The Foreman’s Heroes: Pilinde Dictates

[Jim Roberts]

[Feb 5 AM – The Godcarvers]

> Pilinde, meanwhile, was attempting to stifle a yawn with only
> indifferent success. “So, if anyone has any questions for me, lemme
> hear ‘em now before I go sack out. Or better yet, get packing.
> You’ve got a date with the Foreman.”

> “Best not to keep the Foreman waiting,” Ben mused. “Pilinde, may I
> once again offer my thanks?”

“You can thank me by getting off the stick and getting OUT there so we
can settle this eco-disaster once and for all,” Pilinde growled back.
Only to wince slightly at the reproving look of her oldest and best
friend, Tramma. “Sorry, your Abottness,” the red headed Druid relented.
“Like I said, it was a tough night, and I’m kinda out of sorts.”

“And what is the phrase you’re looking for?” Tramma mildly prompted her
chum.

Pilinde blinked at her old pal. “I already SAID I was sorry… OH. Yeah,
that.” Turning back to the Abbot, Pilinde added a surprisingly genuine,
“You’re welcome.” However, she couldn’t help but add, “Especially if you
pick your team and get moving.”

There was a lack of volunteers, beyond Laquendi’s earlier offer to come
along with Tramma to cover all possibilities of making certain that the
“silver haired one” was present. Hoping to keep the momentum that
Pilinde had started still rolling, Finfin quickly laid out a plan. “Let
us abide by the Foreman’s request and keep it to a minimum of His Honour
the Abbot and a few bodyguards, possibly what he can carry in a single
Wind Walk prayer, if he has one at the ready.”

A simple nod from Ben answered the elf’s implicit question. A Wind Walk
it would be. “So that is His Grace and up to five other passengers,”
Finfin continued briskly. “Bard Tramma as the Abbot’s diplomat, Field
Commander Laquendi in case the requirement for the ‘silver haired one’
was her, myself and Galdis Laurelin as Arcanely competent bodyguards in
case of trouble, and Great Medicine Woman Jeyshann, as it is HER people
along with the Godcarvers most on the line here with the most to lose.”

Jeyshann looked curiously at the elf as Finfin recited his verbal
passenger list. “I find I am needing to echo the Huntress’ words here,
Captain,” she said at last. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome,” Finfin replied, acknowledging Tramma’s lesson that
good manners were helpful for everyone, himself included. To Mithi, he
added apologetically, “I am sorry this will leave you on the sidelines
for this expedition. I truly do wish that you could be at my side, but I
must respect our host’s desire for a small group, and that is the limit
of what a single Wind Walk can do.”

“No worries,” Mithi chuckled. “Oi’m not worried about missing a trip
back inta that stink ‘ole. An’ anyways, wif you, Laurelin, and Laquendi
on the trip, we’re a bit short ov boom mages in case them kobolds get
frisky while you’re away. Oi’m not in the free of you’s league, but Oi’m
prolly more useful ‘ere.”

Finfin had to nod approvingly at his apprentice’s clear reasoning. To
Sister Erin, he added an additional apology. “I do also regret depriving
His Grace from your able assistance.”

Erin, however, was quite able to Manage Upwards. “That’s foine,
Captain,” the Erish priestess replied. “‘Is Grace has a foine memory,
and I’m sure’n he’ll be makin’ it his TOP priority ta debrief me ROIGHT
afterwards, so I can get the reports made.”

“I am glad,” Pilinde cut in, “that everyone is so agreeable, but I told
you that Lomi’s going along as well. And that is NOT negotiable.”

“Huntress?” the tall scout asked diffidently, clearly not enjoying
having to question her immediate ecclesiastical superior when Pilinde
was obviously annoyed, but was unable to shirk from her Duty to do so
when needed. “If it’s about navigating to the RV, Galdis Laurelin is
even better at that than I am.”

The elven priestess simply smiled, though Finfin nodded. He had
understood that Lomi was a talented scout, but the elven officer
happened to know that Laurelin’s land (and air) navigation skills were
second to VERY few, and probably to no others present.

But Pilinde’s ire was not assuaged. “You’re not listening, Legs. I’m
telling you to go. Not just because I trust YOUR navigation, but because
if that notion we, the Pussycats, and the Keerytes put together
yesterday IS needed, YOU are the one best able to answer some of the
technical questions that are bound to come up.”

That comment caused a few puzzled glances to be exchanged around the
planning circle. Even Laquendi raised a single eyebrow at the comment.
If there had been brainstorming sessions involving the Keerytes, it
clearly had not extended up to their Leadership. Which… made a lot of
sense, given the personalities involved, and of the well established
habit of the Order’s Little Sisters to try to keep their superiors in
the dark whenever possible. That the expedition’s two Little Sisters,
Vilma and Uta, were… colluding with the Pussycats, Wild Women, and other
Free Spirits was an entirely polite term for whatever else was probably
going on most nights behind the pipe and drape curtain wall that
delineated the backstage area behind the Pussycats’ show wagon.

Pilinde, however, was charging ahead. “So you’re going, Legs. I’ll
apologise for being so bossy after I’ve managed to get some sleep, but
for now, that’s an order.”

“Yes, Huntress,” Lomi acknowledged.

The youngest member of the Wild Women might be agreeable, but that,
unfortunately, did not defuse a rather tricky problem. As the local
leader of the Kaltans, Pilinde did indeed have the authority to issue
orders to one of her Pack. But that authority did not extend to
instructing Abbot Benjamin Kenobi about just who his Wind Walk prayer
would and would not affect.

