[Sweetsong] Pack a Political Punch(ing)

[Vega]

40th Vhalar, 722

Vega knew that Woe was coming and so, she had one eye out. However, while she was waiting for him, she was with Sam and Gilnar , two of the hunters and fieldcrafters in Sweetsong. They were out checking the traps which had been laid the trial before. Vega and the two men had signed out and told Tovan ~ who happened to be staffing the admin tent ~ which area they were going to and what sort of time they were planning to be back. Vega, after all, had set the system up to make sure that the camp was safe and efficient, and so she adhered to it.

Vega enjoyed Sam and Gilnar's company. They were very different people, the two of them, but they shared that no-nonsense approach which Vega so appreciated. Truthfully, she hadn't worked with traps as much as she had hunted with bow and arrow, so she was enjoying this learning very much. The first trap they went to was empty, but had been sprung. Vega knelt down to examine it, wondering what she'd done wrong when she placed it. It was, she realised, the fact that she'd placed it on a piece of ground which had shifted slightly during the rains overnight . The movement, slight as it had been, had triggered the trap and thus, closed it.

As she looked at that, Gilnar motioned for her to come over to where he was and Vega did. He'd snared three rabbits in his pit trap, and she looked at it with a frown. "We need to change how we do these," she said. Gilnar, who had been quite happy with his haul, looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Look, there, at the tracks in that pit," she said with a gesture. "One o' them three didn't die outrigh', an' it tried to get out. It must have been hurt an' that's not good." Gilnar sat back on his haunches and looked at her. "You surprise me," he said. However, the way that he said it suggested that he meant it in a good way.

"We're here doin' this in a way what's in tune with nature. Nature can be cruel yeah, an' I've got no qualms at all about killin', but when we do it, we do it quick." He nodded. "So, you deepen that a bit, an' I'll place an' re-set the other one."

And so they went on, through their allocated area. They adjusted and they changed things ~ they made sure that they were always working within the confines of the area, working in harmony where they could. After a few breaks, just at about the time she was due to meet Woe, Vega, Gilnar and Sam entered the clearing which was Fool's Errand and, stopping on the way to check back in to the admin tent, started to walk towards the central fire pit when she spotted Woe.

"Will you lads take these please? We've got a visitor," she said, handing over the brace of rabbits she'd been carrying. She turned around and waved to Woe and then strode over to him. "Hello," she said, walking up to him with an easy smile. "Right nice of you to visit us. Welcome to Sweetsong. You want the tour or would you rather sit an' have a cup of tea?" Either way, she was happy to see him and to begin discussions.

After all, she figured, if Sweetsong was going to grow, then it had to be in the world. She wouldn't compromise the place or it's ethos, but on the surface what he suggested didn't seem like it was going to so, Vega was keen to find out more.

[Woe]

“Did you pack the candy?” Woe asked, as he readied the saddle and bags of Soz’ riding equipment. He turned to face Gloom, whose gaze was downcast.

“Don’t look so glum, we may even get to see Wren. You like Wren.” Woe tried to smile, but Gloom could be a stick in the mud sometimes. And that was saying something coming from Woe’s perspective.

Gloom sighed, as he climbed onto the backseat of Soz’ saddle. He hefted a small bag of treats. “Yes I have the candy.”

“The apple-lemon drops for Wren, and… the chocolate-covered coffee beans for Vega?” Woe quirked a brow at the last mention. That was an important consideration. Perhaps even more so than Wren and the childrens’ gift.

“Yes… I have the chocolate coffee beans.” Gloom sighed, securing himself in his seat. “Why chocolate covered coffee beans though?”

“Because, they are good at keeping one alert, awake, and full of energy.” And, Woe reflected to himself, the more awake and alert she was, the less she would sleep and dream. And the less he would have to worry about her going berserker violent on him for initiating her neice against any of her family’s wishes. Woe certainly wouldn’t tolerate anyone initiating his children, afterall. But then, he had faith that Vega could be reasoned with, at least in person anyway.

“Good.” Woe climbed onto his dragonling, and took to the air. His dragonling was faster than most flying creatures, and would make good time to Sweetsong. It was only a short distance by horse, afterall. A day or two to trot. It’d take about eight breaks for Soz to get there.

So they were off.



Woe and Gloom landed at a portion off to the outskirts of Sweetsong. Soz was rather shy, and liked to be on her own, especially around people she’d yet to meet.

Fortunately, though, Vega seemed to spot them, and was herself near to the edges of the settlement’s main encampment.

