"I'm not sure really. I'd like to help reclaim Blackcrown and return balance, but this provides an opportunity to perhaps lead a normal life, with you and our child. I'm not without skills, perhaps I could assist Michael with the school or even learn to be a decent server at the cafe. I don't know. Perhaps I should sleep on it. Or meditate rather."
As Arista took her seat, the Elf sat beside her. Taking hold of her hand as she relayed the story again.
She sighs and puts Celine down, "Celine go play in your room sweetie." Celine looks up at her mommy, "Okay...no crying mommy...no crying." She looks suspiciously at Sadhana and Ylrhea before turning and going back to her room. She hoped they weren't here to take away her mommy again.
Arista goes to the couch and sits down, "I think Mirrin...I think she might have drowned herself." She says before telling them about her conversation with Mirrin earlier, then finding out she was somehow related to the Anizari that Straub had turned into his plaything and what the drunk and sailor had told her and the reason for her conclusion.
Once they come in she closes the door and goes to sit down to quickly relay the story.
Cyna guides Rhy and Tesia through the falling snow to her parents and sisters place.
She sits quietly for a few minutes before looking up, the look on her face full of grief and regret. Sighing she wipes her eyes, "You would think that I could have at least realized how much she was hurting....how lost she was. I should have been able to do something...I don't know....maybe she would have done it no matter what I said or did....I just hate myself for not picking up on it sooner and stopping her. I would have tied her to a chair and talk some sense into her if I had to.....but now it's too late and there's nothing we can do because....if she really wanted to die that badly, I don't think we can resurrect someone that isn't willing. I feel just awful about it though....I started thinking that if I couldn't save even one person....then what good was I?" She stops for a moment to take some deep breaths, "I realize though that those thoughts are evils way of trying to get me to stop helping people and I'll never stop trying to help others just because I was unable to help one person. It's already getting so cold and the people of Priroda are living in tents. I don't want to bother Jelks the day after her wedding....so I'll go to her tomorrow about taking the lyre out to Priroda and making sure those people get actual homes so they don't freeze to death this winter. There's other stuff that needs to be built here in town, and I need to go around and check on these families and the elderly and make sure they have what they need. I'm sorry....I don't mean to ramble on...so, what did you need...or are you just coming by to say "hello" and visit?" She asks as she wipes her face with the cool cloth that she had been using a little bit ago while laying on the couch.
She nods at Cyna, "Thank you so much Cyna." She says before knocking lightly on the door.
"It's as much my fault as anything. I saw her that morning, maybe if I'd paid closer attention, reached out to her.....She was Anizari and in need of help. You're right though, considering she was willing to destroy all magic and possibly everything around her, she wouldn't come back. Hopefully she's at peace now." Sādhanā says with a sad sigh, taking a moment to visibly pull herself together.
"We wanted to let you guys know that we're going to check out the caves to see if there are any survivors after everything. And noxious not just the two of us. Tesia and Rhadaya are coming and they're getting Fae right now. We'll also have Magestria and Ammon, who you met earlier along so nothing to worry about."
She sighs as she shakes her head, "No...don't be silly. You had no idea what was going on in her head, but...I talked to her...she gave me back the money I tried to give her for passage and told me she wouldn't need it where she was going and that should have triggered some warning in me....but it didn't. I just thought maybe she meant she knew someone that was going to help her out so she wouldn't need my money." She has to think for a minute, "I think I know this Ammon fellow that you're talking about...though I never really met him, he must of been that cat looking fellow at the shore the other day when we were dealing with all that craziness? As far as this other person you're talking about...no I believe I've never met them so who are they and what did that Ammon guy want with you?" She asks feeling a little confused.
"Oh, you still meditate instead of sleep?" Yulia asks, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
Gwendolyn opens the door. "Hello, Cyna. Are these your friends? Come on in."
She knocks the snow off her boots before coming inside, "Thank you ma'am."
"Magestreia's another Anizari...like Sadhana. She's Syralth's daughter...but she seems like she wants to help us," Ylrhea answers.
Lea comes out of the kitchen. "The bread's baking. Hi, everyone."
Malyoxa opens the door and sees Rajni and Asha cooking. "Smells like I'm just in time."
"Afternoon, Malyoxa," Asha says to the drow. "This is my middle daughter, Rajni. Rajni, this is Toni's new midwife, Malyoxa."
