(2023-01-17) To Northrend!

Details

Author:	Alli
Summary:	Jo, Elohad and Ben meet up and discuss the impending boat trip to Northrend!
Rating:	T for Teen

Arc: Season 9

Jocoza trots down the stairs on tiny legs, and pauses when she sees Elohad in the chair. She smiles, and then moderates the expression to something a little bit more neutral. "Hi, Elo. How're you holding up?"
[Elohad]: I'm doing all right. Why, do I not seem all right?
Elohad peers at Jo searchingly.
[Jocoza]: You seem just fine, *Jo says firmly.* But you did explore Medivh's Tower, and who knows what tricks are in there?
[Elohad]: It was… yeah. It was a thing.
Elohad exhales heavily. "But it's done."
[Jocoza]: I would've loved to see some of it… but Gwen and Cressidha did, so I'm sure they noted anything of especial arcane interest.
[Elohad]: Yeah, you can compare notes with the two of them later.
Jocoza nods.
[Jocoza]: Our squads held up well, though?
[Elohad]: Did a fantastic job.
[Elohad]: There was some kind of… spectral dragon that gave us some trouble, a bit, but we rallied.
There is a clatter at the top of the stairs, the door banging open, and then Ben Hazan comes down the staircase like an armored storm. He’s wearing a stained and travel-dusted tabard of the Shattered Sun over his blued plate, and has a slightly wild air that goes beyond any of his usual breathless dishevelment.
[Elohad]: And the giant demon on the roof was no picnic, but we– oh hey, son.
[Jocoza]: Giant dem… oh, Ben! Hi!
Ben stares at the Captains. "You heard? Did you hear?"
[Elohad]: I'm guessing not.
Elohad peers at Ben searchingly.
[Elohad]: C'mon in, have a seat.
[Jocoza]: About?
Ben is in no mood for pleasantry. He pauses to catch his breath and shakes his head at Elohad.
[Ben]: Northrend. Sir. Ma'am.
[Jocoza]: Yes. It's still there, right?
Elohad straightens. "What about it?"
[Ben]: … goin'. We are. Alliance is.
[Elohad]: They're ready??
Elohad blinks.
[Jocoza]: We are? When? *Jo starts to rise, then sits back down.* Not literally right now, surely. Someone would've said.
Ben sets his shoulders back and exhales slowly, trying to compose himself. "Not right– I mean. Right now. Sort of. They've gone already, some. Is what I'm hearin'. Scouts and whatnot. The 7th. Quiet-like."
[Ben]: And now they're ready, and we got to– we got to move. I mean.
Ben looks between them.
[Ben]: We are gonna move, yeah?
[Elohad]: Who should we get in touch with? I suspect Wyrmbane's there already or I'd send him a message right now.
Ben shakes his head. "I come– I was at the Sunwell. It was on the way, comin' back from there, one of the Alliance brass. He got word, started tellin' his men. Reckon we got to– if Stormwind ain't been in touch, reckon they will be, any time."
Elohad remains calm and professional.
[Elohad]: Okay. If someone doesn't contact us very soon I'll head to Stormwind myself and make some noise.
[Ben]: Yessir. Okay, sir.
[Elohad]: They're going to want Cobalts out there.
Ben nods firmly at Elohad. Damn straight.
[Jocoza]: Of course they will, and I'm going. *She looks to Elohad.* And our squads.
[Elohad]: Did you hear any details? How many ships?
Ben shakes his head. "I did not– I didn't hear that. He was sayin' some new kind of ship, though? I dunno how many. Icebreakers?"
[Elohad]: Yeah, they've been working on that since Light's Hope.
[Elohad]: I can't believe they're done already…
Ben changes his mind about not sitting, and crosses to half-collapse into the chair near Elohad. He rakes his cropped hair back wearily and nods.
[Elohad]: And what are our squads looking like?
[Elohad]: If it's time, it's time. Let's take a look at the squad situation.
