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XOCHI'S GARDEN - EARLY MORNING
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Xochi is sitting quietly in her garden, her long tail spread out around the area carefully as she sits upon the first coil, hands folded in prayer as the night fades into the dawn before the sun fully rises.
Kira comes fluttering in from the direction of the barracks. Her flight is somewhat erratic, having been instructed to move unpredictably in case of enemy snipers. For the moment, she's taken the advice as general operating procedure in order to get more practiced at it so that she won't revert to normal flight in a tense moment. She lands on the fence a few feet away from Xochi and out of her line of sight. She just rests there for the moment, letting herself breathe in the cool morning air while her friend prays.
Xochi finishes her morning routine a few minutes later, her prayers seemingly taking longer than usual this morning, something that has been something of a pattern lately. She lets out a sad sigh and lowers her hands, then begins to gather up her tail to head back into the house before spotting Kira, which does bring a smile to her face, "Ah, Kira. I hope you are well after another night of training."
Kira flutters over and lands on her friend's shoulder, giving a gentle little hug. "Well enough, all things considered. I miss only having to care for my lamps... but I will do what I can to keep this town safe."
Xochi lifts a hand to gently return Kira's affection. "I am only sorry that such service is now an inevitability, rather than simply training."
Kira gives a frustrated little trill, the moth's mood definitely much darker than normal over the past week or so. "I will help to bring all who are missing back to the light." She looks at Xochi and smiles just a bit. "But it's because of friends like you that I care so much for this town anyway... if i wanted to, I could easily escape into the woods and be safer there for the next few weeks..."
Xochi sighs, "I do not question your determination, dear friend, only worry for your safety. I worry for everyone's safety." She pauses, thinking on what to say. "I do my best to pass on their prayers, all of those I hear."
Kira flutters off of Xochi's shoulder again, just hovering next to her as the pair move to the house. "I don't know what's going to happen, and I'm afraid..."
Xochi nods as she opens the door into their shared home. "I am too old to be afraid for myself... but for my friends, for you, for those who are out in the west... I fear, yes. That is why I pray. I wish to do more, just as you do."
Kira flies into the house and sets her blade on its small stand on the mantlepiece before fluttering back over to Xochi. "As long as the town survives, I'll be satisfied, even if my own life is lost in the process."
Xochi frowns at Kira sadly, "It would grieve me as would many others should that happen, Kira. Do not seek death, my friend, even if I understand your sentiment... I have wondered if perhaps I should volunteer as well... I am no fighter, but I only wish to see peace. Surely our enemies are not monsters, yes?"
Kira nods. "I don't seek it, but I won't flee from it either. I will face our unknown foes head on." She looks back to Xochi before fluttering over to a few flowering vines that Xochi moved inside to provide some food for the moth inside the house. Before she begins her meal, she gives one more thought. "I would hope that would seek peace too, but they attacked the caravan with no provocation..."
Xochi goes about making herself breakfast as well, just a simple bit of bread and butter with water. "This is true... but we do not yet know why. Perhaps they are suffering in some way we do not yet know?" She takes a deep breath. "It is upon my own conciousness to try for peace. Even if just to atone for the acts of my own ancestor."
Kira busies herself drinking the nectar from several of the flowers. Once she's sated, she flutters over to the kitchen and lands on the table next to her friend. "Of course... I don't wish for war either."
Xochi hums, eating a slice of bread. "Of course, I didn't mean... I just worry. We all do. You shall be safe, yes, should an attack come?"
Kira smiles. "They have me aiding with scouting. I won't be in direct battle unless we are surprised..."
Xochi smiles back. "Good... I suppose if Nesseth and the other Captains agree to let me try... I shall only be going to whomever is doing this as an envoy."
Kira frowns. "If you do, I want to come with you."
Xochi chuckles, "I would be honored, Kira. Should such a chance come, I shall request it."
Kira gives a happy trill before a little yawn. "Thank you, friend. For now, I must rest so that I'm fresh again this evening." She flutters up, preparing to head over to a darker corner of the house where her little nest is.
Xochi chuckles, "I continue to await word from Nesseth... but... rest well, Kira. We both may yet have a bigger part to play in all of this, to save those dear to us."
Kira gives Xochi another hug before heading to her nest, the little moth falling asleep quickly as always.
Xochi bids Kira good night before finishing her breakfast, then heading out for her usual morning slither, trying to clear her mind a bit, as she thinks about whatever fate might hold for them all.
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RESPITE FALLS MARKETPLACE - EARLY AFTERNOON
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Rhask sits behind the shared counter that she's been using to sell her clothing alongside Emmeline and Jennica for the past while. Currently, and for the past day or so, she's been the only one managing the stall, but she's been trying her best to make sales for both herself and the two bovines. Unfortunately, with the weird tension in the air and rumors flying around about attacked farmland and caravans, she's not making many at all...
Jennica slowly walks towards the stall. The braunvieh is not in a good condition: her clothes are clearly ones she's been in last few days, her hair and fur are a mess, her eyes sunken and it's obvious she has been crying until she basically could not anymore. Aurelius' project provided a distraction, but only for a bit before Jennica's heart wandered back to her best friend. As she steps close to the stall, she finally notices Rhask and gives her a very tired, not very convincing smile: "H-hey. S-sorry."
Rhask notices Jennica approaching, and waves in her usual, cheery way. "Oh, there you are, Jennica! Any word on Emmeline's arrival yet? All these weird rumors and stuff going around, I'm hoping she shows up soon."
Jennica shakes her head, swallowing. She will not tear up again. She won't. "S-she... t-they think she's caught f-from the attacks. T-taken prisoner." She looks at Rhask: "B-but... s-she can't, that's not..." She trails off, starting to work herself up again: "I c-can't..."
