Umbertiel

[Graybeard]

[OOC: OK, picking up where we left off at Snamish...]

Once they were through the maze (and having delivered Kim a bundle of supplies), the group made good time as they got on the road for Umbertiel -- although the emotional ties to Snamish were still tugging at Sister Rose, among others.

I always have such mixed feelings at leaving there, she thought. It's such a nice, peaceful place in so many regards, with people there that I love, and yet not my own, also in so many ways. It was so wonderful to see Benedict and his family again ... and so painful to go through all that with the Kondriel baby. I wonder if I'll ever look at Snamish the same after that.

It didn't occur to Rose, at least not yet, that that set of mixed emotions, nostalgia tied to a renewed sense of a disquieting alienness to the place, didn't explicitly mention Kenny.

At least Drusia and Suriah seem happy, she reflected. I must admit that I'm going to miss having an elf around, which is something I never thought I'd say. Yes, she marches to her own drummer, and that drummer isn't always ours. But that elven magic ... with all the weirdness we've had on the road, it definitely had its uses. Argus and I will have to ramp up our own magic to compensate. Now that thought caused a wistful smile to play across her face...

To get her mind off Snamish, she turned to Bryce. "So what history do you have with this mysterious but apparently unpleasant Sister Bree? Sorry if I'm asking an uncomfortable question here, but forewarned is forearmed..."

[Jack Rothwell]

Eli sat at the back of the wagon, relishing the sunshine, relishing finally being on the road. For the first time in his life he was leaving the town behind and seeing the world firsthand. The half-elf kept his ears open to the conversation ahead of him, adjusting the weight of the sword at his belt to a more comfortable fit with one hand and rolling the harmonica in his pocket with the other.

OOC Edit-transportaton./OOC

[Sareth]

Lillith was, as usual, riding in the back of the wagon. The girl seemed quite pleased to be heading out. She was stretched out, leaning back and soaking in the sun with a distinct smile.

The more observant might note however that whenever her eyes drifted to Desiree or Eli they quickly darted away.

When Sister Rose spoke up to ask about Sister Cheese (she gave the tinsiest of giggles) she turned about to lend an ear. Something made her suspect that her next encounter with the Church of Luminosita would be less pleasant than her first had been.

[Graybeard]

OOC:

The more observant might note however that whenever her eyes drifted to Suriah or Eli they quickly darted away.

May I assume you intended "Desiree" here? Suriah is still back in Snamish, making whoopee with Drusia and learning to fit into the town.

Also:

Eli trailed at the back of the group, relishing the sunshine, relishing finally being on the road.

I assume you mean "sat in the back of the wagon," since he wouldn't have been able to get a horse through the entrance maze. There's room, no reason to go on foot...

[Sareth]

[OOC]Whoop! Fixed![/OOC]

[Porcelain Fish]

The flicker of Bryce's expression indicated the inquiry wasn't entirely welcome. He didn't raise his eyes from supervising Maduin's gloved hands, which were lightly holding the reins of the roan stallion they rode, his arms around the waist of the Tsuirakuan occupying the saddle in front of him.

"You may or may not have heard of Father Nomus. He was called to Emerylon - I don't know the specifics of why, but I knew him pretty well; he was like an uncle to me. I was assigned to head the detail escorting him there and home. Just three of us soldiers, Nomus, and . . . her." Bryce's lips twisted. "She'd made it clear from the beginning she didn't want to be there, and aside from wanting to put a boot in her ass, I didn't really give a damn. There was a thunderstorm, we got separated, Nomus wasn't in the best of health anyway, and by the time we got everyone back together he'd caught pneumonia - you could hear it in his lungs, rattling when he was trying to breathe. The good sister just was about as useful as horse crap on a rash."

Bryce's tone had turned unusually bitter. He had an angry set to his jaw, and his green eyes were darker than usual. "By the time we got him somewhere they could actually help him, it was too late."

Maduin let out a soft, almost soundless sigh, and leaned back, shifting the reins to one hand, the other coming to rest over Bryce's arm where it was snugged around his waist.

