384 A.P
[] The warriors of Kraka Krum invite you for a drink. Perhaps you might learn more about why Lady Ogra Diamondback wrote to your master?
Curiosity, tempered by wisdom and sense is a vital mindfulness that all Runesmiths should seek to cultivate.
Karstah found it odd yet fascinating that two Runelords, one her Master and adoptive parental figure, and the other, the closest Dawi she had as a mentor during her time as her Journeyman, may he feast in Gazul's halls in glory gave similar advice decades apart.
She wondered whether it was wisdom to accept the invitation, but it was definitely curiosity driving her decision. The Diamondback messenger that had met with her Master outside the meeting tent most definitely piqued her interest, and while she was confident that her Master would tell her the contents of Lady Ogra's letter to him in due time, it was perhaps wise to get more context on the current going ons in Kraka Krum in general. It had been more than a century since she wandered the North.
"Welcome Drakksdottir! Join us in the campfire! Dinner is about to be served!" a longbeard thane bellowed from around a Campfire, as the young Runesmith entered the Krum's campsite. Sitting beside him was a middle age Dawi, perhaps not much older than her, dressed in the livery of Kraka Krum and Clan Diamondback. The middle age Longbeard, his hair a mix of auburn with the first touches of silver silently made the sign of the Rune of Thungni, his gesticulation patterns oddly familiar. He was the Diamondback messenger that Karstah saw this afternoon.
A Runesmith then. The message was sufficiently sensitive, that Lady Diamondback could trust a Runesmith of her clan to carry it.
Karstah concluded as she joined them, her instincts automatically greeting her elders and peers with the appropriate pleasantries, and settling into the tone of the conversation. A few questions about the current going ons of Krum and Drakk were exchanged, to spark the conversation with a life and momentum on his own.
She was, however, moving on auto-pilot, because she noted the other three gestures made subtly by the Diamondback messenger as she settled into the flow of the conversation. Speak, Privacy, After.
As the warriors got progressively drunker and began to challenge each other to drinking contests, the Diamondback messenger got up and moved towards a tent, a wordless nod to Karstah.
A few minutes later, Karstah quietly slipped out of the drinking party and entered the tent. Immediately, the bawdy noises from the camp outside fell silent, in the distinct way an area warded by Runecraft blocked out noise. The young kvinn quietly noticed a small array of privacy runes subtly hidden within the various furniture, parchment and scrolls throughout the tent, the result of her master's various tests of hiding the location of assignments during her apprenticeship.
"We meet at last, Karstah of Clan Winterhearth, adopted of the Gift Giver." His voice was sonorous and refined, almost like stone and finely woven cloth rubbing against one another. "Tarni speaks most highly of you and vouched for your character during your journey in the west." He wryly smiled. "Even if she still disagrees with your politics, she regards you as a worthy rival." He commented in a bemused tone.
Fondness. A friend of a friend? It makes sense that a son of the Diamondback knows one of Vragni's apprentices personally. Karstah's mind processed.
"I am afraid I do not have the benefit of your name, Master... ?"
"Tekton Diamondback. Great-grandson of Lady Ogra Diamondback" The Runesmith introduced himself.
"I think I've seen you in Kraka Drakk before." Karstah was sure she had seen a Runesmith with a similar quirk of gesticulation somewhere in the Karak before, but she could not place the exact time nor location.
"I do regularly visit Kraka Drakk on business for my clan, ever since I returned from my journey and became a Master." He quietly laughed. "Great Nan does not believe that her students should dwell in echo chambers." He added.
"I suppose I might start by offering you my congratulations for becoming the Gift Giver's heir. And perhaps we could trade stories about our respective journeys? But before we begin, it is polite of me to ask: by what name you like me to call you by? Khazadsdottir, Snorridottir, Drakksdottir, or by your first name?"
Until very recently, it was rare that someone asked such a question. Karstah noted to herself.
How should she reply?
[ ] Karstah
There was no need to complicate things or dwell upon which dottir she was. She was Karstah, heir of the gift giver, and this was enough for her.
"Just call me Karstah. If you claim friendship with Tarni, then you are more than welcome to call me by my first name."
Tekton Diamondback smiled.
