Chapter 7: Wherever You May Roam

Lily snorts at 'miss'. Her sharp stare makes it look as if she's trying to peer inside Ember's head. When she speaks, it's preemptively defensive, challenging. "I want to help you," she says, her jaw set firmly. "I know how to help these kids. You ain't going to be able to watch 'em all the time, not if you gotta go off and save the world again. So let me do some of it. I don't gotta be in charge or nothin', I know you're older 'n' me and all."

Age does seem to hold some sway with the halfling girl. "But unless you been runnin' a nursery since before the war, you need help, I think. Maybe even if you have been."

Ember nods back at the siblings, then to the boy in her arms.

I do have my hands full, she smirks. She speaks gently. So. What do our orphans need?

"Well, I don’t know. This is a farm, innit? I only know stuff ‘bout cities and such," says Lily, her back straightening. "Just cause I’m a halfling doesn’t mean I go grubbin’ round planting stuff and pullin’ weeds, y’know."

She’s prickly, this one.

It's.....not about being a halfling, Lily. I worked at a tavern inside the wards. This is new to me, too.

She tries to set her little Samma down but he whimpers in his sleep. So she holds him closer and rocks.

There's some stew left. You hungry?

"Maybe," is what she says, but the pinched look in her face and her far too obvious nonchalance tells the truth of the matter. She’s not far off from starting to drool at the mere thought of food. "You want I should get you and the boy something?"

Coreene heads back to infirmary after the meeting, doing one last check on her patients, leaving them with clean water to drink and giving those that need them mild sedatives to be able to sleep through the pain.
It was good to have been able to get away from it. The solemn nature of her work dampened her optimism, but it was good to think that she could get these people help, and have them walking and healthy again after a few days.
Satisfied that everyone would be good for the night, Coreene sets up a bedroll behind the building, wanting to sleep beneath the stars tonight.
She was thankful for her exhaustion. Perhaps tonight she could sleep without dreaming...

I made sure he ate. But I wouldn't mind if you're going that way. Thank you.

Ember knows she can't push Lily to soften up. A girl with that much vinegar takes years to build up walls to protect herself. Let alone learn to be vulnerable again in a safe way.

She would know.

The rest of the evening is uneventful enough, even including Lily's outlook on life. Eventually, the girl falls asleep. Ember didn't want to offer "too much" help during the day. But she makes sure Lily has a warm blanket, and uses her magic to clean off some of the dirt and ash. She sleeps at the face of the lean-to, protecting the kids (if it can be called that) and watching the fire die.

Done for the evening, then, Emby? Good. I wanted to talk to you.

She sighs and sleeps in fits when she can.

After the evening meeting breaks up, Verrian attends to any logistical tasks that crop up and mediates any minor squabbles that might have arisen among Harans who might be mildly chafed by their reduced circumstances and taking it out on their new neighbors. When that is done, she reaches out briefly to Coreene.

@Coreene: Would you mind letting me know just before you're going to wild shape? I've never seen anyone do that, and... I'd really like to. If you don't mind, of course. If I'm asleep, feel free to wake me.

Coreene awakens from the beginnings of her rest and responds to Verrian. @Verrian:: I've never seen it either. And if it works, I'm sure it'll be a spectacle. she sends with a note of mirth at the end. @Verrian:: I won't let you miss it.

Verrian sends a wordless response conveying shared amusement and gratitude before settling down on her own bedroll in a small storage shed. It's an odd choice for her - she can't remember ever actively seeking isolation like this before. She doesn't spend much time dwelling on it; she knows why she's doing it. But it feels weird to want separation from the presence of other people, even people whose thoughts she can't hear.

She closes her eyes and waits for sleep to come.

The wind builds slowly overnight, blowing the clouds in, although there's no rain with them yet. A few stiff gusts are able to loosen a few boards on poorly tended roofs, and swirl through uncovered windows. Unless a person is a very sound sleeper, it's likely they were woken up a couple of times during the night. A quick look outside, though, for those that have been to Viamard, is enough to confirm that this is a natural storm, not one that threatens to turn people into frogs, or frogs into people.

The next day dawns with heavy skies and the promise of rain sometime during the day. The wind continues to swirl with a quiet voice, reminding everyone it's here, but not taking over the conversation. Watches overnight were able to bring down a few more animals for food as they meandered near the makeshift camp, promising some food for the day. Given the restless night, there are fewer people awake in the early hours, trying to grab a few more minutes of rest before facing another day of the unknown. A couple of hunters returning from their rounds, people who have volunteered to man the cookfires and makeshift kitchens, but that's mostly all.

