As Komani is returning to camp from her watch, she sees the tiny form of Moss curled up by the fire.

One of the Roleplay Conversations from the December break 2022

[7:55 PM]Frankie: @Moss

On a night after Mount Mentiri erupts, as Komani is returning to camp from her watch, she sees the tiny form of Moss curled up by the fire.

The sight almost makes her homesick, remembering their brief time traveling with Morrigan before they met the rest of what was to become the Iron Lot. She hesitates for a moment, not sure if Moss would wish for the company after her failed attempt at enticing her to spar earlier.

Komani misses the feeling of safety and family and kin that came from having tentmates within the herd though and eventually moves towards Moss on tired legs.

[8:08 PM]Moss: As Komani approaches, she can hear low, muddled words coming from the half-elf, and notices her moving fitfully. Moss' sleeping form is curled up on her green bedroll, turned away from the remains of the fire. She's clutching her hands to her chest under her cloak.

Moss twists, the cloak trapped under her. As it shifts it reveals the little obsidian dagger, firmly pressed against Moss' breastbone.

Still asleep, her voice has a plaintive note to it, "... nil... what did you..." it dips in and out of elvish with little warning, "...bhí mé ag iarraidh cabhrú..."

[8:31 PM]Frankie: Komani has seen Moss toss and turn in her sleep before but tonight seems to be worse than normal.

It is easy still, to picture the fear that drew blood away from Moss’ face at the prospect of using the dark bladed dagger against her friends, even in play.

Komani feels a little guilty for having pushed her earlier and as Moss’ sleep spoken words become intelligible, she reaches out a large hand—clasping it over the smaller one which clutches the dagger—in the hopes of providing comfort.

[8:50 PM]Moss: Moss starts awake with a yelp, and pulls back, dagger clattering against dirt as she scrabbles. The panic in her eyes flares and fades as she registers Komani in the firelight.

"Oh goddess, sorry Komani." with her trademark apologetic smile, Moss moves back towards her companion, "I thought you were someone else."

She reaches out a hand so Komani can help pull her up.

Standing at her full height she's just about even with Komani's ribs. She has to take a step back to see her face clearly.

"Was the watch ok? Do you need healing?"

Even with the low light from the fireplace, Komani would see the dagger has returned home to her hand.

[9:11 PM]Frankie: “We are safe tonight, Moss Hiddenstrength,” she speaks quietly hoping to not wake anyone from their sleep.

Komani squeezes the hand in hers gently and tries to guide Moss back to her bedroll by folding her own legs to lower herself to the ground. Sitting, she looks up the few inches to Moss’ face and tries to read her eyes. She thinks there is something there which is both harder and more fragile than the shy but adventurous girl she had first met. This is not the same Moss who had asked any and every one in sight if they knew the person in her picture. Komani misses her a little.

“You do not rest easy, my friend,” she tilts her head in sympathy, nodding toward the dagger. “Is it that your blade weighs heavier than it looks?”

[10:06 PM]Moss: Moss smiles at the name, and moves to put more wood on the fire. Komani's presence is immediately calming. Even though Moss knows better, and has seen Komani distressingly vulnerable, her sheer size always makes the little druid feel protected.

"It does," Moss admits fairly freely, "I have been trying not to let it bother me so much. Llunet suggested worrying about it might just make it worse."

Moss pulls the little kettle from her mess pack forwards, tips her waterskin into it.

"Would you like some of the Blazing Tea?" She asks, nestling the kettle into the coals, and pulling the wax paper sachet out of her pack. She settles down on the bedroll, near enough that they can whisper without immediately waking the others, "it's grand for staying warm on watch."

Komani can already smell the heat of the chili flakes from the tiny sachet.

[6:54 AM]Frankie: Komani eyes the brew warily. “I think I would breathe fire if I drank that. Besides, I like the cold.”

Thoughts still filled with the dagger Moss seems to carry like a burden, she pulls out her own sword and fingers the engravings that run down the unsharpened flat of the ricasso. The Lurker. She tries not to think about her own lingering worries.

“Llunet seems wise,” she hmms, thinking back to their own conversations about the sword she caries and whether it may hold magic or not. “I fear my blade less after we spoke.” She sharpens her eyes at Moss and tilts her head. “You fear your knife?”

[7:46 AM]Moss: "I... Yeah," Moss' voice remains close to neutral, "I want to be sure my mind is my own. If I could know that, then I'd rest a lot better."

Idly, she stokes the fire around the kettle, flipping coals with a branch.

"We spoke about this before, didn't we - with the love philtrum in Hupperdook, before Hartmut tried to uh... solve that." Moss remembers how Komani had blanched in response to his attentions, and fled the area swiftly.

