A Question for Balota. Well, actually, two... [Halcyon 2nd Ed]

[Persell]

You turn to leave after reporting what you found in Mahmud ManDragon's house.  Like Hesiesh's fires, Cre'e chirps in memory.  A bolt of inspiration strikes me.


"Balota, one thing more."  Like a kid, I grab his arm, and lead him into a small hold for privacy--it is odd to have the Halcyon so empty.  I whirl to look down into your face--it's still odd to see this impish face instead of the muzzeled one, I can only guess how you feel.  


"Carό, I have two things to discuss with you.  One is personal, the other deals with our strategy of these...bandits."


I pause, steeling myself.  If I think on it, this will never happen.  "I remember"  And here, I tap the sun motif at my throat, the resting place of Cre'e "you also called our new Captain My King.  Why do you not call him that now?"

 

[Balota]

Looking to your face I smile, a large grin that splits from ear to ear as my hand brushes your face gently.


"Sévatuan is a Sun King, but he is only captain now. My Queen." Leaning back against part of the hull of the ship I continue. "He will always be a sun king, all children of the sun are attached to a child of the moon, and the children of the moon must serve but one master or mistress. No more no less."


For a moment my eyes get lost in your eyes, the lost of watching each detail, each movement with curiosity that fills your person.


"I will always honor him and Quaven, as well as any Sun King or Queen. But I am no longer bound to protect him by my oath, and I was never bound to protect him beyond my oath, other than in friendship. It is different with you, I know where you are when I sleep, I know how you are when I am away from you. I know you in a different way."


The answer is simple to me, something I have been trained to expect and new would happen in time. I wonder if the same can be said for you, or do i seem just a bit odd. Noticing you thinking deeply, I interrupt to continue our conversation.


"My Queen, which is but one question you said you had two?" As I rest my hand on your shoulder and look into your eyes for a response.

 

[Persell]

The second question


I shivered at your touch.  Pulling away gently, I laughed gently in my throat.  Sweet Ivrienen!  I prayed This is delicious cruelty. I have found someone who I can truly enjoy and who I admire, and I can't think in his presence!  And I need to think.


I don't really understand you, but I'll let it pass.  I wonder what our new Captain will think of this development, and how long will it take the culture of the Halcyon to change to allow fraternizing?  I chided myself, for this is not what I needed to think about.


"I need you to do me a favor first.  I truly am not comfortable with you calling me My Queen.  Could you perhaps call me something else?"  I smiled wickedly, a thought springing in my head.  "Could you instead call me something I could get used to?  Perhaps Uxor?  It means almost the same thing, in my language.  Or if you insist on being formal, you could call me Caras Uxor?"


Briefly, I feel a twinge of guilt.  He might eventually find out what that really means, and if he does, he might be angry.  But by then, it will be too late.  I quashed the guilt with the rationale that it does mean almost the same thing, according to his previous conversations.

 

[Persell]

Forging ahead


I forge ahead, to answer your question.


"Yes.  I had a thought about these bandits.  The whole premise feels...wrong...to me.  And I think I've put my finger on it.  These mercenaries--including Mr. Mandragon--say they fight these bandits in the woods--woods which I assume are full of animals."  


"These animals are the key.  Wouldn't they spot men more readily than the mercenaries, or even us?  And if these bandits are undead--as I truly fear--wouldn't the denizens of the wild more readily know where they are?"


"So.  Can you talk with other animals?  I know you can change form--"  and two that you have hidden from me!, I thought  "--but can you talk to them, or do you need Mestizo?  A single conversation from you could easily give us numbers and placement."

 

[Balota]

Making sure my hand leaves your shoulder from the shiver that ran down your body. "I am sorry did not mean to offend"


Listening to your question makes me wonder about those that can speak with the animals. Pondering as my hand reached for a muzzle that was not there, then leaned against my cheek.


"There are those that can speak with the animals and know all thier languages, I am not yet that old. Mesito and I can speak but he is my famillar, but he cannot speak to all animals only those of his kind and even then the messages are strange when they come through to me."


"Mesito does not so much tell me what he hears but shows me thoughts and feelings of what is there. Through years of being together I understand his thoughts."


A light seems to dawn upon me for a moment and I smile a strange smile.


"I could awaken an animal, for a short while. He could then speak to us in our language. But only if the creature wanted to speak."


"Does that help Caras Uxor?" The words seem to stumble off my tounge more then role.

 

[Persell]

The animal...


"Offend?"  I querry.  Chuckling at the mixed signal, I shake my head.  "No, Carό, quite the opposite.  But there are rules upon this ship that must be followed..."  


I look at you quizzically.  "You can awaken any animal?  That is a useful skill.  How many can you awaken?  For how long?  Long enough to ask relevant questions, or longer--i.e, can they help us hunt for the Bandits in the Black Masks?"  


"Because that might help us discover the other big thing:  are they undead, or are they fully human?  I don't know, but I would imagine that the undead are treated by ordinary animals like the Stone Boar--something to get rid of."  


