Mission: Maps
Nov 7, 2007 5:08:23 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2007 5:08:23 GMT -5
Kurai would never admit it to anyone -not even her dear Khao- but sometimes, she had a hard time reading maps. Strategies, rituals, plots and intrigues; those were among her main strengths. Scales and distances didn't always match up correctly in her mind, so she had to use a lot of educated guesswork in order to figure out how much ground could be covered in a day with her forces and their goods. Sabine and Raxus took care of a lot of that for her, for another thing.
But Ourith's maps of the area were clear and to the point, and the details eliminated so very much of the guesswork. Kurai found herself relieved by this. Ourith was still under suspicion, naturally, but now, after more than three weeks of dedication to his project, with such outstanding results, he was rapidly becoming more valuable.
She'd have to give him another mission tomorrow.
Kurai nodded in satisfaction, and moved to the pile of furs where Khao was napping, curled in a ball with her arms around her swollen stomach. The black-haired Mind slid under the fur, pleased to see her servant instinctively press back against her. The poor thing; even though Kurai was not the kindest of masters, Khao still trusted her beyond all others, and remained devoted to her.
Kurai stroked Khao's hair and back until she fell asleep herself.
Afternoon found Sabine overseeing drills while Kurai sat at a round table, having lunch with Khao and Raxus while she waited for Ourith to arrive with the servant sent to get him. As the Mistress of the campaign, naturally Kurai got first choice in the rations, and usually chose to share her largess with her three most trusted. Today it was slices of wheat bread stuffed with olives and chunks of smoked sausage, hard-boiled eggs sliced into fourths and dipped in melted butter and pepper, dried peaches cooked in the last of the honey with cloves and topped with cream, some precious white wine that was also starting to be in short supply, and a sort of rich, delectable spiced noodle soup with celery.
Raxus ate heartily, needing the calories to help stay warm. Now that it was winter, the snake-affinity stayed in any kind of shelter he could find; his two Signs rendered him sluggish and cranky in cold weather. When he could not avoid going out, he bundled up and tried to cover himself as much as possible without impeding locomotion. Being snake from the hips down really was a nuisance sometimes.
Khao ate almost as much, but avoided the wine; Kurai had told her that her unborn triplets had to be treated kindly while in the womb, so they would be born as fine specimens for the ritual altar. Well, at least two of them had to.
But Ourith's maps of the area were clear and to the point, and the details eliminated so very much of the guesswork. Kurai found herself relieved by this. Ourith was still under suspicion, naturally, but now, after more than three weeks of dedication to his project, with such outstanding results, he was rapidly becoming more valuable.
She'd have to give him another mission tomorrow.
Kurai nodded in satisfaction, and moved to the pile of furs where Khao was napping, curled in a ball with her arms around her swollen stomach. The black-haired Mind slid under the fur, pleased to see her servant instinctively press back against her. The poor thing; even though Kurai was not the kindest of masters, Khao still trusted her beyond all others, and remained devoted to her.
Kurai stroked Khao's hair and back until she fell asleep herself.
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Afternoon found Sabine overseeing drills while Kurai sat at a round table, having lunch with Khao and Raxus while she waited for Ourith to arrive with the servant sent to get him. As the Mistress of the campaign, naturally Kurai got first choice in the rations, and usually chose to share her largess with her three most trusted. Today it was slices of wheat bread stuffed with olives and chunks of smoked sausage, hard-boiled eggs sliced into fourths and dipped in melted butter and pepper, dried peaches cooked in the last of the honey with cloves and topped with cream, some precious white wine that was also starting to be in short supply, and a sort of rich, delectable spiced noodle soup with celery.
Raxus ate heartily, needing the calories to help stay warm. Now that it was winter, the snake-affinity stayed in any kind of shelter he could find; his two Signs rendered him sluggish and cranky in cold weather. When he could not avoid going out, he bundled up and tried to cover himself as much as possible without impeding locomotion. Being snake from the hips down really was a nuisance sometimes.
Khao ate almost as much, but avoided the wine; Kurai had told her that her unborn triplets had to be treated kindly while in the womb, so they would be born as fine specimens for the ritual altar. Well, at least two of them had to.