[11:23 AM]Frankie: Komani feels the blood drain from her face at the memory. “There is almost nothing I fear more than something I can’t hit.” Her eyes glaze as she remembers the history of her herd, the warning tale burned into her mind from childhood, of the dangers that can come from your mind being influenced by an outside source. ’But causing destruction because I am not myself is worse,’ she thinks to herself. She does not want to make Moss feel any worse by voicing her fears though.

“We will help keep you yourself.” The corner of her mouth twitches down at the awkward phrasing. ”Iwill watch over you, Moss, if that will help you feel safe.”

[11:50 AM]Moss: The offer is so genuine, and her tone so reassuring. Moss smiles up at Komani and quickly turns away to fuss with her mug and the tea leaves, blinking away tears that threaten to spill over.

"It will certainly help," she clears her throat, quietly enough to not wake the others, "and you know I would seek to do the same for you. I'm very lucky to have found you and Morrigan when I did."

She looks over to the sword in Komani's hands and considers the markings there.

"When we met you said you had no magic - but your people have draoi... druids, don't they?" Moss pulls her hair out of her eyes to get a closer look at the markings. Of course they're not druidic, and she cannot truly read them, but there's some small similarity there that she can spy.

[5:58 PM]Frankie: Komani nods, subconsciously reaching one hand up to toy with a carved stone bead in her hair. “My bedmate, Wolfwalker, knows many things about the forest that I do not.” Something in her face changes and she shifts against the ground before looking away awkwardly. With what looks like great difficulty, she forces the hand in her hair to lower to her lap, where both hands clutch the hilt of her sword in a too-tight grip. The released dreadlock swings against her ear: it is carved with a rudimentary wolf like shape.

[6:32 PM]Moss: Moss spots the bead but can't make out the detail in the firelight. The words take a second to really connect -

"Komani, are you dating a druid!?" Moss' squeaks out, caught by surprise, "You have a bedmate back at the herd?"

Her volume is definitely too loud for where they are sitting, in the middle of the party

[7:01 PM]Frankie: A ghost of a pained smile appears and disappears across Komani’s face in an instant.

“I do not think so. Not any more.” She looks down at her sword and her fists clench again. “Life in the herd goes on without me.”

[7:10 PM]Moss: "Oh Komani, I'm sorry-"

Moss' little kettle boils over in the fire, hissing where the water contacts the coals. She moves quickly to scoop it up and out. Safely moved, she re-settles, making slightly anxious, apologetic eye contact with the Goliath.

Moss thinks of the little she knows about Komani's journey, "You told us when you left the mountains, you woke surrounded by tokens of support? Did your partner leave you anything?"

[7:22 PM]Frankie: Habitually tracking Moss’ movements as she moves around the fire, Komani reaches for the same dreadlock she had been playing with earlier and holds it out for Moss’ inspection.

The carvings on its surface form the shape of a blocky looking wolf with a very rectangular body. As Komani rotates the dreadlock, the reverse of the bead is revealed and her eyes are caught by it. Her thumb runs over the shape of canine fangs and her face softens.

“The wolf is Gnasher and these are Thaari’s markings.”

[7:44 PM]Moss: "Thaari." Moss looks close at the bead, admiring the carvings. They are blocky, but Moss had once attempted to learn the delicate Elvish carving typical to Bysaes Tyl. In comparison to what she had created, this is intricate.

"Well, if they gave you the token they must know about your journey. It sounds like they'd wish you well with it." Moss speaks seriously, and her tone switches to something clearly learnt by rote as she continues, "Walk unbridled and untethered, forging new memories and experiences."

She grins at Komani, taking care to speak quieter than before, "That's one of the commandments of Sehanine, an ancient god of the elvish people."

Conspiratorially leaning in to Komani, she adds, "I like to think it applies to my journey so far, but also all of us here. She would definitely approve of your path, Komani"

[8:08 PM]Frankie: Komani shivers at the words of the commandment but her jaw clenches at the last of Moss’ words.

“I have never journeyed so far in my life. No goliath, unless exiled has—none but my father.” She shakes her head and smiles at Moss quickly. “Do your people travel?”

[8:17 PM]Moss: Moss giggles a little at the question.

"No, never. Aside from Sage disappearing." Moss pauses to remember something. It was only a month ago but it feels like a year now. "Although that's not true - Sage was leaving before then. He had to be, to have met Hartmut and helped with the shapeshifting."

Moss' eyebrows scrunch inwards. She's thought of this before but has had little time to consider what it means. "We are supposed to stay home and work on saving the Savalir, it's our purpose."

[8:29 PM]Frankie: “Your purpose?” Komani asks with a tilt of her head. “I know of the woods from my father’s stories but we do not leave the mountains. Will you travel there?” She smiles softly. “It would be nice to share the journey home with a friend.”

[8:43 PM]Moss: "I will one day, and I would welcome your company." Moss resumes pouring her tea, "It may be some while yet, though. I have not found Sage, or made the contacts the Greatmother was seeking yet."

