Aresan Clan pt 59

Annsi asked Anders, “Who’s going to take care of Samuel? You sure you don’t need my help, do you? I’ve had a chance to get to know him over these past few days.”

“Don’t worry,” Anders interjeted, “We’ve got people for that. And I should add that it’s important that you don’t grow too attached to him. As I understand it that’s part of his power. It’s really by using our natural sympathies against us that sables are able to coerce us.”

“Of course,” Annsi retracted, “You’re right.”

Salles at this point tried to step forward and speak with Annsi, but the line of guards stood firm to block his way, telling him, “No one passes, stand down.”

“I just need to speak with Annsi,” Salles insisted, “She’s my daughter.”

At this point Annsi noticed Salles being repelled and walked towards him. She asked, confused, “Father? Is that you? What are you doing here?”

“I was told you were here,” Salles said, “And I just came here to meet with you and perhaps invite you to dinner.”

Annsi pushed through the line of soldiers to stand face to face with her father, who she looked at as a stranger. “You know it’s great to see you here,” Salles added, trying to break the awkwardness between them, “I so rarely come here to the city and rarely have any chance to see you. This is Mistress Darma. She’s been my host while I’m in the city. Her parents are members of the Aresan Clan. The dinner, if you can join us, will be held at her place. Perhaps you could even invite your commanding officer, Alles, to join us. I will be preparing Sage cuisine, so I’m sure he’ll regard it as an honor to sit with a Sage and share his meal.”

“I would be honored as well, father,” Annsi said, bowing, “If you’ll excuse me a moment, I’ll ask Alles.

Annsi walked to Alles and tapped him on the soldier and began to speak with him. She pointed in Salles’ direction and Alles turned to look at the distinguished sage. After that he nodded his head and then Annsi looked in Salles’ direction and nodded her head.

Darma leaned towards Salles and whispered in his ear, “She’s not like I imagined her. She’s very beautiful. There’s an elegant woman behind that armor. Dinner should be good.”

Salles simply nodded in agreement.


Mill took a wide route circling around Orinda to avoid the hunting grounds of the Creature of Virtue. He arrived at the far end and, stepping onto the main road into the city breathless and fatigued, he finally walked directly into the city. He hadn’t given himself any chance to sleep through the previous night, so much in a hurry to reach Orinda was he.

He looked ragged and unkempt as he shambled across the bridge into Orinda. The two guards who stood atop the gates of the city looked down on him, asking, somewhat surprised, “Aleck, is that you?”

“Yes,” he replied, “I’ve made quite a journey over the past two days. I’m so tired, I can barely stand.”

They opened the gate and he shuffled through. Though he knew that it was his duty to immediately check on Lipmon, he felt compelled to make his first visit to Anika, in the hopes that her sweet smile would lighten his disconsolate mood.

When he reached her house, he stepped through the gate and walked up to the door of the small, white wall cottage, where a trickle of smoke emerged from out of the chimney. Mill pounded on the door, and the pleasant, young woman was there at the door in a moment.

When she saw Mill she shouted with shock, and grabbed him in her arms, correctly perceiving that he was ready to collapse. She helped him over to a bed and lied him down, touching his forehead and asking, “Oh, dear Aleck, what’s wrong? You look terrible.”

“I’m just tired. So tired,” he said as his body stretched out and his heavy eyes began to close. “But I have to ask you something,” he groggily inquired, barely awake, “Whatever happened to that man from Still Creek? Lipmon, or whatever his name was.”

“If you’re tired, just sleep. I can’t see why you’d possible need to know now,” Anika replied.

Mill opened his eyes, and, looking up at her beautiful face with a pitiful expression, he said, “Just tell me, please. I need to know.”

“All I know is that he’s leaving today. I think Roderick is taking him to Waldoon. Apparently he witnessed an attack and they need him to report to the priesthood. It seems he saw something very important.”

Mill immediately sat up in bed and swore.

<-- Go to Part 58         Go to Part 60 -->

You can see what's been written so far collected here.

