"Olaff would likely be a better teacher in regards to your blade."
"Maybe," Relisha responds in a tone that conveys her doubts of that. "I just think I would be more comfortable if ... if you the one to teach me."
Shalelu nods and smiles "I will do the best I can, for as long as I can..." She looks down to the battered blade and then asks "May I ask why that blade? We found much nicer ones in our journey."
"It's ..." Relisha begins, but then squares herself and lifts the blade up resting across her hands. "The scimitar is the favored weapon of the Healing Flame," she says in a voice filled with respect. Her eyes then look away sheepishly. "I couldn't afford a better made one."
Shae reaches for the blade, but waits for Rel to offer it before she takes it. She swings it around a few times, getting a feel for the weight and then hands it back. "Well, it will serve for you to learn and once you have improved you can see about getting another higher quality blade. Perhaps before you tend my bandages in the evening we can have lessons for a bit?"
Relisha nods in agreement. "Thank you," she says. Her eyes narrow a little. "Is that ...?" she asks, before moving in closer and looking at the side of Shalelu's face.
"Did ... did something bite your ear?" she asks. "Here, let me look at it." Without waiting for permission, she leans in close to examine what seems to be a bite mark on Shalelu's ear.
"Oh... huh?" Shae steps back suddenly when Rel leans in to look at her ear, her cheeks blushing a bit "It's fine. I... I got in a little tussle with something out in the wild. Don't even think it pierced the skin..."
She forces a smile and steps away "I'll be fine, don't worry about it." She shrugs her ear towards her head and rubs it against her shoulder before turning to promptly walk off, unless specifically stopped.
Relisha reaches out and grabs the elf's arm.
"Wait, no. Animal bites can get nasty really fast. Hold still and let me look." She pulls the elf closer to get a better look at the bite. "That almost looks like ... like ..."
The tiefling releases Shalelu's arm and steps back away, her face turning a bright red. "Oh. Sorry about that. I just worry that ... yeah. If it bothers you at all, please let me know."
She then turns and walks quickly away.
Ahreni's nose twitches as a sudden barrage of pheromones drifts across from where she can see Relisha talking to Shalelu. The wolf girl grins but says nothing.
As Relisha heads towards Ameiko's wagon, she sees Ahreni grinning at her and her feet move faster towards the privacy the wagon offers.
Shalelu rolls her eyes as Rel rushes off and continues on her way, once a little away she grins and laughs.
She eventually finds her way to Sandru and asks "So what's the plan for the route ahead? Are we going to get back to some more well travelled roads or through the wilderness again? Any major towns along the way for us to restock and maybe sell some of the stuff we've come across?"
Sandru unfolds his map where he's already highlighted his route. He walks her through his projected travel plans as he does so "We're leaving Brinewall here and heading towards Kalsgard here. That puts us passing through the Nolands and entering the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. There should be a trade route somewhere near here, a dwarven mine called Kopparberget at the city of Jol. We'll continue north into the Grungir Forest before crossing the eastern neck of the Grungir until we reach the bridge to Losthome, here. At this point our route follows this western bank of the Thundering River as it meanders north, connecting the many small settlements and steadings in here that stand upon the river’s banks. At the confluence of the Thundering and Rimeflow rivers here, the trade route branches again, see. One trail crossing the Skalsbridge and heading northeast toward Trollheim while the other continues along the Rimeflow to Kalsgard. We'll move off towards Kalsgard and hopefully find what we're looking for."
Looking at the map he scratches his head "The total distance from Brinewall to Kalsgard is about 450 miles and take us another two to three weeks, depending on the weather."
Turning back to Shalelu he asks "Thoughts?"
As Sandru discusses the travel route with Shalelu, Ahreni, and Ameiko, Thanara moves off to begin packing up her own wagon and the camp cooking supplies.
She wasn't quite sure where they were going, or what they were facing. She didn't care. She had enough worries right here in the caravan to keep her preoccupied.
As Thanara is packing up the cooking gear, Relisha approaches.
"Hey, uh, did you need any help loading anything?" she asks. Without waiting for an answer she starts nesting some of the clean pots.
"I just wanted to check to see how you were holding up."
