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Pietro


The squire nodded and frowned, his expression apparently one of sympathy or, at least, concern.

"And where were you when you last saw or heard of him?"

Cesare

"I do not know. I remember a cobbled street, tall towers all different colours, thunder and lightning. I remember a beautiful woman with white hair who had a daughter in her image. My father left with the child, we in the other direction. That child was Romana."

His eyes are almost vacant as he recounts his fractured memory, something etched in his mind for so long that he can revisit it when desired. But is it true? He doesn't know. But it is all he has.

"I believe he was supposed to get the child to safety and had promised to return to us. He never did. My mother.."

He stops at that point, not wanting to go further.

Kadri:

"Yes."

She looks at him directly.

"Cesare, if he is still out there, you will find him. One way or another. Although I suspect you may not like the most immediate means to that end I see. That woman, Kieko has, it seems, at least some knowledge of the situation with ROmana. And therefore, possibly of your father, or at least perhaps some hints as to where to look."

Mikal

He looks over at Cesare as he recounts details of his family and nods. The details match the things Romana told them when they were on the road with her.

The pain of losing one's family offers him a small pang of remembrance, but at least he had the opportunity to put them all to rest when they died, and even had a chance to pay respects recently. Cesare has had none of that.

"We will find him, or what happened to him, Cesare. You know we will help you."

Pietro


"And I would be willing to help if there is anything I could do," the squire said in a quiet voice.

Cesare

"Thank you."

It affirms his decision to continue to travel with his friends. In some ways these are his family now. And the new squire seems a decent sort, though it is early days and cesare doesn't give his trust easily.

Then he looks over to Kadri.

"Yeah.. I know I will need to talk to Keiko but somehow I offended her yesterday and I don't know if she will be receptive. Still nothing to lose I guess."

The Heartwood
Waverider’s Watch
The Dirkwood Forest
Restday, the Fifth Day of Yrick

Kadri, Cesare, Mikal, and Pietro

The sun fell into the unseen sea, off somewhere beyond the western horizon.

The dishes were done, finished, as well as the meal cleared. The Mister and Missus of the house let them continue with their conversation as long as needed. For Cesare, it seemed to be both a personal and important conversation.

It was also one to which he knew many of the answers — or, at the least, that those answers might not be found here. Even if Keiko was a Caravan lass, there was probably only so much she could have heard. And now he was in the West, the farthest side of the world from where those answers might be. The East held its secrets close. The one person he knew who might know a little more was Bekkah’s apprentice, but she wasn’t here. She had been drawn away by the shadows that haunted the docks of Talesan’s Village. On the other hand, Romana should now be in the company of a Knight and the spearbearer who seemed to have made the princess her ward.

On the other hand, here is where the currents of the world had brought him. Being Rhoni, that was never a bad thing. It meant that chances were, if they had brought him here, he was supposed to be here.

Words were spoken, exchanged. Were they promises?

Only time would tell.

What was true, however, was that the sun had set, darkness covered Waverider’s Watch. At least it wasn’t a moonless night; without both Hunter and Silver, it would have been a treacherous walk up the switchback stairs.

Rameday, the Sixth Day of Yrick

Morning came with a thick fog and a cool breeze; it settled over Waverider’s Watch like a thick blanket. Only slowly did Her light burn it away, to reveal the summer fields and the village of three houses and a watchtower.

At the watchtower, Jerris had a breakfast simmering — a simple thick gruel of grains, spiced with flavors gotten at the real folk’s market. Some carrots and warm bread filled out the rest of the meal. It was a bit austere but they were, after all, guardsmen and not cooks. Kadri would be welcome for breakfast there, too, although it would mean accepting another stack of letters from Thomas. For Pietro, there were his vespers to be taken care of; this was, after all, Rameday. But vespers came before breakfast and, thus, were done in time for his own meal.

Most of the morning fog would be gone by the time breakfast was finished, leaving the rest of the day for whatever endeavors they wished.

Cesare

He is up early as usual, thinking the fog might afford him some privacy. He has the directions from the farmer last night and had a stream to follow which should mean he wouldn't lose his way, not that he ever had of course. So he sets off to bathe, intending to be back before breakfast is started.

Mikal

He wakes early, as usual, and heads to the tower. Going up to the top, he watches her rise. The fog makes it difficult, but actually gives her a soft and diffuse look as she rises that is quite nice.

Heading downstairs he greets Pietro and has a bowl of gruel, happy it is hot and filling. "My thanks for the hot breakfast, Jerris. Always a good start to a day."

Taking a bucket, he walks around behind the tower and fills it from the nearby stream, then washes himself clean.

He heads back inside the tower he dresses in his armour, strapping on his weapons.

"Can I borrow your axe?" He asks Jerris.

He turns to Pietro, Kadri, and Cesare. "I am going for a ride. You are welcome to join me, but I don't think I'll be back until supper."

The letters were acceptd with at least decent grace.

"A real breakfast. Sticks to the ribs."

She eats hungrily - pointedly sitting with and not apart from anyone else.

Pietro


An early riser by nature and habit, Pietro awoke even earlier every Rameday. He completed his devotions and then, using as little amount of water from his waterskin as possible, completed his morning ablutions.

