Without wearing any mask we are conscious of, we have a special face for each friend.

[sapphira_ststep]

[Late morning of Saturday, February 20 (day 265)]
[Market on Main Street]

I have not seen the woman from last week, the one who was happier when she wore and bought my blue one. At least I am fairly sure I have not seen her; I do think I could place her again, mask or not. But that doesn't mean much, a young woman hiding in drapes of cloth not

Comments

[nunaunet]

"A decent trade, and maybe a touch more useful than mine."

"Wouldn't want everything to be 'bout utility, now would we?" I say, an' smile at her. "But I like what I do, ayuh."

"I think she's had a hard time of it lately," Sapphira adds, and I snort.

"Can tell that; she ain't used to the job, or least she ain't done it for a while. But you'll forgive me if I ain't got the most patience for rudeness right now. Been a hard wintah for most of us, this yeah."

"I came in back in October," I say, smiling. "And par chance there was a masquerade the next week. That rather helped. It's been quieter since, though." I shrug, not really minding. "It seemed like a place to winter, and a quiet place to work as long as I come in maybe once a week. And you?"

"Oh ayuh, heard 'bout that party. Couple of girls from the Lot went along, had a real nice time. An' as for me, I been selling fish heah a couple of months now, since business got slowah elsewhere. Got a way with fish most don't in wintah, so I may as well use the skill."

Glance round, and see the fella as was riding a horse an' attacking people the othah week. Looks calm today, but my eyes narrow. Look back at Sapphira.

"You feel settled into town yet, then? Finding friends?"

[sapphira_ststep]

Nu sees it too, Elanna not being new, but... "But you'll forgive me if I ain't got the most patience for rudeness right now. Been a hard wintah for most of us, this yeah."

"I'd heard some of that," I say, softening my tone. "I do hope it improves for you, if you're going to be staying around." And I would like to know why they are staying around, why they did long enough to get snow-locked into this town, but I suspect that at best that's a sore point, so leave it be.

"Oh ayuh, heard 'bout that party. Couple of girls from the Lot went along, had a real nice time."

"I ran into the man who arranged it, a while back," I say thoughtfully. "I don't think there's another in the offing anytime soon, but..." Grin a bit and wave one hand in a you-know gesture. "Guest at someone else's table and open doors, worse things that could happen."

"An' as for me, I been selling fish heah a couple of months now, since business got slowah elsewhere. Got a way with fish most don't in wintah, so I may as well use the skill." He catches the weight of someone watching us, then, and looks over at an old man watching, a sad Francatrippe. I raise a hand to him, but don't wave; I don't know that he cares to join our or any conversation.

"You feel settled into town yet, then? Finding friends?" Nu asks, and I turn attention back to him.

"Settled in," I say cheerfully, "but more out of town than in. Talked to a few people, though. I met Will over the river, a month or so back," I add. I think of calling him a gentleman, but he didn't seem that, just nice. "Generous man."

[isidore_excolo]

The androgyne looks around at me. They must have a good sense of things, though I wasn't trying hard not to be seen. The maskmaker sees me too and raises a hand, before going back to her conversation.

I make my way over to them, slowly, taking time to stop and look over the goods on display as I pass. I might even consider buying a mask from the woman selling them. I've had cause to use them in the past, and to good effect.

"Good day," I greet them when I pass near. "Do you both do well?"

The person is large, and her posture is unfriendly. I had worried about the feeling of the town towards me, given the role I played in the riot, but the shame of it has given people cause to forget. I did not wear my chain today, just my robes, and despite my dagger I must look more a monk than a warrior.

[nunaunet]

"I do hope it improves for you, if you're going to be staying around."

"Say thank ya. Yoah mouth to heaven's eahs, as the saying goes."

"Settled in but more out of town than in. Talked to a few people, though. I met Will over the river, a month or so back. Generous man."

"Can take time to dig into a place like this, ayuh," I say. "An' glad you like Will. Then again, not many as don't like him. He's one of those types."

The warrior monk comes on ovah to us an' makes nice. Look at him thoughtfully.

