CW:

Threats of detainment, magic to knock people out. Rahdian POV!!!

Why am I such an idiot?

I was able to excuse myself to a washroom to clean up a bit and change like… some clothes to some less travel worn ones but… fuck. I’m still not comfortable showing my face. And now here I sit in a room with five or so women, each dressed down to comfortable but warm attire while I’m starting to smolder in these layers.

All while staring down at a bowl of wonderful smelling stew that I’ll have to at least pull my scarf down to sip.

Fuck. I should just… leave. Head up the mountain and find her myself.

“I’ve sent for transport to take us up the mountain.” The lead duenna here, I think, says while the rest mill about. Trying to like… be polite but every eye is on me and my little friend. “But it’ll take at least an hour for them to be ready in this storm. So, feel free to get comfortable.”

I nod. “Yup. Thank you. I’m just… anxious. It’s been a long road and I’d like to find her before tonight if possible.”

The leader nods, “Understandable. But… Rahdian, you should eat. Maybe give me a little more information to pass to the Doyans when they no doubt balk at your request.”

I sigh. “This wasn’t supposed to be a big deal. I’m just…” I pull my little napping friend closer as I dig through my stupid head for the words that’ll make this woman help me Avoid the Doyans entirely.

She quirks an eyebrow. “You come barreling out of one of the worst storms in three cycles on the back of a creature known to be temperamental at the best of times, and are currently snuggling… something. I’m not sure. My first guess was a Carbunkle but… I’ve never seen one so small or strangely shaped. And that it seems to keep repeating that word is… so odd. Cute but… also a little disconcerting. So even if your request may not seem like ‘a big deal’ your very nature and actions will have the Doyans very interested in talking with you.”

I sigh and look down and away. “I… I really wouldn’t know what to tell them! This little friend just–”

“Hel…..P!” It pops the final syllable audibly. Doesn’t seem to… well like… wake up from what looks to be a nap. So it's just… talking in its sleep?

I drop my voice as the room seems to quiet. “It just like… woke me up one morning. Was bumbling about and… and just wanted to snuggle! I have no idea why it’s wanting to stay close or… how it talks, or how it got the big one to… um…”

I trail off, look up to see a glimmer in the duenna’s eye.

“So… this little one got the big Carbunkle to help you?”

I huff and shrug. “Maybe? Honestly I have no fucking clue. I… Look, I really am just some stupid girl who thought that she could save a few coins by trudging across the lake on foot. I’ve been holding up in a cave for… well at least three days! Probably more! This little friend saving me is just… a weird twist of circumstance. I’m no one special!”

I can nearly feel the fucking weight of the room of duenna’s stares at the obvious lie.

“And yet you think to speak with a Sun Spoken about something you refuse to divulge?”

“Okay that… yeah that was dumb to say. I just… What I need to talk to her about has nothing to do with like… anything except me! My… like… I mean if she wants to ask about this little friend I’ll tell her what I know. But otherwise I’m mostly just… hoping for information. On things.”

She smirks. “Things?”

“Very private things!” I clarify quickly. “Things I REALLY don’t want to talk to anyone else about. Especially the Doyans.”

“Why not?” Another duenna who’s been sitting quietly asks. “Did you do something illegal?”

I tense up. “Um… Not… I mean… ”

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“Rahdian, are you in danger?” The lead duenna goes from relaxed to very intense so smoothly I nearly twitch from the whiplash of it. “Because if you’ve gotten wrapped up in something we can protect you. You don’t need a Sun Spoken to–”

“I do. She is literally probably the only person who can help me.” I cut off whatever this is, then try to soften my voice as I feel it cracking again. “And to answer your question, honored duenna. I’m not really fully aware of all of Arudia’s laws, but I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong, and I’m not like… in danger. At least not from any person I know of. I just…”

I trail off, stare down at the stew.

“Then why’re you hiding your face?”

I wince, then whisper. Terrified that if I don’t share at least this they might force the issue. “I… I have… scars. Really bad ones that have plagued me since I was a child. I’m not comfortable showing more than my eyes. At least not to strangers.”

Which is everyone, now that Yundre and Pip decided my freedom wasn’t something I deserved.

A head tilt of… pity and… interest and… confusion. She senses the conflict in my voice. The… the dissonance in my words.

“Is that why you’re trying to get to a Sun Spoken? Because you think she can heal your scars?”

I shake my head. “No. I… no. It’s something else, and I’d really REALLY appreciate it if you would stop like… trying to pull this out of me. Or… or trick me into saying more than I’m comfortable with.”

She sighs but… nods. “Just covering things that I expect the Doyans to ask.”

“Please I… is there any way you could just… let me see her? Avoid all that?”

She shakes her head. “No.”

A long pause. Then I rise. “I think I’ll figure things out in my time, then.”

The room becomes very tense. Duenna all seem to adjust and move to… oh.

The leader doesn’t move but… her voice goes hard. “I must insist that you allow us to escort you to the Academy proper. Give you accommodations till the Doyans can see you.”