[Jocoza]: Yes, and we'll need to put a call out. This week's newsletter? I expect a lot will want to join, squad or not.
[Ben]: We got me, and I reckon Mr– Sir Dane will want in, too. As leads.
[Elohad]: A lot of stuff is kind of… shifting around right now. I just heard from Auralind that she wants to focus on working with the Cenarion Expedition. Be more of a liaison for us. She's stepping down as lieutenant, and we'll need to promote someone to allow for that.
Ben blinks. "Wait. No Auralind?"
[Jocoza]: Oh gosh, really?
[Elohad]: Yeah. But Caspis Silvershade, her uh… brother-in-law? The druid? The one who told us about the silithid situation and all that? He's in. He wants to go. She suggested him as a possible replacement for her but he’s only just joined us, so I’d like more time to observe him.
[Ben]: Oh, yeah. He come by? He come to Bruuk's to ask about signin' up.
[Jocoza]: Did we… hire him?
[Jocoza]: I mean, I know he's been a bit adjacent to Cobalt, and invaluable in Outland in terms of information and whatnot.
[Elohad]: I kind of unilaterally gave him the okay, sorry about that, Jo. I was just kind of excited given his age and how much he’s done for us, and… y’know. I'm not making a ten thousand year old man fill out an application.
[Jocoza]: I… I guess I see what you mean. But he wants to be a mercenary?
[Ben]: Reckon between us and Auralind and Nellie and whatnot he has got the references.
[Elohad]: He does, yes. He's very aware of what we do.
[Elohad]: He's apparently been thinking about this for months, but, you know, he doesn't come to snap decisions.
Jocoza nods, with a little uncertainty. "I'll make sure to talk to him on the journey, get a real sense of him."
[Elohad]: Yeah. He's a good guy, just… sometimes hard to uh… figure out.
[Elohad]: But he has some very specific interest in Northrend, something about a tree or something?
Ben blinks again. "… a tree?"
[Elohad]: Yeah, there's a tree up there… some kind of big… elf thing.
[Jocoza]: I.. um.. I mean sure, I bet there's trees.
Ben nods slowly. Sure, a tree. Elf thing.
[Elohad]: It's… broken or something? I didn't really understand what he was saying, but he had something to do with it.
[Elohad]: Like, when it was planted.
[Elohad]: So he feels a Responsibility with a capital R.
[Ben]: Okay. Uh. Man got to see to his tree, I guess.
Ben shrugs genially.
[Jocoza]: A broken tree. Okay. As long as he'll keep an eye on our people.
[Elohad]: He's been teaching some of ours. Wildbloom, Shadowbloom…
[Elohad]: Maybe some other blooms, I dunno.
[Ben]: Oh, yeah, Rissa said she'd vouch too.
[Jocoza]: Silverbloom? Or wait, she's not a druid, she's a Sentinel.
[Ben]: Silverbloom! *Ben says at the same moment as Jo. He knows another bloom. He is proud.*
Jocoza offers Ben a high-four.
Ben actually gets up and crosses the room to stoop and give Jo a high four-five.
Jocoza giggles.
[Elohad]: I wouldn't uh, put him with Coit though.
[Jocoza]: Oh?
[Elohad]: I don't imagine anyone who lived through the War of the Ancients is going to want to be friendly with a warlock.
[Ben]: Miss Coit's a good girl. I would for sure see her on a squad again.
[Elohad]: But honestly I think it could do a lot to boost our rep throughout the Alliance, having someone like that in a high profile position for us.
[Jocoza]: He will need to be able to work with them eventually, though. Is he aware of that?
[Elohad]: Does he really need to though?
[Elohad]: Can't we just put them on separate squads?
[Ben]: I mean, yeah, reckon we can. But it is, like, an interview question an' all.
Ben glances at Jo.
[Ben]: About workin' with people.
[Elohad]: But we ask that so we know who not to match them with… right?
Elohad looks dismayed.
[Elohad]: Have we been asking that all that time to reject people who don't like warlocks?
