She looks up to the stars once more. "I always wanted to fly, myself." She sounds wistful.
Samirah looks between Konstantin and Anevia, eyebrow raised in an unasked question.
A soft breath out, "I've gone by great many names." A shrug, "A very long time ago my friends called my May," she looks over her shoulder, "I'd prefer to be friends with you and yours."
As Konstantin approaches, the woman observes him totally, but only either through lowered lashes or out of the side of her eyes, never actually looking directly at him. And when he settles down next to her, Kon's sensitive ears pick up on the in drawn breath and the tension that makes the thin, wiry muscles in her arms stand out. The breath is only (slowly and quietly) let go when Konstantin starts to talk. "Valentina?" She tries on the name in her mind. Her voice is quiet, "That seems too heroic a name for something like me."
Anevia nods in response to Samirah's comment, still pensive in her examination of the small shard.
The right side of her mouth quirks up with Konstantin's comment. She shrugs, "Do you notice any energy when you pick up the piece, Samirah?" Then her heads cocks to one side, her eyes going a little bit rounder, "Or... Do any of you that were there when the wardstone was destroyed notice any energy might be a better test."
She shrugs, "It felt like a warning buzzer to me, like when you are keeping a fire trap from going off and you notice the air temperature ticks up just a few degrees."
"If you don't feel it... either you aren't listening," And with this her eyes brighten a bit, "Or you don't need to be warned off."
"I have a very realistic view of my worth in the world." The woman says. "And the people here would be well within their rights to treat me far worse than they are."
"I don't feel anything at all, really." She holds the piece of crystal up to her eye, then a little lower, as if she might touch it to her lips, thinks better of it, and hands the shard over to Konstantin.
"Well, hopefully it's the latter. I've been working very hard on my listening skills the last few days."
Samirah smiles softly. "Sure, they would be. But your worth in the world increases with each swing of a hammer, with each drop of sweat that leaves your brow and touches the city. Your 'realistic view' must change as you do." She gestures to the others nearby. "Besides, you're under Konstantin's wing." She smirks at her own joke. "No one would harm you with him watching over you. Or with him in the same city as you."
Samirah searches shadowy corners and alleyways for Roshan a few days after the wardstone's destruction.
"Hello!" She says cheerfully, signing the same. "I was hoping, if you had some time, you could teach me some more sign language?"
She also makes time to speak with Miril.
"Now that we've got some time, do you want to go see if we can find the other members of your Order?" She asks, playing with the bracelets on her wrist. It's very obvious, especially now that Miril and the others know her better, that Samirah hates being inactive.
"Perhaps," Konstantin says. [b]"Just because one has the right to do something does not mean they will or even that they should."
Sometime early in the week, Míril seeks out Konstantin.
"When the Wardstone was destroyed, I think some of the energy that suffused us all stayed with me. I've got an idea of what I can do with it, but I want to see if it's just my personal stuff I can affect or if it's general."
Míril looks around to make sure it's just party members who are in earshot.
"I think I can recharge magic items that use charges. Like my Wand of Magic Missiles. I can't do a full recharging, but I can give it a bit of a top-up. I was wondering if you'd let me try giving your wand some extra charges? Just to see if I'm right about this."
"Now that we've got some time, do you want to go see if we can find the other members of your Order?" She asks, playing with the bracelets on her wrist. It's very obvious, especially now that Miril and the others know her better, that Samirah hates being inactive.
"I'd like that. Keeping busy with all the repairs and clean-up is helping me keep my mind off them. But I am worried about them and would like to know if any still live, and how they're faring if so."
Konstantin can be seen outside -- often with The Tiefling With No Name in tow -- assisting with the rebuilding. He doesn't know what he's doing, but he's more than willing to use his magical abilities or strength and size to help who needs it.
Roshan, too, helps out as best he can, watching to see where another pair of hands or strong shoulders or legs can be put to good use.
"We are all concerned."
"You are all our last chance..." she shakes her head. "I am just here to say good job so far." She looks over her shoulder, the slightest hint of a smile tweaking up the lips on the otherwise stern but lovely face.
"And that you have a hell of a job to look forward to."
