T a l i s a

Over the course of the last year, the cleric had been back and forth from what she had been to what she was being molded to be. A constant state of panic and concern that things were drastically changing around her but also inside her. The life that her father had lived in couldn't exist any longer than it had and Talisa had had a wonderful two years to experience the wonders of life without turmoil but she couldn't turn back time. Try as hard as they could there was no way out of the chaos that continuously came knocking at their door and their allies. With both @Nymeria having fought that insidious bastard but subsequently losing, it had allowed Talisa to see that if her big sister could fight and nearly win that she could too. To have @Morrigan at her side and to have her strength in Vermeda gave her the strength to move to higher ground mentally.

Even though she knew that she had just as much say in @Magnus' official desire to join as @Aquila did, she still wanted for her cousin to say it first. Turning her head swiftly to the Sigrun and nodding her head -- this was home regardless of if it was temporary or not. His family had a place with her whenever and wherever. Will more of your family be joining us? she asked if only for the lack of numbers at his side. She couldn't imagine Magnus joining and staying by himself but perhaps they had found themselves somewhere else to be or would be along shortly. Best to have an idea as to what might come, after all.

Once she got a vague idea as to what was coming in the near future, she bowed her head and allowed a friend to come into the Brook as an official member. Eagerly pushing her weight against her wife and holding herself steady before moving out. exit talisa.

pleasantries and catch-ups were all good and fun but, unfortunately, nymeria had learned to not get her hopes up quite so high. which was a good thing, undoubtedly, considering the torrential downpour of @Magnus' words upon their ears, each thread of news seeming to sting worse than the last. murder — ecrosia mire — rike — wolfbron; a looming sense of shock was apparent upon the valour’s features by the end of it all, for she was unbothered in showing the emotion when in the presence of those that she trusted most.

TAking a moment to regain some semblance of composure, the woman’s eyes went purposefully to @Aquila, first, drinking in the careful shifts in his expression and the looming pools beneath his gaze. he bore too much on his shoulders — and it was so poignantly that nymeria felt guilt, here and now. guilt for letting him, them, down. guilt for not being strong enough. guilt for not being able to protect them from such dark and horrid times. The lump in her throat grew larger as she twisted her attention towards @Morrigan and @Talisa next, for she knew that their hearts sang the brightest and that their fealty remained, and would remained unwavering, even after so long and so much loss. nymeria continued on until she finally found herself back across the complexion of the sigrun man, her ears offering an absent flicker as his request for homage was awarded by her cousin, and the air around them seemed to flutter out.

how did one break such a deafening sort of silence?

"come, let’s get you settled. you’ll find the brook to be much different than the sandy shores of the south." she offered finally upon a quiet rush of air, burying the heaviness of her dread within the weak edges of a smile. the sentiment was not personal to magnus, of course — he had done so much for them, after all — but the daunting threat of war and violence did not sit easy within the druid’s chest. it never would. she, too, could feel her heart starting to give out, but for the sake of her dear friend and the fondness that she held for magnus she would take pause, hoping to guide him into the shadows of the grove and beneath the shadowy canopy that he could now call home. exit.

The faces that surrounded him grew longer with every passing moment. It seemed, perhaps, that the gravity of the situation was beginning to settle in everyone’s guts. They could die in this war. They all could. Magnus had almost counted on losing his own life - or the majority of it - to eliminating the Rike threat. He was not a young man anymore, and with every day that passed he shifted a little further out of his prime and into the phase of his life where he ought to be relaxing and enjoying the fruits of his labour. His twilight years. Alas, the hard work was not over yet. “Perhaps,” he rumbled in response to Talisa’s query, “Nadia probably will, unless she decides to stay in Obsidian with Hrefna and our grandchildren.” Grandchildren. That made him feel old. He would simply nod his appreciation as @Aquila and @Talksa voiced their approval and both took their leave. @Morrigan, as ever, made her fealty quite clear and he would offer a tight-lipped smile to the Greyflood. “I know.” Same place you Now, flanked by two of his oldest friends, he would follow @Nymeria into the Brook; his new home.

EXIT

the finest fury is the most controlled

code by corvus

Maybe if the dark warrior had ever been one to reflect more deeply on her own feelings, she might have been questioning whether all of this was worth so much pain and bloodshed. Like any reasonable creature would, like Aquila had before bowing to his own honor as the Valour were known for. She could blame her own bloodlust, but that wouldn't have been worth shattering the peace of her most beloved. She didn't think of any of this right now though, only basked in the thought of having her wife and best friend and most of her children all in the same place for a time. She let the others go ahead before taking up the rear. exit morrigan

table by ferus, art by grav3wolf