|
|
Post by Ancelas on Jun 28, 2022 9:11:48 GMT -5
Ellie scowled. "Fucking corruption. It was everywhere during the war... I'm sorry you had to endure it. You didn't deserve it... what happened that night wasn't your fault, and you sure as hell didn't deserve to be punished for doing your job, either there or at that outpost."
|
|
|
|
Post by redcoat on Jun 28, 2022 9:29:53 GMT -5
Si gave a humorless laugh at Scion's indignation on her behalf. "Oh, it was my fault as much as anyone's. I didn't send the information out of Forstwatch like I should have. Because of my faith in my chain of command, my sisters are now actively hunting me."
She arched an eyebrow at Scion, looking... amused. "My brother too, I expect. Who sent you to get Brynna?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Ancelas on Jun 28, 2022 9:43:57 GMT -5
Ellie cocked her head to the side, considering that. When Si asked her question, she winced. "That's a bit of a story. After the war, I ended up in Sharn... I found a changeling community there, and once Tobias had determined we were safe... well, that's when I emerged. Ellie-me, I mean. I get along with people better than Tobias, and Scion still wasn't... isn't... in the best place. Things were fine the last few years, but... some people found out who I was somehow..."
She looked down at the table, hesitating.
Well... we came this far. Might as well go a little further.
Oh, NOW you want to show up?
"Some bad people found out who I was," Ellie said, her voice losing some of its warmth. "They asked me to perform a simple job for them, otherwise the people who helped me would be in danger."
|
|
|
|
Post by redcoat on Jun 28, 2022 9:56:17 GMT -5
Si nodded, thoughtful and accepting the vagueness of his description.
"Given that 'I' am responsible for the death of about 300 soldiers at the least, the price on my head is... not small. Also, valkyries are a tight knit group. It's... a matter of honor that they have a living traitor in their ranks." Her voice was low- low enough that the warforged who was whistling and sliding pastries into the pastry oven could not hear them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ancelas on Jun 28, 2022 9:59:40 GMT -5
"Valkyries... were they the unit you were with, before you were sent to Forstwatch?"
As she spoke, Ellie's green eyes and red hair begin to change color, darkening slowly toward dark browns.
|
|
|
|
Post by redcoat on Jun 28, 2022 12:33:51 GMT -5
"All Brelish Recovery fell under the same unit, and operated... everywhere, really." She sighed a bit, leaning back in her chair. "Forstwatch couldn't keep scouts alive, so high command requested someone with a bit more... skill be attached to them. So, Captain Cassandra Mills, most recently off a stunning failure, was chosen for the job."
Her jaw clenched.
"Once there, she left a paper trail a mile wide and defected to Cyre, leading to the destruction and massacre of the fort."
|
|
|
|
Post by Ancelas on Jun 28, 2022 12:37:56 GMT -5
Tobias grunted softly, fully manifesting as the changes moved from his hair and eyes out across his body. "What was the conspiracy that you uncovered at Forstwatch? It must have been significant, for them to to put so much effort into using you as a scapegoat."
|
|
|
|
Post by redcoat on Jun 28, 2022 13:25:56 GMT -5
"I think you think the conspiracy is a lot larger than it is. It's..." She sighed. "It's not that complicated. It's not a big coverup. I got double crossed, and I got stuck with the bill."
She was clearly starting to become agitated.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ancelas on Jun 28, 2022 13:28:15 GMT -5
Tobias studied her for a moment before speaking. "I see." He didn't want to agitate her further, and so would let that particular matter drop.
"How did you end up in Thrane? Just looking for somewhere that isn't Breland?"
|
|
|
|
Post by redcoat on Jun 28, 2022 13:40:01 GMT -5
"Transported here when I was captured, and released here when I slipped out. Breland wasn't safe for me, and there's actually... a surprisingly large number of the captured and displaced in the slums here. People who couldn't afford to go home, people who didn't want to, people who couldn't."
She pushed the muffin away, making up her mind to not try and it more, it seemed.
"Don't think I haven't noticed you aren't talking about you."
|
|
|
|
Post by Ancelas on Jun 28, 2022 13:47:00 GMT -5
Tobias smile faintly and looked down at the muffin. "I'm not. It's... I'm not comfortable talking about myself. It's... difficult. And hard for people to understand, although I think... you would understand more than most."
Tobias sighed heavily. "I... did a lot of things during the war that I'm not proud of. I didn't fight for a cause, or an ideal..." He rested his right hand on his left forearm and moved his eyes to it. "I fought because I had to, and because I was good at... good at it. That's the only value the Daughters saw in me - the good I could do for Drooam."
|
|
|
|
Post by redcoat on Jun 28, 2022 13:57:01 GMT -5
Si nodded, the agitation leaving her for a bit. "I... didn't escape the fire." She admitted after a moment, carefully choosing her words. "Everything was collapsing. I managed to get to the basement, and I hid behind the dry goods. The next morning, some Brelish soldiers came and were poking around, and they found me. The barrels kept the collapsed building off of me... but I was still in bad shape."
|
|
|
|
Post by Ancelas on Jun 28, 2022 14:18:59 GMT -5
Tobias closed his eyes and folded his hands over one another. "I'm sorry."
|
|
|
|
Post by redcoat on Jun 28, 2022 14:26:05 GMT -5
"I survived. I got found by a nice woman who adopted me, I grew up with lots of adopted aunts and uncles. I joined the war literally the first moment I was allowed to. Used my weaknesses to distinguish myself in training and joined the valkyries. It wasn't... all bad, during that time."
She frowned deeply. "I feel like you had the opposite trajectory."
|
|
|
|
Post by Ancelas on Jun 29, 2022 8:04:19 GMT -5
Tobias nodded without looking up. "I spent too long in the dark. It wasn't until after I made it to Sharn that I found a community worth being a part of. It's been... two years? Almost three. I... wasn't in a good place when I found them. Ellie took over, helped us... adapt. Gave us a chance to... heal."
Tobias breathed deeply and lifted his head to sit up a little straighter, though he still could not meet his sister's eyes. "Everything between being taken from home to arriving in Sharn..." he shook his head. "The Daughters of Sora Kell are schemers who don't care about what happens to their tools. They exist to be used until they break. But even then, they won't throw them away... instead, they just melt them down and remake them, so they can keep being used."
He rubbed his left forearm again. "They don't like losing one of them. They don't like the idea that something of their's is out there on its own."
He smiled thinly. "You've got troubles with Breland. I've got troubles with Drooam. So naturally, we end up in Thrane. That's kind of funny, don't you think?"
|
|
