A Sister's story

Posted on 28 Nov 2020 @ 8:23pm by Mage Kalian Winter & Warrior Martin Josceran & Rogue Elinowy Ursulas

3,361 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Lore's Labour's Lost
Location: Jader - Fereldan refugee Camp
Timeline: Cloudreach 16th - morning

The refugee camp grew more miserable the deeper they went into it. Some of the huts were mere scraps of cloth and broken driftwood, and baked mud. There definitely was no shortage of mud, and it had been put to good use by the Fereldans. As they walked Martin noticed several people selling earthenware and shaping mud bricks, that they then baked in ovens dug into the ground. Others seemed to be working leather ; what animal it came from, Martin could only guess, but it did look disturbingly canine. That made the content of the stew one old lady was selling even more suspicious.

People stared. At the sister, mostly, and then surreptitiously at Martin. They paid a lot less attention to Kalian, who may be the only one who perhaps might walk safely this neighbourhood near nightfall. Even though he had somewhat better clothes than the refugees, and was cleaner, he walked in this particular way, as if he belonged there. Martin envied silently his ability to just blend in.

Elinowy made her way through the mud and filth of the camp with poise and grace. She had lived in squalor and had brought relief to many in her local village set upon by hard times. Places like the refugee camp were a slice in time. Those that scraped and clawed to survive today were the farmers and artisans of tomorrow if they persevered with the Maker's will. The filth and poverty could be a crucible to building true character. She did not look down on them or pity them. If humanity joined together even these mud holes could be turned to paradise.

"Here we are." Breagan stopped in front of a shack, as miserable as the rest of them even though some effort had gone into making it more homely. There were even some wild flowers growing in a pot on the window sill. "Isla ! You there ?"

After a second a hand pushed back the scrap of cloth that hang like a curtain where a door should have been. A thin woman with grey hair twisted in a bun looked warily at them. In her hands she cradled a steaming mug.

"Yes ?"

"The Sister wanted to speak to you." Breagan nodded deferentially at Sister Elinowy. "About that job. The one Orla was thinking of taking ?"

Isla's face grew more pinched, and Martin couldn't help but notice the dark rings around her eyes and the deep lines etched in her face. "What about it ?"

A low whine came from behind her and a dog came between her legs, looking curiously at the newcomers. It was quite ugly, with a head too big compared to the rest of its body and a shaggy white coat, but the hound's blue eyes looked eerily savvy. The dog whined again, almost as if voicing a question, head tilted ass it looked at Elinowy, then Martin and finally at Kalian.

"Eh - you're keeping Snowball ?" Breagan said, looking surprised. "But Orla - "

"She's gone. Not back yet. What do you want to know ?" Isla's tone was not quite hostile, but not warm either. If Breagan had not been there, it was unlikely she'd have spoken to them at all.

"A pleasure to meet you Madam Isla," began Kalian with a respectful bow, his eyebrows knit together with unfeigned concern. "My name is Kalian, and this is Martin and Sister Elinowy." He crouched and offered his hand toward the dog, who cautiously closed the gap to take a sniff.

"We've seen this dodgy flyer offering work for pay that sounds too good to be true. And we've heard about people going missing." Kalian showed her the torn flyer. Snowball allowed Kalian to give him scritches behind his ears. His tail swayed gently but the dog remained alert, listening to the conversation like he understood. "The good people of this camp have suffered enough. My friends and I want to investigate and find out what's really going on. So, please tell us, where did your sister go to apply, and what did they tell her about the work she'd be doing?"

Isla leveled a skeptical frown at the young man, and would have told him to mind his own business if not for the Chantry sister with him… and Snowball seemed to like him, and the dog was never wrong about people. "The meeting place is down the road past the so-called workhouse, about an hour's walk. She spoke to a dwarf woman with a real qunari bodyguard. Said it'd be hard work, digging underground, that's why the pay is good."

The haggard woman looked up at the beautiful, tall Chantry sister, like a vision of Andraste. "Sister, if Orla is in trouble, will you help her?"

