It was a busy morning at the Ferscryen landhold. Caslarion, the family's patriarch, had summoned his brothers, sons, cousins and genros to his home and the women scrambled to accommodate all of them while the men loaded wagons and saddled horses.
The time had come to take their goods up the Inhuman Peaks, to Vinrault. And it had been delayed for weeks by the threat of the Beast. But their stores were full and their pockets empty. Caslarion had run out of patience and he was ready to sell his family's goods to their richest buyer.
Church policy dictated that each of its estates should be self-sufficient. The goods and services needed being provided by the Sworn Brothers there assigned themselves. But the Monastery at Vinrault was a town unto itself. The largest training centre in the North, it housed hundreds of acolytes and novices and of course the many Brothers required to train them all and administer such an important site. As the de facto lord over the surrounding region, it was said the Chancellor of Vinrault rivalled the Bishop of Trezyn in influence, though certainly not in prestige.
Caslarion finished fastening a harness on a pair of oxen and wiped droplets of sweat from his shaved bald head, looking over the caravan forming which held most of this year's production. The journey to Vinrault was regarded as one of the safest in the nation. The Sun Brothers had long ago tamed the Inhuman Peaks, in so much as any wilderness could be tamed in this world were danger could sprout out of nothing behind any ordinary shadow. But for the first time in years Caslarion felt a pang of worry in his chest on the eve of a trip to the Monastery.
"Oona!" Birds flew from nearby trees as Caslarion's thunderous voice echoed.
A tall, gaunt elf came running out of the house, holding the front of her dress in her hands.
"Yes Father?" She hunched a bit. He intimidated her and the height difference somehow made it worse. Oona was nearly five inches taller than her father-in-law.
"We'll eat our meal outside. Under the tzapotl."
She tried to hide a twitch in her cheek that betrayed her disappointment. The dining hall preparation was almost complete and moving everything outside would also require cleaning leaves, rocks, branches and other debris before anything could be placed. But she knew better than to inquire why the sudden change of heart. Caslarion was not one to explain himself.
"Yes Father." Was all she could muster.
Inside the house there was as a big a rush as outside. Bodies walked in and out of rooms, furniture was moved about, all while a dozen different voices prattled over each other.
"Excuse me..." Oona raised her hand and waved in the middle of the dining hall, meekly trying to draw the attention of the women busily working around her.
"What is it Oona? Speak." Trissatra was married to Caslarion's eldest son and a mother of four. After Caslarion's wife Jhanandra passed she'd taken over the matriarchal role in the household and her notoriously thin patience had gotten thinner.
"He...hmm...Casl...Father..." Oona hesitated. "The men will eat outside, in the shade of the big sapodilla tree." She finally blurted out.
"What?! Why?!" Thayssallyerssandh, Caslarion's youngest daughter yelled out, slamming the chair she was carrying in frustration.
"Feel free to go ask him Thayssa." Trissatra's voice dripped in venom. "Otherwise, get to work."
Gritting her teeth, the bitter elf stomped away. She'd already been annoyed at being forced to wake up early today. Thayssa scheduled her chores in the afternoon and into the night whenever she could, so she could have the precious morning sleep she so cherished. And now the hours stolen from her had been wasted with a single sentence from her father.
She made her way to the attic to grab the outdoor zabutons. Even in the middle of a haze of anger Thayssa knew her father disliked eating on tables and chairs when outside. This knowledge came with a twinge of petty joy. It meant the meal plan meant for tables, plates and utensils her sister Almarthelen had laboriously prepared would have to be scrapped.
A part of Thayssa, one bigger than she cared to admit, enjoyed sharing her misery very much. She skipped down the stairs carrying a large cushion under each arm and walked into the kitchen.
"Why do you have those? Weren't you supposed to be helping in the dining hall?"
Thayssa almost smiled at the immediate accusatory tone Almarthelen greeted her with.
"Had to pick them up. Father wants to eat outside now." And she skipped out, laughing at the sounds of spoons hitting the floor and exasperated screams.
On her final trip up to gather the last pair of cushions, Thayssa took a minute to catch her breath and stepped out into the attic's tiny veranda outside, built amidst the crown of one of the many trees that grew alongside the walls of the Ferscryen home. In the distance, obscured by the leaves in front, she saw a man clad in bright white robes come along the path towards the house mounted on a mule and her heart jumped.
It was over a week since the night they met and Thayssa had barely spoken to Brother Pietro since. He had been occupied patrolling the outskirts of Greenbow for signs of the Beast and accompanying the hunters when they were required to venture into the forest. She climbed up and pushed branches around trying to get a better view of the man, looking for confirmation that this was Pietro and not his fellow paladin candidate, Brother Síga.
Unable to ascertain the identity of the mule rider, Thayssa decided to climb down. Only two possibilities, those were good odds. Stopping only to fix her hair and dress in front of a mirror, Thayssa rushed out to greet the unknown traveller.
"Where are the zafus? We're missing two, you were supposed to bring them out!" Trissatra stepped in front of the hurried young woman with a harsh look on her face. It was then Thayssa realised she'd forgotten her task.
"In a minute. I've found them, I'll get them, just..." She tried to placate the sister-in-law while looking around for her crush.
"No!" Trissatra yelled. "We're already behind schedule and you've been dragging your feet all morning. Now get your arse up there and do your job!"
Fuming, Thayssa started to stomp back inside when she heard an amused voice whisper behind her.
"Would you like some help? We wouldn't want that nice arse of yours to get tired now would we?" Pietro was standing there, his smiling face obscured behind a white cowl, a large wooden medallion hanging from his neck.
"No we wouldn't" She glanced around fighting back a couple different urges. Too many eyes and ears in these surroundings. "What are you doing here?"
"I've been asked to escort your family's caravan until they reach the Southern Pass." He shrugged. "The Brothers there will relieve me and I'll return to my duties here."
"Oh. She was barely listening. "I'd love a hand. Why don't you follow me Brother?"
As discreetly as they could, the pair sneaked across the house maintaining a veneer of innocence. But the mask fell as soon they reached the attic and their lips met.
"Hm. I've missed you." Pietro offered while kissing her neck and fondling her breasts.
"Oh. I've missed you too." Thayssa countered untying her dress.
