“Araminth being dead is a good thing?” My-re asked herself out loud.
In the village of Sanaras, she looked around the Rirorni living room. Stone walls and floors were supported by arching wooden beams. A dining table with four chairs was in the middle. She couldn’t help by notice a fifth chair, where she once sat at as a child was now gone. A few animal hide fur rugs lay on the floor. Multiple candles and a fire in the fireplace lit the room. The smell of wood was pleasant and its warmth pushed away the cold. Finely crafted trunks and a dresser held belongings. A set of stairs at the far end led upstairs. It was peaceful and reminded her of her youth growing up in the Empire.
A moment later her foster mother Arenna, her little eight year old step-sister Belalith, and her companions, the arch-mage Havelock and Vomarian Fae, captain of the Unsinkable III flying ship hidden nearby in a gorge, came in from behind.
“How in Ghea would you think it’s a good thing?” Vomarian Fae retorted and took a chair at the table.
“Right. Well, not for her of course. For the mission.”
“Oh yes. Lady Shelia Greywand, mission report. Araminth is dead. End of mission report,” Vomarian retorted. “That’ll go over lovely.”
“What do you suppose we do? Dig up her body and bring her back from the dead?” My-re asked rhetorically. She and Vomarian looked at each other for several heartbeats. They smiled in unison and turned to Havelock.
“What? I can’t bring her back from the dead,” Havelock scoffed as he warmed his hands at the fireplace. He cleared his throat and continued, “And don’t even ask me to speak to Ahringol, I’m on that one’s sore side.”
My-re opened her mouth to reply, but paused. “Wait, you can speak to Ahringol?”
“It doesn’t matter anyway were in Undgari’s domain. The Rirorni god of the dead is even touchier than Ahringol,” Havelock commented.
My-re had her own encounter with Undgari and not a pleasant one in the Tower of Death. To this day she’s still terrified of crows. “No, I mean Lady Greywand.”
“Something tells me she’s not recently dead, so even if Araminth’s body was right here along with Lady Greywand, there’d be nothing she could do. Bringing zombie Araminth back to her parents has the remnants of a consolation prize,” Havelock said.
“My-re’s correct. We need to find Araminth’s body,” Vomarian said.
“You want to dig her up?”
“Yes, I mean no. Maybe.”
“You’re losing me elf,” My-re said turning up her nose.
“Ask your mother how Araminth died?” Vomarian requested.
After a short dialogue in Rathiri with Arenna, My-re said, “She doesn’t know.”
“Does she know where she’s buried?”
Another conversation. “Yes, she does,” My-re exclaimed. “She know where everyone is buried in the Rirorni Empire. Wait, she’s being sarcastic.”
Rolling his eyes, Vomarian said, “We need to find out what happened to her.”
“Why? She’s dead.”
“Closure. It’ll bring some solace to her parents,” Vomarian replied. “There’s the possibility your mother is also lying to protect you. So you’ll leave the Empire.”
“My mother wouldn’t lie,” My-re scoffed. “The Rirorni are a highly superstitious people. They believe lying will cause your manhood to drop off and women to go sterile. The mission’s over.”
Vomarian commented, “We were tasked with finding Araminth. We haven’t found her yet.”
Snorting hard and folding her arms across her chest tight, My-re cursed several phrases in Rathiri.
“Ow!”
Arenna slapped My-re on the back of the head and give her a stern talking to. Belalith laughed at My-re language and mimicked the Rirorni curses. She also received a scolding.
“I agree with the Shagornan elf. The mission isn’t over. The odds of a positive outcome have just decreased slightly,” Havelock said.
“Slightly?” My-re questioned.
“If Arenna has heard of Araminth there has to be others too. They may know what befell her and a location of her final resting place,” Vomarian said.
“Yes, nomadic tribes are renowned for keeping meticulous records on their deceased,” My-re said dryly. “With Araminth dead, the risk to the party is now too great. I agree with my mother. This is starting to become folly.”
“My-re, we have to try. Think of yourself. During the chaos of the Rirorni war, I know your real family would have had years of restless nights without news after they thought they lost you. However, you had a childhood home where you were raised by a loving family. Even now, Arenna only just a few hours ago learned that you survived the Blood Games tournament. What she would have given to know your fate,” Vomarian Fae said.
My-re shifted uncomfortable in her seat. The stupid elf was right. She deeply desired her real family had known she was safe and cared for during the Rirorni War. Then her extended Rirorni family knew she survived exile, the Blood Games tournament, and safe on the Isle of the Eye. Even if she had died, she would have wanted both sets of parents to know. She couldn’t be so selfish and withhold the same knowledge to another set of parents if she had the opportunity.
“Alright, I’ll help,” My-re snapped. What choice did she have? They were determined to continue, she couldn’t fly the Unsinkable III anyway, and being banished she couldn’t stay with Arenna. She’d be putting all of her family at risk if discovered. However, she didn’t need to let this lot know that and it felt good objecting to this course of action. She’d also put a “I told you so” in her back pocket.
Vomarian said, “Great, now-”
Interrupting My-re said, “The minute after we confirm Araminth’s fate, we head back to the Isle of the Eye. Is that understood?”
“Agreed.”
“One more thing. Under no circumstances, none whatsoever, are you to use my family as a way to manipulate me again.”
Havelock put down his tea cup and stood and said, “Of course he will, my dear.” Walking past them he explained, “It works.”