Private Tales Roses and Rust

[Larka]

Larka frowned for a moment, thinking of what Gannis said about an endless war. She wasn’t sure if she had ever heard something so depressing before.

“The poor kids,” she said, and shook her head, a hand reaching out to rest on Kitty’s neck. “I think to only know of war is the worse fate one could have.” And while she didn’t say it out loud, she couldn’t help but want to bring every child with her back home. She knew it made no rhyme or reason to want such a thing, but still it was there.

What a better life the conclave could give them: order, a sense of duty, a reason to live.

“I think the shady, cooler way back would be nice. I don’t think I’ve ever been this sweaty before.” Larka added, but shrugged as it didn’t really matter if she was stinky or not. “But sometimes it’s better to get to your destination faster, it doesn’t sound like Sargasso is doing well.” Or rather, them doing so well was strange, and Larka could see why.

The small foster heaved, walking up another dry and dusty hill, grateful that when they stood atop they could see the valley beneath, and Sargasso, strangely green amidst the brown and yellow terrain. The Baal Asha River could be seen, parallel to the town and snaking away from where Gannis and Larka currently stood. Larka sighed in relief.

They had finally made it.

“Weird that they’re growing so much corn, right? I wouldn’t think it could last under this sun.” Once again Larka looked towards Gannis, seeking his opinion.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

"But odd, yeah," Gannis said.

He hadn't even thought of that. His joke about spotting the village before was apparently going to be followed with Larka noticing small details he missed.

Spotting the details was a useful practise, one he should have carried out more. He had become lax. Perhaps that was why they were together, more than just someone's amusement at pairing Dog and Kitty.

"You should know, we get a lot of curses that are...just nothing. Bad crops because of weather so they want to burn the most outspoken woman in town. You might hear me say some weird shit. Depending on what they're like, I might take them for a ride and rid them of some coppers if that's the case. If they're rude I might purge some invisible wraith in the night."

After the last encounter, he wouldn't mind dealing with paranoia and stupidity. Just as long as it didn't come with beasts beyond his understanding.

 

[Larka]

Larka nodded her head, a serious expression befalling her face.

“I’ll watch and listen then,” Larka said. She could have added in something playful, perhaps if events had gone done differently at the inn she would have joked about announcing she wasn’t a virgin and she wasn’t a witch the moment they arrived.

No one could say that despite her youth, Larka didn’t have tact.

The venari headed down to Sargasoo. It was easily seen as a agricultural town, every house had a family focused on tending to crops. There would be no marketplace within the center, only a small courtyard that was hardly used unless it was for celebrations. Larka couldn’t quite make out a church, but with this being on the edge of Cortos, perhaps their churches were less grand.

The grand sight was of course the corn fields that surrounded the town, a splash of green in a otherwise dreary looking landscape. The irrigation and use of the river was impressive, for Larka could see flashes of silver that gleamed in the sunlight which must have meant the town was using a rather advanced system. There was a road that led inside the town, off to the left. Larka stared at the green cornstalks.

“I used to play in cornfields. All the time.” She murmured, partially just to herself, her lips curving up into a smile.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

Gannis mentally swerved away from a temptation to ask where she had run through cornfields.

There were a lot of reasons why people could end up being part of the conclave. They weren't normally stories to talk through. Not right before starting a contract anyway.

He meandered towards the green fields. Further east there was a case where a body had been found mutilated. It might have been a real danger to people.

"This, I'll bet, is someone lookin' for someone to confirm that one bad harvest was someone else's fault."

He stepped up to a sheaf of corn and started to peel the green leaf back.

"We'll be out of here without bother in...Oh."

 

[Larka]

Larka tilted her head, looking at the healthy harvest before them.

“How could they have a bad harvest? Look at—“ Larka growled immediately when Gannis began shucking the corn, causing the small woman to look up with narrowed eyes. Despite her sense of smell being poor, even she could smell flesh.

Inside the multitudes of rough leaves, an ear of corn wouldn’t be found. Inside was a small mishapen arm, growing out from the stalk. From where Gannis had pulled the vegetable, blood was beginning to sputter out, slowly like sap from a tree.

Larka stepped back, aghast, shaking her head.

“It can’t be.” She said, stepping forward, grabbing at a rather large and fat piece, ripping through the husk and silk to see this time a foot growing, it’s ankle attached to the sheaf. Her fingers trembled, and Larka almost dropped the horrid thing in disgust. She took a deep, shaky breath. “Gross.” Was all she managed out, shaking her head, steeling herself mentally as much as she could now.

