Tale of Four

The table was silent for the rest of the meal after hearing Isis’s tale, making their own thoughts about the Deadlands. Although she wished to continue talking, Isis could tell no one else did, but was relieved when the meal came to an end a few minutes later. "Kaya, Isis. Join me." Darion rose and looked to his wife and guest, turning around to lead them out through the manor. Following silently, Darion went outside to the garden in the centre of the manor and snapped his fingers for the servants to prepare the patio. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Isis looked around with wide, amazed eyes. It was a sight she couldn’t forget even after years. Streams of water flowed in spiralling patterns throughout the garden, with hedges lining it. At the centre, a large stone sceptre shooting water out the top stood as a decoration, a massive bowl carved to look like four snakes interwined with one another, their heads poking at four sides to spit water out along the stream in the garden.

"It is as beautiful as I remember." Although she remembered it being more beautiful at night, Isis didn’t mind, finding a unique charm in the sunset lighting.

"I didn’t wish for you to leave without visiting first." A servant walked with a tray holding three pipes. Next to them, one held a container that released smoke, and a pair of tongs and the other a tray of bowls with different herbs and leaves on it. Finally, the third held a tray with a pot, three cups and three cubes of brown food. "Do not stand on ceremony, my friend." As if they had done it a million times, both Darion and Kaya picked up the cube of brown food, eating it first, before taking the pipe and twisting the end, putting a piece of burning coal inside. Next, they opened the compartment just next to it and dropped the herbs of their choice in, taking a smoke.

"I’m surprised your son isn’t joining us," Isis said, finally picking up the brown cube and eating it before taking a herb she recognised with a sweet taste and preparing the pipe. Letting the herb burn for a second, she took a deep sniff, happily smiling before taking a smoke. Frwoning, she grabbed a second herb, and opened the compartment, finding the taste too sweet to smoke and dropped it in. The taste changed to an earthy-sweet taste, mixed to create the balance she wanted.

"My son doesn’t like this part of the meal. Why he doesn’t is soemthing I will never understand." Darion took a deep smoke. Blowing out a thick cloud, Isis got a faceful of smoke that smelled of pure tobacco. "I’ve tried to tell him that even if he doesn’t, he should learn to smoke without embarrassing himself. Many of the best deals I have made for Myre came when I shared a pipe."

"His worries are true," Kaya said with a sigh, grabbing her cheek and leaning on her hand, her pipe, unlike Isis’s and Darion’s, extending out to the left, instead of straight out, being longer and more ornate than their two. "Even if it is seen as a man’s taste, it has become quite popular in the tea houses. It’s not too strange to find ladies taking part now." Isis looked at Kaya and chuckled, blowing smoke with it.

"Is that thanks to a certain Lady of Myre. After all, I have never known another Lady to do so before I met you." Kaya smiled and took a smoke.

"Partly, but even if Myre is a trading hub, we don’t have the same sway over the desert as Kript does. Luckily, I got certain Lady Carter hooked on the taste when she visited with her husband." Isis raised an eyebrow.

"I can’t imagine Lord Carter was too happy about that." Kaya shook her head.

"He wasn’t and demanded why I made his wife take up such a thing. Although he wasn’t truly angry, he had a reputation to uphold." Kaya slyly smirked, "All I had to say was it was part of our culture that those outside the desert are trying to destroy. Better we let everyone take part, then see it slowly be eroded away."

Darion proudly smiled at his wife and grabbed her hand, squeezing tightly. "People tend to think it is the Lord that runs the lands, but I will tell you, Isis, no lord is able to run things efficiently without a strong wife. Same for a Lady and a strong husband." Darion’s words made Kaya lean over and kiss him, with a happy smile.

Isis smiled and leaned back into the reclining chair, the silence only filled by the flowing water of the water garden. "Tell me?" Finally breaking the silence, Isis sighed, "Do you think war will break out soon?" Her question hung in the air for a while as Darion took another deep smoke of his pipe.

"Yes." After half a minute, he said with a low tone, "The scale of it I can’t know, but I think so. Although Prince Brandon is one of those gold bastards, he was also the only one who tried to find a middle ground before the last war broke out." Darion took another deep smoke, "Lord Carter will fight for him no matter what, even if it is only to avenge his son."

"But would Prince Brandon really wage war against his family. I can’t say that I know him, but I heard a lot about him during my travels. Many consider him, not King Anton, the shield of the Cosmaton family. A few nobles have even said he was King behind the throne. All just to keep the dynasty safe."

"Isis." Kaya was the one to speak. Leaning towards her, she didn’t smile, "Let me put it like this. If Lord Caters’ son killed my Mehdi, accident or not, I wouldn’t stop until that debt was paid. I am sure Prince Brandon will hate the choice if he decides this, but the pain of losing a child, especially to those who you have given everything to, to those who took what was rightfully yours, is worse than any pain he will feel from waging war." Kaya coldly said, "War will break out; neither my husband nor I doubts this. It is just as he said: what scale will it be?"

"Why do you ask?" Darion jumped in and looked to Isis.

"There are stories to be written about war, but," Looking down at herself, she bitterly smiled, "But I am a woman, and I have heard tales of what soldiers do to women during war. Savergy replaces reason. They need a reason to carry on and make it worthwhile for themselves. At best, I will be robbed, but what is worse than that?" Isis said with a thin, bitter smile, "I can protect myself to a degree, and I have connections I can rely on, but the worst thing is, I can’t travel so freely during conflict."

Darion looked to his wife before looking back at Isis, "If you wish to, I can house you until you deem thing safe, we are friends but I wouldn’t let you stay for free, because war even drains my purse, but a storyteller is good for morale, and if my men come to love you becuase of it, I garuntee you will be protected."

"That is sweet, Darion." Isis sincerely said, "But you know me, I can’t sit still, I am destined to travel, and I don’t wish for soemthing like a war to stop me." Isis sighed and emptied the burnt coal, replacing it with a new one. "I will still look to join a pirate raid, but I think I might go abroad for a while. I never have, and I think my journal could do with fresh stories."

"West or south?" Darion asked. Falling silent for a moment, Isis nodded.

"West."

"Then, as a final gift, I will give you a letter of introduction with some of the merchants and nobles I have ties with over there. Just make sure you land in Tiree. I understand you are a person who enjoys doing things yourself, Isis, but that is a new land, and one wrong move could see you becoming a slave in the slaver cities."

"Thank you, my friend." Isis didn’t refuse, knowing it would be incredibly rude.

"Word of advice, steer clear of the Slaver cities. There is nothing to be seen there." Isis smiled at his warning and shook her head.

"A slave’s story is just as important as a king’s, Darion. If I get the chance, I will write it." Darion frowned but said nothing, seeing the earnest belief behind her words.