Private Tales And The Horse You Rode On......

[Seredic]

It was a silent trek back to Fairbarin, Seredic continued to waddle through the forest on the Gold Road his new companion Divina Rosenstern behind him. He still couldn't quite figure why she decided to accompany him on this futile quest to create the Wine of Destiny. The Halfling was good at reading people even the ones who are good at putting up a front like Divina but it was possible that she wasn't even sure why she wanted to travel with Seredic. Perhaps it was out of the pity for Seredic something that would fill him with dread, the Rosenterns were one of the richest families in Alliria to where they even have a seat in the Merchant's Guild.

Divina is the head of her house and so far the heir, it's lunacy that she would leave it all behind to chase a myth. As puzzling as it is, Seredic was happy to have her company. She was witty and doesn't back down from anyone, it did help that she was a striking woman to look at. Not that Seredic wanted to indulge in a relationship not after Sally...... The two of them had been traveling for the past two days staying on the Gold Road as they crossed the Allir Reach. The Halfling really needed to break the silence he was surprised that he didn't go mad with the monotonous sounds of the birds singing on the tree branches and Squirrels climbing up the Trees.

He was half tempted to bring out a half drank Rosentern Wine and guzzle it down. At least the silence will be accompanied by his drunken japes, however Seredic suspected that Divina wouldn't like that very much. "At least talk to the damn human!" Seredic thought bitterly. "You wanted a person who wanted to trade jabs with! Create some conversation! Stop trying to avoid her gaze like a bloody child trying to talk to her crush!"

"So," Seredic said noticing the old familiar sign: Welcome to Fairbarin! He remembered requesting an upgrade into something fancier when he was mayor but it never came to fruition because he was often voted down. "Lovely weather we're having my dear."

That was a terrible way to start a conversation.

 

[Divina Rosenstern]

She slid a glance his way beneath the vision of her hood, lips pursed slightly. They had traveled mostly in silence, a blessing for the Lady to consider her own current state of affairs. The price of grain had recently seen an uptick since the war in the Underrealm at Dhunbor had been announced, with people buying in bulk at the panic, while wine and silk sales had suffered only slightly with the drawing of cooler weather. It was time to turn over to woolen clothing production, and the weavers and farmers that provided would soon have to pay their taxes. She anticipated this along the way, but in truth was hardly paying attention to her companion.

She was mildly annoyed she wasn't even permitted a guard, nor even a horse. How else was a lady to travel the Gold Road? Her clothes were well beset with dust, and she could swear there was a pebble in one of her boots. But right now she wasn't listening, until Seredic spoke.

She was interrupted mid-thought of her imagined shipping lines of grains across the Reach and into the Shallows. Market there was always reasonable if you weren't a thief. Unfortunately there was no shortage of them. But now he spoke, she would bide her time.

...Small talk. Perhaps it would be cruel of her to remark on the irony of his using small talk, but instead she perked him a dark brow.

"Lovely? Most certainly. But you said the same as much before yesterday. And the day before. I must ask, what to you makes a day foul and a day fair?"

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

Seredic took a look at a flock of Geese flying through the forest. He recognized them as Greater-white fronted Geese quite common around Fairbarin. He remembered laying in the grassy hills overlooking the Halfling village with Sally. He remembered her soft hand intertwined with his along with her constant giggles when Seredic cracked a joke. Sally came from family a birdwatcher and told Seredic the name of every bird that flew with in their vicinity. He was amazed of her vast knowledge of the animals from their habitats to how they mate.

It was through Sally, Seredic knew about birds more than he cared to. Her journal lay back in Fairbarin, Seredic felt tempted to bring it with him when he first embarked to Maraan. According to Sally not all birds were docile and some were sucked blood from their victims. Alas the memory of Sally was still too much, Divina's statement bought the Halfling back to reality. It was a good thing too, the more he dwelled in his ex-wife's memory the more likely he'd be in a fetal position.

