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The Heartwood
Dawnview Vale
Dawnview Castle
Hasday, the Eighteenth Day of Tiger

Keiko and Linnell

The Castle's towers were narrow, and the rooms set aside for guests were stacked one atop each other — an actual necessity if each was to have a window facing Her sunrise.

Thus, there came a time when Keiko, Lyric, Bekkah, and Cesare would say their goodnights in the hall. Cesare first, Bekkah second, and Lyric and Keiko at the top of the third stair — Lyric staying and Keiko being taken up the next set of stairs.

A crystal lamp had already been lit in her room, adding both soft light and a scattering of bright sparkles to the elegant apartment. There was a bed, a chair, a desk of sorts, and a small table next to the bed that held a carafe of water and a plate with a small loaf of bread on it. The chair was not empty. It was being kept warm by Linnell Allaine.

"I am curious."

Linnell smiled softly, reaching over to the bed and patting the covers, granting leave for Keiko to sit near her. It was a friendly invitation as opposed to a Noble command.

"In the Rhoni caravans, do you read the Cards for those close to you? I can see that, of course, you would come to them for advice when an important decision should be made, but to gain insight upon a brother or sister?

"Is there a difference between a decision you make with deck in Hand and a decision you just make?"

The Khorall took a long breath, taking it in and then slowly letting it out.

"I am lucky, you know. I have two wonderful daughters. And they are as different as if they were opposite sides of the same coin.

"One I saved by sending the best student of my best confidant up to deliver a present late one night.

"One I saved by throwing into the deepest part of Sapphire Lake to see if she could swim.

"Kisa needed to understand what it meant to be cared for. Eleni needed to discover that caring was not a weakness. But if one were to look at my dear book-worm and my beloved flit-wit, the more obvious solution would have been to the opposite. Toss Kisa into the world because she would learn and survive at any cost, give Eleni a friend that she could cherish and anchor to for the rest of her life."

Linnell stood and looked out the window.

"Of course, looking back, one's vision is better than a nighthawk's. And yes, it was very easy to see that a scholar could far too easily fall into a place of logic and unfeeling, and right now the last thing anyone needs is another Snowqueen.

"It is also easy to look back and understand that having someone who can instantly see into a person's heart should be the one to watch over the entrance to these lands. But ask any Sword Priestess, any Knight, any Jvrillian and they would have said set a warrior on Snowgate's high chair.

"While Kassia and I may have discussed these things, I never chased down those patterns using my Gift. I tried very hard to use the same patterning skills any other mother would have, looking at her daughter's future.

"And right now I don't know. I don't know if I am asking you if the same is true in the Rhoni caravans or I am offering you a bit of advice — that there are some Gifts you don't use on one's own Family."

Keiko khal’Nakano Hoshiko
[pronounced KAY-ko... do you think the GM has memorized this yet? Nope, not yet...]

Keiko was surprised to find Dama Linnell waiting for her. And yet, in a way, she wasn’t all that surprised.

Leaving her pack near the door, the Rhoni sat where the Noble indicated. She was uncomfortable with the familiarity of the woman. It wasn’t that Dama Linnell was any more intimidating than either of her daughters. It was a matter of having known the woman for mere hours.

But as the Noble asked her questions and spun her tale, Keiko began to relax. And by the time Linnell came to the conclusion of her words, the Rhoni was sitting cross-legged on the bed, relaxed and smiling.

“The simple answer is, yes... your concerns about using your Gift are concerns we face in our Caravans.

“And as a longer answer, an answer that might actually be comforting, it seems that you have done everything you could in your role as Mother to prepare your daughters for the life journeys they will make. Could you have done anything differently than everything you did for Kisa and Eleni? Certainly. That is always the case when reviewing the past.

“Would Kisa make a better Khorall without a friend like Verchovai Daxia, who teases her so that she smiles? That’s not for me to say. But Khorall Kisa is no Snowqueen. Perhaps she fears that fate as you do. But I don’t believe Daxia will allow Kisa to take that path. Has your decision to involve Daxia in your plots diminished Kisa in any way? I can’t see how.”

Keiko leaned forward slightly.

