This post
Addy gives her parents a hug and a kiss goodnight, and makes sure to mingle a bit, as her relationship with Ash was never explicitly shared with her martial arts students—who may or may not have noticed the chemistry between Ash and herself (as the Vixen).
She reaches for Addy's hand at the same time, causing your knuckles to bump. You share a smile and laugh before competing to see who can tug the other into the room, akin to a romantic tug-of-war.
"I'm glad your family seemed to like me," Ash says sheepishly, sitting on the bed. Her confidence has flown now that you are in private. She has consulted the library and other councilors to learn how to fulfill her role for Tamlyn, resulting in the professional affect she cultivates out in public. She can best be described as a councilor on the streets and a shy, awkward farm girl among the sheets.
Fortunately, she is in the best company she could hope for.
"Now that we're drawing close to the year's end, I thought it would be best to prepare a summary for you lords and ladies regarding the state of Tamlyn," Asham explains to the rest of the council on the following day.
"Regarding Crystalhue..." she begins, putting aside a fleeting blush and smile.
"Tyg and her friends came up to me and asked why everyone was thanking them. I explained that they were grateful that they rescued the Cooperson boy, but that seemed to only confuse them further. After asking around a bit more, I've found that none of the fey in Horace claim to be responsible for saving the boy. I don't know what this could mean, but I thought it best to bring to your attention.
"On the same topic, I've been informed by Lord Garess and Father Kavken that we need to be wary of the Volso family. The rest of the clan is apparently just as belligerent and liable to hold a grudge as Ariscus. They left their previous town because of a feud with another family; the Volsos claim they left in protest, but most other people say they were run out of town for causing trouble. I think Lord Ahto's ultimatum may have instilled the right amount of fear in Ariscus, but we should look out for trouble from his kin."
Granted, she spent the night in a house of professional courtesans, but she’s pretty sure instinct, passion, and blissful ignorance triumphed over inexperience.
In the bath, Addy compliments Tomi and Lenore. As much as she finds Ash’s bashfulness adorable, she is herself relieved when her hostesses leave the room.
Eventually, the bath is just a relaxing soak. Addy holds Ash close to compensate for the now lukewarm water as she says, “O’ course me parents adore ye. Ye’re a hard worker, pleasant company, and yer archery skills certainly scored points with me Huntress mother. But more than anything, they can see the difference ye’ve made in me life.
“They know I’m proud to be Mrs. Kavinka.”
When the Vixen hears of this, she says, “I’d like to visit the fey first. It ain’t a mystery who pulled the boy out o’ the water, and I suspect our nixie friend’s the one asking the rest to keep quiet about their good deed. I’m sure they do so out o’ grave concern. The question’s whether it’s fear o’ humans, or fear o’ fey.
“Maybe Horace’s killer’s the one fey who’d not take kindly to befriending humans.”
|
"Let us hope that the Volso clan curbs their rebellious and confrontational tendencies. Perhaps there is hope for their future in Arius, assuming he learns from his experiences this week," Ahto says. "It would be beneficial to know which of the fey rescued the boy, and why they wish to remain anonymous. We cannot allow mistrust of mortals fester among them anymore than we can allow mistrust of fey to fester among mortal kind. If Tamlyn is to prosper, it needs the cooperation of all of its citizens."
He looks though the tax ledgers, tallying the numbers in his head. "Do we have sufficient revenue to start another project this month? What improvements should we make to our new homeland?"
“Melianse, I strongly suspect. I mean not just saving the boy, but telling the fey to keep their lips buttoned.”
"We certainly have enough in our treasury to construct a granary. Now would be a good time, since winter is upon us. Since we haven't expanded our territory to the forest's edge, I don't think we can construct a sawmill yet. Independent loggers already bring in timber from local copses, but they would want the protection of patrols and watchposts before operating that far from Horace."
"I don't know whether this could be considered a domestic matter, but some of your former companions visiting for the festival brought word that Althea Thrune has fled Brevoy after her complicity with the bandits was discovered. Her current whereabouts are unknown."
The Vixen replies, “Maybe when I speak to Melianse, we can learn of a forest location unclaimed by man or fey. Part o’ keeping the li’l darlings safe means being open about this sort o’ thing. We protect their land by finding resources elsewhere.”