"Well for one," Seredic clung onto his traveling stick as it sunk a bit through the mud. "We're not.... dead that's something we're blessed with. Considering both of our status it's easy to take life for granted and not be able to appreciate the little things like the birds and......"

The Halfling saw a Deer taking a shit in the woods, its brown eyes locking with Seredic's blue ones. The Deer looked less fearful and more like: "If you continue to watch me shit, I'll stab you with my antlers."

"That Deer shitting near a tree," Seredic chuckled nervously adjusting the strap of his bag. "You know that old adage: If a Deer shits in the woods does it make a sound?"

The Halfling scratched his brown beard. "Wait a minute...." he said. "I don't think that's the adage at all...... but you look at this beautiful land my dear. For years every merchant in Alliria and Belgrath has invested a lot of time and coin to a create prosperous and well run trade route. You see many villages thriving off the land and commerce that comes from goods and services around the world."

He could see the bright light at end of the forest, they were almost to Fairbarin. "You look at the harmony between the rich and commonfolk and see not a classism but unity and harmony. You and I my dear are crushed by the weight of politics and business arrangements but never stop and smell the air and appreciate nature and the peacefulness that we Allrians created."

The Halfling then frowned. "Which smells like shit," Seredic mumbled glaring at the Deer who was walking away from them. "Well anyway that's what makes a day fair." he said. "Walking with you in a journey that may end up fruitless but I'll travel it nonetheless because I have a feeling that I was meant to travel on this path."

Seredic didn't want to dwell on the dream again nor he didn't want to dwell on Sally as well but they just keep coming at him like an endless volley of arrows. Life can really get foul sometimes. "Now as for what makes a day foul? Well I can say with certainty is lacking the opportunity to drink yourself silly along the way."

Seredic smiled he had some good bottles of Wine back home. He couldn't wait to crack one open, "So what about you my dear?" Seredic asked feeling oddly chipper. "What makes a good day good and bad day bad?"

Divina Rosenstern

 

[Divina Rosenstern]

He was talking, and she merely listened. She had learned long ago that even sparing a breath to speak would be one wasted. She had allowed herself the indignity of walking thus far, but even so she somewhat resented the fact that she couldn't ride her destrier at the very least, attention of commonfolk be hanged. She was a noble, a woman who built her industry from nothing and survived a member of the Merchant Council. Still, if he insisted on laying low, she could have at least brought a mare.

"What makes a good day?" she repeated, drawing her hood back slightly with sharp blue eyes. "It is riding on the dawn. It is rising before even the sun and knowing what you have in life is fair; when there are no seasons of blight or poor crop, when I look at the harbor and see nothing but my ships weighted and their sails white in the noonday sun. A foul day is fear, and dark secrets." She glanced back at him, and drew her hood back over her head again.

Perhaps a response many would have sneered at, but it was true. She was driven by what she brought to her own table; this was not abandoning it.

This was pursuing a new avenue of revenue.

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

Due to their small stature the majority of Halflings had difficulty riding Horses. Sederic himself had problems staying on Divina's mare during the journey back to Alliria. He was slipping and sliding and Divina struggled to keep Seredic stable, part of it was because he was drunk but the Halfling's being unable to maintain his balance due to his size definitely did not help. Divina mentioned her version of what made a good day, saying that everything they have is fair, a good crops and her ships sailing into the horizon.

"My dear," Seredic said. "What is fair? Because the thing I know about fairness is that nothing is truly fair. You can't get to the top without stomping on others. You and I are part of the merchant council of Alliria the de-facto rulers of the great city. We're pretty much surrounded by liars and backstabbers. Fear and dark secrets are what drive the merchant council"

Seredic gave his walking stick a balletic twirl smiling. "You and me are the only good people there my dear," the Halfling said in a hollow yet cheerful way. "We mask our disdain with sarcasm and indifference but we play the game not to indulge ourselves but to suit our interests. Clearly everyday is a foul day for you my dear if you're part of the merchant council."

