Positive Affirmations

JP with White_Caribou and Winteroak

The Bonecaster was silent for several heartbeats before he spoke the words of their lord.
"You know I value your council above all others." He started. "But there is wider game at stake here. The City of Stone will not fall without the help from the Sand Horde." Another pause as if he was pondering his next words.

"They are testing you. Your mettle. Don't be rattled with such actions. They are taking our measure." Came the words. "There is more to come. More challenges. This is only the beginning." Came the words in what sounded like a reassuring tone.

"We will speak more when we next meet. All will became clearer." Shalia knew they had to be careful with what they could share among others. "For now request an audience with the Prophetess under the terms of our treaty and your position they cannot refuse. Convince her to raise the Horde." Came the surprising command. Another long pause.

"And Shalia. Remember who you are. You are the Voice of Winter. The Odonine's Frozen Fist. Stay the course." And just as quickly as contacted it was made it was gone.

The Bonecaster's eyes turned back brown and he spat blood on the floor. He shakily took one of the vials and drank it. Connecting this way was always a struggle.

Shalia's fingers slowly withdrew themselves from the stone in silence, thinking over what she had been told with eyes widened in shock, mouth slightly agape.

Her intentions were that after their communication subsided, she’d ask the Bonecaster to deliver a message in person to Yashker informing him of the market incident, but Koshnem’s words had promptly changed her mind. Raising any concern with them would surely make its way to the emissary and read as having triggered a response from Shalia and the Aghul. She would not play that silly game any longer. She was better than that.
As the Bonecaster began to clear out the ritual, the witch offered him her thanks. She knew this kind of service was taxing on the body and his ability to do so was greatly appreciated.

Testing your mettle. Many more challenges ahead. Convince the Sand Horde to be raised. Remember who you are and stay the course.

The words exchanged here would haunt Shalia. As if the meeting wasn’t stressful enough, now she had to convince the Prophetess to raise an entire legendary army. It sounded impossible at this rate. Were her diplomatic skills enough to even scratch the surface of this strange and supposedly immortal woman?

She seated herself at the table and unrolled the treaty scroll again to bask in its information. Everything else seemed to fade out as her eyes absently read through the writing.

How was she going to do this? Failure was clearly not an option. The fate of Arcadia relied on the road she had slowly been paving…but what direction did she take once she was face-to-face with Sister Locust? What more did Koshnem know?

'No matter...I am the Voice of Winter and Noraura chose me. The War Chieftain believes in me,' she thought soon after in reassurance. 'And I will always find a way.'