Post by Heret Velnnarul on Jun 2, 2020 10:09:07 GMT
Wendy is sitting on a fallen moss-covered tree, looking out at the setting sun to the west behind the mountains. Heret has known her long enough to notice that she's gone home to change - her clothes often look a little dusty and worn from all her travelling this late in the day - and she's redone her hair into a fresh ponytail.
“Wendy!” he calls out as he approaches. “You look as lovely as the sunset! Have you been waiting for long?” Sweeping the tail of his long carmine coat aside with one arm, he takes a seat on the trunk next to her.
"I wanted to talk to you, Heret. You've been so kind and thoughtful and respectful these past months, and you've never pushed me when there were things I didn't want to discuss. I can't really express how much I appreciate that. But you've waited long enough. You deserve to know who I am. I don’t know how you’ll react - but I don’t want you to keep on guessing around in the dark."
She smiles at him, and then looks back up at the slowly darkening sky, hugging her knees to her chest on the log. She's silent for a few long moments. And then she begins to speak.
"I had never been to Kantas before Daring was founded, you know? I suppose you might not think that surprising, but it absolutely floored me. I've travelled the world more times than I care to count. Travelled the planes too, to lesser degrees. I've delivered messages to Efreeti in the City of Brass and sealed boxes to the merfolk at the bottom of the sea. I've escorted packages across the Spine of the World and run letters between the Masked Lords of Waterdeep. I have delivered every envelope and crate I've ever been entrusted with, no matter the origin, no matter the destination."
She sighs. "Because that is who I am, Heret. I like the name Wendy and I've used it for centuries now, but my *real* name is Arrival." There is a curious echo as she says it. "I take things from one place to another - I make sure they arrive - and I've done it for as long as the concept has existed, longer than I even know how to count."
Arrival/Wendy glances over at Heret's face, checking his reaction. "I'm not a god, if that's what you're wondering. Not… really. Barely an Aspect even. A sage I knew once thought I was an Echo of the creation of Fharlanghn - god of travel - but I honestly don't know. But give me a parcel and a destination and nothing can stand in my way.
And people do give me parcels. People who know can call on my services, and I go to them - wherever they are - take the package and the fee - and deliver it to wherever it needs to go, no matter what. It's my nature."
She looks over again, still not waiting for a response before looking back up to the sky and continuing, the corners of her eyes watering. "You're a smart man, Heret, part of you is already wondering what a business could do with that. But what you should be wondering is 'what can governments, generals, criminals, archmages or even devils do with that? Have done with that?'
I deliver sometimes thousands of packages and letters a year, and I have for a long time. Most of them are benign or simple enough. Some however, have been traps, ruses, weapons even. I've delivered poisoned boxes - not knowing until it was done and the Queen of Cormyr or the Duke of Gherwin or whoever lay dead at my feet. You've noticed how I always turn up just as there is mail? People who know me and know what I do can call for my services; I immediately know where they are. Before I came to Kantas there were maybe a half dozen voices calling for me at any given times, pulling me in different directions, any one of which could be using me for some dark end."
Standing up, she stretches her arms out looking around the landscape. “And then I came here, on a delivery to Daring just after it was founded. It was confusing - I knew I had to come here, but I was uncertain of the path, which was a very rare occurrence. When I found the portal and stepped through… Heret have you ever had that moment when a noise stops and you realise you had forgotten what silence sounded like? The calls for me - the pulling - it was all gone, blocked out by whatever the hells this place is. So, I decided to stay, at least for a while.”
Wendy, or possibly Arrival, laughs to herself and looks straight at Heret. “I’ve handed notes to soldiers in the middle of battlefields, and crossed the Anauroch Desert alone at least a dozen times. Managing the post for Daring Heights is not a chore - it’s a joy. The simple act of making sure things get where they need to be in a small community without being called off again and again. You remember when you gave me Miles? I knew there was a message for me immediately - you suspected correctly - but it terrified me. I thought someone had found where I was and was going to call me back to couriering across the planes. I was so happy to have Miles in my life, as well as you of course, but I was also so relieved that I didn’t have to leave. I’ve gone back occasionally, just from time to time to deal with a few urgent deliveries, but it’s always a relief to come back here.”