"None here. A granary makes a great deal of sense with winter coming on." Eunomia studies the map. "It might be worth starting to expand westward though so we can open a sawmill sooner rather than later." She points at the area directly west of Horace. "Maybe there? It's close enough to the capital to make a good location for a sawmill."
She looks at the Vixen. "I'd ask Melianse first, of course. To make sure we're not intruding on fey territory."
"The arm of the forest due west of Horace would be ideal for logging," Asham confirms, "Especially since it contains the last leg of the Skunk River, which would be great for turning a sawmill wheel.
"Of course, speaking of Melianse, we can't press too far west. Her home lies in that direction, and she's made it clear that it's not to be disturbed. I think it would be best to respect her wishes, especially if she is responsible for saving the Cooperson boy."
The Vixen says, “Well then, holiday’s over.”
She goes on, “Sooner I talk to Melianse, the better. Anyone coming with, or am I on a solo mission?”
"Solo mission is probably better for this." Eunomia smiles slightly. "Melianse likes you, and we don't want her to feel like we're crowding her. She may be more willing to open up in a one-on-one conversation."
She considers the papers in front of her. "To backtrack a little, I'm afraid I don't recognize the name Althea Thrune. Is her possible escape something we need to be concerned about?"
The Vixen nods. “Alright… I best tread lightly, especially on the topic o’ the Cooperson boy. Whatever the reason for keeping quiet, I’m ruling out modesty, and ‘fey logic’ just sounds like willful ignorance.
“Here’s hoping Melianse likes me enough, or trusts me enough, that I can get the truth out o’ her.”
Assuming Mrs. Lane is still in town, the Vixen will go to her for a casting of Endure Elements in anticipation of her visit with an aquatic fey in cold weather.
The Vixen studies the map carefully to make sure she fully understands what area is being claimed and what is to remain fey territory.
|
Wonky frowns at the mention of Althea Thrune's name, sharing her downturned mouth with Ahto.
"The Countess was decidedly NOT in favour of our team exploring this section of the Stolen Lands, an argument that she emphasised by sending a team of armed thugs to remove us from availability whilst we were a nascent group finding ourselves in Restov," Wonky smiles, reminiscing. "I believe that Ahto and I are the only two remaining original members of that group, but you have met Lady Kalima and Aurelius through the Crystalhue Festival - they were also with us, along with Aris and Paval." Wonky sighs, then quickly darkens her facial expression.
"You may recognise her last name. She is of the ruling family that holds power in Cheliax - a distant relative, but unfortunately, still privy to the corrupting power that name manages to conjure. It was a happy thought to consider her far-removed from us in Restov. And now...?" Wonky finishes with an out-of-character shrug, belying her discomfort.
"Understood." Eunomia had recognized the name Thrune, but thought perhaps it was a coincidence. To find that it was not was a bit of a shock. "I agree with that plan. Hopefully she doesn't come here, but if she does she will not be allowed to roam free."
"So. Assuming Melianse has no objections, we will spend this month claiming the territory west of Horace and building a granary. Are there any other issues to be resolved?"
Answering her own question, Eunomia pulls a letter out of her pocket. "In other news, I received this from Commander Parsall yesterday. He wished to warn us to be carefull of Mivon and Pitax; apparently they're both stirring if not outright preparing for war. Our recent success in clearing the bandits from this area may have encouraged other nations to see us as a target."
"Additionally, trolls have been migrating from the south. Not in great numbers, but they are headed in our direction. Something else we should keep an eye on."
For a second she bites her lip, looking uncharacteristically unsure. "He also wished to propose a formal alliance between Tamlyn and Liberthane. Liberthane is well-established, fortified, and has a great deal of military strength for its size. Meanwhile Tamlyn has extra support from Brevoy and is growing far more rapidly. The two nations are not close in proximity, but they could still aid each other in times of trouble." She lifts her chin. "I am obviously biased in this matter, so I will abstain from voting."
The Vixen says, “We’ve all biases, Eunomia. Being aware o’ yer biases and honest about ’em shouldn’t exile ye to the kiddie table. Ye’re the most fair-minded person I know. Be fair to yerself. If it helps, I’ve me own bias here, seeing yer commander’s a paladin o’ Milani.
