"If you think we can keep it up," says Eirikr, shrugging his shoulders. "Can't heal again today though. Could be trouble if we get hurt."
Mouse seemed content to stay out of the conversation for the most part, though, truth be told... she'd had no idea Evelyn had more ties than she'd initially let on to Irrisen. She watched the exchange with the fey with no small amount of wonder. Whose side was Mouse on, if Evelyn was working with a kidnapper and murderer? She hadn't ever let on any of that, and the whole revelation came as a complete surprise.
Once they'd moved back together, her eyes darted from person to person, as they spoke. Were they all in on it but her..? Her eyes widened as she slipped away a small step... then things clicked... or so she hoped. She could either believe that Evelyn and all of these people had managed to fool her... or she could believe that Evelyn had managed to fool a prideful pixie... and her. The lie was just... so believable though. But which one really was the lie?"[/b]
Inire's hand passed over her chest, moving as if grabbing an invisible locket as she kept quiet, and opted to simply listen; it would be better to learn the truth through their actions than to misstep. No matter what she thought, she was more likely to survive if she didn't become part of the problem... on either side.
Nathara twitched when Evelyn confessed that she was a traitor and was already about to attack, when she realized that it was likely a ruse. She had to restrain herself from doing anything rash, but she did feel highly uncomfortable.
When the fey spoke sylvan the elf (who was getting tired of being collectively addressed with "human") nodded in understanding and sought Tiferet's and Evelyn's eye contact, but rather let the fey in the dark about it.
She browsed the fey's equipment carefully with pointy claw tips to see whether there was anything that might give them a further clue in it.
The fey's equipment is all the same. Simple clothing made from bits of fine fabrics, tiny swords made of simple steel and matching tiny bows, each with about a dozen arrows. There seems to be nothing else with them.
"There seems to be no love lost between bandits ans fey" Tiferet chimes in after having silently witnessed Eve's masterful interrogation. "That's good to know. Especially if we can turn it to our advantage, as you suggest."
Pacing to and fro, she ponders about the situation, briefly stopping by Morgraine's side and whispering a few words. Suddenly, the torn fabric of her sleeve is whole again.
"Allow me to do what little I can. It's a meagre thing compared to Eirikr's healing, but so are my powers compared to his."
"So, to recap" she says folding her arms, her back against a tree, "Lady Argentea is being held in a lodge by a bunch of bandits, presumably led by this Rokhar fellow. They have a shaky alliance with a group of fey who apparently came here through a portal. Most of them are content with staying in its proximities, and as much as I was starting... almost starting to believe Evelyn's story myself" she rapidly corrects herself, though a hint of uncertainty is still obviously present in her voice, "approaching them while claiming to be their Mistress' envoys would probably be too much of a gambit. Especially considering how difficult it would have been for six people to step through the portal without them knowing. That guardian he was talking about, though, might be another matter entirely." As she speaks, she never lets her eyes wander far from Eve. There's something unnerving about that vibrant young Variasian woman with a piercing stare who can break minds just as easily as Tiferet could snap a twig.
Nathara kneels down in the snow cleans her blade, her eyes looking up and scanning the environment every now and then. Tiferet seems to have understood the fey as well, since she referred to the "mistress". This portal which is part of the equation now annoys Nathara. If they did not move soon it may be too late. But to move now would be suicide.
"We need to find a shelter for the night, some place where we won't be seen and can make a fire without being seen from afar." She looks had her clawed hands. They have never seemed more beastial than right now. She sighs and puts the sword away. And they need a better place to keep their prisoner than in a bag full of equipment. "The fey mentioned a mistress. It seems that this 'mistress' is neither fey nor human, but I am not sure. Vosi seems to believe the trust of said mistress is limited and there seems to be a competition between her servants. Vosi was annoyed that somebody else was sent to deal with 'Rohkar's betrayal', the fey are supposedly powerful and numerous enough to do that themselves."
