Moths and Flames

Game Master Signore di Fortuna

"I do too, The constantly putting herself into situations where she almost dead or feels useless in a fight isn't going to help." Lysithia replies. "We should figure out what exactly we can do here, before heading anywhere else. This morning would have gone very differently for this place if we hadn't been here."

Kelda nods, "Yeah, I know. We can talk to Muriel and like that older gentleman....but I have a feeling it's not going to get any better until we get to the root of the problem and extract it....permanently."

Muriel comes back by to pick up the plates. "Have a moment?"

"Definitely." Lysithia replies, eager to discuss things further.

Kelda nods, "Absolutely, we've been anxious to talk to you since Teeko recognized you."

"I'll chat for a bit, but I'll need a favor from you afterward," Muriel says. "Shouldn't be too difficult, but I can't leave here since this place doesn't run itself."

Kelda nods, "That seems reasonable. So, do you know anything about what happened to your sister?"

"We'd be happy to help.

Kelda sighs at her poor people skills, "I'm sorry if I seem blunt, I just have a lot on my mind. We were trying to figure out how Teeko got separated from your sister. He was able to tell us a little, but it didn't make a lot of sense. We wanted to try to reunite them. Him still being alive is the only clue that we have that she's still alive. A familiar would die if something happened to their master. Plus we're trying to get to the bottom of what's really going on, because goblins on their own can't do all this, and we need to put a stop to it. Oh...and our friend Astoria doesn't feel that her magic is good enough to continue traveling with us, even though she saved us multiple times...so, she wanted to know if she could stay here and help out until we get things taken care of and she's able to get to the tower to study. She thinks she's useless....but she's not. Would it be okay if she stays here for a while?" Kelda stops talking for a moment realizing how much she's said already, "I'm sorry, that was a lot at once." Kelda immediately shuts her mouth and tries to give Muriel time to process what she said.

"My sister and I studied at Ardin's Tower, but the classes got to be more intensive than we expected. We saw less and less of each other until she just disappeared. I couldn't keep up with the work so they kicked me out," Muriel answers. "I found Teeko when I was leaving. He was in bad shape, but I don't know what happened to him. I figured he would...pass on or something, so I took him to clearing in the woods on my way back home and left him there. He was Vernita's familiar, didn't seem proper to keep him."

Kelda is sure Muriel is being honest, but omitting something. It may be that she does not trust the two of you yet. "As for the goblin problem, I don't know what to tell you, but there may be someone who can help. His name is Basil Cooper. He's the great-grandson of Cooperton's founder. This leads to the favor I need to ask: He's been at the dwarven camp up north for a few days and I'm starting to get worried. I've got a lunch packed for him, so he'll know you're friendly."

Muriel pauses for a moment. "Your friend is welcome to stay and help. We're not going to throw anyone out to the goblins."

"So would you like us to bring him back, or just find out if he's alright before we speak with him?" Lysithia asks.

If there is something that Muriel is holding back, it must be for a reason and Kelda doesn't want to push her into talking about something she might not be ready to discuss.
Kelda gets a thoughtful look on her face as she thinks back to the last conversation they had with Teeko regarding his/her master. Looking up at Lysithia and Muriel she says, "Even Teeko doesn't really know what happened to her. Teeko said something about her becoming sad, and then really angry. He or she ss the case may be, told us that one morning she was just gone, but that she is still his master even if she is "changed", so he wants to be back with her understandably. We told Teeko that we would find her if we could, and get them back together. That's why we've been asking so many questions about your sister. We were trying to figure out where to start looking." After her lengthy explanation, Kelda has some water and takes a few minutes to get her breath back.

After a few minutes she adds, "I was planning on seeing the Dwarves at that camp anyways. My folks along with my cousins were headed back to Varota with a message for our leader, and I need to know if they know anything about them, or if they got there safely. So, yeah we can look in on Basil for ye. Is there a message or anything that you'd like us to give him for ye?"

I had to go all the way back to pg35 to find out what Teeko had actually told us about his master.

"All I want to know is that he's still okay and not getting in over his head," Muriel says. "This town still needs someone to take care of it and that's not going to be me. I..."

She lets out a exasperated laugh. "I can't even keep up with my own sister. Anyway, Basil may be happy to meet some people who actually want to get out of town and find the source of the problem. He's very impatient and likes fighting. Let me get that lunch for you."

Muriel disappears into the kitchen for a moment and returns with a small burlap sack. "There's a note from me in there for him to read. Make sure he doesn't eat it first."

Kelda cocks her head to the side, it was obvious that the young woman had a lot on her mind.

Kelda takes the sack from her and looks at her for a moment, "I know things pretty much suck right now, and this might be a really stupid question to ask...but, are you okay? You're not gonna go off and do something to get yourself in over your head are you? We'll do the best we can to find your sister and deal with whatever has happened to her...but I need to know that you're going to be okay here." She says, not in a judgmental way or anything, there's a definite note of concern in her voice as if she's afraid Muriel will do something that might cause herself harm.

