RedSavant

Barris Astelan Human Scribe 8 AC 18 HP 48/48 HD 8/8d6 1st 4/4 2nd 3/3 3rd 2/2 4th 2/2 Condition Normal Barris has the grace to look embarrassed as Callie chides him, and clears his throat and begins flipping through his tome; but the conversation moves on fairly quickly, and by the time it looks like he might have found something else to talk about, the rest of the party has picked up the slack, with Argus's stirring verse, the Mother Abbess's tale of loss, and Callie's hopeful story. The small golden sprite on his shoulder hardly pauses its quill as the others speak, noting down their stories and the details of the crossing as they pass the time. "It's remarkable how dry the earth is here," Barris murmurs, shielding his eyes and doing his best to discreetly spit out some airborne dust. "You'd hardly think there was such a large river only an hour away from here." As the structure comes into sight, he visibly relaxes, seeing the shade under the stony overhang of the door.

Barris Astelan Human Scribe 8 AC 18 HP 48/48 HD 8/8d6 1st 4/4 2nd 3/3 3rd 2/2 4th 2/2 Condition Normal "I'd heard of the disturbance at Dreykun's Ferry, but I didn't realize..." Barris starts, looking at Calar with surprise. "The full story didn't make it all the way out to the town I was in at the time, but to put it another way, the gist of the story certainly did. I even heard people discussing it in the tavern." Hoping to save Jacoby, Callie, and the rest of the group a second fumble, Barris keeps up his momentum as the conversation moves forward. "A story, is it..." He thinks for a few moments, resting a hand on the book in the sling around his shoulder. "I could read out some finance records from the capital. Guaranteed to make the trip pass in a flash, as I'm sure it'll put you all straight to sleep." He chuckles to himself, but continues. "Well, one thing that comes to mind - ah, and a cautionary tale at that. If you ever have occasion to do business in Alondale, stay away from a trading house called the Ruby Road. For a long time now they've been engaged in price fixing scams, especially on leather goods. Some could argue that's just the privilege afforded by being a large and successful trading house, but in fact it's rooted in exploitation of purchase points and strong-arming the suppliers of hides, which goes beyond simple economics of wholesaling into..." He trails off, looking around, and clears his throat. "In any case, Alondale as a whole is quite under the trading house's thumb and their reach is extensive. And, as it turns out, they have stringent objections to people attempting to disrupt their dirty business, which is why there are warrants for my arrest out across much of the western part of the country." He says this last part with a certain amount of pride, sitting up on the bench and looking rather pleased.

Barris Astelan Human Scribe 8 AC 18 HP 48/48 HD 8/8d6 1st 4/4 2nd 3/3 3rd 2/2 4th 2/2 Condition Normal "It warms the heart to see people doing good business," Barris agrees, helping with the dishes as well if there's any room to be had by the washing basin. "And a fair price for fair labor. There are places in bigger cities that would charge twice as much, simply to stock the guildmaster's manor with more velvets and brocades than he would know what to do with." Barris chuckles, though the fine embroidery of the robe he's wearing doesn't seem to escape his notice either.

Barris Astelan Human Scribe 8 AC 18 HP 48/48 HD 8/8d6 1st 4/4 2nd 3/3 3rd 2/2 4th 2/2 Condition Normal "No, I hardly think anyone will be looking for 'action,'" Barris chuckles, a little bit surprised. The knight's twinkling eye hides a bit of a good-natured scoundrel, it would seem. That said, it's not an unreasonable assumption, though Callie does pass the topic quickly. "I believe there was some talk of Calar making himself scarce in the company of a fae in Arbormast?" He pops some of the scallops into his mouth and chews with relish. "While it's hardly my business, I do hope the fellow realizes he doesn't need to prop up the entire faith on his own - or if he does, he's certainly equal to the task of doing it with a wife at his side."

Barris Astelan Human Scribe 8 AC 18 HP 48/48 HD 8/8d6 1st 4/4 2nd 3/3 3rd 2/2 4th 2/2 Condition Normal "And make that a third order from me, please," Barris adds, stacking his own coins in the growing pile on the woman's palm. "As for any further information, it would be appreciated. We've no desire to cause trouble for anyone, and we'll be out of town on the first ferry to the other side of the river come morning light. Simply someplace safe to lay our heads, without getting in the way, would do."

