Calm, or Two Very Different Conversations
Dec 18, 2021 20:01:27 GMT
BB, Jaezred Vandree, and 4 more like this
Post by Wixspartan on Dec 18, 2021 20:01:27 GMT
Silvia sits at the bars of the cell in the temple of Selune and watches as Sorrel maintains her small arsenal of blades before tapping on the bars with one of her daggers.
"Hey Sorrel, nice steel."
Sorrel turns, smiling bashfully.
"It's been a while. They've been sealed away since... well, you know. Come round? They have the Traitor's Door... ugly name, but it's for bringing.... well, it's for if demons or undead..." she trails off. "It's not going to sound good however I say it but it's not consecrated ground."
"I came through it yesterday, but not today. Today you're free of the curse so you don't have to stay in the cell, not that I think you should have in the first place but it's too late now."
Sorrel shakes her head and blushes.
"There's still dark patches in my memory," she explains.
"I know you were here, I remember everything you did and said but it's like islands of events in the mist. I don't remember moving between places or.... I don't remember how we ended up in the Feywild. But yes."
She disappears and steps out of a low door near Silvia, walking up to her and embracing her. Silvia stands up and accepts the hug.
"We'll have to see about helping you with that memory problem. It's good to see you in the sunlight, now, where shall we go?"
Sorrel steps back and looks into Silvia's eyes.
"To be clear, I remember everything you did. And, for what it's worth, I thought of you in the exorcism and you gave me the strength to push that spirit out. So if you want to go see that brutal tiefling circus they're talking about I'm OK with that but I'm keener on finding somewhere to talk."
Silvia softens.
"Of course you do, let's go outside the walls for a bit, not too far, just far enough that we have some open fields."
Almost an hour later they are out of the city in a field of long wild grass. Silvia sits down and invites Sorrel to do the same.
"So, you're free again, how do you feel?"
Sorrel considers her reply for a long time.
"I am changed," she says carefully.
"I’m not exactly a sunshine child at the best of times but I am scarred. I have been focused on my own pain and needs for many years. I don’t want to be like that any more. It feels too much like hunger. So I am making changes. Of some sort. And finally I feel good about others - the help I received, the warmth I was shown. You most of all. I have been here a few months, running as usual, and expected to keep moving. Now I think I will stay. In a strange way I am grateful I was cursed. Why do you ask?"
"Because I care Sorrel. I have spoken to so many people, tried to help so many more, but none of them have shared the same extent of pain as I have known for so long"
Sorrel wrinkles her nose and pulls up a handful of grass, picking out a stem at a time and gripping each one lightly then pulling them through her fingers until the seeds are gathered like tiny bunches of flowers which she scatters in the breeze. "Here’s the thing I don’t understand," she says carefully.
"You have the kindest soul I have ever met and I owe you my life. I am sworn to you whether you like it or not. Your curse consumes you as mine did me. I can see it in your eyes. We understand. And yet…” she pauses. “The source of your ability to help me… the power of your kindness comes from the darkness of the curse. You are fundamentally the darkness and the light. I would help rid you of your pain if it cost me my life. But what would happen to you if it went? Do you know what you want, Silvia? Because if you do and I can help my muscles and blood and skin and bone are yours. But do you know?”
Silvia can't look at her as she replies.
"My past has made me who I am, and I will continue being that person even if my power is taken from me. I want to help people, and so I use my curse for good but..." She stares at her knuckles "I can help without it, it is not me, I am more than this curse Sorrel."
"Then I will help you defeat it or control it if it is in my power - even if it involves descending into the fire and searing the beards of fiends in the pit that consumes them. There’s some unfinished business I have down there anyway."
"Or you can do something much more for me, something I would appreciate more than if you picked the stars out of the sky and gave them to me. You can live."
Sorrel grimaces. This was one of those 'doing what people actually asked you to do rather than the heroic deeds you wanted to do' moments. This was New Sorrel. Changed Sorrel. The one who put Others before her own needs and pain Sorrel. She hadn't realised her resolutions would be put to the test so quickly.
"Are you sure there's no demon lord you want assassinated?" she says hopefully.
"I'm really good at that. Living... I'm not sure I've quite got the hang of that yet."
"No, I can’t kill all my problems, and I don’t want to. I don’t want a weapon I want a friend or even maybe… never mind. As soon as I met you I saw what you had been through and wanted to do everything I could to help, and it worked. It meant so much to me for you to just be alive and free from the curse, don’t turn yourself into a weapon because you think I want that because I don’t."