Rhask hums quietly, frowning a little as she looks around at the dour expressions a lot of the merchants and people wandering the marketplace are sporting. After a few seconds, she looks back at Jennica and does what she can to try and sound a bit reassuring. "Maybe she just got delayed on her trip? The guards should have been able to get word of all this back to the port, so maybe the wagons are just stuck there?"
Jennica looks at Rhask again, the tiniest spark of hope in her eyes: "M-maybe... I g-guess there is no way she'd be able to send word either way..." She sighs, stepping to fiddle with another one of her trinkets. This one is supposed to soothe and calm the mood, for some reason it's not working.
Rhask thoughtfully looks at the trinket, then back up at Jennica. "Maybe... maybe it's just not able to calm intense moods? I know you're really kind of worked up right now, and you were getting more like this over the past few days..."
Jennica blinks and looks at the trinket in her hands, then puts it back down with a sigh: "O-oh. I just... I wanted it to work, b-but of course I c-can't like this." She shakes her head, then forces a slight diversion in topic: "How are you holding up, Rhask? I'm s-sorry for leaving you alone."
Rhask offers Jennica a kind smile. "I'm doing okay. Just trying to keep things going while all this has been going on. Sorry to say that I've not been able to make that many sales, though. Not a lot of folks are looking for clothes or charms right now..."
Jennica gives a nervous giggle: "Y-yeah, I guess that's true." She sighs: "I probably wouldn't." She looks at the relatively quiet marketplace, musing. "I just hope she's okay..."
Rhask nods. "So do I, Jennica. We'll just have to sit tight and wait until we hear word, I guess. Neither of us are the sort that would be able to set out on our own, since it seems like the guards are being really careful."
Jennica leans back on the table, crossing her arms: "Y-yeah... I certainly can't do anything..." She fiddles with another half-made trinket in her hands, staring at it for a long moment. "Unless..."
Rhask glances between Jennica and the trinket a few times. It takes a few seconds before she even raises the question, worried about what she might be about to hear. "Unless...?"
Jennica tosses the trinket from one hand to another, gears turning in her head. She swallows, wiping the corner of her eye: "I c-can not directly do anything. B-but I can... maybe I can, I don't know... improve the odds of those who are going out there..."
Rhask sighs, relaxing after a moment, since it appeared she was half-expecting something less... reasonable and sane for some reason. She nods. "That might be helpful. I don't know if the guards have anything planned, but if they're sending people out, extra safety can't go awry."
Jennica looks at Rhask sharply: "They must. They have to send guards to find people! Emmeline is not the only one out there..." She shudders: "They will get her back..."
Rhask hums quietly, nodding at the look in Jennica's eyes. "Then... you should go to the guards and talk to them sooner, rather than later, about that idea... Don't worry about me, I can handle the stall for a bit longer alone." She reaches over and gently pats Jennica's arm, "I know you want to do something, so don't waste time worrying about this end of things until you've done all you can."
Jennica looks at Rhask, then gets to her thinking again: "...I need to talk to Teis... she might have ideas." She murmurs to herself, mind clearly on ways to improve combat odds despite her exactly zero experience with said subject: "...if I do that, would it work? Hmm..."
Rhask gestures at the array of trinkets Jennica's made before now. "Well, if they're anything like the ones you've made before... you'll just have to try and make them and see what comes of it, right? Experimentation and such? I remember you mentioning that before, back when we'd first met, how you only really find out the effects of these after making them."
Jennica nods slowly: "Yeah, that's what I do... I'm not sure how much I can force it, but now I sort of... have to?" She takes a deep breath: "I have to. For Em. And for the others." She's still clearly shaken, but there is an undercurrent of resolution in her demeanor: "The least I can do is try, right?"
Rhask nods and smiles. "Yup! You won't know if you don't try, and who knows? If you make this work, you might be able to expand your works a bit once this is done."
Jennica shakes her head: "I hope I don't have to... but maybe." She sighs: "I just want Em back." She steps to hug Rhask tightly: "I just want her back..."
Rhask eeps as she's pulled into the hug, but hugs Jennica back after a moment of surprise. "You'll get her back, Jennica. She'll come back along with everyone else that's gone missing."
Jennica sniffles again, tightens her grip for a second before letting go: "Y-you're right. They'll find them all..." She swallows and looks at the pile of trinkets, attempting once again to redirect her focus: "And I will help. Somehow."
Rhask nods. "That's right, Jennica. You'll help the effort however you can, and I'll help however I can, even if it's just making sure the domestic side stays working as normally as possible."
Jennica smiles: "Y-yeah." She fiddles with one trinket for a moment before, before turning back to Rhask: "I... I need to go talk to the Guard, then to Teis. You sure you're okay holding the stall?" She definitely feels bad for running away as soon as she came back.
Rhask smiles in turn and gives Jennica a light, little push on her shoulder, not enough to move her or anything, but enough to give her a hint. "I'm sure. You've got things you need to do, and they're not happening while you're here. I'll be fine working until you get back after you talk to the guards and Miss Teis."
Jennica nods with a smile and to her credit at least attempts to look confident: "O-okay. Yeah. I will go do my best... whatever that ends up being. I will be back." She gives Rhask another quick hug, then starts heading towards the center of the town.
Rhask hums and waves as Jennica turns to leave. "Do what you have to, Jennica. The stall won't go anywhere in the mean time." She settles back into her seat and looks around a bit, noting the decided lack of folks actively shopping for the second day in a row. She sighs a bit and her smile slides from her face, "I really hope everyone's okay..."