"What do you think?  Would that help us find these Bandits quickly, or would the messages recieved from the animals be flighty and inconsistent?  I do not like the idea of stomping around--and with the Commander, you and I both know he will bring armor and his apostles, and that means stomping--in a ShadowLand.  Much less looking for trouble in a shadow land."

 

[Balota]

Smiling as the light in your eyes flickers from the ideas and questions the liven up your face. You live so much to learn, what happens when you get board My Queen.


"Caras Uxor, you run fast and I have yet to begin the race with you."


The quizical look flirts with your face then a smile shows that you understand.


"To answer you questions, First yes i can awaken any animal but I must impart some of my own powers to awaken them, I can also train them with the moon goddesses abilities. Second they continue to be awaken as long as I commit a portion of my own power to them."


"As far as helping us, I could awaken one or two but they would not be help beyond scouts for some months, cause I would have to train them in what I know to make them usefull."


Your third question is the easiest in my mind but the strangest to explain. Something wild knows what is alive or dead, but humans have mostly lost the wild part of themselves.


"Third, I can tell if they are alive or dead by thier smell and body movements from a great distance."


"The messages from the animals will be clear as long as they are will to talk about what they know when we awaken the beasts. They are independent beings, I will just have striped away the ignorance. Shown them the paths of essences and allowed them to see and think as a charm wielder. I can awaken men as well."


Resting against the hull of the ship, listening to the rocking motion of the boat upon the sea I smile once more. "Caras Uxor, there are no rules for me save those I have, and the ones you set for me to follow."

 

[Persell]

Ah, Reality intrudes


Disappointment.  My vision of finding these bandits through an army of animal informants fades in the onslaught of reality.  Balota is but one man--even he has a limit.  


And because he is a man, he will break before admitting defeat.  That he'd do that because I ask it gives me a jolt of power--a guilty pleasure that I must admit to myself.  The rush was similar to that I felt in the Tomb of Night, without the Pull.  I will have to ask Balota how the Lunars felt about the Sun Kings before the Children of the Earth overthrew them.  I bet obols to talents that this feeling had something to do with it.  


Still, I smiled.  Caras Uxor.  Yes, I could get used to that.  He'll be angry when he finds out, but at least he has stopped calling me that infernal My Queen.  


I reflected upon your words:  "As far as helping us, I could awaken one or two but they would not be help beyond scouts for some months, cause I would have to train them in what I know to make them useful."


"So my plan will take time, more time than I think our new Captain wishes to spend here.  Or myself--I half expect to have the Silver Knight stride on board.  And that zombie by the gang plank?"  I recoil in revulsion. "Why would someone want to do that?"


Pulling up a crate of wines, I sit down upon it.  "I had hoped that we could merely ask the denizens of the woods behind this city to locate the bandits, as they know it best.  In exchange for their help, we would remove their problem--hopefully, the exchange would be helpful to both, like the Stone Boar."  


I guesture hopelessly as I continue.  "It appears I have a lot to learn.  Alright,  two additional questions:  Mandragon and his friends--although they had widely different stories--had two things in common.  The first is that every one of these bandits wore black leather masks with red stripes on the right side.  To me, that smacks more of a uniform than convenience, so we can assume that they are organized."


Realizing that I was speaking aloud, I sheepishly cut myself short.  "The two questions:  One, Knowing that we are facing most probably an organized force in an unknown and hostile forest--and knowing the collected sum of our abilities--what would YOU do to root out this camp of bandits?"

 

[Balota]

What would I do with these bandits. Steel and wood, I look down to notice my hand had driffted to my new Testubo and was caressing the steel knots that jutted out from the ash body.


"Caras Uxor, I would treat this as a hunt. We are looking for a pack animal like wolves. I would send out one in front of the rest of our pack. As if they where a lone and foolish woodsman."


My fingers now dance from stud to stud along the head of the Testubo as I thought my hunt through.


"A good distance, near half mile away. Far enough a remote communication method would be needed. This is so when the pack circles around its prey it would not run into our group and be able to warn or to warn by absences when the hunt began."


"When the enemy pack is closing in on our "bait" then we send in the remainder of our pack. Acting as hammer and anvil meeting in the middle."


"Trying to capture someone alive and trying to kill them all in the same instance. If some get away we will need a prisoner, heck even if none get away to make sure we carve the heart out of this pack we must capture someone to find thier lair."


"That is what i would do"

 

[Persell]

The plan hatches...


I cock my head, thinking.  Animals.  I hunted men, and until the encounter at my Well, was lucky enough to not hunt the undead that inhabited large tracts of the North.  They were dangerous foes, even undirected.   As an Eyes, it was my job to report--others were directed to clean out nests that sometimes dotted the ice.


But these were controlled.  Are they men, or are they undead--like the masks are meant to have us believe?  In the Wilderness, I would let my Balota guide me--trees making a mockery of my range.


"I think that's a fine idea.  But the bait has to be pretty...tasty...to draw out the bandits.  A wagonload of black ash, or a suitcase of talents, or some other valuable commodity.  Easily seen."


"And the reports of magic?  Our bait needs to be able to counter that, should the report be real.  What would you say to having the Fortune Cookie as bait?  He is innocent looking, and he can discern or disarm magical attacks."


"Is there another choice?"