“It’s important ye not only vote, Eunomia. Parsall’s surely counting on yer fair-mindedness. If he wanted ye to be impartial or just one vote, he’d’ve written Ahto.” This is just the Vixen’s assumption, so she makes sure to interject with emphasis, “I believe,” before continuing, “he wrote to you ’cause yer place is to vouch for him. Make sure the rest of us know he’s a guy we want to align with—and not some conquering warmonger.
“I’ve enough faith in ye that I don’t need a pitch. I’m voting to align with Parsall.” Smiling at Eunomia, she adds, “And I’ve a solo mission to get to, so I ain’t sticking around to see how the vote goes.
“But I better not hear ye abstained or… well, I won’t be mad. Just disappointed.”
And with that, the Vixen heads out to see the nixie emissary.
Eunomia smiles a little sadly. "I appreciate that you think I'm fair-minded, and I do think an alliance with Liberthane would be good for Tamlyn. However Commander Parsall is my friend as well as my former commander. For that reason alone I'd be inclined to vote for an alliance, and therefore that is reason enough to abstain."
She looks Ahto in the eye. "To answer your questions, Commander Parsall runs Liberthane far more like a military outpost than we have been running Tamlyn. There is no council similar to what we have here. Commander Parsall is, well, the Commander, and as such his word is law. He listens to others and tries not to abuse that power, but it does exist." She tries to think of how best to explain the situation.
"For context, Commander Parsall is a surviver of the Galtan revolutions. He originally founded Liberthane not as a nation, but rather a military fort. He agreed that the revolution was necessary, but the execution...so many people died. His family among them. He wanted to end the constant revolutions and see Galt at peace again. What made Liberthane something more were people like my parents. People fleeing the chaos, who wanted to live in a land where they could be free. Commander Parsall could not, would not, turn them away. And so citizens began congregating around the fort, and he saw it as his duty to protect them."
"I know for a fact he has worried that should Liberthane become anything more than a well-defended fort it would be immediately subsumed into Mivon, or another similarly-powerful nation. Alliances make that less of a risk, and allow him to start shifting Liberthane away from the stratocracy it has been for over twenty years." She closes her eyes briefly, breathing deep, before looking at Ahto again. "I hold to my decision to not vote on this matter. However I will attest to Commander Parsall's character. He is a good man. If Tamlyn needs aid and it is at all within his power, he will provide it. He wants nothing more than to see a nation founded where all are treated fairly, and all can be free. Whether that nation be Liberthane or no."
The Vixen stops and hears Eunomia out, and listens to the pitch, which only solidifies her position on the alliance… as well as her feelings on not voting. But she holds her tongue. After Ahto proposes a meeting the Vixen gives Ash a peck on the cheek and leaves.
|
|
"I think that a diplomatic invitation would be an excellent thing, though I think that Mivon, if it has designs on either Liberthane or Tamyln or both, would see it as a top-tier opportunity to inject political tension via assassination attempts. Security would be the highest priority."
Wonky muses, clearly speaking her unfiltered mind.
"Vixen!" Wonky calls after the vigilante as she ALMOST walks from the hall. "I have business with the fey - might I convince you to allow me and Sprocket a chance to travel with you?"
Without waiting for an answer, Wonky pulls her fully-stocked rucksack from under the table. Sprocket wakes from his nap and comes over from his sunny corner, his travel gear plainly ready for the road.
“Sure,” VV replies.
Hexa pledges to vote in line with his warchief. Paval also supports an alliance, but he seems a bit daunted by the prospect of ensuring the security of a formal meeting against the depredations of rival River Kingdoms. Asham and Kesten also support the alliance.
Oleg, having departed before dawn to return to his trading post, is unavailable. Similarly, Harmond is indisposed as he contends with his family.
...
"You've just been married. What sort of shenanigans are you up to now?" Kelsie Lane exclaims, half jokingly, when her daughter arrives with Wonky in tow, requesting a touch of magic.
"You don't have some manner of court wizard to handle such things?" she chides while preparing the spell. "Or is that my job now?" she adds with a wry smile.
|
|
Wonky gets all the way to Addy’s mother before realising her civil duties. She hastily excuses herself and races back to the town council chamber, Sprocket loping along behind her.
”I apologise,” the gnome bursts in breathlessly, interrupting a report by Commander Garess, ”that I forgot to cast my vote! I vote yes!”
