VERDITER

Thea couldn’t help her widening smile at the sight of Efrain’s reaction to her daughter. The child was, in spite of her generally calm and quiet nature, a real charmer when she wanted to be. Maybe it was just the virtue of being a toddler, but she didn’t doubt there was some parentage at work. While it wasn’t something she liked to think of much, at least Rose’s parents were both very charismatic people in their own way.

“Oh, lunch sounds wonderful,” she replied, finding herself pulled from the inside of her own head. “Rose has started to show a big appetite. Not too much of a sweet tooth yet, but I’m still hopeful.” She finished that statement with a playful glint in her eyes.

When she stepped into the kitchen and saw the baskets on the table, she giggled. “Oh, you were prepared for my arrival, it seems!” She turned to look at the two men. “I really enjoy a proper picnic. I’ve been wanting to do it now that the weather’s getting warmer. It’s nice to be able to sit outside without getting goosebumps all the time. You can blame my desert upbringing for that one. Cold has always been a bit of a bother to me.”

Now that Thea was too familiar with halflings who enjoyed the cold in the first place. Most of what she’d heard or experienced told her that her brethren preferred temperate to warm climates over the cold that could often be found most of the year in Hegaehend.

Thea looked towards the ginger cat, apparently named Weasel, who seemed to take Bud’s presence with an obvious disdain. Looking at her canine companion and steed, he did see Weasel as well, but simply cocked his head to the side and produced a curious noise. Nothing too loud like his usual barking. He was smarter than most dogs, but he had his moments of less brains. Celestials weren’t known for their intelligence, exactly. More so their wisdom or charisma, if anything.

Rose had also seen the cat at this point and wriggled her way out of Thea’s arm to wander over to the feline creature. “Cat,” she said, pointing at Weasel. “Cat, cat, cat, cat, cat, cat, cat…” The word continued to be repeated, getting quieter and quieter as she closed in on him before it suddenly increased in volume. With that volume came a high-pitched screech as Rose managed to grab on to his tail and pull at it. At that, Weasel was quick to run away. Rose simply stood there, confused and saddened by the outcome. “…Cat?”

Thea felt sorry for her kid. She wasn’t the best with animals that weren’t Bud just yet. “It’s okay, tulip. You tried, but it’s not nice to pull his tail like that.”

Rose didn’t cry outright, which wasn’t something she was prone to do after she started to communicate better, but she definitely had visible tears in her eyes as she wandered back to join her mother and the two Glynwarren men on the picnic blanket in defeat.

Efrain set the baskets of food down and no sooner did the wicker touch the laid out blanket was Orion arranging it how he saw fit. He hurried back to the house to retrieve a few cushions and another blanket, tutting about the cold and how he wanted Thea to be comfortable. The garden was always magically kept at the ideal temperature for growing things and was perpetually flooded with artificial sunlight, but the “sun” itself didn’t give off true heat and the coolness of the caverns clung to the garden despite the general pleasantness. 

Orion favored the patch of flat grass near the pond. Colorful fish swam lazily in its meagre depths and frogs sat lazily on lily pads. Around the garden were trellises of flowering vines and climbing wisteria, full bushes, and grand, draping willow trees. To the far left was the orchard full of neat rows of winding, twisting trees. The trees bore fruit in and out of season. 

His head shot up at his cat’s indignant shriek. Weasel slunk to his legs and took shelter behind his ankles, his fur fluffed and ruffled. He could imagine what had happen given the combination of a toddler and a grouchy cat. “Did she get you?” Efrain asked laughingly. He always spoke to his cat as though he were a colleague: politely and without an ounce of the usual over-sweetness people used when they addressed pets. The cat grumbled until Efrain sat and he could clamber into his lap to curl into a tight ball. He worried one of his ears between his fingers and he felt his cat relax. 

“I’m sorry, kiddo,” said Efrain as he turned his attention to Rose. His voice was far gentler than when he’d spoken to his cat. He leaned his weight back on his hands, trying to ease the tension in his spine and shoulders. It felt wrong to be so relaxed. Picnics felt sacrilegious when he had so many things to do, and so many things to rectify, but it also felt nice to sit back and pretend his only worry was if his cat liked his friends child or not. “He likes gentle pats. You can try again when he isn’t so grumpy.” Weasel burbled in reply and tucked his tail more securely beneath his belly. Weasel was normally very good with kids and allowed the servants’ children to squeeze him, tussle his fur, put him into obnoxious costumes, and chase him about without ever laying a claw into them, but there was an age threshold. He liked the children that knew how hard he could be squeezed or tussled and unfortunately Rose was still too young to know that. He trusted him never to hurt the toddler, though. He was too much of a softie to do so. 

Orion reemerged from the house and handed Thea a soft blanket before taking his own seat near his son. “I’m glad we have company,” he murmured as he set out small plates. Efrain knew his father missed the tight-knit village the Glynwarrens hailed from. He’d had a few people over, but Efrain had never had time to be present. “Please, help yourself. I hope it’s alright. Are you allergic to anything? If there’s anything wrong I can whip something else better up.”

“I’m sure it’s wonderful, Orion,” soothed Efrain. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to call Orion “da” or Immra “ma” yet. The words turned to clumps of bitter ash on his tongue when he tried. He tried not to notice Orion flinched at the sound of his own name. 

“What sort of dishes are there in the desert?” asked Orion, his voice a touch tighter now but just as kind. “I’ve never been.”

She stroked over the girl’s hair, feeling the soft dark curls that weren’t nearly as coiled as her own. Rose settled right in as she tended to do whenever the cuddle pile was in session, head against her chest and legs slung gracelessly over one of Thea’s thighs. Sometimes Ewin just joined them if he wasn’t too much and that, for a moment, allowed Thea to imagine that she was back home with her parents and all of her siblings with no worries or concerns.

“You’re wonderful, my little rose,” Thea muttered in a low and soft tone, her native Halfling tongue settling in her words like a well-worn blanket. She kissed the top of her brow as the toddler appeared to calm down more, her breath evening out almost as if she was sleeping. Rose had already had her nap today, but Thea was never against a bit of extra relaxation, especially since it was always nice to have these calm, quiet moments in between the madness.

