Constynce sat in front of her grandparents, dark green eyes searching the old, leathery faces for hints at what the conversation was to bring. The both of them looked quite stern, but that was nothing new. Her grandfather, the village chief, sat like a stone; far too still, even for him. Her grandmother sat upright with her lips pressed tighter than normal, as though blocking words that wanted to come out. When the chieftain spoke, Constynce sat up attentively.
“Constynce, as you know, the village isn’t recuperating as well as it should be after the war. We can’t keep going like this. You know as well as we do that the attack from those monstrous Alkidikes practically tore our whole village apart. Homes, crops, businesses, and land nearly destroyed! And so many people...
Constynce, you must understand. You are old enough now to take on responsibilities outside of the gardens. If our village is to survive, if our people are to survive, we must join with another tribe. This is where you come in. One day, I won’t be able to continue as chief of this village, and those who had been fit to take my place as chieftain died during the war. There’s a village nearby that managed well through the war. The chieftain there is looking to step down due to illness. He has a son who is quite popular, and is expected to win the coming elections. He is looking for a wife. We sent word that you are available, and the chieftain has accepted our offer. You will prepare yourself to travel...”
That conversation had been hours ago, but the tightness in Constynce’s chest made it feel like she was hearing the news fresh every moment. The words of her grandfather echoed in her mind over and over. To be married off to someone she knew nothing of... She’d never imagined! What was the man like anyway? Would he be kind? Would he let her have her freedom? What if he was one of those who didn’t care what others thought? What if he was selfish? And if he did become chief next, what would be expected of her? Would she be expected to rule alongside him? Spend more time tending to the village than her gardens? ...Spirits forbid, maybe even act like her grandmother?! The prentice sat in her garden to try clearing her mind, digging her fingers and toes into the soft sand, but even her little sanctuary wasn’t very helpful.
Her sanctuary... Who would tend to it while she was gone? While by no means large, it was a grand spread to the young woman. Constynce grew whatever she could manage to keep there, encouraging everything she saw to live. From the tall trees lining the outer edges that had been growing since well before she was born, to the thorny vines that hung from those trees, to clutches of the water-filled pods, to even a section layered with the earth and struggling flora from other parts of the land; she loved all of it. Her whole family had a piece of themselves in her garden... Her second brother had been a softy to her, and had brought a few sacks of the strange earth for her to grow other plants in; usually plants that he’d brought her from other trips. The strange earth was rough and thick, but the soft sands of Tale were no home for some of those foreign plants she had acquired. Her father had built some of the raised beds. Her mother had taught her what helped each plant to grow, resulting in the thriving life. Even her eldest brother had given into her sweet green gaze and helped her built a simple swing to hang from one of the trees, making a good place to sit as well as making it easier to collect nuts and fruits from the taller branches.
Was she really going to lose all of it for an arranged marriage? Couldn’t the man at least come here to her instead? ...Not that she would dare to ask such a question again. The look her grandfather had given her said it all. They had already discussed it with the other village chief. They had already decided the terms for the renewal of their home. Unfortunately, she didn’t have enough knowledge of how to keep a village alive to argue the tactic. There had to be some way to keep things going other than her marrying someone else, but she had no other ideas. While she didn’t like it... Constynce knew they wouldn’t make such a decision lightly. Not only was this an attempt that held the success of the village in the balance, but also the life of their only family left. Not even she could be stubborn enough under her grandparents’ will. Under their prickly gazes, even Constynce could only get so far. She knew they wouldn’t do anything to put her in harm’s way... So why did this hurt so much to think about?
Besides; it wasn’t as though she would be traveling to a strange place on her own. According to her grandfather, she would be moving with an escort. The old man said it was for her safety on the trip. She saw it as just them making sure she didn’t decide to live alone in the forest along the way. While it was a tempting idea, she didn’t feel that she would actually be able to go through with it.
She was a little disappointed to hear she’d be escorted by someone not of the village, but her grandparents were ready with an explanation for that as well. By using a neutral party, there was less risk of anything going wrong. Not that she could think of anything that could go wrong... She hadn’t been told much about her escort; only that he was a man of Zena. Now Zena was a scary thought. A land covered in snow... What type of men did such a harsh place produce?
Standing up, Constynce walked over to one of the tall trees, pressing her forehead against the firm surface. Was this really right? Would this path really lead to happiness? The heavy boughs above her groaned with the press of wind, the same breeze ruffling her hair gently. Brow knitting, her face lifted to look up through the branches above. Plenty of anxiety remained, but an undercurrent of hope had lifted. It wouldn’t be right away... but something good would come of this change. She knew it...
