Lunie
Nomad
A Bernese hunter that always seems to get in over her head.
Posts: 141
Profession: Wanderer
Affiliation: Bern
Guild: Order of the Bear
Affinity: Fire
Profile: ║ Selunae ♦ Journal ║
OoC Alias: Edgewind/Lunie
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Post by Lunie on Jan 9, 2018 23:23:09 GMT -6
“A soup with... fish cake? Fish pancakes and fish balls?” As Selunae’s brow furrowed, it was fairly certain which direction her imagination was carrying the flavor scale. Still, there had to be some merit to the dish for it to be recommended. “I’ll.. uh.. keep it in mind?”
Still, whether fish cake soup sounded appetizing or not, the archer did hail from a village that subsisted on a bit of fishing. She’d lost her own fondness of the pastime years ago, but she was no stranger to the use of fish in culinary endeavors. Fish and cake didn’t mesh well in her mind though, mainly because her mind clung to the notion of sweet dessert cakes rather than any broader application of the term.
Lucy augmented the recommendations with several additions that sounded tastier, though the earnest with which Midori had spoken of the soup had begun to make the teen curious. Lucy’s mention of chicken and potatoes made the archer crave a nice milky stew of chicken, potatoes, peas, carrots, and wild herbs that her mother, Elle, prepared on special occasions. It made her a little homesick as well, but now was not the time to worry about such things. She’d just arrived here after all.
After smiling genuinely at Midori’s statement, she turned to Lucy with a nervous laugh. Apparently allegory was the wrong word. How silly of her! What was the right word, then? She couldn’t remember at all. It had been when she was a child, before she’d even given a thought to hunting. Well whatever, no one had actually asked the name anyway.
“Oh.. umm.. I never saw nothin’ myself and my mama wouldn’t let me talk to him.” A mischievous grin spread across Selunae’s lips and she leaned forward to the table. “But I sneaked away to ask him about it anyway. He told me it was ferocious like a wolf, and swam in the river like a fish. Oh and he said it had huuuge jaws.. like those dragons in the old stories!” The girl enthusiastically swung her arms apart to emphasize how big the jaws purportedly had been, like a fisherman or child telling a tall tale which admittedly this kinda was. She narrowly missed backhanding the approaching waitress whom skillfully avoided the flailed arm with a nimble step to the side. “Nobody really believed him or ever saw it, but Mama wouldn’t let me go down to the river for a long time. Well, I went anyway but I never saw nothin’ down there either. It’s not like dragons really exist anymore anyway, if that’s even what it was s’posed to be.”
After ordering apple tea with honey and listening to the selection available for this meal, Selunae settled for roasted chicken, potatoes, and carrots served over rice. Well, after a brief explanation of rice since she wasn’t familiar with it. Didn’t seem like fish cake soup would have been an option either way. She felt bad for Midori, seeing her spirits drop like that, and perhaps that is why she added a side of pickled beets to her own order. If she couldn’t accept the recommendation of fish cake soup, then perhaps getting something else Midori ordered would work? Of course, it didn’t hurt that pickled beets were delicious.
After Aea had ordered and the waitress had strolled along to perform her duties, everything became a bit more relaxed as everyone waited for their respective beverages to arrive. In the meantime, Midori had initiated an impromptu meet-n-greet. Selunae wasn’t entirely sure where to begin, so she tried starting at the beginning.
“Well.. I’m from a village just outside Lucerne. It’s s’posed to be part of Lucerne but most people ‘round there jus’ call it Riverside. My mama is a seamstress in the city and my father works at a sawmill down by the river. My mama always wanted me to be a seamstress like her, but I couldn’t do it so I somehow ended up becoming a hunter.” Selunae omitted the part of the story where she sewed her finger into a dress by mistake. “But, ‘course, I used to think I was gonna be a fisher too but it didn’t work out too well for me either.” Truthfully, the girl had terrible luck with handling small pointed objects, and self-consciously rubbed the scar on her cheek as the thought skirted through her mind.