"Morning an' thank ya well," I say back to him. "Brothah...?"

[sapphira_ststep]

"Yoah mouth to heaven's eahs, as the saying goes," and I rap the table with my knuckles, quick and light. And smile over Will and then the old man's coming over, and I smile to see him looking at my masks.

"Good day," he says, calmly polite. "Do you both do well?"

"Morning an' thank ya well," Nu answers, and yes, I do like listening to him talk.

"I do," I say cheerfully, "and hope the same for you." Catch Nu's asking after his name, and offer a hand. "Sapphira St-Stephens," and I'm smiling.

[isidore_excolo]

"Morning an' thank ya well," the androgyne greets me, their dark eyes peering keenly into mine. "Brothah...?"

I smile, not at all displeased for being mistaken. "Isidore," I say, and I take the maskmaker's hand. "I'm pleased to meet you," I say to her, and then look back at the androgyne. "And yourself as well," I add.

They have an air about them - not of a priest, exactly, but a presence that makes me wary. "It's good to see the town going about its business normally," I say casually.

[nunaunet]

"Isidore," I say. "Good sort of name. Ain't it Spanish in the way back?" I hold my hand out. May be as I can feel something from him, ayuh. "I'm Nu. Town seems settled some," I say, "aftah all that went on. Saw you in the thick of it," I add, raising my eyebrows a little. "Good horse you got."

[sapphira_ststep]

"I'm pleased to meet you," he says, and I dip my head in acknowledgment and smile. "And yourself as well," he adds to Nu, and then there is matter of the riot, and--

"Saw you in the thick of it. Good horse you got."

"I don't know that I heard about that," I say, looking to Isidore and tilting my head. "I hope no-one was hurt too badly. And yes, I'm quite glad to see Excolo settling back to a quieter state."

[isidore_excolo]

"Isidore," they repeat. "Good sort of name. Ain't it Spanish in the way back?" I shake my head. "It's a reference to a goddess from a long time back," I explain. Perhaps another face of Asherah, in a way.

They hold out their hand to me, and I take it in mine. "I'm Nu," they say by way on introduction. "Town seems settled some, aftah all that went on. Saw you in the thick of it. Good horse you got."

They don't sound too pleased, but I still doubt there was much else to do. A community cannot tolerate the breakdown of order, not to that degree.

"Boaz and I have been together through a lot," I tell Nu. The maskmaker, St-Stephens, looks to us. "I don't know that I heard about that," she says. "I hope no-one was hurt too badly. And yes, I'm quite glad to see Excolo settling back to a quieter state."

I shake my head. "A few broken bones, some cuts and bruises. No one was killed though," I tell her. I'm sure there were serious injuries, and I regret the necessity, but that is all. "I understand the man is on trial now," I say looking at Nu, for I suspect they're from the Carnival themselves.

[nunaunet]

"It's a reference to a goddess from a long time back," he says, an' that makes me look at him. Think of the language of it, what it could be.

"Gift of Isis," I say, an' for a moment I smell the Nile.

"A few broken bones, some cuts and bruises. No one was killed though. I understand the man is on trial now," he says, an' I just look on back at him.

"So I heah," I say. Ain't giving nothing away to him, ayuh.

[sapphira_ststep]

"A few broken bones, some cuts and bruises. No one was killed though," Isidore says to me, and I touch my knuckles to the table again, murmur may they heal clean.

"I understand the man is on trial now," he adds to Nu, and-- Oh, Nu, so much yourself for a moment when names are spoken and then so little to be seen, a shell like a hard gloss of varnish.

Some shall be pardon'd, and some punishéd... I shake my head a moment, to clear it. There is so much to be found in trials. I would like to have seen it, people trying to deal with some horror by casting it into old lines and roles, but I do not think I will say that now.

He was an old man. Half the time he was confused. How could he be positive about anything?

"It must be terribly hard to deal with," I say, picking up my pendant again, and shaving away more of whatever does not fit with the shape. I can look at them both as I do that, rather than at my hands; I have had long practice, and trust that any nicks if the knife does slip will not be a problem. "Having someone like that in the community--" and I am looking at Isidore, now-- "and trying to understand... I wish no-one had gotten hurt, though."