“I was not in Eleni’s court when she dealt with her household matters and those of petitioners. But I heard the story of that day. Eleni is not just ruling from her heart, Dama. She has a sharp mind to find the best solutions to problems that align with what her heart tells her. She has people surrounding her who are loyal to her — something that is not the least bit surprising.”

She paused to give Linnell an odd smile, part wonder and part something that might be uniquely Rhoni.

“She even captured the friendship of Tomomi, and having a Mouse for a friend — a Forever Friend — is a precious thing.”

The Card Reader leaned back and nodded decisively.

“You made your decisions from your heart and soul as any good mother would do. And this is how the Caravans work, as well. I will gladly answer questions for my family — all the Readers I know will do so — but will not bother the Cards with questions about my family. They have their own waves to ride in accordance with their own hearts and minds and souls, guided by the Fates. If I wish insight into my brother’s or my sisters’ hearts, I only need to speak to them. Well, perhaps not while I’m traveling. While we may go years without seeing friends or family, we certainly don’t pretend they have ceased to exist simply because they travel on the opposite side of the world.”

She paused, studying the regal woman in front of her.

“Kisa went out into the world anyway, without the need for you to push her there. This happened because of her friendship with Daxia, I think. She learned lessons out there, and those will guide her now that she is home.

“Eleni does have a friend she can cherish, although I’m not certain she sees that yet.” Keiko chuckled. “Perhaps the spectacles that we hope Master Renyard can procure for her will help her see what’s so close at hand as well as the people across the room.”

Keiko leaned forward again to lightly touch Dama Linnell’s knee — a gesture of comfort and reassurance — before returning her hand to her lap.

“You have asked for my counsel, and I will tell you the truth.

“You have done well by your daughters. And that means the decisions you made while raising them were the right ones.”

The Heartwood
Dawnview Vale
Dawnview Castle
Hasday, the Eighteenth Day of Tiger

Keiko and Linnell

"Yes, that was very, very underhanded of you. Eleni has always had a soft spot for anything as cute as your... what is the word... forever friend. Though I admit, I am curious why Kisa commanded her to accompany Daxia to the Temple, besides a desire to ensure her Aunt understands just who now has the final say in our Vale."

Sitting in the chair, Linnell folded her hands upon her lap.

"And I admit that the term 'forever friend' is curious. I have not heard it before. Is it a Rhoni tradition? That would make sense — caravans travel here, and there and one cannot say when or where those you know may see each other again."

Linnell leaned back a bit, considering her far-traveling guest.

"I also think, looking at the two of you, that she is your forever friend and not my daughter's. Not that they may not become good friends, but that is something special shared between you two. Friends are something to be cherished, in whatever form they take. But when it comes to friends, it is not Eleni I worry about, it is Kisa.

"The one who can least afford something is often the one who needs that thing the most.

"I think whoever made up that saying, ages ago, was speaking on those who rule and their friends."

But then, as the conversation changed subjects and moved on, a particular sentence caught the once-Khorall's attention. It did so sharply and quickly, like the first rumble of floods in spring and then the sudden deluge of water.

"Spectacles?

"What are these spectacles? They help one see? Eleni's eyesight has always been deemed natural, so there was nothing to heal, and you are saying they will help her see just like everyone else?"

Almost jumping, Linnell stood up and looked around the room. She immediately circled the table and found a specific spot in the room.

"DOMINIC DOMINIE KORIE!"

That was when Keiko realized Linnell had indeed chosen a particular place to stand. It all had to do with the light cast by the small crystal lamp.

Linnell was standing in the side table's shadow.

"I DON'T CARE."

That was followed by words spoken quieter and much much more seriously.

"The Councillor. Renyard. Get him to your foster sister in Snowgate. Now."

Linnell closed her eyes and sighed.

"I will owe you a favor. What do you mean what sort of favor? A mother's favor."

Linnell then stepped out of the shadow and back on the chair. Letting out a long, long, long breath, she looked at Keiko and smiled.

"I guess I'll be owing you a mother's favor too."

Keiko khal’Nakano Hoshiko
[pronounced KAY-ko... do you think the GM has memorized this yet? Nope, not yet...]

Keiko quirked an eyebrow at the Dama. Underhanded? She considered the statement for a moment, found nothing in her own behavior that could be construed as underhanded, and concluded that Dama Linnell must be expressing her own version of humor.

