✨ Thoughtful Nights of Frosttide

Saturday 2 February 2019


The slayers · An organisation group of people united under a single cause -- defending the living from the undead and from chaotic forces · I had never heard of them before ⸴ until a call for voluntary conscription began to spread across kundirk · Zane ⸴ the werebear i met on kalinthas three piszots past ⸴ is a master slayer of the cause ·

A noble cause to be sure ⸴ but not one that i was going to pursue in light of my commitment to the earth healers guild and my pursued initiation into the moonless nights · That is ⸴ until in my slumber six dăți past ⸴ the duellist elf link sent me a dreaming stating he expected me to pursue the cause as well ⸴ and in return he would teach me how to properly use my weapons the way that he can · His criticism on calyx had already inspired me to commission a longsword from rock ⸴ an ogre blacksmith ⸴ who expects the crafting will be done once these cold seasonal storms have left the region · As well ⸴ i have procured a small tunic of chainmail ⸴ which is sturdy enough to protect me but light enough not to inhibit my movement ·

Upon waking and considering the dreaming from link ⸴ i got myself around and departed the kyngeshead to head to valbrough ⸴ where i found saro in the unofficial moonlights nights headquarters · In fact i was lucky to have found her there ⸴ as she had recently returned from her duchy up in eloria; her hair was disheveled ⸴ her hat askew ⸴ her clothes smelling of spilled rum ⸴ and her dress chewed on by a goat · (I forgot until later in the day that she had acquired several goats back in the fall ·) She explained upon my arrival that she had been captaining a ship to go back and forth between her duchy ⸴ valbrough ⸴ and the homeless shelter in kingsmoore ⸴ and the winter seas were unruly · Not to mention that those in the homeless shelter were cold and hungry ⸴ and overwhelming her ·

Saro's initial suggestion ⸴ on my request for advice regarding the slayers ⸴ was that it did not seem to be something suited for me (or i for it) since i had no great vendetta against either undead or chaos ⸴ any more than most adventurers · She cautioned me not to overload myself ⸴ obviously speaking from experience ⸴ and i was grateful since i had been thinking along the same lines · However i did also offer to assist with the needs of the kingsmoore shelter ⸴ since i could forage with the local fauna and supplement the food supply ⸴ and saro accepted my offer gratefully ·

Leaving for kingsmoore meant i needed to notify aunt cyn of my extended absence so the other guardians could know to be present ⸴ and she was the other one whose advice i sought regarding the slayers anyway ⸴ so i crossed the city toward the healing house near the tavern · It being the second day of the week ⸴ luni ⸴ i knew she would be present there rather than back in onothera ⸴ even in spite of the bitter cold and blowing snows · Sure enough ⸴ though she was neck deep in paperwork ⸴ she had a bright fire going inside the yurt and greeted me with delight as i came through the door ⸴ taking my cloak and offering me some tea ·

As I gratefully drank the warm beverage i made the same explanation to aunt cyn about the slayers ⸴ and zane and link ⸴ and she smiled reminiscently as one who has known both of them for some time · She understood my concern about having my fingers in too many pies ⸴ and mentioned that she had given up her adventuring guild in the kingdom of wayside because as a noble lady she needed to prioritise serving the people · Yet ⸴ as we both pointed out with amusement ⸴ she had become a guildmistress anyway ⸴ for the earth healers guild - combining her service to the people with her wisdom and leadership ·

Aunt cyn also pointed out that the slayers served a rather common goal with those in the healing house - «quelling the darkness» · We had a bit of a discussion about how actively fighting off a threat ⸴ perhaps aside the slayers ⸴ was more important than simply standing guard doing nothing over a healer who was actively trying to save an injured person · In fact she mentioned that link himself took the protection of healers very seriously but did so on the offensive front ⸴ unless there was a direct threat to the healers themselves · I seemed to think that in fact my job would be enhanced by joining and learning from the slayers - which aunt cyn also pointed out was not a full commitment because «think how infrequently you've encountered them» which was zero times ·

At that moment however the door flew open again ⸴ to reveal none other than saro herself ⸴ who had presumably come to be treated for her fatigue but heard me talking with aunt cyn and admitted to eavesdropping on us · She reiterated that she feared i would exhaust myself ⸴ but aunt cyn and i had the poor exhausted girl sit down herself and take some refreshment while we expanded our conversation to include her · Saro's biggest concern was how firmly would i be passionate about the destruction of chaos ⸴ which i admitted was only an indirect goal along the lines of protecting the people i care for · We all came to the conclusion that perhaps i should proceed slowly for a few months before truly committing ·