"Family isn't always easy to understand, and sometimes they do things that hurt us...but it doesn't mean that they don't love us...in whatever weird way it may be. It's not always up to you to be her caretaker or vice versa...all you can do is be there to pick up the pieces and help each other move on. We just have to find her first. We will find Basil first though, and deliver your lunch and message. Is there an exit to the north that we can go through?" She asks, hoping for a more direct route to the dwarven camp.

Muriel waves her hand. "I'm fine, just...fed up. There's a few men stationed at the north end of town. They'll let you through."

Kelda nods, "Okay, I'm sorry for everything you're having to deal with right now. We'll go grab the rest of our stuff and be on our way. Take care Muriel." She says, getting up from where she sits and holding her hand out to Lysithia.

Taking her love's hand, the druidess shoulders her pack, ready to head out.

I can't remember, but did we grab all our stuff already before stopping to eat and see Muriel?

You said y'all grabbed your equipment before you went to the wall to fight the goblins.

That's right, cuz we smelled fire.

Kelda takes a breath as they head out of the Inn and towards the North side of town. As she carries along the burlap sack they got from Muriel, Kelda takes another look around what's left of the depressing town.

Outside of the inn, a few guards walk around but you don't see any other townsfolk. Most homes have been pillaged or broken into. You notice a bright red dog house that reads 'Snapper'.

"Snapper, that was Rauf's dog's name...the man who came to ask for help." Lysithia comments as she notices the dog house.

Kelda nods, "Yeah, they said he never made it back. Just another way I failed these people. Seeing everything they've gone through...I just hate it. It makes me feel like....like I want to find the one ultimately responsible for all this suffering and kill them horribly. Yet...it seems like nothing we do is enough." Kelda's voice shakes with the multitude of emotions that are running through her.

I feel like I'm forgetting something.

Holding her hammer over one shoulder as they stop briefly in front of the bright red dog house almost seeming out of place in the dismal setting, "I'm almost afraid to ask what happened to his dog. Didn't he say something about having a daughter, or being worried about his daughter or something?" She asks, half turning to face Lysithia. Her head down, as she slouched slightly out of grief for what happened to this town and its people.

I really can't remember, I'd have to go back and re read that part.

"You didn't fail them. If we'd come directly here...not that we had much of a choice, nearly dying multiple times on our way here, other people would be dead, or slaves, who aren't now." Lysithia says vehemently, refusing to let her love continue to wallow in self-blame. "Nobody can save everyone. We can only do the best that were can."

Kelda flinches slightly at the tone in Lysi's voice. It was one she was very familiar with. It was one that often came from her parents, mostly her Pa when she was getting close to pushing things too far, almost like a warning. Lysithia's tone was so close to that of her folks when they got to that point of frustration with her that she could almost hear her Pa say, "Thas enough Kelda." or the famous, "Git to yer room Kelda, now.".

She couldn't seem to hold back her feelings, especially after seeing the empty and ransacked houses, as well as the dog house that belonged to Rauf's dog....the one killed by the little green menace for defending his home and family.

Not trusting herself to look up at her love, Kelda kicks a rock out of frustration, "I know that okay? Somewhere up here in my stupid brain I know that we can't possibly save every single person from these stupid ba$tards and the people in charge of all this devastation....and I hate it okay?! I just...I can't help how I feel, or stand to see so many suffer. I know blaming myself and feeling this way is stupid...but I can't help it love. I've been like this my whole life. I've always been exceptionally hard on myself...maybe even more so than my parents. I was their only child and for a while I expected myself to learn their craft so I could carry on their traditions...but that's not what was meant to be and Torag had different plans for me." Her voice rises and falls with emotion that just seems to pour out of her. It was clear that she wasn't upset at Lysithia or yelling at her, but more out of frustration, grief, and a need to get things off of her chest while explaining to her beloved why she couldn't seem to just let go of her feelings so easily.

It appeared as though just one "therapy" session, was not going to be enough to erase years and years of guilt and self loathing.

Stopping for a moment to take a few deep breaths as she realizes how loud she had gotten.

Quickly swiping her face with the back of her hand she chances a look up at her love, her voice a little lower but full of grief and frustration, "These....feelings only intensified after we lost Sophie. I redoubled my efforts and spent every moment after that awful day devoting myself to my studies in the Church. I...stopped letting people get close to me. I thought....I thought having friends would be a waste of my time and I couldn't afford that. I also thought that by keeping people at a distance, it would save me the grief of ever losing anyone else that I cared about. I'm sorry if my feelings and the way I treat myself is frustrating to you...it's not my intention. I just...I can't just turn off my feelings just like that." She says, emphasizing her point by snapping her fingers at the word 'that'.