"What if we tell him to gather his friends and get ready to attack first thing tomorrow? If we can get then to wait we can get the girl put before the fighting starts. "
Inire, slow though she was, finally caught on. Tiferet certainly wasn't working with the kidnappers and murderers, and Evelyn didn't even seem to notice, nor care when she said as much. And then Evelyn had suggested turning the groups on each other... while getting the girl out. She relaxed visibly.
"Maybe... you could tell them that the woman needed to be moved because the fey were rebelling?" she suggests after a short pause. "Do you think they would believe that?"
Eve shook her head at Mouses suggestion."Doubt it, they said he only cared about money if we tell them they aren't getting paid they might just kill her or try to ransom her to the fey. I think that would be too risky...unless we had something else to offer them as paymemt."
Nathara did not like any of these intrigues and scheming, but she did not have a better idea either. "I would like to know what kind of deal Rohkar's folks were offered. What is their stake in this? That the fey are rebelling may indeed hard to believe, unless there was some evidence to it. We might convince the fey... they don't have a high opinion of 'humans' anyway... but as Tiferet says, it would be risky."
"Asking what the Humans are getting could give us away but if we make them think we're the only ones they can trust what they get wouldn't matter."
"I'm not sure we can camp out here... I don't have anything other than my clothes to keep me warm, really." Mouse said as she sighs, softly. She looked over the battlefield and wondered if she was just going to keep being a burden.
"I can find a place. If we don't want to go back to Heldren," says Eirikr. "Then we should be able to make camp. Won't have to make the trek back, and here again."
Eirikr begins to look for a suitable place for the party to set up camp.
Searching the area, Eirikr finds a place not far down the gully where the rocks have formed an overhang that has shielded the ground from most of the snow and wind. The area is a bit tight, but it would be large enough for the party to camp if they stayed fairly close together and it would keep them sheltered enough to get some rest.
"This a very bold plan. Bold and intriguing" Tiferet says as the raven-haired Varisian explains her divide-and-conquer strategy. Deep in her thoughts, she waits for the discussion to die down before speaking her mind on the matter. "Evelyn, you could tell me I'm a Winter Witch in disguise, and I'd probably believe that. I doubt our little guy there shares you gift, though; and neither I believe he ranks very high among his 'friends'. I'm afraid sending him back to their base camp would probably just alert them of our presence, get him punished for having trusted with important information a group of complete strangers they've moreover never seen stepping through the portal, and prompt stricter security measures to be taken against potential interlopers - in that order."
She smiles wearily."Putting our enemies one against the other is a brilliant plan, though. Still, as I said, one which would probably work better with isolated fey. And as strange as it sounds, as long as Lady Argentea is held in a lodge by a bunch of bandits, she's as close to us as she'll ever get. If the fey seize her and bring her to wherever that portal leads... things can get much more complicated."
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"This is a wonderful spot you've found us, Eirikr. It will save us plenty of precious time" Tiferet says as she lays down her bedroll. "I'll volunteer to take the last watch, if everyone's fine with that."
Once she and Nathare have tucked their blankets around their bodies, she whispers to her ash-skinned friend. "After we dispatched those fey... I could not help but notice something was bothering you." Indeed, at the time Tiferet had looked at the Tiefling and instead of seeing a century-old powerful swordswoman, she had been under the impression she was staring at a scared young girl, who had seen the evil of the world for the very first time. "Care to talk about it?" she gently asks.
"You just have to know where to look," says Eirikr as he finishes gathering the material for the fire. He kneels next to the pile of leaves and sticks and holds out his hands while closing his eyes; in a moment, the fire has started just as if he had struck flint to iron.
He curls up next to Ashen near the edge of the shelter to sleep until it is his turn to take watch.
"Well... I guess I'll watch first, then... though I'd be better in a middle watch, since I see better than most people." Mouse suggests, as she tucks in near the fire, resting on the ground. She digs through her bag and pulls out her book and begins to make small scribbles within, flipping through the pages as thoughts strike her about different subjects, letting her mind flow freely as she listens to her surroundings.