When Orion came over and gave her blanket, she shot him a quiet, grateful smile. She didn’t wish to move her daughter so soon, although she could sense she wasn’t asleep with the small movements of her head and shoudlers that were happening. She decided to simply envelop them both in the large fabric, not unlike what her mother would do to her when she woke up after a nightmare.

Rose seemed to twitch back to life at the mention of food, and Thea allowed herself to look over the food in amazement. “Wow, this looks real good! So many small treats and temptations... Lathander forgive me ‘cause I’m about to dig in.” She gave Orion a reassuring look. “No allergies from either of us. Rose is still exploring different foods, but everything seems to be working for her so far. She really likes dwarven foods, it seems. They’re not the strongest in flavor.”

She hesitated for a moment, looking over the tension between the two of them, before wanting to turn to brighter topics. “Honestly, a lot of meat. Stews, soups, smoked beef and fish dishes when we managed to make it northward. Flat bread, as they call it in Common, was common for us. My dad’s an avid baker, when we had the resources for it.” She wrapped an arm a little tighter around her daughter as she continued, “I didn’t get to taste a lot of it. My family’s never been particularly well-off. Coming to Hegaehend and seeing places like Runswick and Khaggon... It was like a bunch of palaces to my eyes.”

Rose continued to stare at Sarkesh as the interactions continued above her head, but when the earth genasi reached down and tapped her nose, she wrinkled it before breaking out into a small giggle. It almost made Thea concerned at times with how quiet she was, especially considering who her parents were, but she might just be taking after her uncle a lot in that department. Ewin was apparently a very calm baby as well.

Thea laughed with him. “I grew up in a household with seven siblings. Pointing out one or the other as someone from an entire different plane of existence was common among us.” She shrugged. “It’s part of being among family, I suppose. You lift each other up, you bring each other down. I can recognize the stubborn part as well. It appears to be a common trait among the desert folks.”

She didn’t wish to presume anything about him, but from her experience, most of the genasi were from or originated in Kaivras.

Sarkesh smiled when he got a giggle out of Rose. Kids were so adorable this made him almost want to have some of his own. Maybe once the war was over he could think more seriously about that. 

“Oh yeah my entire family is like a herd of stubborn goats. Family events are awful if someone falls out with another. Dad used to say it was because they were always out in the sun. I think it’s just hereditary though.” It’d been a while since Sarkesh had seen his Family from Kaivras he’d been lucky enough not to run in to any of them in the battlefield so that was always something. “Haven’t seen any of them for a long time but you know, no news is good news as they say.” 

It was then that Sarkesh Remembered his manners. “Oh I’m so sorry I was about to get something to eat would you two like to join me?”

She snapped her head back towards Sarkesh. “Oh! That sounds wonderful. I think...” She stared up at the sky, only to remember they were in a mountain of all places. “I think it feels like time for food. What do you think, Rosie? Time for food?”

Rose looked from the flowers to the pair of adults behind her, confused before a bright smile appeared on her tiny face. “Yes!”

Thea giggled. “That decides it, then.”

“Lore…” She let herself taste the name, repeating it once out loud and several times in her mind. It wasn’t often she met people whose names could be easily mistaken or used for words. Says the one who named their child after a common flower. “That’s a cool name.”

She looked them over for a moment before asking, “So what brought you out to this part of town? I mean, it’s pretty and all, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone doing much cloudgazing.” Not that she had really had the chance to ask every person she met in the vicinity of clear skies and grass.

“Thank you! I got very lucky with it,” they said happily. The lucky thing about being a Kalashtar was the names. Practically all of the names sounded easy on the ears. Part of their charm. “I think we both suit our names pretty well.” Even though Lore wasn’t sure what Thea meant. It sounded good, though.

The question was a little bit of a surprise, since most people didn’t bother asking what they were up to unless it was fairly strange, but Lore found their answer easily enough. “Oh, I like to wander. Find inspiration, look for things. And even if I go to the same place twice, it’s always a little different.” And you never knew when or where you could run into someone powerful enough to get your sister out of a painting.

She looked around them, at the people going about their daily lives and the nearby establishments. “I like Runswick. It’s pretty, bright and friendly towards adventurers. Nice place to take a bit of a break from everything.”

The sun was bright above them, and she felt a happy sensation from feeling the warmth of its rays on her face. She had to squint to avoid permanent injury, but it was nice to feel the closeness to the Morninglord.

When the door opened, Thea hadn’t really thought about who to expect at the door. Maybe it would be Efrain himself, or Avi, or one of the staff members at the estate, but this man was certainly unknown to her. Not that she really knew the house and its residents by heart or anything of the sort. He was short and appeared to be half-elven - dark elf, maybe, like Thalra.

When he inquired about their names, she had opened her mouth to answer, but she shut it once she saw that Efrain was at the door as well. Taking a closer look at the two of them together, it was obvious that they were related in some way. While she wasn’t the best with figuring out ages, she could assume that this was his father. She hadn’t known what to expect from Efrain and Avriel’s parents, but it certainly matched the vague description given to her by Ewin.

“Efrain!” She brightened up when she saw the knight appear, although the look of him with his arms full of canvases and the like was an amusing one. She had to hold back a slight giggle, disguising it as one of her usual smiles. “We’re alright, don’t worry. I thought we’d come to visit! … Somewhat unannounced, I’m realizing now.”

She turned towards Orion, the elder Glynwarren. “Pleasure to meet you, Orion! I’m Thea Woodbluff, Ewin’s sister. I believe the two of you have already met, right?” Rose stared up at the half-drow man with obvious curiosity, not too dissimilar from the way she looked at Efrain every time they met. Thea wondered if her daughter had a thing for half-elves. “This is Rose, my very curious daughter. She’s all about meeting new people these days, which I can relate to.”

Bud came up from the entrance, making sure to get a good sniff of both Orion and Efrain as he went past both of them to Thea’s side. “Oh, this is Flower Bud, but we just call him Bud.” She patted the side of his spectral fur.

