| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"I was wondering if we could go to the Tower of Order sometime in the future," Pandi says.
While still sniffling and leaning against Sadhana she looks up into her sister's face with a questioning expression. She didn't see a problem with it, but there was a lot going on right now, so she thought she'd just see what her sister thought.
"The Tower of Order? I'm sure we can find the time to go there sometime in the near future, especially since the route there should be safer that it was when we were first there. Anything specific you're hoping to find there?" Sādhanā asks.
"Me either," Sienna says. "By the way, Pandi was asking if we could go to the Tower of Order. She said she had a hunch about something."
"I'm not entirely sure, but it feels like something is calling me from there."
"Hmm... okay. We'll figure something out so we can get you there." Sādhanā says, running through her mind what could possibly be pulling at the resurrected ranger.
Getting a concerned look on her face she stammers a bit as she tries to think of what to ask, "I really don't know how to respond to that...but it's a little concerning that you're feeling "drawn" to it. Maybe once the wedding stuff is over and they have a chance to breath we should ask Michael about it? I gotta talk to Jelks about schools and stuff for some of the other kids cuz not all of them are magic, and I have to go around and check on all the families and see what needs they have, and I have to make sure that the farming families in Priroda get actual housing so they don't freeze to death this winter." She kind of sighs as she shakes her head and looks at Sadhana, "See what I mean? I can't just shut it off." She says as she lays her head against her sister's arm.
"Like I said, you won't be just sitting on your butt." Sādhanā says hugging Arista close with a little chuckle.
"Oh? I could probably ask Fae to send one of her 'Vanth' things or whatever that is to go take a look." Cyna says.
Taking a seat beside her, Drago started working on Yulia's calves and ankles, his fingers easily locating and dispersing the knots.
Alethiro couldn't see the harm in letting her have milk, so he poured some into a different cup and gave it too her.
Getting the milk stopped her lip from quivering. Placing both of her little hands around the cup she lifted it to her mouth and started taking drinks from it, barely taking time to breath between gulps. She spills some of it for her efforts but most of it goes in her. Putting the cup down she yawns while wiping her mouth with her hand. Holding her arms up as her eyes seem half closed she says, "Up."
"Like I said, you won't be just sitting on your butt." Sādhanā says hugging Arista close with a little chuckle.
She sighs, "Yeah....I know what you mean, it's just hard to pull myself back from that go out and kick evil doer ass mentality." She kind of chuckles slightly, "I pretty much can't remember a time that I wasn't like this though, which vexed my mother to no end. She wanted a "proper" young lady that she could marry off and I was anything but that. When I was much much younger I used to sneak out and follow my father and brother when they went out training. I would copy everything they and their men did....including the swearing." She sighs as she leans against her and looks down at her hands, "Luckily my sister came along a while later and she became my mother's princess. Phila loved the attention and used to make fun of me for coming home filthy all the time. If it hadn't been for my father and Theon....I probably would have gone crazy and ran away." She sniffles again as she looks up at Sadhana, "I'm sorry...I guess old habits are really hard to break. I didn't realize I was still acting like a kid..." She comments as she reflects on her past and how much of her recent actions have mimicked her behavior in the past.
"I guess you could if you wanted to, but I think Pandi is pretty set on seeing it in person," Sienna says.
Sādhanā thinks that there might be some lingering connection between Pandi and the green crystals that kept in her from becoming a feral ghoul.
Yulia sighs happily, letting Drago ease her stiff, aching muscles.
Barclay eventually makes his way around town to inform everyone of Basir's execution and that it will be at ten o' clock.
Pandi speaks up again. "I think that there might people from the Green Circle still trapped in the tower."
Her eyes get large as she sits up and tries to twist around in the seat to look at Pandi, "Really? Is it something you just have a feeling about or...something else? We thought we went through all of it before...but it's possible that in our determination to complete our task that we might have missed something. We had been fighting for a long time and were pretty worn out at that point with all the false starts and issues along the way." She says as she starts chewing on a fingernail.
"I've just had some strange dreams that felt real," Pandi says. "In the lowest part of the Tower, they are chained up and there are a bunch of torture devices..."
The elf shrugs. "I'm not saying it's a certainty, but it feels that way to me."