“I think this town is going to be worse than Gallica.”

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

"Fuck. Not only do you get lumbered with me for a mentor, but you get two completely fucked up contracts to start off your work," he said.

He took a step back from the corn, trying to look as if this didn't phase him. It did. It was one of the most surreal and horrific sights put before him.

Gannis rolled his pack off his shoulder and set it on the ground.

"Don't you think about it," he warned Dog, who approached one of the feet.

 

[Larka]

Larka’s gold eyes slowly moved over to Gannis from his words. She didn’t say anything, watching him remove the pack and looked over at their furry partners.

“Maybe I’m just bad luck.” She said, thinking of Brother Simon and how he had an early death as soon as he began mentoring her. “Unless you get jobs like these all the time.” Somehow, her gut was telling her that wasn’t the case. She looked down at the strange foot in her hand, and did her best pushing the husk back together, hiding the flesh. Without thinking she threw it back into the field.

Larka removed her winter coat, her brows furrowed together, a frown tugging at her lips. Gallica was strange, a town of rust. Sargasso was even stranger, a town that always wielded a good harvest. In this area, they shouldn’t. But it didn’t answer how they were growing… whatever it was that they were growing. It couldn’t actually be people parts, right?

And if they were… another sacrifice? Another strange entity that couldn’t be killed? Another Mirren? Another chance to fail at protecting those who needed protecting? Children shouldn’t have to suffer for their father’s sins and—

Kitty licked her face, startling the foster. A whimper came from her custos canem friend, it’s amber eyes looking deep into Larka’s as if it were peering into her soul.

“It’s fine. It’s a honor to serve the conclave. I am grateful to serve.” She said, firmly. Larka took a deep breath. She wouldn’t let this one end up like Gallica. If there was another Mirren then… “What do we do first?” She asked Gannis, stepping closer as if she could block Dog from getting to the arm, as if Dog couldn’t knock her over with a nudge of his large head.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

"Same thing we did last time, but better," he replied. "Go into Sargasso itself and ask questions."

Gannis didn't even ask her to cut the 'honor to serve' spiel. That on its own was a sign that he was already on the back foot again.

Gannis took a step back as Dog tried to circumvent them both. He couldn't use a single leg to stop him, only his whole body could slow the dog.

"Let's go. I hope they've not got so hungry that they're serving human leg meat in town," he said with a small laugh.

The laugh was quickly swallowed by the thought of being served human stew without knowing it.

 

[Larka]

Asking questions once again. Larka couldn’t help but feel that flutter of nervousness in her stomach. She raised a hand to wipe the sweat off of her small brow, and looked at Gannis, serious and determined. She wouldn’t mess up this time. She would show her mentor that she had improved from her last mistakes.

“Can we bring Dog and Kitty with us this time?” Larka asked. Human leg. She wondered if it tasted more like beef or chicken or pork or rabbit or venison? Maybe it was like turtle meat, stringy and chewy? Maybe it was like squirrel or weasel? Whatever it tasted like, Larka doubted she’d be able to tell. But perhaps the dogs would be their best bet of knowing.

At the same time, Larka wondered that if they entered if the town would be drooling after them? Larka patted the sides of her thigh, probably the thickest part of her, and then pinched at her hips. Most women had that swell of fat that poked out where the leg connected, but Larka was without it, her training mixed with her metabolism making her lean.

What if the town was on a diet and wanted lean meat? Both her and Gannis would be perfect.

“Hello? Is someone there?” Larka’s head tilted towards the cornfields. She couldn’t see anything, could barely hear the sound of soft footsteps, but it was hard to pinpoint where other than just knowing the person, a young man, was in front of them, hidden in a field of green.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

It was likely for the best that Gannis mistook her considered look at the flesh corn as part of her investigation. If he had known the questions running through her head, his moderate teaching abilities would have been beyond their limits.

She picked up the sounds of movement before he did. As always, one hand went to the hilt of his sword.

It was almost certainly someone from the town, but there were plenty of mildly dangerous creatures that could make a home in crop fields.

"Who's that?" called a voice back. "I haven't heard that voice before."

That Larka spoke first probably changed his attitude. He seemed reasonably at ease. Gannis took a few slow steps to his left to put him out of the line of sight between Larka and the young man.

He nodded for Larka to reply.