“Bud!” Rose exclaimed, pointing enthusiastically at the dog. Bud barked in response.

Rose couldn’t stop that giggle from escaping.

“Oh,” breathed Efrain at Thea’s explanation, all his worry melting away with his exhale. “You’re always welcome here, Thea.” At Rose’s happy exclamation he thought his face may split in half with how wide his smile grew. He set aside his load of canvases and brushes on a nearby low-table, careful to keep them from tipping over. His sweater was flecked with dried paint that had come off the used brushes and other artistic miscellany he’d already carried. “We were about to have lunch if you’d like to join us.”

At his son’s suggestion, Orion brightened and straightened. “The Ranger’s Assortment, I call it,” he said before turning sheepish. “It’s just all of my wife’s favorite foods… But the other rangers enjoy it, too.” He too set down the rest of his supplies, happy to discard it on the floor where it could be tripped on rather than seeking out a safe perch for it. “Come, come,” he said and ushered them deeper into the house. Even after the months of his residence, Orion still seemed out of place between the dark walls that dripped in excess. He herded the group into the kitchen. Across the center counter were baskets he’d prepared beforehand. Sandwiches of thinly sliced vegetables, bean spreads, and cured meats were neatly wrapped and stacked. Sliced fruit, berries, jars of preserves and honey, and nuts filled another basket. A blanket that Efrain was positive was in fact a very expensive tapestry was folded and ready to be laid out in the garden and used as a picnic surface. It still had bits of grass and flower petals stuck to it’s fibers from the last time Orion had used it. “I hope your hungry,” said Orion when he finally turned back to Thea. He had a longer face than either Avi or Efrain, and his eyes shone bright violet instead of brown. Without waiting for a response, Orion shoved the majority of the food towards Efrain who, having become well-versed in the language of his da, knew this meant that they would be having a picnic whether they were hungry and willing to or not. Orion grabbed a pitcher of juice, glasses, and the blanket before making his exit out the back door and into the large yard beyond. 

“When he decides a picnic is in order,” said Efrain, “There is no stopping him. I think he misses all the visitors he had in Anari. I’m sorry if this is not what you intended with your visit, though.” Before Efrain could say anything more, an orange cat skid around the corner, his claws scrabbling for purchase on the well-polished floorboards. At the sight of Bud, his placid, happy expression was replaced with abject disdain and suspicion. Weasel slunk forward to stand between Efrain’s ankles and burbled unhappily. He spared the Woodbluffs a curious look, but his attention remained on the spectral dog. 

“Weasel be nice,” scolded Efrain and bumped his bum with his boot before following his da who’d already laid out the blanket beneath a flowering tree. The cat followed him, growling low in his throat. 

“Oh, lunch sounds wonderful,” she replied, finding herself pulled from the inside of her own head. “Rose has started to show a big appetite. Not too much of a sweet tooth yet, but I’m still hopeful.” She finished that statement with a playful glint in her eyes.

When she stepped into the kitchen and saw the baskets on the table, she giggled. “Oh, you were prepared for my arrival, it seems!” She turned to look at the two men. “I really enjoy a proper picnic. I’ve been wanting to do it now that the weather’s getting warmer. It’s nice to be able to sit outside without getting goosebumps all the time. You can blame my desert upbringing for that one. Cold has always been a bit of a bother to me.”

Now that Thea was too familiar with halflings who enjoyed the cold in the first place. Most of what she’d heard or experienced told her that her brethren preferred temperate to warm climates over the cold that could often be found most of the year in Hegaehend.

Thea looked towards the ginger cat, apparently named Weasel, who seemed to take Bud’s presence with an obvious disdain. Looking at her canine companion and steed, he did see Weasel as well, but simply cocked his head to the side and produced a curious noise. Nothing too loud like his usual barking. He was smarter than most dogs, but he had his moments of less brains. Celestials weren’t known for their intelligence, exactly. More so their wisdom or charisma, if anything.

Rose had also seen the cat at this point and wriggled her way out of Thea’s arm to wander over to the feline creature. “Cat,” she said, pointing at Weasel. “Cat, cat, cat, cat, cat, cat, cat...” The word continued to be repeated, getting quieter and quieter as she closed in on him before it suddenly increased in volume. With that volume came a high-pitched screech as Rose managed to grab on to his tail and pull at it. At that, Weasel was quick to run away. Rose simply stood there, confused and saddened by the outcome. “...Cat?”

Thea felt sorry for her kid. She wasn’t the best with animals that weren’t Bud just yet. “It’s okay, tulip. You tried, but it’s not nice to pull his tail like that.”

Rose didn’t cry outright, which wasn’t something she was prone to do after she started to communicate better, but she definitely had visible tears in her eyes as she wandered back to join her mother and the two Glynwarren men on the picnic blanket in defeat.

The redwood forest of Runswick was peaceful during this time of day. It was always an awe-inspiring experience for her to be walking along the natural paths of the woods with the trees above her head seeming to go on for miles and miles. They made her dizzy, in all honesty, and got her feeling a lot smaller than usual. Even then, she was usually more amazed than discouraged by that fact, seeing just how much was out there that she had little experience with. She wanted to figure it out, but at the same time, did she? That was always a question she found coming back to these days.

Sounds in the distance made Thea stop in her tracks. She hadn’t expected to see anyone out here, aside from a couple of hunters and some wild animals, so she wasn’t certain what to expect around the next tree trunk. With a hand resting on the edge of her scimitar, she closed in on the stranger. She wasn’t wanting to appear threatening, but at the same time, it was probably wise not to be too open for potential trouble.

A small gleam of metal caught her attention, and she stopped in her tracks to reach down and pick it up. It looked like a throwing knife. No blood on it or anything, so she was either going to walk on someone practicing or a poorly skilled assassin. She hoped for the former, personally, but if it came to the latter, a good choice of words (or a smite or two) should be enough to persuade them otherwise.

“Hey, I think you dropped some…” She stopped and stared at the person ahead of her, finding herself a little lost for words. A smile crossed her face, albeit a slightly hesitant one. “Hey, Pyrope, long time no see!”

