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Daxia
with Kadri and Romana at the well at the Ruins

Daxia nodded. "Long time, since end of Second Age if Dazi think right on what happen here." She raised an eyebrow. "What Kadri thinking?"

Kadri:

"Well. . . "

She opens her mouth. Pauses, frowns. . .

". . I'm not sure. Feels like there should be something but not sure."

Daxia
with Kadri and Romana at the well at the Ruins

Brows furrowed, she looked between Kadri, Romana, and the well... several times.

"Should be something? What kind something?"

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Out at the Well

From beneath the fur trimmed hood came a quiet whisper.

"Highside Heather west, yes yes .... yes."

Her words dropped even more.

"Means Dazis sisters ... here ... losted."

Daxia
with Kadri and Romana at the well at the Ruins

Daxia looked at Romana, puzzled. "Yah," she said, spreading her arms to indicate the whole of the ruined complex. "This not all happen from neglect. Dayalans..." She pressed her lips together tightly and swallowed hard. "We just buy time here. Like always. In end, Dazi Sisters always lose when Kh'Lhy'Ra princes get bored."

Daxia paused, head bowed. "At the end of the Second Age, the Eastern Horde came once again across the mountains," she recited softly. "Jeminy's Hill was only the first to fall, then Brementown and Bordertown. Up the Highgaard Valley they traveled, leaving only death and destruction in their wake. At each battle site, the Warriors of Dayala stood fast; no Easterner passed while any Dayalan lived. And yet..." The young Dayalan's voice broke, and she took a deep breath before continuing. "And yet the Eastern Horde moved ever onward.

"The Coven raised their forces and met the Easterners at Silk Creek Bridge, Only Bridge, at Highside Heather. Then the foul Sorcerer Davidson the Black summoned demons and beasts that ran through the terrified army of farmers. It is said that most of the Coven Lords died that night.

"As She rose the next day, the proud Knights of Roth charged the Eastern Horde and drove them to the lowside of the Tarn. The Only Bridge had been destroyed; both the Knights of Roth and the Eastern Horde were separated from the fertile lands of the highside Tarn.

"Undeterred, the Eastern Horde rallied and gathered their army; fullhand upon fullhand, more than any could count. They bypassed the ravine, skirting around the mouth of Silk Creek, by taking their uncountable number of warriors into the Dirkwood Forest, intent on gaining the lands of highside Tarn.

"A fullhand of a fullhand of a fullhand of a fullhand times a handful of Eastern warriors marched into the Dirkwood Forest."

Daxia raised her head and looked towards Romana. "Not a single one ever came out." Head tilted, she studied the figure hidden beneath fur and cloth. "You know the tales of these terrible battles, too, Romana?" She spoke softly, she spoke with kindness and compassion. "What do your people say about the last time the princes of Kh'Lhy'Ra were bored, and one prince became strong enough to tell the others they would cross the Mountains again to the Heartwood?"

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Out at the Well

"Truth ..."

Romana kept her head down, scuffing the broken rocks with her foot.

"Most not say, most not think, most ...

"... most not look that far ahead. Corhlayyans, most, live for nows, not for pasts, not for futures. Those that do ...

"Remembers the Slaughters in The Heartwood. Remembers the Silk Creek Massacre.

"Nothing more dangers, than a Corhlayyan wants vengeance."

She then took a breath, hugging herself, slowly raising her head.

"Powerful magics here. Was meant break the Beast and Tree lords ... to take away very source of power. Anthing ... anythings can summoned, dazidazidazi understands ... anythings. ANYTHINGS.

"All takes big enough ... what is word Dazidazidazi uses?

"Scarfulicious? Sunny Estuaries? Sacriligeous?

"Sac .. sac ... there, that word.

"Sacrifice."

She looked to the stone circle.

"Learned. How important wells. How hard Starbredkillers fights for wells.

"All takes ... big enough sacrifice."

Kadri:

". . ."

She stands in silence for a moment.

"This well was a sacrifice?"

She frowns.