Taking a breath she finishes by saying, "I fully plan on putting the blame where it truly belongs once we find those responsible for all this devastation. They will not get away with systematically tearing apart our home...our valley. We will rain down holy, bloody justice on all of them for all the suffering they have caused. I vow it." She finishes, her chest heaving with the amount of emotion her feelings had wrought upon her.

Having nothing else to say at the moment, Kelda shuts her mouth and gives her beloved time to process what she said. She knew it was a lot ata one time, and she didn't mean for it to come out the way it did....but seeing everything that was happening around them....it was just more than she could bear.

Soooo so sorry it's so long. It's kind of her big emotional moment/breakdown kinda thing. Stuff that she had bottled up for a long loooonnngggg time and was still trying to come to grips with.

Lysithia simply listens, not judging, just understanding as her love unburdens herself, something she desperately needs. Taking her face in one hand, she caresses her cheek lovingly, resting the other hand over her love's heart.

"We will. We will find whoever is responsible for this, and make them suffer. I don't want you to turn off your emotions, they're one of the best things about you my love. Don't ever think that letting people in, or having people to care for is a wast of time. It's one of the most important parts of living."

Self conscious that someone other than her beloved might be watching her meltdown, Kelda swallows the sob she feels threatening to escape.

Stepping into Lysithia's loving arms momentarily, she rests her head against her beloved's chest, "I'm sorry I yelled, it's not you I'm upset at. We can talk about this later though. We need to get this lunch to Basil before it gets cold." She says, lingering in her embrace for just another second or two, before pulling away while wiping her face with her sleeve.

Taking a deep breath, Kelda pulls herself together as they continue on to the North exit of what is left of Cooperton.

With a silent nod, Lysithia continues heading to the exit.

The north end of the village consists of a short stone wall with an opening to the fields beyond. Two men stand guard, a bronze bell within arm's reach of each of them. They give you a brief nod in greeting.

Lysithia gives the guards a smile and a nod as they head for the opening. "Morning. Any sign of goblins at this part of the wall recently?"

"It's been a while," one of the guards answers. "With the dwarves up a ways, it's hard to get over here if you're a goblin."

Kelda nods, "That's where we're headed right now. Muriel gave us lunch to take to Basil, and we're trying to figure out who's really in charge of all the crap that's been going on with these gobblin attacks, so that when we find them I can kill them horribly." She says, finishing with a slight growl to her voice. The anger and frustration she feels obvious in her words and body language.

Reigning in her emotions she says more calmly, "Sorry about the outburst, but I've just had it with these filthy green bastards. Muriel thinks that Basil can help us. Would it be alright if we passed by? I want to see if any of the Dwarves know of my folks, and if they made it back home."

"Go on through," the guard says. "Follow that bit o' track and you'll find their camp."

Kelda nods, "Thank you." Taking Lysithia's hand, Kelda passes through and heads to the track the guard pointed out.

After about twenty minutes of walking, Kelda and Lysithia spy a pair of dwarves riding on large hairy creatures.

As they get closer, Kelda raises her hand and waves her hand in greeting, "Good morning."

One of the riders raises his hand in acknowledgement. "Hail."

Looking up at the rider that acknowledged her, "I'm sorry to bother you while on patrol, but I was wondering if anyone had seen my folks? They were traveling with two of my younger cousins."

Pausing for just a moment she adds, "Oh, I forgot to introduce ourselves. I'm Kelda Highcliff, and this is Lysithia Pasiphae. Muriel sent lunch with us for Basil. That's the other reason we're headed this way." She says in way of explanation.

"We also have an update for him on the state of the town, with the goblin attacks." Lysithia adds.

"I've not heard of any dwarven groups on the road aside from armed patrols. Check with someone at our camp. That's where you'll find the human you're looking for," the dwarf answers with a little indifference.

Kelda nods, "Thank you for your time." She responds before turning to her love and taking her hand, "C'mon Lysi, let's hurry up and get this lunch to Basil." She says, as they take off at a bit of a brisk pace for the camp.

Lysithia joins Kelda in heading to the camp, noting the dwarf's attitude.

Kelda doesn't pay any attention to his indifferent tone, she figured it had more to do with everything else that had been going on lately, and very little to do with her. Kelda thinks to herself as they continue on toward the Dwarven camp. She really hoped they could find out about her folks, as well as some answers about what was really behind all the goblin attacks.

You approach the camp, which seems to consist of eight or nine tents and a firepit in the middle. You see a human talking animatedly to four dwarves who seem less enthused by the fire.

Kelda approaches the group and clears her throat to get their attention. She addresses the human since he was the only human she saw, and therefore assumed him to be the one they were looking for.

Holding the burlap sack that Muriel pack his lunch in she asks, "Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt, but would you happen to be Basil?"

"That's me," the human answers. "Who might you be?"