After saying goodbye to Melianse, and is well out of earshot of the nixie, VV interrupts a little of Wonky’s thinking time with a question: “Any chance ye’ve a means o’ granting me the spell me mother cast on us on our last meeting? There ain’t a chance I can travel with the nixie without a swim, and I never had to actually feel the cold in a winter’s bath. I imagine it ain’t pleasant.”
|
"I do not have the ability to manage that," Wonky replies flatly. "My studies have not necessarily focused on protection, but enchantment. I am a bit confused as to why you would think that we would be swimming in order to arrive at the home of the silver dragon. I do not intend to swim."
"Now, if you would be so kind - I need to concentrate in order to decide which choice would be more useful for my ultimate goals. Thank you."
Wonky lapses bluntly into silence once more.
The Vixen spares Wonky further conversation, and once she is back, she sees that the stable guy takes care of Dawn. The Vixen looks for her wife. Maybe she hasn’t eaten yet.
Eunomia studies the sketch, committing it to memory, then nods at Jocelyn. "A remarkable sketch, thank you. This will be extremely helpful. One last question, if you don't mind. This gentleman was spreading rumors of the Stag Lord's return. Do you recall him saying anything else of a similar nature? If he was spreading any other rumors, we would like to get to the bottom of those as well."
Wonky and Vixen return to Horace in time for dinner, and they thankfully find that the town hasn't erupted into flames or fallen into the earth in their absence.
.....
Back at the council chambers, earlier in the day, Abbs replies to Eunomia.
"I'll be straight with you: the fellow certainly seemed to have a chip on his shoulder regarding your lord and ladyships," the well-dressed courtesan says with a nervous laugh.
"He couched his words carefully to avoid sounding outright treasonous, but he made his insinuations clear: he was trying to suggest that your presence was endangering the town. Saying that since you're the ones who killed the bandit lord, you're also drawing his undead wrath upon us. As I said before, though, I think it's a load of manure."
Addison makes it a point to unmask herself, and let her wife see her gentler side as they eat. She greets Ash with a kiss (just a peck on the cheek, if in public).
“Me meeting was fruitful, though not as fun as last time—thankfully. Not sure whether the nixie knows I was magically protected from the cold when we last met, submerged in ye rapids.
“’Nuff about me though. How’s yer day been, me love?”
|
|
Once back in town, Wonky dutifully reports to Ahto.
"We had a good discussion with Melianse. She appears to be providing notifications as to the borders of the fey expanse and where woodsmen and loggers should cease their vocations. I think it is vital for us to provide some form of assistance to her in order to show unity; I think it would completely dash our nascent goodwill with the fey to bits if there were those felt to be poaching met with tacit permission from Horace."
Wonky's attentions are slightly distracted with the discussion in court surrounding the stranger stirring up rumours. It's obvious that her investigative roots are tingling.
"That sounds like a puzzle wrapped in an enigma - just the thing for me to...NO NO NO." Wonky stops herself.
"I have come to a conclusion after careful consideration on my way back from our appointment with Melianse. She suggested that the dragon sighted by those in the peripheries is likely not a true wyrm, but she knows of one that exists well east of our current location, and it is a benevolent figure! A silver dragon! I confess that I have never been in the presence of a true dragon, juvenile or otherwise, but to have that first experience to occur in the presence of such a creature...! Well, it pains me to say this, but I think we need to address other things first before we seek out an audience in the Silver Hills."
Wonky takes a deep breath.
"As you may be well aware, Ahto, my father is dying slowly from the Bleaching, and in my time away from him, the condition has accelerated, as per the missive from my dear mother received on Crystalhue. This is not surprising news, but it does underscore my desires to address something that I have been too unprepared to do these long months in the Stolen Lands with you and the others: I wish to seek a cure for The Bleaching."