"I don't like people willing to sacrifice the lives of other people. I don't like them _at all_."

Daxia
with Kadri and Romana at the well at the Ruins

Sacrifice.

Daxia staggered a bit at the word; sat -- dropped, really -- to the edge of the well, staring at Romana. Hearing, but not really hearing, Kadri speak.

"I..." She shook her head. "Why, Romana?" Daxia's voice was full of anguish. "Why?

"All we do is protect as Dayala directs us to do.

"We defended Risha's people at Jeminy's Hill. We defended the people of Brementown. We defended our Temple here. We defended the keeps and towns from Cragside to Snowgate Pass.

"We were buying time, Romana," she said as tears fell unnoticed. "That's all we could do. That's all we ever do.

"By the time the Eastern princes reached Highside Heather..." Daxia stopped, swallowed hard, took a deep breath.

"It was up to the Coven to and the Knights of Roth to defend the Heartwood by then. We... we... we could do no more.

"The Battle of Silk Creek happened after the Temple here fell. It was the Coven and Davidson the Black who fought the Eastern princes there. Why do this?" she pointed down the well. "Why would the princes do this to us? Why do they hate us so much, Romana?"

The strong Dayalan warrior was superceded by a red-haired young woman in turmoil, in grief.

"Why?" she whispered.

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Out at the Well

"Becauses ... becauses ...

"Big enough sacrifices ... can ... can summons ..."

Romana quietly repeated herself.

" ... ANYTHING."

Daxia
with Kadri and Romana at the well at the Ruins

"Yes. Anything. Anything at all," she said quietly, painfully.

"But why my Sisters? How could Cohrlayans take vengeance on them for something that had not yet happened? Dayalans were not AT Highside Heather. What anything required this kind of sacrifice?"

Daxia raised both hands to her face, first wiping the tears from her cheeks, then fingers massaging forehead and temples.

"I don't understand, Romana," she said. "I'm trying... but I just don't understand."

Mikal

He takes in the details of the cottage, glancing nervously at the executioners block. When the Priestess offers him an opportunity to leave, he graciously takes it, as while he'd be somewhat interested to stay, he is relieved not to have to.

"I will return after the mid-day meal, Lady. My thanks."

He turns and leaves the cottage, heading over to the Jvrillian barracks. He can pick up the news and perhaps he can save some time and talk to the Priest now. He would like to restore the holy spells he used and make sure the Priest will be available to bless the blade once it's been reforged.

Celi [lurking beside the well with the rest of the well-wishers]

Celi was capable of great stealth. So much was clear, for no one had noticed her, where she had come to take a sampling of the water and the air around the well, hoping to be able to spot the source of the contamination.

So watching the discourse, eyes wide, mouth slightly agape, as the tale of the Coveners and the Knights of Roth in their defense of the Heartwood unraveled, she listened ... and felt renewed.

Gram had told these tales, albeit from a slightly different perspective, when she was young and learning what life meant, as she sought to put their beliefs in some historical perspective.

It was not them against the rest of the world. They had fought for the land, and alongside others, and fought bravely.

Why were they held in such poor regard now? SHe should be *proud*, not fearful ofm discovery.

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Darian, Cesare and Longtooth

By the time all their trinkets and baubles have been traded for coin, the sun had already began its fall towards the far, far, far off sea.

The walk then, to the gate opposite the one that was entered, was not far at all. Past the big general store, past the wheelwrights, and then one reaches the opposite gate house. It faces south, actually, as the Eastern Gate actually opens to the north.

Bordertown rests at the very edge of the mainlands, so far from the coast that the lands known as the East are now, in actuality, to the north. this gatehouse has been walled in; very carefully, very surely, with tight fitting stones carefully crafted. Outside the town wall the terraced ruins rise, choked in their underbrush, capped by the small tower with its faded blue banner.

Odd, there was a single man upon the parapet.

He was slender, wearing tunics of white and gold; obviously finely made. His cloak was a dark woolen tartan, a crafted pattern only in the shades of deepest red. Indeed, it took a second look to notice there was a pattern at all. It was bound by a large and many bejeweled clasp and its heavy hood was up.

