IC VI Stormy Seas

[Cavelcade]

He hurries over to her as he sees her there, a concerned frown etched in his face. "Mithril?! Are you alright?"

[Athedia]

Kurt's voice jolted Mithril out of her stupor. Looking up at the kind dwarf she started crying openly. "I am sorry Kurt. Please, I am sorry."

[Cavelcade]

Kurt stares at her blankly for a few long moments before he thinks to give her a hug. "Uh, I don't understand?" He sheepishly pats her on the back. "What do you have to be sorry about?" The confusion in his face echoes the tone of his voice perfectly.

[Athedia]

"He didn't tell you?" She was tightly hugging Kurt back, shaking as she spoke.

[Cavelcade]

He shakes his heard slowly. "He just said...you were doing something, and he didn't want to be part of it. You don't have to tell me what it was if you don't want to." In the meantime he continues to pat her shoulder with a slightly jerky motion.

[Athedia]

"Don't tell, don't tell the others." Mithril took deep breathes trying to calm down. She managed to stand up, shakily but on her feet. Picking up the dagger and sliding it into the wrist sheath she nodded. She was ready to go back.

[Cavelcade]

He helps her stand, looking up at her with concern still showing in his eyes - even as he smiles, trying to distract her from her worry. "That'll be easy - I don't know myself after all!"

[achinca]

Miriam watches the ex-slavers start the fire, wondering what is taking Mithril so long but fully confident that Kurt has the situation under control.

She sits on the stone,still musing that she is now sharing camp with the same men who saw her as a merchandise a few days back.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia looks ahead and asks Shiny and the other group, "Should I...go ahead? Tell advance?" Warn Miriam?

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Heading to Mesa Verde, unknown when I'll be back. Some time today for sure though. Have Mithril and Kurt returned?

[Admiral]

Miriam sees Kurt and Mithril come back around the hill, Mithril still shaking slightly. Then through the city gates she spots Shiny and Natalia approaching. After a quick word from Shiny to the guards, the gates open, and they emerge, with four new travelers.

As Miriam's eyes move over them, she realizes one of them looks eerily familiar. As he draws closer she feels a chill when she recognizes why. The man's face is young and cheerful, but there is no mistaking his distinctive features, nor his deep blue eyes and dark black hair. The insignia of the Church on his hand, the mace at his side, and the sigil of St Cuthbert are enough to confirm it to her- this is Calric Jr., the son of her old master.

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Everyone's together now.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia winces as she sees the look on Miriam's face. "I...sorry. Wanted to warn ahead. Prepare." She steps forward, seeking to support Miriam, and then sees Kurt supporting a shaking Mithril. She shouts the wizards name and Her expression immediately becomes town, as she doesn't know whom to help.

However, she stays by Miriam, there for the cleric if she needs it.

[achinca]

With a small gesture of the hand, Miriam dismisses Natalia and tells her to go help Mithril.

She stays seated but breathes very deeply as she watches Calric Jr. She is assailed by all kinds of emotions and feelings and none of them are positive or constructive.

"Remember that last time you let your feelings for him control you? You buried two friends."

The world around her has totally disappeared as her eyes are solely focused on the young man. She lost all sense of where she is and with whom. The resemblance is uncanny, replacing Calric's white hair with Mary's dark hair.

"I thought I had made peace with this part of my life but I guess I was just fooling myself." She tries to do controlled breathing.

"What do I do? Do I go tell him I know his mom and killed two friends trying to save him? Do I tell him that although I am a couple of years older than him, I was his father bed toy and worse? I am supposed to be wise but I am not. And the symbol of St. Cuthbert is right there in my face, reminding me that I am only a simple farm girl who knows nothing. I am a puppet of the Gods."

She just stays there and stares at the young cleric.

[Admiral]

Shiny steps up to the campfire, as do the four newcomers. Shiny points towards the newcomers with an excited expression. "Look who we found!" he says, sounding a bit like a child.

Brander, at the lead, scratches his head. "So you're the reinforcements from Hulburg?" he asks. "The Minister said he might be sending others, if he found them up to the task." He gives a slightly skeptical expression as he surveys the party. "I'm Lieutenant Brander, I've been leading this mission to seek out Hulburg's enemy in Eldgar. This is Calric-" he points to the cleric next to him, who winks, "Ezra," the blonde woman nods, a disinterested expression on her face, "and this charming gentleman is Lucius." Lucius continues to study the faces of the party. "When anyone else is around, we go by other names: Alden, Walker, Alyssa, and Milton, respectively."