The twig snapping could have been a wild animal, it could have been a traveler, or a hunter, or someone fleeing their home. Pyrope had not put much thought in the matter once she called out a simple warning - it would be their fault if they fell within her target and suffered a poorly placed wound. She was too concerned with lining up another shot, eyes squinted, arm coming back to an angle that didn’t feel quite right and mocking a throw. The next one would be perfect, she felt it in her gut, if she could keep her back perfectly arched-

A voice.

Not just any voice, one she had been dreading to hear yet hopeful for its return. She felt her stomach clench, a fluttering in her chest that made her gasp and drop the slender knife she had been prepping. Was it because Thea had startled her? Or because she was terrified to lose control again? So much time had passed, so much had changed. She wondered if Thea would notice her chopped hair or the weight she had put back on from her healthier habits. She wondered if Thea would think she looked nicer, or happier, or more in tune with herself. And then she put it all aside, in fear that their conversation would become too out of hand too quickly. 

“Thea.” She said, crouching down to pick up the knife she had dropped and slipping it into the belt. “I was practicing. You never know when you might need a bit of extra weaponry. Though I admit I’m not very good with them.” Pyrope held out her hand, a silent gesture for the knife her old friend had picked up, and said, “How have you been?”

Such thoughts were most unnecessary, and Thea decided to turn her attention towards something more sensible. Like... “You cut your hair.” 

Great choice, you. Anything was better than dwelling in painful parts of the past.

“It looks good,” she added, feeling strange to leave it at that. When Pyrope gestured for the knife in her hands, she was quick to return it. “Life has been busy. I’ve been Runswick the past couple of days. The clergy is planning the construction of the new temple in Llyn where it becomes safer to do so, and I have somehow been appointed to their representative.” She was smiling, but then dropped it in favor of a weary sigh. “Too much politics for me, even if it is a matter of the Morninglord and his followers.”

Thea noted the way Ventis appeared to grow almost tense as she made her guesses. She had never been good at those kinds of games, she was usually more straightforward than that, and often times it led to a lot of misunderstandings rather than fun times. How some lived off of this kind of playing with the mind was beyond her.

She took her glass and made a move to drink from it, but she found herself unable to, too focused in what they were saying and how they appeared to be living through some sort of memory. So, instead of doing simply nothing, she gave the air genasi’s hand a good, solid squeeze. A gesture of comfort, strength, an anchor if it came to it.

“That’s awful,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper at this point. She blinked, trying to stop the tears she could feel coming. “You’ve been through all of that, the loss and the grief… I’m so sorry, Ventis. No one should have go through such things. Especially not by themselves.”

She took the opportunity to knock back some of the drink, feeling the alcohol in her throat and stomach as it fell. Her eyes were focused solely on Ventis. “If you ever want to talk to someone about it, I’m here. I’m sorry that I can’t really do much else, but I’m always willing to be an ear for people who need to get things off their chest. Keeping it to yourself is only going to weigh heavy on your soul and your heart.” She was quiet for a second, before adding sheepishly, “I still like you though. I don’t ask questions like I did lightly because I don’t know what people might be going through, but what I’m seeing before me is an honest, good-hearted person who is simply doing their best. And for me, that’s really admirable.”

The squeeze of her hand sent Ventis’ eyes darting to the point of contact. The gesture, it was comforting. Ventis could feel the warmth in it. They looked into the eyes of someone who was just there and feeling the pain,  though not as sharply. She understood that she couldn’t fathom it and still she was trying to be the rock that Ventis could latch onto for the time being.

“It is in the past. Losing the one person I would have died to protect, losing true uninhibited love and connection. That leaves a scar deeper than any blade can. There is always a void longing to be filled.” They were speaking from the real experience of it. They had tried to fill the emptiness many times. It remained empty, a bottomless hole that swallowed them from the inside out. 

“I just don’t like being alone. When I am alone I remember and when I remember I want to forget…….Forgetting feels like a betrayal.” 

Ventis hadn’t meant to spiral into a dark pit of woe, but there they were and this woman had not done anything to deserve such a night of torment.

“I am sorry for my sorrow. Maybe I can make it up to you.” Ventis tipped back their drink and patted the strangers thigh with a half drunken smile. Maybe they  wouldn’t have disclosed any of this without the effects of alcohol.

“You’re in mourning,” she said, softly and simply. “You’re allowed to doubt, be afraid and not like your usual self. We all deal with it in different ways.” She gave the air genasi’s hand another gentle squeeze at that. “I think it’s how we move on from and deal with it after that paves the way towards recovery. Don’t be sorry for your feelings. Express, don’t repress, that’s what I try to live by.”

Try being the keyword in this case.

She leaned a little closer towards Ventis, her smile turning a slight bit cheekier at their words. “You don’t have to make up for anything, but I’d love to change up the conversation if that’s to your comfort.” A hand reached up to brush away a piece of hair from their brow. “How much have you drunk so far?”

Thea giggled at their words, taking them in good stride. This was a pleasant enough conversation, considering they were absolute strangers who knew next to nothing about one another.

“Patience is a learned virtue, I’d say,” she responded with a smile. “Friends are really nice to have, be it to talk to or learn things from. Such a foundation of information!” She looked them over, taking them in, before adding, “Speaking of friends and being nice… I seem to be lacking a name to put to the face before me. Considering I’m not thinking of leaving in the next six seconds or so, names are probably good to have. I’m Thea, and what’s yours?”

She reached a hand towards the stranger with gusto.

The giggle Lore got was more than enough to get them pleased with themself, really. Getting along with anyone, especially strangers, was always just such a fun thing for them. They liked the positive.

“Oh, for sure. And it comes and goes, I don’t have patience for….a lot of stuff,” they admitted. All of their patience was for artistic things, and not for anything else. But if you couldn’t sit still, sometimes you got skilled at whatever you were doing to keep yourself from just sitting there. “Ah, right! Thea…I like that one. I’m Lore.” They shook hands with a big smile, happy that everything was feeling so nice.

