Odina hadn't been prepared, she of course hadn't grabbed any food yet and P'ol was still sleeping on the ship due to the waves and rocking of the ship making her sick (still Odina was glad old habits died hard it seemed; she was grateful for that) and she fell into the prayer reciting words that hadn't faded from memory. @grissa had seen to that with Odina when Misha (the woman who had basically been warded the lost child) passed and the other Elders took her in to raise together but Grissa was here! She was going to make her way to speak with her before the praying but she didn't make it over. In her head she was kicking her own backside because she hadn't taken the time to give details but hadn't they managed this far? For as long as soldiers or Nevermere had occupied Cambria shouldn't have briefings or information on things like this?

It would be fine. She was sure this wasn't the first time. When it was over Odina made for the woman who had started the prayer (@revna), she looked familiar but was so far away from her Odina couldn't tell.

Revna. As his gaze moved from Isolde’s second-in-command to the woman beside him, he found himself silently disagreeing with her claim that no one expected the new Nevermereans to know Cambrian customs in a day. From the look that Revna had given them before she led the prayer, she certainly seemed to expect more – though his observation was made less out of shame and more out of concern over the trouble inherent to not fitting in. Still, he filed away the name and the face as someone who would undoubtedly be displeased when they eventually removed Isolde.

When @neela introduced herself and each of the girls, he offered them a small smile and a nod. He hadn’t known that Cambrian mothers gave their children to other women to watch during the day – was that commonplace in Nevermere as well? – though given what little he knew about childrearing in general, he hardly found his ignorance on such matters surprising. “Nice to meet you. I’m Berengar Stormcrest,” He said, struck suddenly by the length of his name compared to the far shorter Cambrian ones. “Ah, Stormcrest, though, is fine.” Everyone else called him that, occasionally with a ‘mister’ in front of it.

Ber glanced around for Duncan again, but despite the thinning line as people retrieved their food and sought places to eat it, he saw no sign of his friend. In retrospect, perhaps the other soldier’s absence ought not to have been entirely surprising. Ber had long since learned that Duncan’s weaknesses were the threat of physical activity and pretty women, and he strongly suspected that the latter had waylaid him shortly after disembarking from the boat. Judging from some of the girls he’d seen in the village, obviously Duncan would hardly be the first to give in to such temptations, though going after someone mere hours after arriving seemed oddly fast, even for him.

But that was neither here nor there. As he shoved the thought from his mind and began to eat again, he looked back at his eating companions. “So,” He said, leaning forward slightly to gesture at Nara, Neja, and Kina, “I can tell you three are warriors because you look big and strong.” The oldest looked like a girl who would be on the brink of starting her mandatory training in Nevermere, but the slightly conspiratorial note in his voice would make it clear that Ber was humoring the children. His gaze shifted to the woman directly beside him, who lacked the muscle he would have expected on a fighter, though perhaps the ritual the women went through negated that. “But what do you do Neela? Are you a warrior too?” What had Odina called them again?

A Nevermerean soldier marked with a messenger’s sash wandered through Cambria with a message to the whole of those present—Cambrian and Nevermerean alike (then again, they were all technically Nevermerean, weren’t they?).

“A gathering is to be had the morning after tomorrow!” He announced, standing on tables and barrels and whatever else he could to help his voice project. He spent the entire day at this task, and by the end of it there would be not an ear that hadn’t heard his declaration.

[Single post]

Norah appeared as if from the shadows themselves, easily able to move amongst the commotion until she found her seat. Some familiar faces now around them, though none quite brought her the comfort they might have months before. The large direwolf at her side, a summoning that had glowing golden eyes and as the size of a horse moved with her with surprising grace before he too took a seat beside the Ambassador of Foreign Affairs.

She didn't partake in the prayer, not out of disrespect as she explained to those from Cambria when they actually bothered to talk to her and not just cower or sneer, but because it wasn't her faith. The All Mother, as they called theirs, was not her Goddess. And thus, she wouldn't make face and be polite for something that to her served no purpose other than potentially upsetting her own.

