
She considers, frowning. “You may be right. I don’t like this delay. What is Fazzur doing? What if this is a delaying tactic and he’s marrying her right now? What if he already has and this is buying him time to leave? He called me sister when he greeted me!” Her agitation is growing as she speaks and suddenly Xenofos understands why Marta has a no talking rule when she’s applying her charge’s make-up.
“Stay still…. If it is not her own will then it is no marriage whether it has happened already or not.” Scribe continues “No man can force an Esrolian lady to marry someone. Even less a Saiciae lady.”
“He might not agree. These Lunars see things differently. And he has troops with him. Berra saw them on the model… did she really knock herself down?”
He shrugs. “If he does not agree he needs to be made understand absurdity of that claim. It is different if Mirava wants it of course.” He looks at his work “Now the third rune. Stay still for a bit longer, please. I am not as good at this as Marta or any proper maid.”
“If Mirava wants… wait. Third rune? Xenofos, what are you doing?” She pulls her head back to look accusingly at him and the brush in his hand.
“Before the kohl I need to redo that mastery rune.” Scholar explains. “You would look vacillating and ridiculous if you leave it pale like you don’t have right to bear it. Is that what you want?”
She winces at his choice of words.
She mutters a few choice words in an odd mix of Praxian and Pure Horse Tongue, but then signals her acquiesce.
Quietly scribe traces the Rune of Mastery on her forehead.
As he does, she glares at him. She may have accepted her cousin’s advice, but she clearly doesn’t like it.
“Right. That should it. Then the kohl.”
“As you will,” she agrees. “Your brush looks fine enough for it. But outlining the eyes properly, yes? Not the black bruises that Berra prefers.”
He cleans the brush carefully and produces a bronze stylus for the kohl. He looks at her with his carefully lined eyes and nods.
“Should I finish them with Air on outer edges.?”
She nods her approval. “I need as much connection to Vinga and Orlanth as I can get here.”
He nods solemnly and starts to work. Apart from resting his hand on her face his work is not much worse then Marta’s.
Berra, meanwhile, is chewing over the answer you get when you ask a Dragonewt what happens if you take the reflection of water but turn it sideways. She has a follow-up. “Why would a dragonewt be surprised that I threatened them with death?”
Varanis is silent while Xenofos works, but when he sits back to look it over she speaks again. “How are you really doing here? Are you ok?”
“I cope.” he looks at her from under the brim of his tightly tied helmet “We have a thing to do.”
“We do. Before we go in search of the others, I want to take a few minutes to meditate. I need Vinga’s wit and Orlanth’s wisdom in this place. Perhaps Lankhor Mhy and Uleria can offer you guidance?”
He nods. “I’ll stand watch for that.”
“Outside then. I want the Air above me.” She rises in place, collects her helmet, and then makes for the door, pausing to let Xenofos precede her. Once they are outside, she looks about for a suitable place.
Varanis gives the wall a cursory look, then sets to climbing it. She is most of the way up before she remembers Xenofos. “Join me if you want, or keep watch from down there. Either way, I’ll be fine. Vinga will watch over me.” Before he can answer, she pulls herself up over the edge and out of sight. She doesn’t stay hidden for long. When she takes up position to meditate, she does so at the edge of the rooftop. There’s just enough space for her sword to rest in front of her knees.
====
Xenofos continues his career as makeup artist, this time with his cousin.