She looked them over for a moment before asking, “So what brought you out to this part of town? I mean, it’s pretty and all, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone doing much cloudgazing.” Not that she had really had the chance to ask every person she met in the vicinity of clear skies and grass.

Three months ago Pyrope had purchased a set of five throwing knives that sat inside a hand-sewn leather belt which would have wrapped around her waist, had she ever used them. Until the present moment the entire item had been tossed against a wall, forgotten, and then shoved into one of several bags she had toted to Khaggon. She found them a week prior, in a furious attempt to clean, and tied them to her waist happily with no use for them other than aesthetics. But now that she was back in Runswick, bouncing between taverns and camping, she had all the trees in the world to practice on. 

She stood many feet away from a large oak, staring at the cut up bark from the times the blade had grazed the tree, letting out a frustrated sigh. Her fingers pinched the blade, she reared back, and let the knife fly through the air. It hit the right side, bounced off, and fell to the ground. God, she was rusty. “Fuck.” She groaned, pulling out another to get ready to throw, before she heard a twig snap nearby. “Better watch out!” She called, squaring up, throwing the knife towards the target tree again. It hit the side of the bark again but stuck in the wood, the first of many tries. Thankfully.

Sounds in the distance made Thea stop in her tracks. She hadn’t expected to see anyone out here, aside from a couple of hunters and some wild animals, so she wasn’t certain what to expect around the next tree trunk. With a hand resting on the edge of her scimitar, she closed in on the stranger. She wasn’t wanting to appear threatening, but at the same time, it was probably wise not to be too open for potential trouble.

A small gleam of metal caught her attention, and she stopped in her tracks to reach down and pick it up. It looked like a throwing knife. No blood on it or anything, so she was either going to walk on someone practicing or a poorly skilled assassin. She hoped for the former, personally, but if it came to the latter, a good choice of words (or a smite or two) should be enough to persuade them otherwise.

“Hey, I think you dropped some...” She stopped and stared at the person ahead of her, finding herself a little lost for words. A smile crossed her face, albeit a slightly hesitant one. “Hey, Pyrope, long time no see!”

Thea relaxed in her seat, knowing who the man was at this stage, as she took a sip of her newly acquired drink. She’d nearly forgotten about it in the process of realizing just who she had met in this strange bar in the middle of the afternoon. She put her glass back down as she said, “Well, I think you look great as a half-orc. You’re branching out, trying some new stuff, testing the waters, all of that. I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same if I had your skills. Lathander’s granted me many gifts, but shapeshifting is unfortunately not one of them.”

She become a little stiff at the moment he mentioned Arx, but she forced herself to relax once more. “You know me. I’m hardy, if nothing else!” Her smile lessened slightly, and she let out a sigh. “It was a harrowing experience for all of us, I’d say. I’m really grateful for the way you helped me back there. It was a close call, but I’d say we work well together. Wouldn’t you?” She took the question as an opportune to take another sip. “Aside from a very concerned brother, I was really happy to be back with my family after that. If we’re lucky, and I’m good at my job, Rose will get to grow up in a world where this isn’t the norm. Trying to stop it all by myself is kinda farfetched, but I can hope for better.”

Thea pondered over her next words before speaking them out loud. “So… how’s your mom?”

Jax smiled. “It can be a very useful ability, true,” he stated. “But there are drawbacks to it, like everything. Sometimes it can be hard for others to trust you if they know you could look like anyone.” The night on the docks of Arx, when he told Thalra the truth, flashed through his mind. “Keeping friends can be… hard. Though, whether that’s an issue with being changeling or an issue with me is up in the air.” He laughed softly at his own words. “I’m not the best at it,” he admitted.

Jax was glad that Thea seemed to be okay after everything that had happened in Arx. As detached as he tried to be at times, it had even been hard on Jax. Too close of a reminder of Llyn and what had happened there so many months ago. But he was happy she managed to come out of it relatively unscathed. He smiled a bit. “Yeah, we do make a good team, don’t we?” he said. “Well, whenever you need anything… you can always ask me.” He was a bit surprised when she asked about his mother, but pleasantly surprised. “She’s doing good,” he told Thea. “Really good, actually. I don’t know if she’ll ever really fully get over what happened to her and being gone for so long, but… I think she’s happy.” Now if he could only figure out where his brother was, or how to even start looking for him. Though the siblings hadn’t spoken since their father’s death, Jax knew that Karr would want to know about their mother’s return. “We have a dog now,” he told Thea with a slight smirk.

Sometimes, just signs of improvements were all one could hope for.

The mention of a dog had Thea’s ears perked. “You have a dog now?” Her voice was perhaps a little more excited than she ought to be, but she honestly didn’t care at the moment. “What are they like? Do they have a name? Big dog, small dog?” With each question, she seemed to lean further and further across the table before she realized just how close she’d gotten to the changeling. As soon as she saw, she cleared her throat awkwardly and leaned back in her seat. “I’m sorry. I really like dogs. Maybe they’d like Bud!”

Her spectral companion was a friendly sort and enjoyed the company of good and neutral peoples, although he had a tendency to prefer sticking close to the paladin and/or her kid.

Thea reached down to take her daughter into her arms, who was keeping her eyes firmly on this striking stranger before them. “I was really worried when you wandered off, young miss,” she chided her daughter softly, pinching her cheek gently for good measure.

“Mama, no pinch!” Rose exclaimed, putting on her best possible pouting face. It was so adorable it was almost convincing, but Thea knew better than to trust those large hazel eyes of hers.

Instead, she focused her attention on the stranger. “Sorry for the inconvenience,” she said, finding herself slipping fluidly into the Primordial tongue. “She’s usually really calm, so calm in fact that I wonder whether she’s related to me or not at times. Unfortunately, I have memories that say otherwise.” She looked him over, a smile forming on her face. “Yeah, I’d say so too.”

“You out helping her shop? That’s very grown up of you!” he spoke to the girl. “Remember to stay close to your mama in the market it’s very easy to get lost in here.”  Sarkesh had a grin plastered on his face. He reached out and gave Rose a quick boop on the nose.