With that non-specific assent, Wonky races back.
"You've just been married. What sort of shenanigans are you up to now?" Kelsie Lane exclaims, half jokingly, when her daughter arrives with Wonky in tow, requesting a touch of magic.
"You don't have some manner of court wizard to handle such things?" she chides while preparing the spell. "Or is that my job now?" she adds with a wry smile.
After Wonky excuses herself, the Vixen slips off her mask. “Oh, Mother… I’m sure one of the nature priests probably knows it… but I know you do, and I still remember ye casting on me and Vikki when ye trained us.”
She leaves it at that. The Child always felt as if she let Mother down. She was okay with a bow, but the civilized world she became accustomed to halfway into childhood had butcher shops. So the Child never had to shoot an animal herself—much to her relief! She instead happily devoured meat whose eyes she never had to look into.
The Vixen does not address this. She simply assures Mother, “Any day that ain’t Crystalhue, the Royal Enforcer’s on duty. I mean to visit Melianse, the Nixie who saved the boy yesterday, though she won’t admit it. I mean to talk with her, and with yer magic, Wonky and I can get in the water even in this weather.
“She’s the closest I’ve seen to a real mermaid, and the li’l ladies who ye saw onstage’re the closest I’ve seen to fairies. They’re amazing people, but I worry the civilized world’ll shove ’em into a corner. It’s why it’s important I don’t come tromping into a talk in me fancy boots as if the human way’s better than theirs. I’ll be Melianse’s equal, naked and wet… which admittedly’s why I’m glad none o’ the men’re joining.
“Wonky’s fey herself, so she’ll probably jump in with me. But even if she don’t, or if the nixie prefers I don’t for whatever reason, can’t hurt to prepare. I find it’s good to have a plan, but never to marry it.
“Or as ye used to put it, Mother…”
Allowing herself to regress like the Child within, she performs a seemingly effortless contortion, bringing her leg overhead, bending into a back-arch, and bringing back the other leg so she’s standing again—
—and pulls it off like she’s still a teenager.
“…be flexible.”
The Vixen smiles.
It’s a confident smile. A fake smile. A well-rehearsed smile. She realizes the mask is in her hand as the tears flow. That mask has always hidden the tears, more than the Vixen would ever admit to Ahto or Wonky or Eunomia or even her own wife. But why now? Didn’t she make peace with Vikki’s death? Yes. She did… but she’s been ignoring her broken relationship with Mother. She looked so proud when she saw me with the fey… Is that the Child or Vixen’s voice? I didn’t think there needed to be words. Addy can’t tell. I don’t have time for this s~*@!
The Child—Vixen?—………Addison just throws her arms around Mother, wishing the tears would stop. She’d been so distant after Vikki’s death, and she expected Mother would’ve gone to her funeral by now, not a wedding! This Crystalhue was so perfect—better than perfect—what could there possibly be to cry about?
Addy is relieved Wonky stepped away. She just holds Mother and soaks her blouse until she can regain her composure—though she does have the presence of mind to push the door shut with her boot, so no one else sees her like this!
Eunomia nods, although her eyes are somewhat distracted as she continues to look at the letter. "I have no objection to serving as a liason. It is a natural fit, given both my homeland and my position here." She pauses for a moment, then carefully refolds the letter and places it back into her pocket.
"As for a meeting-place, the one that comes immediately to mind is Uringen. It is close to halfway between Tamlyn and Liberthane, and completely neutral. Indeed, it rather has to be." She smiles. Wonky will love this. "For it is a town both here and there, part of it static in our reality, part of it...decidedly not. It is relatively close to Mivon, but no River Kingdom has dared try to subsume it. Not when so little is known about it's eccentricities."
"To be clear, it is not the most easily accessible meeting place. Mivon itself would hold that distinction. Uringen may manage to be a trading hub for certain exotic alchemical ingredients, but it lies in the middle of the Embeth Forest which is rather dense and hard to navigate without a guide. However if safety is a concern..." She shrugs. "I can think of no place less likely to attract assassins. Uringen is perfectly safe, so long as you follow directions and do not venture too close to the, er, 'unstuck' part of town, but many superstitious members of the River Kingdoms simply refuse to take the risk. And assassins, in my admittedly limited experience, do tend towards superstition."