(( word count: 1,096 ))
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 7:29 pm
Prentice- Journal entry 2 Preparation and Choices
No matter how much time passed, the idea that she was leaving home just couldn’t fully sink in. Constynce had been here her whole life so far, and had never imagined going anywhere else. She knew that some people dreamed of going places, but not her. She loved the forests of her home, and was content enough to stay. To satisfy whatever urges to travel around might have sprung up, she had her little patches of outside soil to play with.
Yep. Why go anywhere else when she had all she needed here?
According to her grandparents though.. staying home with what she wanted and needed wasn’t enough. She needed to leave in order to give the village what it needed. To keep her home alive.. she couldn’t stay.
She’d spent quite a bit of time in her room, picking and choosing what she wanted to take with her. Her grandparents ensured that her needs would be met in her new place of living. Anything she needed could be acquired there, so as to make the trip out as light and easy as possible. After all, they were only uprooting her from the only home she’d ever known! Why not tell her to leave everything else behind as well?!
..Honestly, it wasn’t as though her room was overflowing with material goods. Far from it. After the attack by the Alkidikes had destroyed half of the village, the whole village had changed to keep their possessions to a minimum. Constynce saw little value in materials, and had done so even from before the attack. After all, it wasn’t the loss of clothes or dolls or walls that had sent her mind swirling into darkness for so long...
There were still a few precious items from her family in her garden, but those were too big to carry along. Besides, those things belonged with the garden. There were little things of her lost family that she still had, though, and those would be coming with her. A set of matching jewelry had been shared among the siblings; each brother got an earring, and she had gotten a bracelet. That set was whole again, as it had been when their mother had worn it, and she made sure it would stay that way. A little armband that her father had bought her from one of his trips was slipped into place, and she sighed softly. She was finished packing.
Well, finished packing her personal things anyway. She still needed to pack up the second most important part of her life. Grabbing her little cart, she took it to her sanctuary. Constynce had waited until the last day to collect her plants, hoping it would ease the trauma of the move to get them out of the ground and back into the new grounds as quickly as possible. Word had arrived that her escort was on the road to the village, so it was time to work.
It had taken quite a bit of picking and choosing, but Constynce had finally decided what she would be taking with her. She was sure to be able to make a new garden for herself at her new home, and wanted to start them with those she had grown under her own tender and loving care. First to be packed were her “out of town” seeds. Seeds of plants from Oba mostly, but also Sauti and Jauhar. It wasn’t a large collection, but it was enough to play around with and test out. They were not growing so well here, so maybe there was a chance they would do better in the other town? Wouldn’t hurt to try. She also potted a few of the water pod plants. While not uncommon, Constynce always enjoyed having a little stash to herself should she need an extra drink on a hot day.
Most importantly, she potted and stored her herbs... Recently, especially after the war and she had been allowed to be back out in the privacy of her sanctuary, she loved experimenting with nature’s blessings. Nature was a gift, and she wanted to be able to appreciate it to the best of her abilities. One form of those gifts came in the unexpected uses of the herbs she was growing. Some plants gave off dangerous ooze and odors, making potent poisons and toxins. Most gave of scents that ranged everywhere from being stimulating to being soothing to the senses. Some of the plants held healing properties, and those were what interested Constynce the most.
Many of the uses of the plants had already been discovered, and were written down in the lesson books she was studying from; but the spirits were wise beyond any mortal knowledge. There was surely more potential within the gifts than people currently knew. There had to be! For now, she was confirming all that she’d read about. The thick ooze that was soothing to scrapes and burns. The thin, watery fluids that settled upset bellies. Another thicker fluid that could be rubbed on to sooth aching muscles! And those were just surface uses!
Others like herself were finding more healing traits, and more ways to make use of those traits. Constynce was increasingly wanting to be at the front of these discoveries. She had already begun to discover things herself, after all. When she’d first started out, she’d just loved growing things. Then the world of the true power hidden within the little leaves she tended to had opened up to her, and she’d fallen in love instantly.
Perhaps that would be something good about the move? She could maybe, possibly, expand on her studies. Have a little more freedom to grow more and learn more about the plants she loved! Maybe this was the hidden good that would come of such a drastic measure.
Still... the idea of expanding her herbalist horizons didn’t cheer her up as much as it probably could have. As she tucked the final bulb into the last available spot of space on her cart, her eyes began to water. She wanted to put her whole garden onto the cart. She wanted the trees, the vines, the swing, the baskets, the very ground...
Hugging herself tight, Constynce went to sit on the swing her eldest brother had made her long ago. She wanted to take it so badly.. but she also didn’t have the heart to move it. It belonged in the sanctuary like the deeply rooted trees. Maybe one day, when she had a new garden settled in and growing, and when she was sure there was a tree there perfect for a swing.