Her dark gaze found @revna's as she scanned the group... then Odina Ellis's. Though her face wasn't cruel to the others, no one got quite a smile either. More stoic than anything. But it was when her gaze landed upon @berengar did she falter. Blinking as if someone had blew a harsh cold wind suddenly in her face, she sat back in her chair. The last time she had seen him... was the last night she had seen Ravin. If he happened to catch her eye, she wouldn't look away, but he'd see a sadness wash over her that was unlike the witch. It was only the man standing up on the table and shouting that drew her attention away.

Her brow lifted and before she could help herself, she found her eyes landing across the table on @warren. "That could've been done with a more skillful tact," she said to the man. She studied him for a moment, having been raised to know all the noble families and poised to converse well within the courts, it was what had lead her to hold such a position and for the women of Cambria to not quite like her either for it. "Lord Woodwick, isn't it?" She picked at the plate, Deimos' large head leaning over hers and sniffing, letting his deep rumble against her shoulder indicate what she ate and what she handed to the summoning. Though she knew that wasn't quite what he wanted.

Rina and Ferra arrived at the dinner just as the Nevermerean soldier climbed down from his perch and began to make his exit. As the silence slowly gave way to the growing clamor of resumed conversations, she glanced around the sea of familiar and unfamiliar faces, but before she could take stock of who had attended and who had not, a tug at her hand had the Cambrian looking down at the four-year-old girl by her side.

“Neja!”

Rina followed Ferra’s finger to see @neela surrounded by her usual collection of girls and making conversation with a Nevermerean boy who had clearly just come in with the new arrivals. Amusement flickered through her: the soldiers looked younger and younger every season.

Brushing the observation aside, Rina crouched down beside her daughter and said, “Neja’s busy with her mother right now. Let’s find something to eat, and maybe she’ll be free to play later.” Despite the difference in their ages, Ferra had taken a liking to Neela’s youngest daughter, whom she clearly considered a cool big kid. Rina found it all rather cute. With a smile, she ran a hand over her daughter’s short, dark hair and stood once more. “Come, let us find food.”

Of course, given their location, doing so was hardly a difficult feat. Carrying Ferra’s plate in one hand and her own in the other, Rina followed her daughter toward another playmate she had spotted: five year old Tandra. With her mother and an elder beside her, the other little girl appeared to be in the middle of her meal, but empowered by the bold indifference of every four-year-old, Ferra did not hesitate to sit down beside her age-mate. “What are you eating, Tandra? Can I have some?”

“Ferra, you have your own food.” Quietly apologetic about the intrusion, Rina set the girl’s plate in front of her. “Slowly, remember?” She reminded her daughter, though the fondness in the quirk of her lips ran counter to the sternness in her voice. “Chew your food. It’s not a race.”

Then she turned to @grissa and @waiola and finally greeted them with a warm smile. “I hope the All-Mother finds you well, sisters. Would you mind if we joined you this evening?”

Kind. Not exactly a word that others tended to call her, so the slightest curl of her lip happened, only there for such a brief moment that he might have not even seen it. Ambassador Carter would be something she never was going to feel pride in being called. Ambassador, yes. But Carter? Never. Not that she could explain that to anyone. So she dipped her head appropriately considering they were sitting.

“Glad to have more… friendly faces around, that’s for sure my Lord,” she answered as she kept picking through. Deimos determining her food on smells alone. Something about having a stronger stomach as a summoning rumbled through her head and she gave the direwolf a side eye and smirk.

“I tend to be here more than Nevermere. Try and make it home once a month, restocking on supplies and following up on the estate,” not her home. It hadn’t ever felt like it much… and especially now it didn’t. “A long while now, they aren’t thrilled but most have gotten used to us,” her head tilting towards Deimos. “This is Deimos, by the way, Deimos, Lord @warren.” The strangely intelligent amber burning eyes flipped up to Warren and he studied him for a second before Warren would hear that demonic, deep voice rumble in his mind, “Hello little lord,” and though it wasn’t quite a smile, but a flash of teeth was sent his way.

Advice? Her dark eyes looked up at him through thick lashes, a brow quirking just so as she glanced at the company around them. “You will have a mixed relationship with those here. Many don’t trust men, many will avoid you out of fear or hatred. Some may talk to you for the same reasons, but sprinkle in some curious women and some… eager.” She was not shy by what she meant. “The women expect to be above you, but don’t let them step all over you. They will test you, they will question you, and as long as you don’t let them intimidate you? Well,” she finally lifted her face fully, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Then you will do alright.”