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Tue 10th Sep 2024 11:06

82. A dream/a journal entry

by Lady Leticia Scarlet-Bloesembhel Voetdhel-Montaneus

She dreamt of her childhood:
 

Sniffles handed Scarlet the marked-up paper, her light, nimble fingers brushing against the edges as she smiled, her eyes gleaming with patience and warmth. "Do you know why I marked these answers?" she asked.
 
Scarlet scanned the page, her brows furrowing as she struggled to find the error. She looked up, shaking her head slightly. "No. Not really," she admitted.
 
Sniffles kept a pleasant but neutral expression on her face as pride bloomed in her chest. Her child had come a long way. Scarlet, once jittery and constantly on edge, was growing more confident under her care. Sniffles remembered how structured Scarlet's early life had been—her biological mother, a relentless taskmaster, had planned every moment of her days. She and others had argued with the woman when she was alive but she was adamant about Scarlet's education, breaking the poor child under the stress. But here, with Sniffles, Scarlet had healed, had learned to be a child again, and for the first time, there was no hint of panic at the sight of corrections.
 
"Do you know why we learn the laws of the land?" Sniffles continued, sitting down beside her adopted daughter. The raccoon-kin's thick, striped tail curled around her as she leaned against the cave wall, which she had shaped herself with her magic to make it feel more like home.
 
Scarlet paused, tearing off a piece of the bread they'd baked earlier, chewing thoughtfully. After several moments she answered, "So we don't get in trouble?"
 
Sniffles chuckled softly, reaching out she gave Scarlet's fur an affectionate ruffling as she gave her head a small shake. "Laws are like nets or traps, child. You should always be able to see a net for what it is, understand it so you can disarm it. A net can catch you—or it can catch others. Isn’t it better to know how to spot a trap for what it is?"
 
Scarlet pondered this while slathering some jam on her bread. "So we know how to avoid it… or trap others?"
 
"Yes!" Sniffles exclaimed, her eyes bright with approval. "Exactly. Now, what else?"
 
Scarlet’s tail flicked as she worked through the implications. "To, um, use them to our advantage? Like... make sure the rules are in our favor?"
 
Sniffles nodded, pleased. "That’s right. Laws aren’t just there to keep people in line; they’re tools for those who know how to wield them. And when you reclaim your lands, you'll need to know every net, every trap, that’s already been laid out for you—and the ones you’ll need to set for others."
 
Scarlet thought about that, her mind racing through scenarios she might face when she finally made her move. Sniffles added a few insights Scarlet hadn’t yet considered, expanding on how laws could be bent, reshaped, or even manipulated to protect her lands and people.
 
"Do you understand now?" Sniffles asked gently, her tone coaxing, like the lull of wind through leaves.
 
Scarlet nodded, the weight of the lesson sinking in. "I think so. But will I ever really need to use it?"
 
Sniffles’ eyes softened as she draped an arm over Scarlet’s shoulders, pulling her close. "When the time comes, child, you'll know. And when you do, you'll be ready."

 
The imp's small foot pressed into Scarlet's stomach, jolting her awake. She suppressed the urge to lash out or cry in surprise, instead silently shifting her position. Her emerald eyes scanned the room, taking in the stillness of her dim quarters. Only Feathers, her familiar, perched on a nearby shelf, his sharp eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He let out a soft chuckle, and she frowned at him before gently brushing the imp aside and slipping out of bed.
 
The room was quiet, but her mind raced. The remnants of her dream clung to her thoughts, thick and vivid. She padded across the floor, the cold hardwood against her bare feet grounding her as she sat at her desk. For a long moment, she stared at her open journal, the blank page staring back at her. Finally, she picked up her quill and began to write.
 
"I dreamt of mother. Of a lesson. She was once again right… I am using the laws against them and to my benefit."
 
Her hand paused, fingers tapping the side of the desk as she considered her next words. Her dream, a distant memory of Sniffles teaching her about the traps and nets of laws, now felt sharper, more present than ever.
 
"I always thought I'd be one of the several who would journey to the pocket realm to overlook that bit of the fae wilds, but instead, I am running several businesses and information guilds… My life is not what I thought it would be."
 
Scarlet sighed softly, the weight of those words settling over her. The path she had envisioned for herself so long ago seemed like a distant dream now. Ruling, managing, outwitting her enemies—it was all so different from the adventurer she had once imagined becoming.

Continue reading...

  1. 01. Settling in
  2. 02. Fist Fight at a fancy Ball
  3. 03. It's a Lion not a 'Cat'
  4. 04. Patron's tea and dance
  5. 05. The escort job
  6. 06. Update: Today's purchase list
  7. 07. Escort for Bella and the Loot King
  8. 08. Sirens and a chase in town
  9. 09. Got abducted again
  10. 10. Jams and Jellies
  11. 11. New Dog
  12. 12. Guards in the Trees
  13. 13. Temple Visit
  14. 14. New Pup & Outing
  15. 15. Training exercises
  16. 16. Fighting over an idol
  17. 17. Jobs galore
  18. 18. New stationary
  19. 19. A small visit
  20. 20. Slaps and shows
  21. 21. Today's meal
  22. 22. Homesick
  23. 23. Lanterns in the sky
  24. 24. Baby in the park
  25. 25. The Heist
  26. 26. Update: Guild
  27. 27. Mines and Traps
  28. 28. New clothes
  29. 29. I made Journeyer!
  30. 30. Investment shopping
  31. 31. The Pit (fights)
  32. 32. Ghosts of the past
  33. 33. Unexpected ending in a Play
  34. 34. Today's meal
    https://www.worldanvil.com/hero/journal/1aa083c5-ae1f-4624-a724-197a3f8704e3/view
  35. 35. Spies and secrets
  36. 36. Wanted: Three Hand Gang (WED)
  37. 37. Well it's official
  38. 38. Hags and stones
  39. 39. Death and visitations
  40. 40. the shell game
  41. 41. Anger and plots
  42. 42. The jobs so far
  43. 43. (Doodles)
  44. 44. Meetings and Partings
  45. 45. Double checking
  46. 46. An office Scene
    8/01/2023
  47. 47. An(other) office Scene
  48. 48. Paperwork
  49. 49. Behind the curve
  50. 50. Notes and notation
  51. 51. Cake and notes
  52. 52. Paperwork on the high seas
  53. 53. Pics and notes
  54. 54. A small talk
  55. 55. Small notes
  56. 56. The Dressmaker
  57. 57. (food)
  58. 58. Notes
  59. 59. Putting the clues together
  60. 60. Notes
  61. 61. Tea cakes (& slights)
  62. 62. Updates
  63. 63. Board Meetings during battles
  64. 64. Updates
  65. 65. Field command
  66. 66. I am okay
  67. 67. Mountains of paperwork
  68. 68. Needed Vacation
  69. 70. A note
  70. 71. An update
  71. 72. Dissapointment
  72. 73. Notes
  73. 74. Journal entry
  74. 75. Ledgers
  75. 76. Food
  76. 77. An update
  77. 78. A thought
  78. 79. Basking in Dusk's light
  79. 80. A note
  80. 81. A letter home
  81. 82. A dream/a journal entry
  82. 83. An update
  83. 84. Working long hours
  84. 85. A dream, a memory
  85. 86. A meeting
  86. 87. The ride home

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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.042 © 2017-2024 [en] | Anvil Time: 01:55, Nov 15 2024