She nods as she sighs and looks at Sadhana, "Well...then I guess as soon as things aren't quite so hectic here it needs to be looked into for sure. There's Jelk's and Michael's wedding tomorrow night, Alethia and Divitia are getting married on the 14th which is just a day short of my two month mark, I got an invitation from Elena and Kama which I haven't even looked at yet...I've got so many people to buy gifts for...and so much other stuff going on all around us....but know that making sure that there aren't any other people left suffering will be made one of our top priorities. We'll talk about it with the others tomorrow and see what we can do okay? I picked a helluva a day to have to go somewhere so far from home when I have to be up super early to make sure that all forty-five of those refugees that wanted to leave get on that ship and give a letter that I have to write tonight to Daphine.....hopefully she made it out of there alright." She shakes her head to try and clear it a little, "So yeah...lots and lots of stuff happening...but we will make sure that there's no one left in that tower. One way or another. It should be pretty safe getting there now since we pretty much wiped out everything between here and there. It's just like a few days away if I remember correctly...." She says as she tries to work out timetables in her head.
"Fair enough. So what do you want to do for the next hour?" Cyna asks.
"I haven't a clue. We've done most of the shopping except for a wedding band," Sienna says.
"If they're still connected to the crystals...it's possible you still perceive that connection as well. In that case we'll make it a priority to get back there sooner rather than later. If there are still survivors there they need out and if there's nothing it won't take that long to confirm." Sādhanā says with a frown.
"Ah'll give ye a final total when Ah finish," Kierk says, taking the stone.
"Sure. Thanks Kierk." Rhadaya says heading to Halfpocket's to pick up a few things for the house before heading home.
She nods and sighs, "Well because I had no idea how far away Priroda was...I guess it's good that I even found it since I've never been there before. I was lucky that the path there was pretty easy to follow...anyways, it's gonna be pretty late when we get back now...so maybe we can talk to the others tomorrow? I just...I know Cyna and Sienna have a lot of family stuff going on, and there's all that stuff with the refugees to deal with in the morning...so I'm not sure how we can all meet up. Maybe have everyone come over to our place for lunch or something? It'll be kinda nice to cook in my own actual kitchen...once I can figure out where everything is and it gets kinda tiring carrying Celine all over town with me. Besides....I'd like everyone to be all together when I tell them about being grounded from combat so I don't have to repeat myself like fifty thousand times." She says still sounding a bit sulky. "The more I have to say it, the less I like it."
Pandi nods and dozes off in the back of the wagon.
Halfpocket turns on his trademark smile as Rhadaya enters. "What can I get you this evening?"
She sighs as she shakes her head and looks away for a moment before looking back at Sadhana as she tries to re position herself on the seat. After a couple of minutes she says, "Well...that's a little disturbing to say the least." She says as she takes the heavy winter blanket that she had with her in the bag, and turning around backwards lays it over Pandi before turning back around in the seat.
She sits quietly for a few minutes before looking back at Sadhana, "So...I talked to my brother."
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Yeah, I know the crystal staved off the complete loss of her mind when she was transformed but the effect those things have is unsettling......wait what?" Sādhanā says in shock. "When? How??"
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
"I've got an idea about that, I'll probably have to wait until tomorrow though." Cyna replies. "Is there anything else we need for the home? I don't want to be unprepared when the snow comes."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"I'm not even sure... just looking around a bit I guess. We're home for a bit so looking to make the place more...homey I guess. That and food and stuff around the house." the sorceress says with a shrug. "I'm used to living out of barracks or a tent, always ready to be on the go so it's different having an actual home now."
It was interesting that she was starting to find herself more talkative around others.
"We definitely need groceries," Sienna says. "Maybe a shovel for the snow. I don't know how winters are going to be like here."
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Reaching into the bag again she pulls out the carefully wrapped sword, "With this. It's a bit of a story...but I think we still have a couple of hours before we reach home so there's time."
Taking a deep breath she shows the sword to Sadhana, "This is Theon's sword that Fallon reforged for me. This sword...never left his side..until the day he disappeared. When I tried having the dwarfs fix it...they said they didn't have enough material and that I needed the Adamantine to fix it...so since Daphine gave me that huge chunk of it I gave it to Fallon to fix and the Dwarf had said that some swords have stories and he thought this was one like that."