Woe waved to her. But before he could return her greeting, Gloom came forward, holding the parcel up for her inspection. “Lady Vega. Please, is Wren here? I made some apple-lemon drops… They were his favorite when visiting in Egilrun…”

“We’ve also brought you some chocolates.” Woe said, with a small smile. “As for what we can do… yes a tour would be good. Gloom can catch up with Wren if it’s alright, and you can show me the points of interest?”

Depending on her answer, and reallly regardless of how she responded, he would speak. Not on Seira, as the last thing he wanted to do was remind her of his misstep. “Afterward, maybe after a trip into your Sweetwine, we can have some tea. I’m fairly good at making tea myself, if you’d allow it.”

[Vega]

40th Vhalar, 722

Vega looked at Gloom and she smiled. "That's righ' nice. Wren an' Joy have been makin' some things for you, too, once they knew your Papa was coming," she motioned over to the camp which was hers. "They over there. You go on an' have some fun." Moving her gaze to Woe, Vega grinned. "Chocolates? That's nice, thanks. Mighty kind of you," she adored chocolate and that was one of the things she missed most about Arlo being off on one of his adventures.

She nodded when he said that a tour would be good, but she kept her gaze on Gloom - Wren and Joy had come out to meet him and it seemed like the three of them were embarking on some sort of deep group conversation. That caused her to smile. "Well, I'm happy to show you about," she said. "There's an oasis, an' there's our tents an' things - admin an' cookin' an' stuff. An' there's a magic tree." There was, but she'd show them all to him.

He said he'd like to make some tea, and Vega nodded. "If you've got any hints, I'm sure that we'd love to hear them. Brewin' stuff an' makin' decent tea is a great ability here. Especially first thing in the mornin'," She gestured and started to walk over to where the oasis was. First things first, she thought he'd like that. "This is an oasis I made, in honour of Lovalus an' Sweetwine. It helps with things growin' here an' everythin'."

Walking along, Vega was happy to chat. When she was quite sure that the children were out of earshot, she looked at Woe with a friendly smile.

"So, what happened with my niece, exactly?"

If she had to thump him, she figured, she'd rather do it where his son wasn't able to see and therefore, get worried as she pulverised him. Pulverisation would happen in private, she decided, if it needed to happen at all. .

[Woe]

Posting like it's 1999

Gloom lifted his head to look at Vega, and shook his head. "But... he's not my father. Woe is my friend? Boss? Probably just boss." He said glumly, and then trundled off, somewhat heartened by the idea of sharing the candies with Wren. When he caught sight of Wren there was another hop in his step. Once he got to the children, he'd share the lemon apple drops freely, and vigorously shake Wren's hand, glad for their reunion.

As for Woe, as he looked around, seeing the camp as well as all of the prominent and interesting features of the sight, he began appraising as he did so. Seeing things through the lens of their commercial value as he often enough did, he could tell that this was potentially a very vital part of the Sweetwine. Being near the coast on the east, and not far from a river on the west, there was much potential. But besides that, the industrious and festive nature of the place would surely attract visitors looking to relax. Perhaps Sweetsong would become a tourist trap in time.

"I didn't know you had Wren with you?" Woe said, "Do you know where Hart is?" he asked, but supposing she didn't know he didn't linger on the subject as they left ear and eyeshot of the children.

"If we find a place where a campfire is burning, and there is a kettle, I do have a bundle of tea herbs on me." Woe rarely left home without the tea herbs, as it was becoming something of a hobby to curate new teas and brews.

Eventually they left earshot of the children enough that Vega felt comfortable asking about Seira. "I was looking through my Dreamscape for connections I'd made. Looking for someone." He said, "I didn't find them, but saw instead your neice. Curious, I entered the dreamscape. When I learned she was Vivian's daughter, I tried my best not to initiate her, but it became a moot point when her fears prompted a Nightmare to enter the dreamscape. Then, I had to make contact, to dispel her fears, and defeat the Nightmare."

Woe hadn't talked much about the abilities he gained from Kuvarakh's effigy. "It's an ability I have, from my dragon-gift, dispelling fears with a touch."

[Vega]

40th Vhalar, 722

She gave Gloom an immediate "I'm sorry," when he corrected her. "I didn't mean to assume, my bad." Vega was quick to apologise because she was wrong and she knew it. He didn't seem too bothered, though, so Vega said no more on the subject.