Before he dozes off, Eirikr notices that Inire has started started to write something down in what he guesses must be a journal. He gets up off of Ashen and leans towards her before asking, "What are you writing?"
"So should we just off him and head to the cabin tomorrow?"
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"Then I'll take first watch and you can go later on."
"We could tie him up with string. Leave him up in a tree so a wild animal can't get him. Eventually he'll be able to get out but by then we'll have found the princess and whatever's causing all this snow. Hopefully."
"I can take the last watch, when it's coldest. I am... pretty resilient towards the cold."
Once she and Nathare have tucked their blankets around their bodies, she whispers to her ash-skinned friend. "After we dispatched those fey... I could not help but notice something was bothering you." Indeed, at the time Tiferet had looked at the Tiefling and instead of...
Nathara looked a bit ashamed in her and tried to act like nothing was wrong for a moment. But then she sat down and next to Tiferet and started softly. "It's just... you know... I have been in fights before, but it was never so personal, more like a a group of elven coming down hard on a bunch stray orcs. Never so clear that it was me who took a life. Fey may be evil. But they are also a wonderful people, with a highly sophisticated culture, much more than ours. Elf culture I mean. The fey I killed... he or she may have chosen good over evil eventually. But even if not. What if they have a mate? Even a creature of evil..." She looke down at her hand with the claw tips and oily scales.
"Unless it is a creature of ultimate evil and thus the ultimate psychopath... well, even a creature who choses evil can love. The life I took has been a gift from the god, it was that of the fey and his or hers alone. It just feels terrible to destroy something so beautiful. And... I realize that this is the path I chose, the way of a warrior. In line with my own drives. And in the moment I fought there was no doubt in me, I had my training. I have but a hint of the drives of a creature from the netherland between all planes of existance. It felt so good when I did it, but now... I am wondering whether I made the right choice to become a warrior. But still, this is what I am good at. It feels so right when I wield my sword and it seemed so easy when I took a life. But now... and yet we need to help Lady Malassene.
How does it feel? I carrying a spark from a world beyond, I mean, a spark so unlike mine."
"Mmm... I'm keeping notes. I write a little bit of everything, and try to keep together what I can." she says without looking up. "I'm pretty much just keeping track of anything unusual that I notice, any unusual information, and that sort of thing. Do you have any idea what Fey eat?" she asks, suddenly looking up from the book, her charcoal stopping in its movements.
"We could tie him up with string. Leave him up in a tree so a wild animal can't get him. Eventually he'll be able to get out but by then we'll have found the princess and whatever's causing all this snow. Hopefully."
As Eve casually suggests to dispatch their prisoner, Tiferet looks momentarily dismayed. She had no qualms killing his friend in the heat of battle, but killing someone in cold blood... as much as her parents had warned her such a thing would have been unavoidable sooner or later, had she chosen the life of a soldier, that's something she could never bring herself to. Once Eirikr chimes in with his suggestion, she smiles, visibly relieved.
"It's risky, but seldom is the honourable path also the safest one. I'll take the chance, and hope it will make us righteous rather than foolish."
"I can take the last watch, when it's coldest. I am... pretty resilient towards the cold."
"Good. It means we'll keep each other company" Tiferet says as she starts unfastening her armour's straps.
Nathara looked a bit ashamed in her and tried to act like nothing was wrong for a moment. But then she sat down and next to Tiferet and started softly. "It's just... you know... I have been in fights before, but it was never so personal, more like a a group of elves coming down hard on a bunch stray orcs. Never so clear that it was me who took a life. Fey may be evil. But they are also a wonderful people, with a highly sophisticated culture, much more than ours. Elf culture I mean. The fey I killed... he or she may have chosen good over evil eventually. But even if not. What if they have a mate? Even a creature of evil..." She looks down at her hand with the claw tips and oily scales.
