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The grig smiles widely and bugs her eyes out at Cyanne. "Nuh-uh! We could make your ukulele small too, and you can use Trangmo as a horse! What kinds of songs do you like? I like songs about food and music and shiny stuff and food and spirits and potions and artwork and tobaccy and food and shiny stuff and food!"
For his part, Perli is content to bump against Kazimir's hand, showing the right places for stratching. He mumbles a response to Cyanne and Kazimir's curiosity. "Well...um, yeah. Bu said there were big snakeses. Green, lots of teeth, long as an ox, strong as some rocks. Tha talking frog's not that special, though. Lots of those waaaay west of here. Your mother's cousin's best friend said that, right, Tyg?"
Tyg flies over, glaring at the faerie dragon, and smacks him on the nose. "It was my mother's cousin's sister's second best friend, and I told you not to talk about her!"
Perli looks abashed but continues. "Yeah, yeah...lots of talking frogs out there. As for Bu in the river...maybe you should ask your boyfriend He's seen her before."
Tyg flies over, landing vertically on Jhod's forehead and hanging upside-down to peer into his eyes, forcing him to go cross-eyed to look at her. "It's okay. Sometimes people don't see so good. Is this better?" Before he can do more than open his mouth, she bops him on the nose and flies off toward the safety of Cyanne's blue hair.
"Can we please just go?!" Jhod's patience seems to be wearing thin. His eyebrows are furled in a glare directed at the cricket-woman and his nose is red where she hit him.
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Looking to the ribbon on his arm, he paused a moment. He needed to ask her the speculation he had when she put it on. "It's a reminder," he said for his own benefit as much as it was to explain it to her, looking down at the small strip of blue. "This came from one of your dancing costumes. You gave it up and enacted upon us a noble blessing." He looked back into her eyes, and brought his own hand up to caress the back of hers as it laid across his cheek. "How much should I read into this?" He asked honestly, his eyes pleading.
"Ah yes." Daen replied, scratching his whisker, focusing his attention on Cyanne. He didn't really mention it to anyone, as he had used the nixie as a bit of a confidant. "Buvorarenlytiramest made herself known to me the night after we met. She was a bit shy, and wanted a private conversation, so I obliged. She actually had charmed me with a spell, but mostly for her own safety I suppose. I asked her a few questions about the area, but other than the location of a decent ford on the Thorn, I didn't get much information useful to our exploration out of her."
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How much he should read into this? The question surprises her. When she’d ripped her favorite costume apart, she hadn’t hesitated. She hadn’t tried to send him or the others a message other than that she loved and believed in them. At the time, her dancing career in Brevoy had seemed so very far away. The costume, an artifact belonging to another life.
Then it hits her. How did he see this about her, when she did not? She sinks to the ground in shock. She’s been a dancer for as long as she can remember. It’s been the way she expressed the music that ran through her blood, the way that she found meaning.
But this trip into the Stolen Lands has given her a new direction. She’s not only found love and friendship, she’s found purpose. Maybe she’s not just a dancer. Maybe she can have many careers, a world full of possibilities.
She reaches for Daen as she brings herself unsteadily to her feet again. “Read it all. Wherever you go, that’s where I’ll be.”
___________________________________
“No, don’t make me small. I have a job to do with my friends, and I intend to see it through. You can’t keep me for the same reason I can’t keep you. We’re both free spirits. But we can still sing together whenever we meet.”
Cyanne grins at the little grig hiding in her hair. “As for what I love to sing about, let me see...” She strums her ukulele thoughtfully, considering Tyg’s question carefully.
Cy’s Favorite Things
Cuddling with Tango or just going dancing
The swish of Volte’s tail whenever he’s prancing
The sound of my uke when I pull on its strings
These are a few of my favorite things
Drinking in beauty ‘til my heart has its fill
Making my peace with the god Erastil
Watching Perli fly with multi-hued wings
These are a few of my favorite things
Explorations filled with romance and mystery
Vine covered temples dripping in history
Sharing adventures whatever they bring
These are a few of my favorite things
When the thugs strike, when the swarm stings
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad
Helping my friend Lali groom all the horses
Learning from Luthor while he discourses
On the nature of all plane-touched beings
These are a few of my favorite things
Seeing my friend Kaz return from the dead
Facing off bandits that I’d once learned to dread
Making friends with Sootscales the Kobold king
These are a few of my favorite things
Riding with friends singing lyrics quite rude
Sweet pranking Tyg who likes shiny stuff and food
Loving a prince who’s been scorned by a king
These are a few of my favorite things
When the thugs strike, when the swarm stings
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad
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Laliytsa shrugs. ”Dunno. Haulin’ him back to Restov ain’t the worst idea. Mebbe they can pry info outta him. I’ma thinkin’....he’s the one what killed ya. Should be yeh, decidin’ his fate”
”Hey, Kaz?” her voice turns hesitant ”Bein’ dead. What’s it like?”
’Green, lots of teeth, long as an ox, strong as some rocks.’? Has she ever heard of something like that?
Never gonna run outta thins to kill” she grumbles to herself. Then she raises her voice. [b]”We gotta head back to the Post, check on everybody an’ pry info outta that no good son of...err, Akiros. But if’n ya want yeh can ride with. Cyanne’ll sing ya many songs as ya like.”
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Though he's been expecting the question for several hours, he finds himself struggling to respond. "Dying hurt," he says eventually, "but not for long." He massages the scar on his throat, continuing, "My whole life seemed to pass before me in the span of a few moments. Then everything turned to pain, then... a feeling of peace, knowing I'd done what was right.