She takes a deep breath, "When Rajni told me what my brother said...it felt like the world came to an end. I felt like I couldn't breath and I guess I sort of collapsed, but Clara was there along with Kama and Elena...so when Rajni and her sisters left, Clara helped me back home and we talked for a while and I told her about the sword. She asked if it had ever done anything before, and I misunderstood thinking that she was asking if it had any magical properties and I explained that I didn't know because I was never allowed to touch it..but then realized that she meant when I held it...which after the Dwarves did what they could to repair it...but before it was whole...while I was holding it I got a brief image of a snow and ice covered mountain."
She stops for a bit as she tries to keep herself calm, "Clara suggested I try holding it again...so I did. I closed my eyes and I thought of Theon and asked the sword to show me Theon...or something like that...and then poof, he was there...or I was there. I'm not sure it was really cold and he was standing in front of an ice covered cave...but it was him Sadhana...I know it was him. He was talking to me and telling me things. I told him how much I missed him...how much I needed him and he told me that from where he stood I had more now than I did before everything...ya know? Anyways...he says that he doesn't remember a whole lot after the "monsters" attacked him, just that all he could feel was coldness...or something like that." She sighs as she rubs her temples before running her fingers along the blade in a loving caress. Shaking her head she swallows a bit before continuing, "He said....he said that his spirit was trapped between this sword, and his armor...but I'm not really sure what he means by that...or if that means that his sword can help break what's holding him....I don't know...it's all very confusing to me. I was never taught about these things because most of the things I did came naturally to me and my father and Theon believed that all I needed to learn I could learn on the battlefield." She stops for a brief moment to collect herself, "He also said that no matter how much mother and I fought, or how much Phila teased me that I was the glue that held the family together....and that...that none of this was my fault. He said that as long as I had this sword...that I had him, but...I don't want a sword Sadhana...I want my brother back...I just want him back." She says before leaning against her sister again as she starts to shake.
"What about blankets, firewood, winter coats for the lot of us..." Cyna says rambling aloud.
"We have blankets, Cutie. I figured we could gather firewood like normal people would, but I guess it's up to you," Sienna says. "A spare winter outfit wouldn't be a bad idea either, I suppose. Just didn't think about it because we already have outfits."
"I can't even begin to imagine how much you miss him." Sādhanā says softly as she keeps her arm around Arista."Did you feel any....rage or darkness from him? Everything I know about Graveknights is kind of...contrary to your experience with him. If I were to guess I 'd say that what good was left in him is bound to the sword. Graveknights are usually creatures of hate and darkness, bound to the armor they were wearing when they die."
She shakes her head as she wipes at his eyes, "N...no, it was like I was talking to the same brother that I always have. He looked and sounded....just like he did the last day I saw him before....before everything that happened."
Feeling almost completely drained she just sort of leans against the magus, her body feeling numb and limp against her. Trying to control her breathing she slows it down in an attempt to breath easier and calm her emotions. Wiping her eyes she sort of shrugs, "I...I don't know Sis. I don't understand how something like that could happen and he doesn't seem bad. At least not the part of his consciousness that I communicated with. I just....I don't even know if this sword would work for anyone else...like if he would appear to anyone but me....but if he did maybe you could get a general idea of where he is? I don't know...I just wonder if I should try communicating with him again and explain things if he would let you hold the sword and talk to him? Maybe it would help somehow if I just let you take it. I...I don't know what to do. I don't know how to deal with this...." She says as her voice cracks with emotion. The grief almost palpable in her words and tone. She felt utterly and completely lost, and would probably have already lost her mind were it not for her new family and the people that loved her.
"It's worth a try, though maybe not while I'm driving the cart. Why don't you just rest fro a bit, you've had what's turned out to be a very long day so far." Sādhanā suggests.
She just wipes her face again as she nods, "O..okay...maybe tomorrow." She says a little softly before pulling the hood of her heavy winter cloak over her head and pulling it around her as she lays her head against Sadhana's shoulder. She still sniffles on and off for a little bit as she cries softly against her sister as Sadhana has an arm around her still. After a few minutes her shoulders stop shaking as the stress and emotional turmoil of the day seem to take their toll and she finally succumbs to sleep, soft snoring coming from her as she rests against the magus.