Wonky continues. "I have some ideas as to where I would go, and Melianse assisted as she was able in providing ideas. I think our next excursion should be to the River Kingdom of Uringen. There are multiple reasons why this would be a good place for us to officially explore - it might even be a state visit that we could arrange. Please allow me to lay out the points in favour of this plan."
Wonky produces a slate from the saddle bag on the sizeable Sprocket's flank, along with a piece of chalk. She scribbles and speaks at the same time, the chalk strokes clattering in time with the breakneck speed of her words. From time to time, she holds up the largely-illegible slate for a fleeting moment to Ahto's voice, then continues to scribble.
"First, Uringen is a benevolent and fledgling realm and would be a good ally for us to have here in the River Lands. Second, the position of Uringen exists both here in the Prime Plane as well as the First World; if there were to be a lead to solving the Bleaching from the land of the fey - as Melianse suspects - then this would be a key place to visit. Third, any further leads on the identity of the suspected killer of Horace the unicorn could be traced through the First World avenues of Uringen. Fourth, the Gray Falls Lodge is a Pathfinder Society outpost close by, and well worth a visit. The Pathfinder Society might be a wonderful ally to cultivate in the upcoming months, though I doubt that they would take their time with us at this present state in our history. Interestingly enough, the Gray Falls Lodge has struck a well-achieved balance incorporating those of the First World into their ranks much in the same way that we would do here in Tamlyn; they might provide us guidance and a model to follow."
Wonky takes another deep breath. Sprocket licks the hand where her chalk nib rests, suspecting it to be a tasty morsel. He sneezes, disappointed with what he finds.
|
"We had a good discussion with Melianse. She appears to be providing notifications as to the borders of the fey expanse and where woodsmen and loggers should cease their vocations. I think it is vital for us to provide some form of assistance to her in order to show unity; I think it would completely dash our nascent goodwill with the fey to bits if there were those felt to be poaching met with tacit permission from Horace."
"You are correct, Miss Prong. We need to faithfully honor the terms of the treaty. I will make certain that a formal announcement and admonishment is made. We will also commission border-markers," Ahto replies.
"I have come to a conclusion after careful consideration on my way back from our appointment with Melianse. She suggested that the dragon sighted by those in the peripheries is likely not a true wyrm, but she knows of one that exists well east of our current location, and it is a benevolent figure! A silver dragon! I confess that I have never been in the presence of a true dragon, juvenile or otherwise, but to have that first experience to occur in the presence of such a creature...! Well, it pains me to say this, but I think we need to address other things first before we seek out an audience in the Silver Hills."
Wonky takes a deep breath.
"As you may be well aware, Ahto, my father is dying slowly from the Bleaching, and in my time away from him, the condition has accelerated, as per the missive from my dear mother received on Crystalhue. This is not surprising news, but it does underscore my desires to address something that I have been too unprepared to do these long months in the Stolen Lands with you and the others: I wish to seek a cure for The Bleaching."
Wonky continues. "I have some ideas as to where I would go, and Melianse assisted as she was able in providing ideas. I think our next excursion..."
"It is interesting that you should mention Uringen. It was brought up in discussion as a possible meeting place for a diplomatic conference with the rules of nearby Liberthane. We are already considering sending an advance party to scout the city, arrange a meeting place and accommodations. Perhaps you would be interested?"
"I'm sorry to hear about your father, Wonky. Research isn't my specialty, but please do let me know if there's anything I can do to help. I do have some small skill at crafting magical items." Eunomia isn't really surprised to hear that Wonky's father was suffering from the Bleaching; she'd suspected as much from their conversations over the past few months. But this is the first time the gnome has come out and said so in her presence.
"Uringen is sounding more and more appealing, for a number of reasons. Perhaps our scouting trip could take place this spring, with the diplomatic meeting planned for later in the summer." She eyes the weather outside. "Right now I'd say it's still a bit too cold for a long journey."
