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Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

"Oh-- Acourse!! I's Lileh--"
"--An' I's Rose!"

"Pleased tuh meetcha mistah Doc!"
"Pleased tuh meetcha mistah Doc!"
They said in unison, then continued their assault unimpeded.

"So's, you wus wit' Cedah las' time he wus out 'bout?"
"Why da hell he gone so longed?!"
"Yeah! Pappi was so upset, hims din' let us outta his sight!"
"You any idea how hard it is ta keeps daown a job, when ya pappi won' let you leave da house?"
"We tried fer a WHOLE MONTH AN A HALF--"
"Our lil brudder Pine kept TATTLIN' on us!"
"'An den he comes an shows up all skin-n-bones, with a big arsed wagon full a food, darndest thang!"
"We asked hims what happen, he tol' us tuh min' our own business!"
"So C'mon mistuh, OUT WIT' IT!"

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

Small talk? What was that even supposed to mean? Did he mean-- GOSSIP?

A dirty look flashed between them for just a split second, then vanished. Papa hated it when they gossipped, but it was ever so much fun-- and practical to get somebody set up to take the plunge from one of their pranks-- but the comment about the bakery had them confused.

"Why'd he beh all droopy o'er stale bread for?"

"Was dey anybuddy else tryin' tuh buy anuh?"

"If dey was, at'd es'plain it-- at silly bear. He buy all da bread he could 'ford, on accounta bein' a bear an all-- and 'en somebuddy want some afer, and no' get none? You know how he is!"

The two cackled mischeviously with their heads bowed and their noses almost touching each other, before returning their attention to Solomon.

"So tell me fellah, why you's smell like ya roll' in dirt a'fore ya come here?"

"LILY! Ya cain't as' 'at! Dis here nice man wanna tell us why he smell like he crawl' outta an ol' hole, he gunna do at hims own self-- Don' go askin' 'im stuffs like at! He prolly got hims' reasons!"

"Well i's true-- but acourse ya's righ'-- Sorry mis'er-- You wanna tell us why yas smells like an ol' graveyard, you goes ahead an tells us, but ya ain't gotta. Sorreh uh asked!"

"'Ats better! Naow, was' yer name, fellah?"

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

Rose sat next to her sister Lily, off to the left, as usual, putting her the closest to the group (and Lily closest to where the 'king' was seated.)

The tall, thin, masked man sauntered like a shadow up to the pair of them as they were lost in their own world, thinking about their brother, and trying to process the encouragement the handsome young 'prince' (whatever that means) had given them. Of the pair, the king, being older and more refined, was the more attractive. However, he seemed a little untrustworthy and sneaky; A thing the both of them were VERY familiar with, being that way themselves.

The tall and masked man seemed to have difficulty sitting down, but crouched on the floor in front of the pair of them, more toward her than her sister Lily, out of proximity, rather than preference. Perhaps he was of well-advanced age? With that mask on, it was basically impossible to tell, especially with how covering his clothing was. The thought about how 'inconvenient' human clothing was in this respect drifted through her mind, but was replaced quickly by his sudden inquiry.

“So tell my my ursine friends, what is Cedar like at home?”

It took her by surprise, and she boggled for a second, trying to process it, before something automatic and perhaps, a bit less than proper, borne of her cheeky mode of affection for her older brother spilled out in the space where conscious and careful speech had left blank.

"Cedah? Oh, he' a fuddy-duddy..."

She felt Lily's paw clench hers, and could feel eyes boring into her from her sister, that just screamed 'No, dont say that!' without saying a word.

"...Uh.. whut I means is..." she stammered, trying to recover, ".. He spen' all his time talkin' ta birds an' bunny rabbits, insteada goin' out an' havin' fun."

Lily then took over for her, filling the void where she was having difficulty expressing herself. This was usually how this worked out. Somehow, the two of them were always 'essentially' of the same mindset on things, despite seeing them slightly different.

"If he given da choice a feedin' an' sittin wit birds, or goin' swimmin' and havin' a good time, he choose da birds e'ry time."

"--Wull, not E'RY time-- Jus' ALMOST e'ry time." she interjected.

The HONEST truth, was that cedar DID know how to go have fun, but *ONLY* after all the 'chores' were done, and that bear had a nasty habit of prioritizing every last beetle over himself, far too often. The two of them felt it was a moral imperative to break him away from all that work to save him from himself, but he did not seem to appreciate their honest efforts, and was frequently cross with them for it. Deep down, they really loved their older brother, despite his being so dedicated. When you COULD pry him away from those tasks, he was actually quite fun to be around. The two of them had some GREAT memories of going fishing and swimming together with him and their brother Pine, despite the irritation and protestations of their mother over it.

"Why ya ask?" ventured Lily.

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

Lily looked at the short, black haired woman dressed in men's breeches and a strangely stiff looking jacket top. She seemed positively jovial, even pleased to meet the indifferent looking elf woman, doing her best to appear indifferent and unaffected.