"We should share our information, How long have you been in the continent, and what have you learned?"

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The slavers aren't involved in this conversation- you've stepped away so they can't hear.

[achinca]

Miriam does not hear one word Brander says. She is solely focused on Calric.

When he winks, she winces "He is the same charm as Him. And that same wink he used to convince me to do something I did not want to do ..... Why can't I free myself of him?"

[Cavelcade]

Kurt's attention is focused mostly on Mithril during the introductions, Shiny's enthusiasm washing over him easily - the gnome could talk the same way about a rock that happened to catch his fancy, or even a rock that hadn't. That is, until the name Calric is mentioned, at which point he can't stop his head from snapping towards Miriam, now more worried about him than he just was about Mithril.

He reacts a little to the question, though, speaking slowly first. "We've been here...a few weeks? It's been hard to keep a clear track of time, all this travel through deserts. What we've learned...well, it seems in line with what we saw back in Hulburg. Tribes uniting, acting towards a common goal. Attacking settlements. Giant's attacking travelers even. We've had to piece it together, though..."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia goes to get Mithril and Kurt, but before then squeezes Miriam's hand, saying, "Miriam Sunfollower. Lifesaver. Not Calric's toy. Share burdens, don't...carry alone. Here for you. For anything."

When she sees Mithril, she hugs the wizard and asks, "You okay? What happened?" with nothing but concern in her voice.

As they share their knowledge, Natalia positions her self between the two girls.

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sorry about squeezing everything in and short. See you all on a fee hours.

[Athedia]

Mithril squeezed Kurt's shoulder in thanks. As shaky as she was she could still hold up on her own. "Your father, he isn't anywhere near here is he?" Though tears still streaked her face she stood tall, observing the new-comers. She looked at Calric as she spoke, knowing that Miriam would never ask, was probably afraid to ask. That Kurt would be to polite, that Natalia to veiled, that Shiny, well that Shiny would turn it into a story not a question.

As Natalia hugged her she ruffled her hair and didn't answer. What answer could she give?

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Here, Mithril," Natalia says, pressing against her hand, letting the wizard stroke her hair more easily. It's been getting less messy and ratty lately, though that could be her. "Please. Want to help. Want to understand. Did slavers hurt?" But there were no marks on either the slavers or her friends, they're all still alive and present.

Natalia isn't sure what to say, so instead she presses her hands against Mithril's back, soothing and firm--or at least, she tries. She tries to be a comfort, let Mithril know through words untold that she's here for her.

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oh, I edited my post to Miriam, Achinca. Which is it, Sunflower, sun watcher, or Sunfollower? I can't recall.

===
When Kurt starts explaining, Natalia quietly adds, "Outside uniter, I think. Puppet master. Share knowledge, ideas. More technology than orcs know. War weapons traded, orcs ogres and giants all together."

[Admiral]

He reacts a little to the question, though, speaking slowly first. "We've been here...a few weeks? It's been hard to keep a clear track of time, all this travel through deserts. What we've learned...well, it seems in line with what we saw back in Hulburg. Tribes uniting, acting towards a common goal. Attacking settlements. Giant's attacking travelers even. We've had to piece it together, though..."

Brander nodded. "When we first got to Marvell, we followed up on a similar lead- reports of ogres attacking Firm caravans. We took down a party, and with the information we were able to get out of them we tracked it back to their lair." He scoffs. "It was a dead end: nothing more than a band of barbarians, not the kind of alliance we'd seen in Hulburg. So we returned to Marvell, and thought we'd head to Deldon next to investigate the orcs instead. Looks like you had much the same thought."

When Kurt starts explaining, Natalia quietly adds, "Outside uniter, I think. Puppet master. Share knowledge, ideas. More technology than orcs know. War weapons traded, orcs ogres and giants all together."

"What kind of technology?" Brander asks with curiosity.

Mithril squeezed Kurt's shoulder in thanks. As shaky as she was she could still hold up on her own. "Your father, he isn't anywhere near here is he?"

The smile disappears from Calric Jr.'s face, and he raises an eyebrow. "My father?" he asks with confusion, pointing to himself. "My father hasn't been seen since I was an infant. Are you mixing me up with someone else?"

[Cavelcade]

Kurt nods slowly at that, scratching his chin a bit as he wonders at what's going on. "When we were travelling here, there was attack by a lot of giants too. And not a raid, really, more...planned than that. More determined - they fought until they all died, even though at least one could have ran away. It seemed suspicious to me anyway."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia nods. "Even allies noticed. Not normal giants.

