Reunion- Apology Tour

[Ancelas]

The entrance to the Glade remained where it was, and the interior was still in its prior configuration, based on Valor Company's earlier council. Without the discussion of war plans filling the air, the Glade was instead filled with the faint music of birdsong and insect chirping, dappled sunlight spilling through the high, mist-shrouded branches of the towering trees. A faint, comfortable breeze stirred the lower branches, and the space appeared, at first glance, to be largely deserted. It was difficult to tell, however - the Glade had several nooks and crannies, bridges, and catwalks connecting all manner of small structures to one another.

[redcoat]

Sae frowned as she entered the glade. Talk to Mirrai. First, she had to find Mirrai. Looking up, she'd see the other woman on one of the upper cat walks in the trees, her feet dangling. Resisting the urge to use the hook shot or her mantle, she'd instead approach from the mundane way.

[Ancelas]

Mirrai sat on the edge of a walkway, feet dangling in the open air, arms folded on the lower rail in front of her. Her eyes were turned upwards, towards the misty canopy, her thoughts a thousand miles - or years - away. As Sae approached, Mirrai turned her gaze away to look in her direction. She blinked, the only evidence of her surprise, and slowly brought her feet up, turning to stand with one hand resting on the railing.

"Sae...?" She asked slowly - warily, unsure of why the other woman had come to see her.

[redcoat]

"I came to apologize. And to talk." Sae said, taking a seat on the walkway next to the spot Mirrai had just vacated. Sitting seemed less threatening that standing.

[Ancelas]

Mirrai blinked again and slowly lowered herself back down to the sitting position she had before. She didn't know exactly how to respond, and was wary of saying something that might have been triggering, so she watched Sae and waited for her to continue.

[redcoat]

Sae frowned, staring out over the glade, trying to pick her words carefully. "I should not have lost my temper. There had already been a string of people shifting the plan out from underneath me unexpectedly, and unfortunately, yours- or Taliesin's- request to pardon Kilamo was the straw that broke the camel's back."

That seemed like a reasonable enough start.

[Ancelas]

Mirrai looked out over the glade and let out a sigh. "If it makes any difference, I did not know Taliesin was going to say that... I was caught by surprise as much as anyone else. Given what you said about secrets, I felt obligated to offer some context, but... I recognize it may not have been the best time. I had no intention, and still have no intention, of disrupting the plans you have in place. You're fighting a war... That must always come first."

[redcoat]

"Taliesin has a habit of doing that." Sae said with a sigh and a shake of her head. She paused there, thinking about how to approach the next piece of the conversation.

"Part of the trouble between us, I think, is that I don't know anything about you other than the barest crumbs of world ending lore. Some of that is my fault- I am... keenly aware of our awkward position with each other and have been giving you and Taliesin space. But the only things I know about you are that you're a good ranger, decent in small scale fights but balk at the big ones, that your aunt is Kilamo and that you refused to fight Velkyn, and that you are from the far past."

[Ancelas]

"Might be Kilamo," Mirrai corrected in a low grumble. "I'm not one to jump to conclusions based on the barest bits of evidence - particularly when the conclusion is that I'm related to a betrayal of divine proportions."

There was a pause before she added, her words more heated, "And in regards to Velkyn, I had second-hand armor and my arrows were doing nothing to that beast. The only contribution I could make was to give him one more target to attack, albeit one that was utterly helpless to fight back or save herself. That creature was so far beyond what I was capable of handling, retreat was the only viable tactical option. My father didn't send me back here just so I could immediately die in someone else's battle, without the basic equipment needed to protect myself with."

She exhaled sharply and cut the air with one hand in a frustrated gesture. "I'm not angry at you, mind. I don't like feeling helpless, and it seems like 'helpless' is all I've been since I passed through that Door."

[redcoat]

Sae was unoffended by the heat- if anything, the response seemed to set her more at ease. "We all feel helpless, sometimes." She said after a moment, looking over the glade. "Gods know I've felt it more than once. So, to not feel helpless, you need gear- magical gear, preferably, and decent armor, made for you. We can make that happen. I know Taliesin is eager to take you to see Aelor at the Thread and Needle, so skin-out you'll be in your own gear."

"Short bow, long bow, or recurve?"

[Ancelas]

Sae's acceptance mollified Mirrai, and she glanced at the elven woman, her frustration fading. After a moment, she nodded. "I prefer the longbow. I can hold my own up close, but I've always felt that hunting at a distance is better than risking your life up close, unless the fight is unavoidable. My father always preferred to fight up close, but I think he uses violence to work out his own issues."

[redcoat]

Sae nodded, chuckling at Mirrai's description of her father. "I admit, I'm probably similar. While my guns are theoretically a ranged weapon... I prefer to be in the thick of it. If someone is hitting me, they aren't hitting one of my friends- and I can take a hit."

Sae shrugged.

"And if I can't, someone will scrape me off the ground."

[Ancelas]

A brief smile flickered across Mirrai's face. "You're very self-sacrificing. And brave, to trust your companions with your life like that. Although it speaks to the character of your companions as well."

Mirrai turned her gaze to look over the glade once more. "My father was intensely loyal as well. It's part of the reason I feel so frustrated at being helpless. You've all been willing to help me without knowing anything about me. Taliesin is bending over backwards on my behalf - whether I want him to or not. I'm... frankly, I'm consistently astonished at how generous you've all been. I take my obligations seriously... I want to help, in whatever small way I can.

"It also helps that you all know so much about the world and the powers that move it. The priests I spoke with yesterday seemed less informed about the current state of the divine than all of you."

[redcoat]

"Unfortunately, we don't live in the sort of world where we can shout that we are in a divine battle for the soul of the world from the rooftops. That sounds like something a crazy person would say."

Sae smiled to herself. "We used to. But it made everything harder- harder to get help, harder to be taken seriously. So, we downplay the truth until people are ready to know what we are dealing with."

Standing, she brushed herself off.

"I have to get to work. Mirrai... please consider being more open with the group. I know your story feels beyond belief, but... it's easier to trust someone you know."

[Ancelas]

Mirrai nodded in agreement to Sae's comment on shouting about divinity, then looked over to her as the other woman stood. She did was well, dusting herself up as she did so.

"I will be. I promise. I'm still... trying to figure out my place in this world, but I think I'm coming closer to some sort of conclusion. For the immediate future, at least."