"Being dead didn't really feel like much - I suppose because you can't really feel anything without a body. I remember the Boneyard, though. It was just as I'd heard - grey, empty, and bleak. There were mausoleums in different styles, there were grave-markers, and... other souls. People I'd helped kill."
Taking a deep breath, he continues. "I saw Pharasma. Grey and eternal, waiting to judge me... but it never came. I'd heard of the Great White Stag from my grandmother's sermons and tales, but I'd never expected to see him. Pharasma said he had business with me, and the next thing I knew... I was in what I assume was Erastil's domain. A village, almost like home, filled with the faithful awaiting judgement. The Stag was there with me, and he asked..." He hesitates for a moment, wondering how much to tell.
"He asked for my story, and he asked what I'd say to my killer, given the chance. He showed me a little more of the Stag Lord. Then... he left me in the village. It felt like I was there for months."
He shudders at the memory, pulling his cloak tighter around his shoulders as he watches the fire, continuing in a hollow voice. "It was empty. Nobody wanted to talk to me for more than a few minutes. Nobody seemed to have time for me. There was work to do, but it didn't bring the satisfaction of labour, or the aches and pains of a job well done. There was no risk of a bad harvest, no chance of losing chickens to a fox. It felt meaningless. I found myself awaiting my judgement with more and more eagerness, because it was all I had to look forward to.
"Then... he came back for me, and brought me here. To watch you fighting the bear... and to watch my own funeral." He glances up, looking around at the others, gathered around the fire. "I heard your speeches. They were very touching." His eyes meet Luthor's briefly, holding for just a moment, before he looks back to the fire.
"After that... I was alive again. Everything feels different now - brighter, more real. Everything hurts, but it's good to feel again, rather than feel nothing. It's good to know nothing is fruitless. But why I'm here, I don't know. Why Erastil asked a favour of Pharasma to grant me life again, I have no idea. I'm grateful for it, but I'm unsure of what to do."
Cyanne, fresh from her own introspection on the ways of Erastil, reaches up to ruffle Kaz's curly hair. "Oh, Kaz. You don't have to search for a purpose. It's already found you. It's who you are, in the very core of your being."
___________________________________
Cyanne turns to Perli. "Wait a minute... How did you know Daen was my boyfriend? You two have never met me before!"
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Perli flutters his wings, blowing Kazimir's hair around with little gusts of wind, and begins kneading it into a proper nest as he looks at Cyanne. "We been following you bigginses for days, since you was at tha mean bigginses' old home. It ent hard to see, even without you two chatting. You and he keep casting goopy-eyes at each other." He makes a gagging sound surprisingly like an eight-year-old trying to avoid the cooties.
Tyg enjoys the song, grinning and playing along as usual. When Cyanne is done, she flits over to Tango and lands on top of him, settling into his shoulder blades. "I think we's coming with you bigginses, at least for a while. You can tell us where we's goin' while you walk."
By the time the party (and fey) arrive at Oleg's Trading Post the next day, Jhod has had pinecones dropped on his head from 20 feet, his bootstraps undone while riding, his saddle loosened during a rest stop, and his bag subtly rearranged. Needless to say, he's more than happy to disappear into his tent outside the trading post. Svetlana and Hanne are gone, off to Restov to sell the formerly-alive bandits' things, but Oleg and the two repentant bandits, as well as Sieghard the guard, are working on repairing the trading post's storage shed. Kesten looks at the full party as they come in.
"How are you alive? He killed you, I saw it." After a few minutes, he's able to talk about other things. "I don't think the bandits will be returning here for a while. From what I've gotten out of those men, there's only a few men he could summon to him quickly. If Dovan returned there, he just learned of his defeat yesterday, and it'll take a good week or two to get more men. And speaking of his men, that big one with the grey hair wants to speak to one of you. Alone. He said it didn't matter which one, but he wouldn't talk to me."
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There was still the manner of her willful indiscretion. High society may never get over the scandal of her occupation. Well, there were ways, but she'd likely not go for them. They were somewhat cold hearted, almost past his own standards. Of course, he never expected her to go quite as far as she had. Of the two of them, he was the more immobile, he had to understand that, but at the same time, if she became too much like him, she'd cease to be what makes her special to him, and that would be an immense tragedy.
And really, honoring his mother is exactly what he set out to do, but wouldn't she just be happy if he was? Should he really care about what the Surtovans would say? He knew that her wish for him was to find someone who would love him back. He was really pretty sure about this one, but what would happen if she changed her mind? Is that another thing she did often enough? It was a concern, because even he knew that his mother and her husband loved each other once, otherwise she would not have been so hurt by him.
He helped her up from her kneeling before him, "It takes two mirrors or one friend to see the back of one's head. Don't be so surprised when someone else sees something you don't. The reverse is also often true, isn't it?" He reached over to grab her chin and looked in her bejeweled eyes. "What do you see when you look at me?"
Daen spoke up as soon as Kesten was done speaking. "I'll talk to him. If it took you several minutes to recover after seeing Kazimir again, it may take some time to get the information we need." He turns to the recently quickened farmboy and speaks to him directly. "Of course, If you wish to go in, I won't stop you. It would be satisfactory to see the look on his face when you walk in there."
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While Cyanne's hair-ruffling isn't unwelcome, it draws little more than a sigh and a sorrowful look from the farmboy. "I don't understand," he admits. "I don't even know what that core is. All I know is what I've tried to do, and who I've tried to be, but will that always be enough?"
__________
Kazimir can't help smiling at the fey's antics, though he does cringe from time to time as Perlivash's claws scrape his scalp. The harmless (well, mostly harmless) pranks, despite Jhod's disgruntlement, go a long way. Not everything has to be serious, he reminds himself. Sometimes, it's alright to just enjoy life.