Over the course of that conversation i asked about the goat bites on saro's dress and she said that the ones she had acquired in the fall were unruly and undisciplined · Aunt cyn offered to take possession but not ownership of the goats ⸴ and have them milked regularly with the mild delivered to the shelter · Upon which offer ⸴ saro thanked her profusely ⸴ and then promptly fell asleep at the table ·

At aunt cyn's request i carried saro's prone form to one of the patients' cots and made her more comfortable while she rested ⸴ and went on to my other item of importance ⸴ my absence to go assist with the homeless shelter for additional food ⸴ since saro had reported it struggling · Aunt cyn was taken aback and upset to learn about this for the first time ⸴ and wondered why saro hadn't asked for cyn's assistance since the shelter was for the benefit of «cyn's people» ; i suggested that perhaps with saro's own new station ⸴ she felt the need to hold all the responsibility and did not want to show weakness by asking for aid ·

The arrival from eloria of our mutual friend and saro's adoptive «mother» ⸴ kailisa ⸴ shortly woke saro up and she elf was distressed to see we had laid her to bed · But even kai agreed with us that she needed to take some time to rest - which we had to basically force on saro ⸴ but she finally gave in and allowed us to give her tea and bread ⸴ brush her hair (kai did this ⸴ with commentary from me) ⸴ and mend her garments (aunt cyn's fourth favourite hobby) · While tending to saro ⸴ aunt cyn explained that asking for help was no sign of weakness and that she was going to provide aid from her personal accounts rather than anything official ⸴ because she cared for saro and for those living in the shelter ·

With the additional arrival of velnaeus at the healing house ⸴ aunt cyn indicated she had all the help she needed and would also be able to cover my absence ⸴ so i bid them all farewell and retrieved my own cloak to take the waystone to kingsmoore ·



I don't totally feel right taking a room or even floor space at the homeless shelter ⸴ but in effect i have been homeless during my stay in kingsmoore these past several dăți ⸴ so here i have been staying rather than freezing to death outside · But those who rely on the cooperative for their own survival have been grateful for what i can provide ⸴ it's true ·

Squirrels have been my primary allies in foraging · As is typical they have prepared many stashes in advance of the cold weather ⸴ but they are able to spare some of their stores which are high in protein ⸴ especially since enough of the old ones have sadly passed on (if they were otherwise healthy ⸴ i have also contributed them as a meat source) · Buried caches of beech nuts have been donated to the good of the humanoids ⸴ as well as regular gatherings of hop hornbeam seeds that fall on the snow daily ; the latter are delicious when toasted and especially when topped with a syrup that i was able to tap from its own tree the day before yesterday ·

Dock seeds are being ground into a flour substitute ⸴ often by the children who view it as a fun activity ⸴ and then the adults help to bake it into a bread · The extreme cold has also been good for the tiny crabapples I find in wild orchards to the south ⸴ the lower temperatures making the unripe fruits still sweet ⸴ and we bake small pieces of them into the bread along with tart hawthorn berries (a personal favourite of mine ⸴ though some of the older homeless haven't taken to them) and juniper berries ·

Aunt cyn has made good on her promise of aid as well -- not only the delivery of milk and cheese from the goats now kept warm and contained in her pole barns ⸴ but also in proper groceries secured with funding that she provided ·

Lastly ⸴ the night that i arrived i sent a dreaming back to link and zane to let them know as i had discussed with saro and aunt cyn that i was giving serious consideration to the cause ⸴ as it seemed it would only further my ability to serve the healers guild and protect the people i care about · Zane's predictably brusque response was «you know where to find me» · So now for certain ⸴ i shall have to make a sojourn to kalinthas a priority once frosttide has passed ·

©

Grianadhmad of Ardic, the Bulegoan, and the Ipiazak/Apiazak are copyright 2017 Taed T. A. Price.
Hálainndóchas, Dusk, Ilarion Deórsa Ramiel Earthdream, and Leander are copyright 2018 Taed T. A. Price.
All rights reserved.

All other characters are played characters or non-player characters portrayed by members of Alliance Traverse City or Alliance South Michigan members, are copyrighted by their respective players with all rights reserved, and used with permission. Names of respective copyright holders are available upon request.
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