“I’ll be 16 years old in a couple months.” She paused to sigh. “Guess that means I’ll be old enough for my father to allow me to join the Bernese Rebellion, not that it really matters anymore. Those days don’t even feel like the same life anymore. I guess I’ve grown up a little since I left home? Dunno.” The archer exchanged glances around the table. “Oh, and we adopted a little homeless Ilian girl I made friends with so now I have a new sister! Her name is Delia but we jus’ call her Dilly.” So that was the way of things. Selunae’s scatterbrained approach to this conversation showed an enthusiasm more common in those half her age, and made it apparent that she wasn’t very accustomed to speaking of herself like this. There was a pause long enough for others to talk, though it looked like she was deciding on what to talk about next.
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Post by Midori on Jan 13, 2018 16:50:44 GMT -6
"Oh my, that sounds like quite the ferocious fish." Midori spoke as her mind tried to put together a mental image of the scaly beast.
"It sounds more like a monster you would meet out at sea more then you would one in a river." She kept thinking. Then Lunie mentioned something about dragons and that made Midori think even more. Dragons in the Chaklai culture were holy creatures. Her scripture was full of tales of dragons that lived in the era of the scouring. Though all the stories had an air of myth to them and were mostly meant to teach the readers about morality. A common story was a dragon posing as a human who was in need. And only those who offered their help for nothing in return were rewarded handsomely for their good deed later on in their lifetime. Dragons were considered to be elemental deities, holy servants to both mother earth and father sky. Guardians of the spirit world among countless other animals in their culture. Most dragons in the Chaklai's mythology consisted of long serpentine like creatures who possessed scales of silver, green, or gold. Some pillars of the the Chklai buildings were adorned with those long serpentine like creatures.
Supposedly the first founder was aided by a dragon, though it was impossible to know now if that was true. The Chaklai also found wyverns to be holy creatures. Lesser dragons to some. Though that may have stemmed from the Chaklai's long history with Bern.
"Fishing is a honest trade. My Pa was one when he was alive. Though that was a lifetime ago." Lady Lucy chimed in.
"Happy early birthday, and congratulations on your new family member." Midori spoke.
"It seems you are about five years younger then I." She counted the years on her fingers.
"Five and some months." Lady Lucy corrected.
"Your Riverside village sounds nice." Midori had a mental map of where Lucerne was but not a good knowledge of what was around it.
"Once, you've settled yourself with Skai, hopefully. Midori will take you around to see the rest of the village. Perhaps show you around our river. Perhaps you can see the monster fish there." Lady Lucy joked.
"I did not have the luxury of knowing my parents. But, my family is with the priesthood." Midori clarified.
"I am slightly envious of your mother though."
"Midori's actually a decent seamstress. But, she finds it terribly dull."
"Unfortunately." She shook her head slightly. The waitress returned with everyone's drink and passed them out accordingly.
"Ah right, you said you haven't been riding very long. Are there any pointers you would like while we wait for the meal?"
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Lunie
Nomad
A Bernese hunter that always seems to get in over her head.
Posts: 141
Profession: Wanderer
Affiliation: Bern
Guild: Order of the Bear
Affinity: Fire
Profile: ║ Selunae ♦ Journal ║
OoC Alias: Edgewind/Lunie
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Post by Lunie on Jan 14, 2018 15:41:30 GMT -6
“I used to go swimmin’ in the river lots, but I never found anything ferocious in there. Maybe he really was just drunk.” Selunae giggled softly at the thought of those first few weeks afterward that she’d been scared to go back in the water. “He wasn’t very good at fishin’ neither. Prolly just wanted attention.”
Speaking of attention, something the archer had said distracted Midori. Before she could ask what was on the troubadour’s mind, Lady Lucy had filled in the gap of silence. Elle certainly hadn’t been thrilled to discover that she’d been sneaking away to fish, honest trade or not. The thought struck her funny though, and she blurted out a sudden laugh. “Ah, um sorry. I was just thinking.. you said it’s an honest trade but I had to be sneaky ‘bout it. My mama never wanted me to do anything that she thought was more fit for the men to do. She wouldn’t let me hunt neither, so I had to go sneak off for that too. My father didn’t mind, but she was really mad at me. ‘sides, there was this.. uhh..” Selunae let the sentence hang unfinished. She didn’t really want to talk about Deen, not because she was still uncomfortable with her present company but because she still hadn’t truly dealt with her feelings over the matter. Anger still welled up within her whenever she tried to address those juvenile feelings – in fact her posture had already visibly stiffened in this brief moment. “N-nevermind. It was nothing.”