She finally musters the courage to look at Sorrel properly.
"I never will."
Sorrel thinks hard for a while.
"This will be interesting Silvia," she says eventually.
"I'm not sure I know how to be anything else. But now is a good time to start trying."
“Good!”
Silvia drops back and lies staring at the cold but clear sky.
“It’s a fine day to start..”
Sorrel sits in silence while she contemplates this new world. She feels an unusual warmth inside, she notices, and her shoulders appear to have moved slightly down. The muscles around them have relaxed. Indeed, that could be true for more than her shoulder muscles. Many of her muscles are less coiled than usual. Interesting. And her hands... they have moved away from her various scabbards and are... they're picking more grass stalks. She looks around. This is an open field. With a start, she realises she has not run a threat check on possible lines of assault. And then she becomes aware of an urge to lie back in the grass for what appears to be the purpose of enjoying watching the clear blue sky.
This is baffling.
"Silvia," she cocks her head.
"What does being happy feel like?"
"Honestly? I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask these days. But I think my answer now is simple, being alive, being free and being with the things and people you love most"
"And would that include relaxed muscles, reduced threat response and a strange warm feeling in your chest?"
"That sounds about right"
"Well, I can see why people talk about it so much now."
Silvia just chuckles quietly before Sorrel continues a moment later.
"So what do normal people do if they're not training or working? I mean, how do friends actually spend their time? Is there a manual?"
"Well I haven't relaxed or really had friends in eight years so I'm a little rusty. I remember having drinks in the local watering hole, helping out with the fields, small things, meaningless things. If you're happy you can do basically nothing and still feel good"
"So much to learn..."
"But for now you can relax, we can relax."
"When I was six my parents told me they'd sold me and I'd be taken at 16. I started preparing then. When they House collected me I was already semi pro in a few dockside firms. My House basic training took seven years... what I'm trying to say is, I have been a weapon since I was six. Relaxing is not part of my repertoire. So bear with me if I get it wrong. I'm new to this."
"My my Sorrel, you really are good at what you do. But that's not why I like you, so I'm happy you're willing to learn other skills, like relaxing, admiring the sky and life."
"What was your life like before... well, over eight years ago?"
"I was a teenage girl in a small town on the Sword Coast. Third child of a blacksmith so not much to inherit. I joined the guard, or what they called the guard. Two breastplates between eight of us, the most we ever had to deal with was the yearly bar fight and the occasional lost sheep"
Sorrel finds herself giggling before Silvia continues. An unusual situation.
"Captain Kela was a real fighter though, had served in an army as a soldier, was quite the intimidating woman when she wanted to be. Taught me all I know about fighting really, although some of how I fight is more... instilled then learned"
Sorrel nods. Interrogation Techniques Standard Issue. Let the subject speak and... perhaps new Sorrel could do conversations without manuals. Let's try. She nods again.
"Turns out a town like that, especially after a good harvest, good target for bandits. Didn't stand a chance really. I wasn't even properly sworn in, was still in training"
This time Sorrel's nod is unconscious. She watches Silvia's face intently.
"Sergeant Ava and I were in the woods on patrol, I was shadowing her, we were exchanging jokes and she was poking fun at my messy hair. First time I ever saw anyone die. Ran back in panic, town was attacked. None of us except the Captain had ever fought anyone before, we didn't know what to do. Then... well. I'm not going to talk about it. I left the town a few weeks later"
Sorrel bites back her tactical questions.
“But further back. What was your life like before the guard? Did you… ‘play’? What was the village like? I only know stone and steel.”
"You really were trained to be a weapon huh? Tell you what, I could go on and on about small village life, but not today. Today is for you and I to just enjoy each other's company ok? Today we live, and that's a wonderful thing"
Sorrel lies back in the grass and gazes into the blue. All these years she's confused living with trying to stay alive, she thinks. Then she watches the clouds drift by, spooling off slender threads into the crisp morning breeze and for a moment she is flying with them. Silvia says nothing but reaches out for Sorrel's hand. Sorrel clasps her fingers around Silvia's slim fingers in return, feeling the tight thread brush against her callouses. She hears Silvia's whisper, so quiet it could almost be the grass in the wind
"Live for me Sorrel."
The next day she sets out for New Hillborough on the advice of Jaezred, arriving in the early afternoon. Asking around amongst the friendly faces she finds herself at the field of flowers where the firbolg she was looking for is working. She is first spotted by a magpie, who flies towards the lanky firbolg with wild silvery hair, her trousers covered in mud and flowers sticking from every available pockets. She is quickly asked if she is there to buy flowers.
