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Harvest - 4
🕑 Added 2023-03-25 10:00:04 +0000 UTCAfter escaping from Archbishop Tulvan, who proved incessant in his probing for information and leverage, and handling my responsibilities to the rest of the witches, I followed the guidance of the wind to find Vivi, Lorna, and Donovan sitting on a hill and chatting. Vivi noticed me first, smiling and waving, but looking a little tired.
I was a little surprised to see 'my' raven with Lorna, being fed scraps daintily, but it wasn't what I considered important.
No, the important thing was Vivi. Looking at her I chewed on my lip, debating for a moment, before grinning. Without any further hesitation I folded up my skirts and sat in her lap, grabbing her arms and pulling them around me.
"Gwen?!" Vivi said confusedly as she pulled me into a hug. "What–"
"Tired, you looked comfy." I said, snuggling into her and leaning against her shoulder. This would work better if she was taller; I didn't really want to be shorter even if that was an option. "Do you want me to move?" I brushed my cheek against her as I asked plaintively; even if it was a little awkward it was comfy, and Vivi was warm.
Her arms tightened around me. "No, no. It's fine. You can stay." She said, her cheeks warming.
Lorna put a hand over her mouth as she stifled a laugh.
"How have you been, Lorna?" I asked; I really hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her at all with the king and everything else. "The Mingling was... eventful." I pressed closer to Vivi, pushing aside the bad parts of what had happened. Objectively, more good had come of it. The fact I could enjoy Vivi's embrace like this proved it.
"From what Vivi has told me, that was certainly true." Lorna said, pausing awkwardly. She leaned forward, putting her hand on my knee. "Are you okay, Gwen?"
I took in a deep breath. "I will be."
She eyed me carefully, examining me for whether I was speaking truthfully. "If you need me, I am here." She squeezed my knee and nodded before leaning back until she was resting against Donovan's rump. I smiled at her wanly; I did appreciate it, even if I doubted I'd talk to her about it. "Very well, my time... was far less interesting than yours, to be sure. Flying Frazzle across Gilneas was hardly unpleasant, but it wasn't anything new either. I spent much of it going over the proposal you asked me to look at; and, I have to say, your notes were if anything less organised than you described."
"Sorry about that," I said with a laugh. I'd almost forgotten I'd asked her to do that. "Did it make sense at all?"
"Somewhat." Lorna prevaricated, rocking a hand from side to side. "I had to enlist Frazzle to make sense of some parts; where did you come up with the idea for 'Mixed-Member Proportional Representation'? Frazzle was fascinated by it, apparently the gnomes elect their king but their system is much simpler. Closer to your 'Single-Transferable Vote'."
My mind froze; of course she would want to know where my ideas came from. "Ah..." I mumbled and pressed myself against Vivi, desperately trying to think of how to answer.
Would it be wrong to tell them about... everything? They already knew about the future, and I'd already spilled the beans on my reincarnation to Lord Renard. Vivi deserved to know. She deserved to have been the first person to have known, considering our relationship, but in the face of my god it wasn't like I could have denied him.
"Well," I licked my lips, looking up into the evening sky. "I never did tell either of you where I saw the future from. It's... the same."
"You saw systems like those used in the future?" Lorna asked curiously, though she sounded sceptical. "Then, the gnomes were the ones to come up with them?"
"No." I shook my head. "I didn't say before but, Vivi deserves to know, and I don't mind you knowing. This... this isn't my first life. I'm reincarnated, from another world, like Draenor is another world compared to Azeroth." As much as I could get into the whole probably different universes thing, I didn't see the point. Earth was long gone, how far away it was didn't matter. "I remember that life, all of it – well, most of it. I've forgotten a lot. And I saw the future of Azeroth in that one, amongst... everything else."
While Lorna sat, her brow furrowing, I couldn't help but grin. Of all things to get me to reveal my biggest secret, it was a discussion of voting reform.
"So... you're older than me?" Vivi asked confusedly. "But I liked being the older one, I got to be the responsible one and take care of you." She was pouting again, and I found it a bit incredulous that was her takeaway from what I said. "Tell me you're younger than me, Gwen!"
"I mean, there's Trix–" My words were cut off as her fingers dug into my side and started wriggling. "Vivi!" I squeaked, bursting into laughter a moment later and squirming in her lap. "That tickles! Stop!"
"Say it!"
"Vivi, stop!" I protested between fits of giggles.