They were reaching the entrance of Fairbarin, the grassy hills were ahead and Seredic could hear the sound of a Hornbeak squawking in the distance. "But I admire your drive Divina," he said. "You have an certain code that you abide by unlike those bastards who encourage stealing from the growing impoverished people of Alliria. I'm..... glad to know that people like you care for people like me."

Seredic shook his head, what in the world was he implying? Why Divina even bothered to accompany him was a mystery something that he admitted had him wondering at night. The pair finally reached outer limits of Fairbarin. Seredic's heart skipped a beat as he jogged ahead of Divina and climbed the grassy hill, he could hear Sally's giggling echoing in the wind. She loved climbing up the hills of Fairbarin and tumbling down often taking Seredic down with him.

As Seredic reached the top he half expected to see Sally but alas all he could see were Halfling homes that cluttered the peaceful Halfling town. Seredic's eyes shimmered, he hadn't been home for about year disappearing into the night without telling anyone. In a way it felt good to be back home at Fairbarin with the Halflings going about their day, gardening, farming and having cheer without a care in the world. "Welcome to Fairbarin my dear Divina," Seredic said looking over his home. "A place where I never thought I'll return."

Divina Rosenstern

 

[Divina Rosenstern]

It was strange, that he came from such a place of idyll and yet he did not share their ideals. It was true, he was a fellow council member, but from such a base place of architecture and livelihood... she did not know much of the Halfling's past. It was a mystery for the most part, one that would unfold slowly with time. As for her reasons, she knew he wondered why she bothered coming along. Her reasons were her own. For a few moments, she said nothing, merely stared at the scenery, and drew her cloak closer to herself.

"Would they.. mind an outsider, like myself?" she spoke up quietly, glancing over to Seredic. It was no secret some Halflings weren't exactly looking kindly to the race of Men, but she would do her best to stay as under the radar as possible. With his wistful looks towards his old home, too, she felt a queer sense of misplacement.

She didn't belong here... but she wasn't going to waste time feeling sorry for her choices. "You didn't have to return," she spoke quietly, still holding the fabric of her cloak tightly to herself. The more she remained anonymous, the better.

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

Seredic stared at Fairbarin the bright sun gently down on the land. If he had to guess it was probably around the time for second lunch, Halflings were notorious for have large appetites sometimes having 2-3 breakfasts, lunch and dinner along with some afternoon tea. Seredic had eaten less ever since Sally died and eating 3 meals a day which was considered unusual for a Halfling and that afternoon tea was replaced with copious amounts of alcohol.

The Halfling was considered a recluse by his people in Fairbarin, a person who while created great wine and wrote books that was with biting wit was a grumpy old Ettercap: An giant insect who prefers to burry themselves underground and growling at whoever passes its territory. In a way Seredic was an Ettercap except more handsome and less bestial. Prior to leaving, he was drinking still mourning for the death of Sally and Aldo sometimes wishing that he could've died instead.....

Seredic shook his head gripping on his traveling. "I-," he started. "Have things to take care of, more stuff to collect. Don't worry my dear we Halflings are generally more suspicious of anyone who stranger who passes by our borders but the worst we do now and days is make frowny faces. The Allrian guard or the Rangers take care of the intruders but your with me sweetheart so you have nothing to worry about. Unlike me....."

He began lumbering to across the field in the direction towards his home. "Are you saying that I shouldn't return for your safety or for mine?" he asked trying to remain cheerful but there were cracks in his voice. "In our short time together you just love to speak in riddles. It's entertaining so is this out of sense of self preservation or are you concerned that I'm just going to crawl in fetal position and weep? The only time I possess a weak constitution is when I'm drunk."

He turned around forcing a smile. "Thanks to you I've sobered up for a couple days." he said. "Until now where I'm going to uncork my brandy once I reach my home."

Divina Rosenstern