Open Chronicles Such a big fuss over such a small thing

[Mara Ithrennyn]

“As long as they don’t mind an elf, I have no objections for moving through anyone’s territory,” Mara said quietly, still in pain. It was subsiding by inches. She considered it a blessing that agony was only a part of recovery for a while. By morning, she would be back to her unfeeling self. She needed to attend to her mask, but that was easily done once the others were asleep.

Despite everything, between her exhaustion and the way they had come to her aid, Mara was cautious of who she slept around even when it made her tired. She didn’t like being vulnerable around strangers.

Not that her body was about to give her a choice. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them, pressed on the rune. She wasn’t looking forward to the inevitable nightmares, but her eyelids were heavy and she needed to doze for at least an hour or two:

 

[Theoderic Wanderfoot]

Theo woke with a start. For a moment he was cold and afraid, before feeling the radiant heat from the fire nearby. He relaxed somewhat, keeping his eyes shut and tried to listen to the sounds around him. There was the constant crash of nearby waves, the call of some seabird wheeling overhead, the steadily crackle of the fire and the sound of two others breathing nearby. He opened his eyes slowly, to find himself curled up on his side, facing the fire. Nearby the elf, Mara, was somehow sleeping sitting up, her head resting on her knees while the orc man Ultuk was laid down nearby. Both was fast asleep, or at least were trying to give the appearance of being asleep. The sun was up, the sky a brilliant and clear blue. The horses waited patiently nearby as well, looking at him with their large, sad eyes.

He climbed to his feet, careful not to rouse his companions and stretched, a small groan escaping his lips as his back popped several times. He then made his way down to the waters edge, before dunking his face into the ocean. He felt significantly better now. Hydrated, and rested, if a little hungry. Nearby he spotted a grisly sight, the burnt carcass of a horse, with the blackened corpse of a raider nearby. He approached the corpse and gave it a small kick with his foot. When it did not move, he sighed with relief and moved over to the horse. The poor beast had been roasted alive, its eyes and mouth wide open in permanent terror. He stroked a small, un-burnt patch of its fur, saying a small prayer for the suffering it had to endure. Then, without so much as a moment of hesitation he pulled the small hooked knife he kept on his belt and plunged it into the think hide of the beast.

---

Several minutes later, Theo was sitting by the fire again chewing on a piece of slightly overcooked horse meat. He had placed the under-cooked portions on a wooden plank and shoved them into the fire, while he had washed the blood and grizzle from his hands and arms in the ocean. Now he sat, eating contentedly, while his clothes dried for a second time.

The smell of cooking meat caused his two companions to stir, and when they did, Theo climbed to his feet, walked over to the plank and dragged it out of the fire revealing several chunks of well done meat on them. "Breakfast anyone?" He said, biting into one of the pieces.

 

[Ultuk Barna]

Ultuk rose to the sounds and smells of the early morning. Namely, the sound of someone stoking the flames, and the smell of burnt flesh. The latter troubled him more than the former. If the stench of the dead from last night hadn't faded, he might be worse off than he had initially thought. He slowly stood to his feet making sure he retained balance, then surveyed the surrounds. He was somewhat surprised to note Theo present him with food, meat even; and then he noticed the source, and relief swept over him.

"Good morning, Theo. I believe I shall. Can't say I'm necessarily in the mood for burnt horse after last night, but I will partake. Better than wasting rations. Good thinking by the way. Most other people don't think to eat their enemy's mounts." Then, noticing Mara's stirring form, he said, "Good morning, Fire Hands. That was quite the display last night. I hope the stone has helped, though I will need to renew it." He held out his hand and the Elf produced the stone and pressed it in his palm. After a moment's casting, he handed it back and continued. "Take care of that little one. We don't want the echoes of the magic damage you permanently."

After a brief glance over the mysterious Elf in the early morning light, he chose better than to inquire. Magic was a fickle mistress, and fire was especially so. Many an apprentice died at their own hands. He supposed that explained why of all the magic he had seen, pyromancy was a more rare form. But pushing the inquisitive thoughts aside, he turned to address both at the same time, grabbing a piece of burnt horse before continuing. "We will need to leave before proper sunrise, regardless of our direction. More salvagers and raiders are sure to come. But have you both considered my suggestion? I'm sure they would let you pass should I vouch for you. I am known there."

 

[Mara Ithrennyn]

Mara had risen in the night just long enough to wash the blood from her mask and return it to her bag, replacing it with a wrap of black silk, she kept more than one for exactly such situations. The wrapping had only been done after she looked upon her handiwork with horrified eyes and staggered far enough from camp that her wretching into the sea did not disturb her companions.

In the heat of the moment, all she cared about was the fire. In the cool aftermath, she could think only of what she’d done. Over the course of her travels, she had defended herself many times if they could not be persuaded to leave her be. Each time, it became slightly easier and that terrified the elf. She didn’t want to hurt things or people, but fire gave no thought to such things. It wanted to burn.

When morning came, she rose unsteadily. She ached from how she’d slept, but that was not an unfamiliar strain. “Morning,” she said quietly, standing up once she’d passed the rune back to Ultuk. A little shaky, but better than she would have been on her own.