“Dama Kisa understands a Mouse’s Gift — the ability to travel to a place they know.” The Rhoni smiled. “That’s Tomomi’s Gift. Lady Emerald can travel to anyone she knows!

“Both Dama Kisa and Dama Eleni understand the advantages of a messenger who can travel instantaneously from one point to another. They are both wise enough to ask for Tomomi’s help rather than demand it.

“I don’t believe I’m qualified to have an opinion on your family dynamics, however.”

She nodded.

“A Forever Friend, someone dear to us who is never very far away, is rare among the Rhoni. We are wanderers, both in our Caravans and individually. We rarely stay in one place long enough to make friends with the Gaija, the Not Rhoni, and even if we do, we might never come back to that place.

“For example, my kinsman values Lady Daxia’s friendship highly. But eventually, they will go their own ways. My friend Lyric is dear to me, but I understand that her journey is not mine and there will come a time when we ride different waves, travel different paths. But Tomomi? We could be on opposite sides of the world, and she could visit me if I were in a place she’d already been.”

Keiko regarded the Noble for a moment, contemplating the topic of friends. There were so many different types of friends.

“I think... perhaps,” she began slowly, “that worrying about Kisa might be... silly. Perhaps she will have difficulty forming friendships as the Khorall. Perhaps she will have fewer friends than I have fingers on one hand. But you cannot arrange to have potential friends enter her life as you did with Lady Daxia, even though it is exactly what your mother’s heart might want. Trust her to find her way even in this simple task. Trust Lady Daxia to be honest with her.”

Rather than waiting for Keiko to explain what spectacles were, Dama Linnell demonstrated how one could contact the Young Master — at any time. Both her eyes and her smile grew wide as she imagined what Dominic must be saying to his foster mother. While this knowledge might come in handy in the future, Keiko would never dare to call for the Young Master if she thought she would be disturbing him and his Lady Wife. Obviously, Dama Linnell had no such concerns.

When the Noblewoman returned to her chair, Keiko sat in the silence she created. And continued to sit in her own silence after Dama Linnell’s offer of a favor — a mother’s favor. Linnell was not her mother, so it was, well, baffling.

“I appreciate the kindness, Dama, but you don’t owe me anything,” Keiko said quietly. “Tomomi and I mentioned the spectacles to Dama Eleni and Dama Kisa. I believe Tomomi brought word to Home that Master Renyard’s expertise would be useful in Snowgate. It was a gift that we could give to Dama Eleni.”

She shook her head and smiled softly.

“But if you insist, Dama, I would ask that you enjoy the remainder of your journey. Worry less. Marvel in the world’s beauty more.”

Keiko chuckled.

“Not all Rhoni have an agenda when we travel the world, even though we may have directives from our Elders. But if I had an agenda, it would be to help make the world a brighter place...

“One person at a time.”

The Heartwood
Dawnview Vale
Dawnview Castle
Hasday, the Eighteenth Day of Tiger

Keiko and Linnell

"It must be nice to have such a luxury."

Linnell's words were neither accusatory nor sarcastic; they were a simple, honest appraisal of her observations.

"One person at a time."

Sitting back, she considered that simple concept, comparing it to her own.

"All my life, and my Mother's life, and my Grandmother's, even Kisa's too, back to the founding of the Vale, it's never been one person at a time. It is a Noble's duty and pleasure to try and make things better for all their people, from the oldest couple in a high forgotten farm to the youngest couple with their new daughter — or son — in one of our keep towns.

"It is a very different matter, and on the one hand it can bring great joy, on the other hand, it is very hard, then, to deal with each and everyone as their ownsome, especially when you cannot always be the good Khorall and the harsh realities of the world require harsh decisions."

Smiling, however, she nodded to Keiko.

"But I am no longer Khorall. Perhaps I can now partake of that luxury. Maybe even convince Reena to try it, too. You see, she sees it from even a third point of view. Not a matter of helping folks one person at a time, but knowing she cannot help everyone, tries her best for the one person she can."

Standing, Linnell rose and moved to the door.

"So, in return, my advice to you is exactly the same. To make things better, one person at a time.

"And to cherish being able to do that, knowing just how rare it is that any of us can."

With that she bid the Rhoni lass good night, shutting the door behind her.