A pastor in Daeus' church gives a sermon on forgiveness and vengeance.

 

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--<* Temple of Daeus - Courtyard *>=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

 

    The House of Daeus in Alexandria may lack the scale and scope of The Holy See in the nation of Ecclesia, but it is still a befitting monument to the lord of dragons, and god of the sun and all creation. The structure itself is a massive domed basilica supported by immense piers and enveloped by a multi-storied complex with numerous arcing windows, jutting windowed arches and four towers that stand tall at the corners of the large complex. The massive dome centers over the sanctuary of the building but the base of the structure is actually square and multi-layered and leveled like ornate boxes stacked atop one another. 

 

    Artwork and carvings of various celestials and saints adorn the structure while the sunburst symbol of Daeus; The Solis, is emblazoned upon the smooth paved ground with a large washing fountain located in the very center of the courtyard. Maintained gardens and garden paths envelop both sides of the Gourtyard while pathways lead to housing centers and places deeper in the temple for purposes of further meditation.

 

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 Darshan         A sith'makar in Myrrish livery                        0s   8h

 

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= Exits -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

 

Housing <S>               Gardens <N>               Sanctuary <SA>

 

Temple Plaza <O>          

 

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Sandy has arrived.

 

Ylva has arrived.

 

<Meet> Ylva joins Sandy.

 

"And for me it raised again the question posed by our gospel reading - how are we to find it in ourselves to forgive, to forgive from the heart? It's not a new question. And as atrocity follows atrocity in recent human history I become aware of two things. The first is that forgiveness is not something I can do on behalf of someone else. The second is a sense of astonishment that some of the most deeply hurt and wronged individuals should find the resources necessary to overcome their bitterness and desire for vengeance." ...

 

Father Bartush stands in the midst of the hall, his arms spread palm-wide in the air in front of him. He wears the pale white alb of the clergy, with a platinum-and-yellow stole. Two Sunbursts are embroidered at its ends in gold thread that matches the cheerful reflection of the Sun along his balding scalp. In the chapel, the early-morning congregation stands in mixture: half nap, and half stand to rigid attention. And, half-to-rigid is the sith'makar. He's near the back pew, fighting to stay awake. He watches the pastor, eyes tired and grimy, with a little girl beside him, dressed in--well. As of just five, six minutes ago, her dress probably hadn't had grass stains.

 

Sandy, of course, is arriving fashionably late to everything. She's bringing Ylva with her, too. "This is the Church of Daeus," says Sandy, "He's also known as the Platinum Dragon and the Lord of the Sun. He's one of the most powerful of the deities," she explains, "and is who Darshan follows. Probably because it's an excuse to bake in the sun on a rock somewhere." She keeps her voice low. "Just keep your voice down while the guy up there prattles on."

 

Ylva is along, dressed tidily and modestly for visiting the church. Yes, the (currently clean) savage is even wearing a dress! It's simple attire, and not a speck of mud or dirt on it anywhere. She is being very deliberately careful. "Ooh," she murmurs, looking up at the most resplendent building she has ever seen, not that she has seen many buildings. "Alright. I'll be quiet."

 

"But Daaaarshan..." she whispers, this little girl. She sounds urgent, and has her legs clenched together and her toes bouncing. It's the 'I have to go potty, Darshan, and I have to do it RIGHT NOW' dance every child (and adults, at the end of every business meeting) does. He looks over at her, and the inner lids shiver across his eyes. For a moment, it doesn't look like he registers what she'd said--and then he straightens. It just hit the forebrain, and the movement turns him half around, and--he waves them over, while leaning down to whisper to the little girl again.

 

Ahead, the Father continues, "Yet to speak of forgiveness in the context of the atrocities around Sendor's enslavement seems trite. Who would be forgiving whom? And with the wrongdoers either dead or unrepentant what would forgiveness mean? In the light of the complexity of the situation, with wrongdoing on both sides, such questions seem politically naïve."

 

"Both sides?" says Sandy, mouthing that. She seems to question the father's words, to be sure. 'Forgiveness' is not something she'd apparently consider with regards to anything relating to Sendor. She makes her way to one of the church pews, churches always have pews, and has a seat, gesturing for Ylva to do the same.

 

Ylva follows along, keeping her trap shut. She does lean to one side, spotting Darshan there. The temptation to say hello is resisted. Being quiet, yes. Ylva follows Sandy to the pews and takes a seat there. It takes her a moment to get the dress to sit right as she seats herself, not used to having cloth hanging about her legs.