Fire Hands, the orc called her. A vision of her charred hands flashed in front of her, banished by a quick few blinks. His name for her was maybe more apt than he knew.

“I have no objection to passing though orcish lands,” Mara said, though she knew it was probably a surprising declaration for an elf. “If you can at least keep the worst away, Ultuk, I can weather the lesser storms. Thank you for that rune. It helped a great deal, and I am in your debt for it.”

She looked at Theo, lips trying to quirk into a smile even though it was impossible from scar tissue. “That was a most impressive gadget, my friend. I’m going to take a look around away from the shores. There might be more food to be found there. Just meat is rarely enough.”

She had an ulterior motive of course, if a harmless one. Eating would require removal of her mask, and she had no intention of showing her shame to anyone, strangers or friends.

 

[Theoderic Wanderfoot]

Theo chewed happily on the horse meat as the other two conversed. When it was his turn he swallowed, burped and spoke. "If that is your recommendation Ultuk, I will follow you. I will admit i have limited experience in the lands of which you speak. When I travel this way I usually prefer the comfort of a ship. However...perhaps it is best i learn how to pass through these lands...as my luck on the high seas is not exactly fortuitous." He stood again, stretched and surveyed their surrounding. The sun was just beginning the peak over the horizon, illuminating the broken beams, sails and remains of the vessel he had previously been aboard.

It had been a whole two days since he had fallen asleep in his hammock, first being awoken by the violent assault of some great leviathan, then again when Ultuk had revived him on the beach, half dead. Now he felt almost back to his old self. "I am going to go for a short walk, to perhaps see if I can recover any of my effects. After that, I do agree with you that we should leave this place and make best speed for the Great City."

He trudged off along the beach towards where the wreckage was thickest, trying to avoid the now bloating corpses of the former crew. He looked around the area where he had washed ashore but found nothing, not even a coin or bladder of wine. He sighed, returning to the camp not long after, where he tended the horses for a short period. "I...uh...must say while I am no stranger to riding, I am quite unsuited for such large beasts. Perhaps I could ride with one of you? Otherwise I fear the creature may kidnap me." He had a point, where he stood he barely reaches the horses knees. The beasts looked down at his curiously, one even giving the grey hair on his head a lick.

 

[Ultuk Barna]

"You may ride with myself, Theo. Or I can lead the horse you ride. Whichever you would prefer." But hearing the affirmation of his plan, he began breaking down the shelter and gathering the pieces that might be salvaged for later use. It was not a lengthy process, and by the time Mara had returned, Ultuk was hoisting Theo up and onto one of the horses. "I hope you found what you needed to find. We make our way North, to Orgashw'eltha. Can you ride?" An affirmation later, and they were off.

________________________________________________________​

(Theoderic Wanderfoot, Mara Ithrennyn, I change a scene here, but we can skip even further, or go back to an earlier scene, dependent on your desires.)

The trio rode past the palisade and into the small settlement. To call Orgashw'eltha a stronghold was a bit of a misnomer. True, the entire settlement was hemmed in on two sides by a small palisade, but there was no keep or other structure to retreat to. It was merely a walled settlement of Orcs with a small docks and a handful of longships. Mara and Theo drew attention, as they all knew they would, but a few stern words from Ultuk in the Orcish tongue kept objectors at bay.

Arriving at the docks, the three dismounted, and Ultuk began to speak with a taller Orc woman, comparable in height to Ultuk himself. After several minutes of a heated debate, Ultuk returned to the pair who had been diligently waiting and no doubt conversing. "She will not take coin." Ultuk rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. "She says the Gods demand offerings to be abandoned at sea, or the Gods will abandon us at sea. She requires a totem, something of great personal value, if she is to take us across."

 

[Mara Ithrennyn]

Mara really only had one thing of personal value that would probably be sufficient, but the thought of giving it up twisted like a knife in her heart. For all the anger and worse indifference that her twin regarded her with, she still loved him fiercely. Not being with him, not knowing if she could ever see him again, that was one of the things she hated most about her exile.

She still remembered the moment when he too turned his gaze away.

“I have something,” she said quietly, reaching into her back. She pulled out the emerald green wrapping, the bloodstain completely removed through the use of special soap and clean water. She held it out to Ultuk, a faint quiver in her gloved hands that could probably be taken for fatigue after riding so long. Her hands were not at full strength and so exhaustion had set into them. “This was given to me by someone I care about.”

She didn’t want to tell them about her exile or the horrible knot of emotions that crawled up into her throat every time she thought of it. The wound refused to heal, just as bitter and agonizing as ever.

She thought of it in that moment, studying the emerald connection to her old world, and her eyes stung with tears. She blinked them away as quickly as she came. You don’t need it. You shouldn’t want it. They threw you away when you needed them most. This is a chain to a past that hates you. Be rid of it. Be free of it. Maybe that will stop inflaming the wound, she told herself. It wasn’t convincing even in her head. She didn’t know what she wanted in that moment, to give it up or hug it tight to her chest.

