After a particularly active afternoon of training with the fighters Ethelred submits himself to Gustav for some bandaging. While watching the ranger work a phrase from the scrolls pass through Red’s mind.
“Gustav, what do you think about when you are healing people? Does the skill you have flow out of you like water? Are you a river or an ocean of healing?”
Red, for the first time, seems genuinely interested in the healing arts.
The day after Alexis talked with/to Ethelred about Lady Alba, Alexis approaches Gustav after his morning “ritual”.
“Gus. I’ve been thinking that we haven’t really talked about the first Sally. You conducted a great ceremony on the mountain, and I’m sure she was touched.”
“And it seems like you might still be grieving her loss. For such a strong love for Sally, you have always strongly rejected any suggestions to get a new mule to love.”
“And you still seem very unhappy with Sally” Alexis nods towards Sally in a near tree, “who has proven loyal and seems to just want you to love and accept her.”
“Do you need some time for grieving before we go? I need you unburdened while we seek out Bandesing’s operations.”
Alexis awaits Gustav’s response.
Inside the confines of the Mithril Lord’s estate, not long after after Gus brings up feeling uncomfortable in Sutheron, Rask asks in Gus’s direction but to everyone:
“What’s Aegier-Aegier, yah know Aegier-city like? Does it smell like a battle, a brothel, a well-used latrine, a garbage dump, and fish harvest… all at once, but worse, too?”
He wrinkles his nose, and pauses for a moment.
“Are there Temples to Raiden there?” He asks disbelief.
His eyes widen, his mind realing, he look more seriously at Gus and Ca’armine. Raiden is a god of battle and protection, and… Aegir…
Gustav gets up the morning after going through Malkar’s crucible. He got plenty of sleep, but looks exhausted by anxiety. The large gleaming crow keeps poking at Gustav’s side since it hasn’t eaten yet and is hungry. Gustav ignores the crow and mindlessly throws some hard tack pieces and a bit of leftovers from Mavon’s dinner the night before on the ground. The crow quickly plops down to the ground and eats the kernels of food.
Gustav sees Ethelred is up and inventorying his remaining equipment.
“Ethelred, Do you like being in the city? I am getting confused.
There are so many people, so many factions all in such a small area. Gangs, Guilds, Collegiums, Temples, Stores, Taverns, Stalls, Houses, Barracks, Briggs, Jails, Mansions, Palaces. Then there are Thieves, Priests, Scholars, Brigands, Mercenaries, Soldiers, Dogs, Rats, Cats, Barkeeps, Torturers, Executioners, Nobles, Mongers, Engineers, Mages and Morticians. And we have met and dealt with many of these just in the last few days.
Sure, I meet these people and factions over time out across Aegir, but it takes years and many miles of travel. Most days out in the real Aegir are just travel, eating, talking to your team, sharpening weapons, shaving coins. Every once in a while meeting another group of travelers. And then repeat the next day.
I wonder if Sutheron was created by evil magical forces as a way to enslave a large amount of people to keep them busy arguing and fighting against each other. There are small groups helping each other, but usually created in opposition to another group. Gangs created to protect their neighborhood eventually take to stealing, blackmail and the “protection” racket in their own neighborhood. Before Aegir took over Sutheron and before Aedelfried and the Red Cloaks took over, was Sutheron a wonderful place where everyone helped each other? I doubt it. I suppose that is a question for Alexis.
I feel lost in Sutheron. I will stay and help as long as Alexis needs. But this place is well outside my heart. What do you think about Sutheron now? I know you are interested in becoming a member of the Collegium as there are many gifts of knowledge of materials for pit fighting they can give you. But what about after? Are you getting used to the city, do you like staying here? The rat is good I guess.
Perhaps this is just a reaction to Malkar’s Torture and I am feeling down today. Ignore me if I am talking nonsense. But I do miss Aegir.”
Alexis is staying up on his watch with the smell of smoke still coming into the mansion of the Crimson Calling. He has spent the time on his watch so far pacing to try and stay ahead of the memories from his time with Malkar.
During his pacing Alexis checks on Gustav, and notices Sally as well. Alexis is able to forget about himself as he remembers what Sally went through.
Alexis squats next to Gustav and speaks to Sally “we both went through a lot today, didn’t we, although I might have come out with fewer scars than you, huh?” Alexis smiles faintly at Sally and reaches out to pet her.
Alexis gets up and walks away coming back a few minutes later with some morsels for Sally. After feeding Sally Alexis asks “I’m going to keep walking around, did you want to join me?” Alexis extends his hand for Sally to hop on.
After the group is arrested by the Collegium guards and taken to the comfortable “holding cell”.