Addy perks up at the mention of magical items. “I’ve been thinking about a certain kind o’ magic that might do us good. Namely, me Mom’s spell that lets me take a dip on a winter’s eve without freezing the freckles off o’ me ass.
“Not that I can’t just make a cloak for warmth… but the best cloak’s the type ye can remove and still be protected from the chill o’ frigid air or icy water.”
Eunomia considers for a moment, thinking hard. "It's possible I could create such a cloak...but I'd probably want to train with someone capable of casting the spell first." She looks embarrassed. "I have the wand, but I've never actually cast the spell without it. Creating magic items without first knowing the spell...it can be done, but it's difficult."
Addy smiles warmly at Eunomia’s embarrassed expression. “Bless yer heart, Eunomia. Me mother’s been casting that spell on me all me life, and for all the cloaks I’ve made, not a one’s enchanted. Magic just don’t make a lick o’ sense to me.
“The wand’ll do. If wands expire, I s’pose ye save it for emergencies—and a nixie inviting the Vixen to join her in a frigid swimming hole constitutes an emergency.”
|
|
"I would be rightly interested in visiting Uringen in advance of an official travelling group, but it might be good to have more than just me. There appears to be some work that I could busy myself with here in Horace for the time being - perhaps we shelve this until we can foment a full diplomatic entourage trip?"
Wonky excuses herself from the hall, regardless of the decision.
The game is afoot!
Having briefed herself of the seditious stranger's actions, Wonky engages her rusty investigator instincts, itinerising and tracking the movements of her quarry with restless energy. Sprocket follows along, snuffling at the ground more out of encouragement than because he actually smells anything.
Questioning the women again yields the same information previously provided to Ahto and Eunomia.
Systematically retracing the stranger's steps with the aid of Sprocket's sniffer, Wonky finds that he visited shops and locales heavily frequented by residents. Strangely, she cannot find evidence that he spent the night in town. Indeed, he seemed to stop in one place only long enough to share his rumors before moving on.
Following the stranger's scent, Sprocket leads the investigator to the northern verge of Horace where the stranger departed once his business was apparently finished.
Wonky immediately discards the notion that the stranger is from anywhere within Tamlyn. She also suspects that he does not hail from Brevoy, so she concludes that he must have come from elsewhere in the River Kingdoms to the west. Beyond that, however, she cannot narrow down his origin any further based upon the scant evidence available.
|
|
In preparation for their pending trip to Uringen (and not knowing what dangers might be awaiting them on the road there), Wonky spends a good deal of time during the month working on an upgrade to her trusty stonebow, retrofitting it with recently-uncovered alchemical fittings to allow for it to be even more fit for launching alchemical vials.
Wonky experiences great success over the month, but sadly hasn't completed her work before the month is up.
News of the proposed dance hall quickly flees from the castle walls and spreads through Horace, bringing much cheer to the residents at this, the start of a new year. Tremaine and her courtesans are soon deluged with visitors wishing them well on their future performances, as well as people jockeying for seats to the opening night.
Asham, with the backing of Paval and Oleg, suggests expanding the barony's borders to the northwest, along the Thorn River.
"The old bridge lies that way. Master Paval has - quite thoroughly - explained why it would be advantageous to secure and control all the crossings over the Shrike and Thorn. On the other hand, I know that for Master Oleg, the more important business is eventually extending our control towards the nearby vein of gold."
Addy normally stays out of these decisions, but…
“Sounds like we best get started on the bridge then.”
She smiles proudly at her wife.
Upkeep Phase
Determine Kingdom Stability:
Stability Check Effect: Success, -1 Unrest
Consumption Cost: 4 BP
Fill Magic Item Slots: None
Modify Unrest: None
Edict Phase
Assign Leadership: No change
Claim or Abandon Hexes: Claim Rickety Bridge Hex (1 BP)
Build Terrain Improvements:
Create and Improve Settlements: Dance Hall (4 BP), upgrade Tenement (2 BP, -1 Unrest)
Create Army Units: None
Issue Edicts: No changes
Edict Phase (Cont.)