"No, no sorry I'm here for information, although maybe I might buy some... I'm here from Jaezred, he said you may be able to help me"
"Information and flowers. Okay I can do that."
The tall figure starts moving to a massive massive bell tent nearby with chairs and stools outside, and Silvia follows behind.
"I should say, my name is Silvia, I'm new to this place"
"Oh hi Silvia. Silly me for not asking names. I guess you know mine already from Jaezred. But yes, he recommended me? Is it Wild Magic by any chance?"
"What do you know about snakes? Evil eyes, scales as black as the void?"
"Ah. Serpents.. Let's sit, I know some things about serpent entities but it's a bit of a tale. Tea? I have ginger and lemon."
They both sit.
"Lemon please"
BB whips out the tea, water boiled by magic and gives it to Silvia. The magpie settles nearby, an awakened shrub nearby does the same. Silvia just stares at the strange surroundings, strange to her at least. BB puts the pot back down.
"So. Serpents. Where do I start. I'm very good friends with a serpent deity named Egle, we're kinda linked by giving each other power. But she goes by an appearance more humanoid and red than what you describe."
"And if she helps you she likely wouldn't be as cruel as the one I'm thinking of..."
"Egle is lovely, very kind. I can certainly testify that as her good friend. There's the One Serpent, a deity locked away but worshipped in secret by the older Yuan-Ti of these lands. I never saw their appearance but I was tricked into releasing them. But who you're describing reminds me of a snake deity that an old adventurer used to serve. And who the yuan-ti of Kantas stopped serving. I think it was the Night Serpent?"
"The Night Serpent? I see"
"Sorry. That was a lot at once. I should ask why really. Are they bothering you?" BB has a look of genuine concern as she asks.
Silvia just holds up her hand where the thread binds the knuckles.
"Curse, reason I'm in Kantas."
"Bloomin' curses. I guess to break it then? But you're certainly in the right place in Kantas."
"No not really, I've come to accept it for the most part. But recent events... I've been curious, found some small bits of information. Can you see the arcane?"
"Oh oh okay. Sorry for my assumptions then! Then to learn more of it in general, so as to better work with it? And yes, I can see if need be."
As BB casts detect magic the shrub and magpie have begun to make a flower crown. Silvia waves vaguely to the air around her where the spectral quasits have slowly become visible to the firbolg.
"The imps, they are part of this... curse. Does this Night Serpent have much to do with them?"
"Hmmmm. Maybe? The adventurer I knew who was linked to the Night Serpent also had an imp familiar. The thing is, she left Kantas long ago and I have no idea where."
"I see, well the only other thing my research has lead two is two major deities and the entirety of the hosts of devils, demons or even dragons so hearing about the Night Serpent is at least a start"
"I'm glad I could be somewhat helpful. Though no two people's situations can be the same, I too spent quite some time trying to understand the source of my powers. It seemed daunting for a while, but through persistence and some bad decisions I found out in the end. I guess I'm saying that I honestly wish you the best of luck. Your information is out there I'm sure. And be careful."
"I will, thank you. It's good to have met you, thank you for the tea it was wonderful"
"No problem at all. As for where next, I'm not sure. There's always researching the Night Serpent... Waiting for more info to appear. There's also the old serpent temple by the standing stones here. I don't think it's related to your situation, but it might be worth a look?"
"Perhaps, perhaps it might. Not today though, I have to head back to the fort."
"Oh and have this flower crown before you go! Blue and Japser just finished it for you."
Tulips and black dahlias, expertly woven into a crown. At this Silvia looks.. less tired and sorrowful than before, as if a smile is desperately fighting to appear on her face.
"Oh.. thank you"
"Oh course, well the stones aren't going anywhere. You have time."
"Exactly, thank you for the flowers they are appreciated, although perhaps if it's not too much may I ask for another flower? A gift. For a friend.."
BB's eyes light up at the mention of more flowers.
"Of course! What were you thinking?"
"Something celebrating living, a newer start, the promise of happiness"
"Then you'll be wanting sunflowers and delphiums then! Maybe also some hyacinths? Let me get those."
The lanky firbolg quickly whips up a bouquet, spurred on by the power of flowers. Silvia takes it and finally smiles, although it is distant and still filled with some sorrow
"Thank you friend, have a good day."