"Just tell her." Lorna said with a sigh. "You do need a minder."
I struggled, trying to escape her, but all I managed was to knock us over where Vivi kept me pinned and tickled me further. Then I remembered I had another out; reaching inside myself I twisted that part of me that was a fox.
"What?" Vivi exclaimed in shock as I changed, her hands losing their grip as I shifted and shrunk. "Gwen?!"
Darting a few feet away I chattered at her irritably. I liked being hugged, but I hated being tickled. It wasn't fun, being forced to laugh against my will. It was just uncomfortable. Turning up my nose at her I changed back, managing to return to a standing position rather than on all fours, and crossed my arms at her. "That wasn't nice, Vivi." I was going to forgive her, I wasn't really mad... but I still didn't like it.
"Gwen," Lorna said, staring at me incredulously, "did you just turn into a fox?"
Vivi looked up at me, surprise turning to confusion and then her expression fell. "Sorry, Gwen." She mumbled, suddenly dropping her gaze. "I just..."
Damnit. I dropped down next to her and pulled her into a hug. I hadn't meant to upset her. "You're my gallant protector, Vivi. Older or not, you're still taller and stronger than me." I said, lightly kissing her cheek. "I... I don't know if it bothers you at all, but you deserved to know. It's all a mess, my age I mean, I don't even know how old I am if I take it into account. I acted like a child when I was younger, I grew up again, I loved Mama... it was a new life. Not my old one in another world." I poked her nose. "And, just for the record, I don't like being tickled. Never have; I'm not really mad, I just wanted you to stop."
"I feel like I need to reiterate–" Lorna was speaking, but whatever she was saying I didn't hear the rest of it. I was very suddenly distracted.
My girlfriend deciding she needed to kiss my lips properly was just a little bit more important. The warmth of her mouth on mine, the sweet taste of her tongue, and the softness of her lips.
We parted after a moment. Vivi was smiling beatifically, my heart fluttering lightly, and all was right with the world. As she gazed at me afterward I felt like I could stare–
Lorna coughed loudly, breaking the spell. "I am happy for you, both of you," she said, the smile on her face showing that she was being honest, "but I do feel we were having an important conversation. And, I truly must reiterate my question, Gwen, did you just turn into a fox?!"
I blinked at my dark-haired friend who had just gone shrill enough to startle Tricks, who had apparently been napping under Donovan's wing, into shrieking.
"Um, yes." I said awkwardly, still holding onto Vivi tightly. "I met... it was..." I grimaced. "A... it's a secret and not mine. But I'm allowed to share that I can change forms now. I can turn into a fox at will."
"I see." Lorna let out a long breath. "Future visions, reincarnation, and turning into animals. Gwen, your life is a little too fantastical."
"You ride a gryphon." I pointed out.
"As I said, a little too fantastical." She reiterated. "Any one of those would be fine, but no. You had to take all three."
Vivi started laugh, happy little giggles that made me feel like I was blessed to hear them. "Don't forget all the magic, or being taught by an archmage, or being offered a sponsorship by the king!" She crowed, doubling over with laughter.
I let go of her and crossed my arms. "I'm not that special." Not compared to Jaina, to Thrall, or... so many other big names in the world. "Lorna's a Disney princess–" I pointed to where Tricks had snuggled into her lap, finding a new place to sleep and get scritches, and the raven was looking at her to try and get more snacks. "–you can hear the wind and the rain better than me, and you're both nobles! It's not like I'm the only one here that's special."
"But, you are more special than us." Vivi said, letting off another giggle. "And I love you all the more for it. You make life fun."
My heart skipped a beat and I blushed furiously.
"Now that we've settled the matter of Gwen being a protagonist straight out of a play, only missing the long lost connection to the line of Thoras and a magic sword," Lorna said amusedly, "we were talking politics, weren't we?"
"Um, yes." I said distractedly. "We were." Was my life really that absurd?
... Upon consideration, maybe.
Settling back into Vivi's lap, my girlfriend happy to hold me and hug me possessively again, we spoke at length on the various reforms I had come up with. Some of them Lorna was cautious about, only willing to discuss after I confirmed no one was nearby. The thought of a House of Commons was radical to her.
Democracy was rare on Azeroth, even with Frazzle having already explained how it worked and why it worked for the gnomes, she had doubts. A good portion of the Gilnean populace was illiterate, something I knew personally from Celestine's brothers-in-law who never bothered to learn their letters, and would be easily mislead or exploited. That fact alone drastically complicated instituting any kind of vote, even without considering the difficulty of convincing those in power to allow it in the first place. It was one of the points I had to concede on.