Ben doesn't know. Have they? He looks at Jo again.
[Elohad]: Because if so… *He starts to rise dramatically as though exiting.*
[Jocoza]: I mean, of course we can put them on different squads. But it's like you said before, Elo, Cobalt's for people who are team players.
[Elohad]: Team player is one thing.
[Elohad]: "Comfortable hanging out with demons" is another.
[Jocoza]: If somebody said they hated people with brown hair, we're not gonna organize squads to keep them away from brown-haired people. That interview question is not just about warlocks.
[Elohad]: Brown hair is different. Not a choice.
[Elohad]: I don't expect everyone to relive their trauma.
[Jocoza]: Just, my point is, warlocks come up a lot in that question for obvious reasons. But it's not a question specifically to figure out how people feel about warlocks.
[Jocoza]: It's to ask about if they've got any sort of person they can't get on with.
[Ben]: … I feel like maybe right now is not the time to square this away. If we are goin' to Northrend imminent. We can put him on a different squad.
Ben looks between them again. Don't fight, Mom and Dad.
[Elohad]: Yes, let's just put them on different squads.
[Elohad]: We'll table the "I'm not forcing anyone to work with warlocks" discussion for later.
[Elohad]: But I'm not. Just so we're clear.
[Ben]: I reckon the Aspenwoods will be on squad again too, *Ben intervenes.*
[Elohad]: Anyway. So, uh, Ben you're on Coit's squad, right, so Silvershade can go with Atley.
[Ben]: Yessir.
[Jocoza]: Silvershade, Atley, the Aspenwoods… who're we missing there?
[Ben]: I will like to get in touch with some fellows in the Argent Crusade, if that is okay? To find out what they're doin'. Reckon they will move fast now.
[Elohad]: Sure.
Jocoza nods at Ben. "Of course, they're our allies."
[Ben]: I expect if we put up a general call to the Company we will get folks lined up. We got a lot of ours been waitin' for this.
[Ben]: Cam Cooper is probably mended up by now. There's Rae, Miss Halveris. Sil. Reckon plenty more.
[Elohad]: I won't be going, for what it's worth.
Ben glances sidelong and studies Elohad.
Jocoza looks at Elohad in alarm.
[Jocoza]: You… won't?
Elohad shakes his head.
Ben looks between them.
[Elohad]: In fact… I'm thinking of uh… maybe demoting myself. Right now we're at two captains and one lieutenant. Which is… odd.
[Elohad]: So here's what I was thinking.
[Elohad]: I stay here. I'm the lieutenant in charge of recruiting, PR, and so on. Point person for all things in the homeland, like Cobalt Blade. Outreach, schmoozing, all the stuff I’m good at.
Ben opens his mouth and then closes it.
[Elohad]: I stay close to my wife and my infant son, I do what I honestly, at my age, do best. I market us.
[Elohad]: Not to sound like my ex-wife, but I'm getting a bit old to be running around playing hero.
Ben narrows his eyes at Elohad's ex-wife.
Elohad appears to have divorced her, posthumously.
[Jocoza]: But… you… you've been doing a lot… you're not old…
[Elohad]: I have been doing a lot. And I feel it Jo, I feel it in every joint in my body.
Elohad smiles wryly.
[Elohad]: I've been trying to put on a brave face. Stubborn.
[Elohad]: But Karazhan just kind of put it all into sharp focus for me. What I really need to be doing. It's time to be the stagehand, not the star.
[Elohad]: And I think I'm okay with that.
[Ben]: The director, sir.
[Ben]: Not the stagehand.
Elohad grins.
Ben knows some play lingo!
Ben picked it up from his dad.
[Jocoza]: Director, yes. *Jo nods.* I've been doing less than you in the field, lately.
[Elohad]: At any rate, I think if I went to Northrend I'd probably just… die out there. I would rather be alive than having adventures, at this point. I promised Nir I'd be here.
[Ben]: Can — may I venture a question, ma'am and sir?
[Elohad]: Yes you may.