He turned his attention away from Rose to speak to her mother. Sarkesh was imminently taken by surprise when Thea spoke to him in Primordial. It wasn’t very often that someone outside his family used it to address him.  “Oh really don’t apologize! It’s the cutest interruption I’ve had all week!” Sakesh assured Thea. 

“Oh my father used to say that about me. We don’t look alike he’d always accuse me of being someone else’s son.”  Sakesh let out a laugh. “Unfortunately for him we have the same stubborn personality”

Thea laughed with him. “I grew up in a household with seven siblings. Pointing out one or the other as someone from an entire different plane of existence was common among us.” She shrugged. “It’s part of being among family, I suppose. You lift each other up, you bring each other down. I can recognize the stubborn part as well. It appears to be a common trait among the desert folks.”

She didn’t wish to presume anything about him, but from her experience, most of the genasi were from or originated in Kaivras.

Date: May 2, 3509 AT. Time: Early afternoon. Location: Crayhorn Estate, Khaggon.

@efraincrayhorn​

It occurred to Thea, as she stood and looked upon the giant entrance with Rose and Bud at her side, that she had never been to the Crayhorn estate before. She had heard Ewin speak of it, saying how dizzying and dark it was, with such tall ceilings that one would think giants lived there. Looking at it from the outside, she couldn’t say it sounded wrong, but it would be hard to judge without seeing the interior first.

Rose moved around in her arms, restless in her new attire that Thea had managed to get a hold of now that it was getting warmer in Khaggon, stuck in the mountain as it was. She could sense her daughter’s unwillingness to remain stuck in her arms for much longer and allowed her to continue walking - as long as she held onto the paladin’s hand or Bud’s spectral fur. Bud, unlike the halflings, was perfectly calm as always. How he managed that was beyond her understanding.

Shoving the thought of the intimidating nature of the building out of her mind, she walked to the entrance, Rose occupying one hand as she used the other to reach up and knock on the tall, wooden door. “Okay, Woodbluff, remain calm. You’re just meeting up with Efrain. It might be in his home, but it’ll be just as fun as always.”

Rose looked up at her mother curiously, who simply shot her a bright smile in return.

Efrain had been acting strange since the incident in Arx, but not in a manner she had seen anyone else react in. Ewin had told her about how he would lock himself for days on end in this strange study, and that Avriel had been strangely quiet about it. While Ewin’s main concern was his boyfriend, he did worry for the young knight and lord as well.

“It’s gonna be fine,” she muttered under her breath.

Breathe, she could feel the presence of Bud in her mind, which she attempted to obey as she noticed the front door open up. She straightened herself, put on a friendly smile as she looked up to meet the eyes of the person at the entrance.

“Good afternoon.”

Efrain and his father were busy moving all of Orion’s painting supplies up into one of the unused bedrooms that overlooked the orchard. He seemed to have made it a goal to use every room in the entire sprawling estate to be his painting studio at least once and kept switching every few weeks. Efrain huffed and rolled his eyes every time his father announced another move, but he still helped lug the easels, tubs of paint, powdered pigments, containers of brushes, and stacks of canvases across the house. They were just making their last trip from Orion’s old studio (the normally unused ball room) to his new studio through the foyer when a knock came at the door. The men glanced at each other, as neither were expecting company, but before Efrain could say anything his father moved swiftly to answer it. 

“Good afternoon to you all,” greeted Orion, his voice characteristically as soft and calm as the spring breeze that wafted in. He offered their guests a kind, if tentative smile as he regarded the young halfling, the even younger halfling, and the spectral dog with cautious curiosity. “Who might you be?”

Efrain had followed his father to the door, unwilling to be left out. “Thea?” he asked suddenly. He didn’t tower over Orion’s half-drowish head like his mother did, but he could easily see over him. “Come in, please.” He would have spread his arm out wide to usher them inside, but he still held a pile of naked canvases and a box of old, nearly un-usable paint brushes. “How are you and Rose? Are you alright?” 

Orion politely cleared his throat even as he held the door open for the Woodbluffs and Efrain blushed. It felt… odd for Thea and Orion to be meeting. They still felt like two entirely different worlds to him. It felt right, too, however, that his parents meet all of those he considered friends. They knew Thalra, of course, it was only right that Thea follow. “Oh, Thea this is my da, Orion. Orion, this is my friend Thea and her daughter Rose. And her dog.” He nodded to each of them in turn. 

“Hello,” Orion greeted Thea again, but didn’t offer his hand in introduction. He didn’t want her to have to scramble to hold on to her baby. “My son has told me some about you. And of course I know Ewin. I got to meet him at the festival. Oh, but who is this?“ He said, his voice pitching higher as he turned his attention to Rose. Somehow, his smile became infinitely softer for her. “Hello, hello.” 

When he inquired about their names, she had opened her mouth to answer, but she shut it once she saw that Efrain was at the door as well. Taking a closer look at the two of them together, it was obvious that they were related in some way. While she wasn’t the best with figuring out ages, she could assume that this was his father. She hadn’t known what to expect from Efrain and Avriel’s parents, but it certainly matched the vague description given to her by Ewin.

“Efrain!” She brightened up when she saw the knight appear, although the look of him with his arms full of canvases and the like was an amusing one. She had to hold back a slight giggle, disguising it as one of her usual smiles. “We’re alright, don’t worry. I thought we’d come to visit! ... Somewhat unannounced, I’m realizing now.”

She turned towards Orion, the elder Glynwarren. “Pleasure to meet you, Orion! I’m Thea Woodbluff, Ewin’s sister. I believe the two of you have already met, right?” Rose stared up at the half-drow man with obvious curiosity, not too dissimilar from the way she looked at Efrain every time they met. Thea wondered if her daughter had a thing for half-elves. “This is Rose, my very curious daughter. She’s all about meeting new people these days, which I can relate to.”

Bud came up from the entrance, making sure to get a good sniff of both Orion and Efrain as he went past both of them to Thea’s side. “Oh, this is Flower Bud, but we just call him Bud.” She patted the side of his spectral fur.

“Bud!” Rose exclaimed, pointing enthusiastically at the dog. Bud barked in response.

Rose couldn’t stop that giggle from escaping.