"Sure," Thanara says as she straightens up and stretches her back. "You know, this is getting a bit easier. I think I'm getting stronger from lifting on all this crap!" she replies in a slightly jestful tone.
When Relisha asked how she was holding up, her smile fades a bit and she says in a half-sigh "Okay, I guess. I really screwed things up with Olaff, didn't I? Or did he? I mean, he was the one who threatened to kill Shalelu and treated me like a child, right? Right?"
Relisha frowns and looks down at her feet. "thanara, You know me enough to know that I'm not the one you should be asking for advice about a love life," she says. "Things seem to be going well with Ameiko right now, but I keep wondering when she's going to see the real me and ..." She fades off and takes a deep breath. "I can't tell you if you were right or not, but I can tell you that you shouldn't be with someone that doesn't respect you or treat you well. Even if the alternative is being with no one. You still have friends."
She moves some of the smaller bags of spices and herbs into the smallest of the pots and her face turns thoughtful. "It's so surreal. Ameiko is the Empress of Minkai." She actually giggles. "I ... kissed ... the Empress of Minkai." It's obvious she was going to say something else and her blotchy red face makes it clear what it probably was.
Thanara smiles and nudges her with her elbow. "Maybe you will be Empress of Minkai with her!"
"I think I'd actually be the Royal Consort," Relisha says thoughtfully, but then shrugs. "It won't matter. I'm sure she'd want someone more ... appropriate. But if I can learn enough to protect her, maybe she'll keep me close to do that."
She gives Thanara a sideways glance.
"I want to be able to protect those I care about."
"You're too nice, Rel," Thanara says as she continues packing the cookware. "But it's nice to have someone around that is."
Shalelu examines the map and then points out a different route. "Wouldn't it make more sense to go straight through the Grungir Forest to Kalsgard, rather than taking the long way around near the rivers? It would save us a couple hundred miles of travel..."
Sandru scratches his chin and turns to face the elf. "Do you know more about the Grungir than I, Shalelu? I've only heard tales that men should avoid passing through it. It is a shorter path to travel, but I am not sure if we are in such a hurry to add additional danger to our path. Why don't you talk it over with the Ulfen, he may know more of the dangers of Grungir than I."
While Sandru discusses the route with Shalelu, Holy Vindicator Helvinius pulls Ameiko aside and starts to converse with. During their discussions, Ameiko looks up at Relisha three separate times with concern. She leaves their discussion with her head hung low and Helvinius staring intently at the tiefling while she talks with Thanara.
"How can someone be too nice?" Relisha questions. "I just try to consider other people's feelings before my own." She shrugs. "Most of the time, at least."
She seems slightly distracted as she notices the conversation between Ameiko and the Holy Vindicator. "Hey, you look like you've got this well in hand," she says as she brushes off her hands.
With a quick hug for the sorceress, she goes to find Ameiko.
"Are you ok?" she asks.
Shalelu nods "I will speak with him, but you weren't opposed to putting us in danger before to avoid a certain route that would have been faster, so I'm surprised you are concerned now..."
Without waiting for a reply she walks off to go find Olaff and ask him what he knows about the Grungir forest.
Sandru frowns at Shalelu's abruptness. "What?! You criticize me for taking risks before and now you criticize me for not taking then? What's gotten into you, Shalelu?"
"Oh, hey. I was just looking for you." Ameiko as easily as she breathes. "I'm fine. Just wanted to see how you are doing. Ready to make your way to Kalsgard?" she says with a false smile.
"I saw you talking with the Holy Vindicator and it looked like he said something to upset you," Relisha says, putting out a hand to touch Ameiko's arm. "Did you want to talk about it?"
As Shalelu comes for him to ask about the forest, Olaff shrugs before continuing to sharpen his new sword. "Not verry much, I confess, forr I've neverr trraveled southerr than Eldentrre... but I've hearrd tales and rrumorrs about many dangerrs vithin it, like darrk fey, veirrd magic, monsters and even linnorrms."
"Ve ulfens arre quite superrstitious about most things ve don't know, so perrhaps most o' vhat I've hearrd is trrollshit... but vhen therre arre so many tales, something must be trrue, rright?"
