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Daxia

“It has been a comfort, I suppose,” she said, “especially on those nights just after Bekkah left the Vale to begin her training at Lilia’s Castle.” Daxia was silent a moment, then nodded to the two stars shining in the Dark Patch. “Now they’re also a vivid reminder that so many of my Sisters fought valiantly and died protecting the people of this land, a reminder of how few of us are still walking the world, and a reminder that I still have a lot to learn.”

She smiled. “Midwinters isn’t quite over... I shouldn’t be so serious.

“As for plans... well, Dominic made a request that will take at least me and Bekkah to Talantal. Where Bekkah goes, the good Squire goes, and it seems where I go, Kadri goes as well. I believe Romana will be safer the farther west she goes, and eventually I intend to see the Talesan’s Bay and the Sea of Opals.

“I had thought to leave Bordertown in the morning; Darian has caught the eye of the local Hunter and, while I have no doubts about her skills, a larger party makes for less appealing prey.

“At least... I think so,” she added with a wry grin.

“I’d be happy for your company if you decide to head west. We’ll pass by — oh, perhaps not all that closely — to what used to be your family’s home. I would completely understand if you decide the proximity of Montague would bring up too much bile, and you chose not to journey in that direction.”

Daxia leaned with her elbows on the railing and looked out over the courtyard of the inn.

“It seems odd to me at times that in such a short span of time I’ve come to think of you all as friends. I had few friends in the Vale, and the friendships there were seasons and years in the making.” She turned her head to look up at the tall man. “Does Jvrill regard friendship as valid coin in a Contract, I wonder. Likely not,” she said, chuckling. “It doesn’t seem properly mercenary. I’d be quite willing to renew our Contract, though I have even less coin than I did in Cragside. If the past is any indication of the future, however, I could probably offer you the opportunity to help save a few more damsels in distress,” Daxia said with a grin.

Mikal

He is silent for a few moments, listening and musing. When he replies, he doesn't answer the question to start.

"You are right that friendship is not typical coin acceptable to Jvrill for a contract. I have also tried not to make many friends. In my line of work I lose them too quickly. Acquaintances, yes. Associates. Friends...", he shrugs, but the unsaid acknowledgement is there.

"As for the pain of passing near home, not really. Not that there isn't pain. There is. However I make a point of stopping there every year once. I pay respects, and more, I do not want to ever forget."

He glances at Daxia. "So, no money, eh?" He smiles slightly. "The Darksteel was very nice, by the way. I don't suppose I can expect to find some Ironsilver if I keep following you around, can I?"

He pauses a moment, then chuckles. The question was rhetorical. "Perhaps I might, eh? Can't hurt. And I would hate to see bad things happen to Darian, or the rest of you. You attract demons like old bread brings weevils."

"So, I suppose I can ride with you as I search for a new contract. Will it be out of your way to stop near Brockman's for a day?"

Daxia

She acknowledged his pain, his memories with silence. Sometimes, that is just the best way.

But to the question of Ironsilver, she had to laugh. “Ironsilver is so rare, it’s still a wonder to me that my teacher owned a sword made from that precious metal. And I’m still getting used to the idea that she believed me to be the best of all her students... though Morning Star is quickly cementing the thought in my mind.” Daxia chuckled. “Not that he will allow me to think better of myself than is warranted... but I suppose that’s part of what Gilly meant when she told me that unicorns keep us honest.

“No, the only Ironsilver you’ll find, I suspect, will be in the scabbard of one of my Sisters. And out here...” She paused, then shrugged. “Well, you’ve already met Verchovai Dandelion, who carries a sword of cold iron. It’s possible we might come across Verchovai Gillyflower near MacMurphy’s and I know her sword is ordinary steel. Verchovai Poppy Gwynn might be found somewhere west of the Silk Creek, though I don’t know the composition of her sword, having only seen her at a distance when she visited the Vale. Aside from these, and Poppy Gwynn’s apprentice, I have not heard that there are any other Dayalans outside the Vale.”

Daxia straightens, though she continues to look out over the courtyard.

“Da, and I have had enough encounters with demons to last a lifetime,” she says, groaning slightly. “But they do need killing when they are found, don’t they?”

She turned to face Mikal. “Brockman’s may not be on the direct route to Talantal, but it would be no inconvenience to stray from the direct route. No,” she said with a soft smile. “No, it would not be out of the way at all. Perhaps, when we are there, you would tell us of how your home once was, so we will remember it that way along with you.”