[isidore_excolo]

Nu looks closely at me, finally saying "Gift of Isis," in a tone that knows, and I look closely back. It might be she knows the old language, so foreign to us as well, or there might be more to it. But Nu just looks back at me, their eyes like a wall.

A movement out the corner of my eye draws my attention, and I see St-Stephens shake her head quickly, before taking up her knife. "It must be terribly hard to deal with," she says calmly. "Having someone like that in the community and trying to understand... I wish no-one had gotten hurt, though."

She looks at me, and I wonder if there is accusation there. "I have no doubt the law will be executed," I say to her. "Excolo, for the most part, seems to work as a community, and not individuals fighting amongst themselves."

[nunaunet]

Sapphira moves her knife smooth and swift. Pleasing to watch, ayuh; always like seeing folk as is good at theih craft.

"Excolo, for the most part, seems to work as a community, and not individuals fighting amongst themselves."

"Ayuh," I say. "Though community's an interesting word," I say, drily. "Difficult to know who it covahs." I turn to Sapphira. "Was good to meet you," I say to her, an' with some warmth. "You should come by the carnival. We've got all kinds of masks theah." Glance at Isidore. "Go with youah goddess, Isidore," I say, an' I go on back to my stall to finish packing up an' head on home.

[sapphira_ststep]

"I have no doubt the law will be executed," Isidore says, and I don't think he's punning, he doesn't seem the type, but I smile a bit as I nod. "Excolo, for the most part, seems to work as a community, and not individuals fighting amongst themselves."

And Nu agrees, but "Though community's an interesting word. Difficult to know who it covahs," and with that I can quite definitely take Isidore as firmly entrenched in the community--the town, that is, and not the Carnival that's setting down roots across the river. I think the local goddess is meant to be some sort of community guardian, but can't tell if that means she's expected to see the Carnival as new members or intruders... Oh, the walls people build.

"Was good to meet you," he says, and I smile. "You should come by the carnival. We've got all kinds of masks theah."

"I believe it," I say, "and I shall. Good to speak with you as well, Nu; I'll see you at Market if not before." And he passes a goodbye to Isidore and heads back to his stall.

"Have you been in Excolo long?" I say, looking to Isidore. "I'm guessing you spend more time in town proper than I, if you were here for the trouble."

[isidore_excolo]

"Ayuh. Though community's an interesting word. Difficult to know who it covahs." Sounds like they've noticed, that the Carnival isn't part of this one. Been brought home of late, I expect. Either way, Nu isn't too fond of me. They look at me as they depart. "Go with youah goddess, Isidore," they say, and the words hit me like a blow to the chest.

I hardly hear St-Stephen's question, and I need to shake my head and think back. "No," I tell her. "not long." But I think and then tell her "No, I'm mistaken. Nearly two months now, it must be. And I'm living at the Abbey." I look at her curiously. "You're not with the Carnival. Where do you stay, if not in town?"

[sapphira_ststep]

If I didn't think Nu the sort to mention that he and Isidore knew each other--or to hide it better if they ere trying to keep it quiet--I'd take them for acquaintances of some standing, deep if not old. There is a weight to the words passing back and forth, and Isidore seems quite distracted for a moment. I set them aside to mull over later, foreshadowing that may make sense in time.

"No, not long," Isidore answers me, and then "No, I'm mistaken. Nearly two months now, it must be. And I'm living at the Abbey." Wonder whether it's boredom or distraction that has time slipping by so quickly for him. I would guess not boredom--he does not seem the kind to be slothridden--so I suppose whatever he's doing he keeps busy. "You're not with the Carnival. Where do you stay, if not in town?"

"I'm renting the Merton farm from the town," I say, gesturing vaguely in its direction. "The family moved on after harvest, I heard; it's quiet, and pleasant to work, and I come into Excolo for market and supplies. Although it is a nuisance to get firewood out there," I add. "We seem to be heading for warmer weather, though, and I for one can't wait." I grin a little. "Why Excolo?"