The wind laughed as it passed through the trees, and Constynce smiled. Her brother would surely approve of that logic!
With a final sigh, she hopped down and wiggled her toes in the sand. Her grandmother had promised that the garden would be taken care of. Everything would be here when she came for it later. She took a moment to reassure her garden that there would indeed be a later. She would definitely be back for most of what she couldn’t bring now.
Back in her room, she made sure she was ready, and laid back on her bed to rest.
...Was she truly leaving to marry someone she’d never met? Would this really save the village?
When she heard the firm knock to her wall, and her grandmother called to her through the curtain, Constynce felt her stomach twist. The time between the revealed plan and her escort’s arrival had surely been far too short... X
(( word count: 1,264 ))
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2016 6:19 pm
Prentice - Journal entry 3 Frozen World
It was almost an overwhelming thought. Traveling to a new village had been a big enough change. Realizing she was about to marry had been scary enough. Then, she and her escort had reached her new home, and had been told that their journey was not yet over. Her fiancé had gone to Zena to attend a few meetings with one of the town’s leaders there, and she was expected to join him there.
For a young woman who’d hardly left her village, walking to Zena was a trip to a completely different world than she knew. At the least, she was able to leave much of her possessions in the village, making the trip easier. Also, her trip continued with Tryston. He wasn’t the most personable character, but there was a charm and respect that she appreciated. He was a stable source in a life of otherwise scary changes.
Traveling through Sauti wasn’t too much of a problem. It was warm enough for her comfort. Nearing Zena was when it got difficult for Constynce. She had been excited to see the homeland of her escort, but the chill that grew as they got closer did not feel exciting. Constynce was used to the warmth of Tale, and wearing minimal clothing. On the Zenan border, she had to purchase a few layers to protect against the chill. The deeper into Zena they traveled, the more layers she felt the need to purchase. It got to the point that she was having trouble moving around!
However, despite the discomfort of the strange cold, she was able to see beauty. This trip was her first time seeing snow. The white landscape did have an unsettling factor at night, making the world seem empty and even colder. However, during the day, the pure groundcover and the ice on the isolate lakes they passed sparkled like crystals. It looked so clean and fresh and soft. It was like white sand.
..Still, she was grateful to reach her destination. The room she was staying in had a roaring fireplace, probably made a little larger for her sake, and she spent quite some time thawing out in front of it. Most of that time was spent alone. It wasn’t until much later that her fiancé showed up.
After only a quick knock, the chief-to-be came into the room. He was also engulfed in layers, just as unaccustomed to the cold as Constynce was. The various layers dropping eventually revealed a young man older than herself with a lanky body and a hard face that sported even harder eyes. After a few moments though, his features softened to show a rather handsome face that smiled at her, introducing himself as Quintli.
Finding her mind comparing him to her escort, she mentally reprimanded herself and forced a smile back. It was time to meet the man she would be marrying...
About an hour later, Constynce was alone again. Since they started talking, she didn’t see any of the initial hardness. He was quite smart, with an easy smile and a deep laugh. However, his focus tonight was more on getting Constynce caught up on the dealings they were working on with the Zenans than learning about each other. She understood something about attempts to make cooperative trade deals, but most of it really just went over her head. The rest of the conversation was about himself, and what would be expected of her once back at Zena. Her grandmother had gone over the duties she might face in her new role, and the majority matched.
It wasn’t the most thrilling conversation, but it did provide a little insight. It.. wasn’t the insight that she’d been hoping for, but it was something. It was only the first meeting. There was more time for more personal discussion later. At least she now had an idea of what her new life would be.
(( word count: 648 ))
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 11:09 am
Prentice - Journal entry 4 Finally Settled?
It was the day after they’d pulled back into the village in Tale. The sun was shining like normal, and the air was comfortably warm. Constynce had been first shown her appointed room. It was a lovely room with sheer curtains over the windows to let in plenty of light. There was a nice bed, a vanity with a mirror and a small stool, and a narrow table that some of her plants had already been laid out on.
Next on the tour was the rest of the house; the dining room, meeting room, the various bedrooms... Finally was the garden in the back. Most of it was tended to by the laborers of the head house, but a section had been cleared for Constynce’s personal plants that she had brought along and left there before heading to Zena. It was a lovely little spot.
Constynce registered none of it though.
Sitting on one of the garden benches, she stared without actually seeing any of it. The whole tour had been her silently following the worker guiding her along, legs walking automatically. Her mind was stuck on the scene a few days ago.
It had happened so fast.