The girl sighed a deep breath and smiled once more. It was quite a bit early for even an early birthday but it still made her happier to hear. “Hehe, thank you. That means you’re..” The archer paused longer than it seemed she should have, but finally she seemed to have worked out an answer. “Umm.. 20? No, 21 right?”
“Riverside is pretty nice. A bit dull sometimes, but it’s still home. I spent a bit more time around the forest and river than the village itself though. Wasn’t really anybody my age around. Mama always wanted us to move into the city, but we never could afford it. It was fun to go to the marketplace sometimes, but I guess I prefer the river to the city anyway. Maybe if Lucerne was more like your village..” Selunae had a more wistful tone, and seemed homesick when she spoke of Lucerne and Riverside. Perhaps she simply hadn’t remained home long enough before departing for Sacae, but it couldn’t be helped now.
“Ooh.. you have monster fish in your river?” The teen arched an eyebrow before noticing the humor in the Ilian’s tone. “Oh.. oh. Well..” An awkward chuckle escaped her lips. She’d thought the woman was serious, but in retrospect she was glad that Lady Lucy was being friendly in contrast to that sternness expressed previously. “It’d be fun to take a look around though. I mean, if it’s not a bother to Midori.” Selunae turned a glance to the pink-haired young woman.
“You never knew your parents? That’s so sad.. u-um.. what happened to them? I mean, if you d-don’t mind talking about it.” The archer felt she’d perhaps been too impulsive in asking such a question so frankly. She fidgeted nervously, slowly pulling her newly arrived tea cup to her to take a sip. She quietly wondered if Midori would have made a better daughter for Elle. The troubadour seemed to hit all the high notes that she had missed. If she had grown up to be like Midori, her mother would certainly have been overjoyed and filled with pride.
“Well, I.. bet you and my mama would get along. I feel sometimes like I’ve let her down though. I.. well.. I guess I haven’t really turned out anything like what she wanted. I love her though and she loves me, but I still feel like I’m a disappointment to her sometimes.” An ugly sliver of what was either despair or jealousy slipped into the girl’s speech, though it didn’t translate into her expression. It wasn’t really anything worth worrying about though, Selunae had grown into who she was. She was true to herself, and that was all that really mattered in the end.
“Oh.. well, yeah. I am pretty new with horses. Maybe Seren just doesn’t know me well enough yet though. I’m trying to make friends with her, but if you can help me get along better with her I’d not turn you down. Most of what I’m having trouble with is form and staying steady enough to fire my bow while I’m riding.” Truly no aspect of riding had been more frustrating than her failed attempts at archery.
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Post by Midori on Jan 18, 2018 19:28:01 GMT -6
"What happened to them? My mother passed during childbirth. And my father passed due to illness when I was still a toddler. My elderly grandparents could not raise me properly so I was given up to the monastery." Midori spoke casually. She didn't have any problems telling people how she was brought up.
"It's impossible for Midori to remember it herself. But, that year was particularly hard for the village. We had a drought which led to crop failure. What crops we did have were rationed out. And when the rains did come, it brought illness too. We lost a good chunk of our villagers. And many choose to flee the village to avoid death. I remember camping out in Bulgar with several refugees until the worst of it died down." Lady Lucy took a sip of her drink.
"It took an additional two years for the village to recover. And when it did the people started to come back. Midori did not come into my care until she was sixteen herself. Like you, she was new to riding and horses in general. Though you wouldn't guess that now." The older woman nudged Midori's arm. Midori nearly spilled the hot drink she had in the process. At this point, though the waitress had returned with their orders of food.