...('She look like she like a good joke, at leas'.').. she whispered to her sister, before her thoughts took a terrible spiraling turn.

--Not like our brother

That was the thought that set it off like a powder keg. How their older brother, so caught up in connecting the dots between how every tiny action affected the outcomes of everything else, that he seemed completely impervious to fun--Even to the point of being preachy about how they needed to be more mindful...

That angry and tired face of his, every time they pulled a prank on Pine, and he found out...

She wondered if she would ever see it again.

Her heart sank, and she clutched Rose's paw tighter.

....('you's thinkin' 'bout 'im, ain't yas?').... was the whispered reply.

..('yeah...') was all she managed to get out, before the emotions overwhelmed her.

"Pardon me, young ladies." came a soft, and polite voice they did not know. It was a smartly dressed young man-- Boyishly handsome-- The thought that maybe he wouldn't make that bad of a dad, "with a little work" flashed through her mind then vanished like a cloud of smoke, replaced by the return of the despair and melancholia over her brother's abduction. "I am prince Alec, Lord of Rascade, and heir to the throne of Kindeance; But please, call me Alec. It's what your brother did."

"You know Cedah?" asked Rose, confusedly. She herself, was curious how this young man could possibly know their brother.

"I do. He, and half of the people out there, saved my life last fall. Your brother is a fearless, and kind creature. He opened my eyes to see beyond first appearances. At the time, I did not know the fullness of his contribution to my rescue. I have... Come to know much.. Since."

The two just stared at him, equal parts incredulity, and wonder. The man continued--

"Every moment I was with him, he seemed to want nothing more than to protect me, and to make me feel at ease. Certain things that did not make it into the official reports, were learned after. I have come to understand that he is a kind, and gentle soul. My father is a fine judge of character, and he esteems your brother highly. It disturbed him greatly when he refused his offer to live here with us, at the castle."

Two sets of brown eyes about bulged out of their respective heads, as two hands clutched tighter.

"Master Steinwell tells me of you; Tells me ... you care for your brother deeply. Understand, you are not alone in this matter. As I said, my father is a fine judge of character. He has selected all of these people to help you, and our kingdom. He passionately believes your brother will aid in this second task, once he knows of it, and what is at stake. As I said, he has worked with half of them before. He asks that you join him. I believe him. So should you."

The man then gently placed a hand on each of their shoulders, nodded, then straightened, and returned to the far end of the room behind the handsome man, still sitting at his desk. There was a wordless exchange. A glance. A nod between the two, then both returned to their surveillance of the room, as though nothing had happened.

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

Lily and Rose looked at each other, then into the larger room full of strange, and in some cases, strange looking people.

There was a very lovely woman with cat-features, but she had a very stern and attentive visage that did not look the most friendly. The others were either human or 'elven' (the presumed, from matching the descriptions they had been told about- They had never actually met elves before.)

The handsome older man had instructed them to come in, and sit down among them, but the furnishings looked unsuitable to the task. Quite likely, they would destroy any of the wooden chairs present if they sat in them; Not the least of which from the extra width of their bottoms, but just from the extra weight. There was a bench present though, as if added as an afterthought. They shambled their way in, clutching each other tightly by a left and right hand, respectively, while large irised brown eyes rimmed with a thin sliver of white darted around the room nervously at the assembled group of people.

Who WERE these people? It sounded like they were going to rescue their brother, but what was this talk of war? Her dad and older brother had whispered furtively about it, and the townspeople were worried -- very very worried-- but until now, the two of them had felt that everyone was simply blowing some rumors out of proportion. These people in the room looked, and in some cases, smelled deadly. (and in at least one case, maybe even dead? It was hard to tell. Maybe he was a grave digger instead? All they knew is that the thin, masked gentleman reeked of old grave soil.)

In mere moments, they crossed into the room with slow, ponderous and clearly terrified steps, before finding the bench, then making it creek as they sat down. First one side, then the other, the wood making visible deformation from their combined weights. Never once did those pawed hand release each other.

This entire ordeal had been a terrible one. First, their brother had been taken right in front of them, then the strange man in the pendant instructed them to come ... HERE... then, after they arrived at this massive .. 'city'.. (They had never before seen, or imagined, so many people in one place, nor even considered people actually LIVING behind massive stone walls, like this place had. The closest they knew to this kind of thing, was the tumbled down tower ruins, which had a large stone wall surrounding them, fitted with a large dragon-themed gate that opened for no-one. It was a desolate place that no-one went to, or came from. (The meadow surrounding it however, was a GREAT place to get sedge grass in the spring, and flowers in the summer. Rose had picked more than a few useful ingredients there, and Lily quite enjoyed the flowers... But this place was nothing like that at all. The way the stones were fitted was noticeably different, and inside--- more people than they had ever before imagined, all in one place, doing so much..) men in brightly colored fabrics and shiny metal plates covering their bodies had intercepted them almost immediately, and practically HERDED them down tight, twisty back alleys and to THIS place-- this.. "Castle", the pendant-man had called it. It's interior quite literally would have overflowed the edges of the small village they called "town" by a hefty margin-- and its interior was a maze of both ornate and garishly opulent halls and rooms-- intersected by cramped, drab ones. They had been shuttled through the more drab and tight ones, before being led here, to this room, and instructed to wait.