 

Darshan waves again, and gets smacked in the jaw then by the kid at his side. It was by accident--she's trying to turn around on the pew to see them, and, seeing at least one she recognizes, the small girl-child waves frantically before sitting down again and mouthing silently, 'I HAVE TO PEEEEE.'

 

"I'm not sure that everyone would always agree with that. Sendor has the greater share of it, but when I speak of wrongdoing, I speak of the rebuilding process once the war is over. I speak also of our own guilt. Why did we not act sooner? Or faster? For those of us who have seen the atrocities in Sendor, this question becomes stark, forgiveness laughable." Father pauses, and nods towards the church walls. Along the side, a number of mail-clad warriors, adventurers.

 

Mmmn. That's a little better so far as Sandy's concerned. "This is the sermon," she whispers. And, oh god, the girl had better not pee on the floor. She eyes her for a moment and then grunts quietly before leaning back in her chair. If there's a place where Sandy, herself, looks less comfortable? It's here. Very much here in this holy place. Perhaps she truly is the spawn of demons.

 

Ylva is still fidgeting, paying more attention to her strange new clothes than the sermon. She does lean to the side and whispers back to Sandy, "What's he talking about? What's a Sendor?" She does then try to be interested in what's being said, but the most of it is about things she's never heard of.

 

Jinks has arrived.

 

PEEEEE! The little girl kicks her feet in the air in front of her, and is practically bounding up and down in her chair. Ahead at the podium, the minister starts to speak again, "But a task no less important. Rebuilding Sendor will mean more than a political process. We as a people will have to live, move among them some day. Today, we must take in their refugees, and care for them. They will carry the same guilt, and anger, we do. It is not something we can keep with us forever." And here, the gentle old priest, he pauses, "This does not prevent us, however, from kicking Kinnevack's ass."

 

Darshan, beside the small girl-child, glances the way of Sandy and Ylva, and bends down to lift the child underneath the arms. The group of them sit in the chapel, in the midst of a sermon. So far, Sandy's presence has not made it explode.

 

Isn't fighting. For all intents and purposes, the little gnome's head might appear to be lowered in reverence at first glance but anything beyond a cursory inspection reveals that heals sleeping soundly somewhere towards the back. He doesn't snore or anything but that doesn't stop the older woman with greying, curled hair from shooting disapproving looks and nudging him with her elbow with growing frequency and intensity. She might just not be fond of gnomes. It might also be because he smells of the wine he'd been enjoying up until he started home and ran out of steam, stopping into what seemed to be the most welcoming temple in appearance so he could rest his legs for a moment. That was at the beginning of the sermon.

 

"You know where the earth hurts? Where you went to and fought the troll things you told me about?" whispers Sandy back to Ylva, quietly, "All of that happened over Sendor. The people who invaded Sendor are the ones who made the earth hurt. Sendor is the name of the land there." She coughs, giving a look towrads one of the people who's trying to shush her so they can hear the sermon.

 

Darshan lifts the little girl--she all but clings to him, wrapping around arms and legs like a kid's going to do. And he--starts to make his way out of the pews. There are alot of, "Excuse me"'s, and "Pardon...I didn't see your feet there, Miss Mackelen."'s. The little girl's grass stains, and his own tiredness, are more evident as they move through the congregation towards the end of the pew. 

 

He clears his throat, and smiles down at the podium. "I hear smiting is therapeutic. But, once this task is done, we will be faced with another. We must, in time, find forgiveness in our own hearts, and in the hearts of these refugees who have faced so much. 

 

"This task doesn't just belong to theologians, or priests. Theologians, men in cloth, can certainly help us to undermine illusions about our faith that are blind to the world as it is. And from very early days faithful thinkers have grappled with matters of society, war, peace and justice. But I think we have to realise that whatever answer we come up with we have to live by. Because in the end, faith is not about words and interpretations: it is about life and how we live it, about Daeus and how Daeus moves us - not food and drink but righteousness, peace and joy. It is about forgiveness, love, and compassion. It is about smiting, too, but we cannot do that forever."

 

The savage nods silently when Sandy explains things to her. Ylva thinks for a moment, then looks toward Darshan and the girl. She leans over toward them as undisruptively as she can, which does involve squashing all the way in front of Sandy. Ylva whispers, "I don't think people are allowed to pee in here."