Upon reaching the outpost, he dismounts, holding his horse's reins in one hand and clapping Kesten on the shoulder with the other. "That he did," he says with a small smile, "but someone doesn't want me to go to Pharasma just yet."
When Daen offers to speak to Akiros, he goes to nod, but stops himself. For a moment, he's back before the Great White Stag, his eyes boring into him.
What would you say to your killer if you had the chance to speak to him? asks the voice, resonant over the background noise of the outpost, answered by the memory of his own response.
I'd offer him a hand of guidance, to lead him back on the path that once called to him...
Taking a deep breath, he speaks up. "Tell me what we need from him. There's something I have to do."
Daen nodded, appreciating the courage it took to talk to your killer. It wasn't that long ago, although it may have seemed so to Kaz. The outer plans were a bit strange like that from what he'd read. But in any case, the young man was still a fair bit of an enigma to the half-elf. He'd not really known persons who were just good for goodness sake until this particular expedition, but that was not an issue for this moment.
"Akiros was the Stag Lord's right hand man. We need to know his defenses, the numbers and strength of his men, his common tactics and anything else that might give us an advantage. He may be willing to trade his information for his life, but it will have to be thorough and beneficial for that to be any use to us. His fate is ultimately in our hands, and where we all have an idea of what we'd like to do to him, we also have authority and duty to kill unrepentant bandits. Knowing this, if you choose to spare him, we will trust your judgement. All of us agree on this, as our only thought after your demise is to do things concerning him as you would have wanted." He almost added that if he did spare him and Akiros became a problem it would be on his head, but he had enough to deal at this time. One could also argue that as the half elf was handing the authority to deal with the situation over to Kaz, he was also culpable. It suited him just fine to take that responsibility.
"Well, you're right about the goopy-eyes. Daen and I are probably the goopiest, aren't we?" She grins, both at the fey, and at Daen, flashing him a look that was undeniably 'goopy'.
Then the ramifications of Perli's words hit her.
"Wait a minute... You followed us for days without us noticing?! You listened in on our conversations, up close?" She claps. "Perli and Tyg, you two are sneaky! I have a question for you two... How would you feel about a spy and sabotage mission? At some point, we're going to have to deal with the Stag Lord. If we could get traps from the Kobolds, and have someone to plant them surreptitiously, we could seriously even the odds when we siege the place. And what you drop on the bandits could be the most hilarious pranks ever! Think about the song it would make! Would you be interested in helping us pull some very big pranks on some very big biggins?"
Cyanne pauses to think over Daen's question. "All of Daen's tactical and strategic questions are important, and necessary, but there is one more question that I'd like you to ask Akiros. Deep in his heart, he yearns to be good. I know this... I was his prisoner for days. However, tell him that redemption has a cost. Ask him. How will he make amends for his crimes?"
She touches his long, beautiful ears, pulling the hair that was falling in his face behind them.
"I see an honorable man who will dare anything for his friends and those he loves. You're clever, uncertain, analytic. The boy who counted stars grew up to be a man soothed by numbers, planning, and logic. I see someone who is trying to make the choice between his ambitions and the woman he loves. You desperately don't want to hurt me. You don't want to love me, then abandon me. You protect others. You can be tender, passionate, playful... I see the person for whom I'm willing to change my life."
She's shaking. "I made you an offer earlier. To love you until your ambition made you send me away. You see, I told myself that I would never be a mistress. I wasn't willing to pay that price to stay in the ballet. I didn't want to be a discardable plaything. But... I love you, Daen. If you asked me to, I would stay with you even if you had to marry someone else to fulfill your ambitions. Just don't make me your secret. I don't think I could bear that at all."
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With a nod, Kesten gestures to both Kazimir and Daen to follow and then walks off toward the stable. "We've been keeping him away from the other prisoners. Found a good length of chain outside and decided to put it to good use, not that it matters. I've talked nice to him, screamed at him, hit him, and even sent Mirjam into the stables for some musical persuasion-" Mirjam the guardswoman glares at him from her post by the door "-but nothing's worked. He just sits there, stewing in his own filth." The stable door slams shut behind them.
The man chained to the floor of Oleg's stable is recognizable as Akiros Ismort, but only just. Blood stains his shirt from where the party's arrows slammed into him days ago and bloodshot eyes stare out from grease-covered silver hair. He looks up at Kazimir, then looks down again. After a couple of moments, he looks up again. "Why?"
Outside the stables, Perlivash moves to take up a position on Cyanne's shoulder. "I been thinkin', you know, about prankin' tha bandits. You ent bad, that's tha truth, but you also ent really exactly been 'onest with us." He holds up a claw to forestall any comments from the party before continuing. "Now, me and Tyg and our friends, we been around for a long time here. Tha only times people come exploring, other than tha crazy-biggins, is when they want something. I want to know what you want. If you don't know, you needs to find out." Another pause. "I'll go with you to find out tha reason you're here, when you go get your friend fixed up. You's gonna fix him, right?"
At first Cyanne wants to protest. Not exactly honest? They'd been doing exactly what they said they would. Exploring, helping people, removing the bandit threat. Exactly what the charter said they should do.
"The charter!" She slaps her forehead. "A document signed and authorized by Noleski Surtova! When have the Surtovans ever had a completely altruistic reason for doing anything?" Cyanne whistles. "You're right, Perli. There's likely another reason for our presence here. I doubt any of us know it, but it would behoove us to--"
She breaks off, cocks her head, and studies the little faerie dragon. Wait a minute. How am I suddenly having this serious conversation with Perli, of all people?
