Precedent scene: An Unexpected Encounter (https://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/an-unexpected-encounter/2927706/?p) First scene of the story-arc: Chaos and Death (https://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/chaos-and-death/2889324/?p&ca) ________________________________________ Marina and Delphine, not being official members of the Guild of Adventurers were living in a guest house. It was not a house for the very important guests, like kings and queens, but being friend with some of the most higher members of the guild, it was not for the common man either. Since they were there, they had shared the place with the eventual visitors who had affairs to deal with the guild. But since winter months had begun, visitors were rare and they now had the residence for themselves, if you excepted the servants. They were now in the dining room, sat at a table, near a warm fire. Servants had served them hot beverages and were now preparing the evening dinner. A nice smell was invading the room. But Marina, her older sister Sigrid, Delphine and Amon, did not had the mind to appreciate the aroma. Sigrid had annonced to Marina, when she found her a little earlier, that their town, far in the Nothern Continent, had been attacked by orcs and that not only their father had been injured, but Sigrid's husband had been killed and her son and most of the women and children had been taken to be enslaved. While they were heading to the guest house, Marina, still in shock, explained what happened to Delphine and Amon. Sigrid having told the story, to her sister, in their native language. Sigrid could speak the common language, though. But she was not very use to do it and her accent was so strong, that it was sometime hard for the two others to understand her. In the dining room for some time now, the four had discussed a long moment, but there was still something that Marina did not understood. "There is something I still don't understand. Why haven't you, after your return, with the rest of the warriors, pursued the orcs? And, don't take it wrong, but why have you lose all these months to look for me, without even knowing if you could find me, instead of looking for your son and the others?" Sigrid didn't responded right away. She looked at her sister, dressed in a elegant and surely expensive dress, then looked at the cozy room. Finally she said: "Before I am telling you the reason of my presence, let me see your right hand, said Sigrid. - What? Why? Marina was perplexed. - Give me your right hand." Asked Sigrid, a second time, calmly but very seriously. Marina gave her her hand, still not understanding. Her older sister took it and looked at it intensively for a moment. Finally she ran her fingers inside of it. If the hand and fingers of Marina were relatively thin and long, they were also strong and rough under the touch. A true warrior's hand. Sigrid smiled and looked at her sister. "I feared, when I saw you in that beautiful dress and that secured and cozy environment, that you had put aside your sword. But I'm reassured now." Marina Smiled. "You should know me better my sister. The day I will I let down my sword will be the day of my death." Sigrid, still holding Marina's hand, held it tighter, nodded and looked straigh in the eyes of her sister. "I'm here, because I want you to come with me back home, where we will track down these orcs bastards, exterminate them and save those who had been enslaved, she said with fire in her eyes. - I have already figured that, responded Marina tightening, herself, her hold on her sister hand. - And if you want to know, continued Sigrid, I never doubted that I would find you. I was just not sure how long it would take to do it. - What do you mean by that? laughed Marina, confused. - To respond at your precedent questions, very few men had get through the battle without getting injured, same for the warrioresses and I'm not talking of the many dead. But you know us, it wouldn't have stopped us to pursue these bastards. We were ready to leave, when Seidr, our shaman, she specified for Delphine and Amon, hailed us. She forbid us to pursue the orcs, she said she had a tranced and that the ancesters told her that if we go after the orcs, not only we wouldn't succed at bringing back the others, but also none of us would come back alive. - And you listenned to her ? asked almost at the same time Delphine and Amon. - Shamans are really respected in our culture, responded Marina distactly. - They are really respected, confirmed Sigrid, but they are also feared, so no one would take their words slightly. Although, not pursuing the orcs wouldn't had been an easy decision, if Seidr had not added that the ancestors gave a hope to retreive our enslaved sisters and children. She then asked to talk to me in private. I'll make you the short version, but she said that no matter the time it'll takes, I will have to find you, Marina. It was the only way to have a chance to save the others. - Why? And why me in particular? - She didn't told me. I think she didn't knew, actually. But she insisted on me finding you and assured me I'll do it eventually. Just the time to prepare my trip and to say goodbye to mom and dad and the next day I was heading south for returning to Floilogn and take the boat to Tyrnaelva. - It must have not be easy to travel alone all this time, leaving dad injured and having to let Svadilfari in the hands of the orcs? said Marina." Sigrid smiled confidently. "No, it went well. I have faith in what Seidr said. It was just a little long, that's all. But I have killed a bunch of brigands who tried to rob me. So it evens things." She laughed loudly. Maybe she fooled the others, but Marina saw, deep inside her sister's eyes, a great sadness, saying that, no, it didn't went well. But she did not insisted on the subject. ________________________________________ Oh boy. This text has been hard to write. Not because of a lack of inspiration but because of a lack of motivation. I couldn't get myself to sit in front of my keyboard to write. The conversation is not over, but it is already long enough, so I'll do another picture to conclude it. For the anecdote, Sigrid's son's name, Svadilfari, comes from the nordic mythology and means something like "The one who makes a dangerous trip". Of course in Sigrid's universe, it does not means that. It would be cruel to call your children like that. In the mythology, Svadilfari is a stallion, father of Sleipnir the 8 legged horse of Odin. And do you know who is the mother of Sleipnir? It's Loki, THE Loki! Who is a male, if you don't remember. I love mythology! :D