"Unless it is a creature of ultimate evil and thus the ultimate psychopath... well, even a creature who chooses evil can love. The life I took has been a gift from the god, it was that of the fey and his or hers alone. It just feels terrible to destroy something so beautiful. And... I realize that this is the path I chose, the way of a warrior. In line with my own drives. And in the moment I fought there was no doubt in me, I had my training. I have but a hint of the drives of a creature from the netherland between all planes of existence. It felt so good when I did it, but now... I am wondering whether I made the right choice to become a warrior. But still, this is what I am good at. It feels so right when I wield my sword and it seemed so easy when I took a life. But now... and yet we need to help Lady Malassene.
How does it feel? Carrying a spark from a world beyond, I mean, a spark so unlike mine."
Tiferet appears lost in thought for a couple of moments. "A spark so unlike yours? I'm not so sure. When I step into a fight... I feel an unquenchable urge to vanquish my foe, a sense of triumph rising within me as my battle song fills my lungs. Angels, they're war-like creatures, unrelenting in their fight against anything they perceive as unworthy of their ideals. Their shining brightness is just as likely to blind as it is to enlighten. This is the light I carry in my heart, and my darkness as well."
She sighs, her stare fixed on nothing in particular. "These are my instincts. But I don't think instincts alone are what makes someone a warrior. You don't take the lives of sentient beings indiscriminately, because you know their value. Your blade moves with poise and grace, conscious of the ripples it makes when it strikes. You know in your arm lies the power to take away a life or spare it, and still you've accepted the burden it placed on your shoulders. That's what makes you a warrior. You accepting the consequence of your actions is ultimately what makes you worthy of that title."
As she speaks of her celestial heritage, long-forgotten memories stir within Tiferet's mind. She remembers a ritual of old, one her people would perform to honour Tolc in the frozen northern nights. Nights much like this one she thinks.
"Please, watch over me for the next few minutes. There's something I need to do" she asks Nathara as they're both standing watch. She unlaces her sandals and steps barefoot into the thick snow, taking a few steps away from the camp until she's sinking into it almost to her knees. With but a gesture and some whispered words, she melts two clumps of snow she's collected in a couple of bowls. She then wastes no time untying and taking her tunic off, only her smallclothes now covering her in the cold, arctic night – soon, these too are carefully laid down and folded on the snow-covered ground. Kneeling, she soaks her hands into the now-steaming bowls and slowly raises them above her head, water dripping down her fingers and puncturing a pattern of tiny holes in the white blanket covering her up to her waist.
Her eyes closed, she lets her spirit drift, inhaling and exhaling just as she was taught to help empty her mind. She feels the ever-shifting patterns the wind is drawing on her naked skin, and suddenly her body has become the immensity of the night sky, when the northern lights paint a symphony of dancing lines on its dark canvas. She's now soaring far above the northern wastes, chasing the ever-fleeing horizon at seemingly impossible speeds. Her awareness has expanded to encompass all the living creatures that forever roam the frozen expanses beneath her, from the humble mouse slumbering in its hole to the majestic mammoth, up until the lone hunter who patiently waits and prays for the North to show its generous face today. She gazes forwards, and suddenly a bright light appears – the first dawn of the year, the herald of spring. She awakens as the water has all but evaporated, on her lips a smile filled with hope.
"Alright you can handle him then just give me my back pack when you're finished and we can find the cabin tomorrow I guess."
She was slowly getting worried about Tiferet. The cold does not touch either of them easily, but there are limits... yet the warmth in her had never become more apparant, like she carried the light of the Dawnflower Herself inside a human body. When the ritual ended she reached Tiferet a fur cloak from her equipment and offered to put it around her shoulders. "That was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen" she said, her fiery eyes glaring in the darkness, but somehow it was a soft glare.
She indicated with her claw towards the fire, unsure whether Tiferet needed heat from the outside in the first place, but a bit of rest would certainly be in order. She cut a fine line with the claw of her left into the palm of her right and reached her hand out. "Take my hand I swear to be your sister, by the light and hope of Sarenrae, the fire of my hope, under the light of Desna's moon, the warden of mystery in all women and Tolc, who teaches us that the warmth inside us can overcome any cold."
