Leuwinmorgh's Retreat

[Justine-Juliette de Vair]

Justine wasn't even mad when Herneiros completely ignored her. She was distracted with eyes big as saucers as the other elves disrobed and joined them in the water. She was particularly glad when they sat. When Herneiros switched languages, she frowned. She could just barely make out her own name in all of that and the way Gwynphear regarded her when her friend finished speaking made her feel sick for a moment. Was he reporting on her sister? For some reason she felt suddenly protective of her other half.

That bad feeling in her gut didnt dissipate until Gwynphear spoke again in Justine's language. "He can be incredibly rash. We had the famed Mr Thornheart himself along and he complained endlessly about Herneiros breaking ranks and charging ahead." She grinned cheekily at both of them."He is quite the cook, though. Fed us a feast of sea monster. I don't think he actually ate a thing he didnt catch himself, though Ceutinde had more than enough in her stores."

[Geoffrey Ravenhurst]

"Thornheart was useless. He got Lady Ceutinde shot immediately after landing and then I broke ranks because the man almost got us killed in the Mist. And then he tried to rob everyone of their loot. By the end of the voyage, everyone loathed him in a way I didn't realize was possible."

Herneiros shrugged and turned to her. "Apologies... I was telling my teacher about Silvia. And I haven't spoken Elven in so long..."

[Justine-Juliette de Vair]

Justine shrugged. "Very true. Then, he is nearly twice our age. Perhaps his battle plans just haven't kept up with the times. His ideas about what women like generally don't seem to." She blithely assumed she and Herneiros were about the same age since no one had really specified.

She nodded, very grateful for the explanation. "Silvia is lovely. I'm glad you got to know her. Don't mind me, I just wondered if you were making fun of us behind our back." She laughed to emphasize the good-naturedness of it all. Herneiros would probably get what she meant, but the other elves would assume she meant Demetrius. Probably.

[Geoffrey Ravenhurst]

Herneiros gave a mollified look. "I am not Nigel. I value the dignity of others."

He scratched his wet beard before standing up. "Do you like elf music? It gets pretty loud at dinner. If you dance with someone, watch your feet. It's a harsh lesson most humans learn the painful way."

[The Forgotten God]

Gwynphear listened to the pair before shrugging. “No plan survives first contact,” he said. “There’s a great difference between leading soldiers and leading adventurers. We’re a rowdy and independent lot as a rule. Would be guarding bathrooms and mopping floors if we were in a garrison. Different strokes,” he concluded dismissively. “It sounds like there were some excellent battles. You missed one a month or so ago. The Kraken’s been moving inland with his sea goblins. Left their body parts strewn for a mile and a half. Snowballs have a better chance surviving against a volcano than they did.”

[Geoffrey Ravenhurst]

"Where?" His expression hardened, thinking of the other hunters who had lost their lives that night.

[Justine-Juliette de Vair]

Justine got up as well, but waited for Herneiros to actually get out of the water. She began wringing water from her black hair as she glanced toward their discarded clothes on the banks. It seemed a pity to put them back on, but it was only proper. Just as she was lamenting the eventual fate of her feet, the conversation turned awfully serious.

"The Kraken?" She imagined the thing they had seen on the island. "Is it a Mistlord?"

[Geoffrey Ravenhurst]

"Aye... one of the very worst. Unlike the others, it's not bound to the Mist itself. And it desires conquest... it was the first Mist Lord I helped try to take down. I lost many good brothers but I think it will remember us..."

[Justine-Juliette de Vair]

"I didn't know things like that could leave the mists. I was sure it was impossible," said Justine with more than a little surprise as she began to climb up the bank out of the water. The evening air felt cold on her wet skin and she shivered, half with cold and half with dread. She sat in the grass to pull on her stockings and underthings. "How far is it from here?"

[The Forgotten God]

Gwynphear scrubbed his face with a horsehair brush. “On the continent, in Thessali. There’s some castle there it looks like he’s trying to fortify. He’s been exiled to the sea so long he must be getting antsy.”

[Geoffrey Ravenhurst]

"Is Father thinking of leading another campaign? My bow arm is ready if that's his intent..."

[The Forgotten God]

“Life is a campaign, brother,” Gwynphear said. “He has another plan to try killing it. I’ve been telling him a few dozen elves alone won’t cut it. You’d think after two hundred years he’d have gotten that idea but bless him he sticks to what he knows.”

[Geoffrey Ravenhurst]

"He could ally with the Reclaimers but then they would likely want one of their own taking charge... someone with a pedigree and title, no doubt."

He scratched his beard, picturing the sort of man exactly.

[Justine-Juliette de Vair]

“You could recruit from our team from the island ,” suggested Justine as she pulled her dress over her head. “I’m sure many of them are open to another job.”

[The Forgotten God]

“I’ll leave that to you. Leuwinmorgh will do what he finds best regardless of what we say. He listens to you more than anyone. And any Reclaiming captain who thinks they will overrule the Grey Raider...well, I look forward to that day.” He idly watched Justine a second before looking belack to Demetrius. “There’s more to life than the Mist smallbrother,” he said. “Don’t let your father’s single-mindedness infect you. He has much more time than you do. A decade wasted for him is as a long nap compared to your kind.”