#bonegrieve

@karsussfolly @bonegrieve

Since it became a popular demand:

I celebrate @bonegrieve 's new doc with some fanart of the babies ♥

“Dearest Iago,

You have a good brother. He cares very deeply for you and your safety. While discussing matters with him this afternoon, it was decided that the safest place for you was far from me. I hope you will not hold a grudge against him for it. Perhaps he is right. There is little place for one such as I in the world below. I have set out for my companion’s grave. When I have paid my respects, I will return to the mountain. Please keep each other close. You will have need of each other for your coming trials.

Ever yours,

Hvítrbroddhálsormor

PS: I was happy to have had you in my life, though it was for briefest of moments. If you fold the paper as marked on the back, it will yield a most pleasant surprise.”

The pleasant surprise, a beautifully crafted flower after a few folds, the same kind that first introduced Iago to Ormor, was safely tucked into their pocket. They had been holding it, but their fists kept clenching or sparking off periodically so they decided not to risk crushing it while they grumble their way up the mountain.

They don't even know if he'll be there. He said he was going to visit a grave, but Iago didn't know where that was, so to the mountain they found themselves. They don't have a clue how they plan to actually find him. Even if he's back in his form as dragon, rather difficult to miss, it is still a large mountain. And Iago has short legs and minimal stamina.

Hence, the grumbling between misty steps. Turns out, spite and irritation are strong motivators to hike a mountain.

They read the letter no less than twenty times before turning it into a flower. Memorized it. Briefly thought about ripping it up. Felt bad about that.

When they were making the decision to find him, it chilled them how tempting it was to let him leave without a word. Why try? Why chase? Why spend the effort? It was so easy to let something like this happen. It was for the best, probably, they could convince themselves. If there's one thing Iago excels at, it's complacency. Biting their tongue, refusing to feel, sitting with the cards they're dealt.

But that's just the thing, isn't it? They did that for a decade. Longer than that, really. They're so, so tired of doing nothing. Of letting things happen to themselves, to the people around them, and simply shutting down in the face of it all.

And Ormor - kind, gentle, Ormor, has left camp. Left them. It hurts. As much as they don't want to be, they are upset. They have to hold onto that if they want to think themselves a better person. Someone who tries. Someone who wants to care, even if it doesn't come naturally, even if they've long since beaten that out of themselves.

They're out of breath when they finally find him again. "Hvítrbroddhálsormor," ( they had been practicing that one. Their draconic was still rudimentary at best, but they had at least gotten the name down ) they straighten up, brushing away one of the many strands of hair that had fallen in their face, cheeks flushed from the travel. They had all that time to think on the way here, but still couldn't come up with just exactly what to say. Still breathless, they start towards him with an accusatory point and blurt out, "You are a coward."

Rich, coming from you, Iago. Hypocrite.

They flinch at their own rough start and fish the flower out of their cloak. "This-" they huff another breath. "Is the most ridiculous thing I've ever read." Not any better!

Her gaze just so happened to turn at the right moment, spotting someone standing a little too close, with a hand getting a little too friendly with her caster's bag. She makes a loud call, one that told Age exactly what he needed to know. Without even attempting to glance back, he twirled his staff and hooked the crescent shaped end around the thief's ankle. With a sharp pull, he'd send the other tiefling falling flat on his tail before finding the staff pointed at him.

"You know, it's bad luck to steal from the blind." he said with a soft but cold smile as he turned to look down at the other.

She is observing the two fighting bhaalspawns, one more embarrassing than the other.

𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐘𝐋𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍 was... an experience. It had only been two days ; the young nobleman was charming, flirty and so very obnoxious, incessantly complaining about everything —— how this was all beneath him, how he'd surely PERISH if subjected to another night in a tent, and how the entire situation was a disaster.

It was well past midnight, the camp shrouded in silence until a sharp, high-pitched SCREAM pierced the night. Sylverian emerged from his tent, visibly unsettled.