"Child. There's a point in everyone's life where they feel like they are a disappointment to their parents. It is not your fault you cannot live up to their overzealous expectations. But, never forget that your parents love you. And it is a terrible feeling when you are lost to them."Lady Lucy was being oddly nice. Although Midori knew the reason, she didn't expect Lady Lucy to blurt out that reason anytime soon. To Midori, Lady Lucy was like her mother. They shared a mutual bond that mimicked parent and child as much as it did student and teacher.
"You are trying to fire arrows while riding your horse? Skai will be the judge of your archery skills. Like the saying goes one must crawl before they can walk. When I first got Ashes she didn't trust me at all. I had to gradually get her used to me before she let me ride her. And then me having her get used to my staff magic." Midori spoke. She pulled from her pocket two chopsticks and set them down. She raised her hands up and gently put her palms together. She quietly thanked the gods for the meal and then began eating with the chopsticks.
"Best way to get to the heart of an animal is by its stomach. Talking to it so it gets used to your voice. And grooming it so it get's used to your touch." Lady Lucy commented as she grabbed herself a fork full of meat.
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Lunie
Nomad
A Bernese hunter that always seems to get in over her head.
Posts: 141
Profession: Wanderer
Affiliation: Bern
Guild: Order of the Bear
Affinity: Fire
Profile: ║ Selunae ♦ Journal ║
OoC Alias: Edgewind/Lunie
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Post by Lunie on Jan 20, 2018 9:33:32 GMT -6
“Oh.. I’m sorry. I can’t even think of what that would be like. I’ve never had to worry about that kinda stuff.” Selunae felt a pang of guilt over her decision to run away from home, as if the consequences themselves were only an afterthought in light of Midori’s childhood. She’d only recently paused to think of how privileged she’d been to have two loving parents, even if her mother was overbearingly protective at times. So many of her new friends had lost parents or even their entire family, and she was selfish to have not appreciated what she had. “I think things are gettin’ kinda worse at home now. A lotta hunters left to become bandits. My parents didn’t say anything, but they didn’t cook any meat when I went home. We used to always have meat or fish for dinner, but there might not be enough for everyone anymore.”
It was strange, now that she thought about it. She never remembered really being poor though her family never had that much. Her parents worked all the time and couldn’t afford to move into the city, but she never once remembered really going without anything she needed. The lack of meat really was the first time she recalled anything of the sort. Yet, when she brought Delia home and begged her parents to take her in, Elle had agreed with only a sigh in protest. Raeger had stayed quiet. On the one hand, Delia was a sort of surrogate daughter while Selunae was away in Sacae, but what if her family really was falling on harder times now and she’d left them with another mouth to feed. Why was everything so much more complicated under the surface? She was only beginning to recognize the hardships that were occurring around her. Simple things easily missed with basic ignorance. She had been oblivious to so many things for so long and the guilt gnawed at her when she allowed her mind to dwell. Hearing stories like this one drove things home, hard.
“Yeah.. I know she loves me, but I can’t be what she wanted me to be. I just.. wish that..” The archer shook her head and didn’t finish. Again the pang of guilt struck her. She needed to change the subject to something happier. It didn’t feel good to dwell on this. Drawing a long sip of her tea helped ease her mind, but if she didn’t actually move on from this train of thought it wouldn’t last. The food had arrived though, and that provided a needed respite. Simply poking the hot food around with a fork at first while Midori and Lady Lucy alternated offering their own insights, the red-haired tourist quietly listened before spearing a chunk of potato and plunking it into her open mouth. Curiosity spurred her to watch the troubadour possibly too closely as the older youth brandished a pair of sticks. Such a table etiquette was an alien concept to the itinerant teen, and the proficiency of the pink-haired girl made the bizarre act mesmerizing. No one else reacted to this, making it seem it must be commonplace. It seemed.. inefficient.. in the presence of common flatware, but maybe the archer would inquire of this later. For now, she needed to speak else her continued staring could become offensive, though Midori was quite polite and unconcerned with – or perhaps oblivious to – the numerous prior faux pas. It felt more like the former of the two, but Selunae didn’t want to risk running afoul of her hostesses’ good graces. On that note, she abruptly spoke up.
