OPEN | Blood And Ice

[northcliffpass]

Civil Blood

I. News from the West

The story of why gets twisted and distorted between its departure from the Crags and its arrival in Northcliff Pass, but the town criers maintain consistency on a few points: Althea of House Jessamy, Duchess of Black Rock, has at last thrown down the gauntlet against the Duke of Cliffside, and has called on her vassals to rally their bannermen. It seems there will be war within the borders of Maireglenne for the first time in a hundred years.

Given the state of the roads leading through the pass, it is understandable that the news is a few weeks’ stale by the time armed soldiers sporting Duke Galein’s colours march (or gallop, if they are astride a horse) past the village walls and garrison themselves on the festival grounds. Anyone objecting to this new arrangement is encouraged by the soldiers to bring their objections to the garrison commander (who, rumor has it, personally oversees the flogging of objectors himself).

Like it or not, the regiment is here to stay, at least until they receive orders instructing them otherwise. On the bright side, the soldiers did the hard work of clearing the pass for the season; travel between Northcliff Pass and the city of Cliffside just got a heck of a lot easier this winter.

II. Cold Snap

And it’s highly likely that those orders will be as delayed as the news, for the regiment has hardly been within the city walls a week before the temperatures plunge to dangerous lows. This is not the seasonal frigidity accompanied by blustery blizzards that encourage snowball fights and a bit of ice fishing down by Sands Creek, but a cold so biting and bitter that any prolonged period spent outside in it runs the very real risk of hypothermia and death. This is the kind of cold that leaves the air clean and clear, with nothing to impede the watery white light of the sun for the few hours it spends above the horizon each day before setting again; it cuts the lungs when inhaled and bites straight through to the bone. Many of the village’s poor are brought within the sturdy walls of the Town Hall and the chapel, because the alternative is finding them frozen solid in the streets.

The silver lining to this development is bare indeed; avoiding the cold means that, for a time at least, the village residents and soldiers are too preoccupied hunkering down to endure the cold to be at cross purposes.

III. A Howl in the Night

On the third night of the deep freeze, an animal’s piercing howl shatters the oppressive silence that has settled over the village.

It’s not a wolf’s howl; it is far too shrill and keening, and comes from a great distance away, that much is clear. The few villagers brave enough to risk exposure to the cold will find nothing of immediate danger within the city walls--but should they lift their eyes and look to the gossamer clouds near the summit of Gods’ Reach, they will glimpse the dark silhouette of a massive winged beast circling the mountaintop in search of a safe place to roost.

Comments

OTA

[strumpeting]

I.

Why yes, a troop of soldiers is generally a giant troublesome bother. They eat all the food, they frighten the livestock, they make too much noise … but for some people it could be seen as a welcome delight. Some people like Elena. After all, this many new bodies is rife with potential for business! And fun! And boy does she like both those things. Plus what’s better than trying to get a man in uniform out of said uniform? While they’re here she can often be seen spending time with the abiding heroes, well out of ear-and-eye-shot of their commanding officers. Singing bawdy songs, playing gambling games, and otherwise being a lurking loveable nuisance. But she’s making friends! Some with benefits! And she’s more than happy to introduce them to her friends of the town … whether they want it or not.

II.

There was once a chandler named Beane
Whose life was all fairly routine
‘Til the cold came and snapped
Left him helplessly trapped
With a woman playing lute so obscene

The frigid temperatures have forced nearly everyone to stay shivering inside, and this has left Elena in a dangerous situation: boredom. No one is out to talk to! Or sing to! Or sell herbal remedies to! Or … okay, yeah, anything. But one day, walking by Kendrick’s shop, she has a thought: what’s everyone going to do while they’re stuck inside? Duh, the best activity two bored people can do to get warm! And what better way to help them get their combined grooves on then with inspiring music and inspiring lighting? Yes, yes, at that moment Elena becomes inspired! She’ll help drum up business for Kendrick! With purpose in her stride she bursts into his shop, grinning wide, before finding a chair and plopping into it.

“Kendrick! I’m about to get you some coin with the power of romance!”

Throughout the days, Elena can be found in this spot playing fantastic, innovative tunes that could inspire masses of composers for centuries to come if they could only hear. But who cares about changing the meaning of music in this day and age when the real goal is getting people to fuck?

She’ll remain there until the kindly, beautiful, wonderful, and non-deserving-of-this proprietor finally manages to kick her out.

I

[infinitewatch]

One man in uniform is not excited about the prospect of villagers mingling with the other men in uniform, and he's standing at the edge of their camp, watching her with a weary look and shivering.
Being bundled up moreso than usual makes Lance look like he weighs about double what he actually does, but a cold snap is no excuse to leave the town unguarded, so patrol he must. However, the only indication it's him at all is the disapproving blue eyes visible above the heavy scarf that covers his nose and mouth.