“So that’s my secret - Heret - I don’t really eat or drink much because I don’t need to. I’m… probably immortal. I will always deliver the post on time because that’s literally the function of my existence. Oh, and while I’m not really a fighter, there’s a sort of inevitability about getting to my destination which means I can usually get past anything that stands in my way. It’s complicated.” She stops at last, waiting to see Heret’s reaction to the outpouring of information.
His eyes are wide, his brow a little creased, as he slowly reaches out a hand toward hers. “I– I find myself astonished… but at the same time hardly surprised. Wendy– or– do you prefer…?”
A half-smile, gone in a flash. “Wendy, definitely. Arrival is honestly a bit much.”
At that, Heret smiles a little too. “Wendy, then.” He hesitates, then gives a quiet, nervous laugh. “I have a thousand things to ask and say, all crowding into my mind at once! But let them come another day. I’m sorry that I frightened you with that… summoning. And I… I can scarcely imagine what it was like for you before you came here. Or…” And now he too looks away, toward the persimmon glow of the horizon. “In a way, perhaps I can. But it gladdens my heart that you’re happier here. And I swear to the Coinmaiden that I will keep the secret you’ve vouchsafed to me.”
She stares at him for a long time, eyes still scanning his face. At last she flops down on the log next to him and lets her head hang down over her knees. “Thank fuck for that,” she sighs in relief. “This conversation is usually a bit of a 50/50 for me. Thanks, Heret. You mean the world to me. It’s good to have.. something close to a normal life, and Daring Heights is weird enough to accommodate even me. Oh, Aurelia knows by the way. There’s no way she couldn’t. And I’ve met Khazifa enough times over the years for her to at least know the gist.”
Wendy leans against Heret and looks at the horizon again. “This - moments like this, in the quiet, when there’s nothing to do but sit next to someone dear to you - this is what I’ve always wanted.”
(By andycd (mostly) and Jamie J (slightly).)
“Wendy!” he calls out as he approaches. “You look as lovely as the sunset! Have you been waiting for long?” Sweeping the tail of his long carmine coat aside with one arm, he takes a seat on the trunk next to her.
"I wanted to talk to you, Heret. You've been so kind and thoughtful and respectful these past months, and you've never pushed me when there were things I didn't want to discuss. I can't really express how much I appreciate that. But you've waited long enough. You deserve to know who I am. I don’t know how you’ll react - but I don’t want you to keep on guessing around in the dark."
She smiles at him, and then looks back up at the slowly darkening sky, hugging her knees to her chest on the log. She's silent for a few long moments. And then she begins to speak.
"I had never been to Kantas before Daring was founded, you know? I suppose you might not think that surprising, but it absolutely floored me. I've travelled the world more times than I care to count. Travelled the planes too, to lesser degrees. I've delivered messages to Efreeti in the City of Brass and sealed boxes to the merfolk at the bottom of the sea. I've escorted packages across the Spine of the World and run letters between the Masked Lords of Waterdeep. I have delivered every envelope and crate I've ever been entrusted with, no matter the origin, no matter the destination."
She sighs. "Because that is who I am, Heret. I like the name Wendy and I've used it for centuries now, but my *real* name is Arrival." There is a curious echo as she says it. "I take things from one place to another - I make sure they arrive - and I've done it for as long as the concept has existed, longer than I even know how to count."
Arrival/Wendy glances over at Heret's face, checking his reaction. "I'm not a god, if that's what you're wondering. Not… really. Barely an Aspect even. A sage I knew once thought I was an Echo of the creation of Fharlanghn - god of travel - but I honestly don't know. But give me a parcel and a destination and nothing can stand in my way.