Assign Leadership: No change
Claim or Abandon Hexes: Claim Rickety Bridge Hex (1 BP)
Build Terrain Improvements: Farms in Rickety Bridge Hex (4 BP)
Create and Improve Settlements: Dance Hall (4 BP), upgrade Tenement (2 BP, -1 Unrest)
Create Army Units: Horace Militia (Small Army) (1 BP)
Issue Edicts: No changes
Income Phase
Make Withdrawals from the Treasury: None
Make Deposits to the Treasury: None
Sell Expensive Items for BP: Trade Goods and Jewelry (8,000gp => 2 BP)
Collect Taxes:
Result: 13 + 2 = +15 BP
Event Phase
25% base chance of event; 75% base chance if no event last turn.
= Dangerous Kingdom Event!
= Food Shortage!
"I asked after some of the women from our defense lessons," Ash says to Abby and the council with a smile. "I was looking for potential recruits for our militia. We...may have sparked some enthusiasm in them, since I ended up with more volunteers than I expected. I suppose we should be relieved that at least some of our new recruits will have a good foundation to build upon."
The good news ends there, unfortunately. Later that day, Asham - clearly fuming - brings some unpleasant news to the council.
"Rats got into the granary!" she reports, throwing her hands up in impotent rage. "Much of what we stored over the winter's been spoiled!"
The Vixen first gives her wife a gentle touch. “I’ll look into it.”
If people ask, the Vixen will do her best to keep people calm. “We’ll get to the bottom o’ this, and in the meantime, we salvage what we can.”
It’s not an empty promise. “I’ll work with out militia to clear out the spoiled food. I’ll need someone with magic—Eunomia, ye’ve that cleaning spell—Prestidigitation, I mean. We clean areas as we move the food that’s still good, and builders board up the holes. I think we can get help from Tyg and and the other littlest o’ fey—Ainsel, Toughnut, and if they want, Snickerdoodle and Perlavish. They can check places we can’t and warn us if we’ve left a gap a critter can sneak through.”
If the rest of the council agrees to this, VV will act on her words immediately.
VV nods. She goes to Barris first, but makes sure Erastilians are equally involved. Don’t want ’em splitting into factions, thinking I’ve a preference.
|
|
The gnome independently takes her leave of the council at the word of the breached granary, heading to that building on a hunch. She spends a few hours “scratching that itch” alongside a snuffling Sprocket.
The council's immediate action ensures that no food riots erupt; in fact, such notions remain far from your citizens' minds. Barris personally volunteers to supervise both the purification and the rationing of the remaining grain stores.
"I can help as well," Jhod offers. "If not for the show of cooperation and solidarity, than simply to keep Lord Barris from working himself to exhaustion, as he is sadly wont to do."
A more thorough examination determines that these gaps are not the result of natural wear, especially given that the granary was only constructed two months ago. Neither are they the result of poor construction - your contributions to the project would have forbidden such negligence.
You conclude that this is, indeed, the result of sabotage. Someone pried stones loose from the foundation and sawed holes in the wooden planks.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The Vixen agrees, “Yeah, he kinda keeps beating himself up o’er past wrongs. Might’ve overcompensated to the point he’s eligible for Sainthood.
“Anyway, I’ve some vermin repellant at me place…”
The Vixen goes to get it from the supply shed. It seems a cat is napping by a nearby tree. She kneels by the fluffy little predator.
“I shall name you Fido, Killer of the Plague-Bearers. As my sidekick—”
The Vixen picks up the cat.
“—you shall eat well.”
She returns with a purse full of repellent and a black cat purring in her arms.
“Jhod, this is Fido. If Fido turns out to be female, please rename her Huntress.”
|
|
Wonky heads back to her house once she finds what she's searching for, then returns to the granary with Sprocket leading the way...and another, smaller, but no less-muscled canine on a lead.