Alexis, looking tired and energized at the same time, who is still bruised from the bookshelf and burned from the scroll magics, speaks.
“Well” he says looking around the richly appointed room “if we’re going to be held for questioning, this is a better spot than most.”
He sits down and starts fiddling with his jasper necklace.
“Lorianne’s surely going to have already gotten the first word. I never thought the Collegium could be so compromised. Have to see how this plays out.”
After shortening the leather thong around the jasper necklace, Alexis wears his red jasper around his wrist. He moves to Gustav to tend to him while they wait.
The night forest is shadowed in the soft glow of lamplight and Alexis’ magical light, revealing old trees, dead bodies, and pools of blood. In the center Alexis stands amidst his weary but resilient team. Their faces are etched with concern and anticipation. Gustav stands slightly apart, clutching a simple dagger with a look of stubborn defiance.
ALEXIS
(seriously, addressing the group)
“This isn’t just about a choice of weapons. It’s about understanding the weight of our decisions, especially when they put others at risk.”
Alexis looks over the group, capturing their post-battle adrenaline-state, Ethelred’s post-battle dread, and highlighting their reliance on each other for survival.
ALEXIS(CONT’D)
(firmly)
“We’re in this together. Choosing a dagger over a magic sword, in the face of bow-wielding orcs no less, it’s not just a personal mistake. It’s a risk to every single life in this camp.”
Alexis walks over to Ethelred, wiping off some of the blood running down Ethelred’s armor and looking at it on his fingers, his voice softening as he turns back to Gustav.
ALEXIS(CONT’D)
(softly)
“Gus, your bravery isn’t in question here. But bravery without wisdom is folly. We needed that sword, not just for its power, but for the protection it would offer us all.”
He steps closer to Gustav, looking into his eyes, searching for understanding.
ALEXIS(CONT’D)
(gently)
“Every choice we make in our crusade against the Dark Hand has consequences. Today, it was a close call. Tomorrow, it might not be.”
A moment of silence fills the room as Gustav stubbornly meets Alexis’ gaze.
ALEXIS(CONT’D)
(curiously, with a hint of something else)
“So, I have to ask… Gus, why? Why choose the dagger over the sword and put Red in dire peril? What was it that you saw in this choice that we didn’t?”
Gustav, looks down at the dagger in his hand, then back up at Alexis. The rest of the team looks on with curiosity.
Rask scanned: the horses’ and mule’s ears, the trees, the trails. After a few minutes, his eyes settled into a pattern and he started to think again.
His eyes slowed a bit as they swept across Gustav and the sword Alexis called “Dauntless,” Torr Bjorn’s sword, a gift from Ishtar, made of start metal, and re-forged by Torr himself. The sword had rejected Rask, chosen Gustav, but Gustav spurned the sword, wished to be rid of it. Gustav Raidensbless’d seemed disgusted and disturbed by the relic. They both needed protection from the Dark Hand.
Alexis Laelius, Ethelred, they were planners, engineers. What was the plan here? Were they really going to take the sword to Mage Eye and Ursill? Even if that is his plan, doing it while being hunted by the Dark Hand and their orcs?
It must be an elaborate ruse. We learned a bit more about the enemy. We could double back soon, push the logs over the trap door, and take on Shyeeni and her orcs. We killed three quickly, we could take out the slaver and her minions before going into the caves to rescue the refugees from the other slavers below… Yes that must be the plan.
Rask scans: the horses’ and mule’s ears, the trees, the trails…
A bit later, Rask clears his throat “A-huH-lex-IS.”
He looks at the Sutheroni sharply and jerks his head back towards the cave and enemy.
He whispers, “How much time are we going to give them?”
Rask scans: the horses’ and mule’s ears, the trees, the trails…
Ethelred waits for Gus to return from his morning ‘prayers’. As he approaches the trees Red stops him near on of the fallen trees outside of the Grove.
“Gustav, I have been thinking, studying.. pondering…”
Ethelred looks around walks a bit farther away from the Grove and indicates for Gustav to follow him. Red touches the fallen tree, ensures it is does not talk.. which as he does this seems crazy. But then talking trees, also crazy.
In a hushed tone.
“As I was saying I have been studying some ways to protect use in battle. While I have a path that is simple.. there is another path that would be more.. effective.”
Ethelred takes another few steps farther from the grove and indicated of Gus to follow. Even quieter he begins to talk again.
“But it would require a bit of a sacrifice.. and I would need your blessing to even start. This tree (indicates the a closest fallen tree) for example could be utilized to give a protective blessing of Raiden… could form a sort of armor… But it would require removing the bark from a fallen tree….”
Ethelred pause as waits to see what reaction Gustav has.