[strumpeting]

Currently Elena is situated near a fire raucously playing cards with three soldiers. She too is well-bundled, although somehow her bosom seems unaffected by the cold as it is bared for all to gaze upon. And the soldiers certainly do. She giggles as she slams her cards down on the table.

"I don't think you can beat that! Pay up!"

The soldiers react with groans as Elena rakes a small pile of coins towards herself. Well, two of the soldiers react, the third is eyeing behind Elena warily. She turns to follow his gaze and meets eyes with one (1) very disgruntled-looking watch guard. But of course she chooses to ignore his mood as her eyes light up and she waves heartily.

"Lance! Come join us!"

[infinitewatch]

He shakes his head mutely, meeting eyes with the soldier behind Elena, then straightens to start patrolling again-- if he's just standing here watching, it's far more likely that there will be heckling, and he's in no mood for it.
As long as Elena's there, though, he'll be listening for screams (hers or theirs? who's to say) and ready to run back at a moment's notice.

[strumpeting]

Dreary Lance, of course he doesn't want to join them. Elena has seen enough of the watch captain to know that he's far too wound-up in his job to admit he needs a little relaxation. Well, if there's one thing Elena is good at, it's getting people around her to relax! Her current situation already completely forgotten, Elena rises with purpose from her seat and runs over to Lance, leaving the soldiers behind in confusion.

"Lance, Lance, in what happenstance ... was the last time you let yourself have any fun?"

[infinitewatch]

He should've known. His already sour, frozen mood takes a dive, but Lance consoles himself with the knowledge that he's no longer leaving a young woman alone with a pack of gods-forsaken hooligans, so if this is the price he pays... so be it.

He sighs faintly through his nose in answer, really not wanting to think that hard about it. His wedding, probably. But she doesn't need to know about that.

[strumpeting]

"Oh, dear, dear Lance," it's very necessary for her to say his name in every sentence. "Your silence speaks volumes. What you need is some diversion! Distraction! I know for a fact you're not the only member of the watch guard, you could take a break."

She keeps up easily with his stride as she talks, no matter how fast he goes that is a guarantee.

[infinitewatch]

"It's my shift," he mumbles. Just because Lorne is here now doesn't mean they don't all still have plenty of work to do, and Lance still takes on the bulk of the night patrol.

[strumpeting]

"Fiiiiine, yes, but what about when your shift is done? What do you do? Oh, I bet I can paint a picture for you!"

Elena clears her throat and spreads her arms wide to set an invisible stage, smacking Lance in the process. She doesn't acknowledge it, though, as she begins to speak in a low, grave tone.

"Oh, look at me, I'm Lance! I'm going to sit in this chair and stare at a wall until my next shift starts up because if even the smallest hint of a smile cracks on my face the whole thing will shatter!"

Finished with her performance she grins up at him.

"Perfect, right?"

II.

[beane]

Perhaps too kindly, too beautiful, too wonderful, and too undeserving of this, but also too polite, for Beane has not yet evicted his melodious squatter.

To say that he tried would be an understatement, as well, since he neither raised his voice nor used any words harsher than please, Miss Elena, surely the patrons at the Inn would appreciate your talent more, and Elena, I do not wish to be rude but I prefer to work in peace.

But, inevitably, the longer she's there, the more he finds himself tapping his foot along with the rhythm, or quietly humming along as he goes through the motions of candlemaking. Dip, drip, hang. Dip, drip, hang. Or something like that.

That he's able to keep working on filling out his stock speaks to how much business she's drummed up.

[strumpeting]

At the moment Elena's feet are set up on the edge of Kendrick's worktable while she's playing a rather simple tune, just variations on a theme. She seems lost in thought, her eyes observing far beyond the confines of the ceiling. In a thoughtful voice, she speaks.

"Ken, do you think there are people among us, maybe in this very town, that are secretly lizards cloaked as humans?"

[beane]

At first he doesn't quite register the question and just offers a thoughtful hum by way of acknowledgment, but then he does a double-take and boggles at her for a moment.

"I--I beg your pardon?"

[strumpeting]

Her playing doesn't falter, her gaze doesn't shift as she continues talking.

"Do you think they skin humans and wear them like clothes or that they can change how they look? Would that count as the vice? Ken, do you think animals can have the vice?"

[beane]

Beane's eyes get very round at the prospect of these questions, then he blinks rapidly.

"N...No, animals cannot have the Vice," he says, with all the confidence of a child repeating things his parents told him. "I...believe, because they do not share the same...weakness of character that man falls prey to."