"Jhod, this is Doo-dad...." Wonky trails off as she sees Fido Huntress. She looks up at Vixen with a vague smile on her face. "Oh! Great minds think alike, or at least similarly." The two dogs attempt (but fail) to not look interested in the black cat.
Wonky focuses on Jhod again, nodding her head at the smaller dog. "I taught him his obedience lessons in Sylvan; that is the only tongue to which he will respond. Are you familiar with Sylvan?" She continues without waiting for an answer. "Regardless, there is subterfuge afoot, and I do not believe that the vermin that have infested our granary have evolved intelligence enough to pry up foundation stones or saw through floorboards - no, someone wishes for our winter victuals to go rancid; they wish the people of Tamlyn to starve."
Wonky focuses on Vixen once again. "I believe that Asham has begun training a group of militia women in defence of our settlement - is that correct? Their efforts might be needed sooner than we would have thought. We should set off to report to Ahto at once."
Wonky waits while Jhod tries out a few commands on Doo-dad, and whether the guard dog replies or not, she leaves hurriedly with Vixen (and Sprocket) after assuring herself that the Sylvan word for 'guard' has been pronounced clearly for Doo-dad's ears.
“Sabotage! I kne… well, no, I didn’t really know it. But I do now.
“Great detective work there Wonky,” she goes on. And if the militia, “Ash and I’ve been offering martial arts training for a few months. It was gonna be a sort o’ women’s self-defense, but men joined too so it’s …just plain self-defense. Anyway, it seems at the very least we need ’em to guard the food store and who knows what else?
“I’ll approach me students. Are ye on yer way to report yer findings to Ahto?” She asks because Wonky is better fit to explain the sabotage thoroughly, and the Vixen wants to waste no time rounding up the militia.
|
|
"Yes," Wonky replies to Vixen's question. "I think we need to deliver to him a full report. It might be that Ahto has some other excellent idea about how to nab this saboteur. Do come when you can."
Leaving Doo-dad to Jhod's management, Wonky walks with determination back to the council hall, Sprocket racing in excited circles around her. Upon arrival, Wonky wastes little time explaining the situation.
"Sprocket has determined that the rodents infesting the granary stores were able to enter that newly-constructed compound through gaps in the foundation stones and ruined floorboards. As I was the council member responsible for the building designs of the granary, I was particularly shocked to see the shoddy workmanship in situ when we examined the foundation. That is when I realised that I had not designed faulty architectural plans, nor did I design floorboards to be cut in half to allow entrance from the outside world."
"In short, Lord Mayor, there has been sabotage wreaked upon our town. It is far more than a common prank, but I was unable to determine any further clues as to the identity of the responsible party. I do find the coexistence of a mysterious figure sowing unrest and anxiety amongst the populace with a premeditated vandal to be more than simple coincidence. I spoke with the Vixen about a need for peacekeeping forces - a militia such as Asham has been training. I think that now is the time to deploy such resources. It may be that diplomatic endeavours need take a secondary position in our aims..."
Here, Wonky peers at the floor with a pensive expression. ...or it may be that diplomacy would be just the thing to defuse the situation, if the appropriate allies were to be found."
|
|
Ahto listens to Wonky’s report, then nods in acknowledgment, and replies, ”There is an old saying, ‘Don’t milk your cows while the hay loft is burning.’ You are correct that the Winter food stores, and the apprehending of the saboteur must take priority over our diplomatic aspirations. This event would serve as a good initial foray for the new militia. We suspect that the culprit will return, if nothing else, to assess the amount of damage he has caused. Asham’s women are ideally suited to be eyes and ears across the city and countryside. Provide them with our best descriptions and sketches of the man, and have them keep their eyes and ears open to anything out of the ordinary. Asham and the Vixen can establish a communication network between homesteads, farms, and shops, funneling those reports back to the Council. They would both also have authority to arrest a suspect, if they felt the reports warranted such action.”