Cyanne breaks out in a delighted grin. "Why Perli! You've been playing us, haven't you? You and Tyg... Flitting everywhere, talking to all the fey folk. Following us for days at a time. You're not just denizens. You're guardians, aren't you?" Her voice is affectionate. If anything, she likes the two little fey even more, realizing the seriousness behind their play. "How better to check us out then maintain a completely harmless facade?"
She reaches up to scratch behind his ears. "So... you want to go to Restov? Your company is always welcome, and we already know how stealthy you are..."
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Watching the fae’s antics on the ride back puts Laliytsa in an even better mood. She remembers that Jhod’s first reaction to Kaz was to pout over not having a funeral to conduct anymore, so watching Tyg tie his shoes together is quite satisfying. The only time she steps in is when they loosen the straps on the saddle; then she gives a short lecture on how it’s dangerous for the horse; yeah, the rider too obviously but if the saddle’s slipping it’ll rub on the horse and lead to sores. Aside from that she and the fae get along splendidly; Laliytsa gives them all the sweet food she has.
Laliytsa doesn’t pretend that she’s not follow Kaz to the barn. She’s takes up a watchful position outside the barn, leaning next to the open door with her axe in her hand. Although she can’t see what’s going on she’s close enough to charge in if things go south.
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"Why?" Kazimir repeats quietly, staring down unblinkingly at Akiros. "Why what? Why do you live like this? Why do you still live at all? Or why do I stand before you, when you killed me only a few days ago?" Crouching down to the other man's level, he lifts his chin, plainly showing the scar across his throat. "Because you did. You didn't cut me down and leave me to die. You sent me to the Boneyard, and it took you and three others to do so."
He drops his chin to a more natural height, continuing, "I would be within my right as a man and as a servant of Erastil to kill you now." He pauses to let his words sink in, before pressing on. "More bloodthirsty men than I would have done so already. An eye for an eye, a life for a life. But what use is there in revenge? As for the teachings of my god, the same god you shared once, you've proven yourself a menace. You and the men you associate with have preyed on the weak and powerless, broken the laws of the land, and robbed people of their livelihoods. The men and women I travel with have the right and responsibility, granted by the Dragonscale throne, to execute unrepentant bandits.
“However, they decided that, since you killed me, I get to decide what happens to you. And I am bound by no such charter.”
He stands, pacing back and forth. “This means several things. Firstly, it means that I am not bound by the local laws, and could execute all bandits, regardless of whether they wish to atone for their actions – you included. Secondly, it means that I am not bound to this place – I can leave whenever I wish. Go back home, work the farm, settle down and live out the rest of my days without fear of being killed by the likes of you. And thirdly, it means that if I so choose, you can walk free right now.”
He crouches again, elbows on his knees. "To the second, well, I can't leave this place while there is still evil in it. Real evil, the type that cannot be spared or saved. So I'll be here a while yet. As to the other points, that depends. Is there still good in you? Can you be spared or saved? I know you used to be a follower of Erastil. Not a simple farmer's son like myself – you were a holy knight in his service. You fought in his name. You took oaths to protect the weak and the innocent. You vowed to stamp out evil. You promised to defend your community. And then you made a mistake.
“When a sheep strays from the flock, the shepherd returns them. There is a strength and safety in numbers and conviction that cannot be broken. And while you strayed from the path, it hasn’t vanished in your absence. It’s still there, emptier now with one less follower on it. It’s waiting, should you wish to find your way back.
“Leaving it is easy. Finding it again is hard, for as a road overgrows with grass and brambles when no-one tamps it, so too does conviction and strength become harder to find when you’ve been without it for so long. Whether you can find your way, or if you even want to, I do not know. But what I do know is that the Elkfather does not easily forget. He saw me fall, and he knew that I would be better serving here than in the Great Beyond. If he can ask a favour of the Lady of Graves herself to keep a simple farmer on this world, imagine what he could do for a man who used to be one of his faithful knights.”
He shifts slightly, placing one knee on the ground and resting his forearms on the other. “So keep all of this in mind as I ask for your cooperation. We have a larger target in our sights, and if you help, there may be hope for you. So let’s start with a simple question, remembering that there is strength in numbers: how many serve the Stag Lord?”
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Akiros spits on the ground, looking up at Kazimir for a moment or two. With a shrug, he rolls his eyes at the farmboy, then starts talking, his voice hoarse and raspy. Surprisingly, his first comment is directed at Daen. "Your friend has no concept of how to run a fighting force in the kind of campaign the Stag Lord's running against you. Can you explain to him, a bit later, why I don't know how many men the Stag Lord has? If not, I will."
He pauses, then continues, spitting phlegm out of his mouth again. "I can't tell you because I don't know. What I do know is how you can beat the Stag Lord if you decide to storm his fortress, which you'll have to do. But... I won't do it unless I'm freed first, and I can't do it except from inside the fortress itself."
He coughs several times and wipes his mouth. "I'm not interested in your redemption story, and I'm not scared of dying. So you've got a choice to make. You can free me and get around to hunting that "real evil" you're talking about, or you can kill me. Either way makes no difference to me."
Outside the stables, Perlivash rolls his eyes at Cyanne. "Well, obviously! Your friends shoulda known how mighty tha spirits of tha Narlmarches was." He poses for a moment, tiny chest pressed out just like a real dragon, and then his facade breaks and both her and Tyg collapse into gales of laughter.
When they're finally able to continue, it's Tyg who speaks. "Nah, that ent us. We just likes livin' here. Sometimes tha dryad down south or Bu's family ask for favors, but we ent, like, zippin' 'round checking up on things. It's just..." she pauses. "Look, we don't like tha Stag Lord, but he ent bothering us either. We wanna know what we'd be getting in place of him. And the best way to do that...is to hitch a ride on your big hairy four-legs!"