"Then call me Tekton"
Like all Diamondbacks in the Far North, their journey whether far or narrow always led them in some way shape and form, back towards Karak Izril. Tekton's journey was a curiosity, half of it was narrow where he built himself a nest egg of independent financial stability working with structure, forts and banners, and half of it was spent on a Pilgrimage to Izril. Curiously, the Dawi dwelled much on the cuisine of each Karak he travelled on his way south, giving off the impression that the Runesmith was something of a gourmet.
It drew a picture of a Dawi that decided to not travel beyond the Far North until he was assured that he could do so with some degree of financial comfort and stability. Some might call it sensible, others that Karstah knew might call his second half of his journey towards Izril, more a holiday of indulgence rather than a pilgrimage. But there were curious allusions in his account, of Runesmiths throughout his journey south he met and dined with - through Vlag, Ungor, Kadrin, Zhufbar, Karaz a Karak, a brief stay in Karag Dorn, a decade in the Eight peaks before he finally reached Izril, that likely indicated that Tekton was building up his lore by a chain of deals down the Worlds' Edge Mountains.
He was present during the Grand Conclave of 323 A.P, taking in the sights of the Karaz Ankor, and discovering Eastern Dawi cuisine in this crossroads of the realm. Interestingly, he recounted being in the same bar as Snerra when her elevation to Runelord was announced, being invited to bar crawl with a Southern runesmith he had done business with previously, who also learned of his elevation right when he was in the same bar as Snerra. It meant double the drinks for everyone in the bar, and he wistfully recounted the mythical hangover of the day after.
It was rumoured that Thungni's chosen all went to the same tavern a few afternoons after, and slipped into a private room the owner reserved for Runelords.
That detail leapt out to Karstah, but perhaps it was because Lady Snerra asked to call her cousin not too long before this campaign started. Karstah suspected that if she spoke to Snerra regarding her adventures in the days after her ascension, she'd be kept at her cousin's house all day. Something, perhaps to look into on one of her precious free days.
The Dawi sitting opposite her stretched his arms with a yawn.
"It has been a good evening sharing our journey's together. But it is getting late, and I must rest. I have a journey back to Kraka Krum in the morning." Tekton sighed.
"Valaya guard your journey back." Karstah nodded. Perhaps she should offer to exchange letters with this Runesmith? After all, her master did regularly correspond with many Runelords, even if he had an admittedly deserved reputation for being a hermit.
[ ] Offer to exchange letters.
Tekton gave Karstah a serious look of consideration on his face.
"This could be discussed after this campaign. If it is possible" He eventually nodded.
Of course, he won't make commitments to someone whose survival, he is uncertain of. A certain part of Karstah whispered.
"I guess I shall see you when the Throng marches back through Kraka Krum then?" Karstah clarified. She knows her adoptive guardian will not bury his heir.
He chuckled, allowing his serious countenance to drop. "Sooner than you think. I will be returning with the reserves, so we might well meet again on the field of battle. Grimnir watch over the battles of you and your kin, Karstah Winterhearth."
The Heir to the Gift Giver knew it was time to leave, and politely bowed to the Messenger from the Diamondbacks. And with that, she left the tent, into the frigid air of the Norscan winter. She briefly paid her respects to the giant statue of Grimnir that was in the camp of the Throng of Krum - at least she did pick up the intent of Ogra's contribution of the campaign, even if the warriors of Krum had asked her to keep silent about it for a while little longer. A small secret trusted a minor test of character she reckoned.
Gormlhune was full that night, she idly observed, looking at the white moon briefly peaking through the Brana storm.
And with that thought, she made her way back to the camp of her Master and her Retainers. She did not quite gotten what she hoped for, but it was a satisfying and very enlightening evening nonetheless. But then again, the chances to know about the journeys of other Runesmiths not too much younger or older than her always was an interesting experience.
A/N : I am planning
six parts to this Omake series. Initially, I thought of releasing all six parts as one, but considering how long Part 1 has ballooned up too, I was advised over in the discord by
@IronFist to release it part by part instead because there's a chance that if I release it all at once, it will ballon up to 10k words or more. Thanks!
All feedback is much appreciated, I think this might be the first Omake I've written for this quest. This is written in the style of a Karstah pseudo nega-quest of sorts.