"The Maker be with you. Might we come in?" Elinowy stated with a kindly smile and a gentle voice. She opened her arms disarmingly as she stepped forward to enter the woman's hovel.

It looked like Isla had been about to say no, but sister Elinowy did not really give her a chance to get the word out ; she was already sweeping inside the hut. Isla stepped aside, perhaps moved by an ingrained respect for the sister's habit ; then, looking at the rest of them, she let her shoulders slump.

"I suppose you might as well come in, then," she muttered waspishly.

Kalian watched open-mouthed as Elinowy barged into the poor woman's house. Chantry sister or not, it was an appalling intrusion, trampling the last vestiges of this poor woman's dignity. He hung back, exchanging a look with Breagan.

Breagan looked like he may object, then thought better of it and went in with Martin. Snowball kept sniffing Kalian's heels, apparently intensely curious about something. Maybe Kalian had stepped into manure - or worse.

Kalian went in last, feeling profoundly uncomfortable to be where he had no right to be.

The hut did not look much better inside than outside. Dried mud crackled, revealing the flimsy wooden structure underneath. Some of the holes had been covered with scraps of cloth or plugged with straw. Though Isla clearly tried hard to keep the place clean there was still a pervasive smell, suggesting that the neighbours may be piling their trash somewhere nearby. A small fire burned in a hole dug in the dirt. Some of the fuel was wood, but also dried manure - which, in fairness, burnt well and was cheap to come by.

A small statuette of Andraste had been put up in a small alcove dug inside the wall. That explained Isla's reaction to Sister Elinowy ; Fereldans as a whole were rather devout. Martin could not fault them for that.

"Well, then ?" Isla gathered the frayed ends of her shawl and wrapped it more tightly around her, back ramrod straight, wearing her pride like armour as she let strangers into her miserable home. "Do you lot work for the guard ?" She glanced at Martin, who tried not to groan out loud. Everytime.

The sister moved deliberately around the modest hovel, carefully looking at the minimal amount of sentimental affects. Reaching down by the fire hole she took up a small bundle of dried weeds likely used as kindling. She cupped the brittle stalks in her hands, balling them together like a nest. Taking a small twig, she lit it in the hole and took it and her small bundle to the icon of Andraste. Patting the small ball of seeds down at the base of the statue, she set them alight with the twig. The flames were not large, but flared quickly and set about smoking. The tendrils of the miniature blaze lightly scorched the statuette. She blew gently on the embers stirring them to flame again and sang ""Arise, Aegis of the Faith. You are not forgotten. Neither man nor Maker shall forget your bravery So long as I remember."

Taking her time, she turned back toward Isla with great sensitivity. "Thank you for allowing us into your home. It is important that we know the beauty of a life, not just find answers to questions." she said.

This time, Kalian managed to keep his mouth shut as Elinowy used the last of this poor woman's kindling to damage one her few possessions and create a reminder of the Maker's bride being burned at the stake. He sighed. "Madam Isla, when was the last time you saw your sister? Is there anything else you can tell us?"

"There isn't much to tell. Isla went to the meeting place, got the job, said she'd be back in a while. I'm keeping Snowball while she's gone."

"What about Seamus ?" Breagan asked, genuine concern coating his voice. "That's Orla's adopted son," he added for the benefit of Elinowy, Kalian and Martin.

"He's working. The docks. They have use for scrubbers. He'll be here tonight." Isla looked at them in turns. "What's going on ? Why are you all interested in what happens here ? No one ever cared, before. But now we're finally getting some good jobs, you pay attention ?"

It wasn't true that no one ever helped or cared. Kalian's family had helped when the refugees began arriving. But Jader had gotten used to the refugee presence and had fallen into complacency. If he was honest with himself, Kalian might have done more to help them.

"Your cries are heard by the Maker, and while situations do not seem to change, the will of the Maker is always at work. You are not forgotten. We come to seek the lost and end oppression of the faithful." Elinowy responded.

