The Winds of Ysgard - Part One

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Oh, I can't, I…" The lady closed Addison's fingers around the potion. And she did need healing magic on every difficult hunt, including the most recent. "…well, no, I just did."

She smiled warmly. "Thank you, Chrisania. Oh! But no love potions for me, even if I beg. I know who's in me heart, but loving me back… it's gotta be her choice."

 

[AkamaruGames]

Chrisania smiles and says, "Vell zis woman is lucky lady. Maybe she just does not know zis just yet. Love potion a little like alcohol. It lower defenses but it does not make feeleengs zat are not already zere. Sometimes zis ees all zat you need to get started, yes?" She gives a wink but then waves her hand dismissively. "But I am out of stock right now anyvay. Festeeval breengs many customers for such seengs. You ask Chrisania again eef you change mind, yes?"

Gesturing towards the door she says, "Speakeeng of festeeval. Zere is beeg one happeneeng right now and I am stranger to zees town. Maybe you and your friends show Chrisania around, yes? Pretty clozes like zose are for being seen by many many people, not just one room of drunken men."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Oh, yes, clothes! I make 'em—killed an anaconda to make this one. It's a really big snake!" Addison twirled, then explained her feathery shawl. "I shot a peacock in the ass. It lived, or so me druid guide told me.

"Let me take your measurements later, so I can make ye something from the skins o' me kills. Promise it won't be a peacock, but I mean to repay the favor for the potion. Both if I think me friend's defenses could use a bit o' lowering, long as it only works if the feeling's there. It'll be a while before I see her again; I got many moons to think on it."

She stood, figuring she could use some fresh air. Even crowded air's plenny fresh now that the stench o' vomit's working its way to our table. "Join us? Yes. Rikhard and I were about to head out there, and'd love to have ye along. I found a place that sells scarves and sashes and dresses and such, and I spied a tent full o' jewelry though I'll tell ye I know the difference between fire agate and a painted rock, so save your coins.

"We're strangers here ourselves, so other than those two shops and this inn, I know nothing o' the place. Didn't even know o' the festival so much as stumbled upon it. Is it popular? Is that what brings ye to…" Addison turned to Rikhard. "…where the hell are we again?"

 

[Ireth]

"Ilstenford," said Rikhard, recalling what he'd heard from Farrun. He'd stayed quiet throughout the women's talk, though the mention of potions had intrigued him.

"What other potions do you make?" he asked, looking at Chrisiana.

 

[AkamaruGames]

Chrisania looks over at Rikhard with a smile and says, "I make many many teengs. I make one zat make light, one zat make smoke, one zat make fire, one zat make skin turn purple, one zat melt metal, one zat make man poop, and one zat make poopeeng man stop poopeeng. Many seengs. Many many seengs. You tell me vhat problems ees, I can maybe make potion zat feex zees. Right now I dreenk special potion zat feex seersty mous. I call eet 'vater'. Man over zere drenk special potion zat make man sleep. It called 'vodka'."

Chrisania then laughs at Addison and says, "You seem very good at handleeng beeg snake and backside of feazery beerd. Zees ees good skeell een a voman. Come, you show Chrisania many dress and deefference between rock of fire and rock of paint."

 

[Nimue]

"To those who fought!" Farrun roared, along with the rest. "To those who fight!" He raised his cup and drank it down, rich and amber-sweet. A good note to finish the toast.

He remembered the battle here five years ago, the blood that was spilled, the lives that were lost. But Ilstenford lived again, and it was bright and merry and full of life. Children had been born, houses built, families raised, under free and fair rule. Everything had a cost. He gripped the empty cup, blinking, blind for a moment to the jostling cheer around him.

He looked up as Loke came over, and at the warrior's words his smile stilled and faded. He wasn't wrong. Gods knew Farrun hated it when anyone raised a toast to him, and raised it to another before the drink was poured. Because others had fought as hard as he did, harder, without magic or dragonscales or bright armor to protect them. And to him, Hala Svora was one of those fighters, and she had given sweat and blood and years of her life to shape a thriving kingdom from their precarious victory. When he toasted to her, he blessed the woman he knew. But that was not what everyone saw of her, and Loke's words echoed in his mind.

Farrun had the feeling that he had let too many silences around the campfire go by. Loke was a guarded man, and gave away little of himself. But there were questions that would have to be answered.

He looked about. Addison--now dressed in something green and shimmering?--and Rikhard were talking with one of the townsfolk, a curvy woman with an aureole of curls. Good. Nearby, the barkeeper's hired hands were hauling away a very ill and very large drunkard, and the maids were sweeping away the dirty rushes and scrubbing the floorboards aggressively. Despite that improvement in the surroundings, Farrun set down his cup and made for the door.

The evening air was a cool and fragrant, and plaintive fiddle music rose across the crowd, still lively and colorful in the dusk. Farrun spotted Loke by his cloak and hair and strode towards him, dodging a fruitseller's cart.

"Loke!" he called, and caught up to him. They were at the edge of the crowd, in the shadow of a silversmith's canopied booth, and it was a little quieter. Maybe this would be a better time to speak than some, without the rest of the party listening, with mead warming their blood. Maybe it wouldn't be. But he was accustomed to speaking his mind.