The attackers had ambushed them. She’d been overcome by her fear. Tryston had fought to keep her safe... and now he was gone. She’d known his job was to protect her, but she’d never imagined he would have to do anything more than walk her everywhere. She never thought that he would meet the same fate that her family had. Not only Tryston, but many of the caravan guards also lost their lives.
Blinking slightly, she looked down at her hands, which were clasped together tightly. He’d been right there... Slowly opening them, her eyes watered at the sight of the frosted crystal in her grasp. Tryston had given it to her right before the... before he...
“Death follows those in power,” said a deep voice.
Constynce covered the crystal as though protecting a secret, and looked back over her shoulder at her fiancé. “No. Death just follows me,” she whispered, shaking her head before hanging it again.
Quintli sat next to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Do not blame yourself. It was those who ambushed the caravan. They are at fault for the losses.” Sighing, he gave her shoulder a firm squeeze. “Besides, they all died doing their duties. They knew the risks going on that journey and in their particular positions.”
Constynce looked up with surprise. “I can’t do that,” she murmured. Duty or not, death was not something that could simply slip off her back. “Why? Why would they attack us like that?”
Quintli hesitated a moment before shaking his head. “I don’t think that’s something any of us will understand.” Shifting to kneel in front of her, he stuck his hand under her chin to make her look up. “I’m sorry you weren’t up front with me like you should have been. There’s no way to bring them back now though. ..I know what happened with your family. That must make this harder. Take your time. The village will be voting soon though. I have little doubt that I will be the next chief. That’s why you’re here. When the results are announced, I will need you at my side, attentive to the people.” He gave a half smile, stroked her cheek with his thumb, and then stood and left.
For a long time after Quintli left, Constynce remained in place. How was she supposed to move on so quickly? How did others do it? ..How had her grandparents gotten back on their feet after the attacks to keep the village working? If they could do it, so could she, right? ”Just run and live, Constynce!” That was what he’d told her to do...
Constynce slowly stood and walked over to her plants. She could start with these. They needed to be taken care of. She might not be able to care for a whole village yet, but she could start with her plants. Her grandparents were strong, and her parents had been strong, and her brothers had been strong. ..For them, she would try to be strong, too.
(( word count: 703 ))
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 7:16 pm
Prentice- Class Quest Solo Rogue
Constynce almost couldn’t believe how fast the time was passing. The elections had come and gone; and Quintli had taken his elected place as head chief. There had been a village wide, week-long ceremony to welcome the new chief, and Constynce had been requested to show up at everything. With plentiful food, dancing, blessings, and socializing, even she managed to enjoy herself.
The days following that ceremony were spent being accompanied by the previous chief’s wife, being taught the basics of what her own duties and expectations would be after the next ceremony took place. In just a couple months, there would be a wedding ceremony. Her wedding. She would become the chief’s wife. Quintli’s win in the elections had brought both happiness and sadness to Constynce. She could not deny the subtle hope that Quintli would lose and that she wouldn’t be expected to marry him anymore. However, she knew it was for the best that things had turned out as had been planned. By marrying the new chief, she would be opening a way of prosperity back to her home village. After all, that was her reason for being here. It was her reason for leaving home. The reason she had been able to see the dry land of Sauti and the chilly, sparkling snow of Zena. The reason she had met the intriguing Tryston; and the reason he, and so many guards, had been lost to those cold mountain snows...
It was one of the few quiet days before the wedding that she was able to go back to her garden. She never felt more at peace than when she was kneeling in the dirt, talking to her plants and listening to them respond. Not that the plants could actually talk back to her, of course; but each plant had a spirit, and those spirits spoke in their own way. Still, even gardening could only calm her so much.
“I’m still a little scared,” she told her garden. “What is there to promise that this won’t soon end in death as well? What is there to promise that this new life won’t end with another’s blood spilled?” Sighing, she raised her hand to rub over her watery eyes. A firm breeze ruffled her hair, but she shook her head. “Why won’t the earth take me and just be done with it?”
From behind, an old voice spoke sternly. “Is this truly the way I raised you to treat yourself, Constynce?”
Constynce turned and jumped to her feet. “Grandmother!” She knew the “appropriate” way to greet her grandmother, but impulse sent her running. She only slowed down at the last moment so that she would not simply topple the older woman over. Wrapping her arms around her grandmother, she inhaled that familiar scent deeply. “It’s not the way you raised me, grandmother,” she murmured with a little sniffle, though she hadn’t let go yet.
The elder woman was trying hard to keep herself firm, but soon enough, her arms were wrapping tightly around her granddaughter. After all, it had been quite some time since they’d seen each other! “Child, you are still hopeless,” she mused, pressing a kiss to Constynce’s head. “Why do you speak of death before such a joyous occasion? I did not come all this way to watch you cry!”