"Yeah, Wren an' Ru are here with me," she said. "Hart pops in an' out. I don't know where he is right now, no." She grinned at the change of subject and nodded. "There's always a campfire burnin' in the middle of the settlement," she said. "We sit around it an' eat an' sing of an evenin', it's like the middle bit." When he said that he'd gotten into brewing things, she nodded. "I'd be well appreciative if you showed us some stuff. I'd like to get some teas an' brews goin' here, if you're so inclined?" Vega was, as always, not backwards about coming forwards.

They moved further away from the children and fully out of earshot and she asked about her niece. He explained what had happened and what he'd done. "That's well handy, that is. It's like a Xiur-thing, I guess." She considered it. "Cos if there's one thing what's gonna knock fear on it's ass, it's hope." Could you be both fearful and hope-filled at the same time? She didn't know, and she was confident that it was a big-brain question, but it worked for her to just say 'nope' to that one.

She glanced at him, then. "Yer the first other person I've met with an Effigy. That's nice. Mine's Vindecaldra," she said, motioning vaguely to her glowing skin. "Is it cos of yours that you look like death warmed up? If you're feelin' alright, you don't look it." Ever the subtle one, Vega spoke the truth as she saw it. "So, what's yours all about? Mine is rebirth an' metal, really. It's a bit of an odd combination." With a slight shrug she considered it but then, she thought of something. "I've heard that some folks what were involved in dragon things were the ones what offed the Immortals." Vega would never be a diplomat, it was true, but it was as well to be direct, she thought.

"Was that you? Or if not, do you know who it was?"

Whoever it was that had killed Faldrun, Vega didn't know if she wanted to shake their hand for doing it or thump them for not waiting for her to be there.

[Woe]

Soon enough, Woe was brought to the campfire by Vega's leading. There, he listened to her questions, and then answered them in turn. "I would like to meet Hart sometime again. If you see him soon, do tell him that I asked for him."

He wasn't all that surprised that Vega was in charge of Hart's kids while he was abroad. "Ru is here? And Wren? They're good children. I'm glad they're in good hands." He meant it, though his tone when mentioning Ru was slightly off-kilter. But he didn't betray any negative emotion that may have been lingering from his prior association with disappointment. "I can teach you some of what I know, yes. Brewing is also a good segue into brewing essences and such too. Mostly for culinary things and drinks to be enjoyed. But some of them can be used for medicinal purposes if you have skill in such things."

"Yes it's why I look like I've taken ill. But I'm quite well. One of the few visible aspects, apart from the horns on my shadow." Woe pointed over his shoulder, to indicate the shadow he was casting, which was starker and more saturated with darkness than most ordinary people."

"I wasn't involved in the Immortals having died. But I do know one who might know more. Zoro was there, I think he was snatched away from my own group before we found Kuvarakh. I presume it had something to do with it, anyway."

He was silent for a little while, watching the campfire idly for a few moments, as the shadows danced behind him. He had come with questions, and proposals, but he wanted to wait for Vega to ask him about them, before getting into it. So he sat, and listened to what she had to say.

"So do you have a kettle for brewing, or ceramics for storing the fluid? I can show you a little of what I know right now here at the campfire." He offered. "What kinds of herbs and plants have you discovered so far while here?" Woe had to admit to some special interest in the plants in particular, the live ones. He might have a chat with them later, to see what they say.

[Vega]

40th Vhalar, 722

"I will, for sure," Vega said, when Woe spoke of wanting to pass on his good wishes to Hart. She nodded that yes, both Ru and Wren were here. Vega noticed a slight difference in how he said the names, but she thought nothing of it. It wasn't her business, after all. Her attention, in fairness, was taken up entirely when he pointed out his shadow. "That's well amazin' that is," she exclaimed, looking at it in interest. "I like that. Who knew that shadows could be snazzy?" She shook her head in surprise. The world was such an ever-changing and interesting place.

He gave her a name, Zoro - and she knew that name from Saoire's Feast, so she nodded. "I'll ask him, next time I see him. Thanks, Woe, I appreciate that." Ever polite, after all. But next he asked about equipment, "An' yeah, we've got everythin'," she said pulling together all the equipment they had. Kettles and strainers, all sorts of paraphernalia. As she did, she also opened drawers in a box, each one with different teas in it. "We've got this lot. It's a bit of a mush-mish, but there's different kinds, aye."