"I know you've no great love for Queen or Crown," Farrun said, bluntly. "I can respect that. A man chooses his own alliegances." He paused, exhaling. "But what happens if you are dragon-bound? Will you take that oath before the banner, then?" He nodded to one of the green-and-gold flags that floated in the breeze, this one emblazoned with a wolf's snarling head. He referred to the fealty sworn by knights and thanes of the Crown, the same oath that he himself had made, before any crown had been recovered, kneeling battle-foul and bloody in a tent.

He knew that if there were new dragonriders, their paths would not be the same as his. But he needed to know one thing--whether they would fight together in the war that loomed on the eastern horizon.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Addison moved through the crowd, and couldn't help but notice the looks from some of the men. They noticed Rikhard, too. Addison was mildly amused by the envious glances.

As she led the trio toward the two shops she knew of, she noticed the painted stones weren't a con. There was a six year old girl painting white stones that her mother sold. As the Huntress looked in the child's eyes, she had the feeling this would earn her a piece of raw meat. But it wasn't the girl who projected the thought… it was a dog in a tent somewhere behind the girl. The dog was doing tricks.

"Oh, animals!" Addison took Chrisania by the hand and rushed toward the performing creatures. "Ye like magic, right?"

Addison didn't want to make a mess of any of the performances. She thought about having the trained hawk land in her hair, and how she'd act undignified and ask the trainer to please untangle the bird's talon. She'd probably not be allowed to perform again, and her bird might be put down. That would kill the fun.

Farrun didn't entirely approve of Addison using her magic as a toy, to put it mildly. Addy figured a good compromise would be to at least consider the consequences of playing with her powers. Yellow-Crowned Budgikeet King Milford, the Not Squawking but Talking Songbird was on break. No harm in sending him a few words.

Milford clung onto the side if his cage with his talons and called out, "Chrisania? Rikhard? Know a good song? I take requests."

Addison was surprised to hear words come so clearly from that little beak. His words're more proper than me own!

 

[Ireth]

Rikhard stayed close to Addy and Chrisiana as they moved through the crowd, though he shifted uneasily under the gazes of so many people and tried not to catch anyone's eye. He followed the women toward the performing animals, looking curiously at the bright yellow bird in the cage. He jumped back in shock at the sound of his name coming from the bird's beak.

"It talks! And it knows my name! How does it know my name?!"

 

[DMThaane]

"Me, dragon-bound?" Loke chuckled. "A fanciful notion, but I'll indulge. There are some who feel that we discarded elven chains merely to fasten our own in place. They watched brothers and sisters die with cries of freedom on their lips and now they look around and wonder what their sacrifices earned."

Not all in the Raiders had been pleased with his decision to obey the Wolf Queen's demand that they disband. They'd wanted an elected monarch, chosen by the people. Never mind that she'd win any vote with ease.

"I do not agree with them, but then, I never considered a world after the war. Once I would have been content to rally who I could and ravage what northern elves I could reach but now… now I see that the days of the Raiders are past."

Even Aster had seen that. When he'd chosen to lay down arms she'd gone straight to the Wolf Queen and sworn an oath on a banner she disdained. She'd realised the folly of clinging to dying notions.

"I'm not sure I could ever swear an oath to a leader rather than the people. Yet a dragon and its rider, no matter how fierce, could not hope to stand alone against the Yvalhyn. We succeeded because we fought for our lands, for our ideals, but they will serve little in the frozen north. Support would be needed but who would provide without an oath of fealty?" He rubbed his chin. "It is a difficult dilemma, though I doubt I'll be confronted with it."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Addison turned to Rikhard. "I told him your name, though he doesn't know mine. Should I be insulted?"

Addison cast a glance at Milford. "What's my name?" she asked.

"No idea, lady."

She turned to Rikhard and Chrisania, and said, "I'm getting a bit better at me tricks, thanks to Farrun. But I ain't actually heard a bird talk so well before. I suppose I really could give him a song, if ye want, but I best ask his trainer's permission first."

 

[AkamaruGames]

Chrisania chuckled at the bird though it was a somewhat uncomfortable chuckle as she glanced around to see if anyone else may have noticed the animal's performance. Though she enjoyed the display of magic, she knew that such obvious displays of magic could bring attention and not all of it good. She leaned in and whispered nervously to Addison, "I am enjoying this magic. It is good magic. But is maybe not so good to do around so many people, yes? Peasants and priests get nervous and speak of vitches and bournings."

She then gave an overly loud laugh as she announced in a stage voice, "Oh Addison! You are funny lady. Make vords vithout moving lips. This is funny, not magic, trick. You must teach me, yes?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Addison was amused by Christania's cover-up.

"Aw, ye don't need to worry. Remember what ye said o' your love potion?" She lowered her voice before saying potion, and kept it low as she went on, "It only works with what's already there. That's a yellow-crowned budgikeet, fifth best among mockingbirds that can mock any beast. The males can make sound of a person. I told Milford your name and what to say, but he knew how to say 'em thanks to his trainer… um…" Addison glanced at King Milford, then pointed out a short man with a bushy mustache. "Pauly Cracker, that guy with the pipe. Maybe that's a stage name or just what the bird thinks he's named."