“Y-yeah. I s’pose it’ll come with time. I’m glad to hear that I am at least doin’ things right so far. I mean, ya know, as far as gettin’ Seren to like me. Like, I mean, I do that stuff already so I should just keep doin’ it, right?” She thoughtfully stuffed a forkful of chicken into her mouth. Selunae already forgot what an allegory was, or at least forgot what exact word it was, but the chicken did seem a little plain. It wasn’t bad though, as roasting it had brought out a flavor all its own. After briefly sampling the individual flavors and finding them satisfactory, the archer suddenly assaulted the meal with ferocity as if it had insulted her ancestors. It was quickly plain that Selunae had been much hungrier than the initial hesitance had suggested. Midway through the meal it dawned on her that she might be causing a scene, as even casual observation showed that no one else was carrying on with such fervor. An embarrassed grin accompanied her nervous glances for lack of any other expression, with a light chuckle punctuating the mood. “Uh.. sorry, haha.. I guess I got a li’l bit carried away..”
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Post by Midori on Jan 26, 2018 20:31:37 GMT -6
The pink haired troubadour quietly pulled from the warm broth a mouthful of warm noodles. She popped it into her mouth and politely slurped it up. She chewed it for a bit, savoring the simple flavors of the broth, before swallowing it down. She picked out the pieces of vegetable with the chopsticks too. Little thin cut pieces of radish and leek. There was a hard boiled egg cut in half in her bowl as well. Midori was about halfway through her bowl of noodle and vegetable soup when she noticed Lunie looking at her. Lady Lucy was eating her meal with the standard fork and knife. It didn't hit Midori as to why she was being stared at until she realized what she was eating her soup with.
"Oh, these.. are chopsticks. It's what we use to eat. They are pretty versatile little things." She explained then continued to eat her meal in peace. Lunie wasn't the first curious onlooker she's had to deal with when it came to chopsticks. Both, Lucy and Midori didn't feel any offense to Lunie's eating behaviors. Everyone was hungry at this time. And neither woman had any idea when was the last time Lunie or Aea had eaten.
"You'll probably pick up how to use chopsticks at Skai's place. His kids love to teach." Lady Lucy explained.
"Yes, doing all that helps. And it's alright. You aren't the first hungry traveler we've come across." Midori clarified.
"When we are done here. We'll arrange a room for you upstairs. Settle in for the day. Take a look at the town. Then we'll come back for you in the morning."
"Might just be Me and Skai picking you up. Midori's usually busy with her temple duties. Today is a rare day when she's off."
"Not really off. I do need to get back there sooner rather than later though."
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Lunie
Nomad
A Bernese hunter that always seems to get in over her head.
Posts: 141
Profession: Wanderer
Affiliation: Bern
Guild: Order of the Bear
Affinity: Fire
Profile: ║ Selunae ♦ Journal ║
OoC Alias: Edgewind/Lunie
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Post by Lunie on Jul 18, 2018 2:06:16 GMT -6
Selunae continued to observe in wonder. Chopsticks.. what a curious way to eat. It wasn’t really that the troubadour was using a pair of sticks to eat, so much as the fact that she was using them proficiently. Perhaps it would be fun to learn to use them. However, it still perplexed her how Midori was utilizing them with such delicate finesse. The archer was expertly displaying that she never really went out often, as her table manners were absolutely atrocious even if the company she fell in with paid no heed to it. Truly it was a boon that the Sacaean and her mentor were so gracious to accommodate her without judging.
“I never seen anyone use ‘em before. I uh.. didn’t mean t’stare or nothin’ but they look kinda neat..” The girl turned at Lucy’s mention of Skai’s children. “How old are they? His kids, I mean.” Tearing away a strip of meat from the chicken, she stuffed it into her mouth while waiting for the answer. She followed with a sip of her tea, noting hints of cinnamon and some other spice she didn’t recognize. It was more delicious each time, perfectly balanced between the apple, milk, honey, and spices. She only enjoyed this beverage on rare occasions back home, but this made her wish she could have it everyday.