Bryce lowered his head after a moment, tucking it in the crook of Maduin's neck, drawing in a deep breath. He elicited a giggle when he released it over the Tsuirakuan's collar, and a shadow of his smile returned. "You know," he said quietly, reaching forward, closing a large hand around Maduin's fingers on the stallion's reins, "I think he likes you."

[Drusia]

Eli trailed at the back of the group, relishing the sunshine, relishing finally being on the road. For the first time in his life he was leaving the town behind and seeing the world firsthand. The half-elf kept his ears open to the conversation ahead of him, adjusting the weight of the sword at his belt to a more comfortable fit with one hand and rolling the harmonica in his pocket with the other.

I stick close to the familiar, which in this case means Eli. Lillith doesn't seem to want to talk, and I'm not sure I want to try Rose yet.

"So Eli," I say, smiling at him, "What are you hoping to find out here?" Maybe if I understand better why he wants to be here, I'll understand why my mother wants me here. Cause, right now, I'd rather be back home.

-- Desiree

[Jack Rothwell]

Eli smiled at Desiree as he came out of his reverie.

"Would it be corny to say I'll know when I find it?" He shrugged. "The council needs eyes on the world if nothing else. I suppose even a hermit wants to stick his head out the cave now and then. I just want to travel, find a niche, you know?" He blew an open chord on the instrument in his hand as he turned his thoughts over.

"What about you? Never thought I'd see the Priestess away from her congregation."

[Graybeard]

That harmonica was going to take a little getting used to, Sister Rose thought. (Brad's opinion was not obvious. He'd asked Eli to play a love song on it ... which had had curious results.) Well, there were worse things than folk music on a trip through the countryside. Besides, she was interested to hear Desiree's answer to Eli's question. However, there was something else to deal with first. She flashed Argus a quick mental message -- <"I'm going to be a bit distracted for a minute or two, could you listen to what Desiree is saying?"> -- and turned back to Bryce, astride his horse alongside the wagon. [OOC: Nothing surreptitious about this, just a minor kluge to allow two conversations to happen at once in the game. /OOC:]

"I never met Father Nomus," she said, "but I've heard of him. Everybody in the Reformed church has. He was one of the few senior Orthodox priests in Emerylon who were openly conciliatory with us Reformed people. His death left us worried that there was going to be another reaction against us. Fortunately, that hasn't happened." Yet. There was a little more to that story, of course, pertaining to the mission in Kiyoka, but this wasn't the time for it; there might never be a time for it, at least not for those not cleared for LUMINOSITA'S TOP SECRET information.

"So what's she like?" she continued. "I can tell it's not a comfortable subject for you, but forewarned is forearmed." An uncomfortable thought was forming in her mind ... but it wasn't time to give voice to that, either.

[Drusia]

"Would it be corny to say I'll know when I find it?" He shrugged. "The council needs eyes on the world if nothing else. I suppose even a hermit wants to stick his head out the cave now and then. I just want to travel, find a niche, you know?"
"What about you? Never thought I'd see the Priestess away from her congregation."

I smile at the corny line. Coming from Eli, it sounds rather profound, actually.

The smile faded when he asked his question of her.

"Mother wanted me to get some experience outside the town," I reply. "Believe me, I'd have rather stayed home." I smile again at him again, trying to make my words seem playful, but he doesn't seem to be buying it.

"Anyway," I continue, "Since Mother's stuck in Snamish for a bit, I think she wanted someone from the family to go see where Kenny... you know." I add more than a little inflection to that last bit. I'm sure Eli remembers that Kenny and I used to be seriously involved - and that he left me to marry Rose. I think my mother hopes I'll find some sort of resolution if I visit where he was killed. We'll see.

What I don't add where prying ears might overhear is that I'm also supposed to try to visit Lillith's home town. My mother was more than a little disappointed to lose Lillith and Brad - if I can I'm supposed to do a little recruiting, see if I can't convince some of her neighbors to move to Snamish instead. Without, of course, revealing that Snamish exists. Mother didn't make it clear exactly how that was supposed to work, but apparently part of my life experience is figuring that out.

I wish I was home in bed. Or better yet, hiding underneath it.

-- Desiree