[Ben]: If we are goin' to appoint a new lieutenant, should we consider that it be another night elf? For racial diversion? Just… I mean, it was good how we represented all the Alliance before, you know? Most of it. And night elves — Lieutenant Auralind, for example — got a !@#$ton of experience.
[Elohad]: Definitely not another human, I'll say that much. Mistwalker agreed.
[Elohad]: I really want to shake that reputation we're getting.
[Jocoza]: I suppose I'm representing gnomes, but maybe a dwarf? Or a draenei? They've got a lot of experience, too.
[Ben]: … maybe your Cobalt Blade wants to come up to Northrend? Too?
[Elohad]: Uh, no. Cobalt Blade stays here. That's the point of 'em.
[Elohad]: And one of the reasons I'm staying. To help manage that effort.
[Jocoza]: Of course, think of the book deals.
[Ben]: Well okay but Northrend is Azeroth, I am just sayin'.
[Elohad]: But not really.
Elohad makes a noncommittal wibbly wobbly gesture.
[Jocoza]: The goal was friendly neighborhood… Northrend is not a friendly neighborhood.
[Elohad]: It's not Alliance territory. It's not — yeah.
[Elohad]: It's more Foreign Shores.
[Elohad]: Not what the people here care about.
[Elohad]: But anyway. We could look at our kaldorei, our draenei and dwarves, for sure.
[Ben]: We got a few draenei. Dwarves… Miss Oranna? Or… Glynara? She is a senator's daughter. Might be good shine on us.
[Elohad]: Uh, not Glynara, definitely. Pretty sure Oranna would turn that down; less attention on her the better, from what I know of her.
[Ben]: I have worked with a few of our draeneis. Erika is real good.
[Ben]: Nunuzac is… really somethin', for sure.
[Elohad]: Love her. But… lieutenant?
[Jocoza]: It'd be good if we could put one on squad, though. And if Elo's staying behind, we're out a healer.
[Elohad]: One of the names Mistwalker and I talked about is Paluuva.
[Elohad]: We've got to at least ask her. She's a teacher.
[Ben]: Paluuva? But she is a… yeah. A teacher?
Ben looks puzzled. Teachers can Lieutenant?
[Elohad]: I think teachers would be the best lieutenants. Really good with people of all kinds.
[Elohad]: I'm already using her as a character reference all the time.
[Jocoza]: That's great, but… do you think?
[Elohad]: She's a good healer, too, from all reports.
[Ben]: I mean, she knows… well. A hell of a lot more'n I ever will. But she is pretty… dignified?
[Elohad]: Remember the lieutenants are mostly about managing the company side of things. They don't have to be super violent mercenary types.
Ben, as a super violent mercenary type, looks faintly affronted.
[Elohad]: Your ma is also dignified. She was on squad, before your time.
[Ben]: Oh. Right.
Ben ponders this, brows knit.
[Ben]: I reckon… yeah. I mean. They are… yeah.
[Elohad]: And I know she'd love to go to Northrend. Very curious, adventurous type.
[Jocoza]: We could ask her, then? See if she's interested in more responsibility in the company?
Elohad nods.
[Elohad]: We should at least talk to her.
[Ben]: It is your call, as captains. But I'm game? I do like the hell out of her.
[Elohad]: So we're losing Mistwalker and me, but gaining maybe Paluuva and definitely Silvershade. Seems like it works out.
[Jocoza]: I don't know that I've really spoken with her, but I trust the both of you.
[Elohad]: She's amazing.
[Elohad]: I go to her for advice all the time.
[Elohad]: She found me the Blade's healer. Zaara. Cutest thing.
Ben looks intrigued. A Cutest Thing? Do tell.
[Elohad]: You'd love her, Ben. She's a sly one.
Ben smiles crookedly.
Jocoza smiles. "I can't wait to meet her. And see posters of her."
[Elohad]: She's gonna look great on the posters, yeah. Real put together.
[Elohad]: Jewelry and stuff.