Apparently, no one had bothered to send word about the trip to Zena and the resulting consequences, so Constynce started from the beginning. Leaving home with her escort, reaching the village, being sent to Zena, and then the disastrous trip back. All of it was covered from her point of view. While uncertain, she even revealed her own panic during the situation with the visions of her mother blinding her.
The old woman listened patiently, smiling and nodding here and there at the beginning of the story. The recount of the incident in the mountains made her already thin lips press into a thin line, clearly disturbed. After the tale, the grandmother was quiet for a while, listening to nature for some way to speak. “My dear, there is a reason most of us born in Tale don’t leave it. The power of nature is not as strong in those places that worship gods not of the land. There was simply not enough strength that far out in such a desolate area to protect everyone there.”
Constynce shook her head. “Perhaps they have different gods, but their nature is just as powerful as our own. If you had seen it.. the power behind the snow falling.. It was as horrible as any storm I’ve seen here. The snow and the ice might not be of nature here, but they are the dominant nature there. The god of that mountain was strong, and angry about the fighting.”
The grandmother paused for a moment, thinking over the younger woman’s words. “I suppose.. perhaps.. it was a lesson. An unfortunate lesson, but a lesson none the less.”
Constynce groaned and looked up at the sky. “Haven’t I learned enough about death?”
An eyebrow rose on the wrinkled old forehead. “Not a lesson on death, but a lesson on life. You see, you were lucky enough to survive not only one, but two life threatening situations. Does that not imply that you are meant for great things? You have been spared, favored by not only our gods, but the god of the foreign mountain as well. You, and each of those who returned with you, have a destiny.”
“I don’t want a destiny then!” Constynce exclaimed sharply. “I don’t want it! Surely mother and father had greater destinies in store for them! Surely my brothers did! Why didn’t the gods take me instead of them?!”
Stiffening up, the old woman straightened her back and hardened her eyes. She had not seen her granddaughter this worked up in quite some time, and she needed to be firm in order to help the emotionally driven youth. “Constynce, do not dare to make light of their deaths. They all died protecting you. Do you wish for your grandfather and me to lose you as well now?”
Constynce looked up with surprise. Was... was that how she sounded? Was she really so selfish? “I don’t want that. Not really.” She looked down and fiddled with the pendant hanging from a length of chain around her neck. She’d asked for a special clasp to be made for the crystal Tryston had given her; easy enough, since it was already formed to fit something. ‘Run, and live.’ “I suppose it is quite selfish of me. I know I am glad to still be alive. I just wish all of them were as well. Grandmother, it hurts so much.”
Her grandmother softened a tiny bit again, and put an arm around the girl. She was still so young... “Death comes to all of us, Constynce. It comes in time, or is forced on us, but nothing can stop it. Being the one left behind is not easy, nor is it pleasant. So much death has been forced around us, but we need to be grateful that it is not yet forced onto us. We still have time to tend to the earth, and keep it for those who now feed that same soil. ..Besides, it is not for us to know what the gods want. We tend to them and the spirits, but we don’t know them, such as it is. What would the dead say if they saw you weren’t moving on with your life because of their decisions to save you? You can’t forget those who remain with you because of those who have gone.”
Constynce blew out a slow breath. That was right... everyone returned to the ground at some point. They tended to the land as best as they could, and lived the lives that they could. There wasn’t much more to be done. Her dark green eye shifted to scan her garden. All she could do was help those who remained. Fighting wasn’t the only way to help people! Her garden, her sanctuary, had the tools to help others! She could use her garden for those suffering right now, and that, in turn, might help ease the pains in her own heart. “And.. it’s like you had said after the war, right.” Brushing at her watering eyes, she looked up and attempted a weak smile. “They no longer know pain.”
Grandmother gave a small smile back. It was only a small comfort, and one that even she had trouble remembering at times, but every little bit helped during trying days. “Right.” Feeling herself getting a little overcome with emotion herself, she patted her face to clear her head and stood. “Now, come along. Your mother would throw a fit if she knew how behind you are on your own wedding preparations.”
Constynce blushed lightly. “I’m not that far behind...” As if trying to show that she was indeed behind, a large leaf came in on the wind and slapped right over her face.
The older woman laughed and flicked her wrist. “I spoke to the people here before I found you. It is only a few days away, and your outfit is not even fitted properly! And I know you don’t fancy it, but once you are wedded, you will have to be the one making sure the new chief delivers on his promise to your home.”
The mood in the garden steadily shifted to a more positive attitude. Constynce knew now that it was okay to hurt after the deaths of others, but she could not let that pain rule her. They had died so that she could live, and it would be nothing less than disrespectful to disregard their wishes and sacrifices with something as selfish as the excessive guilt she had been allowing. In just a few days, her new life would begin.