Coreene gets a bit of a late start, having completely missed a rest from the day before. She groggily goes about washing her face, eating a quick bite and making a mental inventory of things that she would need for her trip. She wouldn't be gone long, but if she was going to remain a bird for all 4 hours, her scythe would be useless to her. If things came to blows, it'd be best for her to just get out. Most of her equipment would meld with her new form, if her studies were correct, otherwise, she'd likely spend her first few minutes as a bird untangling herself from her leather armor and her various herb pouches.
Before too much of the morning has passed, Coreene finds a clear spot, between the camp and Hara, but not too far outside of the camp's borders. She sends a quick thought to Verrian. @Verrian:: I am ready to go she tells her, the message filled with nervous energy and excitement. She shares her location shortly after.

Verrian rises after a fitful night's sleep still tired, but with a sense of purpose, at least. She's mentally running through a to-do list over a light breakfast when she gets Coreene's message that she's ready to wild shape.

Excitedly, Verrian shares that she is on her way and hurries to Coreene's location.

@Coreen:: I can't wait to see this. Do you need me to do anything to help?

Coreene stands in the grass looking at Verrian, an elated smile plastered on her face. She shakes her head in response. @Verrian:: I will return to this spot before four hours have passed. If I have not returned by then, come looking for me. I will try not to wander far from Hara should the worst happen. she shares with her, but is unable to contain the feeling of excitement that bubbles within her.
"Okay." she says aloud. "Here I go." Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Coreene closes her eyes. Ease your mind she tells herself. Do not force it. Feel the change, and allow it to take over. she repeats in her head. She imagines the way an eagle must feel. The hard, yellow eyes that see for miles. The delicate feathers that carry it on the wind. The strong talons that grip its prey and the deadly beak that tears into its meat.
Its a primal feeling, and one that takes over the mind as quickly as it comes. Coreene rolls her shoulders in their sockets and spreads her arms as if she is about to take flight. Ebon feathers sprout from the skin and quickly begin growing. Her nose elongates awkwardly and curves downward, joining with her mouth and hardening over into the image in her head. Her head lolls with the feeling of the transformation, and she bends over, her clothing melding into a growth of dark feathers all over her body. Her boots disappear in a flurry of the feathers and emerge as sharp talons.
The transformation takes only a few seconds, and in its completion Coreene opens her now piercing yellow eyes to look upon Verrian. She looks regal and majestic with her dark coloration, contrasted by her beak and talons. The majesty fades almost immediately, however, when the eagle squawks excitedly, bouncing with happiness and stamping its feet on the dirt. It looks at Verrian with a cocked head, expecting a response.

Verrian watches the transformation with her mouth open, first in anticipation, then in awe. She had half-expected to feel a sense of mild revulsion or even horror as Coreene's body morphed, but as it turns out, the transition is oddly beautiful. There's an elegance in the path Coreene's body takes to get from point A to point B, and when it's over and an eagle turns to look at her, Verrian realizes that she's beaming, and that her eyes are brimming with tears.

Yelnar watches the transition from afar - wanting to see it, but not wanting to intrude on the moment between the two Naucans. He wonders if his own merger capabilities will ever get that far.

Coreene squawks happily at Verrian, satisfied both with the transformation and her friend's reaction. Knowing that she only has so much time in this form, she stretches out her wings. She gives them a few test flaps, getting a feel for the motion and the sensation. Once satisfied, she gives Verrian a final nod and launches herself into the air with her wings, spinning in a tight circle to gain altitude before heading towards the city of Hara.

As morning breaks Wil approaches Vesina.

I was wondering if you could help me with something.
Yelnar want to appoint some people to lead groups of fighters. He wants my opinion on his choices and I would like your input.

If she agrees, they can seek out Yelnar and check out his list.

Ember is up early, glad to be moving around again. She helps stoke the fires before checking in with Lily and the other kids. The halfling wanted to help, so Ember suggests making sure the children get food and checking with the adults to see if there are any able families left. She reminds her that Ollie and Genna need to be adopted together, but she doesn't give Lily any particular timeline. She hopes to give the girl a sense of agency. Before she leaves, she passes her a bag of marbles and winks, "ordering" her in a playful tone to try to relax a little, too.

When she arrives at the makeshift hospital, she gets to work setting things up exactly as Coreene explained, trying not to get too distracted by the idea that the Naucan is probably a freaking bird by now. While she waits to check in with Uelten, she begins switching out bandages and bringing food and broth to patients, smiling cheerily all the while, promising them with a twinkle in her eye that the entertainment will start up once everyone's awake. She lingers at the young man covered in burns. Coreene strictly informed her how to change his bandages, and left enough salve for the morning. The rule was to make sure he was clean and hydrated, and not bother him. But seeing him twitching in his sleep tugs something in her chest.

Is this what people think when they look at me?
Sometimes. When they bother looking.

She puts on her best smile and speaks as softly as possible, so if he's not awake yet, she doesn't bother him. Helloooooooo, sir! My name is Ember, and I'll be taking care of you this morning. Her singsong voice sound like little more than an idea as she cleans and re-winds his bandages. She doesn't want to bother him, so a small part of her hopes he wakes up on his own.