[Jocoza]: Anything else with the squads? I think that's most of the shake-ups.
Elohad nods. "Think we covered it."
[Ben]: Like I say, if we put out the call, reckon we will get a lineup. Then we will have our pick. But I do think that's the core of 'em.
[Jocoza]: We could– *Jo hesitates, and then says,* We could ask Rae again. She's been doing well, and I think it would give her some structure. Remind her that other people count on her.
[Ben]: Ma'am, if I may — I know she is rarin' to go. She was askin' me about it, before.
[Elohad]: She's one of the ones who sort of… came and went when I wasn't paying much attention.
[Ben]: I would be willin' to take her under supervision. She has served on my squad in Outland.
[Elohad]: Okay.
[Elohad]: But that's another reason I want to be settled here. I want to really get back into a situation where I feel like I know everyone who's coming and going.
[Ben]: Yessir.
[Elohad]: Now this means you're my boss, Jo.
[Ben]: It's okay, sir, she is a pretty good boss.
Jocoza nods. "We won't be recruiting in Northrend, I expect."
[Elohad]: I certainly hope not.
Ben grins at Jo.
[Elohad]: What's up there? Zombies and — spiders?
[Elohad]: Don't recruit any spiders.
[Ben]: I will not work with no spiders, and you can put that in my interview.
Jocoza giggles. "I am not very partial to spiders as colleagues, however useful they are against flies."
[Elohad]: I'd hate to see the size of the ones those Northrend spiders eat.
[Elohad]: We saw 'em, Ben, up in the Plaguelands.
[Ben]: Yessir. I do recollect.
[Elohad]: What're they called. They call 'em something.
[Ben]: Crypt… somethin'. No, there was a name. Nub… nerub? I dunno.
[Jocoza]: Nerubians? I recall from Scholomance.
[Elohad]: Right. That was it.
[Elohad]: Do not recruit any of those.
[Ben]: Oh, hell, yeah. That's them.
[Jocoza]: Definitely not recruiting those. Useless against flies.
[Ben]: Ain't great against Cobalt Company, neither.
Ben flexes his muscles. Oooooh so strong!
Elohad grins.
Jocoza sobers a little and adds, "But Captain or Lieutenant you know we're not formal and all, right? If you see me heading off a cliff, you'll stop me."
[Elohad]: You know it, sweetheart. Okay, so how many should we reserve spots for on the ship or ships? I want to have numbers to throw at them if they come calling.
[Elohad]: At least ten.
[Ben]: I would give 'em a big number, sir, bigger'n that. Like I say, I reckon people will line up.
[Elohad]: Twenty? Twenty-five?
[Jocoza]: Let's say fifty.
Ben looks between the captains again.
[Elohad]: That's like… half the company.
Elohad chuckles.
[Jocoza]: We can always not fill spots, right?
[Ben]: I mean.
[Ben]: Yeah.
[Jocoza]: But it'd be hard to get them if we haven't already asked.
[Elohad]: I think they're going to want some specificity.
[Ben]: Half the company might want to go.
[Elohad]: They will have a very specific amount of room on those ships.
[Ben]: Tell 'em forty?
[Jocoza]: Okay, I'll go with forty.
[Ben]: We will get some behind-the-lines folks too, I reckon. Like Mordecai and Mizzy. For healin'.
[Elohad]: Okay. Forty.
[Elohad]: They can negotiate if they want, but we'll start there.
Ben nods firmly.
[Elohad]: We've earned forty spots I think.
[Jocoza]: Definitely. They know bringing us will be a help, for whatever they find themselves up against.
[Elohad]: I'll start reaching out to people. Let me know names of who might be interested.
[Elohad]: I know a few myself, but anyone else you've heard rumbling about it.
[Ben]: You want me to put up a poster? Ma'am? Sir? Because I am tellin' you–
[Elohad]: No, let's reach out individually.
[Ben]: Okay.
[Elohad]: I don't want someone like Sandy volunteering and it being awkward.