Thea looked at the scarred flesh presented to her, located on the shoulder of this air genasi that seemed so mysterious yet so earnest in their attention towards her. She cocked her head to the side, looking it over and trying to get her brain to put the pieces together to no avail. It certainly didn’t look like the result of a sword, she could see that much.

“I…” She shook her head and turned to look at Ventis with a sheepish smile. “I’ve never been much good with medicine. My brother’s the expert there. He used to patch me after some of the dangers I managed to put myself into.”

The smile she’d had fell from her face as Ventis described what had happened to them in the past. “I… I have, yeah. I’m not sure I did nothing, depending on which one of us you were to ask.”

She grew quiet for a moment, thinking it all over. “It sounds like you suffered a great loss, a tragedy of sorts, that affected you personally as well as your loved ones. An accident, maybe? A fall or a natural disaster of sorts.” She shook her head, shrugging. “I’m sorry for your loss.” Her grip tightened gently around their hand, trying to make their eyes return to hers. “It’s never an easy thing to go through life-changing events like this, but I hope it brings at least a little bit of comfort in being here with me, talking about it. If you wish, we can turn the conversation towards happier thoughts.”

Ventis had to snort at the mention of a natural disaster. There was nothing natural about it. It was all to do with the men fighting for power. Somehow they were convinced that the war was to blame. Ventis was a lover, not a fighter. Their entire village lived in peace. The ones responsible would pay. 

The thought of justice had  their nails digging into their palms. Their company would have noticed the distraught look and ridged posture. “Yes, many would say it was a natural disaster.” Ventis threw back the remaining contents of their glass. Burn away the thoughts, the pain. Why bother her with this blight….

Ventis tried to match a smile that was offered to them. It was hard to see anything past the reminder of their guilt. Maybe they just needed to talk out loud, let someone listen. 

“It was a mountain slide. I was crushed under some rubble, but I lived.” Ventis was lucky to have survived, but they didn’t feel lucky at all. “I was supposed to protect them and now I can’t protect anyone because they are all dead.”

She took her glass and made a move to drink from it, but she found herself unable to, too focused in what they were saying and how they appeared to be living through some sort of memory. So, instead of doing simply nothing, she gave the air genasi’s hand a good, solid squeeze. A gesture of comfort, strength, an anchor if it came to it.

“That’s awful,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper at this point. She blinked, trying to stop the tears she could feel coming. “You’ve been through all of that, the loss and the grief... I’m so sorry, Ventis. No one should have go through such things. Especially not by themselves.”

She took the opportunity to knock back some of the drink, feeling the alcohol in her throat and stomach as it fell. Her eyes were focused solely on Ventis. “If you ever want to talk to someone about it, I’m here. I’m sorry that I can’t really do much else, but I’m always willing to be an ear for people who need to get things off their chest. Keeping it to yourself is only going to weigh heavy on your soul and your heart.” She was quiet for a second, before adding sheepishly, “I still like you though. I don’t ask questions like I did lightly because I don’t know what people might be going through, but what I’m seeing before me is an honest, good-hearted person who is simply doing their best. And for me, that’s really admirable.”

By this point, Thea had forgotten about the drink next to her in favor of the presence of the person before her. There was something about them that was quite captivating, be it the sense of mystery or what appeared to be a vulnerable soul beneath a hardened exterior. She wasn’t sure why she kept finding herself drawn to people like that, but it had never been the source of too much trouble.

Excluding some of the heartbreak she had experienced over the last couple of months, of course.

“Blue is a pretty color,” she agreed with them. Like sky and the seas on a clear day and the germander speedwells one would see along the road to Runswick before the forests took over completely.

Thea looked Ventis over, a look of compassion washing over the halfling’s features. She held onto their hand, making herself into a point of support and re-centering if it was needed. “I’m sorry for what you’ve been through. I can’t imagine that it’s been a simple thing to handle, especially in such a short time.” In the midst of all that had happened, she hoped that they had allowed themselves the time to grieve, in whatever form that would take for them. She allowed herself a smile once more, turning to slightly brighter thoughts. “You don’t have to, but I wouldn’t mind it either.”

“Lets see if you can guess what happened to me.” Ventis pulled the collar of their shirt over their shoulder to reveal a circular piece of scarred flesh just beneath the collar bone. “This and some broken ribs and a lot of bruises. Luckily I was found by a band of Followers of Sune. They fixed most of the damage. Most of the damage is still here.” Ventis pointed to their heart. That was where it hurt the most. 

The pieces of a life left in tatters. A bracelet and wind chime, that was all that remained of their love. The bracelet dangling on their wrist with every movement they made. 

“Have you ever been in love and lost it…. nothing you did, just lose it suddenly like a flame snuffed out. I remember loving and feeling loved and then when I saw their hand….lifeless….” Ventis starred into the glass,  into the reflection of their past that haunted them so. 

“Any guesses as to what happened?”

“I...” She shook her head and turned to look at Ventis with a sheepish smile. “I’ve never been much good with medicine. My brother’s the expert there. He used to patch me after some of the dangers I managed to put myself into.”

The smile she’d had fell from her face as Ventis described what had happened to them in the past. “I... I have, yeah. I’m not sure I did nothing, depending on which one of us you were to ask.”

She grew quiet for a moment, thinking it all over. “It sounds like you suffered a great loss, a tragedy of sorts, that affected you personally as well as your loved ones. An accident, maybe? A fall or a natural disaster of sorts.” She shook her head, shrugging. “I’m sorry for your loss.” Her grip tightened gently around their hand, trying to make their eyes return to hers. “It’s never an easy thing to go through life-changing events like this, but I hope it brings at least a little bit of comfort in being here with me, talking about it. If you wish, we can turn the conversation towards happier thoughts.”

When they mentioned her hair as a storm cloud, Thea couldn’t resist the temptation to look up at her curls to compare it to the real thing. If there was a cloud quite like her hair, it would spell some real bad weather ahead as she had never seen clouds beyond the dark grey common to this land. She wondered if they had seen different elsewhere, or if they were just making a teasing comparison for the sake of it.

