Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 11)

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Ljungtroll
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Tue May 31, 2022 1:59 am
Ljungtroll says... · Tue May 31, 2022 1:59 am
Sara watched her go, sighing as she rose and went to find Gaius.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik

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Shady
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Tue May 31, 2022 2:01 am
Shady says... · Tue May 31, 2022 2:01 am
Ky made it to her room quickly and slipped her shoes off. She glanced at the bear rug, feeling an impulse to sit on it next to the fire, before she remembered that it was something she Dare Not Touch and she tiptoed around it as per her norm. Instead, she settled into one of the overstuffed chairs beneath the window and fanned the letters out across her lap. She picked the one she hoped was from Anneke -- though she wasn't one-hundred percent certain -- and cracked it open and began to read.

"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus
"From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf
"A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni
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Ljungtroll
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Tue May 31, 2022 2:05 am
Ljungtroll says... · Tue May 31, 2022 2:05 am
Dear Kylia,
I hope this letter finds you well! We've had quite a few letters from Serpent Keep these past few days. Tomhas has gone through them all and it sounds like you've had a very eventful few weeks. You met the Marrow Man?? And made friends with him?? I have to know the full story. The children are dying to know too; they're convinced you're magic now!
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik

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Shady
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Tue May 31, 2022 2:07 am
Shady says... · Tue May 31, 2022 2:07 am
Ky smiled a little at that. Perhaps she should ham that up a bit. Become the expert storyteller. She kept reading.

"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus
"From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf
"A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni
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Ljungtroll
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Tue May 31, 2022 2:12 am
Ljungtroll says... · Tue May 31, 2022 2:12 am
And the situation with the gods is very concerning to be sure, not to mention the trolls. I know you're strong; you'll be okay. But I want you to be safe. Have you been going outside beyond the walls with all this hubbub?
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik

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Shady
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Tue May 31, 2022 2:15 am
Shady says... · Tue May 31, 2022 2:15 am
Anneke was so much more of a calming presence than Tomhas.

Not in a bad way, of course. Tomhas's energy was reassuring in its own right and she loved it about him. But there was a sort of soothing edge to this letter that wasn't there in the last.

She'd need to be sure she assured her that she was safe.

"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus
"From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf
"A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni
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Ljungtroll
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Tue May 31, 2022 2:31 am
Ljungtroll says... · Tue May 31, 2022 2:31 am
I certainly hope not. But if you have then I trust your new friend has made sure you didn't get into trouble.
Tomhas assured me he wrote about the earthquake and Oscar's injury in his letter, but I thought I'd reiterate that Oscar is okay. He's been bragging about surviving his tumble off the mountain cat for awhile now and seems to be in great spirits. It was a clean break so he should be back on his feet soon.
Everyone here was shaken by what happened, of course. Gaius's letter helped, but we're at a loss of what to tell the people of Clawholm. We don't want to start a panic, but what else will this do?
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik

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Shady
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Tue May 31, 2022 2:33 am
Shady says... · Tue May 31, 2022 2:33 am
Perhaps she should have read this letter first.

Oscar was okay.

Good.

Anneke wouldn't minimize that if he wasn't. And, well, that sounded like him -- finding a positive in the midst of an objectively bad situation.

"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus
"From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf
"A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni
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Ljungtroll
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Tue May 31, 2022 2:40 am
Ljungtroll says... · Tue May 31, 2022 2:40 am
But I'm not here to ramble about difficult issues and Tomhas's choices--I'm sure you read his letter already, but if you didn't then you might want to pause and do that now--I want to know how my daughters are doing! Lyra hasn't written to anyone but Anneliese--is she alright? Please tell her we love her.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik

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Tue May 31, 2022 2:41 am
Shady says... · Tue May 31, 2022 2:41 am
Ky cringed. Ouch. A big ol' 'fuck you' to their parents, huh? She wondered what she'd said to Anneliese.

"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus
"From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf
"A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni
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Ljungtroll
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Tue May 31, 2022 2:44 am
Ljungtroll says... · Tue May 31, 2022 2:44 am
Please let me and Tomhas know if she's doing alright. I know Gaius said she's been quiet, but he didn't give us much else to go on. He doesn't seem to know what's going on with her.
Raina is doing alright, at least. She's very clever, learning fast already. She certainly has a will of steel and knows exactly what she wants from the world already. She's shaping up to be a contender for most talkative Loquitur! Babbles all hours of the day and night.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik

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Tue May 31, 2022 2:46 am
Shady says... · Tue May 31, 2022 2:46 am
What the fuck? He'd tattled on Ky but respected Lyra's privacy? That was some bullshit if she'd ever heard it.

"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus
"From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf
"A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni
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Ljungtroll
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Tue May 31, 2022 2:52 am
Ljungtroll says... · Tue May 31, 2022 2:52 am
(Noooo!)
(Ky, Lyra legit does not speak and will not open up if Sara went at her with a pair of pliers!)

Peter and Oscar miss Tasia and their cousins; please tell them all hi from them! Both have enclosed drawings that they would like you to pass on to Tasia, Mattathias, Marcella, and Regulus respectively. I've translated their writing for you so you know which is which.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik

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Shady
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Tue May 31, 2022 2:57 am
Shady says... · Tue May 31, 2022 2:57 am
(haha don't tell Ky that it'll just make her try harder)

Ky was still sour about that revelation.

Perhaps she'd go ask Lyra for some tips, to see how being quiet behind her bedroom door was soooooo much different from Ky being quiet behind her own.

...still. The next paragraph was extremely cute. And managed to get the slightly hint of a smile back.

"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus
"From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf
"A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni
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Ljungtroll
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Tue May 31, 2022 3:01 am
Ljungtroll says... · Tue May 31, 2022 3:01 am
I hear you're looking to do swordsmanship up there as well! Ka'Nor highly recommends Captain Bay, and so do I! He grew up in a village near ours and our little group has been friends for ages. He's a very good man, if a little hard to get through to at first. He'll be very patient with you. I couldn't think of a better trainer; he's on a level with Ka'Nor.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik

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Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.
— Jamie Anderson