(08-20-2016, 01:32 PM)Gegenji Wrote: It wasn't the sort of letter Jredthys had been expecting - mostly due to his family not being the sort to do such things. However, in the fuzzy paw of the Postmoogle had been exactly such a thing. Sent by his sister, formerly and properly requesting the Judge's return home for a proper visit. The way it was written, the armored behemoth believed another had a hand in both the idea and how it was composed.
Marisaie.
The last time he had seen the grandmotherly Elezen, it was at their usual posts at the Grindstone, though she possessed no recollection of their time spent together. Whether it had been purposeful or accidental, the Judge knew not. However, it and the travel that had come before it followed the conflict of interests that had resulting in the two going their separate ways. The old lizard was still too ingrained by the past, and the similarities betwixt Mari and Auflonne had resulted in expectations and interactions similar to his previous mate. It had caused a discordance, though Jredthys - in an uncharacteristic moment of candor - had hoped the split had gone smoothly and properly enough.
However, many still expected the Elezen at the Judge's side and showed confusion when they were not. Even the letter suggested that she be brought with, should their fates still be entwined. That simple request had brought a downward crease to narrow lips then, and did again now as Jredthys sat at the dinner table of the Duskbreak. At his fingertips was a letter of his own - one destined to not travel quite as far.
Upon the parchment, he had scribed that he was going to fulfill his sibling's request - properly made as it was. The time apart had been quite lengthy indeed, and the ending of the conflicts about their home provided the optimal opportunity for such a rejoinder. How long he would be away was purposely left vague - the old man's grasp on time having always been rather tenuous, but such was the norm for one such as he. Following it were a small cadre of individuals already a part of the Grindstone staff that could serve as suitable replacement until his return, though he also made mention that it would ultimately be up to the discretion of the Arbiter. And at its end was a vow to return once his trip was over, to return to his place beneath the branches of the mighty tree that marked the battlefield of the Arbor Bracket.
He looked it over once, twice, thrice. Checking for any spelling errors or incorrect sentence structure and syntax. There were none, but it would have been improper not to make certain. A light dusting of pounce to speed the drying process and prevent any unsightly smudges to his very exacting and firm handwriting, followed by a shaking off the excess to be returned to the pot from which the powder came. A final, cursory glance of his handiwork resulted in a self-reaffirming nod.
Folding the message up and leaving it where the Arbiter would most easily find it, the Judge gathered up the saddlebag that held the required items for his travel. Food, water, and other such necessities would be lashed to the saddle of his stalwart warhorse Bench in within short order. He certainly had faster means to get there, should such a thing be needed, but it had been cycles since he had ventured beyond the grasp of the three city-states of the Alliance for any measurable length of time. It would be improper not to stretch his wings a little bit.
Lt'helo had a nasty habit of reading other people's mail.
She replaced the letter exactly as it was and studied it, tapping her pipe against her arm. She hadn't been able to reach the Judge since her arrival. Unsurprising, of course, given his nature and her own. They had more in common than he knew.
She thought about the Arbor bracket, and a dark, cold kitchen that smelled now only of the remnants of one of her pipes. She thought of the bell Warren Castille kept in the company chest. She thought of the knife of stone she had offered the Masked One, only to be refused, and she thought of Aoi and her new child.
She turned away from the mantle. He had promised to return, and one of the things that was similar about them was that they both knew they had nothing but time.
People have forgotten this truth. But you mustn't forget it. You become responsible forever for what you have tamed.
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