"Pretty much the same thing as people eat, I think. Just less of it. Probably because they're smaller." says Eirikr to Inire.
"I've heard bread, milk, and cheese, are usually welcome." Morgraine shrugs, having overheard Mouse's inquiry and adding to Eirikr's answer.
Mouse smiles and nods. "Thank you. I'll add that in. It may come in handy later for other people. So... how do these campfire nights usually go?" she says, looking from person to person. "I know there are watches, but there's a lot of other things to think about. How to tend the fire, how long before we wake someone up, what order to wake people in.. those sorts of things."
"Don't let the fire die out, but don't overdo stoking it either, lest the flames rise too high and attract unwanted attention. Green wood is slow to catch fire and makes a lot of smoke. Try to use deadwood instead." Tiferet's expression is that of a benign teacher as she tries to address Inire's questions to the best of her abilities. "At least that's what they taught me. Eirikr is probably far more knowledgeable about this matter than someone who was born and raised in Oppara, after all. As for waking people up, Nathara and I are taking care of the last watch, so we'll handle that too. Just make sure to waken either of us once you start feeling sleepy."
"Thank you" Tiferet says, tightly wrapping herself in the cloak Nathara graciously offered her. "Exposing herself to the elements is something every Heaven-talker is used to since a very young age, as a way to strengthen our natural endurance. I could swim in a frozen pond while suffering no particular harm or even discomfort" she adds, trying to reassure her friend on her conditions. "Still, a modicum of warmth is very welcome after spending such a long time motionless in the snow."
Sitting by the fire, she's in the process of putting her clothes back on when Nathara offers her her outstretched palm, a thin rivulet of blood dripping down from it and painting a crimson spot on the otherwise immaculate snow. She must see something in me even I can't see myself. Or perhaps, I'm the first kindred spirit she's met since she left her fortress. Taken aback by the suddenness of the gesture, she nonetheless wastes little time sliding her hand over the sharpened edge of her axe, staining it red in the process. As fiendish and celestial blood mix, she pronounces her own vow: "And by Sarenrae, Desna and Tolc, I'm honoured to call you sister, and in turn humbled to be called such. I pray they give me the strength to prove myself worthy of that name."
"Alright, thank you. I'll try not to let everyone down." she says with a short nod. "Will anyone be staying up with me?" she looks to the others of the group, finally closing her book once more, and squirreling it away back into her bag.
"She pretty much has the right of it," says Eirikr. "I like it better outside myself. You get to see the sky this way. The sky and the stars. I've never really cared for beds myself. Don't really need one, usually."
"Well I for one do care for beds," Morgraine says with a bit of a wry smile. "But I do agree about the sky and the stars though. I could gaze at them for hours. I too will of course take a watch. If you would like company, Mouse, Kettu and I could watch with you."
"Alright, so Eve and Eirikr first, then you and I, then we wake up Nath and Tif. Sounds good to me." she says with a small smile. "I like the stars, too... I didn't see them as much as I would have liked in the City of Aroden. Lots of tall towers with lots of light... it's a little sad, really." she says after a few moments. "Have you ever been to a big city? This is actually my first time camping out in the woods... we camped on the road a little on the way here, but... no where near this deep."
"Once, when I was little, my parents took me to Chastel, to see the market," says Eirikr. Remembering that he's the only one from Ustalav, he continues, "Uhh, Chastel is a city in Lozeri. In Ustalav. It seemed like it went on forever to me. My mother bought me my flute while we were there; she wanted me to be a musician, I think. We went to Courtaud once too but it didn't seem that much bigger than my village. I don't know why the Palatinate meets there when Chastel's so much bigger."
"I think that's the second time you mentioned your parents wanting you to be a bard." Inire responds. "Forever in a good way, or bad?" Inire asked, immediately followed by, "And what's a Palatinate?"