 

"They, er, aren't. No. No peeing. And no animals like Ulfr either, obviously," says Sandy, gesturing around briefly. The gesture is minimal since the place is crowded enough to restrict some arm movement. She gets shushed again, grimacing at the words. Especially ones like 'forgiveness' and 'compassion' and 'love'. Apparently, they turn her stomach.

 

Jinks is finally brought out of his nap by an old-lady elbow that nearly sends him sprawling out of his seat. He blinks his droopy lids and looks around. Eyes go immediately wide when he notes all the people dressed for worship and the soothing words of the priest, panicked thinking he's woke up dead. He's quick to collect his wits and issues a sigh when he finds that he can still touch his face and that the old woman next to him jumps appropriately for a living person when he pinches her. A disarming smile and the older lady's sense of propreity is probably the only two things keeping her from full-on slapping the smaller fellow.

 

At the head of the chapel, Father Bartash continues. The subject of the day is definitely about forgiveness, and rebuilding. About letting go of hatred. It touches on a sensitive topic, and a few practitioners shift in their chairs--others look straight ahead, or nod. Eventually, he reaches a point where, "...and the offerings today will go towards Sereth's House...Serith, could you come here, please?

 

"Serith here has opened a shelter for the refugees from Sendor..." As he speaks, a pair of women and men begin to move about the congregation, extending a set of bowls. 

 

The subjects of love and compassion are mentioned a few times.

 

Darshan stops nearby, and the little girl clings to him. He indicates the door to the chapel, and then the little girl. "Restroom," he says, quietly. And keeps his voice down. "I can't take her--" he gets shhhh'd! "--could one of you? Please?" He finishes anyway, voice quiet, expression solemn.

 

"I've really got to PEEEEE!" says the girl. She bounces up and down a few times. She really does have traces of mud on her dress.

 

Jinks gives the donation bowl a confused look before he realizes what these holypeople have in mind. He begins to pat his coat, check a pouch on his belt or two, and even takes off his right boot and overturns it with a shake to no effect. He looks at the collector with a sheepish expression and just shrugs, pulling the lining of his coat pocket out to indicate that he's without coin to donate. A gesture that might seem a bit more genuine if he weren't wearing that emereld-set gold ring, the platinum earing, or the glittering bracelet that's only partially obscured by the frills of his shirtcuff.

 

The old lady 'harumphs' and (making quite the point to show the gnome what she's doing) drops no fewer than three silver coins into the basket. If disapproving stares could kill...

 

The woman with the donation bowl glances at Jinks before moving on to the next person, and then the next. The old lady draws a genuine smile, and she leans down, kissing her briefly on the cheek before moving on. Eventually, gradually, it begins to fill, and the priest steps down from the podium and begins to move about. He hugs people. He shakes their hands. He acts glad to see them. He kisses babies. People begin to stand, and talk--a quiet murmur begins to fill the arches.

 

Ylva stares at the collection bowl as it ends up her way. She narrows her eyes and thinks, trying to figure something out. Failing, and with no Ulfr to ask for help, she leans to Sandy and queries, "I'm confused. Why is a bowl of money being offered to me? Have I been mistaken for someone important?"

 

As people get up to leave, the well-dressed gnome hops off of his chair (planning to sneak away discretely before being mistaken as one of the Faithful or exposed for the ungenerous scoundrel that he is) only to find himself choking and unable to progress. His bejeweled fingers reach behind him, groping blindly at the back of his collar until he finds the wrinkled skin of an older-woman's hand holding him firmly in place. He twists to look back over his shoulder and offers the beginning of a smile that's quickly devoured by a lecture the like of which he's not likely to have ever encountered. The sheer volumes of 'well I never's and 'you should be ashamed's seem to physically weigh down the gnome. As other people slowly stand and move to leave, the out-of-towner finds himself rooted in place for a verbal drilling that's not likely to end quickly.

 

"No. It's for donations to the church. Here," says Sandy, offering Ylva some gold coins, "Put those in the bowl." She explains, "It's a token of respect to the deity and to the cause it represents. Typically, with the Daeusites, it's actually a good thing." She peers at Darshan and Ylva for a moment. And the girl. "..you want me to take her somewhere to pee?" She sounds.. pained.

 

Near the Terrible Two, Darshan grunts for an answer, and starts to disentangle the girl. She sniffles, this girl-child, and holds out her hands to cling to Sandy's child-bearing hips. Darshan doesn't have hips. Clearly, Sandy's are better.  