“My hair would be real mighty if that was the case!” she said, allowing herself a good laugh in the process. “Oh, you’re a painter? That’s really cool. I’ve always been fond of the activity, but I have a problem with patience. I just can’t seem to be able to sit down long enough to learn. Maybe I should my friend for lessons. He’s real good at it.”

She could imagine Efrain trying to teach her how to paint. She wondered if it would drive him insane in the process or if he possessed the patience to sit down with her for long enough. Ewin had the patience to deal with her most days, but even her twin had his limits.

“A sinker of ships,” Lore confirmed, though they had never actually seen a storm that had ever been bad enough to sink anything. They just thought that it sounded like something impressive, and they always wanted people to think of themselves as impressive. Even in a non-conventional sense. “Yeah, I do a bit of painting! Not as much as I used to, but. Enough!”

There were other talents that Lore used more these days, but painting had always been the first real talent. “Oh, patience does take a while. But if you get used to how a brush works, you can get a lot faster.” Lore could manage a decent-sized painting in about thirty minutes, but that was probably due to practice. “Friends do help, though! And if they won’t, I will. Because I’m nice like that.”

“Patience is a learned virtue, I’d say,” she responded with a smile. “Friends are really nice to have, be it to talk to or learn things from. Such a foundation of information!” She looked them over, taking them in, before adding, “Speaking of friends and being nice... I seem to be lacking a name to put to the face before me. Considering I’m not thinking of leaving in the next six seconds or so, names are probably good to have. I’m Thea, and what’s yours?”

She reached a hand towards the stranger with gusto.

The market stalls in the center of Khaggon were bustling with activity from the merchants trying to sell their wares and loud bartering going on between customer and salesperson. It was lively, but not as bad as Thea had been witness to a couple of times in the past.

Rose had taken to looking at everything they came across, pointing and giving names to all that she was drawn to, be it the correct name or something else completely. Thea still found herself giggling at the memory of her daughter pointing to a rotund dwarf and shouting out, “BEE” for all to hear. The man had been a bit confuddled, but even he couldn’t seem to stay angry with the halfling child for more than that.

Right now, they were walking down a street dedicated to a variety of street foods and strong-smelling snacks. Thea had hoped to find something to eat, but most of it was simply too spicy for the little one. While she was attempting to figure out the cost of some candied ginger from a street vendor, she had caught the sound of someone addressing … someone. She turned from her task to find Rose staring at a tall (and very handsome) earth genasi.

“Oh, hi, sorry,” she responded with an apologetic smile. “Just my daughter being a curious one. She has an eye for interesting people.”

Sarkesh’s tone changed when he looked down and saw the small halfling girl. “Oh hello!” he said with a grin he got down on one knee to make eye contact. “Are you lost?” Sarkesh’s older brother instincts were kicking in and he looked around for someone who could be her parent.  She looked young and he was relieved when her mother came up to claim her.  Sarkesh was used to the stares of curious children. His skin was like a polished brown agate ripped with fine white lines. Whether it was his looks or the posters with his face plastered on it he didn’t mind indulging young children. “You out helping your mama shop?” He asked Rose. Sarkesh stood up again and brushed the dirt off his left knee to address Thea.   “Oh hey don’t worry about her. I’m used to it. We were all children once” he laughed. “And in her defense I do look kinda interesting.”

“Mama, no pinch!” Rose exclaimed, putting on her best possible pouting face. It was so adorable it was almost convincing, but Thea knew better than to trust those large hazel eyes of hers.

Instead, she focused her attention on the stranger. “Sorry for the inconvenience,” she said, finding herself slipping fluidly into the Primordial tongue. “She’s usually really calm, so calm in fact that I wonder whether she’s related to me or not at times. Unfortunately, I have memories that say otherwise.” She looked him over, a smile forming on her face. “Yeah, I’d say so too.”

When they mentioned her hair as a storm cloud, Thea couldn’t resist the temptation to look up at her curls to compare it to the real thing. If there was a cloud quite like her hair, it would spell some real bad weather ahead as she had never seen clouds beyond the dark grey common to this land. She wondered if they had seen different elsewhere, or if they were just making a teasing comparison for the sake of it.

“My hair would be real mighty if that was the case!” she said, allowing herself a good laugh in the process. “Oh, you’re a painter? That’s really cool. I’ve always been fond of the activity, but I have a problem with patience. I just can’t seem to be able to sit down long enough to learn. Maybe I should my friend for lessons. He’s real good at it.”

She could imagine Efrain trying to teach her how to paint. She wondered if it would drive him insane in the process or if he possessed the patience to sit down with her for long enough. Ewin had the patience to deal with her most days, but even her twin had his limits.

“A sinker of ships,” Lore confirmed, though they had never actually seen a storm that had ever been bad enough to sink anything. They just thought that it sounded like something impressive, and they always wanted people to think of themselves as impressive. Even in a non-conventional sense. “Yeah, I do a bit of painting! Not as much as I used to, but. Enough!”

There were other talents that Lore used more these days, but painting had always been the first real talent. “Oh, patience does take a while. But if you get used to how a brush works, you can get a lot faster.” Lore could manage a decent-sized painting in about thirty minutes, but that was probably due to practice. “Friends do help, though! And if they won’t, I will. Because I’m nice like that.”

She found herself quickly reliving through a memory where Rose had gotten a hold of the most recent donation of flowers to the temple in Khaggon, ripped them apart and used the leftovers to decorate the altar. It was a very gory scene if one was sensitive about the destruction of flower petals. She didn’t eat any of them, fortunately. Even Thea had a limit with how much she could deal with in a day, and she would like not to deal with a sick toddler at the same time.

The priestess hadn’t been too upset, aside from having a few choice words after teaching the halfling child about the value and virtue of living beings, which Rose seemed to take into consideration. Well, as much as a nearly two-year-old child could manage.

“I like you,” Thea said with a smile. “You seem like a fun and friendly sort of person. What’s your name? I’m Thea!” She reached a hand out towards them. The angle was a little strange since she rarely had to look down on people, but it wasn’t the first situation she’d been in.