"It just seemed really big. The town I grew up in, couldn't've been half of the size." says Eirikr. "Umm, back in Ustalav, some of the counties are ruled by just one family. Those are the Soivoda. The Palatinates are the counties that are ruled by a council instead. Doesn't really seem to make much of difference, though. Just means everything's run by a bunch of nobles rather than just one."
"Hm. That's fairly neat. What I know about Irrisen is sort of limited, rulership-wise... information doesn't go in or out much, I don't think. At least not in my circles. I'm pretty sure it's a magocracy, correct me if I'm wrong. What that means, is that most likely, the Mistress is a caster-type of some sort. So if we do run into her... we'll be dealing with a mage powerful enough to pull a necromancer and a group of fey in line... and force them to work together." she says, her lips pulled into a tight line. That was going to be fairly dangerous. She tucked her knees to chest as she moved her eyes to the fire. "I thought I would be colder than I am."
"You're far from wrong. Irrisen is a feudal state, with the Jadwigas – the descendants of Baba Yaga herself – making up its aristocracy. Those who can trace their lineage back to the current Queen rank highest in the social order, as long as they are female and display enough magical aptitude to keep their peers in line. This 'mistress' is probably one of them. If so, we can expect a cruel, cunning and powerful foe." Her eyes fixed on the crackling fire, Tiferet's voice is melodious and lilting, as if recounting a story drawn from the depths of her memory.
Mouse nods her thanks for the clarification from Tiferet, before stretching. She takes off the extra furs and lumps them into a makeshift bed, and then rests her head atop the backpack, curling up near the fire for warmth. She hoped to someday be as worldly as Tiferet. She wasn't sure she'd ever quite make it, though. And Eve seemed somehow more worldly than Tiferet. She seemed to be surrounded by strong people. Which, she supposed, was the best place to be, if learning about the world first-hand was what you desired.
The night passes fairly uneventfully. The woods are almost unnaturally quiet, with only the occasional sound of some unseen animal searching through the snow for a warm place to bed down or perhaps for something to eat breaking through the constant whisper of the arctic winds. Finally, the morning comes and the party is rested. The sun comes over the edge of the outcropping and shines down on the group.
As the first rays of the dawning sun filter though the morning mist, Tiferet watches as the last embers fizzle and die out. Stretching, she stands up and begins the process of waking up the others as she prepares, spiritually and physically, for the day they're about to face.
Nathara wakes up to the kiss of the Dawnflower which drives the thoughts that haunted her in her dreams away. She takes a few silent steps out of the camp and washes herself as well as yesterday' blouse and underwear with snow, putting on a different set today. Her "Good morning." to Tiferet sounds a bit shy.
As soon as she is back, even before she thinks of breakfast, she gets her spellbook out, kneels down in a meditative manner and starts studying the complex drawings and formulas. Every now and then she whispers a few words in elven. The words are complex and meaningless without context, but they rather sound like poetry, sometimes like a song.
Eve awakes and adjust to the new setting before speaking to the group shortly."I'm going to try and get him to lead us to the girl, worst case he leads us into an ambush we already know about but one of you may want to get ready to attack him if he figures out the truth and tries something. Anyone against that?"
Eve speaks to the fey without letting him out first. "We need you to lead us to the Humans, the Mistress still trusts you fey so we don't have a choice but to trust you as well unless you try to attack us, then you are considered a traitor."
Morgraine wakes with the dawn, stretching and yawning her way up to a sitting position on her bedroll.
She and Kettu walk off together a short ways from camp. Finding a fallen tree, she stramples it across from the fox. The two seem almost in a trance as they work to set the day's spirit and arcane energies in order.
When finished, she ruffles her companion's fur affectionately and sits as she considers their prisoner and ponders if anything she knows from their ubiquitous presence back home might aid them now in determining how best to deal with him, whether by trickery, diplomacy, or even brute force.