However, before this touchy problem of ecclesiastical authority could
escalate, Jeyshann interrupted with a question of her own. “Huntress?”
she asked the red headed druid, “is your insistence that Lomi Longlegs
accompany us going to support a notion you have that might help with our
challenge against the Waterworks?”

Pilinde gave the Cat Priestess a respectful nod. “Yes, Great Medicine
Woman.”

“Then you once again have my thanks, Huntress,” Jeyshann replied evenly.
“And more importantly, my support. Lomi Longlegs WILL accompany us this
morning. We will fill the Captain’s passenger list, with me providing
myself my OWN Wind Walk prayer to allow room for your Pack member in the
Abbot’s entourage.”

The Cat Priestess’ words were not a mere speculation, and were most
certainly not just a suggestion. They were an iron clad statement of
what WOULD happen, and none felt inclined to dispute the matter.

“Thank you, Great Medicine Woman,” Pilinde returned, ducking her head
respectfully towards the Cat Priestess. The red headed druid turned on
her heel and was beginning to stalk out of the discussion circle to go
off towards her shared camp with Stern when she stopped and returned
back to Lomi.

“Again, sorry for being such a bitch in the HUMAN sense,” she apologised
to her fellow Wild Woman of the Woods. “And I’ll apologise again after
I’ve had some sleep. But in the meantime, you’ll need something to
remind the guardwolves that you’re with me when you reach the RV. Take
this; even I can tell that after wearing it for the past day or so, it’s
starting to reek.”

Pilinde was completely out of her leather jerkin and halfway out of her
undershirt when Tramma’s squawk of “SWEETS!!” stopped the Huntress in
her tracks.

“Whaaat?” Pilinde blandly asked her old pal, peering out of the neck of
her undershirt. “Most of the folks here are women, and I can assure you
that we ALL have breasts. Stern’s off getting ready for a great catnap,
and Bartras and Gilbert are already out with the morning scouts. The
only guys here are HIM,” she continued, pointing at Finfin, “who’s
already seen what I’ve got more than once, even though he never seems to
be paying attention at the time. And HIM,” she continued, pointing to
the Abbot. “And if our celibate Belmakian Holy Molyness hasn’t figured
out what’s under a lady’s shirt by NOW, it’s high time he learned.”

“Sweets,” Tramma sighed, “the Abbot has been to a number of Keeryte
rituals by now, not to mention my OWN little ceremony a few days back
where you very graciously helped me with my Confirmation as a Bitani. So
I’m sure his keen memory that Sister Erin describes can fill in any
blanks. But remember, sweets… manners?”

Pilinde looked blankly at her old pal for a moment, and then sighed.
“Oh,” she relented at last. “Those.”

“Lomi?” Tramma suggested to their fellow Wild Woman. “Help our buddy
back to her and Stern’s camp, please, and you can get her shirt there.
And try not to let her either fall asleep or bite anyone’s ankles on the
way.”

Lomi nodded. “Can do. And I’ll pick up a few things I’ll need in case
you and I DO need to make that pitch, and come right back.”

“Actually,” Mithi interjected, “stay back behind the curtain line fer a
bit. Oi’ve got all me white robes fer the Wind Walk back there. You may
as well all get changed back there.” Lomi nodded before hurrying after
an already departing Pilinde.

Mithi then grinned at Sister Erin for a moment before adding, “Well,
almost all. C’mon back, and Oi’ll send ya out wif the white robe Oi made
fer the Abbot a while back.”

“I’ll do that,” Erin agreed.

Mithi turned to Finfin. “Oi’ll ‘ead on back now. Before gettin’ them
robes ready, Oi’ll ‘elp Pilinde wif a Prestidigitation cleanup before
she sacks out. Oi bet she’ll sleep better fer it, and Oi don’t want ‘er
ta fall asleep in a bath.”

Tramma chuckled at the notion. “Wolfgirl’s more likely to roll in the
dirt to clean up. But yeah, she WOULD appreciate it, even if she won’t
realize it until after she’s had a nap. So on her behalf, thank you.” A
moment later, the apprentice wizard was hurrying out to catch up with
the two departing Wild Women.

Next to Laquendi, Senior Initiate Reva looked at her CO in some concern.
“Skipper?” Reva asked quietly. “Do you want me to send one of the Little
Sisters back to pick up a robe for you, so you can get changed back at
OUR camp?””

“That would seem inefficient,” the Drow replied.

Reva exchanged a glance with her old roomie, Vowsister Orah. Reva’s CO
had been a bit skittish about public undressing in their campaigns
together. But the recent few days had been… transformative for the
Keeryte Team’s commander. Either the profound healing magics, the by all
accounts spell binding Moon Dance, or both had clearly had an impact on
the dusky elf. Very likely for the better.

As Lomi, Pilinde, and Mithi headed towards the backstage area, Tramma
turned back towards the Abbot. “Sorry about that,” she apologised on her
friend’s behalf. “She was raised by wolves, you see.”

“Truly?” Jeyshann asked, clearly intrigued, if a little horrified.
Raised by wildcats would, in the priestess’ mind, have been much preferable.

“Well, no, not really,” Tramma admitted. “I know Pilinde’s parents; we
came out on the Wagon Train together. Two of the nicest people you’d
ever hope to meet, and both Belmakian. But dear Pilinde often wishes
that she COULD have been raised by wolves. She was never able to talk
her parents into the idea, and *I* refused to help her convince them.”