Wearing his weapons but not his armor, he sat with Mikal and Cesare when he and Kadri arrived and consumed the plain but hearty breakfast.

"I would be pleased to join you on your ride as long as it would not offend any of the locals whom I have not yet met."

Jerris

It would take the guardsman quite a bit of looking before coming back with an axe. While the handle looked sturdy, it was dusty and looked as if it had neither been cared for nor used in quite some time.

“Here you go. We don’t get much call for it out here.”

Kadri:

"I think Lisica could use the exercise. I will join you."

Cesare

Hair still wet from his dip. he helps himself to breakfast.

"I'd be happy to go to but what's the plan?"

Mikal rarely does anything without a purpose. Cesare would never see any of his friends go out alone but Mikal already has sufficient escort, so he has a choice. But as this trek involves riding, he is always keen to get more practice, so he is more than inclined to go along.

Mikal

Accepting the axe with a curious look at Jerris, he asks the man, "I understand not cutting from the forest, but there are copses of woods the other way that should be safe. What do you do for firewood without an axe? How do you repair the fence?"

He glances at Cesare and explains. "Two purposes, actually. First, I spoke to the farmers two days ago and got a rough layout of the land to the south and east (they'd come from the West, and the Dirkwood is to the North). I wanted to ride it and find a good site for our endeavor. It could be a half-day out to find the right spot."

"My second purpose is to cut a lance or two. The training we received at Mikhailsson's was extraordinary, but unfortunately we did not come away with any lances to use. All I need is the right sapling. Not too young and not too old. Of a decent hardwood. Mikhailsson explained it to me. I can cut them down and bring them back here to shape."

"Together, those things might take all day."

He looks at Cesare closer for a minute. "Unless you'd prefer to stay here and get to know the Rhoni lass better?" He smiles.

Pietro


When Mikal had asked to borrow an axe, the squire had put his hand on his preferred weapon, the handaxe which hung from the right side of his belt, but he said nothing as he did not like the idea of someone using it to cut wood.

"I will need a few minutes to put on my armor and see to Djinni's morning feed before we leave. Oh yes, and I also need to get Miss Lyric's things to her."

He cocked his head slightly to one side, wondering about the endeavor Mikal had mentioned.

"If you do not mind, Mikal, of what endeavor do you speak?"

Mikal

He pauses a long moment, then shrugs. "I am sorry, Squire Pietro. I am not at liberty to say. We have only just met and if you were to proceed on your way tomorrow or the next day knowledge of it is not something I'd prefer left this area for a time. Besides, it is truly Lady Kadri's endeavor and thus something for Lady Kadri to decide to reveal, or not. I fear I have already said too much."

Pietro


As the Jvrillian spoke, Pietro's expression grew tight and cold, but only for a moment and, before Mikal had completed his short statement, the squire's expression had resumed its neutral caste.

"Fair enough, Mikal. It is true that you... that we do not know each other that well yet."

He glanced from Mikal to Kadri and then back to the warrior.

"Hopefully, I will be around long enough to earn your trust."

Cesare

"No, no I'll come."

Perhaps he said that a little too readily. There is potentially a lot at stake in possibly finding out information important to him but he has no wish to hear the sharp side of that tongue any time soon. His quest has waited months, another day won't matter.

And it would be good to start to make a claim on the area. He is interested to take a look at what Mikal thinks could be their new base.

Pietro


Pietro stood and opened his mouth to say something but, later, he was never able to remember what it was he had intended to say, because then he felt the ripple of force and saw the white light reflected through the room, reflected off of walls, floors and ceiling which in no way were reflective in nature.

Instinctively, he reached toward his weapons, but his hand dropped short as he seemed to recognize - at least partly - the type of force which could have caused such an overwhelming, yet nonthreatening, wave of force.

"It... it feels like the force of Lady Attera," he mused almost in an awed tone.

Kadri:

The wave washes over her, and she basis in the glow for a moment. Bliss.
After hearing Pietro's words, she looks over at Cesare and catches his eyes.

"Cesare. Bekkah. It has to be. We need to find Bekkah. This has her written ALL over it."

Cesare

He stands there stunned. Never had he experienced anything like this. It was.. majestic. It touches his soul. For just a moment he feels significant and insignificant all at the same time. Disturbing yet not unpleasant. Bekkah's healing touch has a similar quality but is only a tiny echo.

"What was that?"

These are the first words he manages to say though his tongue feels almost tied. Then what Kadri is saying sinks in.

"Bekkah. Yes. But I think she might have all the help she needs."

He pushes himself top move now, to go outside, to look to see if there is anything to be discovered.

Mikal

He is about to reassure Pietro that it is not that he doesn't trust him, as much as that Pietro indicated he was mostly passing thru and Mikal isn't sure if he planned to stick around, and if he did whether he was truly going to be a part of their group, when the interior of the tower lights up and a wave or warmth passes through him.

He simple stands for a moment, enjoying the feelings of contentment until he hears Peitro, Kadri, and Cesare's comments.

He nods agreement. "Yes, that felt like Bekkah's doing. Does anyone know where she spent the night?"

Pietro


"She left with Keiko and Lyric, didn't she?"

Kadri:

"I believe so, yes."

She looks to Mikal.

"We upend the apple cart everywhere we go, don't we?"