The Warlord and The Priestess

[4Chiri]

"..oh....well, are you sure? I mean...what if we're just panicking? What if it's nothing?" she shrugged. "I'd hate to tell the Archbishop, just to have us come all the way back out here to continue....it would've been a waste of time." she said, annoyed that they had to leave Linlyn...it was a beautiful city, she wanted to stay.


"...do you think they'll send a letter to the emperor?" she asked.

 

[Morigan]

"I'd think they would, yes." Melia replied. "It seems like a very serious matter, and getting worse." She laid her head back against the cushion, thinking. What could they possibly hope to gain? she wondered, but no answer sprung to mind.

 

[4Chiri]

"I still think there's noting we can do." she sighed and lean back in her seat.


for the next few hours everyone rode silently, of course until Moganthe stopped the carriage, just to let the horses rest and graze. and to give everyone a chance to stretch of course. All of this travel was tiring.


Len hopped down from his horse and sighed, following Moganthe...they'd been talking a bit.


"So, tell me how you went from between schooling to being a soldier, sounds like a switch."


Len asked.


"Well, I was training to be the next warlord. I had to have an extensive education first."


"That makes sense...but what abou family? Do you have any children?" Len wondered.


Moganthe paused.


"...no."

 

[Morigan]

Melia tried to subtly listen in without being obvious. She was curious to know more about Moganthe's life, but he was so often very formal with her that she felt she knew very little about him.

 

[4Chiri]

"What happened to them?" Len asked. Moganthe paused for a moment.


"Well, I was married for a time. Before the war with the Melonians..." he started, "She was an herbalist...a doctor sort of. She made poultices and imported her goods throughout the country. I met her on the road when she was delivering her herbs during the war."


He took in a breath.


"A year later we were married."


Len stared for a moment in question. "...something bad happen I take it?"


"I left away to war. She wanted a child, but...with my lifestyle and her job, we were away from each other quite often, there simply wasn't the time for anyone to stay still and raise one." Moganthe spoke, as if reliving a once cherished memory. Probably why he was so edgy around children.


"When I came back from the war...she was with child, and married someone else." He stopped.


Len sighed.


"I'm sorry...I shouldn't of asked.


"You didn't know." Moganthe stated blankly. "it was a few years ago, matters little now. It's only strange when I see her sometimes in the city with...her children...."

 

[Morigan]

Melia turned to Ithet. "Do you think that is who that merchant woman was? The one we met a while ago when we were on the road?" she whispered.


She felt strange, knowing he'd had a wife, but also very sad for him to have been left in such a way...it was heartbreaking to Melia.

 

[4Chiri]

"maybe," she whispered. "but they were so nice to each other...I assume he would hate her after that..."

 

[Morigan]

"I would think so, or at least not be so polite." She shrugged, confused.

 

[4Chiri]

"He's much more conservative than we thought if he can keep levelheaded in so many different stressful situations...I wonder how he...relaxes, if he does."


She leaned away from the window.


"...do you think he...would be a good father?"

 

[Morigan]

"I'm not sure..." she said. "It seems he does not want to be one, at least not right now. But I'm not sure if he ever relaxes...he always seems to on guard." Melia whispered.

 

[4Chiri]

She nodded.


After a few more hours the sun began to set.


Len and Moganthe had idle chats every once in a while...


"We're stopping for camp ladies!" Len said cheerily, "I've brought my lute, as I can entertain you by the fire - I am bored." he sighed.


Moganthe gave him a deathly look and in response, he quieted.


"O-or not, I could just...sit, alone." Len blushed.

 

[Morigan]

"I think music would be a lovely idea," Melia said as she descended the stairs. She snuck a glance at Moganthe, wondering what he had against it, but shrugged and turned back to Len.

 

[4Chiri]

Moganthe set up a few tents and the fire and sat down with a grumble as Len smiled at the priestess and bowed with exaggeration.


"Thank you ever so much m'lady, I will try not to disappoint, mind you, I'm not but a novice!" he said proudly and pulled a lute from his pack on the back of his small horse.


Moganthe wandered off trying to ignore the noise that was Len's intermediate lute skills.


Ithet watched, fully entertained with grins as Len played a simple tune with a simple set of lyrics.


"O th'old ones whisper in our dreams,


come once again, 'fore the prophets write the last page.


Th'sweet woman who was Raithus who listened to their voices


come again, come again, 'fore the book is closed"

 

[Morigan]

Melia smiled as she listened to the song, but as he continued something about the lyrics made her pay closer attention. It triggered something in the back of her mind, something just out of reach that she couldn't quite get a grasp on.

 

[4Chiri]

He repeated the lyrics a few times before stopping.


Ithet clapped with a grin. "That was beautiful. Excellent job!" she smiled.


"Ah, thank you milady, I'm sure there is someone out there who would have me murdered for the shoddy performance," he winked and pointed in Moganthe's direction.


Moganthe ignored the comment, laying a few yards away, stargazing.

 

[Morigan]

"Yes, quite lovely." Melia agreed. She looked over at Moganthe, but he still stayed away from the group.

 

[4Chiri]

Ithet yawned a few times and decided to go to bed. It was very late, however the scholar opted to stay by the fire where it was warm and read through a copy of the canticles with a sigh.


Moganthe continued to mind his own until he eventually nodded off right there on the spot.

 

[4Chiri]

(bump)