Host, Not Hostage

JP with Winteroak and White_Caribou

"The Still Valley lays to the West of the Great Desert of Skulls." He started clearly happy to take on the rule of imparting knowledge. Shalia imagined that as part of his role within the faith he would have duties as a scholar or teacher. "It is a huge bowl shaped forested area. Bound to the west by the Black Pinnacle mountains, to the north by the Barren Top volcano and to the east by the Rorath Heights." He explained hoping she had an idea of the rough disposition of the continent. "According to ancient accounts, it was once the most fertile land in our continent and home to many long and proud lineages." He cut some cheese into a bun and drizzle some honey on it. "That is all in the past now. Nowadays, the Still Valley is a massive swamp, the dark heart of Arcadia, where few dare to travel. Home to the Umnac and their many Broods."

The witch drank in all the information as Tamazzalt spoke. With every new description, every direction, land-form, and intimidating title, she roughly laid out the landscape of Arcadia in her head. Roughly. Beyond all of that, who knew what there was? Well, maybe her host did have more up his sleeve. Playing cards carefully. He seemed the type.
Leaving a wide open space beyond this Still Valley was a safe bet, and for now she knew what lay past the not-so-endless dunes. A volcano was unexpected. It would do her good to begin expecting. One day she would be fully desensitized to reveals like that-- hopefully sooner than later.

She had only heard of marshes and swamps, and there didn’t seem to be many in Helias at all nowadays. Broods, the Umnac…words she catalogued for another time.

When he spoke, it reminded Shalia of the days when she was just a little girl, sitting at the wide desk in her father's office, listening with sparkly eyes and attentive ears toward her tutor. He was a short older fellow and she could only recall a grey beard that seemed to fall to the floor for his distinguishable features. Nothing like the man before her now, yet his mannerisms were similar. Someone wise bestowing upon her the wonders of the known world. A pleasant memory when the knowledge wasn't soaked in over-saturated Pillar nonsense. An educator. An elder. Perhaps that is what Ascendant meant--rising to knowledge and station over the rest. Another kind of selection process from the Twins, maybe?

"A dark heart still beats,” Shalia found herself stating a little more intensely than intended. She continued to soften the rigidity of the expression soon after. “I for one find myself with growing interest in more…shadowy matters. Maybe my travels will take me in that direction, too, but I wouldn’t leap head first into a place like that,” she smiled politely, conveying that she understood the danger in his description. “I do enjoy rich histories, though. Arcadia has her stories to tell and her secrets to keep…” She sipped the tea again, finding that something was missing. Her eyes scanned the table. She slowly stirred a spoonful of honey into her tea, making eye contact again.

“And it seems she has told you many of both. Did you learn it all from your own travels, or do you keep a close relationship to the ancient?”
He was curious indeed, and interested in what she had to say from the moment they met. She was equally as intrigued now that they could meet personally.

She would try her best to balance comments and questions; this was breakfast and not an interrogation after all.
~Something of the sort may have to come later. Haha...~