As they sat down, the opulently dressed man in the center of the room, behind the large heavy table with the colorful roll of paper on it, addressed them seemingly as an afterthought--

"Are there any questions before you set off, is there anything you wish to say in your time of need, we are here to help your family first?"

For some reason, being addressed, and asked to speak in front of this group, sent waves of terror through the both of them. Lily's paw ached where Rose's claws dug in, causing a reflexive clenching of her own, on hers.

---('They lit up brigh', Lilly..').. she muttered nearly inaudibly to her. The realization that these people didn't just look stern and tough, but were powerful enough to give her sister the willies, dawned on her terribly.

She heaved a breath, and asked a question. THE question. It came out cracked, strained with emotion and fear, but it was the only question she really wanted to know.

"A... Are yas... Are yas really gunna help Cedar?"

Then more slipped out right behind it, unbidden-- the secret questions that had been eating at her insides, that she did not dare want to address, even inwardly:

"Why'd dey take 'im? -- He gunna be a'right?..."

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

Indeed,.I just have a recurring char that lives far away, and is technically foreign.

He heeded "orbital drop pod insertion."

You are not expected to have more layers of imagination than an onion, or to write war and peace.

I had to get mr bear from being in hibernation and into the mix. That's all. (But I do have a nasty wall o text habit... try not to pick it up, it's hard to break.)

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

Lily looked at Rose from where they had concealed themselves-- Downwind, naturally-- to eaves-drop on their dad and brother's "Private" conversation.

Mischief bloomed silently between them, and not a single word was spoken. They had known each other their entire lives, and were "thicker than fleas on a dog", as their dad would often say. They had fleas too, of course, having fur all over, and living outdoors-- but dogs didn't rub themselves with fresh smelling, and sticky tree sap like bears do. Dogs were just too dumb to know such simple but effective remedies to such every-day problems-- and neither of these girls was dumb. They knew *ALL* the rub spots in the area. ALL of them.

Another thing they knew-- was that their older brother was going to see a girl-- and that was something they DAMN SURE was not going to miss out on.

It had been a recurring point of cruel joke they made at his expense, that he was twice their age, and not once told a girl he thought she was pretty. The VERY IDEA that he might ACTUALLY say something-- TO A GIRL-- was just too saucy a proposition for them to even CONSIDER passing up. They just *HAD* to be there.

Naturally, the had come to that simultaneous conclusion, completely without uttering a word to each other, and embarked on their mischief together-- silently stalking their older brother from a reasonable distance.

Cedar was not inexperienced nor did he have a proper lack of being wood-wise, but he wasn't the most discrete about his passing through. The two of them were considerably more sneaky than him-- Mainly, due to their mis-spent childhoods being devoted almost exclusively to mischief when their parents weren't watching. As such, they followed him completely unobserved, as he returned to his hovel, came back outside fully dressed with a huge bow over his shoulder, a fat sack of seeds on his hip, and that absurdly large stick he carried around with him.

It was several days travel, with difficult terrain to stay hidden in (given that several open fields were involved, and requiring them to spend a whole day's travel behind him to avoid being caught), before events turned sideways.

There was a wooded thicket, and their brother had stopped for the night there. In the night, he got up to go relieve himself, as he often did at night, leaving his posessions behind (as there was no need to pick them up and carry the for so mundane and simple trip away), when there was a terrible scuffle.

A red headed woman in flowing robes, a bent old crone, and a handful of ugly, stinky men had concealed themselves, and jumped him in the night as he was squatting. Green bolts of magic flared in the dark, loud cries, and cooing laughter followed as loud male voices called out for ropes and chains.

The two girls watched in silent horror as their brother got drug away into the night, loaded into a nearby cart, and carried off. Neither one of them felt foolish enough to try and intercede on such a dangerous and organized assault. Magic like that-- Neither of them had seen, smelled, or touched-- and it was far too focused for them to consider trying to deflect in the ways they knew. All they could do, was hunker down, and watch in horror.

Stricken, they returned to where his makeshift camp was, and collected his things, trying to figure out what they should do.

It was then that Rose noticed something "Magic" that had been in his pocket. Lily snatched it up like a crow stealing a silver coin, and the two of them hunched over it, examining it closely.

"Uh think it needs some juice put in it--" ventured Lily, after trying, and failing, to fully explore its use. It was so complicated inside, it made her head swim when she tried to delve it.

"Is it really safe to do that?"

"Uh don' feel no dang'rous bits.. Worth a shot?"

