What awaits us 
Location: A small town East of Gel'Grandal
"Can you tend the horse?" Freya called over her shoulder. She was just now beginning to unpack her tent, and already was dreading the usual set up process. They had arrived in the town just a few hours before sundown, but decided to set up camp an hours walk from the gate to avoid entering the town right at the time the gates would close. It was rare, but Freya had faced some prejudice while in Gelerand. Her slightly odd features made some this close to the capital uncomfortable, so she often found it best to avoid situations that would garner undue suspicion when possible. It didn't help that she also had a Kathar as her traveling companion.
"Alright." came Lucius' deep voiced reply from around the cart. He had become a very pleasant traveling companion over the last few weeks since they had first met. Quick to help, a good listener, and of course the safety he provided were all points in his favor, but what Freya enjoyed most was his quiet intensity. He still was not as open with her as she might have liked, but lately Lucius had begun to sit with her at night to discuss the next days travel plans. She still did not know anything of his past, or how he had been injured in the first place, but she remembered the advice of Kala and focused on being a friend and confidant should he ever wish to talk.
After she had gathered the tentpoles from the back of the cart and lay them in place Freya stood straight and stretched her back. Maybe she was getting old. She was nearly another quarter century in age, after all. Or was it more? It was becoming difficult to remember her age as the decades began to add up. She was not certain how long she would live, as her Aunt was still quite youthful even when she was nearly her first century, and given her unique bloodline... Well, it wasn't worth thinking overly much on. Maybe she shouldn't complain, after all she could still move about as she wished, and she suspected the ache in her back was due to sleeping on the ground for the last two weeks rather than from her age.
"Alright, Asteri. You know what to do."
Reaching into the pocket of her robes Freya brought out the small lizard who blinked at the sudden light. He flicked his lounge in an irritable fashion before stretching and crawling up onto her shoulder.
"You should ask one of the lesser spirits to do this..." the spirit complained, but already Freya could feel his magic at work. There was a slight shiver in the air, and Freya felt her stomach lurch as a sudden feeling of weightlessness passed over her. She half walked, half skipped toward the poles, kicking each one up with the tip of her foot and catching them with one hand as if they were weightless. And in fact, they were.
"Oh, don't complain. You know this takes barely any of your aether, and I always feed you well afterwards. How many wild spirits would be jealous to have your job?"
Two more of the tent poles were kicked into the air, and from her sleave Freya pulled out a roll of twine and began tying them together in a familiar fashion. When she was finished the large canopy floated toward her, the air whipping it about wildly until there was a shift in the air and the fabric became slightly heavier. Half jumping Freya thew the canopy over the tent poles, and as she did the sensation of weightlessness vanished.
"You always complain about this, but see how quick it goes?" Freya began hammering in the spikes that would hold the canopy in place, tying off a second waterproof material that formed a slight overhang over the entire tent. When it was done Freya stepped back and admired her work.
With that chore done Freya went back to her cart, already in the process of unloading the pillows and other small pieces of furniture which would go into her tent. She also needed to set up the bead curtain, get the incense burners, and of course there was the matter of dinner itself.
"Have you heard anything from the stars tonight?" Freya asked idly as she began to set up the inside of the tent. She set the small table in its place, and began placing the cushions just how she liked them along with several other decorations. They did not always bring out the tent for every place they visited, only those they planned to stay at for some time. She could always sleep in her cart, it had furnishings and a decent enough bed inside... but after a while she got tired of the cramped space and longed to see the stars as she drifted off to sleep. When she first began traveling she had stayed at local taverns and inns, but after a few... unfortunate events she had quickly decided it was best to handle her own sleeping accommodations.
"There is a young star spirit who has been following us for two nights." Asteri said, his tone uninterested. Freya, though, paused and looked sideways at the lizard on her shoulder.
"Do you know them?"
"No."
Freya waited several seconds to see if Asteri would continue, but he didn't. This made Freya sigh. Sometimes the old star spirit was a pain to deal with. Given his age, he often struggled with concepts of time, and since he would spend eon's without conversing with anyone he would often forget to provide enough information unless specifically prompted. He was knowledgeable and wise, for certain, but at times it was like pulling teeth to get useful information from him. In this case Freya thought it best to drop the matter. If the spirit was following them, she was certain she would see it eventually. It might have been attacked by the star shard given to her by the Star Mother. Asteri certainly liked it after all.
They finished their preparations for camp, and Lucius took wing into the fading sunset in search of some game that would serve as their dinner tonight. The darkness did not seem to affect the Kathar's success in hunting, and it was often a relief to not have to worry about food like she had so often before. While he was away Freya began setting up a small fire, using a thread of aether and a bit of coal to coax a small fire spirit to nest in the dry logs to set it aflame. From the cart she produced her cooking pot, not to be confused with her potions cauldron, and set it over the fire. She then summoned a small water spirit, and after paying a bit of her aether she had it fill the pot with clean water.
While she waited Freya pulled out her personal deck of cards, shuffling through them and admiring the now faded artwork on their surface. This was the first deck she had been given by her Aunt, and she held it very dear to her. She shuffled through the cards one by one, reminiscing on her life up to this point while she waited for the water to come to a boil.
40th of Ash, 124rd Year, A.o.S.