Not that it would have helped if it were lowered; the man was looking out to the ruins, his back to them.

He was also atop the very tall and sturdy ex-gatehouse.

He brought a hand up, raising a pair of fingers, as if to test the direction of the late afternoon breeze.

Except the cold storm season air was still.

Longtooth's hackles were raised.

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Out at the Well

Romana shook her head.

"Dazidazidazi all confused. Dazi asked why would come from easts. thats why comes now ... nows.

"Romanas suspect that last time, came for power, came for vengeance, for things done before even then.

"So long agos no remembers, anyones at alls."

The young woman turned, looking out to the west, towards the sea.

"Dazidazidazi ... difference between Easts and Wests. In Easts that things make no sense, that is expected, that is way of world.

"Does Dazidazidazi know how hards, in wests, where everything tries to make sense?

"The world is the world is the world, Dazidazidazdi

"Sometimes, trying to make sense of it, makes no sense."

[OOC: This post should be BEFORE the GM's last post.]

Daxia
with Kadri, Romana and Celi at the well at the Ruins

Daxia eyed Celi for a moment, then turned back to Romana, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. It looked as if she was watching something behind her eyelids.

"We are always here, every time the Kh'Lhy'Ra princes come over the Mountains. We, the Dayalans... we stand first to defend the Heartwood. We buy time, holding the princes at bay as best we can," she said softly, "until others can arrive. So often... too often... others do not arrive.

"At the end of the Second Age, it was the Coven that stood against the princes when they rode over the Dayalans. But... the Coven, the leaders were destroyed. They were utterly destroyed. And why would that be a surprise? They were peaceful farmers living in concert with the land! It was Davidson the Black who learned to call the demons..."

Her eyes flew open, looking between Romana and Celi.

"I have never heard that Coveners could do such a thing... it sounds as though it would be an abomination," she said with a glance at Celi, before focusing her attention on Romana.

"Is that what happened?" she asked, barely above a whisper. "The Kh'Lhy'Ra princes taught that skill to Davidson? Is that what happened here," she said, pointing again to the depths of the well. "Did they kill two birds with one arrow... using my Sisters as a sacrifice to bring forth something so terrible that it crushed the Coven?

"Did Davidson murder my sisters? Or was it the princes? Is he the evil we've all been taught he was, or did they simply use him? Make him a scapegoat, to taint the memory of the Coven?"

Her lips pressed tightly together, Daxia shook her head. "I know we don't want this hatred to continue, Romana, but it is so hard not to hate the bored princes of your land. It is wrong, I know, to hope the Dirkwood devoured their living flesh and gnawed on their bones," she said, unaware of or ignoring the tears that were falling. She looked into the depths of the well at the tiny star of light near the bottom. "I still don't understand why they hate us so much." She stared quietly for a moment, then looked back at the dark-haired Eastern girl hidden within the hood of her cloak, blue eyes barely visible.

"Is it all because Dayala joined cause to effect when She rose on that first day and created Time and Order? It is simply because we are Her children?"

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

At the Jvrillian Guildhouse

It was well into the afternoon before Mikal finished with his more reverent tasks, to partake in studies and services to the Guildhouse - an equivalent exchange of a sort. The gifts of Jvrill were renewed and one of the swordlord's gear was cleaned, polished and repaired, errands run, blades oiled and sharpened ... sharp but not too sharp.

it made no sense to have a razor's edge upon a sword.

It would chip and dull upon the first hit on any armor.

Afterwards then, it was a bench in the Guildhall. The hall was emptier than usual, but that was to be expected. One third of the towns complement was missing, wintering in Cragside instead.

"Bloody Kories and their crowns ... swords and discipline, it better be a quiet season of storms; last thing we need is the forest to be restless right about now.

"Damnation, Hank ... the world's a funny place. To fid us, for once, cursing the fact that the Mark isn't here."