Of the plants and so on, Vega reached for a different container. "There's these," she said, reaching in and getting out some

multi-coloured fruits

. "Rainberries, apparently. They're amazin' they each taste different. It's real intense flavour, too. An', it fills you up so it's handy." Then, there was another and she handed him a

strange-looking fruit

. "I found some of these to-trial. They're growin' jus' on the shoreline over yon, an' I was thinkin' of tryin' to cultivate them here. Any thoughts on them?" Gesturing to it, she explained. "The fruit inside is red, an' it tastes real sweet. Like honey, almost. I reckon Winstaan will love it. I don't know about the skin yet I haven't experimented."

Woe was more than welcome to have a rummage and look at what they had, Vega said and she let him explore what he wanted to in terms of the equipment and the ingredients they had. "So," she said quietly, as he did. "Is this a social call or is there a reason you wanted to talk?" It was the latter, she was sure, but she didn't want to push, so she just asked and left it at that. If he had anything on his mind, he'd tell her or not, after all.

[Woe]

"Snazzy doesn't describe it for me. Just very dark." Woe said with a shrug. He pointed at the head of his shadow , which bore dragon horns, two large horns from each side of the head. Woe then took the liberty of making them solid, appearing on his own head as a pair of deepest black shadow. "See, I can also manipulate shadows."

"Metals and growth does sound promising, as does fire. I suppose you'll not have any trouble keeping warm in Winter, for instance." Woe was curious about the details of her powers. He thought generally keeping stock of known Effigy Bearers might be best practice. "What specifically does that do for you? Can you breathe flames? And are you immune to fire? It seems to manifest in a similar way to me, I cannot be affected negatively by poisons, and can see in total darkness."

But then, they were prattling on about Effigy perhaps too much in the open. Woe got to work at the campfire, hanging a kettle with an iron over the fire, after filling it with water and a metal seive with some tea in it. It wasn't anything fancy for now, just a simple black blend with some spice. But he knew how to make even that taste fairly well.

Over the next few bits, as Woe worked at feeding the flame, the aromatics of the brew began to waft from the campfire.

He observed the various plants and fruits and produce that she and Sweetsong had already discovered. "The rainberries sound promising. Almost certainly I'd like some for my garden, or the farms of Egilrun and Beacon. Do they take well in a specific growing medium? I've found many plants around the island seem only to grow in specific conditions. Whether in specific sands, soils. Scaltoth has its own unique plants while Sweetsong seems the same. I almost wonder if the Induks are jealous of their own flora."

"As for why I'm here..." And then the kettle began to sing. "Ah, it's ready." Woe took the cool metal hook from where it lay and placed the kettle on a nearby flatstone. Waiting for it to cool.

"As to why I'm here... No not a social call." Woe said, without regret. Truth told he didn't really do those. And he suspected Vega knew that. "I was hoping we could discuss cooperation in the manner of resource gathering. Too many elements of resource collection around the island are bound up in governmental red tape, or Institutional in the case of the Academy."

.Woe shook his head, not liking it. "I generally agree with the need for regulation and control over the collection of resources. Yet this monopolistic domination by the government fiat is no better than when the Lumber out of Darbyton was controlled by one company." Woe paused to catch his breath. "I think better than anyone, the Merchants guild knows how to regulate an economic system, subsisting as it does on a somewhat austere nation as Scalvoris is. Just recently I proposed to the Merchant Guild that they should utilize the interior waterways of Scalvoris, toward this end. As a sort of highway to move goods from one end of the Island to another."

"I'm representing their interests in this endeavor, and hoped you might allow the waterways adjoining your territory to become one such highway for such material transit, as stone, glass, sand, and lumber. Perhaps even represent a cooperative organization for the collection, transit, and distribution of commodities coming out of Sweetsong."

"What do you think?"

[Vega]

40th Vhalar, 722

"An' that jus' about sums up the differences in our personalities, don't it?" she said with a grin. After all, she had dubbed him "Misery" the first time she'd met him. "I'm stickin' with snazzy, an' you can be all dark an' broody all you like." Tilting her head to the side, slightly, she watched as the horns became solid and she grinned and shook her head. "I wonder if there'll ever be a time when the world doesn't have any more surprises for me," she said. Evidently, it wasn't today. "Nice. Also snazzy. Possibly snappy. Definitely spooky, an' a bit doom-an'-gloom-y, but snazzy." Woe was a serious sort and Vega very much wasn't - most of the time.