"I thought I told you: you don't have to be strong every waking moment," she coos. "You're strong when it counts, when protecting your bride and serving your land. You shouldn't be afraid to let down your guard, at least once and awhile.
"Remember, even if your mother isn't around, you now have your Ash to lean on when you need it."
“Oh, Mom…” Mom, she says. Not Mother.
Wiping her moist eyes, she agrees, “I’ll lean on Ash… more than I’ve been. I can’t keep up this tough act twenty-four-seven.” She manages a smile (without having to fake it this time). “Still… glad ye’re the one who caught me in me total meltdown. I sorely missed the maternal advice.”
|
|
Wonky races back to the Vixen and her mother.
"I apologise," she says, a bit winded, "but I needed," -- she pants some more -- "to tell Ahto something." Wonky wipes her brow, completely missing the Vixen scrubbing hurriedly at her nose and eyes. Sprocket makes a high-pitched whine and cocks his head sideways at the Vixen.
"Now, now, Sprocket," Wonky says breathlessly, "we will be on our way," *DEEP BREATH* "soon enough."
The Vixen slips on her mask and speaks in a perfectly calm tone.
“No apology necessary, Wonky. Me mother offered some words o’ wisdom best said in private, but they might be applicable when meeting our aquatic friend.”
She pats Sprocket, who obviously can smell her tears. She says to the dog in Sylvan, <I’m fine. Thanks for asking.>
She then goes on, “Oh… and Melianse being aquatic’s the reason I’m asking for Mom’s spell. I mean to get in the water with her, unless she objects. Ain’t forcing ye to do the same, but best I warn ye I remove more than just me mask when chatting with the emissary.”
She eagerly awaits Mom’s spells, and isn’t ashamed to tell her Mom she loves her and give a good-bye kiss in front of Wonky.
Thankfully, rather than having to cross the two dozen miles that separates Horace from Melianse's home along the Skunk River, the nixie can be found much closer to town, only a little ways upstream.
"This river's really deep," she says, as though lecturing a child. "And the current's pretty fast. I'd be fine, but you shouldn't go swimming here."
She offers one last splashing kick of her legs.
"Tyg and her cohorts wouldn't stop pestering me until I agreed to meet you here. I know it's my job, but that doesn't make it any less irritating."
She has no real difficulty, though no real desire to swim either. This is more about being the nixie’s equal, or at least respecting her enough to abandon the human way.
She sits at the edge of the pool, crossing one leg over the other, which is all the modesty she’s going to get. She doesn’t even use her dress to towel off or cover up.
“Melianse, our jobs ain’t always pretty. But sometimes we’re our own worst enemies. Me mother said something to me before I set out… that ye don’t have to be strong all the time, and it’s okay to let yer guard down.
“Those words apply to you as well. It’s obvious ye’re the one who saved the boy from drowning. Don’t worry—I ain’t gonna hand ye a plaque on the public square. But can we be open with each other?”
"Why be open? You seem to know how things are. Isn't that enough?"
Melianse slides into the river. She keeps her face above water so as to continue speaking with the mortal visitors.
"I'm not going to let your citizens think I'm weak," she says while effortlessly gliding through the water. "If they think I've got even the smallest of soft spots, they'll 'walk over me.' I think that's the phrase you use, correct?
"You probably came on behalf of your lord to discuss logging, too. I'm right, aren't I? If your loggers don't fear me, they'll keep pressing west until they're felling all the trees in my home. I've heard coachwood is highly valued, so I know they'd be all to eager to put them to the axe."
“There’s nothing weak about being seen as a hero. But as I said, I respect ye keeping a low profile. I don’t recommend ye asking Tyg to do the same, however, as there’s a difference between quiet modesty and an unbelievable lie.
“I don’t want humans distrusting the fey. I hope I’ve earned your trust, Melianse. I adore Tyg and I know ye care for her, but believe me—letting her acknowledge a thank ye’s better for human-fey relations.
“As is me wasting no time cluing you in.”
The Vixen gets into the water again.
“Yes. Logging’s come up—’twas news to me an hour ago. Me wife said we’re to respect yer wishes. No one disputes that. I’m gonna refrain from saying things like ‘coachwood’ when it comes to establishing a border. The value o’ the wood don’t mean people can tread on yer land, and I’d prefer we keep loggers at a distance from ye.