They hunched over it, as Rose gave it a gentle 'nudge', and it sprang to life. A handsome looking and well dressed-- if somewhat short and scrawny looking-- man shimmered into view in the center of the odd metal medallion, and wasted no time in addressing them. He was wearing what looked like fancy pajamas-- The incompetent magician that lived in town wore similar at night, and they were familiar with the practice, even though their dad preferred to sleep naked.

"Master Cedar-- To what do I owe....." the man started, a bit cheeky sounding, before trailing off. "You are not Master Cedar. ... Who are.. You Two?"

Lily and Rose looked at each other, then at the strange man in the medallion, then at each other again.

"I's Lily..."
"An' I's Rose..."

"I see." said the man flatly. "And where, exactly, is Master Cedar?"

"HE WAS SHOT AT AN' SNATCHED!"
"THEYS DRUG 'IM OFF!"
"WE DUNNO WHAT TA DO!"
"KIN YA HELP US!?"

The sleepy looking, put out, but still very handsome looking man shook his head wearily before answering as if he were dealing with simpletons.

"WHO. Who has abducted Master Cedar. If you want our assistance, you need to answer my questions."

"SOME RED-HAIRED WOMAN AND AN UGLY OL' CRONE!"
"SOME RED-HAIRED WOMAN AND AN UGLY OL' CRONE!"

They blurted in unison.
There was a long pause as the man looked at them with a deadpan expression, that subtly hinted that he knew EXACTLY who the two offending people were.

"You must come to the castle immediately. For both your safety, and his, you must--"

"Mister, we ain't ne'er been tuh no 'castle' afore, how we s'posed tuh git dere?!"

The look of complete exasperation on the man's face was evident as his shoulders slumped, and his eyes rolled.

"Wait there, while I dress. I will contact you again shortly, and then I will tell you how to arrive here."

and with that, the medallion abruptly cut off, the man's visage vanishing in an instant, leaving the two sisters dumbstruck, and staring at each other.

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

----
[Great misty forest, deep interior]

"NO! Jus' Look it ya! Ya ain't goin' lookin' like at!"

The grizzled, one-eyed man's eye was wide with dismay and indignation. "Yous jus' barely survive da win'er on accounta 'em folks, an' ya wants tuh jus' DIVE righ' back in!? YOU NUTS SON!?"

One-eyed-Jack, his father, was a very... Unique... person. To say the least. Not very many people would even consider being "Married" to a bear, let alone find it "Desirable", for instance-- But on top of that, this man had very very little concern for the affairs of humans outside, and far more concern for the health, welfare, and well-being of even the tiniest songbird, in the most scrubby part of the wood, in comparison. That isn't to say he was completely heartless to human sufferings, only that he felt humans were more than capable of caring for themselves, even to the point that their doing so, often very much jeopardized the health and safety of "Everything Else." -- Like his son.

"Uh din' say uh waz!" he protested, leaning on his walking stick for support. Really, he really WAS very weak with protracted starvation. "You an' Me's gots so dayum much tuh duh as-is, an' uh knows it! But *I's RESPONSIBLE* for em people's suffrin, pops! I CAIN'T JUS' Leave em! Ya taugh' me better 'an 'at, and ya knows it!"

"Yous goes ou' 'ere like at, an' it gunna kill yous fer shour!" the old man persisted, then took a more stricken, emotional break in his tone and demeanor. "Uh.... Uh caint lose ya both... Not tuh EM PEOPLE..."

Cedar hobbled on his staff closer to the old man, and embraced him. He loved the old man very, very much. He felt his hands slide through the shedding, coarse fur on his back, taking tight hold, as the man hugged him back hard.

"Pappi...." he muttered, craning his neck over the much shorter man's shoulder, and behind his neck for a nuzzle. "uh ain't ne'er gunna leave yous..."

The man said nothing. Just shuddered, and buried his face into the fur of his chest. He could feel the warmth of his breath, and the slight dampness of tears there. Cedar gently held him close, and the old man did the same. His protracted absence, and unannounced departure, had severely rattled his father, who had worried himself sick, and nonstop until his return, over a month and a half later. Once again, "Unforeseen consequences" of one's well intentioned actions, bearing terrible fruit.

"Uh's gunna stay a bit long'er-- you an' me's gots suh much tuh duh--" he muttered, rocking side to side, still holding the old man. "Uh know's dis year' "Special" fer yuh an' Mammi... Lil' Pine an' em girls' gots tuh has places fer em 'afore win'er... Wit' 'at many tuh make, it gunna take alls 'uh us workin... Ya knows 'at."

The man let go, then backed up a bit-- pained indignation still hard on his face.

"Suh ya jus' gunna go git, an' run off a'gin, is ya?" he scowled.

"Imma gunna eat wut uh cain afore 'en, dontcha wurry none 'bout 'at pappi..." he said, then placed his heavy paw on the man's shoulder. "... Gunna try an' warsh muh hands uh da whole ugly mess, 'en come righ' back home. Nearly da whole time uhs were out 'ere, uh was thinkin' 'bout bein' back 'ere.. ... an' 'bout yuh.... I loves you pappi. More an' you knowed.... But yuh knows I *HAS* tuh go."