((Word Count: 1,655 ))
Conclusion: Personally, Constynce is less innocent of the world now. She knows it is much bigger than herself, and is not the same world as it was in her childhood. She’s starting to face it with a more mature outlook and greater willingness to face the responsibilities it brings. Her primary responsibility was facing her arranged wedding. At first, she’d agreed to it because she’d been told to do it. Now, with the realities of adulthood and the struggles of daily life finally sinking in, she is more willing to do what is needed in order to help those in the villages. She has also cemented her choice of becoming an herbalist. Learning to appreciate that she’s still alive has reinforced that she wants to help make the lives of others better as well, and delay death’s grasp. Helping others to live might be a way to show her appreciation to those who died for her.
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Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 11:38 am
Rogue - Journal entry 1 Ingredients For Happiness
Constynce’s handmaiden was excitedly and precisely keeping her up to date on the progress of the plans for the marriage. The nearby villages, including her home village, had all been invited to the party. Her grandparents would be coming as well. There was a clearing a short walk from the village where the ceremony and celebrations would be held. The outfit she had been fitted for would be arriving soon, as would the outfit of her husband-to-be, Quintli. The meals were planned, the procedure was being ironed out.. Everything was going splendidly! Everything was exciting! Everything was joyous!
Despite the older woman’s reassurances, Constynce remained uncertain. A recent run-in with a strange shifter woman had reminded her that this needed to happen. Even if she didn’t want the marriage, she needed to make the best of the situation. Perhaps she really could find friendship from this exchange?
Even that was uncertain, though. Quintli was handsome and polite and smart. However, she more often than not saw him during public appearances, surrounded by villagers and associates and advisors. He was kept quite busy with his “campaign” to become the next chief. When she did get time to visit with him, he was always distracted; perhaps not obviously, but Constynce could tell. Their conversations were short and polite. He would look like he was focused on her, but his gaze went through her more than at her. When it did settle on her... his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.
She was pondering all of this in her garden when Quintli showed up with a present.
“Constynce?” Quintli walked toward her with a kind smile. “I know we haven’t had much time together. It’s all quite sudden, isn’t it?”
Constynce looked over at the man, feeling her gut clench. Sudden wasn’t quite the word she would have used.
Quintli sat down on the bench next to his fiancé and gently touched her thigh. “Look... I want you to know that I am quite looking forward to getting to know you better. I know this arrangement isn’t ideal, but I hope I can make you happy.” Turning, he made a gesture with his hand to someone waiting down the path. “Here. My hunters found this on their last hunting trip. I’d like you to have it.”
Two men carried a large creature and set it in front of the pair. Constynce gasped with surprise. What was that thing?! She carefully put her hand out. The creature gave her hand a sniff, but then ignored her.
“It’s called a tintural. They say is comes from the land of the exiles, Yeal” Quintli stood and leaned forward to brush the plants growing along the creature’s large shell. “Because it moves so slow, the plants grow on its back. They say the shell itself is filled with nutrients for the foliage.” Well, that was what he had heard. “I know you have an interest in herbs, so I thought this would be welcome.”
Constynce knelt down and gently laid her hand on the tintural’s head. The bright eye slid up to look at her, but then aimed back to the ground, dismissing her once again. She wasn’t sure what to make of the creature, but it certainly was a delightful sight. “I.. don’t know what to say,” she replied, standing to face Quintli. “I mean.. thank you.”
Quintli smiled brightly and nodded. “I’m glad you like it.” Stepping forward, he pulled Constynce forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek, his lips lingering on her skin. “We can make this work. I know it.” Giving her arms a squeeze, he turned and headed back to the house.
Constynce stood with red cheeks, a flutter fanning within her belly. Slowly, she looked back down at the tintural, which had taken the time to start contently chewing on a large leaf nearby. Quintli had really been paying attention to her interests? Maybe.. maybe they really could make this work? Now she wanted to find out what sorts of things her fiancé enjoyed in his personal time. If he was willing to try, then so was she!
(( word count: 688 = 2pnts ))
Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2017 4:32 pm
Rogue - Journal entry 2 Suspicions and Distractions
Seeing that Tryston was alive... Constynce couldn’t describe the feeling in her heart. It was more than relief, and more than happiness... Yet, it also came with a sour taste. Tryston came back talking about conspiracies in what was now her home. To think that Quintli might have had anything to do with that attack in Zena.. There was no way! At least, she didn’t want to believe there was any way...
She had assured Tryston that she would do some digging though. He was so concerned, and she wanted to help. ..If nothing else, she could clear Quintli’s name, right?