It would seem the real problem Selunae had with Seren was simply that the two weren’t ready for a trip such as this and simply needed a bit more time with each other first. That alone wasn’t so much a problem, as the rider and horse had nothing but time at hand. Of course, it was in her best interests to solve the matter before leaving. Well really, it was sort of part of why she came. At least to the effect of becoming skilled in mounted archery – there was little chance of that occurring without the cooperation of Seren.
“I really can’t thank ya enough for this. I can’t wait to get settled in so I can relax. I guess, aside from meals like this, the thing I miss most is a soft bed. Well, course I miss my family and friends too..” The archer hoped to become friends with Midori while she was here. In a sense, she felt like they were already friends but that was simply an effect the healer’s personality. Perhaps they could converse privately later. Lady Lucy’s presence wasn’t overwhelming, but it still carried weight as if Selunae was speaking to the young woman under a mother’s watchful eye. Thus, the huntress was bashful about raising some subjects of conversation, especially with the older woman’s more frank speech. Then again, she did randomly blurt out the question of whether Skai was cute.
What were Midori’s temple duties? Though there was some form of Eliminism practiced in Bern, Selunae had no experience with any form of religion. It piqued her curiosity a bit, though the girl was wary about anything regarding temples or magic. Of course by wary, that meant borderline paranoia.
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Post by Midori on Aug 7, 2018 17:14:51 GMT -6
"There ages.. oh.. I think I missed a birthday somewhere in between my travels. The oldest is either nine or ten. And quite the rider already. The second child is a year younger. And I think.. the third is about four." Midori took a moment to count on her fingers. She really should pay Skai's family a visit and catch up with the children.
"Skai himself is twenty seven.. twenty eight? Anyway, he married when he was 18." Midori shrugged slightly and resumed eating.
"I know they all sound painfully young. But, their lives revolve around horses, farming, and archery. You will learn something from them even if they will not be teaching you directly." Lady Lucy commented.
"Aye, the comforts of home are severely missed when one is traveling. Fret not, you will sleep comfortably upstairs." Hopefully. The beds upstairs were decent. The staff of the Inn pride themselves on making acceptable and comfortable accommodations for their guests. But, everyone was different, what was comfortable for one, may be uncomfortable for another. Midori and Lady Lucy ate the rest of their meal in peace. They answered the rest of Lunie's questions and curiosities in their typical fashion. Midori was comfortable around Lunie, which nice. She saw Lunie as another villager, someone to her equal. She wasn't a rank and file above her and thus she felt like she could speak freely. Once, her meal was over, she did need to excuse herself. Her comment about returning to the temple was not a lie and she knew she had already spent enough time out of it today warrant an extra chore or two. It was worth it.
"It was nice to meet you Lunie. But, I shall put you in Lady Lucy's care for now. I have to get back to the temple and finish my job."
"Duties. Midori, Duties. They are your sacred charges and should be addressed as such."
"Ah yes.. the sacred house keeping duties. The holy arts of sweeping and cleaning." She joked slightly. Midori received a pat on the head from Lucy.
"May the ancestors watch over you child. And good luck." And with that the priestess was off. Lucy sighed softly and shook her head.
"She's going to get an earful from the priests for her tardiness. I can feel it. Ah, nothing to do for it now. Once, you are done with your meal I'll get you settled upstairs."
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Lunie
Nomad
A Bernese hunter that always seems to get in over her head.