Mikal

He responds first to the comment about demons, "Yes they do. But it's a bit selfish of us to hog all the fun, don't you think? Other's may want their turn too."

He then nods after she mentions Brockman's. "Then I will travel with you. Thank you."

"Oh, and by the way, I suspect that with a Hunter tracking us taking the direct route anywhere is not wise. Best not to give away where we might go too easily. A trail diverting to Brockman's may throw him off the track."

Daxia

“You’re right. We mustn’t be so selfish,” Daxia said, looking as though she was trying very hard not to smile. “I’m sure there are others who will want to know the satisfaction of killing demons. I’d be delighted to leave all future demon killing to them.”

She shrugged at Mikal’s assessment. “It’s hard to say how far he’d go to Hunt Darian, or if it’s a true Hunt at all. I know Swordlord Mohlkavin recommends leaving, but I got the impression it was more to take temptation away from Bordertown’s hunter.” She paused, shook her head and smiled slightly. “I believe our Hunter annoyed their Hunter.”

Then the redhead grinned broadly. “Oh, Mikal... Mikal... Mikal. Do you really think we could evade a follower of Khannish if the Hunter was intent on catching us? I’ve watched Darian; I don’t believe we could.

“There’s a single road heading west, and a single bridge crossing Silk Creek. There’s no point in subterfuge, though speed might be a good idea.”

Daxia chuckled. “Let’s not stop having these delightful discussions simply because there is no Contract between us. I really do enjoy them, and sometimes your advice is worth its weight in iron ore.

“Which, I understand, is becoming rather expensive of late,” she said with a wink.

Mikal

He nods agreement to the comment about conversations. "As do I."

He ponders her comment about the Hunter. "Perhaps we cannot keep him from following us, but at least we then know where he is. I prefer that to his moving ahead of us and setting up an ambush somewhere we do not expect. You are correct there is a single road heading west and a single bridge crossing Silk Creek, but there is nothing forcing us to take either one of those to reach Talantal."

He smiles. "I know the area around Montague and Brockman's like the back of my hand. If we head due North after we leave MacMurphy's Tavern we can cross the High Tarn and swing around the Montague Quarries, turning Southwest after we pass Montague Keep. Then we follow the river down to Brockman's and after that Talantal."

"It's no easy route, but should we have signs of being followed by the time we reach MacMurphy's we can then decide. The bonus being that from what Darian says the Montague have no love for Hunters. He may hesitate to follow us, or he may be more likely to be harassed traveling alone than we would be."

"And, better yet, we will find many more defensible positions among the crags and ravines of the High Tarn than we will on the open road, should he find allies to bring against us."

"As for speed", he shakes his head, "unless we can manage mounts for all I have seen the speed at which Darian's ruff can move. We will not outrun such as that over a long distance, even riding double."

He shrugs. "But we can wait til MacMurphy's to decide."

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Nighttime
Midwinters

Daxia, Darian, Cesare, Bekkah, Mikal, Dean, Kadri, Romana, Dominic Domine Korie and Harry Mohlkavin

Talks of contracts, talks of travel, talks of dancing and Noble arrangements, and for at least the passage of an evening the hurts and shadow of the last couple of days are banished. No talk of demons or death, just drink and food and things that will begin come the ending of the storm season and the start of the new year.

Come the setting of the sun, where one minstrel may finally be overcome by sleep, another would take his place, and as the night deep ens, the farmer folks, an odd Jvrillian and the town guardsman, added their voices, their gitars and drums and flutes to the music too.

It is a night where it doesn't matter how good or bad you sing.

Eventually it deepens.

With a few mysteries.

Camelia was nowhere to be seen. Nor was Garrick, the town sheriff. The Dragontooth's patrons apeared to be the more well to do farme rfolk and town merchants; and while House Marrennen was represented there was no one from Emeraldsson or Hysthainian. One of he barmaids noted that Lady Kary must be still feeling poorly, and that no she didn't expect her two systers, who brought a large set of baskets up to the Imperial Tower to be back before morning anyway.

Even close groups, families, friends, traveling companions, finally began to break up, along the most obvious lines.

Including a very interesting oddity.

With the moons asleep and only the stars above, Harry Mohlkavin and Romana had both chosen - or so it seemed - that time to leave.

Though, to be sure, the armistice that was Midwinters Day would last until the sun rose above the town walls.

Not even the Wolftamer dared break that tradition.

Kadri, later that night finds Daxia ...