 

[Ireth]

Rikhard nodded and relaxed as Addy spoke, looking curiously at the bird. "So it really can sing, then? I wonder what songs it knows." Not that he knew many to suggest, save what his mother had taught him.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Only one way to find out," Addy said to Rikhard, then to Chrisania, she added, "One non-magical way, I mean." She then turned to the trainer and asked, "Excuse me, do ye happen to be Pauly Cracker, the mockingbird trainer?"

The man seemed surprised when he saw the red-haired girl call his name… and a little suspicious when he noticed her attire. "Maybe I'm Pauly, or maybe Pauly skipped town. Who wants to know?"

"I do."

"Oh. Well, yes, I'm Pauly."

"Oh, lovely." Addison smiled politely, then said, "So o' course, what with ye being Pauly Cracker, mockingbird trainer, when ye say King Milford can sing, ye don't mean tweet-tweet-tweet, but words."

"Sign says Not Squawking but Talking, does it not, lady?"

"So he sings words then."

"Not for free." Pauly Cracker jammed the pipe back in his mouth and watched puffs of smoke rise into the foggy ceiling of the tent.

Addison turned to Rikhard. "I think that'll do as a yes."

 

[AkamaruGames]

Chrisania nodded, not entirely convinced, but then she did not know the temperament of people in this town, nor their tolerance for magic. Deciding to defer to Addison's judgment as well as the nearby sign, she said, "I see. It is mocking song bird. Perfectly natural thing. Maybe it know funny song? I not much musician, but good friend used to sing song called 'Roll your leg over'. Very funny song."

She offered a coin to Mr Cracker and asked, "This enough to make bird sing funny song?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"A funny song, eh?" Pauly scratched his head.

Addy gave the bird a look.

King Milford sang,

Kick a hole in the hallway wall
Singing like a painted lady
Use your skull like a cannon ball
But it better not wake the baby

How long will this go on?
How long indeed?
Bang your drum 'til the money's all gone
But it better not wake the baby

Make your moan of your lot in life
Split your mind half crazy
Gouge your eyes with a butter knife
But it better not wake the baby

How long will this go on?
How long indeed?
Bang your drum 'til the money's all gone
But it better not wake the baby

Drown yourself in crocodile tears
Curse the god what made ye
Pine away for your banner years
But it better not wake the baby

How long will this go on?
How long indeed?
Bang your drum 'til the money's all gone
But it better not wake the baby

How long will this go on?
How long indeed?
Bang your drum 'til the money's all gone
But it better not wake the
Better not wake the
Better not wake the baby


​

Pauly Cracker shrugged. "Don't recollect teaching the King that one. Musta had a few too many that night."

"Well, I thought it was a funny song," Addison said.

 

[AkamaruGames]

Chrisania clapped her hands and said, "This, I like. It is good show." Depositing the promised coin in a nearby hat, she said, "This is good King. Cracker man, you give extra bird seed for me, yes?"

She then turned to the bird and said, "You very pretty King. Keep singing for Cracker man."

 

[Nimue]

"I've heard that." A line appeared between Farrun's dark brows. "It is an injustice to say that the war was fought for nothing, that so many died for nothing. There is a vast gulf between the tithe payed to a landlord, and the deprivation under the elf overlords. They took everything: your labor, your family, your life, at a whim. We were not thinking beings to them, only chattel. A tax of three coppers of a silver skell is nothing to that."

He stopped himself and exhaled, shaking his head a little. "Aye, there are chains that bind folk to lord, land, and castle. But those shackles are older than the centuries...old as men in Ysgard, maybe. We have always had kings, or warlords. At least make them men, with mortal minds and warm-blooded hearts. Half the landlords now were elected after the war, and near to most of the burgraves and elders. Maybe there will come a day when all men govern themselves, but..."

Farrun trailed off, and gave a short laugh. "I've got no head for peacetime politics." He was starting to feel the first warm touch of the mead he'd drunk. He looked askance at Loke, a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth. "Doubt it, do you? Then I'll believe it for the both of us. I may be a dreamer, but my dreams are full of dragons."

He crossed his arms, bracing his shoulders. "You'd make a fine dragonrider," he said warmly. "If half the stories are true, you're a far better warrior than I. And by the gods, we need fighting riders."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Addison thought King should thank Chrisania, so she gave him the words: "I am a pretty King, thank you very much."

Pauly apparently didn't expect his bird to reply. Addison cut off his reaction. "I see ye taught him good manners. If he says that every time a coin falls in the hat, I expect business'll pick up."

Pauly didn't know what to say, so he just puffed on his pipe. Well, at least one o' them's got good manners.

Addison asked Rikhard and Chrisania, "Where to next?"

 

[AkamaruGames]

Chrisania gazed about at the festival. Crowds of people wandered amidst stalls and various performers. Somewhere in the distance music could be heard. Gesturing in that direction she said, "Baba alvays say, 'Vhen at festival, either follow smell of street food or music.' Let us do this, yes?"