For Mikal, it was a bucket of beer, some bread and hot meat, shared with one of the Heavy Horse's priests. Cariadoc was his name. he was relatively short and had a reputation of chopping off the knees of those taller than he.

"The tithe of darksteel, aye, that shall well cover the task of reforging.

"Both myself and Rodrick Swordsmith, we'll take up the task as soon as the Dark Lady finishes her cleansings and offers us pure metal and only metal.

"It'll make a fine Midwinter's gift, aye lad"

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Out at the Well

"Not that enough, Dazidazidazi?

"If Corhlayyan step into town square and say good morning ... how long will Corlayyan live?

"If Dazidazidazi walk up to Squires and says Dayalas best ... how longs Dazidazidazi lives?

"If Children of Trees and Beasts claim their calling ...

" ... how long before greasy smoke rises in sky?"

Romana hugged herself a bit, on the top of the Dayalan ruins.

"Folks never need excuse to hate, Dazidazidazi."

She then, however, stopped and shook her head.

"But Dazidazidazi speak wrong. Starbredkillers never protect The Heartwood. Never nevers."

She thew out her arms and spun around.

"Silly Dazidazidazi. This not Heartwoods. This world. No one calls worlds thats."

She then pointed to the north, to the north and slightly west.

"The Heartwoods over theres."

Darian

She came to a stand still when Longtooth's fur rose to stand on end. She followed the path of his gaze with her own, a wary readiness descending about her. One hand slid to the hilt of her war dagger. She was not sure if it was the man who had caused Longtooth's reaction or whatever it was beyond the walls that drew his attention."

Mikal

"Thank you." He replies with a small nod of his head in respect to the Sword-priest.

Having taken care of getting his cult spells renewed and the payment for the sword forging and placement of spells upon it he turns back towards the conversation he heard at the edge of his hearing a few minutes ago.

Moving closer to the two lounging men, he asks, "My pardon. I am just arrived from the road. Did I hear you say the Forest of Roth was 'restless'?"

Kadri- ou at the well

"I like none of them, Romana - noone who would silence someone's song for no reason other than that they do not prefer its sound. Those who would have the world be a chorus of one voice. It isn't even hate I have for them - it is less than hate - and more - it is contempt. Do you inderstand? But Dazi - _it is_ and always will be, and you can't waste time agonizng over why - just fight it, remove it where you can, lessen it where you cannot. But as to wondering why? I no longer waste my time on that; I will never know the answer."

Daxia
with Kadri, Romana and Celi at the well at the Ruins

Daxia stood and paced away a handful of steps, then back again. She made a sound of frustration, half strangulated scream and half groan.

"I ask 'why', Kadri, because I seem to be cursed with an overly curious nature; one of the reasons Kassia was so convinced my path led to becoming a Priestess. I try to make sense of things, Romana, because that is what I do. I see patterns, I see connections... and I make sense of them.

"How can we break the cycle of hatred and destruction unless someone... anyone... asks why? How can we find a way to accept Cohrlayans who are not Romana unless someone makes sense of the reasons we must kill one another?"

She continued her pacing, slow and deliberate, as she spoke to the three of them.

"For now... a Cohrlayan knows better than to walk to the town square and great people. And the Children of Trees and Beasts know better than to proclaim their affiliation.

"For now.

"And Dazi knows better than to walk up to a Squire and say I am better than he. For now AND for always. Dazi is not stupid.

"People fear and hate those who come from the East. People fear and hate those of the Coven. But haven't you taught us -- our small group -- that it is not the people of the East we should fear, but the Kh'Lhy'Ra princes who get so bored that -- once one becomes powerful enough -- they climb over the Mountains seeking vengeance for things their grandfathers forgot, seeking relief from boredom, seeking a bloody death to honor their Gods?

"I ask 'why' because I want answers to questions perhaps only the Gods themselves can answer. But until people ask 'why are things this way?', nothing can change. The people on this side of the Mountains will continue to hate the people on the other side of the Mountains... the Imperial Families will continue their scheming and plotting... the Noble Families of the Little Kingdoms will do the same... those of the Coven will continue to be hated and burned for the heinous acts of a single man... those who follow Dayala will continue to be laughed at, never to stand proudly with our brothers who follow Rames and Jvrill... sons and daughters will continue to be married to strangers for political reasons."

