normalcy
expedition week 3 - alm & darios.
Darios overhears the nickname and a hand brushes over his hair. He's not that spiky is he?
The shopkeeps, though confused, oblige. The children for their part think hard about their task. What vegetables go well with fish? Well many do but the question should probably be phrased what goes with raw fish.
It's a fun exercise for them all... probably.
"In Verdane, there lacked respect." In a way, he imagines that is how his predecessors regarded Aytolis, likely how his father started to in the end. "I think those in Grannvale lacked patience or rather, they were anxious."
And what of the Thracians? Darios know why Leif might spare them now... but in his heart, somehow he still finds it difficult to forgive them. "A ruler needs to tow a careful line, I think much of this land is still working out the problems of such things. You can't simply combine two places and think it'll automatically work. There are a great many concessions to make in all of it."
"How would you handle this, then? If you were King Seliph, I mean."
He still doesn't find much enjoyment in fishing, and he almost wonders if he ought to retrieve the heavy net that he and Darios received in the previous village. At least that had been more exciting than sitting around, waiting for the fish to bite... even if they'd gotten soaked to the bone afterwards.
"Gutierre told me before that Thracia never had it easy. Apparently, it struggled with food and resources, but none its neighbors ever wanted to help." Then Travant had led his forces, massacred an army in the desert, lost... and the people still suffered, unable to let go of the pride that kept them full during nights where their plates remained empty.
Finally, he feels a tug—though when he reels in his line, he's met with an empty hook. And while he's not exactly eager to try again, he can hear the distant sounds of children laughing, and that's unfortunately enough to have him prepare another worm before re-casting his line. Hopefully, Darios would have better luck, because at this rate, they're going to be eating vegetables and maybe a quarter of a minnow...