"Hi. I'm Ganesa Mandara," says the girl to Ylva. "And I /reeeeeeeaaaaaaaallllllyyy have to go." Darshan wrinkles the side of his muzzle, and scratches at it, his eyes warm and gentle. 

Ylva looks confused a moment more but does give the coins to the waiting bowl. She then looks to the child and smiles. There's a bit of curiosity there as well, as this is the first time she's seen a child up close. "Hello. I am Ylva, Daughter of Wolves." She glances around. "I don't see any good places to go in here. I don't think they would like it."

 

Sandy just looks pained. "I'll deal with it, Ylva." She gets to her feet and goes to take Ganesa by the hand. She'll hopefully find a place for her to go. If she can find it. She does not know the temple well. Otherwise, Greta's prize flowers might be getting rained on.

 

Ganesa giggles as she clings to Sandy's hips. She buries her face against the artificer's clothing, as she bobs away, and Darshan...glances heavenward, as though asking a pray of the gods, themselves. 

He probably is.

 

"Hhuhhhrrm...there's food after, if you're hungry," he says to Ylva. He turns slightly, offering to walk with her out of the Chapel, or, of course, stay there. And near the front, the Father continues to move about.

 

Jinks weathers the long lecture with a stoicism that's commendable once he's over the initial shock of being accosted by the lady (who could best be described as a disapproving school marm). He looks up at her face whilst she rails on, blinking occasionally and tilting his head. When she's done (making that quite clear with a 'So what do you have to say for yourself, HM!?') he waits a moment before rattling off some rapidfire gnomish, even adding a few dramatic pantomimes for effect. The aging schoolmarm opens her mouth and lifts a pointing finger to continue her scolding but finds all the wind gone from her sails when her brain catches up with years of honed reflexes to realize that she doesn't understand a word he just said and that he, most likely, didn't understand a word she says. Sandy might be interested to note (if she's not too busy attending to the insistent bladder of a little girl) that Jinks is making some rather keen observations about the short lifespans of humans, their obnoxious penchant for butting into other peoples' business, and recommends that the 'nice lady' take her lecture on a long walk off of a short pier. He smiles politely once he's finished talking, waves, and starts away from her! (which just happens to bring him closer to Sandy, Ylva, Darshan, and his ward)

 

So SAndy has a little girl clinging to her as she's on her way out. And then, of course, there is an older woman and a gnome. She stops, listens to this for a moment while Ganesa continues her dance, and then she proceeds to detail, to the older lady, *exactly* what the gnome said. Nearly word for word. She smiles cheerfully at the gnome, waggles her fingers in a mocking wave, and proceeds to wander off with Ganesa to let her pee at last.

 

Ylva remains oblivious as always, and looks on confusedly. Shrugging once more, she turns to Darshan and walks with him out to the front of the chapel. "There's a lot of stuff I don't understand."

 

Jinks makes a point of not looking at Sandy. Just. Not even a glance. He won't do it. But when she's done talking he sighs, dramatically, and lifts up his hand. He slides the gold ring from his finger and turns to find one of the basket-bearers. Only to realize that the girl from before is already standing before him, basket in hand, with an expectant look on her face. With a look of remorse and by nothing more than the sheerest force of will, he drops the ring into the basket. Infinitely pleased, the schoolmarm offers the gnome a blessing and turns to go about her daily business. She's even whistling she's so pleased with how things turned out.

 

The ladies beside the schoolmarm are less forgiving--Jinks is given a few looks. Just a few, dark, with heavy V's down in wrinkle-crepe across their foreheads as they file out past the pews. And the little girl at Sandy's hips looks to have fallen asleep. Or, she's halfway there. Her eyes are half-way open, and she hangs against the elf like a sack of pudding. 

 

"It's mrmmm..." Darshan pauses. He walks a ways with Ylva, and glances back at Sandy. Pauses again. "One has lived here a number of years. Before I...my people are only rediscovering the gods. A people very much like Kinnevack took them away."

 

Indeed, Ganesa is totally taken out to pee and is indeed half-asleep upon her return. Which means that Sandy is more or less carrying her. She's less than pleased about this and does indeed try to hand her back to Darhsan, plaintively. LITTLE GIRLS. NOOOOo.