 

[Larka]

Larka watched Gannis’ expression, not moving or saying until he confirmed to her that it would be okay to do so.

“I’m not from Sargasso.” Larka said. How should one talk to someone they couldn’t see? The only answer she could come up with was from the lesson in how to use words to disarm anxiety in a client. “My name is Larka.” Her voice was steady yet calm, and the foster raised herself to the tips of her toes, as if that would help her find whoever she was talking to better.

“I’m with my mentor, Gannis. We were hoping to talk to someone, do you have time for a little chat?” She hoped that by giving all this information the person would feel comfortable enough to step forward and finally expose themself.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

A blade came through the crops slowly. It was a bill hook for farming, not for war. The green fronds parted and a face appeared.

There was a mix of youth and age on the face. A young man who had spent a life working fields in the sun. Conditions that had weathered his appearance too.

He looked Larka up and down. He seemed quite relaxed until he saw her weapons.

"What business you coming out here to talk..."

He turned to see Gannis. Gannis had taken his hand from his sword and let it rest on his belt near the handle of a knife.

"...about?"

 

[Larka]

Larka didn’t take a step back, even with the glint of the blade that first greeted her before the face. Her gold eyes focused on the sharp tool but soon enough she was looking at the stranger’s face. For a moment he seemed to be at ease, she saw how his shoulders slumped to only then straighten once again.

Larka thought back to the conversation at the inn, how before they hadn’t asked enough questions— or maybe they didn’t talk to enough people. Either way, this was a chance for information, and hopefully to ease other suspicions once they stepped inside the town.

“One of the other villages directed us here.” Larka began, keeping her body posture neutral, not quite showcasing any intent to grab a weapon. Not yet at least, but then again, her needle-like sword would do little in blocking against the blunt edge of a bill hook. Funny, it reminded her of Gannis’ favorite weapon. “We asked to buy food from them and they turned us away because their harvest has been poor. Same for a few other places. But everyone said Sargasso was doing well. So we came here. I’ve never seen corn this far out from the plains. You’re very lucky. But I suppose that’s from the river close by? Whoever designed the irrigation has a good eye.”

A poorly disguised lie, but a needed one. Larka wasn’t sure if she had spoken the right thing, perhaps she had already fumbled this job. She held her breath, and looked over at Kitty. Nonchalantly, she patted his head. They must have looked strange indeed, two people with unnerving gold eyes and black scleras, accompanied by two large dogs and a slew of weapons.

“So… do you think you guys would be willing to sell to us?”

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

The young man looked towards Gannis and then lowered the hook. He had underestimated Larka, but no one looked at Gannis and saw a friendly face.

He pursed his lips and have a subtle shake of his head.

Gannis narrowed his eyes. There was something more to that expression. Something unsaid.

Brilliant, he thought to himself, another fucking mystery to unravel.

"You two should turn back. No one is very lucky around here."

 

[Larka]

Larka tilted her head. Yes, there was something going on, but…

“Why do you say that? It’s a good harvest, is it not?” She stepped forward and reached out to one of the corn stalks, which caused Kitty to growl in response. “The stalks are strong and straight and a healthy green, what could be unlucky about it?” Eyes on the man, Larka continued to reach outward to grasp at the corn.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

"Don't..." he warned.

Gannis got the sense that this warning was provided in earnest. He didn't want Larka to be shocked by what was inside those green leaves.

"You don't look like traders or farmers," he snapped. This was right back to the act, Gannis decided. "Look like poachers to me. Should clear off. Not cause any trouble."

He was afraid of something. Not them. Or not just them. Gannis remained silent, watching as Larka continued the conversation.

 

[Larka]

Larka stopped her hand immediately from touching the corn, but didn’t bring it back down to her side.

“I never said we were traders or farmers.” Larka said, looking at the man quizzically. “We’re also not poachers. Nor are we trouble.” She said, quite earnestly and then brought her hand back down to her side to then rest it on her hip.

“We’re not asking for the food for free. We’ll pay, or maybe there’s something we can trade?” She pressed further. “We might have something you could want after all? We do travel a lot.”

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

The farmer made a nasal noise of contemplation. Temptation was apparent in his gaze. There were lots of things he needed.

He still didn't trust outsiders. Outsiders brought strange views. Views that led to people changing their behaviour and holding secret meetings in the night..

"You look like trouble. Well...he looks like trouble."

Gannis was afforded a thumb, jabbed in his direction.

"We can talk. House is better for that. But I ain't got much corn to sell!"

