Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 15)

(I bet
Field work still sounds delightful to me)

"I'll speak to my contacts in Rhaebaki, if you think that would help," Gaius offered.
D'Ara shook her head. "No, that'd make us look weaker than we are. If worst comes to worse then I'll start sending out patrols to burn homesteads."

(It is! … most of the time lol we started this morning at 6 am when it was 44 degrees which sucked lol but now it’s warm and I’m having fun. Are you familiar with invasive silver carp? The ones that jump)

Maybe D’Ara was awful, too. Ky glanced up but quickly looked back at her plate when she realized her body language was dangerously close to having an opinion. Couldn’t have that. She’d not survive if she joined the ranks of those that had earned the disfavor of this terrifying woman. She’d cry for sure. But how awful. Terrible.

(Are those the ones that used to be called Asian carp?
My bio professor works in a similar field and he said he's seen grown men get knocked off a boat by them)

D'Ara glanced over at her. "Not with anyone inside, of course. That's not our style."

(One and the same. I’m working with them for my new job. We just started field work this week so I’m still tickled by them. We just went through a pool with a ton and it was delightful. Like. Bad because it’s bad they’re here. But one jumped in the boat. And we caught 4 more)

Oh, right, that made it better. Just let the peasants starve to death rather than burn alive. At least then D’Ara wouldn’t be burdened with hearing the cries of children with their hunger pangs.

Ky was afraid D’Ara was talking to her and risked a quick glance up. She blushed when she realized she was right and quickly looked away. Why was she getting so opinionated lately? She needed to stop before she got smited.

(Oh wow awesome!! Get em outta here!)

"Child." She leaned forward. "Politics is not a clean thing. Never has been. But the lands of Rhaebaki were never meant to be settled as thoroughly as they are now. We allowed the Taral and his men to set up an outpost in that area and it grew into a small city and some towns. It's only getting worse."

Ky didn’t want to be having this conversation. It was one of those things she wasn’t going to agree with no matter the justification given because it was wrong, and yet she was going to have to pretend to in order to keep the peace. Not get in trouble. She nodded, not looking up. “Yes ma’am.”

Gaius made a mental note to talk to Derik about this before he left.
"Any more issues with the East and the raids?" he asked.
"Does the sun rise in the east?" D'Ara scoffed. "They're insatiable, Gaius. Further and further into the South each year, bolder with every town burned and child stolen from their mother's breast."

(Also would you be interested in another duo in another world of mine? It's also fantasy but with less nobility and more magic)

And how, exactly, was that different from what she was doing? Burning crops. Letting peasants starve to death. Apparently those children had value in her eyes.

She’d need to make sure Tomhas didn’t condone this barbarity later. Surely he saw how undeniably wrong this was.

(Ohoho yes! I’m super down. Wanna make another Discord to figure things out? Or however you’d like to explain is good with me. Once I know some more deets I’ll figure out what characters to bring in)

(For sure! Once I'm home we can do that--I'll let you know when. Free. Heading to museum studies at the moment; we're helping deinstall an exhibit at the museum)

"They're pushing the borders of the North, too," Gaius said grimly. "I'm told they have a new weapon that spits fire and steel."

(Ooh nice! Hope that’s fun! I think today is gonna be a bit of a long day for me but I’ll answer as I have time and will let you know when I’ll be around for real-time responses once I know lol)

Ky forced herself to eat the potato rather than just push it around. The sooner her plate was empty, the sooner she could go. Right?

(Alrighty. I'll set up some threads and put out details for today, then you can let me know what questions you have. This world isn't as developed so there will be some building going on as we rp I think)

D'Ara nodded. "I've seen it in action. Terrible bloody business; the Taral is taking steps to purchase some for his army, from what I hear."
"I expect Harold will outlaw it," Gaius mused.

(Sounds good!)

Vegetable next. She needed to pack in as much food as she could before the two of them turned her stomach entirely. It was getting progressively harder to eat for the anxiety.

"I'm certainly not letting any into my tribe," D'Ara sniffed.

How did they plan on fighting fire with… swords? Bows? That seemed… ineffective.

Tomhas seemed to have the same question. "Wouldn't that make people more vulnerable to attack?" he asked. "Why not arm your people against the enemy?"
D'Ara gave him a look. "Because to bring more of that weapon into the world is to invite chaos," she replied. "Everyone carries a knife wherever they go; imagine this war machine becoming mainstream. Imagine what that would do."