Roshan's head tilts slightly, still trying to read the apparition in his dream, "Then I shall look forward to it," he says, and probably means it. "...and what about you? And whoever is with you? It seems to me you could just as easily take our place, no? Who is your group and why do you want to keep it secret?"
"Hello!" She says cheerfully, signing the same. "I was hoping, if you had some time, you could teach me some more sign language?"
Roshan brightens visibly. Of course he replies, mouthing what he signs at the same time, I would be most happy too and everything in his demeanor seems to affirm what his hands and mouth are saying.
The rebuilding continues, the final dribbles of the remaining citizens returning to the broken city. The Defender's Heart feels almost empty as the merchants and crusaders move into more permanent lodgings, leaving the large building to the visiting. The mood in the city can't be happy, but it is bolstered by news of reinforcements coming from the south.
About the middle of the week they start to arrive, forward scouts for a strong contingent of crusaders guarding the technical minds and hands needed to finish rebuilding Kenabres's defenses. Rumors about the leader of the small force but no one seems able to confirm anything.
About mid-week a pair of travelers, both men in their late-30s come into the Heart covered in the dust and sweat of travel. One approaches the bar with a friendly smile that doesn't quite touch his eyes, although Otani's gruff smile in return seems genuine. There is a short conversation which just seems to weigh the new man down more and you see Otani point out whichever of you are currently around.
"I don't feel anything at all, really." She holds the piece of crystal up to her eye, then a little lower, as if she might touch it to her lips, thinks better of it, and hands the shard over to Konstantin.
"Well, hopefully it's the latter. I've been working very hard on my listening skills the last few days."
"It's good to be careful," she sucks in a little air through her teeth, "Aravashnial would have been one of the best people in the city to check if there was something... negative hiding in the stone." She shrugs. "If there isn't anything evil lurking, even if it is magical they might make lovely jewelry." A mischievous grin, "Most of the time being magical they'd make the bauble you want more valuable."
Samirah smiles softly. "Sure, they would be. But your worth in the world increases with each swing of a hammer, with each drop of sweat that leaves your brow and touches the city. Your 'realistic view' must change as you do." She gestures to the others nearby. "Besides, you're under Konstantin's wing." She smirks at her own joke. "No one would harm you with him watching over you. Or with him in the same city as you."
"Perhaps," Konstantin says. "Just because one has the right to do something does not mean they will or even that they should."
Our nameless tiefling's indirect attention shifts from Samirah to Konstantin, then her gaze goes down to the ground, and she opens her mouth to speak. Doesn't. Closes her mouth.
Then quickly and very quietly, "Most anyone will do anything that they can do. The ability to do something is the right to do it." She motions towards Samirah with her head, "She has the right of it, they don't because you won't allow it and here and now, you are the one that determines the can and can't." She scuffs the toe of her shoe in the dirt, unwilling or unable to look up at the moment.
"Someone like you," Konstantin corrects gently. "There is much freedom in choosing one's own name. My name was chosen for me... many, many years ago. Valentina is not to your liking. Would you go back to May?"
She blinks a number of times. Her head turns towards Konstantin, just a little, "I..." Her words fumble out.
Her hands squeeze her knees as if restarting takes a physical effort on her part, "I want to choose." A pause, not so long this time, and starting seems to come a little easier. "I only remember making one choice in my life." She swallows, "And that was choosing to not run up those stairs... I don't know where to start."
Roshan's head tilts slightly, still trying to read the apparition in his dream, "Then I shall look forward to it," he says, and probably means it. "...and what about you? And whoever is with you? It seems to me you could just as easily take our place, no? Who is your group and why do you want to keep it secret?"
Still looking out the window, she shakes her head, "There are things that you aren't told until it is too late." She turns to Roshan, "I can't do anything directly."
"Nothing."
Her fierce tone cuts through the air, phyisically painful to Roshan as the sound rings through his mind. She bites back on more words, closing her eyes. More controlled, quieter, "Two kinds of people can't affect this outcome - those that don't have enough power and those with too much."
Her eyes flick back to the window, "I do everything that I can."
A smile curves her lips, satisfaction gleaming in the dark brown eyes, "And sometimes more than I'm supposed to do."
