Perfect Timing|Clan Fira-Forian, Naurorod

[Northen Light36]

Aideen looked grim. Gut wounds were serious and usually fatal. "I'll do what I can. Flame, take our guest to aun-Elder Artica." Reaching out, Aideen took Lalin and teleported back to the healer's hut.

"Aideen will look after her," Flame tried to assure the remaining scout. "It was good that you went back for her."

[Kender Bard]

"It was good and right, even if it would have cost me my life," the woman told Flame. "I am Scarla child of Carsel. I am to meet the Elder of Fira then?"

[Northen Light36]

"Well, one of them, if you want too," Flame replied. "I'm not sure if my mother is here yet. I'll need to find someone else to take you back to your clan anyway. Teleporting wears me out quickly." She grinned slightly mischieviously and added, "I'm Flame, child of Fira, and one of it's Heirs."

[Kender Bard]

"I am pleased to have met such a bright and promising young woman," Scarla told Flame with a polite bow of her head. "I wouldn't mind speaking with your Elder, though I'm not entirely sure what to say, unless she merely wishes to hear my accounting of the horde."

[Northen Light36]

"She probabably will," Flame replied with a warm smile. "Both my aunt and my mother like to be prepared. Knowledge of one's foe is a powerful weapon."

Though it was Ann who had said that to her, a long time ago in one of their private conversations. A small, sad sigh escaped Flame's lips as she silently wondered if she'd ever have those conversations with her best friend again.

"Come on, my aunt's hut is over this way," she remarked aloud and started to lead the way to Artica's hut. As she walked, Flame cast her mind out, trying to feel if her parents had arrived when they were alerted to the possible danger to Fira.

She hoped they had. She'd feel a bit safer with her parents there. And maybe Ann would be better already.

[Kender Bard]

Sure enough, Thelon had teleported with Tres not long ago. The Master of Minds looked a bit troubled though not as much as any other Elder would have been. He cared for Fira and saw the clan as part of his people, his responsibility, but he didn't always grasp the gravity of certain situations.

[Northen Light36]

Tres however looked grim. She'd lived in Fira most of her life after all and knew just how grave a situation this could be. Artica wasn't quite as grim as her sister, but she was still uneasy. Even Alyssa, standing beside Tres, looked unsettled even though she didn't really understand much more then that something bad had happened to one of the clans.

Tres' gaze landed on her daughter and guest as she glanced around and she nodded, indicating for Flame to join them. Flame nodded back and hurried over. "Elders, this is Scout Scarla child of Carsel," she informed her family.

[Kender Bard]

"Elders of Fira," Scarla replied, bowing her head respectfully. She gave each of the woman an individual head bow, save for Thelon, whom she ignored. Thelon was so unused to being treated as a true Elder that he didn't even notice the slight.

"I will tell you now what it is I have seen," Scarla began and retold the tale of the small army of men, how they were clanners from other small clans mixed with men and women she was unfamiliar with. "Overall," she concluded, "There were many more Naurites than foreigners. I don't know if they have a means of keeping the other clans under their thumb or if it is merely some sort of strange agreement they have struck. Their manner is hostile and yet not all the Naurites I glimpsed seemed to be under duress. But it's hard to say. I had very little experience with them to be certain one way or another."

[Northen Light36]

Tres noticed and controlled her irritation with an effort. Old ways clans, she thought in annoyance. Though at least not one of the traditional old ways clans. "I understand. Could you tell who were the leaders of this group? Which direction were they headed?"

As her mother questioned Scarla, Flame touched her sign and whispered to her father, ~Sorry she was rude, Daddy. Old ways clanners can be like that.~

[Kender Bard]

Thelon's eyes had flicked to Tres at her thought, which he had picked up without meaning to, and then to Flame. He offered his daughter a faint smile. ~Better me than, say, Elder Char or any other male Elder from the other clans. I don't mind; it was rude, I agree, but I hardly noticed.~ He snuck a sly wink at her. ~And you learn to pick your battles, after a while.~

Scarla answered Tres to the best of her ability, which admittedly wasn't much. She knew almost nothing about the hierarchy of the attacking horde or anything about the foreigners. Merely their direction, which was almost a straight drive east with dips to the north. "Though they could change at a moment's notice and I cannot conceive what their wish is. To sweep the desert perhaps."

[Northen Light36]

Battles... The uneasy thought crossed Flame's mind and her eyes flicked towards Alyssa for a moment. ~Is Ann any better, Daddy?~ Flame asked, tension colouring her mental tone.

"Perhaps," Tres remarked, her tone thoughtful. "Thank you, scout Scarla. You've given us something to think about and a timely warning. I'll have someone escort you back to your clan."

[Kender Bard]

~Hard to tell~ Thelon told Flame, his expression serious again. ~She hasn't popped up and announced that she remembers her heritage yet. The Mind healer is continuing to work with her. We'll give it another few weeks and after that... She should come here and survey her land. And if that doesn't work, then she'll just need to make the choice.~

"Thank you, Elder Tres," Scarla told her, bowing her head again. "I am not my Elder, but I feel I can say with confidence that if it comes to a fight, Mare will be proud to fight alongside Fira."

[Northen Light36]

~And hope the clan's still accept her,~ Flame muttered grimly. Her expression was more thoughtful then grim though. ~I wonder if...~ she remarked softly, most likely an accidental projection as she grimaced and broke contact with her sign as soon as she'd said it.

Tres smiled slightly. "If it comes to a fight, Fira will be glad to have Mare at our side." She glanced about then called over one of the minds in the clan to take Scarla back to clan Mare.

[Kender Bard]

Thelon frowned slightly but didn't think now was the best time to press Flame. ~We'll discuss the matter more, later.~

Watching Scarla be escorted away, he asked, "Will it come to a fight then, you think?"

[Northen Light36]

Flame had her mental shields firmly up and didn't respond to her father.

"I don't know," Tres replied with a sigh. "But I feel it's likely. If it weren't for the fact of outsiders being involved, I'd be inclined to just dismiss it as another power struggle among the minior clans. Something to keep an eye on, and we'd continue to shealther Mare, but not really any of Fira's business. This though..." Tres' gaze drifted off to the east. "I don't know what this is, and that worries me."

"Fira isn't quite as strong as we once were, either," Artica added. "Dividing the clan had to happen, of course, but it did weaken us somewhat. We can of course regroup, but it'll take some time for Fira-Forian to join us."