Dreamed Into Life

[Illianna]

I take another arrow and another breath this time I miss the arrow bouncing off the edge to land in the grass "gods thumbs" I swear shaking my head and taking another arrow. This one hits but not dead on still it hits

[Ravna]

Ravna nods. "Good. You may be good enough to go on a hunt with me, soon." She claps her hands, and he moves further back; another shot or two and he moves back again. Finally, as he is nearly to the wood, when she claps he puts down the disks and starts juggling thin bits of fabric. They don't move in regular ways like the disks; they're floaty, sometimes dropping faster, sometimes slower. 

[Illianna]

I watch him for a long moment. Watching how he moves how he throws the scarfs how he catches them. Then I take my aim I take my breath and let it fly whistling between his fingers to catch the scarf just as it leave his fingers. I stare in shock and disbelief at the arrow in the tree behind him. Shocked that that was not only the shot I took but the shot I made. I and fully intended to run to heal him after shooting through his hand

[Ravna]

"Smart," says Ravna -- perhaps the first word of praise she's ever said to Illiana. 

[Illianna]

"I'm just glad I didn't get his fingers" I say honestly "still it seemed the best shot to take"

[Ravna]

"Indeed -- and yet few discover such so quickly." 

[Illianna]

"I like to watch people he has a tell his shoulder twitches just before he tosses anything and he always had a gap Twix his ring finger and middle"

[Ravna]

"Have you spent much time with Sten?"

[Illianna]

"Never met him before today. Just watched him" I shrug "it's just something I've always been good at"

[Ravna]

"It's been mere minutes," she points out. "You have a talent."

[Illianna]

"I've found it quite helpful in negotiating" I smile

[Ravna]

"Again with that. Perhaps I should let you sit in on one of the council meetings so you can see what our negotiations look like."

[Illianna]

I grin happily "I'd like that"

[GamesMaster]

The next day, she's invited to the meeting -- and told to sit still, remain silent, and say nothing. 

It's pretty clear the meeting is different than anything she's been to before. They don't sit politely, drink tea, and debate; they get up and shout, prance back and forth, invoke their tribal gods, and rely on threats and intimidation to get what they want. It's clear where power lies: there's a huge space around Ravna where nobody dares tread, and after a while it's clear they're mostly performing for her benefit. She makes the final rulings; they argue with each other as she sits above them, silent and thoughtful. 

[Illianna]

Their like big children. All noise and bravado. Still I watch them closely.

The first to speak was trigger. He's a new lord and brash. Loaud and wild like a caged bear, in many ways he is caged. Being the newest clan to join us. He shouts and demands but what he reall wants is to be respected. He barely a man at 17 but with time he will get what he wants... so long as pride doesn't get the best of him

Runa speaks on behalf of the widows calm furious that weak cruel men see 5hem as easy targets. She's tired of fighting alone. She's old but far from frail all she wants is support. An easy ask but she still must insult everyone first.

Diplomacy is a game and while the one we play at home is won in quite rooms with quite people theirs is won with screaming matches and fist fights. I smile smugly this is a game I could play well given a few more sessions like this to watch and learn.

It's mostly normal things today. Requests for aid, a few pledges of support, talk of crops and farming. The last thing of interest is when Eikbrounder speaks

He's the only one who dears even look at my wife. He's the loudest and most farucsios. He' moves in and out of the bubble around her not enough for those with out intense scrutiny to really notice but enough that I know this is a dangerous man for my wife. He doesn't like her and he wants her power. When he isn't speaking there's a notable chasm between him and the others yet I notice as the leave he does have talks briefly with a few councils members. He is preparing for a power grab, not a for a while it seems but still he needs watching.

I smile gently as ravna comes to me at the end "hello love. Would you like my easement of you're meetin?" I ask