"Ya ain't leavin' till all uh dat work's done 'en!--- AN YUHS BETTER GIT FAT, AN' QUICK, 'er yah ain't goin' 't'all!"

Cedar smiled. He loved his dad so very much.

"Uh will, paps... Promise--- We'd better git on it, en, uh? Mammi ain't gunna let em' little-uns tag along 'ahind 'er fer much long'er, 'reckon. Uh knows how dat is-- Buhlieve meh!" he said with a wry chuckle. "We both know'd she aint da type tuh mess 'round wit, when it come tuh stuff like 'at!"

That single, solitary brown eye narrowed and focused in intensity, and the brow furrowed.

"Nuh-- Nuh she aint!" he said intensely, then slapped cedar on the side. "We be'er git on it, en, shoun't we boy?!"

----

Days turned into a week. Then two.

Old Jack had NOT been idle, while his children had been growing over the past four years. He was blessed with the "Long view" of things, and had been cutting, digging, stacking, and preparing timbers, stones, and other materials as time allowed that entire time, when he wasn't working in the shadows behind the fat, lumbering she-bear he called "Mama", for lack of a proper name, and the cheeky half-human cubs he had sired on her. He always stayed out of her way-- Letting her take the reigns in instructing their children in the hows and whys of surviving in the harsh natural world-- They could not possibly have asked for a better teacher, but he was always there, just in arm's reach, if there was trouble, or need. That was how he and the she-bear managed the need for balance between closeness, and separation that their "Relationship" required. At times, HE would get the kids, while she wandered off to indulge herself on food without competition-- especially toward the autumn months of the year. Times he greatly cherished, and indulged his children with. The man was nothing but love, and affection, with a healthy trapping of fatherly tutelage in "How to be people" when the opportunities arose.

This spring, "Mama" was quite content to let Jack "Steal" the children, as teaching them "How to den" was a very important life lesson that-- as much as it bothered her-- she admitted, she was not the best to give instruction for, given the kind of cubs she bore with her mate, and their unique needs-- and the 4 of them were hard at work putting the supplies he had prepped together, and getting hovels put up.

It was both a source of contentment, and of lament, for Cedar. He loved to see Pine settling into a home of his own-- even if it WAS rather far away from his own-- A necessity actually-- All of them needed quite a lot of space to sustain themselves, and that meant moving quite far from "home", and from each other. But with each hovel being built (thankfully, only two-- the girls had insisted that they would live together, despite incredulous attestations from both their dad, AND their mom, about that), the reality that he would be departing became more and more weighty.

He was still thin, but at least not half-skeletal anymore, by the time all that work was finished.

Discretely, he tracked the old man down again, and cornered him in secret one last time. There were more things... IMPORTANT THINGS.. to discuss with him, before he left.

"Paps... We gots tuh talk."

"Yeas... Yeas we does." said the man, with a kind of cold reservation. "Ya know'd uh ain't happeh 'bout ya leavin."

"Paps.... Yuh GOTTA git dis place readeh... Em problem's outside... 'Ey migh' no' STAY ou' 'ere... You KNOWED what uh mean. We dun talked 'bout dis when uh got back, ya hear?"

"Be a lot easier,---an' uh'd be a LOT happier-- if'n yeh stayed, son."

He was referring, of course, to the risk of both Kindean and Mechean soldiers trying to occupy the village of Mistville, nestled into the bosom of the forest, for its strategic location on the border, and the kinds of supplies either side could pillage from the villagers, in the event of all-out-war. Also, to the risk of serious and catastrophic harm to the forest-- from PURPOSEFULLY SET fires, by the opposing force, if either of them actually SUCCEEDED in that objective. They had decided, that the entire region needed to be as "Completely and savagely unhospitable to any kind of occupational force as was INHUMANLY possible." -- and that meant, rigging the whole forest edge with deadly traps and dangers for any kind of person foolish enough to try to gain admission. A very arduous task indeed, given the immense size of the forest, and the scarcity of able hands to do it with.

Old man Jack and Pine would likely need to spend ever waking moment after the old man's seasonal time with mama, devoted to the completion and succinct assurance of that end.

It would be no small task indeed.

"Uh knowed paps.... Uh knowed." He tilted his head, and smiled at his dad weakly.

"buh' Ya knowed I caint."

"Uh knowed."

There was a long, pregnant pause, then cedar ventured a little more.

"E'res a girl uh cared fer-- in 'at area. Had a narshty woun' in'er chest. Arruh clean through, recon. Poor thang never had a proper meal in 'er life... Did duh bes' uh could fer 'er. Uh wants tuh check on 'er, whiles uhs out. Be on muh way back, quick as kin be, af'er. Promise."

the old man looked at his son with a tipped head, then made a dirty smile.
"AINT LIKE AT PA!" he protested, but the old man just chuckled.