"Yeah, I don't do cold any more, I'm always warm. I don't know if I'm immune to fire, though. I haven't experimented." She gave a shrug and a grin. "I think so, though, yeah." Being immune to poison must be very handy, Vega thought, but she didn't say. Instead she watched as he busied himself with making a brew. He made it look like an art form, something that was as complex as cooking

"That smells amazin' that does," Vega said honestly as she sniffed the air. "How'd you make it smell so good, so quick?" Either way, she sipped her tea and listened to him as he explained why he was here. Vega listened carefully and didn't interrupt him, though she raised an eyebrow at some of his more complex words. "So, first things first," she said, when he was done, "I'm goin' to put this into Vega-speak. Tell me if I've got any of it wrong." That was important, she thought. Making sure that they were having the same conversation.

"While it makes sense to have some regulation, the Council an' the Institute have got their panties tied in bunches, an' that's not good for anyone, even them. You're here on behalf of the merchants guild, an' you're suggestin' that we work together in the hope of both makin' some mutual profit or benefit an' of showin' that the Council an' the University need to wind their necks in an' let the business folk deal with the business stuff?"

She thought about it for a moment, considering what Woe was offering. She wasn't quick at working stuff like this out, and this sort of thing really wasn't her forte. So, Vega knew that she needed to buy herself time. "I like it, as an idea, an' I'm very much on board in principle," she said with a smile. "But I know myself well enough to know that business dealin's aren't my strength an' so I need to see a concrete proposal before I commit entirely." It was like a battle plan, she realised. Or, she considered, more realistically it was the moving of goods and all the details that entailed added to the need to get a fair business deal.

One thing she knew, from her

battle training

was that environment was important. "What I'm thinkin' righ' now is that I'd like us to be a droppin' off an' pickin' up point, an' to be well involved in this." Vega said, looking at him with a smile. "I think we can trade an' come up with a deal what's useful to both the merchants' guild an' sweetsong. But I want to check through anythin' carefully, before we shake hands." She believed that he would be happy with that. "We will be able to trade metals an' raw materials like wood an' meat. But yeah, definitely int'rested. "

Looking at Woe, she considered it and then decided that yes, she trusted him enough. "One of the things that I can do is create molten metal - an' then harden it. But I have to know the metal, so if you bring me some, I can replicate it. So, if you're thinkin' of trade, I reckon I could be a goose layin' a golden egg, you know," she said and then grinned. "Or a steel one, dependin' on your preference."

[Woe]

Snazzy Horns

Woe had little to say of Vega's Vegaisms about his horns. In truth, he only did it to demonstrate that he wasn't kidding about his connection to a dragon. After the demonstration was made, he shrugged, and got to fixing the tea. Which he did fairly quickly.

"It's a matter of practice, and knowing what you're about I suppose. Same as anything." Woe said of his swiftness he was able to make the tea smell and taste so good. "Once you know the process, you can go as quick as you like... or as soon as the water is boiled to the right heat. Different brews call for different levels of heat. And there's even some brews that need cold water, did you know that?"

But he was getting off topic. He sat down with her at the campfire, and drank some of the tea.

He listened to her reflections on the 'business plan' of Woe, such as it was. Not so much a plan as a manifest of what he wanted to accomplish. There would invariably be steps to take before he could even get started. But the statement of intent was important as anything. Vega seemed to agree with it, at any rate. Woe didn't expect anything less, really. She'd always struck him as a pragmatic sort.

"I will of course draft a plan, with some flexibility built into it." Woe nodded to her. "And send it along by scroll when I have a grip on it all. Not a Joy Scroll, mind, but..." Woe pulled a echo scroll from his pocket, and handed it to Vega. "One to be shared between my office and the people of Sweetsong. You can keep it for yourself as it's leader, or allow access to others if they are able to act with authority on matters."

Woe shrugged, he didn't know how Vega intended to govern the settlement, but it seemed to him she was more of a sort to share power. Not someone who craved figurehead status. "It'd be rude to send missives through Joy's scroll, afterall."

When Vega told him what she could do, with metals and such, he was fairly well astonished. He knew the potency of dragon powers firsthand, but even so... To create such substantive materials from... nothing? It was amazing. He almost thought to have her demonstrate, but considered that it was better to take her at her word. "That's incredible." He said, meaning incredible in the very literal sense. Not that he didn't believe her...

"Well, however much in terms of materials you can provide, I will trade fairly for." Woe said, carefully measuring his words. "But I daresay you could very easily crash the value of some materials if you overproduce. I'd advise against such a course, not that you're senseless enough to even consider doing something like that..." Woe could just about imagine people begging her to vomit gold, and then getting told off. It was almost enough to produce a smirk from him.

"Is Joy here? Or Wren? Perhaps we can have a visit now?" Woe said, now that the business portion of their meeting was concluded, more or less. At least until Woe had a solid plan crafted.