 

[Larka]

Larka flashed one of her best smiles to the man, the sort that would make anyone feel as if they had made the right choice or said the right thing.

“I know he has a mean-looking face but really, I’m the troublemaker of the duo if you really want to know.” There was a tilt of her head as she looked up at the man, and without missing a beat, quickly followed her joke with, “what’s your name?”

“Tumun.” The man answered, and began heading to the house. Larka noted that they were led through the fields, not through the town. Despite the swath of green that barely allowed Larka to see anything but the cornstalks, Tumun walked with ease.

He knew these fields like the back of his hand.

“Have you lived here all your life?” Larka continued on with her barrage of questions.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

"Yeah, course," he replied.

It was said as if the idea of moving to another town was genuinely offensive. He was likely part of at least three generations that had been here.

Tumun looked back over his shoulder to Gannis and back to Larka. He liked her smile. He could see her being the troublemaker, but it didn't make Gannis any more appealing to him.

Gannis made him feel that he was being stalked through the fields. He looked down one of the gullies between the cornrows. Part of him still tried to tug him down that open path, to run from the pair and hide in the fields.

What had been described as a house was barely a shack. There was a wide clearing, a shed of tools and a well-trodden road through the fields towards the town.

Inside the door the door was a simple room. A bed in one corner, a small fire and cooking pot in the other.

He let them step inside first, turning to cast his gaze around the fields before stepping after them.

 

[Larka]

“Do you live alone? You’re not married?” The questions came the moment Larka’s gold eyes caught sight of the bed. Looking over the sparse belongings, it should have been obvious that he lived alone, or at least was doing so now.

Larka squatted down low to the floor, opening up the rucksack after she let it slide off from her petite shoulders. She made a show of digging her hand inside of it, humming for a moment to herself. Really she was buying time, and at the same time, trying to appear harmless.

It was good, in this case at least, that she was small and without any sort of facial scars. Sure, her eyes and black scleras may be unnerving, but as a whole? Larka doubted anyone found her intimidating by just looking at her.

Their dogs were outside, and Larka could hear a whine from Kitty who was still probably complaining about the heat. Not like inside was much better. It was quite stuffy, heavy and heady in the most unfortunate way.

“Here we go!” Larka announced, pulling out a intricately carved bronze whistle and then a wooden comb, equally as intricate if not more but it was made out of a single piece of wood. “Pretty neat things to look at, don’t you think?” Larka said proudly, her two little trinkets being held up to Tumun to inspect.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

Tumun looked at her as she asked about his circumstances. He glanced around the room.

Do I look married? One eyebrow raise managed to ask.

He shook it off. He supposed there would be entire families forced into such homes in some placed. Tumus had heard about the big cities with twenty people forced to live in a single room.

The people here spoke a lot about the dangers of city life and why everyone should stay here.

Tumus' eyes went straight to the whistle.

"And what is it you wanna buy with those?"

 

[Larka]

“Well, I did say food, right, Tumun?” Larka said, placing a bit of extra emphasis on pronouncing his name before standing up. She noticed the look to the whistle and she took a step towards the man, holding out the whistle for him to take and inspect. “Or, if you don’t have much, you can give me something else? Something that won’t be too hard for you to give up, perhaps?” Larka smiled, and stood up on the tips of her toes to whisper. “A little bit of information would be fine. And I’ll show you how to use the whistle. It’s special.” She added.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

"Of course," he replied, turning to get a piece of bread from a wooden box.

There was still some maize flour left that they could bake. He had a single pewter dish that he offered to them with the chunks of bread.

"I'm not stupid, you know," he added, looking towards the door before taking in their attire and weaponry once again.

"Not gonna get myself into trouble neither, but..." he said, trailing off as he looked at the whistle. "...if you wanna know what happened here there is a place you can go. Go there at the right time and maybe you'll learn something.

"That the kinda thing you two are after, isn't it?"

 

[Larka]

“We don’t want to get you in trouble,” Larka said, still smiling, “that’s why we’re here to buy food.” Larka, whether to her benefit or not, didn’t want Tumun to get in trouble. Really, there was no one on Arethil that Larka wished harmed upon unless they were no-good.

Taking Tumun’s hand, Larka gently placed the whistle into his palm. She closed his fingers over it, keeping her two small hands on his. If he ran without giving her the info, Larka would probably rip his hand from his wrist.

“So. About that place. Where is it exactly?”

Gannis