"I think I can recharge magic items that use charges. Like my Wand of Magic Missiles. I can't do a full recharging, but I can give it a bit of a top-up. I was wondering if you'd let me try giving your wand some extra charges? Just to see if I'm right about this."
"Sure thing," Chancre says, handing over his Wand of Spiritual Weapon. "I've been leaning on Steve pretty heavily of late."
Still looking out the window, she shakes her head, "There are things that you aren't told until it is too late." She turns to Roshan, "I can't do anything directly."
"Nothing."
Her fierce tone cuts through the air, phyisically painful to Roshan as the sound rings through his mind. She bites back on more words, closing her eyes. More controlled, quieter, "Two kinds of people can't affect this outcome - those that don't have enough power and those with too much."
Her eyes flick back to the window, "I do everything that I can."
A smile curves her lips, satisfaction gleaming in the dark brown eyes, "And sometimes more than I'm supposed to do."
"I see," he 'says', brows knit, mulling her words over for a few moments. "And I assume you can't tell me what you can do, can you?"
"Sure thing," Chancre says, handing over his Wand of Spiritual Weapon. "I've been leaning on Steve pretty heavily of late."
Míril takes Chancre's wand. "OK. Here goes."
She holds the wand and concentrates, willing the wand to recharge. The wand glows faintly as it gains charges.
"I guess it works," smiles Míril. She hands Steve back over to Chancre. "If you want, I can try again tomorrow. Maybe I can get some more ooomph into it."
About mid-week a pair of travelers, both men in their late-30s come into the Heart covered in the dust and sweat of travel. One approaches the bar with a friendly smile that doesn't quite touch his eyes, although Otani's gruff smile in return seems genuine. There is a short conversation which just seems to weigh the new man down more and you see Otani point out whichever of you are currently around.
Míril identifies one of the pair as Sosiel Vaenic.
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Whenever they get time together, it's usually not for long stretches of time, because although she's working on being patient, she's still too interested in moving around to sit and Learn Things for long periods of time... she's asking him questions.
She starts with the basics: Please, thank you, hello, how are you. Then she graduates to slightly longer phrases: Do you need help, great job killing that demon, would you like something to eat, how much does this cost?
Every now and again, she asks for really strange, one-off phrases. "That shirt really doesn't suit your frame". "I am fire, and fire is all I know". "Well you would know that if you'd been paying attention". These latter phrases don't seem to have any purpose other than to amuse her, but it also helps her grasp context of signing in general.
"It's good to be careful," she sucks in a little air through her teeth, "Aravashnial would have been one of the best people in the city to check if there was something... negative hiding in the stone." She shrugs. "If there isn't anything evil lurking, even if it is magical they might make lovely jewelry." A mischievous grin, "Most of the time being magical they'd make the bauble you want more valuable."
Samirah smiles, looking further relieved. "Well then, with Aravashnial's blessing... maybe I'll have it made into a necklace," she says, sounding as though she's trying to hide her excitement at having more sparkly things to wear.
She gets Aravashnial's attention if he's close enough, and passes her shard over to him.
She motions towards Samirah with her head, "She has the right of it, they don't because you won't allow it and here and now, you are the one that determines the can and can't."
"But that won't always be the case. And in the time you're helping here, they'll come to see it, and it won't matter. It's only been a few days, and it's my understanding that humans don't generally hold grudges the same way some other races do. Their lives end too quickly!" She smiles as though this is very comforting.
In the second week of her stay in Kenabres, Samirah has done a little bit of shopping, and now wears something that's slightly more appropriate for the weather. She still mutters about the cold fairly frequently.
She is, however, in the Inn when the subject of Queen Galfrey comes up. She does her best not to choke on her drink.
"So..." she slides more directly into the conversation. "What brings the Queen out here? I thought Queens mostly spent their time safely in castles, behind many guards?"
Sometime early in the week, Míril seeks out Konstantin.
"When the Wardstone was destroyed, I think some of the energy that suffused us all stayed with me. I've got an idea of what I can do with it, but I want to see if it's just my personal stuff I can affect or if it's general."
Míril looks around to make sure it's just party members who are in earshot.