Not that I thought we shouldn't try, but that it would take more thought than what I had put into it for it to work. I didn't know that much about how one should hold a true ballot, outside of knowing it needed to be anonymous.
I got to hear some of the more interesting tidbits of her time, too. She had gotten to experience portal magic with Frazzle and Magroth, taking one to Duskhaven after a warning from Bishop Warren – one of the 'priests' who had been with the archbishop today – about the bishop there being biased against witches. She'd gotten to meet the prince too, which we were happy to tease her on; even if it meant her teasing us right back.
Eventually, as the sun started to set, I let out a loud yawn. "I think I'm done." I mumbled softly.
"Gwen?" Vivi asked, and I twisted to meet her vivid red eyes. "Could you... do you mind turning into a fox again?"
My eyes flicked to Lorna, where Tricks was snoring happily in Lorna's lap, and grinned. I started shifting, twisting and shrinking until I was small enough to fit comfortably atop Vivi's crossed legs. I tickled her nose with my tail, delighting in her cute little sneeze it prompted, before curling into a ball.
Tentatively her hands started running through my fur, only to stop abruptly. "This is okay, right?" She asked, and I chirped affirmatively. "Oh, of course you can't talk."
"Gwen's fine with it." Lorna said, stifling a yawn. "She'd be protesting more if she wasn't, like Don' when he's on one of his moods."
After a moment Vivi started up again, and I let out a contented purr; something I hadn't even realised I could do. It was just so soothing, I hadn't felt this safe or relaxed in a long while. Tucking my tail under my muzzle I nestled in deeper, taking comfort in the presence of my girlfriend, my Vivi, more than ever before.
"Wow, you're soft." Vivi murmured, her fingers rubbing at my ears gently.
Slowly, purring all along, I drifted off to sleep.
-oOoOo-
Salutations Gwen,
I have forwarded your message on to Speakers Celestine and Aderic, once I have received their reply on the matter of the king's offer of sponsorship I will pass it along.
Your friend and leal aid,
Adept Frazzle Tindersnap of the Kirin Tor.
P.S. Gwen, you've got to come back and help soon. The ravens, they're great, they make sending messages so much easier and faster than couriers or postmen, but they just don't stop! And there's so many of them!
They keep begging me for food all day and night and won't give me any time to tinker! They stole my wrench until I fed them!
Please, send help.
I turned to look at the raven preening itself on a fence nearby with a raised brow. It looked back with a beady black eye, daring me to disparage its hard, hard work in carrying messages all the way across Gilneas. Pinning the note against the fence I scribbled a reply, telling Frazzle to ask Heather for help; they were actually heading back that way.
"Do ease up on her a little, please?" I said to the raven as I slipped the note back into its leg band. "For the moment at least, if she's sleep deprived she can't make you food. Wait until she has some help."
The raven crowed testily, asking what was in it for them, and I sighed. Reaching into a pocket I pulled out a satchel of nuts, which was quickly snatched up in its beak before it took wing and carried away its prize.
"Oh my, was that bird tame?" Queen Mia asked, walking up the path with a pair of guards at her shoulders. Bishop Warren of Severnvale was with her too, both of them having joined me on my tour of the local villages our wider ritual had missed. "I have heard stories of the connection between crows and witches, was there perhaps truth to them?"
"Your Majesty," I said, giving the queen a short curtsy. After spending a few days with her I felt she deserved a fair bit of respect; she truly cared for her people, doing what she could to soothe their suffering. Far more than Genn she had thrown her support behind our efforts. "The bird was a raven, not a crow, but yes. They are part of our faith, and at the request of the Speaker of Ravens, my old teacher, have offered their aid in coordinating our efforts."
"Fascinating." Queen Mia watched as the bird flew away. "Darius has made excellent use of his daughter, little Lorna, as a courier in recent days, and I have to admit more than a little envy. Perhaps such a system of messengers could be part of what your Order of Amber offers? I would do much to be able to converse with my son or husband when their business takes them away from me."
I would hesitate to call anything about Lorna 'little', and the rest of what she said wasn't something I had ever considered either. A carrier pigeon system with ravens, like from... Game of Thrones? It would certainly boost our influence, and make everyone want a witch around to contribute to swifter messengering. We had already proven they could be bribed, it was simply a matter of convincing them flying messages for us was worth it in the long run.