Walking through the main house, she kept staring at Quintli’s office door. He did all his business there... If there was any proof, it must logically be in there! What could she say to get in though? She needed to be able to look around without being watched...
The answer came to her though! From inside the room came the bump of something being knocked over. She hurried to the door to check, but it was locked as usual. Something or someone was scurrying around inside! Determined to find out, she turned to run outside, hurrying to the shuttered windows that looked into the office. One shutter had come loose. Perfect!
She looked around before pulling herself in through the window. As it was, a poscuta seemed to have chased a little merik into the room and was digging around for the elusive thing. “Oh goodness, go back outside where you belong,” she scolded the creatures, which, of courtse, ignored her. She stooped down to pick up some papers, gently stacking them on the desk for Quintli to sort later.
A few stack in, she saw an envelope with a heavy wax seal on it. Had she seen that seal before? It looked.. oddly familiar. She picked it up, squinting at the small mark. It made her think of Zena... but why?
Chewing on her lip, she walked over to the poscuta and waved the envelope at it. Irritated by the distraction, the creature turned to snap at the paper before returning its attention to its original prey. The envelope was now mostly open. Checking to make sure that the letter was okay only made sense, right?
Her heart was pounding as she carefully pulled out the letter and unfolded it to read. A letter to Quintli from someone in Zena... Something about the incident in Zena... a deal..?
The wiggle of the door handle practically made her shout with surprise, and she stuffed the paper back into place. Tossing it to the floor, she turned to grab for the poscuta...
“Thief! Get out of my- Constynce?”
Looking back at Quintli and one of the guards as they entered the room, she pointed and smiled apologetically. “Please forgive me. I heard a ruckus going on in here, and I found the shutter broken. It’s just a poscuta trying to catch a meal.” Seeing Quintli scanning the office far too closely for the obvious disturbance hissing at a box, she walked over to him with her head down, hiding the panic that was surely showing in her eyes. Would he be able to tell? “I had hoped that I could get them out on my own for you.. but I am more accustomed to plants than animals.”
After what felt like ages, Quintly sighed and gave Constynce a hug. “It’s alright. I appreciate the thought, but please just come get me next time. What if it had actually been a thief? You could have been hurt.” Gesturing to the guard to get rid of the animal invaders, Quintli turned with Constynce, guiding her firmly away from the office. “I was actually looking for you. Come with me. I have a surprise~”
They walked out and to where a small shop stood. It was already filled with shelves that were fully stocked. “Here is where you will be working,” Quintli said with a grin. “It’s already owned by an older herbalist by the name Fiora, but she’s planning to retire soon. She has agreed to take you on as an understudy. In not too long, you will be a co-owner, and then sole owner of this herbal shop.” The man looked over to his fiancée with a bright smile. “Do you like it?”
Constynce couldn’t help how her breath stuck in her chest. Her own herbal shop..? Her eyes lit up, mouth gapping slightly in awe. It.. was a dream come true...
Warm green eyes smiled down at the young herbalist, hand moving to rest on her shoulder. “I am glad to see you happy.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to his fiancée’s cheek. “You go ahead and get settled here. Explore a little and learn where things are. Fiora should be in the rear if you have questions, and I’ll be back for you in a bit.”
She looked up at the touch, and blushed when a kiss was pressed to her cheek. As the man walked off, Constynce put her fingers to her cheek while the other hand rose to her lips. She could still remember Tryston’s kiss so clearly, and it had immediately popped into her head at the touch to her cheek. While Quintli’s kiss felt nice, Tryston’s was the one that made her belly flutter... What did this all mean?
..what had that letter meant? If only she had gotten a little more time to read it and figure out what it was saying.
(( word count: 920 = 3 points ))
Cornetified
Precious Loiterer
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Cornetified
Precious Loiterer
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Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2017 7:10 pm
Rogue - Journal entry 3 The Big Day
When Constynce woke up that morning, she felt like crying.
Everyone else was excited, fluttering around the house while the last minute preparations were completed. Townsfolk and out of towners alike were buzzing along the pathways between buildings and on the ground below. Quntli had been officially voted as the new village chief, and after what seemed like weeks of delays, it was finally here. The big day had finally come. It was her wedding day.
So why did she feel so uncertain?
Quintli was a good man! He was! He made sure she was safe, had plenty to eat.. He was attentive of her emotions and wishes.. He had gotten her Kass and a place at a local herbal shop.. He did so much for her; and so much for her home village. Despite the delays of their wedding, Quintli had sent fresh food and crop seeds to help boost the situation the village was in. After they were married, there would be so much more help sent... By doing this, she would help her grandparents, and the people she had grown up with, her home... and.. herself?
She would be in a good position, yes. Safety, comfort, status... All her needs would be met.