 

Jinks narrowly avoids being lynched through equal parts cunning (not noticing the looks) and cowardice (ducking between a rather rotund man's legs and using him to block line-of-sight as he makes his way towards the chapel's exit). He slips out of the door without taking the time to greet or shake hands. It was all a misunderstanding, yes, of course, but it was a misunderstanding that got him... well, exiled, for lack of a better word. Best to surrender the chapel to the Faithful.

 

Ylva bites her lip and looks downward. "I don't know anything about all these peoples and places. I, um." She's trying to get all these new facts pieced together in a way that makes sense. The world is a lot bigger than she imagined. She smiles when she sees Sandy again.

 

"Yes," Darshan agrees, solemn. He pauses and glances quickly heavenward. The quick look turns into a pause, and then he turns around, too, and leans down to hug Sandy+Ganesa. "Thank you for coming," he says, solemn still. And then Ylva's given one, too.

 

She is hugged. This, really, is actually the *last* thing that Sandy wanted. She is still holding Ganesa out to Darshan with this pained expression that screams, 'for the love of the gods, TAKE HER'. She does not want children. At all. Ever. And it's probably a good thing.

 

Darshan settles Ganesa under an arm like a sack of potatoes. The child appears used to it--she adjusts by rolling into a smaller wad so her legs don't dangle as much. Apparently, this is how a lizard knows to hold a human child. "...which peoples and places?" he asks at length. Then, "Sendor?"

 

"You know. I'd like to point out that the finer points of inflection and inference are lost when translated by a non-native speaker." It's Jinks! He's back! And standing behind Sandy with his arms folded imperiously over his bright red coat and frilly cravat. Thankfully, those women are gone (probably off to have brunch, pick flowers, or do whatever it is a gaggle of women does after services). "It's like listening to a goblin recite elven sonnets."

 

<Meet> You offer to meet Eira.

 

Eira has arrived.

 

<Meet> Eira joins you.

 

Jinks is standing not far from the doors out of the chapel, behind Sandy, with his arms folded. It might be worth noting that one of his hands is decidedly lacking in the gold-ring-set-with-an-emerald department. Darshan has a child slung under his arm not unlike a small dog and Ylva looks happy to see Sandy.

 

Pause. Darshan looks from Sandy to Jinks, and... "Do not start a fight in my god's House," he says firmly. And then, "There's food outside, if you're hungry. It's..it is cooked," he adds, with slow humor, a slow relaxation that doesn't quite reach. Darshan wears an alb, tied at his waist, and it's Ganesa, tucked underneath his arm like that small dog...just curled up, and fast asleep with tiny snoring sounds.

 

Around them, people are leaving, moving about, or talking. Father Bartash is among them, shaking hands as he and a small group exit through one of the sides. Just outside the chapel, is the smell of food and the rush of voices in the early morning air. There are quite a few families, children, and adventurers. And children. There are many, many children.

 

When Jinks speaks, Sandy pauses for a moment and then turns towards Jinks to eye him. "My understanding of Gnomish is perfectly fine, thank you. My teacher was a bloody gnome many years ago, so whatever excuse you're planning on trotting out is unnecessary." She just rolls her eyes and then turns back to Ylva. "So did you like the service?" She asks.

 

"Servus! Servus! I got one, look!" One of the kids breaks free of his mom and barrels into the group of them. "Excuse me! Excuse--" and he squeezes through. He takes off through the door and into the courtyard, holding a small box and lid. They're about a food and a half in length, about six inches tall. It's this he clutches protectively to his chest as his small legs pump like tiny thunder.

 

Ylva tilts her head to one side and thinks again. There's that ever-present look of contemplation. "I don't know. It was very strange and spoke of lots of things I don't understand. Are we supposed to hate someone, or forgive them for something? I lost track pretty early."

 

Jinks just smirks, swallowing the first comment that comes to mind and shrugging at Darshan. Without further ado he makes his way out, humming quietly to himself.

 

Jinks goes OOC.

 

Jinks has left.

 

Eira steps inside the courtyard from the circle followed by a man near her to her age and with no doubt also from Stormgarde, apparently, she did not attend mass with the Daeusites. Pausing, standing poised as if she is looking around for some one in particular. Spotting the Sith in his alb she selects him, approaching with her careful stride "Brother Svarshan.." The Draconic pronounciation flowing off her tongue as easily as the common, "did I miss a sermon?"

