Dinner At The Rectory

Islana arrived at the Rectory once again at the first evening bell. The same young acolyte she met earlier opened the door. She asked that Islana leave her weapons at the entrance and lead her to a humble kitchen where a long wooden table is laid with some food. She points to a basin in a corner with fresh water if Islana wished to clean your hands and face before bidding her to sit.

"Friar Jassin will be with us shortly." She tells you and turns to other duties

Islana laid her weapons down, as requested and followed the acolyte to the kitchen. The room was what she expected it would be like. When offered the water in the basin, Islana thanked the other woman. Islana took the opportunity to clean her hands and face because it wasn't perhaps something to turn down. She then took a seat and waited for the Friar to arrive.

It felt a little odd being without her bows and arrows, certainly she took them off on occasion, but Islana couldn't recall the last time she was without them in the same room as herself.

In front of Islana was a sparse and paltry meal. A few pickled salads consisting of carrots, cucumbers and beets. Some hard cheese, butter and dark bread. The centre piece was a large fish with silvery skin that appears to have been steamed. Jugs of clear water are placed around the table.

"Ah, my young friend. Welcome. We are glad you could join us." Friar Jassin says as he walked into the room greeting you.

As he sat so did his acolytes.

"Please join us in prayer." He said and they lifted their heads to the ceiling. "Kupen, God of Sun and Sky, Bring us light, warmth, awe, fear and mystery to those beneath you."

The Friar moved to pour himself some water after that.
"Forgive us, we do not partake of meat during winter." He smiled at Islana.

Islana replied to the Friar, "Thank you for the invitation." She joined in the prayer; something she was not exactly unfamiliar with after living here long enough. Islana gave a polite nod upon hearing they did not eat meat in the winter. It made sense given the sparsity of the resource in the winter months. "I sustain mostly on stew from street vendors in the winter. This is a welcome change." It was actually true, Islana was starting to have her fill of random stews, even if they were filling.

Jassin Balvaris wanted to get to know this young woman better. She had the look of a scout or a hunter and he was intrigued why she felt the need to continue this so call investigation. Most people would have distance themselves from such events at the drop of the hat, without any apparent gain. The world was rough and unkind more so here at the edge of the world. Her kindness and care was something the Friar wished to encourage in others.

"How long have you been in Ostiarium?" He asked picking at the bread and cheese. "What made you come to the Gate City?"

Islana poured herself some water and took some food as it was passed to her. She did know the Friar was interested in finding out more about her; she assumed the question were of a standard nature.

"A few months. I arrived in the fall before the last ships." General explanation was best. Islana felt very unsure how to answer the second question. She did not want to lie to someone like the Friar but the truth was not something she could offer either. The young woman sipped her water to buy a little time. "I needed a change, a chance to do something new. I had lived in the woods for a while but heard about Ostiarium and it sounded - like an adventure." While none of that was a lie; it was not the complete truth. It was also the best answer Islana could manage.

The Friar nodded while eating small bites of his bread and cheese. "What is life is not a great adventure under the sky." He smiled. "And how are you finding our city so far? You still living in the Barracks district?" He continued.

"It is interesting. I will enjoy it better when I can be hunting again. Most of the people I've encountered have been friendly enough.". They obviously were not all nice but she had actually found less like the ones the workers she had encountered the other day and Wim than one might think in a place such as Ostiarium. It could also be that she had not gone out of her way to meet many people. "Yes, I still live in the Barracks."

"It's hard in the beginning. Laying down new roots." He told her with an understanding smile. "Harder still for some so far from home and in a very strange land." He paused picking at the fish and adding a small knob of butter to it.

"But with time I hope we will all come to see these lands as our new home. Regardless of how odd it may seem to us now."

It was hard though no harder than other things she had been through. "Yes, it would be nice if we could all think of it that way. Maybe, it would lead to more compassion". Not even sure why she felt the need to express that last part out loud. "Have you been in Ostiarium long?" A bit more curious about the man now.

The Friar nodded with a smile. "I was part of the first expedition across the Sea of Storms. The one that found these lands." He looked at everyone around the table. "Sometimes we all have to take a leap of faith even when we don't know where we might land." He paused to let everyone consider his words. And finally turned to Islana. "And I have been here ever since. I'm one of our Founders."

Islana realized she shouldn't have been surprised he was founder but she wasn't sure she had met one before. Coming to Ostiarium far less of a leap of faith than actually allowing herself to truly trust anyone would be at this moment. "It must have been hard then, to forge ahead of most others."

"It was harder to keep morale after 20 odd days at sea. Travelling into the unknown most of us expecting to go over the edge of the world at any moment." He chuckled. "But my visions kept us true and eventually after almost 50 days travelling the endless realm of Cambena we found land." He paused remembering those hard and turbulent days. "And here we are now. At the frontier of the New and Old world. Who knows what awaits us all." Islana noticed the acolytes minding all the Friar's words.

Dinner continued with general discussions of the area and such things. Once finished, Islana and Friar Jassin moved to a small library. Islana hoped maybe they could find more information on the symbol.