".... A'course it aint--- A'course it aint..." he muttered behind that cheeky bearded smile. "Buh you thinks she need come stay 'ere--- Tuh git be'er, a'course--- Well naow, yuh jus' go righ' on, and bring 'er 'ere. We'll fin' a spot fer 'er."

Cedars ears burned and his nose wrinkled. this was so damn embarrasing.

"PAPS." he protested, but the old man just raised his hand and smiled.

"Bes' be on yer way en, don' ya thank?"

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

[Royal Palace, Kindeance]

The winter had been a hectic few months. It was a period when everything ground to a halt, where everyone was content to just tide it over until spring. In such idle times, gossips and rumours spread like wildfire amidst the bored populace and... well, it wasn't the good kind.

Despite the king's best attempt, the voice demanding war never faded and on the contrary inflamed further with every passing day. The duchess was busy preparing for that inevitability, alongside some projects that Theodore wasn't privy to. Not to say that he wasn't busy himself, but his responsibilities were on a much smaller scale. And one of them was to lay the groundswork for the mage reform. And to that end, there's one individual that he needed contacting.

He tried scrying to the fourteenth medallion occasionally through the winter, but true to expectations Cedar was likely hibernating. The trinket was in a dark enclosed space and as far as he could tell hadn't moved an inch the entire time, thus the only option was to wait. Once spring came he scried periodically, at midmorning every three days without fail like clockwork. The first few times had failed, a small suspicion budding that the medallion was ditched in a hole somewhere, but eventually it received a feedback response.

On Cedar's end, a translucent image of Theodore projected itself out of the medallion. It was off-center, with depiction of a room filled with books and unusual contraptions fading around the edge of the projection.

"Ah, master Cedar. I was wondering if you'd wake anytime soon." He greeted, his visage carrying a carefully manicured mild and polite impression. "Is this a good time to talk?"

[Great misty forest-- Meche border]

Cedar blinked in confusion, and nearly dropped the medallion in surprise, but instead just oogled the image incredulously for a few seconds, before responding.

He was mindful of the fact that he must look very haggard, given his 'nearly didnt make it' condition.

"Uh.. Uh s'pose so... 'is weren't haow uh'd a thought'a sayin' hullo 'dough.... whatcha need 'ere lil' fellar?"

Theodore Steinwell was not really all that "small" of a person, but he was still fairly young, and most importantly, smaller in build and stature than Cedar himself was. In the greater scope of things, Theodore was many many years Cedar's senior, and despite appearances, was the very image of the coolly collected intellectualism distilled into mages everywhere.

His demeanor reflected this flawlessly.

"I'd like to confirm your availability for a visit, considering how our conversation ends hastily last year." If Theodore had any personal opinion about the bear, he's showing no outward sign of it. Instead his chatter was businesslike as usual, unhurried as if the crisis wasn't in full swing at the moment. "And perhaps you'd like a report on how Fanghorn fares while we're at it."

Cedar, however, was anything but that. He was very much the rural scion of a hermit in basically every way imaginable, including temperament, though he DID try to behave himself. Sometimes it was more difficult to do than others.

"Uh though' you lot said you'd take care uh dem people!"

He blurted suddenly, almost throwing spittle with a shocked, incredulous ferocity that stunned even himself. He quickly reigned in the outburst, sucked in his lips, and tried again, imposing a lot more self control this time.

"Sorreh... bu' as uh kin'a blurt'd ayout 'ere... uh wuz unn'er deh impression at you nice folks was takin' care o' 'em poor people...."

He made a pregnant pause in which he sucked in a breath, held it, then chewed the inside of his lips for a moment before resuming.

"...it been all win'er... ya.... ... ya DID help em people.... ... righ'?"

The issue of the fate of the residents of Fanghorn-- the village that he had "no small part" in destroying last fall-- was one that had haunted him perniciously ever since. (It turns out, abusing wild magic meant to deflect hurricanes from islands and coasts, into brutally terminating an evil flying wizard, has "Repercussions" on the people below. --Like flattening all their houses. As a consolation, it DID put out all the burning buildings that said wizard's cronies had set ablaze-- small as it may be.) Cedar was a kind-hearted, and benevolent sort, that did not take any kind of pleasure in causing harm to people. Especially innocent people, simply caught up in things stirred up by people more powerful than themselves.

He DID NOT relish being one of those who many might call, "More powerful", and the role he had played in their suffering.

Theodore was completely unfazed by the outburst however, strictly business. Almost impossibly cool, and matter-of-fact.

"Of course we did. I gave my word, did I not?" The mage visibly picked up a piece of paper, though the writing wasn't visible through the projection. "Some mages were dispatched to clear the rubble and erect a few emergency dwellings. Alongside with the few that are still in relatively decent condition, there's enough shelter for everyone by winter albeit a bit of a tight fit. We also provided supplies throughout the season. Construction will resume in a few weeks after the road is no longer slushy from melted snow."

