ii | video

[onblackwings]

[ This lady's looking a little different, for anyone that's spoken with her before. Not any older, but there's a sort of crooked quality to her nose, like it'd been broken and healed some time ago. She's lounging in the Initiative apartments, looking like she's recently made friends with a superiority complex. ]

I want to speak to those of you who have seen a war before. Not the skirmishes that the Initiative sends us on here, but actual war.

And failing that, I'll take anyone that knows magic — and can teach it. That part is important. Don't waste my time if all you can do is cast it.

Comments

[freewoman]

They were quick deaths, bloody though. Men, coughin' up blood. I didn't feel anythin'. I thought I would, seein' battle. Maybe I should have been fearful. I saw them, and I knew if I didn't kill'em, they would have killed me. There weren't many women, but it was still bloody. And cold. We tried t'fight'em, but it wasn't long before more of my men were on the ground. You could smell the death and fear then.

[onblackwings]

Well fought. It does sound like you picked the wrong side, though.

[freewoman]

I didn't pick. I was born a free woman.

[onblackwings]

If you're free, then is the other side enslaved?

[freewoman]

They kneel t'their king.

[onblackwings]

That's not so unusual for humans, from my understanding. Don't you follow anyone?

[freewoman]

We chose Mance. We don't kneel to'im.

[onblackwings]

[ a thoughtful pause, and... yeah, she can jive with that. it's the difference in working for Led, and following her goddess. she nods. ]

A good idea. No human deserves too much reverence, that should be saved for the gods.

[freewoman]

Mance is a good man, but he's still a man. Your gods may be different, but mine are of tree and stone. They extend as far as the weirwoods go.

[onblackwings]

Your gods are trees?

[freewoman]

Spirits more like. They say when the wind blows, it's them speakin' back when you kneel in front o' the weirwood.

[onblackwings]

Can you understand their speech?

[freewoman]

No. They've none who understand. We pray to'em or make our words at these trees. Man and wife and the like. Crows make their oaths to'em as well.

[onblackwings]

[ just. shakin her head. weird humans, man. ]

They seem useless. Ornamental, at best.

[freewoman]

They're gods. What do they care of for the likes of us?

[onblackwings]

Ours do. There are stories of them even involving themselves.

[freewoman]

Don't need no one tellin' me what t'do. Gods already mislike layin' with your kin, kinslayin', and slavery. I abide by that just fine.

[onblackwings]

[ sounding amused: ] If the Dark Queen had any objection to kinslaying, she wouldn't be very pleased with me at all. I think I'll take my god over yours.

[freewoman]

Our gods have no names.

[onblackwings]

Nor voices, nor bodies. Your gods don't sound like much at all.

[freewoman]

Didn't know gods needed those things t'do as they liked.

[onblackwings]

I think we've already established that you don't know much about gods, if that's all you have to learn from.

[freewoman]

Don't need t'learn anything. I've mine, and that's all I need.

[onblackwings]

Do you feel any pride in bringing them glory?

[freewoman]

I know what I've done was for my people, their people.