[strumpeting]

Elena's eyes suddenly snap into focus and she slaps her heels to the ground. She looks over to Kendrick with a furrowed brow.

"Nah, that's shite. I once saw a ram headbutt another ram off a cliff before getting frisky with the sheep in the herd. Now, I wouldn't call that 'weakness of character' but I'm sure the church would."

[beane]

The suddenness of Elena's shift in attitude is more than enough to make Kendrick flinch, which sends a few hot flecks of wax onto his hands and he has to fumble to get the candles he'd just dipped onto the drying rack and shake the wax free of his skin before he can address her.

"Th-that's not--the church wouldn't--" He takes a deep breath and starts over. "The ram, you see, is motivated by the natural instinct to create offspring for the good of the herd. It hasn't the concept o-of propriety, or custom. S-so what you witnessed was not weakness of character, no, it was...natural."

[strumpeting]

"Oh, so when a ram does it it's natural but if I do it's a social disturbance and a crime and I get thrown in the stocks for two days."

She gives a scoff before considers for a minute, realizing that sounds worse than it is.

"Although I didn't toss him off a cliff I knocked him into a river where he almost drowned. But only almost! And besides that lass was already lifting her skirts to me willingly, happily! How was I supposed to know it was her husband? Clearly he wasn't giving her what she needed if anything I was doing a community service!"

II

[kadia]

Lida has insisted on taking Silfa so that Kadi may, for once, have a proper night out on the town for, truly, the first time in her life. Because anything unnecessary for survival or religion was considered sinful excess in her previous life, she doesn't know where to begin. Instead of asking anyone who might know and thereby looking a bit foolish, she wanders the town and eventually stops in front of Elena, listening to her music with a smile. They did have songs in the commune, hymns and lullabies, but no instruments. Hearing instruments play has been a brand new experience for her.

Between songs, she approaches Elena a bit shyly. She knows how to take charge of situations, how to make transactional conversation, but actually being social with a stranger is still something she has little practice with.

"What is it called?" she asks with a nod to the lute.

[strumpeting]

Oh, Elena absolutely noticed Kadi as she walked in and began to listen. In fact she took her time adding a few more embellishments to the piece before ending it, just to sound more impressive. Whoever this woman is she's young, and very very cute, and that is two things Elena is into.

After the song ends she takes a dramatic pause, her eyes closed as if in contemplation. But as Kadi speaks to her she opens them and looks down to her lute. What's it called? Huh, no one's asked her that before. It's actually kind of a nice question.

"Oh, his name is Ralf." She smiles wide and proud.

[kadia]

It's a him. His name is Ralf. That is so utterly charming that Kadi almost forgets her real question as she smiles broadly.

"Nice to meet you, Ralf," she says politely to the instrument. Looking back to Elena, she continues. "I meant what's the instrument." An awkward pause. "I'm not...from here."

[strumpeting]

Elena blinks in surprise. Huh, that's new. What kind of place could she be from that doesn't have even one lute? Probably a pretty boring place.

"It's a lute. Or I've sometimes heard it called oud. Or strum-boy. Well, I sometimes call it a strum-boy."

A small expression of contemplation passes over her face before she smiles sweetly.

"Do you want to try it?"

[kadia]

Kadi goes back and forth, nearly ducking out from fear of utter humiliation, but what pushes her over the edge is knowing how angry it would make her parents if they knew. A twinkle comes to her eyes and she nods happily.

[strumpeting]

Elena's grin widens, and a bit of a mischievous glint enters her eye as she moves to sling the strap of the lute over Kadi's shoulder. Immediately she moves close behind Kadi and softly grabs the young woman's hands to position them properly. Once situated, she speaks low in Kadi's ear.

"Go ahead, give it a stroke."

[kadia]

And that's how Elena's lute ended up crashing to the floor (unharmed), Kadi's head turning to look at the other woman with wide eyes.

Since coming here, she has seen some couples about where both are men or both are women. It's not common, but she has seen it. And she has always found her eyes lingering on people from both sexes, and lately come to realize what it means. It's the sheer audacity of Elena, how very forward she is, that has Kadi's head spinning, but she doesn't peel away or look put-off. To the contrary, she's suddenly finding that the closeness of the other woman isn't unwelcome at all, perhaps even a bit relaxing.

[strumpeting]

You know, that lute is Elena's baby, but also she can always get a new baby because right now this seems to be going. She gives a small chuckle instead.

"Oops, sorry Ralf."

Still holding Kadi's wrist, Elena pulls the woman around in a twirl to face her.

"What's your name, lovely?"