 

"...just," Darshan says, recovering his footing after the boy rushed by. The same boy's out in the courtyard, by now, holding his box high in the air as he runs. "They talked about Sendor and...how the war will eventually be over. He said we can't stay mad, but it wasn't a," pause, consider the words, "He said it wasn't a reason that kicking Kinnevack's ass should not be kicked in several places."

 

When Eira arrives, Sandy doesn't initially notice her. Rather, she's staring after Jinks with this annoyed look on her face. "Bloody gnomes," she mutters, then explains to Ylva, "Darshan summarized. He was talking about the poison of bitterness. Personally, I like my bitterness." She smiles. Just smiles.

 

Ylva nods a few times, tapping her forefingers together. "That makes sense now." There's another pause. "Is Kinnevack the one that made the earth crack open?" The huntress frowns and turns her gaze down at the ground. "Where do I sign up for the kicking of Kinnevack?"

 

Eira arches a delicate brow at the young boy recalls the sermon in such colourful terminology. Her companion gives a chuckle that he quickly recovers with a cough. "No doubt some disagree, I feel that Kinnevack should be brought to justice, death would be.. too kind, she should be made a proper example for other tyrants." Indeed, Eira could go on for hours about the importance of the law and justice, but her friend taps her shoulder, as if to remind her to silence now and then.

 

Darshan looks over, briefly. And grins, "There's a line. Sandy or Lady Eira can tell you about it, or...if you come by in the next few days. I'm going to be here for a while. Srassha's...still not laid, yet. They tell me it will be soon." Pause, pause. And the muscles along his cheek twitch, like a long held-in panic, but the smile stays in place. Sort of forced, there. Panic. Twitch.

 

"Yeah, that'd be the one. Kinnevack and the people working for her. Bastards," Sandy looks like she'd spit on the floor for a moment. She scowls even more darkly for a moment at that, shaking her head and repeats herself. "Bastards." Then she glowers at Darshan thereafter. "...still can't believe that's even happening. And personally, I'd like to make sure Kinnevack's bloody *dead*, but I wouldn't mind destroying her in a public spectacle first."

 

Eira notes Ylva's question, turning to the scruffy woman, "There are transports to the front often, you don't need to sign up. They always take volunteers at the front." She gives the Sith a sympathetic look, "I am certain they miss your inspiring words at the front, Svarshan. Not that there aren't priests there, but.. you have a way of things." She straightens when Sandy speaks, she manages to restrain her tongue for a moment.

 

A pause, and then Darshan ducks his head. Pauses...and slowly raises it again to look outside and towards the sunlight, "Well. The Father gave his blessing," and that seems to settle that. Grins. "Give the hatchlings a few years, Sandy. We're giving them to the Church...I think huhhrm, in a few years, there may be a few more of my people out here. They'll need something to ride. Maybe they'll go after the next Kinnevack."

 

Ylva catches that last part and stares at Darshan incredulously. "There's a next Kinnevack?! Er, what are we supposed to do when there's more than one! I didn't even know there could be more than one of an individual! I really have a lot to learn."

 

"It's more that there's always someone looking for power," says Sandy to Ylva. "So when he says 'the next Kinnevack', he does not literally mean that there'll be another one. Rather, he means someone *like* Kinnevack." She seems to want to make sure there are no misunderstandings here! This is how terrible rumors are born!

 

"There is always a dark presence looming, no matter how much good is done." Eira informs the young woman, "Unfortunately, the gods of darkness and their followers are not content to stop no matter how often we defeat them." She wets her lips, "I, for one, am anxious for war to be over so I may resume my studies of Genrivia. Tho, at present I am on a hunt for a simpler task, I was hoping someone could direct my stepson to a brewer of Stormgarde style ales to bring to the front." She points to the man with her, the obvious stepson. "My husband's house is to pay for ales to be brought to the front so we can see to the men from our lands who have fallen, we need ale for this purpose. I suppose an temple is an odd place to look, but in my village.. our priests often brew such ales."

 

"One's liege...may know someone," Darshan says after a time. He listens, quiets, turns the words over in his head, and looks eventually to Eira. "She'll be here later to pick up her niece. One may ask." The tail flickers, moves side to side. Outside, the two boys are bent over the brown box. The lid's now off--and one of them pulls out a long, wriggling worm. Their smiles are as wide as ships. Underneath his arm, the niece stirs--gives a kick and sort of--tumbles to the floor.

 

Darshan goes OOC.