Silvia is waved to enthusiastically as she leaves for the fort. That night she gives the bouquet to Coll, to be delivered to a blacksmith's shop in Daring Heights to a friend of hers. The next few days are spent relaxing and losing money gambling, but they don't seem as important as those two days, those two conversations, those two friendly people, one a new friend and the other a new... well. Let's just leave it there shall we reader?
"Hey Sorrel, nice steel."
Sorrel turns, smiling bashfully.
"It's been a while. They've been sealed away since... well, you know. Come round? They have the Traitor's Door... ugly name, but it's for bringing.... well, it's for if demons or undead..." she trails off. "It's not going to sound good however I say it but it's not consecrated ground."
"I came through it yesterday, but not today. Today you're free of the curse so you don't have to stay in the cell, not that I think you should have in the first place but it's too late now."
Sorrel shakes her head and blushes.
"There's still dark patches in my memory," she explains.
"I know you were here, I remember everything you did and said but it's like islands of events in the mist. I don't remember moving between places or.... I don't remember how we ended up in the Feywild. But yes."
She disappears and steps out of a low door near Silvia, walking up to her and embracing her. Silvia stands up and accepts the hug.
"We'll have to see about helping you with that memory problem. It's good to see you in the sunlight, now, where shall we go?"
Sorrel steps back and looks into Silvia's eyes.
"To be clear, I remember everything you did. And, for what it's worth, I thought of you in the exorcism and you gave me the strength to push that spirit out. So if you want to go see that brutal tiefling circus they're talking about I'm OK with that but I'm keener on finding somewhere to talk."
Silvia softens.
"Of course you do, let's go outside the walls for a bit, not too far, just far enough that we have some open fields."
Almost an hour later they are out of the city in a field of long wild grass. Silvia sits down and invites Sorrel to do the same.
"So, you're free again, how do you feel?"
Sorrel considers her reply for a long time.
"I am changed," she says carefully.
"I’m not exactly a sunshine child at the best of times but I am scarred. I have been focused on my own pain and needs for many years. I don’t want to be like that any more. It feels too much like hunger. So I am making changes. Of some sort. And finally I feel good about others - the help I received, the warmth I was shown. You most of all. I have been here a few months, running as usual, and expected to keep moving. Now I think I will stay. In a strange way I am grateful I was cursed. Why do you ask?"
"Because I care Sorrel. I have spoken to so many people, tried to help so many more, but none of them have shared the same extent of pain as I have known for so long"
Sorrel wrinkles her nose and pulls up a handful of grass, picking out a stem at a time and gripping each one lightly then pulling them through her fingers until the seeds are gathered like tiny bunches of flowers which she scatters in the breeze. "Here’s the thing I don’t understand," she says carefully.
"You have the kindest soul I have ever met and I owe you my life. I am sworn to you whether you like it or not. Your curse consumes you as mine did me. I can see it in your eyes. We understand. And yet…” she pauses. “The source of your ability to help me… the power of your kindness comes from the darkness of the curse. You are fundamentally the darkness and the light. I would help rid you of your pain if it cost me my life. But what would happen to you if it went? Do you know what you want, Silvia? Because if you do and I can help my muscles and blood and skin and bone are yours. But do you know?”
Silvia can't look at her as she replies.
"My past has made me who I am, and I will continue being that person even if my power is taken from me. I want to help people, and so I use my curse for good but..." She stares at her knuckles "I can help without it, it is not me, I am more than this curse Sorrel."
"Then I will help you defeat it or control it if it is in my power - even if it involves descending into the fire and searing the beards of fiends in the pit that consumes them. There’s some unfinished business I have down there anyway."
"Or you can do something much more for me, something I would appreciate more than if you picked the stars out of the sky and gave them to me. You can live."
Sorrel grimaces. This was one of those 'doing what people actually asked you to do rather than the heroic deeds you wanted to do' moments. This was New Sorrel. Changed Sorrel. The one who put Others before her own needs and pain Sorrel. She hadn't realised her resolutions would be put to the test so quickly.
"Are you sure there's no demon lord you want assassinated?" she says hopefully.
"I'm really good at that. Living... I'm not sure I've quite got the hang of that yet."
"No, I can’t kill all my problems, and I don’t want to. I don’t want a weapon I want a friend or even maybe… never mind. As soon as I met you I saw what you had been through and wanted to do everything I could to help, and it worked. It meant so much to me for you to just be alive and free from the curse, don’t turn yourself into a weapon because you think I want that because I don’t."
She finally musters the courage to look at Sorrel properly.
"I never will."
Sorrel thinks hard for a while.
"This will be interesting Silvia," she says eventually.
"I'm not sure I know how to be anything else. But now is a good time to start trying."