"If ye arre lookin' forr some advice about ourr path, I vould suggest us to go arround it unless therre is absolutely no otherr choice." He answers seriously.
Sandru waits for Shalelu to return after talking to Olaff and when she does he folds his arms "Come on. Tell me you want me to take the dangerous path now. Well? Let's hear it, Ms. Know-It-All. You think it's easy having to make decisions for everyone's safety up here? It's not. A little less second guessing goes a long way, you know."
"Hmmm? Oh that. Oh that was nothing, don't you mind him at all." she says, looking down at Relisha's arm and staring at it for a moment. She pats her arm and says "Now then, I think we're just about ready to take off. Shall we go find Sandru and get this show on the road?"
Relisha glances back at the stern elf before smiling back at the woman next to her. "Whatever you'd like."
~~~~~
"Ameiko seemed upset by the conversation you had with her earlier," Relisha comments in an even voice to Holy Vindicator Helvinius. "Why would that be?"
After returning to Sandru and him chastising her she just lets out a laugh "Ha! You talk about making decisions about people's safety... that's not what you did before. You chose to take a longer route through a more dangerous area for your own benefit, whatever that was. Now I bring up the possibility of taking a potentially more dangerous route to shorten our trip and you try to make the two things equal? It is not, my thought on going through the woods, while potentially more dangerous, is to benefit everyone. Your choice before was to benefit you!" She accentuates the point by jabbing her finger at his chest.
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath trying to calm herself. "How many miles, how many days would it save us if we went through the woods? Yes there are rumors of horrible things, but what woods don't have such rumors? There are druids and gnomes that live there, so there must be some safe parts. If we can talk with the locals and convince them to help us then I think it would behoove us to try. If they won't help, then we stick with your plan..." she waves her hand dismissively as she frowns.
Helvinius works through the evening prayer and devotions with Relisha, commenting "I am pleased to have you back with me for this process, little one. Your absence was noticeable the other night and morning and I've grown fond of our time together for these moments." she says with a genuine smile.
When he asks about their conversation with Ameiko, he nods to her. "I did speak with her. I congratulated her on the uncovering of her family history and discovering her true heritage. Since she does not have any formal advisers with experience in this area, I have offered my services to her given I have served leadership in prior times." Seeing that doesn't meet the question she raised he continues. "I also provided a few quick suggestions on changes she should start making on how she is behaving with certain companions given what expectations will be when we arrive in Minkai. She needs to start thinking and behaving like an Empress, not the love-stricken teenager she has been traipsing around here recently."
"And you," he clarifies, "Ms. Tamm, you should be focused on your devotions and your duties with the gifts you have been provided. I have said it once and will say it again, you are giving in to lustful obsessions more than you need. Take control of yourself woman, focus!"
"What?! Sandru says, smacking the ranger's hand away. He raises his volume, his face clearly irritated "Are you even serious right now?"
He steps forward and pushes his finger in her chest "Look Shalelu, I like you. Ameiko likes you. But one of us is more skilled as a caravan leader and it's not you. If you want to ask questions and judge which direction we're taking then fine, I don't mind. But if you want to come over here and make this into an insult about how I'm not looking out for everyone's best insterest, then I think maybe it's time you go find your own damn wagon back to Sandpoint!"
Red in the face when he is finished speaking, he stares at her attempt to calm herself and says "You don't get to get out of this by trying to take the middle ground either. It would be faster to go through the woods, but I'm making the decisions on our routes. Is that clear?"
Relisha's face reddens and her lips press together tightly as Helvinius discusses the nature of his conversation with Ameiko.
"As to the Empress Amatatsu's behavior, if there is something that needs to be ... adjusted ... then she will decide what needs to change," the girl says, keeping her voice calm. She then looks up at the Holy Vindicator. "And I will expect you to speak of her with more respect, Holy Vindicator." Relisha refuses to look away or bow her head. "Speaking of the Empress of Minkai as if she were a naughty child will not put you in the good graces of those that care about her." She holds his gaze for a moment longer, only looking away when it begins to feel like a direct challenge.
