The Gauntlet

At Dinner

At dinner a redheaded woman sang songs Nara did not understand. The bard sang of maidens with skin like moon light, warrior spirits that dwelled in flame. It was strange. She had never heard these stories or songs. She was reluctant to admit she found the songs of warriors long dead even a bit interesting.

Their food was strange, little vegetation available given that hardly anything grew in Farlane save for roots that were as rough and unappetizing as the people that grew there. Their meats were also difficult to eat and unseasoned. Nothing even remotely familiar was on the table and the thought that the Furess family did not even bother to ask about Korvan food in their correspondence with Nara's father made her angry.

She ate little to keep up the image she could actually stand the food, even though the bread dropped in her stomach like stones. More damning than filling. She drank the mead, a warning from her guard told her the mead was safer than the water, and tried to ignore how crudely brewed it was. The people of Farlane were crude in general, as unrefined as their alcohol.

Nara held on to the hope that in four months time her family would come for the wedding and they would bring some cooks with them.

"So Nara, dear, I would very much like to hear about your home." Though said gently and with a smile, it was obviously a command. Nara smiled back at the lady and in her mind sneered. She doubted the woman would want to hear anything of Korva.

Nara kept from saying anything of strategic advantage but described her home. "It is a very green place. There are many trees.-"

"Oh yes, is it true you worship the trees as your gods?" Asked the lady, amusement not as expertly hidden as the woman thought. Nara controlled herself, not reacting outwardly to the interruption and ignorant comment.

"We respect nature. We believe our god Jeor resides within the forests." Nara explained, though Lady Furess had a smug air about her as though Nara had confirmed her thoughts.

Nara motioned for her guard to approach and had them lean down to whisper in their ear. "Deí Mah, jerisé. Kamíneí kéro hará." She said in Korvan, asking her guard to retrieve the Korvan wine she had brought along. It was stronger and tastier than the crudely brewed mead and ale of Farlane. She would need a strong drink to survive the night.

Before the arrangement with the nine lands, Nara didn't have many official suitors. There was only Jei Lakir, who she had spent much of her life with. Had his family not lost favor with Jeor he would have been crown prince. He knew it and made it his job to act as though he were better than everyone else. They were often pushed together by the Lakir's in hopes of getting someone on the throne again.

As a child she tolerated his behavior but eventually she grew tired of his arrogance. They had even been fostered by the Teitr together, the whole time he did nothing but complain about the barbaric practices.

Nara was distracted from her thoughts with a song. The song was odd, like metal bent randomly at places. About a man who lost a woman, so much like every romance tale and Nara subtly scrunched her face in distaste.

She couldn't help but remember Gat, and wondered if he might miss her as the man in the song missed his love. What they had didn't really feel like love, it was easier to let go. They had said their goodbyes, but it was still there in her mind.

Gat would grow to be a fine chief. He would be with a woman with silver hair and dark skin, and Nara would be in Farlane. There was a weight in her stomach that she wanted to convince herself was the awful food, but she knew it wasn't.

The songs finally ended and her guard returned with the wine. The aroma calmed Nara as he poured it in her cup. She passed the cup to him and he took a drink before passing it back to her, topping it off again.