She stopped her pacing and stood looking at them, hands on her hips.

"One person can't change the world. But until one person sees there is something wrong with the way the world is, until one person asks questions... asks 'WHY?'... nothing will ever change. And I think some things ought to change." She looked at Kadri. "Some things already have. Then she looked at Romana. "Haven't they?"

Daxia was quiet for a moment or two, the space of a handful of breaths.

"That is the Dirkwood Forest, Romana. I have read scrolls so old, the inks are barely readable. The whole of the world is called The Heartwood. Not just this land here, on this side of the Mountains, but everything... everywhere. The whole world was called The Heartwood... the land on which one walks... earth... ground.

"Us. You. The Empire.

"We are all part of The Heartwood. Dazi's Sisters just protected the people in their little part of it."

Kadri, at the well, with Daxia, Celi and ROmana:

"Yah, Daxia. Some things can change. I can change one thing at a time, I can change my circumstances. Sometimes, I can help change things for a merchant's daughter, say. I can change things for this person, that person. But. . big changes . . . Dazi, I am just not that IMPORTANT. You? Maybe. You? Make big changes. Me? Nibble around the edges, try help people where I can, one, two at a time. Make the the foolish look foolish, and help the ridiculous be ridiculed. Other than that. . .even if I knew why. . . who listens?"

Daxia
with Kadri, Romana and Celi at the well at the Ruins

"But that's my point, Kadri," she said with a smile. "No one makes big changes. Certainly not me. I'm not that important. I am just asking the questions... I am just asking why things must be the way they have always been."

Her glance towards Celi lasted barely the blink of an eye.

"Or why things happened to make the world worse for some people. All any of us can do is one small thing at a time. Small changes made by many people are the changes that last.

"We helped a merchant's daughter. We saved a terrified girl from being dragged home to be married to her father's Friend. Those were small things that we could do. But to Elise? To Romana? Don't you think they were very big things?"

Dazi just shrugged. "The Duksheviya... the Initiate's Journey... is a time for learning. Perhaps I simply want to learn more than my Sisters who choose to remain in the Vale after they return. Perhaps, just as you make the foolish look foolish and ridicule the ridiculous, my small part is to constantly question everything. And to slay demons," she said with a wink and a grin.

"We all have our part to play. Small parts, yes. And some," she said, looking at Celi and Romana, "must do their part without letting the world know who they are."

She paused to regard the three young women with her. "What we are finding out here, away from the lands we called home, is that the world is much different... people are much different than what we were taught to believe. There is some truth in what we were taught, of course... Jvrillians do still make fun of Dayalans," she said with a light laugh.

But then Daxia said seriously, "But I Contracted with a Jvrillian, and would trust Mikal to watch my back as readily as any of my Sisters. And our Squire is as likeable a fellow as I've met, though I've no doubt there's more to Dean than meets the eyes. As with all of us, yes?"

She walked to the edge of the well, and once again peered into the depths. "Knowing what happened here and why... that will help tell us what needs to be done to clean the well for Lady Kay. Perhaps that is a small thing to us, but it will make a big difference to an elderly woman, will it not? And I can't help but hope Dayala would be pleased with our efforts, and think favorably on all who help restore Her well... no matter which God holds their allegiance."

Celi with Daxia, Kadri and Romana at the well at the ruins

"Allow me to approach, an' it does not put anyone off," Celi said. When no one immediately barred her, she hesitantly came forward, and examined the wellhead. She touched the stone, smelled, then touched her tongue to her fingertips, sampling whatever residue remained imbedded in the wellstones.

"Tell me again of Silk Creek ... please, Daxia."

She couldn't contain the tear that tracked down her cheek. So much had her people given, trying to save the Heartwood, only to be so bitterly embattled now.



ooc: flipped the backwards bracket right ways around.