The paper was placed down, Theodore's gaze seemingly finding Cedar through the projected image. "You can visit them on the way here if you'd like."

This was... Not the kind of news he had wanted to hear.

"Oh yes, we tucked those people in good and tight-- Built them houses as quick as we could, and stocked them proper for the winter." was more in line with what he would have done himself, if given the chance. That's the kind of help those people NEEDED.. not... Not what he had just heard recanted to him.

"... ... Uh see..." he said again, after a long pause.
"..Uh'll.. ...Uh'll try... Uh ain't in such good shape muhself... Dunno if'n ya kin sees 'at 'er not... .. an' dey's a lot tuh do 'roun' 'ere first.... Mebbe a week er tuhs...."

The condition of those people was not something he wanted to tolerate persisting any longer, but his own condition DID also, need to be considered. You cant help somebody else, when you cant even help yourself. That thought resonated with him awhile, and he wondered if it was just "political blindness" that had driven this "not even barely adequate" response from the castle to their plight, or if... If the kingdom itself was, as he was.. not in a good way.

"Of course. Do take your time, we're not terribly in rush. You look positively terrible." Said the mage, indirectly confirming that the projection was two-way. "If you need to contact us you can tap some mana into the medallion. Now, before I go is there anything else you want to discuss?"

"Naw... I dun think suh..." he replied solemnly, deeply consumed with these troubled thoughts.

"Very well then. Looking forward to meeting you in person, master Cedar. Until next time."

The shimmering image projected from the medallion faded, then vanished, and the draw from it subsided to a dull ebb. Stricken with newfound worries and guilts, he placed it with his robes, then looked up above the (now cleaned out and empty) wooden 'crib' that served as his summer bed. He would need to fill it with fresh bed-straw, and prepare it for use-- if he was going to be using it this summer... Recent news.... Suggested he wouldn't. Again. On a rack above, drawing dust, was an enormous wooden bow his dad had made for him some years back, though he had never actually used it for much except practice shooting. He was not one for going hunting; He detested the idea of ending lives just to sustain his own, and tried to stick to the least costly modes of life he could, but if things were brewing like that outside...

His thoughts returned to that terrible excursion to Fanghorn, and how everything there had gone sideways. He REALLY could have used this thing there... Back then....

He stood, then removed it from the two wooden pegs it was suspended from, and slung it over his shoulder.

He needed to get dressed. He needed to see his father. As soon as possible.

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

The sounds of wind rustling through branches, and the soft chirpings of birds fluttered into Cedar's ears, as the grogginess of hibernation finally-- at last-- began to drain from his senses.

He did not feel all that great. Humans often thought that taking "A big nap" like that, surely must leave you feeling invigorated, rejuvenated, and ready for the spring, but they were also very much, very very mistaken.

Consider instead how you would feel if you had drunk several shots of hard liquor, had your liver working overtime, and had not gone to the bathroom for 4 months solid, and you would have a closer approximation of what "coming out of hibernation" feels like.

His mind and body were only just starting to "come out of it"-- where "it" could best be described as a state not quite asleep, and not really awake, in which the lines between fantastical dreams and imaginings, and the waking perceptions of the world are blurred. It's not really "sleep:" Even the slightest noise would have "roused" him, but he would NOT have been "Himself", and would have "Reacted" more than thought or planned like a man-- interspersed by small, perhaps hour-long episodes of semi-wakefulness, in which he might put his nose outside to eat a small mouthful of snow, now and then.

For the moment, he was just some-what grateful to have "man-thoughts" again. It was this state of debilitation, and "Not being worth a shit" that he had tried so very hard to impress upon the king of Kindeance last fall; The reason why he had no choice but to refuse his request to stay and help further-- It wasn't that he did not WANT to, it was that he would have been UNABLE to. Getting that point across seemed like trying to argue with the wind though.

His thoughts wandered, while he waited for his body to finish "waking up"; reflecting of their own accord how that conversation had let to his returning home just before the snows hit, and just in time to get into his hovel for the winter.

The trip back had been more or less un-eventful, but he had been in a hurry to return, lest he be forced to dig in someplace out in the wilds between Rascade, and here, in the great misty forest of the north. He had collected his horse-- A massive black stallion named "Paragon", according to the royal groom-- (a hairy and somewhat dense fellow named Griswold.) It had taken a fair bit of convincing on his part to get the beast to trust him, requiring the services of the groom to get him hitched in harness and strapped to a simple wooden cart he had purchased for the trip. He had spent a few more hours in Rascade, loading it with as much food, grain, and supplies as he could pack in it, then headed home, stuffing his gullet on the way while driving the wagon, then stopping each night to "Chat" with the horse, planning on how best to care for him when they arrived "home."

He wondered how the massive stallion was faring right now, after a whole winter under his dad's care.