Barris Astelan Human Scribe 8 AC 18 HP 48/48 HD 8/8d6 1st 4/4 2nd 3/3 3rd 2/2 4th 2/2 Condition Normal Barris blinks at Calar's joke, then chuckles, grinning at the young priest. "I'm sure we could find plenty of seasoned brawlers in town who could answer that for you," he says. "Take care on the docks so you don't find out." With Calar and Aurelia heading to the docks, Barris turns back to Callie and Argus. "Well, I suppose that leaves us in charge of lodgings," he says briskly.

Barris Astelan Human Scribe 8 AC 18 HP 48/48 HD 8/8d6 1st 4/4 2nd 3/3 3rd 2/2 4th 2/2 Condition Normal "I can't say for sure," Barris says quietly, in response to Callie's concern. It's clear he's wrestling with opening up even this much, and he picks his words as he continues. "My mother carried on quite well, until a sudden downturn. If my symptoms progress the same way, then I expect I should be able to manage almost as normal, until..." He spreads his hands, not having to finish the sentence. "I intend to use all the remaining time I have in constructive ways, though. And I certainly don't intend to perish in the next week." He smiles at his traveling companions. "I've made several rather weighty promises in the past few days and I would feel simply awful if I let them go unfulfilled."

Barris Astelan Human Scribe 8 AC 18 HP 48/48 HD 8/8d6 1st 4/4 2nd 3/3 3rd 2/2 4th 2/2 Condition Normal "Nothing I've seen suggests that it could be," Barris admits to Calar, "though I don't claim to know the depths of the faith. It's possible... though perhaps unlikely." He looks out along the treeline again, perhaps trying to get a glimpse of their next destination. "I am sorry for keeping this a secret... and thank you for not immediately attempting to bustle me into a sickbed."

Barris Astelan Human Scribe 8 AC 18 HP 48/48 HD 8/8d6 1st 4/4 2nd 3/3 3rd 2/2 4th 2/2 Condition Normal Barris has been through more tricky situations in his years than his history and bearing may suggest, from showdowns with hired mercenaries to a memorable trip down a raging river in little more than a dinghy, but this may one of the toughest to endure. Red to the tips of his ears, Barris studies the distant treeline as the party walks on, feeling distinctly itchy as Aurelia explains. If any of the party are looking at him with pity, he'd rather not see it. "Barring the worst luck, it shouldn't come up at all," he says, once Aurelia finishes. "If anything, the sea air ought to do me some good, hm?"

Barris Astelan Human Scribe 8 AC 18 HP 48/48 HD 8/8d6 1st 4/4 2nd 3/3 3rd 2/2 4th 2/2 Condition Normal It's getting late now, and the weight of promises exchanged seems to fill up Gilly's shack, not leaving much room for further small talk beyond polite good-nights. Barris feels a bit light-headed as he steps back up to the dirt road, looking around what little of the village can be seen from this vantage. It still hasn't quite sunk in yet, what he's promised. That these buildings will someday be as familiar to him as the stacks back in the cloister... for some time, at least. "Well... I suppose it didn't take much drink at all, in the end," he says to the Abbess, after some moments of walking in silence. "What do you think? Will the Church sanction this mission?"

Barris Astelan Human Scribe 8 AC 18 HP 48/48 HD 8/8d6 1st 4/4 2nd 3/3 3rd 2/2 4th 2/2 Condition Normal "Ah..." After the teasing from Sir Argus and the Mother Abbess, Barris had done his best to convince himself that they were wrong, or at least off-base. He's no stranger to attention, but... "Well... perhaps you're not wrong. It's true that Barrow isn't high on my list." He smiles at her, knowing not to flatter the town or her situation. "But if I can help change that, then I would like to. And if you still desire to leave, letters are valued across the kingdom, numbers moreso. A woman who can read can serve a noblewoman as a handmaiden or enter a countinghouse, or join the postal service and travel across the land in the caravans with bundles of letters from afar. In ten years, you could be aboard a merchant ship as it comes into port in the sunny southern capitals." He realizes his own momentum, and slows down, not wanting to overwhelm the young woman. "Gilly, I promise you that when the time comes that you want to leave, if I have any strength left in me, you will have the tools you need to do so. You will be able to find your way... and you won't be beholden to a sick old town, or a sick young man."