“The reason we’re looking west o’ Horace is Skunk River. The river can turn the wheel of a mill.” The Vixen lets that sink in. “It’s the men’s fear o’ crossing me that’ll prevent the westward press.”
The nixie slips beneath the surface, seeming to vanish entirely as the green of her skin blends in with the river. Suddenly, she erupts from the water like a breaching fish. Melianse bends backward in midair before landing back in the water in a move akin to a reverse dive.
"Well," she calls upon raising her head above water again. "I don't doubt your ability to serve as a deterrent. I can't think of any decent fey in the area that don't harbor their own awed respect of the Vixen."
She scans the length of the river, looking upstream.
"I suppose your mill will go up around here, yes? Hmm...I will place stone markers on either of the river's banks, inside the forest, to mark how far your loggers can go. Of course, the placement will not simply be my decision. I will see how much ground the others are willing to cede."
Asham chews her lip nervously.
"I can't say I've ever even heard of Uringen," she admits, inwardly embarrassed by her lack of knowledge. "I could seek out travelers, merchants, or even residents who've visited the town and gather stories from them."
Well… not on the talk. But considering what won the Nixie over, the Vixen steps up to the edge of the flat rock to end this conversation in style.
She stands brazenly, the breeze on her glistening freckles simply refreshing thanks to Mom’s Desnan prayer. She says to Melianse, “I think we’re good then. Everything ye said’s completely reasonable, except one bit… and it ain’t a thing I can let slide, else me reputation’s toast.”
She does a foward flip off of the rock…
…and plunges feet first into the water!
“Now yer show-off comment’s accurate. Not to say I can shoot from the deep as ye did, but ain’t too shabby for a human, right?
“It’s how I started life, Melianse. Living off o’ the land, bathing in rivers. Even when it was survival, I swam against currents and leapt across wet stones for pure joy.”
She stays in the drink for now. After persuading the steadfast nixie, conquering the frigid whitewater seems a relaxing endeavor.
"I know Uringen has two mayors, one for the portion of the city fixed in our plane, the other for the portion that shifts." She closes her eyes for a moment, thinking. "I believe their names are Knavar Mieren and Aurelia Ogden, respectively. They take turns visiting the Outlaw Council each year. Liberthane isn't exactly influential, but Commander Parsall does still attend the Council, if for no other reason than to get a feel for what's going on in the other Kingdoms. Actually, the latest Council may well be where he got wind of Mivon and Pitax's movements."
"I could write Commander Parsall to let him know that we are considering the alliance and would like to meet with him on neutral ground, suggesting Uringen as a possible location. He probably has more contacts in or knowledge about the city than I."
|
|
Wonky puts aside her journal as Melianse turns her attention to the gnome.
”Melianse, I will not mince words. I have need of the First World and the secrets that it keeps to keep the horror known as The Bleaching at bay in my father. I fear I do not have the luxury of time and I hope you might have a suggestion as to where I might begin my search.“ The often-vocabulary-heavy gnome conspicuously clips her words short. ”Please,” she adds after a short pause.
"You happen to be in luck. Do you know why the other fey put up with a sarcastic, aloof woman like me? I'm actually an accomplished sorceress. Of course, I'm not claiming to be a sage with some exceptional knowledge about the condition, but I'll do what I can."
Off the top of her head, Melianse suggests bringing Wonky's father to the First World itself, speculating that the vibrant energy of the fey realm might revitalize him.
"Of course, I have no evidence to indicate that such a remedy would work. What's more, I don't know of any accessible gates to the First World nearby. I will reach out to some of my more learned acquaintances for more input."
.....
Ash looks around and, remembering that Wonky has stepped out with the Vixen, fills in for the gnome and takes notes on Uringen. Of course, even as she writes down the information, struggling to keep up with Eunomia's explanation, the councilor has trouble believing the fantastical account.
She says to Melianse, “Let’s meet when ye’ve had time to consult others about both the mill and the First World. Will three days do the trick?” The Vixen is fine with adjusting the timeline. Meeting here on this rock seems as good a place as any. VV isn’t picky.
She expects Wonky has more to say. If need be, she’ll clarify her words are not meant to be taken as ‘meeting adjourned.’