Malyoxa seems to appraise Rajni. "Nice to meet you."
She thinks for a moment, "Well....she didn't have to tell you who she was, but she did so I think unless she gives us a reason that we can't trust her...we give her a chance. Not like we couldn't use the help. There's something else that I need to tell you guys...you could tell the others for me if you like....I saw Barclay today. Seems the Lords of Covington are up to their old bull....stuff and are sending Sessaly back to try and claim Zahvroma and Valwick in their name. They're are claiming that because they gave Godrick some money to start this place....that since he has passed it now belongs to them. Barclay and myself have a different feeling on the matter so Barclay used the money that we gave the town to send Marcel and some other able bodies on a ship to Alarion to get us some more ships for our naval fleet. Since the Lords of Suckyton elect to not fly their flags till they make landfall, and since there has been rumors of pirate attacks up and down this coast....how would we be able to tell their ship apart from a pirate ship." She smirks slightly before continuing, "And if they should happen to make it here through that...then I'll deal with them." She says with a smile.
Rajni looks Malyoxa up and down as well, "Nice to meet you too. My...you're a strange looking fetchling. I don't think I've met anyone quite like you before." She says out of honest curiosity. Taking a closer look at the other woman she shakes her head, "Nope...not a fetchling....but I don't think I've ever met anyone like you before either." She says sounding a bit perplexed. She still hated that she didn't have a lot of experience with the outside world. Being kept in a castle type prison for most of your life made it a little hard to know things about other people and places. Holding up her hands she says, "I'm sorry if my questions seem rude....but, I'm honestly just curious. Before I was brought here....I wasn't allowed contact with the outside world very much so I didn't meet that many different people. I find new things fascinating...therefore...you're fascinating to me. Sorry...did that come out wrong too? I'm not good at communicating things all the time."
Malyoxa laughs. "You're fine. I am a drow or a 'dark elf' as some may call us. I don't mind answering your questions as long as they are not too personal."
"Well, she didn't say...Sadhana figured it out," Ylrhea says. "Hopefully, we can get those ships back here and avoid dealing with those ...jerks...first."
She nods, "Yes....well, while Sadhana is very good at figuring things out, she would't have been able to figure it out if she hadn't said something that gave it away. She could have been secretive and try to hide things from us...but she didn't. If you're worried about it, just keep an eye on her." Sighing as she thinks about her talk with Barclay that morning she says, "I hope they're able to deal with them too...I don't know why they think they have some kind of right to Zahvroma...but this is our home and I will not see it torn asunder by some greedy politicians of a corrupt church." She says with a decisive nod of her head.
She kind of shrugs as she helps her mama with lunch while watching everything she does with the food in the pans, "I don't really have many more questions. I wouldn't even know what to ask. You're here to help Toni and you like mama's cooking, so right there you seem alright to me and not some crazy person. Cuz people would have to be crazy not to like my mama's cooking. I just hope that I can cook as good as she can one day." She says giving her mama a smile.
"It just takes practice to do anything well," Malyoxa says. "I don't complain about food I'm given freely, as a general rule. Though Asha's cooking has a flavor I'm slowly coming to love."
Cyna shakes the snow off before stepping inside. "Hello mother, sorry to drop by so suddenly." Cyna says. "My friends wanted to speak with Fae about something, is she here?"
"I'm sure that'll get sorted out anyway," Ylrhea says. "So...we're just keeping you in the loop. If you wanted to come with us...it's an option, I guess."
"She's talking with your father in the kitchen," Gwendolyn answers.
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She nods, "Thank you for letting me know....but I think I should stay here. I've been out a lot today and I'm kind of tired after everything...plus I'm gonna need to get started on dinner soon. Plus I already saw Konstantyna today and if she found out I'd been out wandering around in this cold she'd let me have it for sure and I just don't want to have to deal with that....so, since you have so many people going with you already I think it'll be okay if I don't go this one time." She says thoughtfully.
She nods, "I'm just getting to the point where I can make decent tea and warm milk on the stove without scalding it....I'm gonna keep working on it though. I'll be getting married a couple of weeks into the new year and I'd like to not have to eat out all the time. Not that we don't have some really great places to eat at here in town...I just think if I'm gonna get married that I should be at least able to cook some decent dishes." She kind of shrugs and goes back to watching Asha at the stove and following her instructions.