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Daen squinted a bit at Akiros and frowned. Something was definitely bothering him about this conversation, but he couldn't figure out what it was. Leaving aside the insinuation that Kaz was unaware of what the Stag Lord was doing for the time being, he crossed his arms incredulously. "So, you want us to free you, so you can show us how to infiltrate the Stag Lord's fortress. It's something you can only do in person, and most certainly does sound like a trap."
He cocked an eyebrow. Kaz had told him before that he was about to let the prisoners go when they first met, using them as occasion to do so. He'd already been willing to turn against his boss. "But we also know you don't particularly like the Stag Lord or his methods. And you've been willing to thwart him before, nor do you have any kindness for your fellow bandits." He looked about the filthy stall and paused, wondering if he'd discovered the issue, but not quite ready to commit to his assumption. "A person looking to deceive us would have been more receptive to Kaz's entreaty. I suppose the real question is whether or not you'll quit throwing tantrums and regain your health by the time we're ready to go."
Meanwhile, outside the stall, Cyanne smiles at the giggling fey. "I still think you're playing us a little, but it doesn't matter. As I said before, you're welcome to come with us. However, if you do... You're going to have to meet some friends of mine while you're there. Deal?" She looks at Luthor. "Aron and Lirpeth would be thrilled to have two fey visit their school, wouldn't they, Luthor?"
Then she turns to Lali. "If you're going to listen at the door, tell us what's going on. Are they making any progress with Akiros?"
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"Second, the Stag Lord is finished. I think you'll do the job, but if you don't, that noble brat you have here sent a letter back to Restov. He probably asked to go to war, or for reinforcements. Either way, Staggy's in trouble. And I don't want to be on the losing side."
Meanwhile, Oleg saunters up, face downcast. "What are you lot going to do about this bandit problem? I thought you'd fixed it when you killed that woman, but those bastards keep coming. If I can't have Svetlana out here safely, I'll have to go back to Restov with her."
Cyanne had been to the point of tapping Lali impatiently on the shoulder for an update on what was happening with Akiros when Oleg approaches.
"Oleg, I want Svetlana back too, so here's the plan." Cyanne puts her hands on Oleg's shoulders and looks him in the eyes. "We're going after the Staglord, but first we have to get Kaz fully restored. That means a trip back to Restov for a week. When we come back, we're going to clear this place and make it safe again for your family and for other families too. Can you hold out that long?"
"If you'll abandon your loyalties depending on the winning or losing sides, how can we know you won't do the same again if it seems our side is about to lose?" Kaz asks, crossing his arms. "Or is that a risk we'll have to just accept?"
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"Everything carries risk, boy." Akiros coughs and wipes blood from his mouth. "I can't say I like you. Any of you, with the exception of the half-elf. You all remind me of when I was young. But I know what I was about when I was young, and I know what you're about now. There is no loyalty to the Stag Lord, just half a sense of purpose." He falls silent for nearly a minute. "The key is a phrase, like a password. When do you intend to launch your attack? I know all the phrases for the month, but after that, we always make up new ones, and they change every week."
Oleg nods. "Just make it fast."
Cyanne kisses Oleg on the cheek. "We will. I promise!"
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Luthor had been silent on the ride home, and hadnt really spoken much since they arrived back. It had happened alot lately, but then again, there had been so much going on he had needed time alone, even in the company of the others.
He had sought refuge in Erastil, but it wasnt until Kazimirs resurrection that he had realized just how hollow that devotion had been, nothing but a way to cope. It wasnt until after that miracle that he had truly felt something. He wasnt yet sure if it was just another case of false devotion, gratitude in disguise.
But it felt every bit as real as he thought possible.
He looked up from the work he was doing, his gaze following Daen and Kazimir as they entered the stables. He had offered to help with work at the post, now shirtless and sweaty. He wasnt strong, but the mandatory exercise at Aron and Lirpeths had afforded him enough brawn to be able to cope. Still, his delicate hands werent used to hard work, and he grimaced, rubbing at the latest blister. "Kazimir says theres something great about the aches after a days work. I guess its an acquired taste." He mumbled to Rikka as she handed him another nail to start hammering into place.
Cyanne walks over to where Luthor is working and gives him a hug. "Luthor! Tyg and Perli want to come up with us to Restov! Shall we introduce them to Aron and Lirpeth? I think our teachers would love meeting them!"
Daen scowled a bit at the revelation that his password was only good for the rest of the month. It was already the 24th, and a trip to Restov scheduled. The math didn't look promising for them to be able to make the trip and return to the Stag Lord's residence before the time was up. "I'm hoping that you have a different schedule than the calendar for months. A trip to Restov and then down to the Stag Lord's fort may not be possible in the days we have left in Pharast. At best we'd be ready to go from here in ten days."[b] A thought occurred to him, although it would be a bit more risky, and slightly more expensive. Well, we could possibly shave that down to six, but that's only in the extreme necessity."[/b] Buying a restorative scroll and having someone try to use it in transit would be difficult, and if they fouled the thing, it would take another week to replace it.
"And liking the half-elf will not help us accomplish our goals. Not to mention your fate's not in my hands." He was slightly flattered, but he didn't really want this man's friendship. Maybe that's why it was offered. He seemed currently rather inclined to self-defeating behavior. Though he was interested in turning on his former master, he wondered about his resolve. If he really didn't care if he lived or died, did it make sense to bring the reckless turncoat with them?