Annsi asked Anders, “Who’s going to take care of Samuel? You sure you don’t need my help, do you? I’ve had a chance to get to know him over these past few days.”

“Don’t worry,” Anders interjeted, “We’ve got people for that. And I should add that it’s important that you don’t grow too attached to him. As I understand it that’s part of his power. It’s really by using our natural sympathies against us that sables are able to coerce us.”

“Of course,” Annsi retracted, “You’re right.”

Salles at this point tried to step forward and speak with Annsi, but the line of guards stood firm to block his way, telling him, “No one passes, stand down.”

“I just need to speak with Annsi,” Salles insisted, “She’s my daughter.”

At this point Annsi noticed Salles being repelled and walked towards him. She asked, confused, “Father? Is that you? What are you doing here?”

“I was told you were here,” Salles said, “And I just came here to meet with you and perhaps invite you to dinner.”

Annsi pushed through the line of soldiers to stand face to face with her father, who she looked at as a stranger. “You know it’s great to see you here,” Salles added, trying to break the awkwardness between them, “I so rarely come here to the city and rarely have any chance to see you. This is Mistress Darma. She’s been my host while I’m in the city. Her parents are members of the Aresan Clan. The dinner, if you can join us, will be held at her place. Perhaps you could even invite your commanding officer, Alles, to join us. I will be preparing Sage cuisine, so I’m sure he’ll regard it as an honor to sit with a Sage and share his meal.”

“I would be honored as well, father,” Annsi said, bowing, “If you’ll excuse me a moment, I’ll ask Alles.

Annsi walked to Alles and tapped him on the soldier and began to speak with him. She pointed in Salles’ direction and Alles turned to look at the distinguished sage. After that he nodded his head and then Annsi looked in Salles’ direction and nodded her head.

Darma leaned towards Salles and whispered in his ear, “She’s not like I imagined her. She’s very beautiful. There’s an elegant woman behind that armor. Dinner should be good.”

Salles simply nodded in agreement.


Mill took a wide route circling around Orinda to avoid the hunting grounds of the Creature of Virtue. He arrived at the far end and, stepping onto the main road into the city breathless and fatigued, he finally walked directly into the city. He hadn’t given himself any chance to sleep through the previous night, so much in a hurry to reach Orinda was he.

He looked ragged and unkempt as he shambled across the bridge into Orinda. The two guards who stood atop the gates of the city looked down on him, asking, somewhat surprised, “Aleck, is that you?”

“Yes,” he replied, “I’ve made quite a journey over the past two days. I’m so tired, I can barely stand.”

They opened the gate and he shuffled through. Though he knew that it was his duty to immediately check on Lipmon, he felt compelled to make his first visit to Anika, in the hopes that her sweet smile would lighten his disconsolate mood.

When he reached her house, he stepped through the gate and walked up to the door of the small, white wall cottage, where a trickle of smoke emerged from out of the chimney. Mill pounded on the door, and the pleasant, young woman was there at the door in a moment.

When she saw Mill she shouted with shock, and grabbed him in her arms, correctly perceiving that he was ready to collapse. She helped him over to a bed and lied him down, touching his forehead and asking, “Oh, dear Aleck, what’s wrong? You look terrible.”

“I’m just tired. So tired,” he said as his body stretched out and his heavy eyes began to close. “But I have to ask you something,” he groggily inquired, barely awake, “Whatever happened to that man from Still Creek? Lipmon, or whatever his name was.”

“If you’re tired, just sleep. I can’t see why you’d possible need to know now,” Anika replied.

Mill opened his eyes, and, looking up at her beautiful face with a pitiful expression, he said, “Just tell me, please. I need to know.”

“All I know is that he’s leaving today. I think Roderick is taking him to Waldoon. Apparently he witnessed an attack and they need him to report to the priesthood. It seems he saw something very important.”

Mill immediately sat up in bed and swore.

<-- Go to Part 58         Go to Part 60 -->

You can see what's been written so far collected here.

Aresan Clan pt 59