Cyrania

To Claim a Starting World

Ouch. Hope the headache clears up.

To Claim a Starting World

Gwendolyn paused in her gathering. Obviously, that didn't look good. There was little chance that those weren't the signs of the beast.

But the human tracks...The boys hadn't come out here, had they? No, surely not. And even if they did, none of them would be foolish enough to...

Oh they would have been, especially if dared by the others.

She looked up towards where the tracks led. With any luck, they'd be unharmed. But if they'd managed to catch up, she could only pray she'd be in time. She started forward, then stopped. What was she thinking? Whatever the creature was, she definitely couldn't fight it with only a knife. But if she went back, she could be too late if one of the boys were already hurt...

She heard a rustle in the undergrowth behind her, causing her to turn around then back up as the wild hunter charged forth. "Arn?"

To Claim a Starting World

Gwendolyn sighed. What on earth had spooked him like that? Something about the two women's argument?

She frowned, heading out of the town and towards the best clearing for yarrow and nettle, all the while pondering. Maybe he was only still thinking about whatever had attacked Lutter. That could have been it. There's still so much about that they didn't understand.

Which might be in the woods...

She stopped at the clearing and glancing around, gripping her knife. No, no way it'd be this close to the village...

Just needed to focus on the nettle and yarrow. Focus on that.

She stooped down to slice off what she needed.

To Claim a Starting World

Gwendolyn raised an eyebrow. When was Volkaser ever just fine? "If you say so.." Really he did seem more pale than not. And why was he outside rather than inside the tavern again? Unless... "Yvenna and Ryska having another row?" She turned her head towards the door. Really, if the two of them could just figure something out, or if Ryska could get married again. If anything, a good father might be the true answer to the village dilemma. But who? Lutter? No, he was too often swimming in the mead. Unless he could give that up, there would be no way he could be someone Ryska or her children could respect.

Maybe Kettil? He wasn't handsome to be sure, but he was a kind, decent, and would know about being firm like the boys needed him to be. He could even teach her sons how to hunt, and provide for the next child. It'd be perfect, if only she could somehow arrange for that.

Avatar: Order of the White Lotus

I could continue this.

To Claim a Starting World

Gwendolyn sighed. "No use harming the potential child to be for the sins of their mother. Even if she really needs to be a better mother." She rose from her seat, grabbing her cloak and herb basket. "I'll go for the yarrow and nettle. Don't wait over long for me, father." She kissed his brow. "I'll be back before you know it." Then she went out the door and into the village, mind pondering.

Perhaps she was simply oversensitive to the idea. She had been a foundling child after all, left to die by whoever abandoned her. Would have died if not for father. Never having a chance to grow and become who she was now. Yet she had at least seen the world and daylight. To just talk so casually about killing a child within their mother's womb...

It was a theory of his. And she could not blame him over much for not wanting Ryska's sons to grow in number and hurt more of the others in their cruelty. Yet, they had no way of knowing for certain that if she was expecting again, the child would be like that too. Or even if it would be another boy. It could be a daughter for all they knew. She would check on Ryska herself, see if she could confirm her father's words. She had thought she could sense the child when last they helped with labor. Maybe it was her imagination, but she could see. Even if it meant hearing her complain, nag, and wonder why she doesn't marry, again.

She huffed, blowing some of her hair away from her face. Why couldn't people be simple? Less likely to get on your case about things that don't concern them? Or willing to stop others from hurting other people just because? True, it likely would make things more boring and dull around here, but sometimes boring was not bad.

She paused as she came by the tavern, spying Voshker looking rather pale. "Chief Voshker?" She came up to him. "Are you alright?"

To Claim a Starting World

I'll put up something soon.

To Claim a Starting World

"I am glad you were able to relieve his worries then. I wish I had more your temperament when it came to other people." She dug into her stew as well. "If I ever want to be half the wiseman you are, I will need to be able to do that as well. And yes, I know Lutter is basically better now. Haven't you said yourself though that it's better to be cautious than let the worse befall do to neglect?" She smiled, then sighed. "I mainly going to have a bit more practice with my, talent. No one would notice if he was as well as he ever was a touch sooner than he should at this point. And we both know the more I practice now, the more I can help when a situation is truly dire."

And given how the villagers reacted to anything out of the norm, like with that man Arn, the ability to practice when no one would suspect it was an utter requirement. Lutter's lingering wounds were so minor that it would not take much energy to coax the healing along, meaning there would not be any awkward questions. Perhaps there would be gossip of her longing for an affair with the man with how much she had taken care of him in his recovery, he would soon be out of their care where the obvious nonsense those rumors and ideas were could finally die the death they deserved. Because really, why would she, who really wasn't interested in marriage at all at the moment, find herself attracted to a drunkard that barely cared to know more about the world than what his day to day life required of him?!

To Claim a Starting World

I'll get out my post either today or tommorrow.

To Claim a Starting World

I thought it was still the night before. Whoops!