From Redoak:
Rainca’s weight shifts from foot to foot as Andrew and Susan speak. She shakes her head looking at the ground before her feet. What has Rainca done? She is not a war-chief to lead others into battle. Or a wise one like the Bukun’e to sing the old songs. A twinge in her arm makes her wince and she reflexively reaches up, hand brushing the pale, stained hilt of a strange dagger bound to her upper arm. Quite suddenly she goes very still. She closes her eyes, nodding slightly. She opens her eyes and raises her head, unlimbering one of her javelins and holding it out before her across her open, calloused palms. She bows, holding the sleek spear out toward Andrew, Susan, Skeeter and the other nearby hoar-suns.
She speaks, her gravelly voice softened with sadness, “The hoar-suns will learn to run and sing and fight as Barav Kree under the eyes of The Laugher.”
********
Outside:
At the carved candle, Rainca stops and drops to her knees before the sign with many languages, surprise plain on her face. She bends over her knees and begins singing a wordless song in a low voice. She straightens, the pitch of her voice rising, arms stretching out from her sides. The song is deep, ancient. And though Rainca’s voice is rough and unrefined, the song’s power fills the chest with the sweet jolt of homecoming. She finishes on a low note, hunching down as she lowers her arms into her lap.
She sits quietly for a moment.
Rainca stands, wiping tears from her eyes. She soaks the end of a care-worn sash in wine and wraps the cloth around her fingertips, reverently brushing the runic symbol with the wine-damp cloth. With her fingers pressed to the symbol she murmurs, “Barav esh iy’e vo, Barav esh iy’e lo.”
She turns and finds the eyes of the various folk on her, some look puzzled, some wary, a few stricken.
She swallows, “This symbol is dey,” she pauses searching for the right word, “It means we enter a place of Hospitality.” The emphasis on the word is plain. “There is no more sacred place to the Barav Kree than the hearth another shares with all.”
Rainca did not think this would be the first thing she would share of the Barav Kree. She smiles quietly to herself… But Rainca could not have chosen a better place to start. Perhaps Rainca didn’t choose this. Her hands close over the flute hung around her neck. She shakes off the vague grin, her customary animal alertness and bearing returns. She scents the air, smelling fresh bread amidst the woodsmoke. Loping after Skeeter, she presses him further on their discussion.
She shakes her head, beads rattling, “Rainca does not understand how Skeeter sees measurement and limits as the same thing.”
She pauses to bow before the gleaming and smooth polished doors of the Mortalist temple.
She barks a bitter laugh as she follows Skeeter into the bustle of the common room, “Rainca hopes she will be there when Skeeter finds the limits he does not believe exist, like the words of a song he did not know he knew.” She hums quietly as she studies the insides of the building. The feeling of the place soaks into the lean, hard-edged warrior woman.
Yes. Dey. It has been a long time. This. This is right. She swallows again and blinks, eyes bright with tears. She starts, hands fumbling about her belongings, mind reeling – Rainca has no gifts for the hearth-keepers! She looks on the verge of panic. A small bump on her belly registers – the flute on its long beaded cord – and Rainca relaxes. How silly of Rainca to forget. She stills her frantic hands, looking left and right, cheeks red, hoping no one saw her distress.
OOC: Sorry, have been slammed.