Chapter 76: Chapter 65 – Settling In

"In my long unlife, I have found that people are very adaptable when push comes to shove. In times when starvation truly beckoned to them, even the fussiest nobles would devour the roughest hardtack they would mock in normal times. Similarly, when they had no choice but to do so, even worshippers of life got along with their antithesis, those who worshipped death, because the circumstances forced them to." - Nec Aarin, the Bone Lord

"Do you know who is behind it, grandpa?" Aideen asked before Maebh could utter an infuriated curse at the implications of grandpa Aarin's words.

 

"Sadly, not yet. We merely have the suspicion of it," replied the Bone Lord with a shake of his head. The matter had clearly bothered him as well, though it was difficult to tell for people not familiar with him. "Myrddin and his men are investigating the matter, but I cannot promise that they will receive results quickly, since we have little to go on at the moment."

 

"The elven raid a decade and a half ago hit Vitalica far harder than us or Antemeia, and some refugees from the forest had also mentioned that the warchief had previously met with a stranger many times before the raid itself," explained the ancient lich patiently to the three he considered his "descendants''. "Put that together with how the current rebellion that took place in Vitalica seemed so planned, and I cannot help but suspect some outsider pulling at strings to make all this happen."

 

"Now that you mention it… they did openly rebel practically the moment they received news of grandfather's death," Maebh said after some contemplation, her brows scrounged into a frown as she thought of the implications as well. "And the way nearly half the templars as a whole turned traitor… I would not have believed it had I not seen it happen myself. I knew some of those who had chosen the other side when they were still amongst us, and they never gave any indication of those views they now espouse."

 

"If they were planted amongst the templars for this eventuality, someone had planned this for a long while indeed," said the Bone Lord as he nodded along with Maebh's words. "Mind you, those are just suspicions for now, so we might well be chasing after nothing for all we know, but you have my word, child, that I will try to find out the truth of the matter."

 

"And should I find out that someone had pulled the strings that resulted in your father's premature death, you will have my support should you wish to avenge him," added the Bone Lord as he looked Maebh in the eye, to which the young girl gave a firm, determined nod. "For now let us adjourn. You all must be tired from the journey, so I'll have some sustenance prepared for us."

 

They all adjourned to the dining room, where Drietven and his daughter came by and served a hearty meal which helped chase away their tiredness. The old elf also bowed and apologized to the Fiachnas, as apparently refugees from the elven forest had later told and confirmed that the warchief responsible for the raid over a decade ago, the one that killed Faerghus… was his little brother by blood.

 

"There was nothing to forgive, sir Drietven," Maebh said with a nod. "How could we hold you accountable for your brother's actions? Much less when you haven't even had any relation with him for… sorry, how was it again?"

 

"Four and a half centuries, young lady," answered Drietven with a sigh. "I used to be little different than him, to be honest, and had thought that the way of our elders was the only right way to live. His holiness had shown me otherwise, and for that I owe him my life."

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"He had originally turned a blind eye at first to my attempts to bring more of our people here, yet in the past couple centuries had been one of the harshest in cracking down on those of us who had wanted to find a different way of life," continued the old elf with some melancholy. "I do not know what caused him to change so, but I too, will try to find out if this matter is related to the one his holiness had conveyed to you earlier."

 

They nodded at the new information, and finished their food in a more solemn mood. The Bone Lord had joined them in the meal, having assumed his mortal form, and Aideen had to chuckle at how Maebh had to hold her urge to squee like a little girl on seeing it. She knew she had much of the same reaction back when she first saw it herself.

 

After the meal, all of them, with Kestera and Éirynn and Mimia as well, who had all returned and joined them during the meal, went to the courtyard to see how the civilians were doing. What they found there was an orderly scene, with a portion of the wagons already emptied and people streaming off with some tents and other living needs in tow.

 

They found Clovis and Seriz standing together with Akeshia, busy at work as they perused some long lists that they periodically checked off. Seriz, the goblin disciple had put on a set of reading glasses on his nose, as he squinted at the list on his hand. All around them acolytes were busy distributing supplies to the civilians, while everytime a group of a hundred or so gathered, Akeshia would direct them to a destination while Clovis and Seriz checked items off their list.

 

When Aideen and Maebh went to ask them - Diarmuid had went to where the remaining Templars and Death Guards were huddled -, Clovis, the half orc, explained that while they would build more permanent settlements for the refugees from Vitalica, that would need some time, so for the time being they distributed tents and supplies as a makeshift solution while they worked on it.

 

Aideen nodded to their explanation, then left Maebh to help her mother at the work, while she headed to where Diarmuid was. Grandpa Aarin was in amongst the crowd, unrecognizable to most, and Aideen saw him playing with some small children as she walked by.

 

Diarnuid had clearly already shared the news about the impending burial - and raising - with them, as the Templars and Death Guards both looked solemn, yet accepting. Meanwhile, Aideen only hoped that this time, their people could find some peace at last.

 

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