”You may involve yourself in the matter however you see fit, Councilor Prong. If you wish to analyze reports, set some sort of baited trap, or simply investigate on your own, I trust to your good judgment.”
Doo-dad proves unexpectedly patient as Jhod practices his rather rusty Sylvan. The rescued hound tilts his head with curiosity, not quite understanding the poorly stressed syllables. Nevertheless, the attention and affection the dog has been given since being freed from the crass menagerie has ensured Doo-dad's surprising obedience.
Asham and the Vixen meet with their pupils-turned-militia, disseminating a description of the malcontent and assigning a patrol rotation.
Among these new recruits are Tomi and Nell from Miss Tremaine's troupe. Several weeks back, all of the courtesans joined the defense class; however, only these two volunteer for the more formalized militia training. This seems to cause some friction with their peers, who have devoted themselves to practicing their performances for the dance hall's opening night. Although not outright arguments, there are some overheard concerns about this training taking away from rehearsal time.
...
The night after the first patrols are arranged, the Vixen wakes up abruptly. Her nose itches and she suppresses a cough. At first, it feels as though her wife's hair is pressed uncomfortably close against her face. However, as her eyes adjust to the dark and she becomes more aware of her surroundings, Vixen discovers that Huntress has infiltrated their room, squeezed between the two council members, and fallen asleep with her scruffy belly against the Vixen's face.
The Vixen strokes the cat for precious seconds, but her Vixen persona is perpetually suspicious. How did Huntress get in here? Is she that awesome? Maybe. Or maybe our home is not secure.
The Vixen rises, careful not to wake her wife… or their cat. She kisses both lightly on the forehead, then—after confirming all windows are shut—she heads out the door.
The creaking floor does not instill the Vixen with confidence.
She dons her stiletto boots, mithril shirt, and vermilion bathrobe, and heads out into the night.
Is there anything to be alarmed about? If not, she next checks on the militia women on duty…
Eunomia usually leaves the self-defense training to the Vixen and Asham, given her own lack of prowess in that area. She does however attend the first few meetings for the newly-organized militia, drawing on her memories of such patrols being organized in Liberthane.
She's surprised, (and pleased), to see Tomi among the volunteers. After the meeting officially ends, she approaches the courtesan. "Tomi, it's good to see you again. How is samisen practice going?"
If the creaking floor wakes Ash, she does not stir from the bed, presumably trusting her wife's ability to take care of herself. Huntress, however, offers an indignant yet curious chirrup and slithers after the Vixen.
Outside upon the castle parapet, the night wind carries hints of fey music from somewhere out in the dark. Or it could simply be a figment of the Vixen's imagination. Below the castle walls, Horace remains dark. Only the occasional bobbing light of a torch or lantern carried by one of the newly minted militia patrols stands out from a distance.
In the morning, Asham submits reports drawn from the militia patrols.
"Tanith and Nell took the first watch. In fact, Tanith was very specific about taking the first watch. She said it would give her time to rest for a few hours before having to rise again and begin baking the day's bread. Anyhow, they reported seeing nothing unusual.
"Tomi and Jocelyn were on the second watch. Jocelyn reports seeing a man that may have been our rabble-rouser lurking around the granary. At the time, Tomi was relieving herself, so Jocelyn was on her own. She says she chased him off but could not catch him.
"Vekkel and Hexa volunteered for the last watch. I would have thought our warden would have more important things to do than patrol like a common grunt, but hells if I could dissuade him. He was dead set on taking the 'dawn watch' as he called it, and that one-legged hunter's become as much a part of his personal hunting band as his horse or that dinosaur.