Location: A small town East of Gel'Grandal
"Can you tend the horse?" Freya called over her shoulder. She was just now beginning to unpack her tent, and already was dreading the usual set up process. They had arrived in the town just a few hours before sundown, but decided to set up camp an hours walk from the gate to avoid entering the town right at the time the gates would close. It was rare, but Freya had faced some prejudice while in Gelerand. Her slightly odd features made some this close to the capital uncomfortable, so she often found it best to avoid situations that would garner undue suspicion when possible. It didn't help that she also had a Kathar as her traveling companion.
"Alright." came Lucius' deep voiced reply from around the cart. He had become a very pleasant traveling companion over the last few weeks since they had first met. Quick to help, a good listener, and of course the safety he provided were all points in his favor, but what Freya enjoyed most was his quiet intensity. He still was not as open with her as she might have liked, but lately Lucius had begun to sit with her at night to discuss the next days travel plans. She still did not know anything of his past, or how he had been injured in the first place, but she remembered the advice of Kala and focused on being a friend and confidant should he ever wish to talk.
After she had gathered the tentpoles from the back of the cart and lay them in place Freya stood straight and stretched her back. Maybe she was getting old. She was nearly another quarter century in age, after all. Or was it more? It was becoming difficult to remember her age as the decades began to add up. She was not certain how long she would live, as her Aunt was still quite youthful even when she was nearly her first century, and given her unique bloodline... Well, it wasn't worth thinking overly much on. Maybe she shouldn't complain, after all she could still move about as she wished, and she suspected the ache in her back was due to sleeping on the ground for the last two weeks rather than from her age.
"Alright, Asteri. You know what to do."
Reaching into the pocket of her robes Freya brought out the small lizard who blinked at the sudden light. He flicked his lounge in an irritable fashion before stretching and crawling up onto her shoulder.
"You should ask one of the lesser spirits to do this..." the spirit complained, but already Freya could feel his magic at work. There was a slight shiver in the air, and Freya felt her stomach lurch as a sudden feeling of weightlessness passed over her. She half walked, half skipped toward the poles, kicking each one up with the tip of her foot and catching them with one hand as if they were weightless. And in fact, they were.
"Oh, don't complain. You know this takes barely any of your aether, and I always feed you well afterwards. How many wild spirits would be jealous to have your job?"
Two more of the tent poles were kicked into the air, and from her sleave Freya pulled out a roll of twine and began tying them together in a familiar fashion. When she was finished the large canopy floated toward her, the air whipping it about wildly until there was a shift in the air and the fabric became slightly heavier. Half jumping Freya thew the canopy over the tent poles, and as she did the sensation of weightlessness vanished.
"You always complain about this, but see how quick it goes?" Freya began hammering in the spikes that would hold the canopy in place, tying off a second waterproof material that formed a slight overhang over the entire tent. When it was done Freya stepped back and admired her work.
With that chore done Freya went back to her cart, already in the process of unloading the pillows and other small pieces of furniture which would go into her tent. She also needed to set up the bead curtain, get the incense burners, and of course there was the matter of dinner itself.
"Have you heard anything from the stars tonight?" Freya asked idly as she began to set up the inside of the tent. She set the small table in its place, and began placing the cushions just how she liked them along with several other decorations. They did not always bring out the tent for every place they visited, only those they planned to stay at for some time. She could always sleep in her cart, it had furnishings and a decent enough bed inside... but after a while she got tired of the cramped space and longed to see the stars as she drifted off to sleep. When she first began traveling she had stayed at local taverns and inns, but after a few... unfortunate events she had quickly decided it was best to handle her own sleeping accommodations.
"There is a young star spirit who has been following us for two nights." Asteri said, his tone uninterested. Freya, though, paused and looked sideways at the lizard on her shoulder.
"Do you know them?"
"No."
Freya waited several seconds to see if Asteri would continue, but he didn't. This made Freya sigh. Sometimes the old star spirit was a pain to deal with. Given his age, he often struggled with concepts of time, and since he would spend eon's without conversing with anyone he would often forget to provide enough information unless specifically prompted. He was knowledgeable and wise, for certain, but at times it was like pulling teeth to get useful information from him. In this case Freya thought it best to drop the matter. If the spirit was following them, she was certain she would see it eventually. It might have been attacked by the star shard given to her by the Star Mother. Asteri certainly liked it after all.
They finished their preparations for camp, and Lucius took wing into the fading sunset in search of some game that would serve as their dinner tonight. The darkness did not seem to affect the Kathar's success in hunting, and it was often a relief to not have to worry about food like she had so often before. While he was away Freya began setting up a small fire, using a thread of aether and a bit of coal to coax a small fire spirit to nest in the dry logs to set it aflame. From the cart she produced her cooking pot, not to be confused with her potions cauldron, and set it over the fire. She then summoned a small water spirit, and after paying a bit of her aether she had it fill the pot with clean water.
While she waited Freya pulled out her personal deck of cards, shuffling through them and admiring the now faded artwork on their surface. This was the first deck she had been given by her Aunt, and she held it very dear to her. She shuffled through the cards one by one, reminiscing on her life up to this point while she waited for the water to come to a boil.
"Wish upon a Star"