Kesten joins Cyanne and Luthor near where the man is working, the maps tucked under his arm. "Listen, I know you're busy, but there's still orders from Restov to think about. Could you help me fill this thing in?"
Cyanne bites her lip. Maps were usually Daen's job. Still, she was willing to help fill out the paperwork. "Luthor and I would be pleased to help, Kesten!"
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Laliytsa stand still, chest heaving as she breaths for the first time since bursting in. When she gets really, really angry her words jumble up in her head and spill out of her mouth without giving her a time to censor them. It dawns on her that standing there with a crazy look in her eyes and a death grip on her axe is making her look like an insane woman. She carefully puts the handaxe back on her belt, mostly to give her some time to think.
”I don’ think just lettin’ him go is a good idea” she starts off. ”Ain’t gonna do it. Nope. If’n he’s goin’ back fer passwords somebody’s gotta go with him. Me. Tell ‘em he offer me lotsa money to switch sides or that I’m his prisoner or somethin’ stupid. Iif’n he shows up to the Shrike an’ I ain’t there ya know somethin’s up.”
She locks eyes with Akiros and speaks slowly, carefully enunciating her words. ”I am not risking their lives on you keeping your word.”
As she's filling out the paperwork, she sighs as suddenly she hears Lali shouting at Akiros. Cyanne puts down the paperwork, handing it back to Kesten. "This can wait. I better get over there! I'll be right back, okay?"
Cyanne runs to the barn, opens the door and gags.
"Akiros, this is ridiculous! What have you done to yourself?" Her eyes watering, she prestidigitates some of the mess away before Akiros can protest.
"Lali, I don't have any idea why you guys were shouting about releasing Akiros. I didn't hear that part of the plan. But I do know you have your bandits mixed up. Akiros didn't send the murderers after Svetlana. That was Dovan, a different bandit chief." Then Cyanne eyes Akiros, her gaze unfaltering. "I have no idea why you would join in with Dovan's plans to attack the Fort after he had done such a thing. Perhaps you didn't know about that until your men were already committed to the attack."
She looks at her raging friend, and steps between Lali and Akiros. "I don't have much love for Akiros. He terrified me during the four worst days of my life. He chose the bandit life! And my, he can be an unpleasant, arrogant ass. He's brutal, cocksure, stubborn. But I know this, Lali. He has an honor code. He keeps his word. If he's promised to do something for all of you, he'll carry through. I'd stake my life on it!"
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Just as Kazimir feels he and Daen are making headway, Laliytsa bursts in, ranting and raving, shortly followed by Cyanne. This was supposed to be a private conversation, he thinks in dismay, a hand automatically finding its way to his hair in the familiar self-soothing gesture. "Everyone outside," he says levelly, fighting to keep his voice calm. "Now."
Ushering the group out, he takes several deep breaths through his nose, sitting at one of the tables, leaning heavily on his elbows. After a moment, he looks up and waves Luthor over, remaining silent until the group is assembled.
"While I don't know what we gained or lost by that interruption," he begins, drumming the fingers of his right hand slowly against the wood, "The fact is, we can't make this decision in front of Akiros. We can't debate like this in front of him; it shows too much weakness and dissent." As he continues speaking, it's with several lengthy pauses and briefly contorted facial expressions. "I'm inclined to think he's telling the truth about his loyalties, thin as they are. But we cannot trust him completely. While I firmly believe we should let him go through with his deception, I will not allow Laliytsa to put herself at risk by going with him - that isn't up for debate," he puts in, locking eyes with the ranger. "I would offer to go myself, but he killed me once already, and I doubt I'd be lucky enough to come back after a second attempt. Either we trust him to go alone, or he stays with us, where we can keep an eye on him. We can't leave him to rot here." He glances at his companions, each in turn. "Unless anyone has another suggestion?"
Cyanne looks up at Kaz, surprised. Had she ever seen him so fierce and determined? Still, when Kaz asks for suggestions, she grins.
"Did you know that Tyg and Perli followed us for days before showing themselves?"
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"I didn't notice, but it doesn't surprise me in the least," Kaz shrugs, still slowly drumming his fingers. "They're tricky things, after all; wouldn't surprise me if they could follow us for days, without us... noticing..." His voice trails off; the regular rhythm of his blunt fingertips on the table slows, and he stares incredulously at Cyanne. "What exactly does that have to do with this discussion?" he asks, mainly to confirm that he's on the same page.
"Spies, Kazimir. They're amazing, tricksy little spies."
She pauses. "The only wrinkle is that they want to accompany us to Restov." She looks at Daen's expression, waiting for him to see the implications. "Perli says that he wants to know the real reason behind the charter. If we're clearing bandits, what's coming in to replace them? What does Noleski Surtova want? So he's coming with us to find out... Guys, Tyg and Perli are very bright. And they want to know what we're doing here in their home."
Cyanne stares out at the road leading to Restov. "Really, they have a point. We don't know what Surtova wants after this." Then she turns back to the rest of the group, meeting the faces of the others. "So here's what I'm proposing. We let Akiros go. Alone. We show him trust. But when we come back, we send in Tyg and Perli as advance scouts to give us the lay of the land and verify what's happened. It's probably better that we keep their spy time short, anyway, given their attention spans..."
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Laliytsa grumbles "Can't make no plans 'fore we ask 'em. Dunno if they'd do either, up to 'em. Would trust 'em to keep an eye on Akiros though." She stands up from the table, looks around and calls out "Tyg, Perli! Needa ask ya a question!"
The two fey come over, obviously either not aware of the serious mood amongst the party or not caring. Tyg sticks out her tongue at Daen, winking, while Perli perches himself on Kazimir's head and begins kneading his hair into a good place to sit. Both, however, seem attentive.