I very nearly hear the Storm crackle in the back of my mind. Growling and thrumming in all the warnings they gave me.

“Um… why? Is traveling to the Academy illegal? Have I broken some law to… to have you try and arrest me!?!”

She spreads her hands in a placating manner. “We’re not arresting you. Just escorting. The situation in Arudia is… delicate, and your arrival and connection to… whatever that is, will be of interest to the Doyans. We’d be poor guardians of the city if we just ignored it.”

My little friend’s woken up. Whispers a quite and nearly growling. “Help.” As I glare down at the seated duenna.

“We’re not threatening you, Rahdian. Simply… requesting your cooperation and patience at our caution.”

“And If I refuse?”

She shrugs. “We’re not giving you that option.”

“Then that is like… very much a threat.” I fight to keep my voice calm as I look about the room. “Just… with extra steps and words to try and make you all feel better about it.”

She sighs. “It’s just a slight delay before you should be able to speak with Sun Spoken Inamatorii. We’re just defending our home, no reason to take our precautions personally.”

“HeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelP!” My little friend very much growls then, odd gemstone glows across its spine fluttering and quivering in warning.

That causes what was a quiet spike of tension to snap into an obvious stand off as every duenna is now moving to stand, hands on their obsidian blade’s hilts.

“Rahdian.” The lead duenna snaps in a sort of… quiet tone of command. “I need you and your little friend to calm down. Don’t escalate this.”

I snuggle them close. Not… I mean its anger is very much a mimicry of my own fucking terror at how this is all falling apart, but… I mean… everyone here seems way more terrified of it than me.

“Then just… Forget you saw me! I just need some information from this Inamatorii lady, then we’ll leave Arudia for like… ever! It’s so fucking cold here and I fucking hate it. Want to walk back to warmer places and forget what a blizzard even is!”

Her expression softens. “I’m sorry this is coming across like something it’s not. We’re just wanting to keep close and guide you through the quickest and easiest pathways to your goal. Don’t read more into this gesture than what I’m telling you it is. You can trust us, Rahdian. ”

I… I almost trust her. Almost let her soft trained voice lure me into just… relaxing and giving her a chance. She’s been kind enough. Pleasant even.

But… fuck me are those the worst words to say to me.

‘You can trust us, Rahdian.’

Spoken just like everyone else who I absolutely could NOT trust. Even when they knew me by my old name. Especially then.

I shake my head. “No this… I’m not interested in like… ANY of that.”

“So…” She whispers, but the softness that was in her last words has drained away. “What? You’re gonna try and force your way out? Fight a room full of armed and trained duenna?”

I clutch my little friend closer, glance about the room. Considering… Would just a little more information make them let me go? Well… they’ll probably guess at it anyway if they just… won’t fucking move and I have to spin something to get away.

“Then… if as a Sun Spoken I demanded you step aside, would you?”

There is a little surprise in her expression, but… she only sighs. “A few weeks back? Maybe. But now? After what the last Sun Spoken to visit the Academy did? No. In fact now my orders are even more clear if that’s the case”

I sigh heavily as I reach for my Amwella, gaze turned upward. “Of course. That’s just… What I keep getting for trusting people.”

This’ll drain it all. Leave me hurting and… and unable to heal myself come morning. Will start to feel those scars if I can’t replenish it.

“Rahdian yo–”

The Storm in the back of my mind sizzles and crackles, and I move before she can finish. Sticking the smallest digit on my left hand into the cooling mug of untouched stew on the little table before me.

Spinning a strange magic that ignites the fluid. Sets it popping forth from the mug in bubbling waves of steam that fill the room within a couple seconds. I quickly duck and scoot beneath the table, not because my spinning will affect me, but… because someone might take a swing at me.

A few crashes, and shouting, and… and such a spike of cold pain in my chest…

Thank fuck my little friend knows to stay quiet.

With a hand rubbing my sternum I sit and wait. Eyes squeezed shut as I listen to the sounds of women flailing about and eventually all just… tumbling to the floor. And when I open my eyes next the room is clear of the magical mist and filled only with motionless duenna nearly covering the floor.

“Fuck.” I hiss as I move to slip out from beneath the table and stand. Glancing about… just to make sure…

No head injuries, no blood. Bruises and some uncomfortable poses but… they’ll be alright. Sore and groggy and probably pissed. But by the time they piece together the last hour I should be up the mountain and just… another girl hiding in the crowds.

Need to find this Inamatorii lady. Quick and before these duenna set themselves on my trail. Hopefully… No, she shouldn’t turn me over to them. Right?

The cold in my chest thrums, forcing me to take a second to catch my breath.

“Fuck!” I hiss aloud again.

“Help?” My little friend finally whispers. Voice dripping with concern.

“I… I’ll be okay. Just need to find someone willing to share their Amwella with me…”

So I quickly slurp up the rest of the warm stew that survived my spell, adjust my hood and scarf to make sure my face is covered, and move to trudge up the mountain’s pathways to the town I hope to find this Inamatorii person in.

Hoping so much that she is both willing and able to help explain what she knows about being a Sun Spoken.