He had been paid a king's ransom-- literally-- for his services in bringing home the lost prince, and it has been well more than sufficient to provision the both of them. That wagon had been heaped over the top with half of it full of bags of grain for Paragon, and the other half stuffed with barrels of rendered fat and preserved meat for himself, with several bags of apples to share between them when they stopped.

As opposed to the month it had taken him to wander in earlier that fall, it had only taken a week with the cart, and the improved travel time it afforded.

Arriving "Home" through the village's road (which was necessary to get into the wood the way he needed to go, and meant passing through the town) had been met with spectacle, as he arrived with much more than he had set out with. Even more so, when he had to make arrangements to have hay delivered to the old tower ruins-- then a VERY lengthy, and tear-infused conversation with his father, who had been beside himself with worry and grief at his protracted absence.

That seemed so long ago now, after 4 months of "not really awake, and not really asleep", with "Barely enough fat to survive" after gorging himself on the trip home.

He could feel the bones showing through his tight skin, and he realized he must look like absolute hell. But at least he survived. That was reason enough to be somewhat happy.

His palms and feet itched, like they did EVERY spring, after just "coming back alive again"; Months of being buried over with leaves and tucked away deep into the ground where the frost couldnt reach, meant that the pads over his fingers, toes, hands and feet began to detach, then slough off. He started every year with "New Shoes", and it would mean his feet would be tender for several days at the least. Idly, he curled up, and nipped at the thick and offensive hunks of dead skin, and peeled them off to stop the itching, then groaned as he felt the rest of his body coming into normal function. The need to toilet, being especially prominent.

Like a recovering drunkard, he wobbled this way and that on all fours, as he lifted the trapdoor in the floor of his hovel that led into his winter den, almost knocking over the table and wide bench that served him in the summer and autumn months as he careened for the door, then stumbled outside and into the light for the first time in months. "Relief" was difficult and a struggle, as it always was after hibernation-- but the results were very satisfying and met with much appreciation.

He sniffed at the air. So familiar, and comforting- the smell of wet autumn leaves under melting snow, hints of fresh greenery, and the promise of early spring mushrooms greeted him, shouting into his nose that spring had indeed arrived. He smiled, despite himself, took in the care-free singing of the birds overhead for moment, then staggered back inside, then hoisted himself up onto the wide bench, to hunch himself over the table for a few minutes; the initial "labors of the year" having been seen to, and leaving him tired. He'd need to go find something to eat soon, then go check in with his father, and see how Paragon had fared. Thoughts about what all needed to be done this year flooded through like a flock of noisy geese, but he was glad of them; It beat the inhuman, bear-thoughts that had dominated his mind for the past 4 months. It was good to be "a man" again.

----

It was several days later, when he decided to go through his things, and actually get ready for the year's work. There was much to do, given that his sisters and younger brother would likely be "Put out" this year, and SOON too, meaning they needed hovels of their own built, and his dad would be far too... "Busy"... with their mother to offer much more than kindly advice on how to put things together that he had prepared for them. The thought that perhaps, next spring, he would have new brothers or new sisters again made him smile, and he was very happy to see his mom and dad spending time together without young ones underfoot. It was like watching them fall in love, as if for the very first time, though this would be the second time he would watch those two go through those motions. He chuckled, then dug through the coarse wooden trunk that served to store his belongings.

Inside was a small wooden chest of very ornate construction, packed clean full of small gold bars and a sizable sack of cut diamonds. He pushed that aside-- then pulled out the folded coarse cloth robes, gloves, and heavy leather boots. He was always happy to see these, as his father had made and gifted them to him when he himself had been "Put out" so many years ago now... He inspected the stitching, noted the beginnings of wear and tear that would need patching, then dusted them off, and laid them aside to put on later. Underneath them, almost forgotten, was a curious heavy medallion with strange letters that made no sense to him-- What exactly was a 'XIV' anyway? How do you even SAY that?-- He picked it up, and held the cool metal medallion in his tender, newly-smoothed paw, and idly felt its weight, while thinking of far away things. He had accepted it, under the premise that he would someday visit Rascade again, and give demonstrations to young people wanting to learn how to do the work he did-- That was good and honest work, and he felt no shame in agreeing to it. Idly, he breathed in the nascent magic that ebbed and flowed through the woods, like blood in the veins of some giant sleeping beast, and let it just filter and flow around and through him, gauging the health of his home, and trying to discern if any part of it would need immediate care this spring or not-- Those wily loggers were wont to take trees they shouldnt in the winter, when he and his father were least active to stop them, and it could sometimes have "unfortunate" consequences if not dealt with and corrected promptly. Those men did not, or would not, understand that these consequences were not merely superstition, and could very much spell a cataclysmic event if not seen to immediately-- all they cared about was the quality of the timber, and the price it would fetch at market. Strangely, he felt the medallion tugging on the magic flowing through him, as if it were hungry, and this drew his attention.

Why would it try to draw in magic like this? Was it magical somehow? If so, what did it do?

His curiosity got the better of him, and he let the flow he was immersed in flow more freely into it, keenly interested in its reaction now...