Yet, when she closed her eyes, it wasn’t Quintli she saw in her mind.
Tryston... He had somehow come back from death or survived the fall or whatever it was, and he had come to find her. He had come all this way to make sure she was okay. Suspicions aside, which she really couldn’t blame him for, he had come back for her. He had held her when she was hurt, and had made her heart soar. He had met her eyes, and then leaned in to change the tone of the moment so completely...
A harried voice through the door made her eyes flutter, and she was sucked back to reality. In her room, in the head house.. about to marry Quintli, the village chief.
The harried voice belonged to one of the handmaidens, and Constynce was rushed through her own preparations. By the time the ceremony was starting, she couldn’t help being impressed with how she looked. Strings of colorful flowers adorned her hair that was done up in a loose sort of updo. She refused to take off her normal earrings or the anklet, of course. A little hint of coloring was added to her face; something called makeup, which she didn’t really understand. Then the dress.. it was made of a heavy fabric that hugged her in the right places, and was decorated with colorful feathers to stand out. What would Tryston think of how she looked?
The ceremony itself was a blur with how much was going on. So many had come from around the village to celebrate the union, and both of her grandparents were there as well. Quintli was gussied up and handsome, looking like a shining prize in his own fancy outfit for the occasion as he smiled at her. The official presiding over the ceremony said some things, Quintli said some things, she said some things.. but what had actually been said? Pronouncements of love and devotion? Assurances of loyalty and dedication? How would those words sound coming from Tryston’s lips...?
She had glanced around to see if the iceman was there, but the lips suddenly pressing to her own caught her attention, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Qintli’s lips were full and warm. Sealed with a kiss. Married... This was a good thing. Everyone was cheering. Quintli was smiling. Her grandparents were nodding with approval and relief. Her own lips curved happily... but her stomach was sour. In all the festivities, her mind went back to that peek she had gotten at a single letter back in Quintli’s office. A deal with someone of an unfamiliar name in Zena... An official Zenan stamp, but not the official name that she remembered meeting... Of course, that was certainly not enough to convict Quintli of anything guilty when it came to the incident in the Zenan mountains. However, it did not exactly clear his name from the suspicious list, either. She had found no chance to dig any further after that first time though. Quntli’s office was locked tight when he was gone.
Dinner and dancing swept her away next. Tables were filled with delicious food, and she was overwhelmed with well wishes and congratulations and gushing compliments. It all rang so wonderfully, she found herself enjoying meeting so many people and seeing familiar faces from her village and spending time with her grandparents. Her grandparents were the biggest distraction for the new bride. They spent most of their time with her discussing how proud they were of her, and of how this union was sure to bring the village back from the brink, and what a wonderful position she was in. When talk of future children came up, Constynce had to excuse herself. She should not have been so caught off guard by the notion, she knew. Children were expected from such marriages. They would be expected from her... It was a daunting thought to suddenly be focused on. Was she ready to raise a child?! She certainly did not think she was! And, how was she to raise a child with a man that.. that she did not fully trust?
Another guest soon found her though, and she was swept back into the thick of the celebration. The co-star of the evening would not be able to escape for long! The celebration went long into the night, and Constynce was thoroughly worn out by the time the guests started to wander off to their beds. Her grandparents had bid their farewells a while ago, having headed to the guesthouse to prepare for leaving for home early the next morning.
Yawning heavily by the time the crowd had thinned out enough to allow for leaving to no longer be seen as rude, she was surprised by Quintli’s firm grip around her waist. Wife.. Love.. Future.. She heard the words murmured encouragingly into her ear, but she was too tired by then to give them any attention other than a sleepy smile. That’s right. Quintli is a good, kind man. That letter could not have meant anything bad. As she was gently guided back to the home that they would now share, feeling him tenderly starting to pull her hair loose from the heavy style it had been stuck in, she managed to sigh contently. The hair coming down was a relief, and being away from the crown was a relief. She felt the layers of her dress slip away, and she sighed further. This was a relief, too. She bent to take her sandals off, idly noticing the sounds of more clothes dropping to the floor. She dropped onto the welcoming bed, eager to sleep through tomorrow. Rules and traditions would not allow something like sleep to interfere though, when she felt a firm hand grip her hip to pull her back awake.
The next morning, Constynce spent the entire day hidden in her garden. The final step in consummating the marriage had.. well, it had not been bad... For it being her first time though, she was left sore and embarrassed. No one had ever talked frankly to her about what would happen! Why was all this important stuff left for when it was too late? It was expected of a new bride.. of a new lady chieftain. So much was going to be expected of her now! In the light of day though, sitting alone with her thoughts, she couldn’t help the underlying feeling of guilt that she had married the wrong man.
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