Kazimir resigns himself to the fact that his hair may never be tangle-free again, and after clearing his throat awkwardly, addresses the fey. "Tyg, Perli, we have a favour to ask of you. It seems you want to know why we're here." Why most of us are here anyway. "If you come with us, will you be able to... watch someone for us when we get back?"
Cyanne nods. "It will be the most daring spy mission ever!"
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”Long an’ short of it. Akiros there, says if’n we let him go he’ll get us into Stag Lord’s fort. I say leavin’ him to go on his own is a big fat mistake. I’da go with him but they ain’t gonna let me” Laliytsa scuffs a boot across the ground. Warring emotions pass across her face; she’s upset but touched, unhappy yet resigned to the group’s decision. ”They wanna have ya scout when we get back. Me, I think ya oughta follow him now an’ keep an on him. Gotta put our boots on one foot at a time; don’ matter what Surtova wants if’n Stag Lord kills us all.”
Her gaze flits from Perli to Tyg and back again. ” What yeh do is up to ya, just think ‘bout it please.”
"Please, Tyg and Perli? I'll write you a song!"
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Tyg and Perli listen to the party's pleas intently, then flit off a few feet, where a one-sided discussion is had in melodic Sylvan on Tyg's part.
"Stupid bigginses just don't see to understand, do they?"
"So after these decades, you're finally getting rid of me?"
"Are you sure? This all seems so sudden!"
"Okay! But I stay here!"
"Yes, I'm sure. Yes, I can be quiet. Yes, I am capable of making good decisions without you!"
"Just because I haven't doesn't mean I can't! I'm staying. End. Of. Conversation."
The two fae fly back over, assuming their usual positions, though Perli looks downcast and a bit frustrated while Tyg's face radiates both anger and triumph. "She's staying, I'm going."
Tyg picks up where the faerie dragon left off. "The yellow-hair-biggins don't trust your friend, so there ent a reason to let him off that long. Perli don't trust me, I've learned just now, so now's a good time to prove him wrong. He's gonna go with you to tha big city, and I'm gonna stay and follow this friend of yours. That'll learn him!"
Entering last, having taken the time to hammer in the last few nails for the job he was doing before acting on the invitation, Luthor got a pained look as he spotted Akiros. Up until the point Akiros had killed Kazimir, Luthor had held out hope for his redemption, and now that Kazimir was back, however reluctantly, that feeling had returned. The pitiful state Akiros was in did nothing to dispel that feeling.
"Im with Kazimir on this, not just because hes the one Akiros killed." He gave Kazimir a sideways glance, checking if mentioning it had shaken him. "I mean, agreeing with him on this based solely on that would be a mistake." He looked at Kazimir again before continuing. "But its a good plan, even if it is dangerous, we stand to gain so much if it works."
Moving past the others and crouching down, he held out a glowing hand, stopping short and waiting for it to be accepted or dismissed. "If nothing else, your new mission cant have you looking like this when you return to the Staglord." He said.
Kazimir waves a hand slightly at Luthor's glance. "No sense in tiptoeing around that event," he mutters, rubbing his neck, still raw and scabbed.
"So it's settled, then. Perli comes with us to Restov, and Tyg stays here." Noting the changed demeanors of the two, he flicks his eyes to the faerie dragon, remembering his instructions to 'think loud and colourful' - Are you two alright? he tries to 'think' at him.
Having heard Tyg's half of the conversation, Cyanne gets a sad look on her face. "დიდი მადლობა. მე არ ნიშნავს გამოყოფა ორი".
"I'll miss making music with you in Restov, but we'll make up for it after we come back for the Staglord, I promise." Cyanne offers her hand to the little grig. "You are very brave, and very song worthy, Miss Tyg."
Daen was fairly annoyed at Lali's and Cyanne's intrusion at first, but he resigned himself to the fact that it was still Kaz's decision on what to do with Akiros. If he wanted to listen to noisy and pushy people to make his decision, that was up to him. But it didn't mean that he wouldn't be having words with them about proper decorum.
"Several details should be discussed if this is our plan of action. My recommendation is that we give Akiros back most of his effects, or at least as much as he should be able to recover in an escape of sorts. He would also need his horse back, else we could catch him once we noticed he had left." He marked it on fingers on his right hand, and then switched to his other hand as he got to the second group of details.
"I'd recommend not telling Akiros about Tyg keeping tabs on him. That way it would be easier for her to possibly find out things he wouldn't want us to know if he decides to switch sides again. What we should tell him is that we'll meet him in twenty days at midnight at a spot we both would know, like the beaver dam, and he'll tell us the passwords and we'll make plans from there. If he plans an ambush, but Tyg and Perli could warn us and we could either spring the trap there and go finish off the job if we're betrayed, or go with Akiros and storm the fort at that time, possibly sometime later if it's more convenient. With these details, we should be able to go to Restov for the necessary time, and be prepared for the assault."
Turning to the fey, he addressed them specifically. "Although it's not the preferred course of action, all parties will be satisfied through these plans."
"One final thought, may I speak to Cyanne and Laliytsa privately?"
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You both are valuable parts of the team, and your ideas concerning this matter were tremendously valuable, but your delivery was dangerously poor and devoid of reason. My recommendation is that you at least apologize to our miraculous decision maker while I make preparations for Akiros' departure. It would be best if we started acting like a proper chartered adventuring group instead of backyard gossips. Don't you agree?"
I only came in when Lali started shouting...
Cyanne stops the thought, dead. She had done exactly what Daen accused her of doing, butting in where she was not wanted. "You're right." She gives Daen an anguished look, then turns away, ashamed. No wonder you don't want me...