"I think I can recharge magic items that use charges. Like my Wand of Magic Missiles. I can't do a full recharging, but I can give it a bit of a top-up. I was wondering if you'd let me try giving your wand some extra charges? Just to see if I'm right about this."
"You are asking my permission to do me a favor? Very well, I magnanimously accept." He hands over the wand and watches Miril with interest.
"Yes," says. "The energy appears to have changed us all. Empowered us. I believe I can already do things I only dreamed of before." A pause. "And I am taller."
Our nameless tiefling's indirect attention shifts from Samirah to Konstantin, then her gaze goes down to the ground, and she opens her mouth to speak. Doesn't. Closes her mouth.
Then quickly and very quietly, "Most anyone will do anything that they can do. The ability to do something is the right to do it." She motions towards Samirah with her head, "She has the right of it, they don't because you won't allow it and here and now, you are the one that determines the can and can't." She scuffs the toe of her shoe in the dirt, unwilling or unable to look up at the moment.
"True, but I am not a man who kills without reason. I do not feel this is the place for ethereal philosophy, though. You have spent time with me, and time with your former chieftains. With whom do you feel safer?"
"Then don't worry. Keep your ears open. Do you like a sound? An object? A song? A star? Take your name from that, and then be worthy of the beauty you found."
"I would not use your mother's language frivolously. And I don't speak Hallit well enough to comfortably flirt in it." She raises an eyebrow. "I consider learning Draconic as a gift, and learning Hallit as a convenience for conversation."
"You are asking my permission to do me a favor? Very well, I magnanimously accept." He hands over the wand and watches Míril with interest.
"Yes," says. "The energy appears to have changed us all. Empowered us. I believe I can already do things I only dreamed of before." A pause. "And I am taller."
"Well, I mostly being polite about not touching your property without permission."
She assumes the same concentration pose as she did with Chancre's wand Steve. Kon's wand fails to glow.
"Hmm. I guess I need to recharge before recharging," she says.
The following day, Míril once again approaches Konstantin and offers to try to recharge his wand.
She concentrates on the Wand of Magic Missiles. It glows faintly as it regains charges.
"Well, I mostly being polite about not touching your property without permission."
She assumes the same concentration pose as she did with Chancre's wand Steve. Kon's wand fails to glow.
"Hmm. I guess I need to recharge before recharging," she says.
"A useful ability to be sure. If you are willing, you can recharge party wands between campaigns... it would make the purchase of wands far more cost effective. I am seeing lightning bolts in my future."
She looks serious again. "I will tell you, I've never given all of myself to another person. They get hints, flashes. And so, I find myself wishing to be everything to you all at once, and I know that's intense. But I will not hide."
"Maybe we'll find they're just on the other side of town, busy helping with their own repairs," Samirah says, full of optimism. She all but grabs Míril's arm to rush her out the door and into the city for their Very Important Mission.
Míril gamely follows Samirah's lead, equally happy to be looking for her fellow Order members as helping her friend have something active to do.
"Sure thing," Chancre says, handing over his Wand of Spiritual Weapon. "I've been leaning on Steve pretty heavily of late."
Samirah smiles and tilts her head, as though she's not sure if he's joking. "You named your wand Steve? Is this something human men do?" She looks between Miril and Chancre for confirmation.
Samirah smiles and tilts her head, as though she's not sure if he's joking. "You named your wand Steve? Is this something human men do?" She looks between Miril and Chancre for confirmation.
"I have not named my wand. Should I name my wand?"
"I have not named my wand. Should I name my wand?"
Samirah looks thoughtful. "Maybe you should!" She looks down at her scimitar. "Maybe I should name my weapon?" She clearly doesn't want to be left out of a potential social custom she doesn't understand.
Samirah smiles and tilts her head, as though she's not sure if he's joking. "You named your wand Steve? Is this something human men do?" She looks between Miril and Chancre for confirmation.
Míril simply shrugs.
"Do you have any idea who we're looking for, by the way?" She asks as they wander the streets. "Or should we just ask the people we pass where we can find someone from the Order? I clearly did not think this through," she adds with a wry smile.
"I know a lot of them. The ones who were in town and not posted elsewhere while I was living there, anyway. Not all of the Order by any means, but enough that I should recognize a gathering."
