#shewolfaurea

Rarely does Valdís venture as far inland as Feronia, the region too far from the ocean she is familiar with to be comfortable. There is no denying the temptation to explore the Northern coast of the Wildlands, but her fleet has yet to reach that far. It’s a rarity for Valdís to take a Standing Stone deeper into Lysara, but she can’t help the curiosity. She knows the refugees and their welcoming party gather at the edges of the odd magical bubble, and she wants to know more. Not enough to venture too close to the barrier, though, not when she is sure there are plenty of eyes on them. Instead, she finds herself in Feronia’s pub, sitting at the corner of the bar as her eyes lazily flicker through the crowds, trying to gather anything of note. Deep in her musings as she is, she doesn’t react much when a pretty stranger sits next to her, only raising a brow in amusement at the entrance. 

“Let me guess, you saw me across the room and liked my vibes?” She asks, an amused smirk on her lips as she raises her ale to her lips. “Or did I fail a vibecheck, and now we are honor bound to duke it out?

Fharzai had requested this mission and to have it conducted on his own. It would take a delicate touch to sift through the minds of the survivors in a way that didn't retraumatize them. More importantly, he knew his dark reflection could be lurking in the nightmares of any one of the refugees. Some Agent of Minerva would only get themselves killed, which left Fharzai as the only one with the skills necessary to evaluate every Iskaran that reached Lysaran soil.

In Haven they would be held, tested, and hopefully healed until he was sure they were safe to begin integration. And so long as he could conduct his work here at the Standing Stones, Fharzai's energy would remain centered enough that he could extend his spirit endlessly. "I figured it wouldn't take long for you to be alerted of my arrival, though I doubt you needed to come receive me in person, Your Highness," he comments rather emotionless as he runs his hands over the runes of a particular stone. "Honestly, preparing your pack and township should be a higher priority. This will be Lysara's first diplomatic dealing with the people of Iskaldrik in decades. We cannot afford mishandlings." Fharzai had a number of concerns, most of which he didn't feel inclined to share. Saying too much could tip the scales unfavorably. Maintaining a level of balance through this transition would be incredibly difficult. "Their High King lives. You'll have to make sure you're prepared for him alone. Your ability to guide Haven through their arrival will set the tone for Lysara's future for at least the next century. Do you understand that, Queen Aurea?"

Karme knew his voice held no real weight. After all, he decided to lend his mind to Haven completely on his own against requests for aid from his house and the Tower, no less. Rather green in the field and a stranger to conflict, it's no surprise everyone else's concerns drowned out his own. "That's not the issue—" he tried again, but he wasn't the only one trying to grab Queen Aurea's attention. Housing, food shortages, security, the taken; the Kossith brought with them a slew of problems and everyone needed her to address each one. Karme couldn't imagine what an enormous burden this was for her even with help from others, however… "But that's not the issue—" Again, someone else in the group spoke over him before he could say his piece. Everything he wanted to say felt like an unliftable weight on his tongue, and Karme could feel himself get worked up the more his thoughts built up without release. Finally, he exploded. "None of that is the issue!" he screeches, his shrill tone cutting through everyone else talking but warranting looks that made him want to turtle into his robes. Still, he nervously kept talking. "It's the Kossith and the fact that we're still here. Pride won't save lives so … you should retreat, Your Highness. Defensive measures can mitigate the risk of further harm to your pack, but to what end? Abandon the Wildlands and save lives. Say the word and in a day or two I can build you a new city somewhere else in Lysara. Anywhere but here."