Children of the Earth

The Knife That Cuts Deepest

The Knife That Cuts Deepest

"Going out so early, are you?"Enral asked as Finn passed her by.

Unaware that the lady was even there, Finn jumped at being addressed. She turned and saw the lady ambassador carrying a box laden down with freshly harvested vegetables. Finn wasn't sure how she managed to get not a single smudge of the dirt from the box anywhere on her person. That certainly wasn't a shaman or even an elf power.

"Yes, my lady," Finn nodded her head low in a respectful bow. "I've much recovered."

"Nonsense. Your eyes are still bruised and you're still pale. It would do you good to remain inside."

"Most assuredly. It wouldn't do anyone else any good though, I fear."

Enral made a sound that might have been agreement. She lifted the box higher, pulling Finn's attention down to it.

"Here, take these. I've just harvested them. Bring them to the kitchen for me."

"Yes, my lady." Finn stepped forward and relieved the elven lady of her burden. It was heavier than she had made it appear and Finn immediately had dirt on her dress.

Enral, unruffled and unmarked, nodded her thanks to her. "Tell the cooks the next harvest should be ready by noon and to have someone come collect it."

"If I may say, my lady, you're quite remarkable. I've never seen someone grow quite so much as you for so long. You must be very powerful."

"I was the most powerful elf in my clan," Enral told her calmly, like it meant nothing. "I suppose I still am. I haven't met with the Rhyanon clan since marrying my late husband."

"You're certainly the most powerful elf I've ever met," Finn smiled at her. "I thought the man who had taken my Vows to be strong, but you are far superior."

Enral nodded, accepting that as fact on face value. "You must be very powerful yourself to have made it this far into Endymythalian."

"I'm nothing special, my lady."

"No need to be humble. False humility is not an attractive trait."

Finn laughed, not willing to disagree with her. Humility might not have been an attractive trait to the elven people, but humans tended to prefer it over baseless arrogance.

"If you'll excuse me, my lady," Finn nodded to her instead. "I've work to do after I drop this off."

Enral nodded and waved her off. The ambassador turned and walked around to her new patch of vegetables that was growing to replace the ones in Finn's arms. The new ones would need slightly more attention. At least until the roots had properly taken hold.

Finn had a little trouble opening the gate with her new burden, but after a few tries she managed it and stepped out onto Endymythalian land.

And the draining effect of the curse hit her hard. Finn groaned as she forced herself to walk forward. It was almost physically painful to leave the embassy. Everything in her that was more concerned with self preservation than anything else resisted it to the point of making her feel ill. But her love for Libby and her own stubbornness forced her forward.

The overtired cook took the vegetables from her with a hasty word of thanks. He barely got anytime off and he was fighting the battle against the famine right on the front lines. Finn didn't feel comfortable hanging around his kitchen for very long and quickly excused herself after a shallow bowl of soup with the rest of what remained of the palace staff.

After she had eaten – and spent a few moments resisting the urge the empty her stomach again – Finn made her way around to the back gardens of the palace. A place long since abandoned by people or hope of any kind. The only reason anyone still came here was if they were on their way to the embassy to pickup Enral's foreign gifts.