NaNoWriMo, part 6
Nov. 13th, 2006 05:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bookish_dragonNew title: The Ties That Bind. Still subject to change.
"This is The Duchess." She traced an imaginary line to the south. "There is Plün, the village you came from."
"We are not from there," Marnak interrupted. "How do you know we came from there?"
Ameena cringed. "I am sorry, sir. I did not mean that you were born there. Just that that was your last stop before you came here. Your scout, Bjernu told me." She stared intently at the map. "As you can see most villages are a day or two of travel away from here. That is, on foot. Horses would be faster, but few people here have enough that they would be willing to lend them out. They are only used in this fashion when strictly necessary."
"When would that be?" Marnak asked.
"When they are in need of Sister Emmar's help, for instance. She is our healer. Every village has its own, of course, but she is the most skilled, even if she will not admit it." Ameena sounded more animated. Her tail swung behind her and her eyes were shining.
"What kind of help do you provide?" Marnak was interested to know. He was surprised by the monk's change in attitude.
"There is Sister Emmar. We help when there are not enough people to get the harvest in, or to sow next year's crop. When there is a threat to a village. Like we should have at Plün, had we only known in time. How sudden did that happen?" She looked up at Marnak, her face curious.
"We were stopping there for the night. The farmer whose barn we were staying in had warned us not to, saying that goblins had come down from the hills only two nights before. They were being pests. Stealing cattle, trampling the young corn. We stayed anyway, and managed to track down the goblin-leader. Once he had been taken care of, the band scattered and fled. They will be back, but for now they have no leader."
"You killed him?" Ameena asked.
"In the end. We tried to reason with him first. It has worked in the past. It did not this time." Marnak scowled.
"You killed him where he sat?" she asked, looking aghast.
"No. We left, and they followed us, we found out later. They attacked Plün during the day. The goblin-leader was none too pleased with our meddling. So not pleased he led the assault. It is not their usual style, this out-and-out fighting. They prefer stealth..."
Ameena waved her hand impatiently. "I know. Please, go on."
"He got killed by one of Bjernu's arrows. He was up in a tree, shooting the goblins from above. After the leader died, the rest scattered." Marnak stared into the distance.
"The village is now safe. Surely that is good news?" Ameena did not understand why Marnal seemed so depressed by this.
"I do not like to take lives. It comes with this work, but I try to avoid doing so nonetheless." He pulled his gaze out of the far distance. "Where were we? Plün is here. Where is the nearest large city?"
"It is several days' travel away from here, and therefore not on this map. This only shows us what can be reached in two days, tops." Ameena walked back to the cabinet and got out a bigger map. She spread it out on table on top of the other maps. "This is Larghain." She hesitated. "It might not be the best of places for you to go to."
Marnak's face hardened. "Why is that? They do not like those dangerous fae?" Anger smoldered in his green eyes.
""Half of the city is made up by 'those dangerous fae'," she said. "As I have heard, that is not the problem. I have never been there, so my information is not the most reliable."
"Who makes up the other half? What have you heard?"
"Humans, sir." She looked at the ground. "They do not like what they call 'half-breeds'," she mumbled.
He had heard perfectly what Ameena had said, but asked anyway. "Could you repeat that? Somewhat louder please."
"They do not like half-breeds. They believe in keeping the races pure. Bjernu therefore would not be allowed to step inside the city's walls. I am sorry, sir. It is said that they claim this is the wish of Corellon Larethian. The humans follow Pelor and they claim the same thing." She had not looked up from the ground.
"I see. Thank you, Sister Ameena." He grew silent.
"Like I said, sir, I have never been there. The stories could all be exaggerations, or outright lies, sir."
Marnak did not answer that. "What about the other races?"
Ameena looked up, confused. "What about them?"
"Are they allowed in?"
"I do not know, sir. Those who passed along those stories here never said. We mostly get humans. Dwarves and gnomes and the others prefer not to stay with us."
"Hmn." Marnak bent back over the map. "Where exactly is it?"
"Here, sir." She pointed out a black dote to the north-west. "It is about a week and a half from here. It is very near the border."
He pointed at the area around the dot. "And this is...?"
"Forests, sir. It is at the edge of the forest that covers the border. Sir, I know it is not my place, but I would advice you not to go there." She looked from the map at Marnak.
"Thank you for your advice, Sister Ameena." He looked up and met her eyes. Hers were black, unusual for an elf. They had green eyes, like he himself did. She dropped her gaze, growing shy again. She was also surprised at her own audacity.
"Can you fight?" he asked her. He watched her tail freeze in mid swing. She looked up.
"Sir? Why are you asking me something like that? It has nothing to do with my current task."
'Because we need to know before taking you along.' "Just answer the question please, Sister Ameena."
"Sorry, sir. I will not. It is none of your business what my qualities are beyond this current task." She had reddened but she looked defiant.
"I will not ask again then. My apologies. Where is another big city here?" He bent back over the maps.
"Cramzia, sir." She pointed out another black dot to the south of Larghain and east of the monastery. "It is on the major road to the capitol. About a week and a half from here as well. We go there at times to buy those things we can not get from the villages here. Sir, can I ask you something?"
"What would that be?"
"Why are you here, and not Bjernu? Would it not be better to have the scout study the maps?"
"A fair question. Bjernu prefers seeing the lands for himself. He and maps do not get along. They mean nothing to him. That is why I am here." He smiled. It made his face appear more relaxed and less serious. Ameena tentatively smiled back.
"I understand, sir." They went back to studying the maps, not noticing the time passing.
