Session 9

So, the day started off with me sleeping a bit late. I never sleep that late in the morning. But I also rarely stay up that late. I guess almost making friends with Servius had me tired. It was nice to talk and he seems really interested in helping me focus on a goal of finding family here and friends. Though he mentioned if I come to see him again in a friendly manner then he said he would be a friend to me, making me have 2 friends now in Aos. I think I will see what things I can get from local merchants when we are here a while and go back to him with a gift, that is friendly right?
 
Well I thought I heard knocking as I think this through and wash my face and dress. But instead I hear Cami and others talking loudly and intensely outside my door. I guess one slapped the door for intensity of point. I try to quietly and without notice slip through so as not to disturb their conversation. But Jana stops talking to ask me about the Homecoming festival I have planned the outset with from dropped funds I found on the road. I explain that it is a 3-day Solstice event where you have a feast, welcome new family and friends to your town and home, welcome old family and friends back home, and wish everyone well and enjoy each other’s time with food, stories, entertainment, and for blood relatives - gifts. This will be the first one I have without real family; I hope my other friend can make it some too. I am surprised they knew about my plans until Cami said she talked to Duran. I am betting he told her about my idea. Though I do need to talk to him about plans for it and renting out kitchen space to make food and things for those days. I know he does not have a lot of staff and so I can help prep the food and decorations and he can run his outpost tavern that way. Also, everyone but the rude aliwa, who is not here, seems to agree with doing this. Maybe I had a good idea and not a complete failure as I accidentally learned something I don’t know and did it right. We all also agree to take a day to rest up and get supplies before heading west.
 
First thing I do is talk to Duran. He mentions the only caravan is a small one from the west heading east so completely opposite of where I found the purse which means it is unclaimed. I leave it with Duran to start as a first payment into an account to cover the cost of the Festival (he mentioned food and things would be about 10 – 12 gold pieces) and cost of rooms and decorations. If we need more I have a small bit of coins I can add. Then I work on fixing Cami’s tent and talk with the merchants here for a bit. That afternoon with some food and my merchant gift I go back to talk to Servius. He seems nice and it has to be lonely living in a large building off the main road. The group that evening is discussing plans for how to deal and seem to be completely stuck on worrying if they have us stuck in the outpost and under guard to not let us leave if taken in. Do they not remember I can move fast and take others with me? With then arguing over this point of worry for 20 or 30 minutes I just tell them it will not happen and is fine. They seem confused and I just say watch and point to the roof of a building outside the window. As I am then on the roof and float down and back into the tavern. Everyone then is loud and making noises like you do to chase a small bad geni away. But they claim I did something good as one of the merchant people come to grab Cami and take her away for a short time. I am so confused. We then also decide to name our expedition group the Verdant Laural to show we want to make things better but not from combat. They first wanted to be the Azure Crown, but that would mean someone would likely have to wear a azure crown and azurite gem stones do not cut well for comfort and will scrape the person’s head, I don’t like it. Cami and I hope we can talk to with these bandits and have them shift employment to a more legal form and also not cause violence, though Cynica seems o.k. with fighting along with the rude Aliwa. I also noticed over the course of the day Rhyt and Cynica both seem to practice fighting as a way to be more violent than to be in good shape, but they never use more than their fists and legs to do it.
 
As we head west the first day is not too eventful is a nice calm walk. We don’t find anything of note while on the road and decide to make camp. Ignacia then heads out to find food. Though I am not understanding why we have travel rations and so have enough to eat. After a short bit he brings in a partially burnt and well broken antelope. Again, no person cares about the animal or how it could have a family and so its mate and child could now be without their loved one. I kneel down and pray over the animal asking that its family be at peace over this unplanned death and Ignacio’s and Cynica’s sin of murder be forgiven, and everyone but me sin of using murder to sustain be forgiven as well. I make slow careful cuts to be sure the meat will last us as long as possible, so we do not have to kill another creature.
 
That night while Cena, Sagir, and I are on watch we see a long shape move across us on the horizon. I watch and start to feel what is it. I see a large herd of local bison running towards us. I know I will not be able to get people to break camp and move before they stampede over us. I am afraid if one tries to use fire they will charge the fear causing thing and use numbers to kill it, like stampedes do other predatory creatures. So I instead just spend most of my energy to take the dirt in the campsite and make a tall dirt wall by teleporting it up and us down. This wakes everyone and the rude aliwa, Lucius, flies up scared. I try to tell everyone if they stay still in this depression the animals will run around and not through so no one gets hurt. Everyone seems to listen to me but the Aliwa, since he can’t hear me. Then one of the stragglers falls through the dirt wall and down into the depression. As he runs back out Lucius dives and I yell DON’T, just as he kills the innocent creature. I just can’t with the murderer now for a bit; he is too much into violence like Catalina. He even then starts to cut chunks off the animal making the death not even useful. I go to comfort Sagir focusing on her fear and need to calm by rocking her and singing to her. I then offer a heartfelt prayer from the depths of the soul to The Brothers. I pray for the herds’ loss and the sins of the animal. I also pray that I will be given some sign that this murderous violent aliwa has some good in him and I will know a reason to want to be friends or good acquaintance with him and the words not be delivered through Yondali, since she would see nothing wrong with his impulsive violent actions.
 
The next day I just walk without saying a word or looking at anyone for long periods of time. I stop for short moments to put on some peppermint oil rubs into Sagir’s paws so they do not hurt and carry her at times. Maybe Ignacio will offer to teach me the fly spell he knows, he loves to let me know he can do it but never offers to teach it. He only offers teaching fire spells and those whose purpose is to harm or destroy. Then I can let Sagir fly beside me and not tire herself out so much. Also, it will let her blankets move around her like heroes in ballads do. Eventually as we are about to make camp this human in armor and a large sword walks by. I wave as he walks and the worst of us lands in front of him forcing him stop. I cringe knowing it will not be hard to get blood spilled with him here. But luckily the group is able to talk him into staying the night. Though they seem to want to over use words and nothing grand comes of it other than him agreeing to stay with us. His name as I heard it is John The Vombus Knight of the Greenwood. I let everyone just try and talk and waste their words for the evening while I just make a safe cooking fire and decent dinner. John at least will help me learn the basics of the Bhasa language so that I can better understand the lyrics to the song that Sanji showed me our first night at Duran’s Outpost. I wonder how his trade is going and if the message of our festival will make it to him so he can attend if he likes and is able. He seemed like a person who would be friendly and enjoy friendships, bards, and entertainment. Maybe I can get Jana to send a note to Yondali for me to send to him. She seems to get notes to some person named Maximus or Manius through her all the time.
 
After a day of travelling eventually we make camp again and decide to explore the area tomorrow. That day I work on learning the basics of Bhasa from John and focus on it to push my problems away. Then at camp that night I wake up to Worst yelling for us all to wake. Only to hear and see Rhytlock speak in a language to Jana that I do not know. Eventually they seem to stop talking and nothing bad is happening so I go back to sleep. That morning I make the bread while Rhytlock decides he also wants to cook and makes meat for everyone else to eat.