"Alright," Ylrhea says. "We'll be going back to the tower at some point with Pandi to check some things out there too."
"It's probably a good idea," Malyoxa says. "Thankfully, you get to choose your spouse."
Nodding again she says, "Okay...well...depending on when you do that I might go. Just depends on what's going on around here at the time I guess. I was at Asha's earlier today and talked to Rajni. She said she'd watch Celine for me anytime I needed her to....as long as I let Celine be a flower girl in her wedding to Dillon." She says and then pauses to give it time to sink in as she looks from Sadhana to Ylhrea and then her husband.
She looks confused for a moment, "Wait...doesn't everybody? You have free will right? Why shouldn't everyone be able to choose to be with someone that they love that loves them in return? That just doesn't make sense to me. The crazy thing is....I didn't come here looking for a relationship. I thought I was brought here so that I could get stronger so that when the time came...I could kill my father...but things didn't work out that way and I did fall in love and now...I'm gonna get to marry my best friend and it might be happening a little fast....but I don't need to be with a bunch of jerks to know what love is or to know what I want. I was kinda raised by the mega jerk to end all jerks so...I'm pretty clear on what I don't want."
"What I meant is that in drow culture, weddings are typically arranged for the benefit of both families," Malyoxa explains. "They don't care about the couple being happy. They just want to increase their prestige and power. Unfortunately for my family, my brother and I were not good marriage candidates."
Drago thought for a moment, "Actually, I'm not entirely sure."
She nods as she understands a little better what she meant, "Oh...oh I see. Well...that sucks. Well...this is Zahvroma and things don't always work out the way people think they should here. Nobody is telling you what you can or can't do here...so do whatever you want. Who knows what can happen right?"
Yulia's eyes brighten a little. "Maybe we can find out later. What would you like for dinner?"
The drow shrugs.
She just smiles, it took some people a little longer to realize that this wasn't whatever hell hole they came from. Looking at her mama she asks, "Has anyone seen Juhi since I put her down for her nap? We were training earlier today and she said the weather was making her sleepy so I read to her and she fell asleep....is she still sleeping?"
Asha nods. "She was pretty tired today."
She thinks for a moment, "Is it okay to let her sleep for so long? She's been asleep for a really long time. Won't it mess up her sleep tonight if we let her sleep too long? Do you think I should go wake her up since our meal is almost ready? Is it normal for them to sleep this much? You don't think she's getting sick do you?" She asks sounding a little worried.
Asha nods. "Go on and get her up, Rajni. I'll handle the rest of the cooking from here."
She nods, "Yes mama." She says before running up the stairs to their room. Going inside she sees that Shamara had already made herself comfortable on Juhi's bed and was snoring away while snuggled up to the girl. Sitting softly on the edge of the bed she gently rubs Juhi's back, "Hey there...supper is almost ready. Are you ready to wake up?"
Juhi rolls over, the mark on her forehead glowing brightly. She opens her eyes and they seem almost white. "Rajni...is that you?"
Feeling a bit alarmed she says, "Yes...yes Juhi it's me. Are you alright?" Picking the girl up in her arms she holds her carefully, "Mama! Mama! Come quick!" Smoothing the hair back from her face she looks at her intently, "Juhi? Can you see me?"
The girl shakes her head. "I can't see anything."
Asha runs up the stairs and goes into the room. "What's wrong, Rajni?"
She looks at Juhi. Asha shakes her head. "Go get Konstantyná, please."
Asha takes Juhi from Rajni and brings her downstairs.
Letting her mother take Juhi from her she races out of the house with Shamara on her heels and runs all the way to Konstantyná's house, knocking on the door as soon as her feet stop in front of it.
Malyoxa comes out of the kitchen to see what the matter was. "Oh...I've never seen anything like that before..."
Konstantyná opens the door, seeing the fetchling and her expression she pulls on her cloak. "Rajni...what's wrong?"
Taking only a second to catch her breath she says, "Please come, it's Juhi. That stupid mark is glowing and her eyes are nearly white and she says she can't see. Please....you've got to come."
"Lucy, meet me at the tailors'," Konstantyná calls out before running with Rajni back to her house. She doesn't bother kicking off the snow before walking inside. "When did this happen?"