44. Meetings and Partings

(OOC I've forgotten to write in here but the pages leading up to the scene below would have short notes about her day, her plans, and detailed notes regarding what she ate along with some rough sketches. A few she took the time to make nice... There's a lot of food in this journal.)
 
(Also this is part of a joke (I think?) that came about from my ticket. But whatever, I'm happy to chase red herrings.)
 
Staring at the mound of paperwork Scarlet rubbed her eyes as she looked over the last bit that needed to be filed, it was a copy, the original being held in a bank box, of her citizenship. The extra copy laid next to her along with her letter to her Aunts. Snug-bug would be visiting soon and she wanted to drop off the letter updating them on how she was doing. She had already obtained the personnel, goods, equipment, etc for her Aunts. Damn well near every copper she earned went towards them. Scarlet carefully added the paperwork with the full nom de plum she used in Eisen 'Starlight Scarlet-Berry Voet' and wondered why her mentor had her use such name here instead of coming up with something entirely new. She understood the starlight, it was to signal to the current heads who she was by working her circle into the name. She was the only member of her family to have become a Circle of the Stars druid. Sniffles was adopted by her Great Aunt, or shanghaied into joining their House as her mentor liked to tell it. Berry is what she used when out in the feywilds. Scarlet is sometimes what she used when visiting different countries since it denoted her as either a bastard or an orphan and gave most people familiar with her specific race a reason not to ask where she was from. Surely her uncles wouldn't be aware of her, she had been dead for quite some time. There were also 4 other girls within the maternal line that could possibly succeed. She hadn't stepped foot and had stayed away from her home country as instructed. Most of her memories of 'home' were foggy by now. She didn't remember the mountains. Her oldest childhood memory she remembered there being lots of snow, but that could have been bleed over from her time with Sniffles. As she searched her memories she was still at a loss for her parents faces. She couldn't remember what color her mother's eyes were or what color her father's face was. As time marched on nothing felt familiar and the shades of the past became more distorted as she lost the finer details of what little memories she had of 'home'. Scarlet wondered if she'd ever feel welcomed or 'home'. Fernweh was an odd feeling to have of a place you can no longer recall.
 
Scarlet began packing the bags of holding and colding. Adding every item staggered, it was different from how she normally packed. "I wonder why I'm ordering so much raw goods..." she mused to herself as she added another bolt of cloth. "I bet Sniffles won't tell me. She only goes over the plan, well the parts that are associated with only me. I wish I knew what the other parts entailed... I could help if I knew. Maybe they need more money and manpower...Must be important." Scarlet told Brutus as she nodded to herself. The lack of knowledge didn't bother her, she was curious. Much like how she kept getting side tracked when trying to research why Dragons were not allowed to become citizens every time she went to apply for citizenship and forgot/remembered that odd rule. Hence her living in this country for quiet some time and was only now getting around to it. Her thoughts strayed back to the citizenship test and the odd test to make sure she wasn't a dragon. By all accounts, even though there were 0 instances of dragons becoming a citizen she was unable to find any additional information except that they're considered mythical. "That's odd right?" She asked Brutus who made a soft boof at her, and wagged his tail lazily. He fell asleep while she continued to deal with logistics.
 
While she packed away the items her mind kept wandering back to dragons, her name, locations where she wanted to open the first 'bank' for those of the warrens, and then to personnel. Instead of hiring people to help her setup a 'home' here, she ended up sending them north after scheduling a meeting with her mentor to green or red light their contract. Sniffles would be traveling back with the personnel and Scarlet had finished signing over different contracts so her mentor would have access to her money as she went back north to assist her Aunts. With Sniffle's assistance she had setup several shell corporations to help funnel the money back home. Her paternal uncles had, from what little she heard, absolutely trashed the territory they ruled over and had caused several ecological issues that bled over, causing other houses issues. While her Aunts had tactfully retreated the amount of damage was staggering and finally her Uncles' luck was running out.
 
Scarlet hoped that she had raised enough and that she was sending enough help but since she was kept in the dark she was not 100% sure where everyone stood. When she thought running through her mind she spotted a dark bird who then shifted into her mentor and distracted by the details she noticed. When Scarlet thought of her mentor she always saw her calm collected and perfectly poised but tonight she looked anxious and frazzled. The normally poise and put together person she had known and come to love looked like she had hastily thrown on clothes. Sniffles slinked over to her room, Scarlet lost sight of her as the shadows swallowed her small form but she had already moved over to the window to open it. A warm voice that seemed to be holding back emotion gently drifted over, "Hello Berry. Have you finished the errand I set for you?"
 
Scarlet moved away from the window to give her clearance and the druid changed shapes as she jumped in moving to a clear spot and then returning to her original form. Looking around at her room Sniffles asked, "How is the renovation going?"
 
Scarlet understanding that this was her way of saying 'don't ask right now' answered her mentor, "We're at odds. He says I have too much stuff."
 
Sniffles nodded and said, "Either you'll need to spend more for a magic cupboard that acts as a bag of holding for all your tools or you'll just need to bite the bullet and buy a house."
 
Scarlet sighed as she retorted, "But you and Aunties need that money. I don't wan-" She was cut off by her mentor.
 