"On the subject of my ... activities," she continues. "When ... if they begin to affect my duties and obligations to the Healing Flame, then, and only then, may you bring up the subject for discussion. Until that time, I consider it very personal and your comments on it are treading on the inappropriate."
Shalelu rolls her eyes at Sandru's threats and when he declares he is the one making the decision she shrugs "Sure, it's clear. Doesn't mean I have to agree..." She spins around on her heels and walks off leaving the man there to stew. As she is walking away she calls out behind her "Either way, I'll be here to keep you all safe."
Ahreni watches the whole 'conversation' between Shalelu and Sandru with bared teeth, although she doesn't intervene on either side. In fact, if the shifter had to be honest she wouldn't know which side to intervene on!
Eventually she moves over to her brother and looks curiously at the maps. "Long route. More horse feed needed. New shoes too, to be safe."
Thanara snarls her nose at the bickering. Was this what Olaff and I looked like?
She finishes packing up the cooking supplies and crawls up into the wagon and closes the flap. She then takes off her furs and dips her hands into a water barrel and runs a bar of soap over them and begins cleaning herself off as best she can while in the confines of the back of a wagon.
I can't wait for an inn again. An actual bed. An actual bath. Food I didn't have to cook for everyone and get snarky criticism on.
Sandru shouts loudly for the whole camp to hear as Shalelu walks off He turns and kicks the wagon wheel hard with his boot, instantly regretting it. When Ahreni walks over, he grunts in acknowledgement "Yeah. We should be good to get to Jol at least. We can resupply there, I'm not turning around to back down south away from our destination to resupply, Cub." Frustration is evident on his voice and he shakes his head as he turns to address the caravan, climbing up on the wagon and whistling loudly
Turning back to Ahreni he says, "Do a quick inspection and make sure were' good to go, alright? Thanks Cub."
Helvinius keeps a straight face through Relisha's retort. "You will expect nothing of me, child. I will address her as the Empress when she becomes the empress. Your knowledge in these matters is as insignificant as your supposed love for her."
He holds up a hand to stop her from protesting "That being said, you raise a solid counter-argument and I will acknowledge to watch my tongue."
When Sandru's whistle and announcement is made he nods to her and walks away to prepare his departure.
Savah waits patiently for Thanara to return to their wagon. She reaches for her hand to intertwine with hers and asks "Ready to go?"
Koya calls to Olaff to ride with her for the first part of the journey. "Olaff, are you ready to go home? Are you excited? I can't imagine you ever thought you'd be going back so soon, did you?"
Thanara nods as she gives Savah's hand a squeeze before returning her attention to cleaning off the sweat and grime from the past couple days. "I'm...I'm surprised you didn't want us to go back to Sandpoint..."
"If we are speaking plainly, yes, I'd rather go back to Sandpoint. But I know how much Ameiko means to you and I know you'll follow her. So I'll follow you." she offers with a weak smile.
As Sandru calls for them to move, Olaff saddles his horse and once they are about to start moving, he gets ready to take the rearguard of the caravan when Koya calls for his company. He then thinks for a couple seconds in silence, as if lost in his thoughts before answering her. "And arre ve everr rready forr the futurre, aunt? Ve make plans and prreparrations... ve drream of vhat ve think ve desirre, but in the end, the unknown futurre vill change everrythin... I think ve like to fool ourrselves, aunt Koya, some morre than otherrs, but I'm cerrtainly among the stupidest grroup!" He laughs a bit of his own joke.
"Excited? No... a bit rrelived. I miss me kin, aunt, people that think and act the vay I do... but tell me, aunt, have ye everr been to me lands?"
Thanara paused and turned to look over her shoulder at Savah. "Are you okay? You've been acting...not you? And it's worrying me. Is everything alright?"
Ahreni nods and proceeds to check the horses, the wagons, the people and the horses again since they are the most important members of the caravan. She refuses to be rushed on any of the inspections but Sandy demanding half an hour was wildly optimistic anyway so she still gets all the inspections done in time to give her brother the nod and swing into her driving seat with Shalelu.
"Why so angry?" She asks. "Sandy is good caravan master."
