Kavaina Tari

Something Happened in Rustberg

(( Last week at Heart of the Raven. ))

While Kav had been struggling with a cold and unable to leave her pillow pile the tavern had a not-so-enjoyable guest during its normal social mixer. Kav didn’t know any of the details, only that she was glad she wasn’t there for the grotesque body. But people talk, especially nervous villagers trying to let off some stress by playing instruments at the music studio.

“V - it’s not good here. The patrols are near constant now. The felflame surrounding the place as protection is throwing many of the locals into restless nights and tense days. The horrid findings of gored critters only added to the suspicions and superstitious talks from those of the community. Some have come to avoid me - whispers suggesting my opening of the studio brought a curse upon the town. I’m still sick, but I’m not contagious anymore - just the after notes of a cough and some phlegm. I’m not okay, though. Besides the people I know from the raven, not many are stopping by the business. Everyone is so fearful of everything right now.”

Kav lifted her pen and read over her work. Nothing about this made her want to stay here, but she just started making a living for herself settling in one place and she couldn’t just back out now. The howling of the cold wind and hail-like rain rattled her windows, causing her to jump for her knives. She’d not been this fearful in a long time. But it was just the wind - nothing entered her abode - so she slowly wrapped herself back into her blanket and returned to her writing.

“I am bartending at the tavern for the mixer soon, but I don’t know if I’m ready for it. Sure we’ve got regulars from offshore, but the villagers are wary of us now. I don’t blame them - you’ve seen some of the workers. For a little town like this I doubt they are going to get comfortable with winged, scaled, multi-eyed people, no matter how friendly they are up front. I’m afraid of what could happen. I’m afraid of another fight. I’m afraid to walk over there for my shift and walk home when it’s done. I hope you’ll come out, if just to help settle my nerves.”

She doesn’t sign it. She doesn’t even send it. After folding the letter she tucks it away in a pile of other letters she wrote. The dark-skinned elf needed to vent, that’s all.