It didn’t matter. This was the only thing that would fit the orc’s request and they needed passage. Necessity, survival, would take precedence over her weaker emotions.

 

[Theoderic Wanderfoot]

Theo tried to avoid eye contact as they rode into the settlement. Every now and again a orcish child would walk into view and he would give them a smile, most of them bared their teeth in mock intimidation. He just laughed to himself and carried on, safe in the knowledge the Ultuk would keep him from any harm, even at the hands of the children.

Soon they arrived at a rudimentary dock, with several ships tied up. Ultuk climbed off the horse and set Theo down next to it, before walking ahead and conversing with one of the shipmasters. He felt the feeble amount of gold pieces he had in his pocket, unsure if he would even buy them passage out of the dock let alone all the way to the city. Besides, the thought of climbing onto another boat when the object had attracted such catastrophic intentions on his last voyage made his stomach churn. Ultuk returned shortly after, looking frustrated.

She requires a totem, something of great personal value, if she is to take us across."

“I have something. This was given to me by someone I care about.”

Theo's eyes widened as he looked at the object in her hand and felt a pang of regret and guilt. He was the reason they were here. And judging by Mara's body language, it was very dear to her. "My dear...I do not wish you to part with something sentimental to you...I do not wish to be any more of a burden than I already am..." The guilt weighed even heavier on him, as he subconsciously felt the object under his clothes. It was the reason they were here to begin with, why he was even stuck in this situation. But it would be worth it...Once they reached the city...Throwing it into the ocean would make their troubles all for naught.

(OOC: Sorry for taking so long Mara Ithrennyn Ultuk Barna, it's been a busy few days.)

 

[Ultuk Barna]

(OOC: No worries!)

Ultuk saw the pain in Mara's eyes, and heard it in her voice. It was a pain he was altogether familiar with. Then Theo expressed his worry at the personal cost this was taking out of Mara and himself. She was clearly not yet ready for what had to be done, a part of her clinging to what was in the past. But she was young for her kind yet. She should not have to part before she was ready to do so.

"You may put that away Fire Hand. I can provide a suitable gift for the gods." Ultuk put a large but gentle hand on her shoulder, then slowly retracted it. He pulled his spear close and between them. Truly a masterpiece, its shaft was carved with intricate runes, and the head a single piece of cast darksteel.

Ultuk could remember when Qadur first gave him the spearhead. Ultuk had taken it out of his thigh, a gruesome wound he received right before beheading its previous owner. It was truly a thing of beauty. Even covered in his lover's blood, it had gleamed with a pureness of form and function. It cut, protected, amplified magic, and was indestructible; all features that Qadur had seen in Ultuk. But Ultuk knew that his love would endure long after the spear. Qadur's true legacy was within the work he was doing. If he could find a cure, then he would have avenged his love.

Ultuk's calm demeanor nearly cracked at the memory. It had been so long since he had thought on the subject.

"Mara. I am ready to make a gift. I will not stop you from making your sacrifice, but you are young yet. What remains of this person you care for might heal your hurts. The wounds that this spear has caused have long since healed for me, as much as they will. It can only save me from physical harm now, and this is precisely that." Ultuk leaned in closer to avoid other ears."I cannot speak to know you, but you reflect a pain that I once knew well, and a rage that I still carry to this day. The pain will fade, but culture the rage."

 

[Mara Ithrennyn]

Mara found it in her to shrug slightly. “She said she wanted something of great personal value. If this stops our ship from sinking, it would be worth it. I’m sure Theo wouldn’t like another shipwreck. I leave the decision to you, Ultuk. You know better than I what is acceptable in orcish tradition.”

When her orcish companion mentioned culturig her rage, keeping hold of it once the pain was gone, she shook her head. Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them back. “I don’t want my rage,” she said quietly. “You don’t know what it makes me capable of.”

She thought of the serpent that night, but that was nothing compared to the fury that she had unleashed on that woman who had attacked her outside the little tavern on the road that had taken her here. Her power there had taken a form, a malevolence, that she’d never thought herself capable of. She remembered her body wreathed in flame, burning the woman until flesh blistered, flesh charred. She remembered inflicting horrible pain, burning agony, something she knew so well on another. How many people had she hurt, killed on her travels? The answer was more than none, which made her feel sick when she thought long and hard about it. At her core, though, there was a part of her that didn’t care. A part that just wanted to burn.

Maybe they knew something she didn’t. Maybe they knew about that inferno in her heart and that was the real reason they sent her away.

Mara’s hands tightened on the cloth when that thought struck her. She hated it because she knew she would never be able to go back, not with what she had done. She was too powerful, too destructive, to ever be welcome under the boughs of Falwood’s great trees. The idea that they were right about her made her chest ache and her eyes burn. She wanted to cry.

No tears. They do nothing, change nothing.

“I need some air,” Mara said, despite the fact that there was plenty of it where they were standing. “Come find me when you’ve decided what should be given.”

She strode away as tall and proud as she could be, pretending when she could not do it with her heart in it. She was tired of being and looking weak, particularly in front of others. It was time to stop that.