“Good!”
Silvia drops back and lies staring at the cold but clear sky.
“It’s a fine day to start..”
Sorrel sits in silence while she contemplates this new world. She feels an unusual warmth inside, she notices, and her shoulders appear to have moved slightly down. The muscles around them have relaxed. Indeed, that could be true for more than her shoulder muscles. Many of her muscles are less coiled than usual. Interesting. And her hands... they have moved away from her various scabbards and are... they're picking more grass stalks. She looks around. This is an open field. With a start, she realises she has not run a threat check on possible lines of assault. And then she becomes aware of an urge to lie back in the grass for what appears to be the purpose of enjoying watching the clear blue sky.
This is baffling.
"Silvia," she cocks her head.
"What does being happy feel like?"
"Honestly? I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask these days. But I think my answer now is simple, being alive, being free and being with the things and people you love most"
"And would that include relaxed muscles, reduced threat response and a strange warm feeling in your chest?"
"That sounds about right"
"Well, I can see why people talk about it so much now."
Silvia just chuckles quietly before Sorrel continues a moment later.
"So what do normal people do if they're not training or working? I mean, how do friends actually spend their time? Is there a manual?"
"Well I haven't relaxed or really had friends in eight years so I'm a little rusty. I remember having drinks in the local watering hole, helping out with the fields, small things, meaningless things. If you're happy you can do basically nothing and still feel good"
"So much to learn..."
"But for now you can relax, we can relax."
"When I was six my parents told me they'd sold me and I'd be taken at 16. I started preparing then. When they House collected me I was already semi pro in a few dockside firms. My House basic training took seven years... what I'm trying to say is, I have been a weapon since I was six. Relaxing is not part of my repertoire. So bear with me if I get it wrong. I'm new to this."
"My my Sorrel, you really are good at what you do. But that's not why I like you, so I'm happy you're willing to learn other skills, like relaxing, admiring the sky and life."
"What was your life like before... well, over eight years ago?"
"I was a teenage girl in a small town on the Sword Coast. Third child of a blacksmith so not much to inherit. I joined the guard, or what they called the guard. Two breastplates between eight of us, the most we ever had to deal with was the yearly bar fight and the occasional lost sheep"
Sorrel finds herself giggling before Silvia continues. An unusual situation.
"Captain Kela was a real fighter though, had served in an army as a soldier, was quite the intimidating woman when she wanted to be. Taught me all I know about fighting really, although some of how I fight is more... instilled then learned"
Sorrel nods. Interrogation Techniques Standard Issue. Let the subject speak and... perhaps new Sorrel could do conversations without manuals. Let's try. She nods again.
"Turns out a town like that, especially after a good harvest, good target for bandits. Didn't stand a chance really. I wasn't even properly sworn in, was still in training"
This time Sorrel's nod is unconscious. She watches Silvia's face intently.
"Sergeant Ava and I were in the woods on patrol, I was shadowing her, we were exchanging jokes and she was poking fun at my messy hair. First time I ever saw anyone die. Ran back in panic, town was attacked. None of us except the Captain had ever fought anyone before, we didn't know what to do. Then... well. I'm not going to talk about it. I left the town a few weeks later"
Sorrel bites back her tactical questions.
“But further back. What was your life like before the guard? Did you… ‘play’? What was the village like? I only know stone and steel.”
"You really were trained to be a weapon huh? Tell you what, I could go on and on about small village life, but not today. Today is for you and I to just enjoy each other's company ok? Today we live, and that's a wonderful thing"
Sorrel lies back in the grass and gazes into the blue. All these years she's confused living with trying to stay alive, she thinks. Then she watches the clouds drift by, spooling off slender threads into the crisp morning breeze and for a moment she is flying with them. Silvia says nothing but reaches out for Sorrel's hand. Sorrel clasps her fingers around Silvia's slim fingers in return, feeling the tight thread brush against her callouses. She hears Silvia's whisper, so quiet it could almost be the grass in the wind
"Live for me Sorrel."
The next day she sets out for New Hillborough on the advice of Jaezred, arriving in the early afternoon. Asking around amongst the friendly faces she finds herself at the field of flowers where the firbolg she was looking for is working. She is first spotted by a magpie, who flies towards the lanky firbolg with wild silvery hair, her trousers covered in mud and flowers sticking from every available pockets. She is quickly asked if she is there to buy flowers.
"No, no sorry I'm here for information, although maybe I might buy some... I'm here from Jaezred, he said you may be able to help me"
"Information and flowers. Okay I can do that."