And people do give me parcels. People who know can call on my services, and I go to them - wherever they are - take the package and the fee - and deliver it to wherever it needs to go, no matter what. It's my nature."
She looks over again, still not waiting for a response before looking back up to the sky and continuing, the corners of her eyes watering. "You're a smart man, Heret, part of you is already wondering what a business could do with that. But what you should be wondering is 'what can governments, generals, criminals, archmages or even devils do with that? Have done with that?'
I deliver sometimes thousands of packages and letters a year, and I have for a long time. Most of them are benign or simple enough. Some however, have been traps, ruses, weapons even. I've delivered poisoned boxes - not knowing until it was done and the Queen of Cormyr or the Duke of Gherwin or whoever lay dead at my feet. You've noticed how I always turn up just as there is mail? People who know me and know what I do can call for my services; I immediately know where they are. Before I came to Kantas there were maybe a half dozen voices calling for me at any given times, pulling me in different directions, any one of which could be using me for some dark end."
Standing up, she stretches her arms out looking around the landscape. “And then I came here, on a delivery to Daring just after it was founded. It was confusing - I knew I had to come here, but I was uncertain of the path, which was a very rare occurrence. When I found the portal and stepped through… Heret have you ever had that moment when a noise stops and you realise you had forgotten what silence sounded like? The calls for me - the pulling - it was all gone, blocked out by whatever the hells this place is. So, I decided to stay, at least for a while.”
Wendy, or possibly Arrival, laughs to herself and looks straight at Heret. “I’ve handed notes to soldiers in the middle of battlefields, and crossed the Anauroch Desert alone at least a dozen times. Managing the post for Daring Heights is not a chore - it’s a joy. The simple act of making sure things get where they need to be in a small community without being called off again and again. You remember when you gave me Miles? I knew there was a message for me immediately - you suspected correctly - but it terrified me. I thought someone had found where I was and was going to call me back to couriering across the planes. I was so happy to have Miles in my life, as well as you of course, but I was also so relieved that I didn’t have to leave. I’ve gone back occasionally, just from time to time to deal with a few urgent deliveries, but it’s always a relief to come back here.”
“So that’s my secret - Heret - I don’t really eat or drink much because I don’t need to. I’m… probably immortal. I will always deliver the post on time because that’s literally the function of my existence. Oh, and while I’m not really a fighter, there’s a sort of inevitability about getting to my destination which means I can usually get past anything that stands in my way. It’s complicated.” She stops at last, waiting to see Heret’s reaction to the outpouring of information.
His eyes are wide, his brow a little creased, as he slowly reaches out a hand toward hers. “I– I find myself astonished… but at the same time hardly surprised. Wendy– or– do you prefer…?”
A half-smile, gone in a flash. “Wendy, definitely. Arrival is honestly a bit much.”
At that, Heret smiles a little too. “Wendy, then.” He hesitates, then gives a quiet, nervous laugh. “I have a thousand things to ask and say, all crowding into my mind at once! But let them come another day. I’m sorry that I frightened you with that… summoning. And I… I can scarcely imagine what it was like for you before you came here. Or…” And now he too looks away, toward the persimmon glow of the horizon. “In a way, perhaps I can. But it gladdens my heart that you’re happier here. And I swear to the Coinmaiden that I will keep the secret you’ve vouchsafed to me.”
She stares at him for a long time, eyes still scanning his face. At last she flops down on the log next to him and lets her head hang down over her knees. “Thank fuck for that,” she sighs in relief. “This conversation is usually a bit of a 50/50 for me. Thanks, Heret. You mean the world to me. It’s good to have.. something close to a normal life, and Daring Heights is weird enough to accommodate even me. Oh, Aurelia knows by the way. There’s no way she couldn’t. And I’ve met Khazifa enough times over the years for her to at least know the gist.”
Wendy leans against Heret and looks at the horizon again. “This - moments like this, in the quiet, when there’s nothing to do but sit next to someone dear to you - this is what I’ve always wanted.”
(By andycd (mostly) and Jamie J (slightly).)