I have written more, but lack of computer-access for the past couple of days means I have to type up over 4K of words. o.O *sighs.*
"This is The Duchess." She traced an imaginary line to the south. "There is Plün, the village you came from."
"We are not from there," Marnak interrupted. "How do you know we came from there?"
Ameena cringed. "I am sorry, sir. I did not mean that you were born there. Just that that was your last stop before you came here. Your scout, Bjernu told me." She stared intently at the map. "As you can see most villages are a day or two of travel away from here. That is, on foot. Horses would be faster, but few people here have enough that they would be willing to lend them out. They are only used in this fashion when strictly necessary."
"When would that be?" Marnak asked.
"When they are in need of Sister Emmar's help, for instance. She is our healer. Every village has its own, of course, but she is the most skilled, even if she will not admit it." Ameena sounded more animated. Her tail swung behind her and her eyes were shining.
"What kind of help do you provide?" Marnak was interested to know. He was surprised by the monk's change in attitude.
"There is Sister Emmar. We help when there are not enough people to get the harvest in, or to sow next year's crop. When there is a threat to a village. Like we should have at Plün, had we only known in time. How sudden did that happen?" She looked up at Marnak, her face curious.
"We were stopping there for the night. The farmer whose barn we were staying in had warned us not to, saying that goblins had come down from the hills only two nights before. They were being pests. Stealing cattle, trampling the young corn. We stayed anyway, and managed to track down the goblin-leader. Once he had been taken care of, the band scattered and fled. They will be back, but for now they have no leader."
"You killed him?" Ameena asked.
"In the end. We tried to reason with him first. It has worked in the past. It did not this time." Marnak scowled.
"You killed him where he sat?" she asked, looking aghast.
"No. We left, and they followed us, we found out later. They attacked Plün during the day. The goblin-leader was none too pleased with our meddling. So not pleased he led the assault. It is not their usual style, this out-and-out fighting. They prefer stealth..."
Ameena waved her hand impatiently. "I know. Please, go on."
"He got killed by one of Bjernu's arrows. He was up in a tree, shooting the goblins from above. After the leader died, the rest scattered." Marnak stared into the distance.
"The village is now safe. Surely that is good news?" Ameena did not understand why Marnal seemed so depressed by this.
"I do not like to take lives. It comes with this work, but I try to avoid doing so nonetheless." He pulled his gaze out of the far distance. "Where were we? Plün is here. Where is the nearest large city?"
"It is several days' travel away from here, and therefore not on this map. This only shows us what can be reached in two days, tops." Ameena walked back to the cabinet and got out a bigger map. She spread it out on table on top of the other maps. "This is Larghain." She hesitated. "It might not be the best of places for you to go to."
Marnak's face hardened. "Why is that? They do not like those dangerous fae?" Anger smoldered in his green eyes.
""Half of the city is made up by 'those dangerous fae'," she said. "As I have heard, that is not the problem. I have never been there, so my information is not the most reliable."
"Who makes up the other half? What have you heard?"
"Humans, sir." She looked at the ground. "They do not like what they call 'half-breeds'," she mumbled.
He had heard perfectly what Ameena had said, but asked anyway. "Could you repeat that? Somewhat louder please."
"They do not like half-breeds. They believe in keeping the races pure. Bjernu therefore would not be allowed to step inside the city's walls. I am sorry, sir. It is said that they claim this is the wish of Corellon Larethian. The humans follow Pelor and they claim the same thing." She had not looked up from the ground.
"I see. Thank you, Sister Ameena." He grew silent.
"Like I said, sir, I have never been there. The stories could all be exaggerations, or outright lies, sir."
Marnak did not answer that. "What about the other races?"
Ameena looked up, confused. "What about them?"
"Are they allowed in?"
"I do not know, sir. Those who passed along those stories here never said. We mostly get humans. Dwarves and gnomes and the others prefer not to stay with us."
"Hmn." Marnak bent back over the map. "Where exactly is it?"
"Here, sir." She pointed out a black dote to the north-west. "It is about a week and a half from here. It is very near the border."
He pointed at the area around the dot. "And this is...?"
"Forests, sir. It is at the edge of the forest that covers the border. Sir, I know it is not my place, but I would advice you not to go there." She looked from the map at Marnak.
"Thank you for your advice, Sister Ameena." He looked up and met her eyes. Hers were black, unusual for an elf. They had green eyes, like he himself did. She dropped her gaze, growing shy again. She was also surprised at her own audacity.
"Can you fight?" he asked her. He watched her tail freeze in mid swing. She looked up.
"Sir? Why are you asking me something like that? It has nothing to do with my current task."
'Because we need to know before taking you along.' "Just answer the question please, Sister Ameena."
"Sorry, sir. I will not. It is none of your business what my qualities are beyond this current task." She had reddened but she looked defiant.
"I will not ask again then. My apologies. Where is another big city here?" He bent back over the maps.
"Cramzia, sir." She pointed out another black dot to the south of Larghain and east of the monastery. "It is on the major road to the capitol. About a week and a half from here as well. We go there at times to buy those things we can not get from the villages here. Sir, can I ask you something?"
"What would that be?"
"Why are you here, and not Bjernu? Would it not be better to have the scout study the maps?"
"A fair question. Bjernu prefers seeing the lands for himself. He and maps do not get along. They mean nothing to him. That is why I am here." He smiled. It made his face appear more relaxed and less serious. Ameena tentatively smiled back.
"I understand, sir." They went back to studying the maps, not noticing the time passing.
I have written more, but lack of computer-access for the past couple of days means I have to type up over 4K of words. o.O *sighs.*