There was also the obvious use in war, where information was king and keeping up to date was difficult. Mages could teleport, or send messages through magic, faster but there were always more uses for mages. And we scarcely had any of them.
"I will pass that along to the speaker, Your Majesty," I said politely. "Though, the decision will in truth be more up to the ravens than us. If they do not wish to carry messages it would be wrong to force them to do so."
She nodded regally, accepting my statement. "I suppose it is wrong to think of an animal sacred to your faith like one would a simple beast of burden, to be made to do work for us." She paused, looking at me curiously. "Do you find fault in our use of horses also?"
I shook my head with a smile. "No, no. I would have fault with those that mistreat their animals... but few do. Even pigs raised for slaughter are treasured by most who have them." Animals were too valuable for peasants to treat badly and there was nothing wrong about an animal being domesticated.
The queen hummed, starting to walk along to path towards where I had left the others of my group to enact the ritual while I answered the raven.
We had split up into two parts. Myself, Trix, Rachel, and Adrian making up one, while the other consisted of Mathis as a leader with all the others. They kept Segeant Fallan as an escort and were moving into the Northern Headlands to make a start there, with Celestine and her group following once they handled the Western Headlands.
It hadn't been part of the initial plan, but as soon as the queen had made it clear that she wished to see our work done more personally I offered to split the group to allow those less comfortable with it to move on without me.
"I am curious as to the nature of your faith," Bishop Warren asked as we walked, "you showed no reluctance at swearing on the Light. Much has been made in myth of the witches and their... darker magics. Are you unusual in your acceptance, from working with Sister Roper?"
I took a moment to contemplate my answer, this could affect our relations with the church going forward. "Much about our faith is secretive, told only at certain times of the year. However, I have a question that may prove enlightening on its own: What do you know of the Keeper of Order, the Silver-Handed Giant?"
Bishop Warren furrowed her brow. "The namesake of the Silver Hand?" She asked, and I nodded in response. "Tyr, a great hero of ages past who vanquished a great evil and wielded a hammer of purest silver."
"The Silver Hand itself, yes." I said, meeting her gaze. "Tyr, the Keeper of Order, is one of the nine. He, alongside the All-Father, both wielded the Light, and even above the Fox and Raven, they are our gods. The nine ancient keepers who shaped the world and guide our ancestors long, long ago. How could I hate the Light when the god who died to protect us all wielded it as his weapon?"
I paused, giving her a moment to speak, which she didn't take. "It isn't the Light we fear, it's the church. It will take time for that fear to fade."
"And it will have time to do so." Queen Mia stated firmly. "Of that, I will ensure. The witch hunts are long behind us and shall remain that way." She smiled at me comfortingly, somehow conveying that I had nothing to fear. "Of course, this does beg the question, why does your order not wield the magic Light if you worship beings of Light?"
"Because not all the nine are," I said, thinking of how much would be acceptable for me to say, "I am closer to the Lifewarden, and perhaps the Grand Architect, than I am to either the Silver Hand or All-Father. Our power is closest to hers of all of them and we reside in one of her sanctuaries."
Around us the fields rippled, the crops springing back to life as Trix, Rachel, and Adrian finished the ritual without me.
"I see." Queen Mia said plainly, neither positively nor negatively. "Are there any tales you might tell us of Tyr?"
Looking at Trix, who was waving at me enthusiastically while Rachel and Adrian leaned on one another, I shook my head. "Perhaps this evening? I need to aid my apprentice in calling the rains." At her answering nod of acceptance I smiled. "Then I shall tell you tale of Tyr and the Betrayer, and why the land of Lordain was named Tirisfal; Tyr's Fall."
"I shall look forward to it." She said softly.
With that, I hopped over the fence and marched up the small hill to join Trix in calling the rain. Well used to it by this point, the queen and her escort pulled out umbrellas and waited out the shower that followed.
-oOoOo-
Sitting with my feet in the flowing water of a small stream I leaned back against the bank and watched Vivi work through her sword routine. Standing atop the water, water sliding up her sword, she danced; each day, with the rising of the sun, she would come out and dance with either wind or water. And I hadn't missed it a single time since we left Tal'Doren.
It had become something of a spectacle for the queen and her entourage too, to Vivi's embarrassment, with the guards not currently on rotation joining her drills on the shore. But I only had eyes for Vivi, cheering her on when she got into practice spars with the older soldiers of the guard.
