Nostrum: Tales of Valor

Book Two: Hallowed

Nimble fingers sift through budding flowers of white and red, plucking fava beans from their stems and placing them in wooden baskets. Leafy greens of many shapes and sizes await their turn to be harvested. Unbothered by winds which push about thin, yellow hairs of wheat just across the dirt road from themselves. Following the breeze's way comes a final wave of warmth from the sun as twilight sets in, casting its golden aura through still, overhead clouds. Pausing for a moment, one of those who picks at the crops stands upright and raises their nose to the passing gust. Taking in a deep and patient breath, she smiles. The cloth that binds her eyes restricts the gift of sight, but all that is to be touched and sniffed remains strong as ever. Now lowering her head once more, she places a pair of pods into her basket and sighs, feeling the light brushing of hardened fingers against her shoulder.

"That'll be enough for the night. We should return to the cottage."

"Yes. Let's." Hael pulls the basket she has been filling up to her midriff, resting the knuckle of a single thumb against her sternum as she does so, and readjusts her grip on the handle.

"Come, Hael. I'll guide you." The second offers, keeping a palm pressed against Hael's elbow as they walk.

"There's no need, Lee. You know that." She reminds, smiling in his general direction as she does so.

"Of course," he chuckles, "but what harm is there in doing so? Hm?"

The pair find their way onto a dirt road, where they then face themselves towards the nearest end and head towards the thatched roof of their homestead. Smoke rolls out from atop a cobbled chimney, where a cozy fire is surely burning below. Lee lifts the brim of his straw hat and watches as the rolling puffs dissipate into thin air, only seconds after they emerge. He then sighs, seeing some kind of meaning in how they appear to him; not-so-distant memories passing behind his eyes.

"What is it?" Hael wonders, tipping her chin in his direction.

"Ah, it's nothing to think on for more than a moment."

"Well," Hael begins, stopping for a moment to allow Lee some time with opening a small gate at the front of the cottage's yard, "allow me a moment."

With another sigh, he unfastens the latch and steps beyond the gate. Leaving it open for Hael to proceed through as well.

"Do you think they've had the time to recover from it all just yet? Or, am I... being impatient?"

"I couldn't say myself. But, perhaps- if not already- they will come around soon."

Lee nods off the response, accepting it to be all one could truly give to such a question. Then, relatches the gate and follows Hael towards the door.

"Forgive my tardiness, but should we not be worried about the health of all who have been affected?"

"Of course we should." Hael implies, turning to face Lee with the door only a foot or so to her right. "We shall get our peace when it is due. In the meantime," breaking her sentence in two, she thrusts her basket into Lee's hands, where it comes to rest on top of his own, "we should focus on the others. It is key that they find the will to move past it all. No more beasts. No more Nostrum. Yes?" Hael caresses Lee's chin as she finishes her response, awaiting the sensation of a nod against her umber palm. "Excellent."

Letting the door swing open, Lee marches in at the front. Ensuring that he does not lose any of the harvests as he makes his way across the open floor and places the baskets against a polished wooden table. Once Hael has shut the door, she turns to face the furthest wall from herself and sniffs silently at the air. Seemingly satisfied, she turns to face a row of shelves on either side of the large fireplace. Lying against a red padded sofa that faces it is the form of a disheveled man, who seems rather invested in the flickering of the flames.

"Ah, good evening, Marne." Hael greets, casting a light-hearted smile in his direction. "How are you feeling today?"

"Better." He blandly states, not breaking his gaze from the heated coals.

"I'm glad to hear it." She assures, now moving towards Lee and the crops that he had lain out across the tabletop. "Would you mind assisting Lee with supper tonight, then?" Hael shuffles off to one side of the table and rests the pads of her fingers against it, sniffing at the air once again. Feeling Marne shift positions, she takes his silence as a positive response. "Where is-"

"Out back." Marne states, cutting through Hael's question with little acknowledgment of doing so. "There are prayers to be had." Pulling a rather sharp knife from its block, he collects a head of lettuce in his remaining hand, just as Lee rolls it towards him.

Nodding, Hael returns to the door and passes through. The night air has already begun to turn crisp, informing her of the sky's dark but milky blue appearance as she rounds the side of the cottage. With the tips of her fingers running along clay walls, she feels for the final turn, which she finds with no trouble. Once it too is behind her, she steps further into the yard and towards the back fence; where she knows there to be a large and seemingly out-of-place tree. Though, this is not what she is after. Beneath the tree and resting at the sides of one another are a pair of headstones. Between them, the flowing white gown of a young woman, who has placed a palm against each.

"Good evening, Yuler." With no returning voice to be heard, Hael sighs and steps closer to the stones before kneeling at the foot of the one which resides furthest from the tree's base. Once this is done, she brushes her nails against engraved symbols and bows her head for a moment.

"Gru'go would've liked it here." Yuler states, acknowledging Hael's act.

"I'm sure he would have." Hael places her forehead against the stone for a brief moment, then moves on to the next. "Cronn would have too."

"I could never speak on his behalf."

"Of course you could." Getting back to her feet, Hael crosses her palms and plants them loosely against her lap as she continues acknowledging the graves. Almost as if the binding across her eyes could never truly impair her awareness. "I believe he'd appreciate someone keeping his voice around."

"I'm not the one to do so." Yuler reinforces with a firm tone. "If not for me, he'd still be here."

"If not for him, you couldn't possibly."

Yuler falls silent. Knowing all too well that Hael's words are true, she too presses her forehead against the stones before taking a step back and looking them over once more.

"Thank you, again. For... helping me get the two of them here."

"It was my pleasure." Hael insists, lightly tugging at the side of Yuler's gown before beginning her return to the cottage. "Come. We should prepare for our meals."

Yuler nods but does not budge from where her feet are rooted. With Hael now absent from the yard, Yuler wipes a tear from her eye and bows gracefully at her brother's grave. Then, gives the second her full attention.

"Thank you, Cronn." Patting the cold surface and stifling a sniffle, she backs away yet again and bows at the second stone. "I'll be sure to take good care of Marne. For Belial's sake." Standing upright she turns on her heel and follows Hael's footsteps through tall, damp grass. Once the tree is out of her line of sight, she proceeds to clear her throat and adjust her face. Making it appear- at least to the best of her ability- that she was not crying.

"Glad to see you could make it." Lee teases, splitting bean pods as she appears. "Care to pick up where I've left off?" Pointing one end of the pod he is currently working on at a bowl full of meat tips, Lee raises his brow. As if to be offering a great deal that only a fool would turn away.

Doing so, she rolls the meats about in their container and adds seasonings while the others fulfill their own duties for the preparations. Hael places a large pot full of water over the flames of the fireplace, Lee continues to split pods, and Marne has moved on to crushing pepper. At least, to the best of his ability. Yet, something has never sat right with her here. It's as if such a life should not exist when the world outside is constantly fighting to carry on, and still, it does.

"Peace... seems nothing but an illusion."