Melancholy in the Moonlight

JP with Omni, and LucianNepreen

Greyriver Steading

After this inaugural round of tales, the group shared a lighthearted and rather tame celebration of sorts. A few games were tried, more stories were told and Tarmen even tried to teach Ekero a particularly raunchy bar song at some point with mixed results. A mix of the the booze and either party still not having a firm grasp of the others native tongue made it a rather humorously frustrating ordeal. This led to Ekero trying to return the favor, a boisterous, deep-throated tune coming from the man that was wholly unique, which the others saw fit to enjoy from the source tonight than try to imitate it. Of course this led to several more songs, each a memory of home that intertwined to bring the four closer in such tumultous times.

It by no means lasted all night, getting just after midnight when the others decided to retire. This left Tarmen sitting outside, the alcohol wearing off only to leave a familiar feeling gnawing at his gut that made it hard to find rest, as well as finding it difficult to find relief in the night air.

As the laughter died down and the evening deepened into a lighter camaraderie, the group eventually decided to disperse after Ekero had conked out in his chair, his empty tankard still dangling from his hand. Voah was able to carry the little man like a child into one of the rooms, which ended up being the old room of the late Boyce Blackwolf before the group had all departed to Aquilo.

After that, it appeared Alexis had gone to her own quarters so Voah headed outside to tidy up anything left behind. She found Tarmen sitting on the veranda, gazing out into the darkness contemplating in silence. The rain had ceased, replaced by a slightly warmer wind brought in from the Sea of Storms. She settled next to him, drawing in a deep breath of the autumn air, feeling the weight of the day's peculiarities and joys lingering on her mind.

They shared a moment of silence, as was often their way. Ereuhin's silvery gaze painted the tops of the broadleaf and conifers in the nearby forest. Breaking the quiet, Voah’s voice was soft yet distinct in the still night.

"Tell me your mind. Something wearies you. I've sensed it since Gra'akast."

Tarmen let the silence take over again for a moment, wavering on what he was going to say, but knowing if there was any person he could tell it to, it was her.

"I weary myself."

The tired chuckle that came with the statement was a final blow against his mental barrier.

"I have realized how.... untethered I have been. I lack purpose in my own story, simply followin' the chaos and actin' the fool most often. Worked just fine back home, but here..."

He looked to her, fully knowing she was just as lost as himself but searching for someone to give him the answer.

"I have realized I want more from life than simple glory and riches."

It was evident by now that Arcadia certainly had a way of changing a person. Not for the first time it reminded Voah of what the Duke had said about ‘being tested’ and ‘this land taking something from her as a way of compromises’. Tarmen, it seemed, hadn’t escaped Arcadia’s grasp unscathed either.

“No more fortune and glory, nnn?” she asked, half in jest. “I understand what it is to feel lost... A bit like a stray dog. Sounds like you’re looking for something true to hold onto? Some guidance instead of wandering a directionless path? Is that why you joined the Creed?”

Her tone was one of genuine concern, not accusatory.

Another reminder of his failures here, Tarmen gazed into the surrounding trees as if his past self would stumble past.

“No. I just wanted to stop thinkin’ then... and the Felfar did the trick, at first. Never thought of pledgin’ to the Winter Boar.”

His sarcastic smile conveyed how foolish he thought the whole affair.

“They said Slivhiki came from Kru’ll. A god from my own home and yet, I denied him. Felt like a hot shot at the time, but I would be a liar to say I hadn’t gone back to the thought.”

The smile faded as he spoke, continuing to look towards the wilderness.

“What are you holdin’ to after all this?”

It was comforting to know that Tarmen hadn’t intentionally gone to the Creed. His question had Voah reflecting on her position and how best to explain it.

She was silent for a moment before stepping through it aloud, “I hold allegiance to Helias... both those fleeing their pasts and those fools who came looking for a holy war. Blind in their faith as I once was. They are me, and I am them. To deny the Pillars would be to deny myself… molded by their teachings and bound to their service, though… My CAUSE has changed… the fight against the malificium doesn’t mean the same thing here in Arcadia. It doesn’t quite fit with what I thought I knew. I do not consent to a genocide of innocents. But I do believe still, that magik cannot go unchecked. And if what Alexis says is true about this influx from the Ether, there seems to be only one choice for me. It is too late to close the floodgates of this war, so I chose to do my best to protect my world from it.”

It was a lot to unpack. And that wasn’t nearly all of it. She paused again, hesitating, before turning the question back on him, “And you? Where do you stand? I certainly wouldn’t blame you if you decided to leave… to flee into the Arcadian wilds before things get bad.”

To hear her side of things made Tarmen feel foolish in his own little world. He considered ending the conversation here, focus on her thoughts or do the sensible thing and get to bed.
Instead, he fished out of a pocket a rather large claw, though its size had been worn away after a lifetime of being a comfort. To many it would seem just a simple trophy, but to the both of them it had been their freedom not that long ago. He held it in the moonlight, speaking to the wind.

“Could I interest you in one more story tonight?”