"Anyway, Hexa reports seeing a local woman - Lily Teskerten - slipping into the smithy before the forges were even lit. Apparently Vekkel convinced him not to interfere, although Hexa could not fully understand the reasoning."
|
|
"The granary is a tempting target for sabotage, with Winter upon us," Ahto says. "We may want to consider posting a standing guard on it until we can account for the saboteur. As for Miss Teskerten, it may not be amiss to ascertain her intentions at the smithy, at least insomuch as determining if she was meeting there with our unknown suspect."
The Vixen is holding her cat, Huntress, in her arms. She finds the purr soothing, but her long black gloves are covered in statically-clinging cat hair. How does black fur show so well on black fabric?
She mentions the fey music heard in the night when she stepped outside. “Huntress woke me… that’s me cat’s name. Anyway, I might’ve imagined it, or maybe fey were practicing and the sound carried. Could be unrelated, but I’ll tell me Watch-Women about it.
“Er… what I call the ladies on watch. The Watch…” She scratches the cat’s neck a bit. “Ne’ermind that. I mean to work all-nighters for a while. I‘m up at night anyway worrying about the granary and me Watch-Women, so best I take advantage o’ me insomnia and not bother. I’ll sleep dawn to noon starting tomorrow, and be on patrol evening twilight to first light, unless ye prefer I don’t.”
"I'll check in with Melianse to find out if our First Citizens have been practicing their music at inopportune hours," Ash offers.
"Regarding Miss Teskerten, I can't say that I've had much reason to cross paths with her. She and I...well, let's just say she's not my kind of people. Anyhow, I believe she works as a seamstress out of her cottage near the inn.
"As for posting a guard at the granary, should we use a rotation of militia members or should we assign some of Commander Garess' regulars? They might be better able to apprehend our mystery man, but I can easily guess that the commander will be displeased with having his soldiers placed on such menial duty."
“A seamstress? Didn’t ye marry one o’ those?” The Vixen removes her mask, declaring, “This looks like a job for…”
“…mild-mannered fashionista, Addison Lane Kavinka.”
“A seamstress? Didn’t ye marry one o’ those?”
A look of horror flashes across Ash's face.
"Oh no! I didn't mean it like that!" she quickly corrects herself, calloused hands raised plaintively.
"It's just...Teskerten reminds me of the city girls I knew growing up, the daughters of merchants and guild members. When we would bring our animals to market, they'd sneer and hurl insults at me. 'Why'd Old Kavinka dress one of his animals like a daughter? Does he visit her real mother at midnight in the barn?'" with a mocking voice, she parrots the remembered taunts.
Ash sighs, then in a sudden surge of anger pounds her fist against the wooden door frame. She clutches her hand, cursing and wincing, quickly regretting her outburst.
Addison comforts her wife, caressing her hand. “I didn’t take it that way, sweetie.
“I thought ye meant ye don’t get along ’cause o’ what appears to be a scandalous nature. I suspect her sneaking into the smith’s for pleasure, not business. Are either of ’em married? I mean to talk shop with her, then while she’s comfortable with me, I’ll get information out o’ her.”
Of the past, Addy notes with a proud smirk, “Y’know, those mean girls grew up, least in the physiological sense o’ the phrase, and not one of ’em can hold a candle to Lady Kavinka.”
“Thank you, Wonky.” Addy contemplates the concoction before finally asking, “Do I take this now, and the effect kicks in when I need it to?”
She hesitates, then gently grasps Tomi's hands. (Assuming Tomi does not object.) "Spear, samisen, tanning knife...it's all the same. Everyone has their strengths. I hope that you have found yours, but if you have not...keep trying. It will come to you sooner or later."
"I can also help with the questioning of our local seamstress." Eunomia doesn't appear phased by the conversations happening around her. "Many people have told me I'm a calming presence. Or not calming, depending upon the desired effect." She smiles, but for once there's no soothing warmth to it. Just the fierce grin of a hunter. "I would go with you, Addy, as you question this woman. Perhaps she has good reason for entering the smithy early, but if she does not...well, we will see."