None of them could walk on water or launch a blade of wind or water to strike their foes. Even if they beat her unless they were holding back, she was way cooler.
Personally, I would be glad when the queen took her leave at last. I appreciated her support, I truly did, she had simplified a great number of issues we might have faced amongst the villagers, but... as the weeks passed her presence had become burdensome. The nobles that followed along, seeking to whisper words to the king's beloved wife, only increased in number. Inns were filled to the brim, to the point we hadn't found space in a bed in more than a week, and we were being treated as an interesting curiosity that could be questioned on a whim.
And, as much as I liked embarrassed Vivi, I would enjoy getting to be the only one to watch her dances again rather than having half a dozen nobles setting up a picnic behind me each morning. Maybe we could work on our magic together too?
"Vivianne!" Howard called, riding up on a horse. "Sister, what are you– oh dear."
Vivi had startled and turned when her brother called her name, standing firm on the water's surface for a moment before falling through it. The water wasn't so deep that she fell beneath it, but as she stumbled and became soaked she turned to glare at her brother. "What is it, dear brother?" She said calmly despite her eyes promising violence.
There was something enticing about murderous Vivi too, I found. I could step in to help her if he was going to be an arse, but... I wouldn't do it unless Vivi needed it.
"Put his foot in it, he has." One of the queen's guardsmen whispered to another.
Queen Mia covered her mouth to hide a smile. "A thrashing would be well deserved, I think. My brother faced such when he pushed me into a river as a young girl."
"Scandalous." One of the noblewoman followers tittered.
Howard seemed to pale as he realised who exactly was with us, dismounting quickly and turning to the queen. "Your Majesty, I apologise for not recognising you sooner. I was surprised by my sister's..." He glanced at Vivi, who swung her sword to slash away the water that clung to it as she was wading to shore, "magic and failed to take proper account of others who might be around her."
"It is quite alright," Queen Mia said, still hiding her smile, "an understandable error on your part. Please, do not let me keep you from your sister."
"Howard," Vivi said, taking her shirt and wringing some of the water out of it. "What is it you wished of me?"
"Your birthday is only a few weeks away," he said, finding it difficult to decide whether he should be looking to the queen or his sister, "and I wished to ask you to return home with me so that we could celebrate it with family. I have already received leave from my duties with Lord Crowley to escort you."
The frustration and anger flooded away from Vivi almost instantly, the fight draining out of her so fast it scared me. "Is mother expecting me?"
"She asked you to return, yes." Howard said with a nod. "I... at Darius' urging have not informed her of..." He gestured to me. "Though, it appears that was not the only secret you were keeping from us." He said wryly.
As Vivi clenched her fists, staring down at her feet, I leapt to mine and moved over to her; hooking my arm into hers. "She has not kept secrets from you, or not without reason. 'We', as you say it, are recent, too recent for her to have informed you. And her magic... have you ever shown any interest in her swordsmanship? They go hand in hand."
"Be that as it may–"
Howard was cut off by the loud croaking of a duskwing raven as it landed in front of me, holding out its leg. "Urgent." It spoke, voice throaty and demanding. "Read. Urgent."
Gritting my teeth at the timing I kneeled down, ignoring the tittering and surprise of the nobles, and slipped the message off its leg.
As I read my hands clenched at the edges of the small sheet of paper, crumpling it fairly as I grew angry at its contents. And yet, though the contents were terrible perhaps the timing wasn't so awful after all.
"Your Majesty," I said, restraining the anger I felt as I offered her the letter, "there has been a complication. If you would read this letter, please?"
"Of course." She said curiously, only for her brows to raise, then furrow, and a frown to overtake her features as she read. "I see. I will write you a letter swiftly; Julian, if you would get me my pen?"
"What is–" Howard started, only for me to cut him off.
"Vivi, I need to go to Duskmist; Aderic needs help and we're it. Can you go fetch Lorna and tell her we need to be flying as soon as possible?"
She looked between me and her brother for a few moments, fighting some internal war, before smiling widely at me and nodding. "Understood, Gwen. Lord Crowley assigned me to your protection and I won't fail him!" She said cheekily before darting off towards the inn where Lorna was still sleeping off her night of drinking.
"Sister!"
"You've got your answer, she's going to be busy." I told Howard, brushing past him. There were half a dozen things I needed to handle before we left.
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Chapter Beta'd by Trestira