She holds a hand out to Dazi, in it is a cord, tied in the cord are bits of colored cloth, feathers, small carved pieces of wood, coins' a key, - and other sundry items.

"A Ben Naf Hafiz - a memory cord. Normally, with family or a friend, one would tie in a new thing with significant events, or to serve as a reminder. If I kne my letters I would have written on it. I have been collecting since ... Well, since early on . Each one is significant, at least to me."

She shrugs a little.

"It is a link to me, representing the ties of spirit which are a greater bond than those of blood. Anyway. I have been working on it since ... We first truly met. Might not mean much to you - but it means something to me for you to have it."

[ooc: Bekkah has no loose ends. She is ready to move on.]

[OOC I expect in conversation - privately or in the common room - it would become clear that come the morrow most of the group are planning to move on.. and Darian already wants that. He has nothing better to do, no place more important to be and so Cesare will be leaving with the others. He'll be packed & ready, breakfasting at first light - unless the plan is to leave ealier ]

Kari will obviously be ready.

(OOC - Don't know if people "disappearing" would be so strange this night. Mikal needs to pick up his shield and to make arrangements for supplies for the journey. It being winter, road biscuits, dried beef, dried fruit, and dried vegetables for soup seem lightest and best. Would also need to make sure everyone has winter gear. If Daxia asks him to he'll look into supplies for the group.)

(OOC - Didn't expect there to be a trade route, or a route of any kind for that matter. People can travel overland through anything short of an impassable gorge. It just takes longer. Trade wagons cannot. People don't need trails or roads. i.e. A person can go where a wagon cannot.

Expected that route to be pure traveling through the wilderness. For example, took a dozen scouts with me on wilderness backpacking trips into the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Had to carry everything with us, food, water, gear, etc. Every now and then there were a few animal trails to follow, but we often traveled overland using map & compass and sun/star navigation. Took longer, but it's doable.

But if you say it's impassable, that's fine.)

[ooc yes as Gypsy has pointed out, Darian has made plain the intention to "exit stage left" come morn]

Daxia with Mikal
a bit earlier

“My concern for speed is not so much to outpace a Hunter, but to arrive in Talantal before news of the young Korie’s... ah... declaration of everlasting love for the Amberite reaches the very small village from where he hails,” Daxia said with a smile. “We just need to move faster than the fastest merchant caravan. Fortunately, we travel more lightly than a merchant caravan.”

She leaned against the railing and crossed her arms, her gaze drifting towards the doorway of the common room. “I would ask the Swordlord his opinion about the Hunter, but in any case I’d like to be on the road as soon as possible after She rises. That does not, unfortunately, mean walking through the gates as they open, since I still need to pick up the saddle and blanket I asked to be made for His Magnificence. If we are prepared to leave at first light, then we need only walk through the market on our way out.”


[OOC: As the GM has ever so gently hinted, going across county is a Very Bad Idea. We can have OOC conversations about the whys and wherefores, and the theoretical possibility of there being a route from here to there that isn’t the Highland Path. The reality is that there is the Highland Path. And... yeah. The Highland Path. Also, as stated above in the IC section, we (well, okay, *I*) have a desire to reach Talantal before Father and Brother and Brother’s Wife learn what Dominic has done this time. Traveling cross country has, at the very least, two dangers: rough country that could be harmful to the horses and, far more importantly, MONTAGUES. Yes, yes... Daxia can navigate by the stars better than my GPS device gets me around the Capital District. That doesn’t mean she’s going to break trail through Montague lands. She is NOT a cobble block, I don’t care what anyone says.

Art, I’ll reply to Kadi the next break I get.]

Mikal

He shrugs. "Just a suggestion."

Daxia with Kadri

Daxia accepted the cord from Kadri and looked at each item attached, her smile growing with each one. By the time she reached the key, she was grinning broadly. The key wasn’t Darksteel, of course, but that hardly mattered.

“How could it not mean a great deal to me, Kadri?” she asked before hugging her friend. “Some things are impossible to forget. Other things somehow manage to fade despite our best efforts to remember them. This is a wonderful tradition!”

Her fingers strayed along the length of the cord once again. “It’s also beautiful. Do you have one of your own? And as we ride tomorrow, you’ll tell me what each piece means to you, won’t you?”

She pauses.

"I left my other memories behind me, in Amber. There they can stay, with my sister. My new one, however, I have."

She smiles.

"Last few weeks have added much to it. They have been ... memorable. Mine now - starts with the tail hairs of Lisica, and that of another animal. And I will gladly talk - with you - about both, yours and mine."