"I truly hope this work is on the up-and-up, that this flyer has lead to a good job for your sister, and everyone else who was hired." Kalian recalled that after breakfast he had wrapped a pain au chocolat in a clean cloth, intending to give it to Martin. He took it from his pocket and handed it to Isla, then bowed to her and exited her home.

Breathing deep the smoke from the small pyre she had constructed, Elinowy completed the rite of adoration for the bride of the Maker. She had blessed the home with the greatest gift she had to give.

Martin watched Kalian leave, holding back a wince. Maybe this whole thing could have been handled better, he thought as the smell of burnt wood wafted to his nose. Saying so here and now would hardly be helpful though.

"Forgive me, but how long has your sister been gone ?" he asked, using his good guard voice. The one he used to get information out of witnesses, as gentle and soothing as he could make it. The glower Isla gave him suggested it wasn't working so well this time, but she still answered.

Kalian waited just outside Isla's destitute home, listening to Martin continue questioning Isla through the flimsy walls. Isla's visitors had attracted a few hollow-eyed onlookers, and Kalian hoped the attention they gave the woman didn't bring her trouble. It was perhaps too easy for the citizens of Jader to look away. The blight ended three years ago, and yet these people still suffered. He made himself bear witness to the plight of the Ferelden refugees. Worse than losing their lives, the refugees had lost hope. They were ripe for exploitation.

"It's been three days. Almost four. But she said she's been gone a while, so there's nothing to worry about." She said it like she was trying to convince herself.

"Did she get any pay in advance ?"

Isla actually laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. "No one would ever pay one of us in advance. Too scared we might run off with the money without doing the work."

This was looking more and more fishy. "Do you know of anyone else who took the job ?"

"A couple. Haemish from Redford and Gil, Robert's son, from down the street."

"Any of them come back yet ?"

Isla hesitated, biting her lip. This time there was fear in her demeanour, as well as anger. "Not yet," she snapped at last. "What are you implying ?"

"Nothing," Martin said gently. "Sorry for the inconvenience. And thank you for your time."

"Wait," Isla said as he made to leave. She was still holding Kalian's pain au chocolat in her hand, clutching it so tight that some of the chocolate oozed from the end of the pastry.

Martin turned back with a quizzical look.

"My sister... Orla... she's a good person. I know you don't believe that, but she is. If something fishy is going on, she had nothing to do with it. I know our lot usually get blamed when something goes wrong." Isla exhaled a breath, mouth turning down, the bitterness apparent in her expression. "I cooperated with you, because I want you to know we're honest folk. Humble, but honest. Tell that to the guard, or whoever sent you sniffing around."

"If that makes you feel better, I really don't think that your sister has anything to do with this. If anything, she's - " he almost said, a victim, but caught himself in time. " - involved by mere happenstance. But we'll do our best to get to the bottom of this." Martin hesitated just a moment before adding, "if you hear anything, please send word to the guard station. My name's Martin."

He was taking a small risk, telling her this, however much she'd already guessed. He'd acted somewhat impulsively, and hoped he wouldn't live to regret it. Isla's eyes narrowed slightly, then she simply gave him a sharp nod, and said nothing more as he left her house.

Elinowy saw the others taking their leave. She stamped her fingers in ash left before the statuette. She marked her forehead with a rough shape of the sun and turned to Isla. "Blessing upon your home and all who reside here. We will protect your sister if need be and return those you love to you as the Maker wills. "May I?" she asked of the woman lifting her soot stained fingers before her. The woman looked at her oddly, but bowed her head in submission to the sister. Elinowy traced the symbol of the sun upon the woman's forehead. "May the Maker grant you every blessing. Go in peace to bring the light to the world." She then turned and made her departure form the home, leaving Isla dumbfounded as to what all had just happened.

***

Judging from the sun's position, Kalian guessed the time at midday. After Martin and Elinowy emerged from Isla's hovel, Kalian said, "I think I'll be taking a walk tomorrow morning, and see if I can find the dwarf woman she mentioned, and learn more about," he held up the flyer, "reclaiming my dignity."

Martin frowned. "You can't just show up, alone. These are potentially dangerous people we're dealing with. Clearly there are more disparitions than we know about, and we know about quite a few. This suggests either a killer, or a large number of organised people."