Shalelu was already ready to go when Sanru put out his call, in most cases, she is always ready. So, she is waiting on Ahreni in their wagon near the front of the caravan where she can keep an eye out ahead, her mount tied to the side so she can jump on and ride quickly if needed.
When Ahreni plops down beside her and asks about the earlier scene Shalelu sighs "The man is infuriating. Yes, he is a good caravan master, but I question his route choices sometimes, it would be one thing if he actually explained things but he didn't before and I just haven't gotten past that. Before, why didn't we go through Riddleport? It seemed like it was something personal. Instead we take a longer route and nearly get smashed by a bunch of giants."
She can feel her heart racing again as her anger, or maybe the anger of something else inside her is wanting to boil to the surface. She stops and closes her eyes taking a couple deep breaths before continuing "I understand his concern about going through the woods, but it is a significantly faster route and if there are locals living there, if we can get their help to pass through safely, it seems foolish not to try..."
She puts her hand on Ahreni's leg and squeezes a moment "I know you and Sandru are close, my apologies if my discord with him makes you unhappy. I will try to temper my... agitation with him, but... it isn't always just me..."
"We don't go to Riddleport." Ahreni says by way of explanation. Her tone broker no argument, this is clearly an iron rule in Sandru's caravan. "Trees also not good for caravan. Wheels break, horses lose shoes or hurt legs. Need big paths for wagons. Often words slower than longer route around." She gives a shrug to remove any sting from the words. "Not all are great woods-elf Shalelu!"
Shalelu's final point leaves Ahreni nodding slowly. "Just remember you." She says finally, returning the squeeze before fixing her attention on the road once more.
Relisha watches the Holy Vindicator's back as he walks away. No one is there to see her jaw clinch and her teeth grind. Nor are they there to notice the reflection of flames in her golden eye.
~~~~~
At Sandru's announcement, the tiefling takes her place on the bench of Ameiko's wagon and puts her hand on the woman's knee.
"I know that what the Holy Vindicator said to you has upset. I just want you to know that I will honor whatever request you make of me, Ameiko. No matter what it is. The only thing I ask is for you not to completely push me away. I can help protect you."
Koya shakes her head no at Olaff, "No, I have not. This is already the furthest I've ventured from Sandpoint, Olaff. Each day is a new adventure for me and I look forward to seeing these great warriors!"
Ameiko takes Relisha's hand and nods. "Oh Rel, I just don't know. It's all so much, I'm overwhelmed. The Holy Vindicator spoke of being an adviser to a Lord previously, so I'm not sure whether to listen to him or tell him to f&&& off let me do my own thing. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to be acting. Whatever I decide though, I know I want you next to me." She offers a smile and a wink and leads her back into their wagon and draws the curtain closed to show her how close she wants her at her side.
The next several days are rather uneventful as the party sets off towards Kalsgard. Following much of the same routines from their trip towards Brinewall, the party seems to fall into a rhtym with the other members of the caravan. Shaleu and Ahreni go hunting in the evening for fresh meat just as Relisha and her favorite Holy Vindicator continue their devotions and prayers at both sunup and sundown. Koya insists Olaff take her on daily walks so she can "live a little" while Savah continues to show a more tender side with Thanara, offering her shoulder and a gentle hand with the sorceress.
On the sixth day after leaving Brinewall, Thanara and Ameiko are working on the evening meal as Shalelu and Ahreni skin and prepare a large buck they had taken down earlier. Olaff is wrestling around with the Varisian brothers while Relisha reads some passages from her book.
After dinner Ameiko performs for the group again, the first time she's done this since Brinewall. Having shaken off the initial jitters of her newfound information, she seems eager to reach Kalsgard to find this strange blade and secure a guide. Koya starts singing along and everyone starts dancing and enjoying themselves with laughter and fun as Sandru breaks out his secret stash of whiskey that tastes absolutely terrible, but seemingly fits perfectly for the evenings festivities.
Later that night after everyone has retired and is snoring away thanks to Sandru's whiskey, Olaff is on second watch and Thanara has awoken in the night and is sitting nearby him chatting when they both notice movement in the shadows. Unsure exactly what it is, he counts at least four four-legged creatures approaching in the darkness.