She doesn't say the words out loud. She just thinks them.
"I'll go apologize to Kaz immediately."
___________________________________
"Kaz. I'm sorry for butting in on the conversation you were having with Akiros. It was poorly done, and I should have known better. I..." Cyanne casts around for words, words that will put her poor actions in a better light, but there are none.
"I'll go help Kesten finish his paperwork."
As she finishes the the paperwork, she tries not to think about the doubt that's settled in her heart. See? This is another example of why you're not good enough for Daen. This is why he can't and won't open his heart to you... You're too wild. Too willful. Too undisciplined. Why don't you leave and go back to Restov?
She tries to quell the voice in her head, but she can't...
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Maybe it was the slouch as Cyanne left, maybe it was the peculiar feelings Rikka was giving him in relation to the way she spoke. Whatever the case, Luthor for once managed to notice that something was wrong even if noone had spoken of it. Finding her where she had retreated to do paperwork, he knocked gently on the door, pushing it open. He hadnt come right away, instead finding more work to assist with, no less sweaty than he had been when entering the stables.
"Got a moment to talk?" He asked, pushing the door open to the point that he could lean on the door frame and still have clear view of her. "Not about me though, about you." He gave Rikka a glance, and she nodded. "About you and Daen actually. Seems like you arent saying what you are thinking, atleast not to him." He nuzzled Rikka, then nudged her. She leaped down and made her way to Cyanne. "If you cant talk to him now, maybe talk to me? I worry you are going to explode and say something you will regret if you dont vent somehow."
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Cyanne looks up at him, stricken. "Does it show so much?"
Her hands are shaking as she pushes the last of the paperwork, signed and sealed, aside. "Can you come in and close the door? I... promised that I wouldn't be weepy. That I wouldn't bring everyone down with my mood swings. I..."
She strokes Tango, trying to calm herself. "Daen asked me a couple days ago what I see in him. I told him that I saw the man for whom I was willing to give up everything. Everything. But..." She looks up at Luthor, tears streaming down her face. She wipes them away, embarrassed and a little ashamed that she's once again the one crying. "He never responded. I've been waiting for a sign that he's willing to overlook my faults, and give us a try. And instead he called me rude and demeaning and... And I keep being exactly what he doesn't want. Messy. Disorganized. Emotional. I burst in on that conversation with Akiros because Lali was already shouting, and the damage was done, but I made things worse instead of fixing them.
"Luthor, I have a past, and it would take some mighty strong love to overlook it. What if he doesn't have it in him? What if he doesn't want me anymore? And am I even doing any good here at all? I feel this gaping hole in my heart. I thought I could be something more, something better, than what I was. But maybe... Maybe I'm wrong? Am I doing any good here?"
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He shook his head. "Not obvious, no. Noticing was a concerted effort between me and Rikka. I wouldnt worry too much on that front."
"Exactly what he doesnt want?" He said as she finished, looking slightly amused for a brief moment. "Cyanne, theres a difference between what you think you want, and what you actually need." He stepped through the door, closing it behind him, then walked to where she was sitting and pulled up a chair for himself.
"Speaking strictly ambitions, would Daen be better served with a conventional pairing with a woman of the exact same mindset as himself? Probably." As he spoke he slid his chair over until they were side by side, the pulled her into a one armed shoulder hug. "Would it bring him any happiness though? Definitely not. Would it even make him miserable in the long run? Probably." He looked past her face to her other shoulder, meeting Rikkas eyes as she perched there. He nodded at her, some unspoken understanding between the two. "I mean, take me for example." He started, gesturing with his other hand to his chest. "If not for the Inquisitor, I could probably have stayed at home, been left to wrestle with what I am on my own. I would have gotten what I wanted, to stay with my family, but with time it would have soured and been ruined. Same with Daen and a "proper lady" He said the last words with an exaggerated tone. "In the short run he would get what he wanted, but he wouldnt be happy." Rikka stepped bodily into Cyannes hair, running her paws through it, stroking it.
"Dont dwell on what you did in the stables." He continued after sitting silent a few moments. "If it had been me or Kazimir he would have chewed us out about it all the same. Thats really got nothing to do with you and him. Besides, I dont take it you want him to go easy on you just because you two are sort of a thing, do you? I mean, you like him for who he is, and not just those ears, right?" He nudged her shoulder with his fist, smiling.
"As for this past of yours, what exactly is there to overlook? The dancing? Quite frankly, if thats an issue for him im not sure hes worth the trouble. Have you discussed it with him at all, or just silently wallowed in your doubts about it?" He didnt let her answer just yet, quickly adding. "And on the subject of doing good? Yes, you are." He smiled, the gesture slightly overbearing, like a parent or older sibling. "Doing good and doing well are two entirely different things. You could do something good and end up making things worse, or do the wrong things and yet end up doing well regardless. We are a team Cyanne, our success and failures are for all of us to share."
He had turned to face her as he spoke, her shoulders clasped in his hands. In the silence that followed, he lets his hands drop to his sides, standing. "We need you Cyanne." He said as bluntly as he could manage, trying to leave no doubt as to the absolute truth of that statement. "Me, Kazimir, Laliytsa, Daen...Rikka and Tango." He turned, opening the door but not leaving just yet. "That really shouldnt have been in question, but I hope you trust me to speak for the others as well as myself on that front. Maybe now that weve settled that, you can focus on thinking about you and Daen." He removed his shirt from where it was wrapped about his waist, putting it back on. "That is between you and him, and I have neither the experience nor the inclination to meddle with whats going on between you two."