Barris Astelan Human Scribe 8 AC 18 HP 48/48 HD 8/8d6 1st 4/4 2nd 3/3 3rd 2/2 4th 2/2 Condition Normal "Gilly. It's my pleasure," Barris says, moving just a little closer. There's noplace to sit, but he doesn't want to loom over her, or talk down to her. Her words, and the despair in them, bite into him. Calar is trying to grow seeds in fallow ground, by exhorting the sprouts to stand up straighter and reach higher. These people aren't lacking in effort or work, but there is truly nothing here for them to support themselves with. They would fight for survival if given even a single toehold to scrabble against. Barris looks at Gilly, then glances back toward the door, toward the Abbess, and sighs. "Gilly, I... there's something I haven't told my fellow travelers," he says softly. "I'm... sick. It won't pass to anyone else, mind— this is a sickness in my blood, passed down from my mother. It's incurable, and from my memory, once it begins to progress, it... well." He folds his hands in front of him, gathering his words. It surprises him how even his tone is. "When the Pilgrimage is complete, I intend to spend the time I have left compiling a record of our journey, the current state of the Faith, anything else I can think of... Poems, maybe..." He takes a breath, then forges ahead. "And I'll do so here in Barrow, if you all will have me. You won't need to concern yourselves much with my health or upkeep, and if I'm lucky, I'll be able to teach as many as are willing— letters and numbers, history perhaps, how to barter without being taken advantage of. I'll pass on everything I can, and hopefully it will serve you all well." "As for where you can go after that..." Barris opens his bag and pulls out a small silken kerchief, carefully folded and tucked into an interior pocket, and smiles. "I do have some connections I could reach out to."

Barris Astelan Human Scribe 8 AC 18 HP 48/48 HD 8/8d6 1st 4/4 2nd 3/3 3rd 2/2 4th 2/2 Condition Normal "Well, before anything else... I would like to apologize for upsetting you this afternoon," Barris says, choosing his words carefully and speaking soothingly. Aurelia is just behind the doorframe, her expression stern, and for a moment Barris feels like he's a student again, being led to apologize by one of the sisters. "Before, you said you didn't want to go to Vanaris. If you'd be willing, I'd like to know what it is you do want to do... but first, I don't believe I caught your name, either." The Abbess's gaze is ticklish from the side, but Barris keeps his eyes on the young woman. That feeling from before is still present, still strong - without another way out, this woman has nothing.

Barris Astelan Human Scribe 8 AC 18 HP 48/48 HD 8/8d6 1st 4/4 2nd 3/3 3rd 2/2 4th 2/2 Condition Normal "Unfinished business..." Barris can't help but sigh at the Abbess's phrasing, perhaps letting a bit of uncharacteristic annoyance show on his face. As though refusing to bring an unarmed woman along on a journey that could easily be perilous is unreasonable, or... Rather than stew over the remains of the stew, he nods and stands up, pushing his chair back in. Momentum will carry through where conscious thought remains jumbled and, frankly, somewhat lost. "If you see no reason to assume my presence will make matters worse, then I'll accompany you, Mother Abbess."

Barris Astelan Human Scribe 8 AC 18 HP 48/48 HD 8/8d6 1st 4/4 2nd 3/3 3rd 2/2 4th 2/2 Condition Normal The deflection is bitter on his tongue, but it's a taste Barris is well familiar with, and one he doesn't balk at. Instead, he busies himself with the records, doing as much as he can in the short time they have left - mostly a report on Barrow's condition and the misfortunes that brought it here. Maybe it will be of some use to someone in the capital... more use than left here, or brought to Archpriest Sol. The depth of one's care only matters as far as one's ability to do something with it, and right now he feels desperately shallow.