She glances at the knife in her belt, and then to Komani's sword. "I think we would both prefer to return with greater understanding of these as well."

Armed with the mug, Moss is theoretically ready to begin her watch. She stays sitting though for the moment, and delicately sips at the tea. "I also- I was hoping to find someone I knew for a short while in Bysaes." There is a flush to the tips of her ears, which could be from the burning tea, perhaps. "Of course, the outside world is much larger than I'd thought. You'd know what that's like."

[8:46 AM]Frankie: Komani looks up the few inches to where Moss is standing. The red tops of her ears indicate she is not speaking of a family member.

“Tell me about them some time and I will look for you. I have a better view above the crowds than you do.” Remembering their first meeting, Komani dips her head and grins widely. “If you draw me a picture, I promise not to spill mead on it.”

[9:44 AM]Moss: Moss' grin matches Komani's, even as the blush suffuses the rest of her face. She sits to ransack her bags.

"You might spot them above the crowds, actually - not that they're as tall as you but, ah, taller than most." Peeking into her pack she reaches for the leftover rough parchment and ink, and pauses briefly. Would they mind? She knows Lawson preferred anonymity. But Komani has a point, and Moss has had no luck finding anyone so far.

"They were very... secretive, when we knew each other," She looks over at Komani, somewhat serious, "I know my art is not... advanced, but if you could keep this to yourself, I would appreciate it."

The drawing she crafts is not high quality - but shows a muscular armored form. Short curly hair rests above a leather gorget that hides much of their face. Truly, the only identifying features on the figure are their large curled horns, and a scrap of fabric tied around their left wrist.

Moss presents the parchment to Komani, blush now reaching from her top to toes.

"They're called Lawson" She mutters, under her breath

[10:27 AM]Moss: [this is the level of quality i'm talking]

Image

[1:07 PM]Frankie: Komani’s brow creases and one large finger traces the shape of Lawson’s curled horns with a reverence she has only displayed before her friends when creating the cairn for Kenna. The sight of Moss’ drawing brings with it an intense wave of yearning that shows in the subtle raising of Komani’s chin before her face shifts closer to the page. The sketch could almost be a poor attempt at depicting Kavaki the Ram Lord himself, only this is someone Moss knows. Komani’s hand subconsciously taps the curl of her skin marking which depicts a similar horn.

“Your human has horns…” her whisper trails off in wonder.

[1:26 PM]Moss: Moss almost laughs, but Komani's reverent tone is absolutely serious. With a carefully neutral face, Moss drops her hand from the scrap of parchment, letting Komani take it.

"They're a tiefling," Moss offers, "A whole race of folks who have some fiendish blood in them - most of their folk have horns too."

Moss rests back on her hands and thinks about the first time she saw Lawson herself - how she'd accidentally stared until the tiefling had noticed her, and winked from across the market.

Her voice is soft, "Lawson was the first friend I made who wasn't an elf, so everything about them was pretty strange to me. But they aren't that rare - I'm sure we could meet some on our travels?"

[1:36 PM]Frankie: Komani nods slowly, absorbing the information as best she can.

“I will watch for your tiefling friend, then.” She shakes herself and offers Moss a smile. “Just as I will watch over you.”

[3:09 PM]Moss: "Thank you Komani," Moss rises to her feet again, armed with her rapidly cooling mug of blazing tea, "I should go relieve Morrigan from her watch as well-"

She notices Komani's eyes are still on the poorly drawn figure.

"If you want to talk to the others about tieflings, with the drawing, that's ok," she smiles lopsidedly, "just-- we'll keep their name to ourselves?"

She pulls her coat from the ground, gently dislodging Wes, and pulls it onto her shoulders. He rushes up her arms and tucks in to sleep in the warm spot between her hair and the hood.

Remembering something from eons ago, at the Renewal Festival, Moss whispers to Komani, "Hartmut had a tiefling too - he told us when he was drunk. I think he said they wore jewelry on their horns."

[3:34 PM]Frankie: Komani thinks back to the shadowy form of her echo and is glad to remember there were no adornments she could see on those horns. She shudders.

“Perhaps they do not see their horns as a gift from Kavaki. I would not wish to disrespect his blessing.” She nods to Moss. “Keep well on you watch, perhaps tomorrow we will meet a tiefling and I can ask.”

[4:35 PM]Moss: Moss smiles and leaves with a small nod to Komani.

She briefly considers how she would explain any of this to Lawson, if she were to suddenly find them wandering the woods at the end of the Gravelway. From the attack in Hupperdook, Mara and her dagger, what Moss was doing outside the Commune, the non-elvish companions she'd made - to the Goliath who may be too enamoured with their horns.

She spots Morrigan's begoggled, tiny, fey form in the early morning light of the woods, and shakes the thought out.

It was a nice idea, but Komani was as unlikely as Moss to actually find them. Better to focus on the watch, and the folks she could protect here.