"What kind of technology?" Brander asks with curiosity.

Natalia looks at her friends as if asking for permission, then if they say so, carefully says. "Magicless explosions. Like alchemist fire, but bigger. Much bigger," she emphasizes.

The smile disappears from Calric Jr.'s face, and he raises an eyebrow. "My father?" he asks with confusion, pointing to himself. "My father hasn't been seen since I was an infant. Are you mixing me up with someone else?"

What? But didn't Miriam say otherwise? She peers at Calric.

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Sense Motive: (d20+6)[18]

[Athedia]

"Right, because a lords daughter would lie about the rescuer of the men captured with her. Couldn't save her though could you, good thing we came along or she would have been the next meal." Mithril glared at him, angry because of his skirting the truth.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Mithril..." She squeezes her friend's hand tightly. What if he was telling the truth--or thought he did? Then his father would have never told...

[Admiral]

"Right, because a lords daughter would lie about the rescuer of the men captured with her. Couldn't save her though could you, good thing we came along or she would have been the next meal." Mithril glared at him, angry because of his skirting the truth.

"Lord's daughter- what are you on about?" Calric Jr looks a bit confused.

"Yes," says Brander with a frown, "I think we're all wondering that."

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You might want to reread this post, which is all Lorana said about Calric Jr's rescue.

Oh, and in response to Coffee's sense motive: Natalia doesn't get the sense he's lying.

[Athedia]

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Yes the knowing it was Calric was an assumption on Mithril's part. She believed it was him, I was looking using the post as reference.

"Rescued from ogres, and has no memory of the event. Rather odd I think."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia runs the pad of her thumb along Mithril's, and holds out her other hand to support Miriam. Quietly, she mutters, "So father left son shadowed. Calric left dark too." She says to Mithril, "I think telling truth. Never told, doesn't know. Clear of father's crimes. May bear name, but...maybe not sin."

[Admiral]

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Yes the knowing it was Calric was an assumption on Mithril's part. She believed it was him, I was looking using the post as reference.

"Rescued from ogres, and has no memory of the event. Rather odd I think."

The cleric's eyes clear with understanding, though his frown remains. "Yes, I was held captive by the ogres during my duties at Hulburg. And no, it's not the sort of thing a man forgets. And yes, I was rescued, by an elderly man in shining armor, along with many other prisoners, not all of whom survived. Such is war, but still it is not a memory I like to relive."

He raises his eyebrows again. "Then by the lord's daughter I suppose you would mean poor Lorana. We did what we could to save her, but the lock held... and there were so many others who needed help. I take it from your words you were able to save her?" Relief comes to his face.

Lucius's eyes narrow at Mithril. "I'd say you have some explaining to do." Brander nods in agreement.

[achinca]

Miriam is still seated, starring at Calric. She wants to get up and talk and confront him but she cannot. She feels like she did back a the church: a little girl who would do what she is told because she knows nothing.

Calric's reaction confuses her even more and she cannot tell what is real and what is a lie. The web of confusion spun by her old Master is now more active than ever.

She cannot talk. She cannot move. All she can do is obey.

She sees her friends trying to get the truth out and she knows she should help them but instead she just sits there, starring at the young replica of the man she loved and gave him everything she had and more. Old feelings are resurfacing and she had trouble keeping them at bay.

[Cavelcade]

Kurt steps forward anxiously, tugging on his beard a bit as he struggles to explain what he means. "Well, you see...there was a lot of tension after that - some of our party died there - and we went there to try and save you, because, well one of us knew your mother and wanted to save you for her. But then your father - well, who we think was your father - had gotten there first and we were still glad to save who was there but it just left a strange taste in our mouths. It isn't anything towards you, just...just left over emotions."

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(1d20-2)[6] - bluff or diplomacy as Admiral decides.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Saved, helped, but...high price. Painful price," Natalia whispers quietly. She can't keep quiet now, not with Miriam having a breakdown and Mithril protecting Miriam through her own prior pain. So she tries to make the words come out to strangers, try to comfort both her friends with her speech because her arms aren't long enough though she holds Mithril's hand and her other one is bracing Miriam's back, small and gentle. So she asks them, tries to cut the pain from Miriam before she can't take it anymore. "Please...personal pain. Let us open scars...on our own."

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Diplomacy: (d20+1)[12]

At least I didn't do worse than Kurt!