The tall figure starts moving to a massive massive bell tent nearby with chairs and stools outside, and Silvia follows behind.
"I should say, my name is Silvia, I'm new to this place"
"Oh hi Silvia. Silly me for not asking names. I guess you know mine already from Jaezred. But yes, he recommended me? Is it Wild Magic by any chance?"
"What do you know about snakes? Evil eyes, scales as black as the void?"
"Ah. Serpents.. Let's sit, I know some things about serpent entities but it's a bit of a tale. Tea? I have ginger and lemon."
They both sit.
"Lemon please"
BB whips out the tea, water boiled by magic and gives it to Silvia. The magpie settles nearby, an awakened shrub nearby does the same. Silvia just stares at the strange surroundings, strange to her at least. BB puts the pot back down.
"So. Serpents. Where do I start. I'm very good friends with a serpent deity named Egle, we're kinda linked by giving each other power. But she goes by an appearance more humanoid and red than what you describe."
"And if she helps you she likely wouldn't be as cruel as the one I'm thinking of..."
"Egle is lovely, very kind. I can certainly testify that as her good friend. There's the One Serpent, a deity locked away but worshipped in secret by the older Yuan-Ti of these lands. I never saw their appearance but I was tricked into releasing them. But who you're describing reminds me of a snake deity that an old adventurer used to serve. And who the yuan-ti of Kantas stopped serving. I think it was the Night Serpent?"
"The Night Serpent? I see"
"Sorry. That was a lot at once. I should ask why really. Are they bothering you?" BB has a look of genuine concern as she asks.
Silvia just holds up her hand where the thread binds the knuckles.
"Curse, reason I'm in Kantas."
"Bloomin' curses. I guess to break it then? But you're certainly in the right place in Kantas."
"No not really, I've come to accept it for the most part. But recent events... I've been curious, found some small bits of information. Can you see the arcane?"
"Oh oh okay. Sorry for my assumptions then! Then to learn more of it in general, so as to better work with it? And yes, I can see if need be."
As BB casts detect magic the shrub and magpie have begun to make a flower crown. Silvia waves vaguely to the air around her where the spectral quasits have slowly become visible to the firbolg.
"The imps, they are part of this... curse. Does this Night Serpent have much to do with them?"
"Hmmmm. Maybe? The adventurer I knew who was linked to the Night Serpent also had an imp familiar. The thing is, she left Kantas long ago and I have no idea where."
"I see, well the only other thing my research has lead two is two major deities and the entirety of the hosts of devils, demons or even dragons so hearing about the Night Serpent is at least a start"
"I'm glad I could be somewhat helpful. Though no two people's situations can be the same, I too spent quite some time trying to understand the source of my powers. It seemed daunting for a while, but through persistence and some bad decisions I found out in the end. I guess I'm saying that I honestly wish you the best of luck. Your information is out there I'm sure. And be careful."
"I will, thank you. It's good to have met you, thank you for the tea it was wonderful"
"No problem at all. As for where next, I'm not sure. There's always researching the Night Serpent... Waiting for more info to appear. There's also the old serpent temple by the standing stones here. I don't think it's related to your situation, but it might be worth a look?"
"Perhaps, perhaps it might. Not today though, I have to head back to the fort."
"Oh and have this flower crown before you go! Blue and Japser just finished it for you."
Tulips and black dahlias, expertly woven into a crown. At this Silvia looks.. less tired and sorrowful than before, as if a smile is desperately fighting to appear on her face.
"Oh.. thank you"
"Oh course, well the stones aren't going anywhere. You have time."
"Exactly, thank you for the flowers they are appreciated, although perhaps if it's not too much may I ask for another flower? A gift. For a friend.."
BB's eyes light up at the mention of more flowers.
"Of course! What were you thinking?"
"Something celebrating living, a newer start, the promise of happiness"
"Then you'll be wanting sunflowers and delphiums then! Maybe also some hyacinths? Let me get those."
The lanky firbolg quickly whips up a bouquet, spurred on by the power of flowers. Silvia takes it and finally smiles, although it is distant and still filled with some sorrow
"Thank you friend, have a good day."
Silvia is waved to enthusiastically as she leaves for the fort. That night she gives the bouquet to Coll, to be delivered to a blacksmith's shop in Daring Heights to a friend of hers. The next few days are spent relaxing and losing money gambling, but they don't seem as important as those two days, those two conversations, those two friendly people, one a new friend and the other a new... well. Let's just leave it there shall we reader?