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Message: <blockquote data-quote="seasong" data-source="post: 607709" data-attributes="member: 5137">Intermission: AthanDread does not quite begin to describe what Athan was feeling when he returned home. He knew his mother would be happy for his new choice in life paths, but...He'd failed. He'd been captured and enslaved and treated like a favored pet for most of a year. But worse, he'd started to like it. He was more fluent in orc than either of his friends, had spent much of his enslavement chatting with the warriors among his captors. Life would have been good if he'd been born an orc. Simple. Duty to tribe, debt to givers, joy in hunting.But he wasn't, and orcs were the enemy, and they'd beaten him and made him accept the defeat.Worse, they'd shown him that he was wrong about something, that he didn't want to be career military, and now he was going to have to eat crow for his mother over it.His feet slowed on the road south as Little Lake came into view. It was little more than a dammed stopgap in the river, a few hundred people, no more, all crammed around the edge of the water in small, intimate vineyards and ponds. Little Lake was theoretically a fishing community, but like most places in Theralis they spent more of their time making (and imbibing) wine than anything else. It was a beautiful little place.When he stepped through the front door, most of his family was seated at the hearth, supping at broth. Both brothers, his older sister, father, and crazy aunt, all looking up to see who was walking into their house. A startled pause, then his father stepped across the room and hugged him, pounding him hard on the back."Damn, but we've missed you! How's military life?"In his head, Athan was strangling himself. They didn't know. He had to tell them... more than just his change of career. Rather than answer immediately, he shifted topics, "Where's Mom?""Oh, out and about, west I believe. Said she felt something in the air, wanted blood in her teeth before she faced it. She should be back by nightfall.""Oh, I had something to tell her. I.. is there any broth left? I'm starved."Laughter greeted him - Athan was known for his eating - and rough topics were happily shelved until Mom arrived. When she did, however, silence filled the room. She saw Athan, and shifted into human form*, "Well, do I get a proper greeting, or are you in a rush to get back to Service?"* Note that Athan's mother is a wolver, a short human subrace that can shift into wolf form. This was mentioned a while back."I...", Athan bit back angry bile, and as seconds counted by and his fists clenched, rejected at least seven or eight retorts. He finally bit out the hard, first part, "Mom, I'm not in the military now.""And now you're.. what?" Her eyes were surprised, and faint hope danced in them, before she concealed it with a more appropriate mother's concern, "What happened?""At Eastpass, I was captured by orcs. I only... escaped recently. And... ""And you're going back?" Her voice was soft."No. I'm not. I mean, I'm leaving again, but I'm not going back to Service. I'm not.. cut out for it." He couldn't look at her, and his face was hot.It was his father that cut the brief silence, with a chuckle. "Son, I knew when you left you wouldn't stick to the military. You've spent your whole life chafing at authority, whether it was us or some jumped-up city council member offering to buy our vineyard. I just didn't want to say anything, lest you do it just to spite me."Athan's ears burned worse, but he plunged on, "I, there's more to it that just that. I have some friends. We were all captured together, and we were slaves for most of a year. When we left, there were a lot of loose ends. Greppa's mentor was also captured, and he wants to look for him, and I want to help. And... a lot of the other slaves were killed. I want to find the orcs that did it."Athan's voice trailed off, and his mother stepped in to hug him. They stood there, briefly, and then they sat down around the hearth while Athan told the whole story.Afterwards, there was little left inside him. He still had dangerous journeys ahead of him, but his mother approved of his decisions, and his family still loved him. The family filled him in on their news, as well. His older brother was marrying a north valley girl, and was going to move in with her considerably richer family. His older sister was joining his mother in patrolling the wilderness, and his younger brother was going into his year of Service...Athan spent a few days with his family, but left before he and his mother could get over the bliss of reunion and into the fights of old. His step was considerably lighter, despite the bad news he'd brought, and the world seemed just a bit brighter.One thing stuck with him: a conversation with his father about the orcs."Son, the best thing to know about the orcs is this - they're people. Sure, they're our enemy today, but they're still people. We're they're enemy, and we're still people, right? If you have to kill them to protect you and yours, that's one thing, but don't get caught up in hating orcs - if anything, admire them. They live a hard life, and do better at it than some people do at a simple life like ours."Yes, definitely a bit brighter.</blockquote>

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