He turned around, looking at the camp surrounding them. The sun had risen higher while they spoke to Isla, and while a few onlookers still gawked most of the refugees had gotten over their curiosity and gone back to their business. The warm light of the sun did not make the camp much more hospitable, though.

"There's no profit in killing poor people, I think they probably are getting recruited to work." said Kalian. Several nefarious explanations came to his mind, but he wasn't going to voice them where Isla might overhear through her thin walls. "Just going to the meeting place and applying for a job should be safe enough."

"I didn't say you shouldn't go. I'm saying I'm going with you." Martin pulled at the coppery strands that fell in his face. "The hair's shaggy enough, with a bit of dirt I'm sure I can make a convincing refugee."

Kalian rolled his eyes. "I doubt it. There's no way you'd pass as a refugee, Martin. The closer to the truth your story is, the more believable. I'd go with you're a guardsman disgraced for some reason. Maybe you arrested the wrong nobleman, or gambling debts. Oh, I know. Caught in a compromising position with the guard captain's spouse…" Just as Kalian was warming up to creating a spicy cover story for Martin, the Chantry sister emerged.

The sister came out of the hovel quite some time after Martin. She walked up to the pair, the ashen markings clearly on her face. "I think that went well. Did we learn where the workers are going for this job?"

"We know where to meet with the person doing the hiring," said Kalian. "Martin and I plan to pose as potential workers and ask questions tomorrow morning."

"Oh acting!" Elinowy said excitedly. "I performed in several of the Chantry passion plays when I was young. I even got selected to be Andraste the year I entered the order. What part shall I play?" she asked with eager eyes.

"Uh… Elinowy… Martin was just saying, it could be dangerous, and he's not wrong," said Kalian with a smirk in Martin's direction since his comment conflicted with what he'd said to the guardsman moments ago. He'd only known the Chantry sister for a short time, but he already knew it would be nearly impossible to talk her out of anything she'd set her mind to. "Let's head back to town, and talk about our plans for tomorrow."

"The Maker will provide for us. A place thriving with such depth of faith and hope will certainly give us a clear path to proceed. Or even an unclear path, but we will proceed." Elinowy replied stoically.

"Well, it'd still be a good idea to have a plan," Martin said. He was beginning to wonder if the Sister tagging along was a good idea. Not that he didn't appreciate her volunteering to help, but he could tell even from their short acquaintance that she was not the kind who could ever manage to keep a low profile.

As they passed the alienage gates, Kalian said, "My sister will be expecting me back this afternoon to help out with preparations and serving at the Raven's Roost this evening. I'll let her know I'll be away tomorrow." He wondered if Elinowy would need to a place to stay that night. "What about you two?"

"I go where the Maker leads me. For now, I can find my way about the city. I can rejoin you later at the Tavern if you wish. Or if I can provide some help to your sister in exchange for her generosity last night. I am at your service." Elinowy stated.

"I have to get to work," Martin said. "Actually I'm going to be late if I don't hurry. If you're busy tonight maybe we can meet early tomorrow to hash out a plan before we head to the meeting place. I'll also... ask around a bit. See if anyone'll talk to me about this whole thing. I think it's bigger than we suspected. So, anyway... should we meet at the inn tomorrow morning, Kalian ? If that's alright with you and the Sister, of course."

"Fine with me. We'll meet at the Raven in the morning. That's where I'll be until then," replied Kalian. It felt good to have a plan, to be doing something. To the Chantry sister he said, "Cainan paid for your room last night, so I'm sure Tessa will welcome you tonight. You can come back with me now, or whenever you're ready." Even though he was pretty sure his warning would be ignored, he added, "If you decide to explore Jader, be careful."

Elinowy smiled kindly at Kalian. "Thank you for your offer. Again even if I might sleep next to your hearth it is enough for me. But I will certainly see you this evening and on the morrow of course. I would appreciate your company back a ways, but I must confess being quite new to Jader, and I really should be about familiarizing myself with the city and its people."

 

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