Sniffles held out a hand to stop her, "My dear, lovely daughter. You are almost an Adult. You'll be 19 this fall. Lovely child, you need to make a home for yourself. All animals make temporary nests or hallows as they migrate.'
 
Scarlet shot back, "But I want to help you! And I know that my Aunts hands are tied due to how My father's brothers took"
 
Sniffles crossed over to Scarlet before she could blink, she placed her hands on her face and tilted her head to look at her, "Letty, my starlight, lovely girl. Please take care of yourself. I fear that your experiences are turning you into a martyr, and none of us want that for you. We love you. Please dear girl, please take care of yourself. You have been pushing yourself too hard again." She wrapped the young girl in her arms.
 
Scarlet cried, softly and silently. Her small shoulders shook as all the anxiety and frustration started to crumble her walls and she was soothed by the woman she considered her second mother. "No... I will help. Do you need me to hire more men? Do we need mercenaries or maybe"
 
Sniffles clicked her tongue as she ran her fingers through Scarlet's unruly fur in an attempt to untangle it. Scarlet winced when she caught a tangle and Sniffles told her firmly, "Sit on the floor." Much to her credit Scarlet sat obediently as Sniffles started to brush out her fur. "You'll need to trim this again. That saloon, did you like their work?" Her child nodded and she continued, "Good. We... we finally have the pieces that we were working for. It been an ordeal working under the constraints but I think I have everything I need to move forward with the next phase." Her child nodded so Sniffles explained, "We'll have to go no contact. The lines of communication are not broken yet but in order to not give them the chance-"
 
Scarlet finished, "You have to destroy all the evidence. Have you found my brother?"
 
Sniffles gave an affirmation grunt, "Almost. And I have a plan. Haven't told your Aunts, you know the situation they're in. You did good work with the contracts. It's so dizzyingly intricate."
 
Scarlet yawned as she answered, "I didn't make it. You did. To be honest I didn't understand why. None of the instructions made sense. It was only after I had all the parts moving that I was able to see the big picture. Is this what you meant when you told me I'd make a terrible spymaster?" she asked. A soft whine escaped her lips, "I wanted that job in the family..."
 
Sniffles nodded, "Yes Berry. You have to think ahead, which you can do but your talents lay with making money and having the wisdom to understand the trends. That's much different then plotting to overthrow or acting as counter intelligence for a region. You have talent Beloved Daughter. It's in money. You'd make and be happier as a financier."
 
Scarlet asked, "Who will be the head of intelligence for the house? Or military for that matter?"
 
Sniffles answered, "It's a full party. Several of 'the members' are being trained. It's why I can't stay. They got one of the branch heads."
 
Scarlets hands moved to cover her mouth as tears fell. She understood what wasn't being said, "Oh...who would..."
 
Sniffles turned her head so she could get to the mat on her back. "No. I don't know if they're down here and you haven't bought an Amulet of Mind Shielding yet. You still haven't purchased the ring of mind blank or nondetection."
 
Scarlet asked, "But with the money...."
 
Sniffles nodded, "Yes we got them for the heads. Which is why we're moving onto step 43C.235.98 now." Seeing her daughter frown Sniffles patted her head, "You forgo-"
 
"No!" Scarlet answered before trailing off, "I mean I kinda remember. 43 plans overall but I don't remember which items are in the A B C... Yes... I forgot."
 
Sniffles smiled at her child and then told her, "I can't share right now... But don't worry. We're at the tail end. At most 3 years. Only 3 to go baby girl."
 
Scarlet nodded as she asked, "I don't know what...I'm not sure how... I don't remember home. Do you think they'll welcome me?"
 
Sniffles hugged her child as she answered soothingly, "Yes child. They miss you very much and are so very proud of you. You just have to keep what you're doing and stay hidden. The shell companies hide the money pretty well.. Make sure you stay hidden. Don't show up in the papers. Buy those items like I've requested. We've almost got him. We'll save your brother. Just hold tight a little longer."
 
Scarlet sighed as she leaned into her second mother's embrace. After a quiet moment she asked, "Could you go over my new goals? What or who do I need to acquire. What would help the family?" She was given a new itinerary and took the time to encode and memorize the info before she burned the original." While she memorized her mentor packed everything quickly.
 
Leaning out of the window Sniffles asked, "Will you be okay?"
 
Scarlet nodded, "...Yes... I just feel anxious. But I'll be okay. I'm a big girl now and I'm so much stronger than I was 10 years ago. Don't worry, I can do this." Scarlet said, her voice quivering.
 
Sniffles looked fondly at her ward and agreed, "Yes. You'll do well. I'm so proud of you. Keep safe. Keep hidden. I, no we love you Letty. But if anything happens, if you need help, use the red key. Do you understand?"
 
Scarlet nodded and gave her best and bravest smile as she answered, "Yes."
The two parted ways. And Scarlet's legs gave out. She hugged Brutus for support before whispering into his ear, "I have to be brave Brutus.. But being brave is so very hard when you're really, truly terrified. I feel so alone but I know this must be done." Brutus placed his paw around her, as if to hug her. She held her pet for emotional support before picking herself up from the floor and straightening her room. It would be a sleepless night as she dealt with her emotions.
 
 
 
 
 
In her journal she wrote:
 
Saw S. Got update. 43 go. Plan C. New goals set. Try to stay out of the papers... They somehow tagged Nel instead. I should talk to her to let her know.