"I think we should start where the Order's headquarters used to stand, and move outward from there."
Samirah looks thoughtful. "Maybe you should!" She looks down at her scimitar. "Maybe I should name my weapon?" She clearly doesn't want to be left out of a potential social custom she doesn't understand.
"The swords of heroes always have names. Of this, I am certain."
"The swords of heroes always have names. Of this, I am certain."
"It's too bad 'Steve' is already taken. I'll have to think of something else."
"It's too bad 'Steve' is already taken. I'll have to think of something else."
"They are usually more... intimidating. Sorscha Kratikoff named her great hammer Frostfang. The Prince of Umbrey called his sword Dominion. The Butcher of Khardov called his axe... Lola. I suppose there is a precedent, then." Konstantin begins to ponder.
Samirah smiles, looking further relieved. "Well then, with Aravashnial's blessing... maybe I'll have it made into a necklace," she says, sounding as though she's trying to hide her excitement at more sparkly sparkly things to wear.
She gets Aravashnial's attention if he's close enough, and passes her shard over to him.
The tall elf scrabbles at the object as Samirah gives it to him, his muscles convulsing a bit as the jolt of energy zaps bare flesh. His head cocks to one side curiously. He mutters a few words, rolling the item around in his hand, before swearing and he drops the shard on the table.
"But that won't always be the case. And in the time you're helping here, they'll come to see it, and it won't matter. It's only been a few days, and it's my understanding that humans don't generally hold grudges the same way some other races do. Their lives end too quickly!" She smiles as though this is very comforting.One of the nameless tiefling's eyebrows raises and she shrugs slightly.
"True, but I am not a man who kills without reason. I do not feel this is the place for ethereal philosophy, though. You have spent time with me, and time with your former chieftains. With whom do you feel safer?"
"You'll kill me if I prove untrustworthy or betray you." She says this with no rancor, just simple fact. "Those that used to command me to do things had far longer lists which would lead to my death."
"What's wrong with it?" Samirah asks, sounding even more confused now that two people in a row have had trouble handling what is, to her, a harmless piece of crystal.
"You'll kill me if I prove untrustworthy or betray you." She says this with no rancor, just simple fact. "Those that used to command me to do things had far longer lists which would lead to my death."
Samirah looks at Kontantin, then shrugs as she turns back to No-Name. "As I said, it will take some getting used to, the freedom you have now. And what freedom you'll have in the future. It's only been a few days."
"You'll kill me if I prove untrustworthy or betray you." She says this with no rancor, just simple fact. "Those that used to command me to do things had far longer lists which would lead to my death."
"You see? Your situation has improved immeasurably," Konstantin says in his customary deadpan. He hands over a sticky bun he bought from a local baker. "Here, eat this. I've grown quite fond of them. Perhaps you'll feel the same."
She starts with the basics: Please, thank you, hello, how are you. Then she graduates to slightly longer phrases: Do you need help, great job killing that demon, would you like something to eat, how much does this cost?
Every now and again, she asks for really strange, one-off phrases. "That shirt really doesn't suit your frame". "I am fire, and fire is all I know". "Well you would know that if you'd been paying attention". These latter phrases don't seem to have any purpose other than to amuse her, but it also helps her grasp context of signing in general.
Samirah would find that many of the simple individual words she has seen before.
Please=An open hand circling clockwise just in front of his chest.Thank you=An open hand going from his lips in the direction of the person he is thanking...or a short martial bow in their direction, depending.
Hello=An open hand going from a salute at the temple to something of an open hand just about in the direction of the person/people he is greeting.
How are you=double cupped hands rolled towards the person, then a point towards the individual.
She would find, if she hasn't noticed already, that the expression and body language is as much or more important than the actual signing of the hands. As far as the longer phrases, he would probably just take the main words and sign those.
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Samirah has been busy around the city with various things, things both known and unknown to her friends. Early during the second week, however, she pulls Konstantin aside in the evening, looking a little shy. It's not a look he's seen on her face before.
"I have something for you, გენაცვალე."
It's then he realizes she was fiddling with something for the better part of an hour, off and on, as she sat in the Inn's now very familiar common area.