Posts: 141
Profession: Wanderer
Affiliation: Bern
Guild: Order of the Bear
Affinity: Fire
Profile: ║ Selunae ♦ Journal ║
OoC Alias: Edgewind/Lunie
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Post by Lunie on Aug 8, 2018 0:11:29 GMT -6
Selunae flopped gracelessly and unceremoniously backwards onto the bed in the quaint and cozy room provided by her hostesses. It had been quite a day and there was much to take in – here she was in a whole new country among a culture radically different to what she was used to. Yet, it was nice. Though Lady Lucy projected a stern and imposing presence initially, she’d softened as the day progressed and Midori seemed to emanate a peaceful aura in contrast. They were quite the pair. Then there was Aea. Things had grown a little awkward between them at first, but the purple haired traveler seemed okay. The manakete had been heading to Bern when they crossed paths so it seemed likely they wouldn’t be spending much time together if any at all. After finishing her meal and saying her goodbyes, she had spent the rest of the evening taking in the sights with a casual stroll around the village. The huntress had received and, in turn, given back numerous glances of curiosity between the Chaklai villagers she encountered. Most of the faces were friendly or at the very least indifferent, but one older gentleman looked positively baffled by her presence. The itinerant archer had pacified him with a simple sweet smile and went about her shiftless, unguided tour. There wasn’t any specific place she’d hoped to find, unless one counted the inn where she’d be staying. It was too real a risk that if she strayed too far she’d have trouble identifying it after dark, but it had proved to not be an issue as evening brought the day to a close. On second thought, Selunae actually had hoped to find that river Lady Lucy had mentioned, but with the absentminded slow pace, she hadn’t really accomplished anything she’d set out to do. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. The girl had managed to relax and enjoy herself a bit. Now, she stared at the ceiling from the bed, her tiring brain filled with thoughts of the day as the warm light of paper lanterns illuminated her surroundings. As she drifted into thoughts of the friends she’d left behind in Bern, she realized why Lady Lucy’s name had sounded oddly familiar to her. That was the name of Ito’s wife. Odd coincidence. It still bothered her, the unnaturally stoic response he had given. It had been as if he’d forgotten that humans are supposed to feel emotion. Of course, at the time she’d been an emotional wreck, but it still didn’t balance out. Then there was Kyra. It was likely they had become friends so quickly due to the emotional trauma of the proverbial security blanket of Selunae’s life being ripped away from her so suddenly, just by novice being there in the huntress’s time of need. Lethargically slipping from the bed, the teen extinguished the lights hanging in the room. Before laying back down, she prized up on the window, allowing the gentle night breeze to flow in. A silent yawn worked its way out of her lungs as she drooped back into the bed, but her sleepy brain wouldn’t leave Bern even though her body had accomplished the feat a day or so ago. It wasn’t completely clear when she’d officially crossed the threshold into the grassland nation from its mountainous neighbor, only that her thoughts were trapped once more within it’s borders. Delia had truly been the only of her new friends that she had managed to give a proper farewell to before leaving. Even after a desperate attempt to reconnect with Alphonz before leaving, she had managed nothing but to learn that he was alive and well after their encounter with that ruffian in the streets of Bern. Perhaps a bit worse for wear but safe. Were her friends thinking of her now? Alphonz never even learned of her intent to leave Bern. She didn’t have a chance to tell him. Upon return from the travesty the rescue mission to the Bonerock Caverns turned out to be, she’d managed to discuss her plans with Kyra, but Ito and Alphonz had been a completely different story. Selunae rolled over onto her side, hoping she could drift away to slumber. Her thoughts still weren’t through with her, however. The huntress sincerely missed everyone sorely. Slowly guilt began to wrack her mind. She had lied to her mother. Openly lied. By now, she should have been back home, at least according to the fib she fed to her parents. Then there was Stanvir and the other hunters that had betrayed the village to become bandits. Thinking about that made Selunae’s stomach knot up. It made her feel sick. Gods, her master, Flint, was dead because of it. Selunae shifted onto her back again, staring at the dark ceiling. Tears rolled down the sides of her face. He was the one who told her about the noble nomads of the plains, the one who suggested she come here. Finally she couldn’t take anymore and pushed herself up from the bed. Everything was quiet in the hall – any other guests were either shut up inside their rooms or perhaps partaking in whatever the nightlife consisted of here. It didn’t particularly interest her though. Instead, she silently made her way to a lonely tree growing near the back of the inn and plopped onto the ground, pulling her knees close to her. Turning her wistful gaze to the sky, the words of her deceased master returned to her mind as her eyes focused on the moon, glowing in a sea of shimmering stars. ‘ Even if you don’t understand it at the time, everything happens for a reason. One of life’s toughest lessons is learning to accept things that you can’t change.’ More tears began to run down her cheeks. The girl wondered if someway, somehow, he might be looking down from above somewhere watching her. As the distraught huntress slowly cried herself to sleep, curled into a ball, she did discover one thing. He was right.
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