[Ben]: … oh. Right.
[Jocoza]: Should I not announce in the newsletter then?
[Elohad]: Mmmm, maybe not.
[Elohad]: I say we hand-pick folks as much as possible.
[Elohad]: Though some of them might have people they want to bring.
[Ben]: No, the Company's got to know, though. It is gonna be a big impact on us.
[Ben]: But you can say, like, 'You will be gettin' assigned' or somethin'?
[Elohad]: They can know we're going but not– yeah, like that.
[Elohad]: It's not a call for volunteers. This is serious business.
[Elohad]: We need to know we can trust the ones we send.
[Ben]: We can't just take forty people out and ship 'em off without sayin' something first in a newsletter, so.
[Elohad]: Right.
[Elohad]: Just make it… we're telling them, not asking. Y'know?
[Jocoza]: Okay, so I'll inform, but not ask for volunteers.
[Elohad]: Right.
Ben nods.
[Elohad]: Write it as though we already know who's going. Maybe by then we will.
[Ben]: Mizzy is on that list, though. And Sil. And I will take Lena and Rae for my squad.
[Elohad]: Aspenwood will want to bring his husband I'm sure.
[Ben]: Yeah, Mordecai will come for sure.
[Ben]: Him and Mizz both do a hell of a job with behind-the-lines, you know? Runnin' the tents at the Chapel and all.
[Elohad]: Silvershade's got a person too, and… his… shan'do, whatever that is, I didn't ask.
[Jocoza]: A person and a shan'do. *Jo looks confused and intrigued.* I really should talk to this guy.
Elohad makes a sort of "elves" shrug.
[Elohad]: I don't imagine Barlowe — uh, Mrs. Atley will let Atley go alone. But I’ll talk to her just to make sure.
[Ben]: No sir.
[Elohad]: Don't actually know if Paluuva has a person…
[Elohad]: Coit doesn't, far as I know.
[Ben]: She, uh, does not.
[Ben]: Reckon we ought to ask along some of the other draeneis besides Paluuva. Erika, for sure.
[Elohad]: Yeah.
[Jocoza]: Okay, and we've got Pericleia in the Vindicators too.
[Elohad]: Nunuzac's been really involved in stuff.
[Elohad]: We should ask her.
Jocoza nods.
[Ben]: Yes'm. And yeah, Nunu is good. We can pack peanuts.
[Ben]: There is Azizia too. F' course.
[Elohad]: There's that new dwarf paladin I love, Stormhammer.
[Ben]: Yessir, Ace.
[Elohad]: I'm going to check in with her. She's a bit green still but she seems really eager for adventures, and we're short on dwarven presence. Cloudskimmer I need here training Stouthammer and our other green warriors. Uh, anyone heard from Stillwall recently? Prospector Stillwall?
[Ben]: No sir. But I don't think that means much. He would forget his socks if he wasn't wearin' 'em. But you tell him it's Northrend, reckon he'll get on a boat.
Jocoza bites her lip and then says, "You know, the voyage is going to be dangerous. Should we make sure they can portal out if things go wrong? Cressidha and I will be going, but… forty is a lot of people."
[Ben]: Oh. Mages.
Elohad snaps his fingers and points to Jo. "Brilliant. Can that be done?"
[Elohad]: Can you do a portal on a boat?
[Jocoza]: Of course, yes. As long as the end point is to an established place.
[Elohad]: It'd be a one-way jaunt so should be saved for an emergency, but it would absolutely set my mind at ease if we could have… uh, arcane lifeboats. I’m gonna strongly encourage this, since you say it’s possible. And by “strongly encourage” I mean demand.
[Jocoza]: We'd need people who are good at that sort of thing… Lucy? Halliday? I expect Gwen will be with the Kirin Tor.
[Ben]: Yeah, we got Miss Bristow. Sort of an odd duck but she got Kirin Tor connection too, I think? Friend of Sil and Mizzy.
[Elohad]: I met her once I think.
[Elohad]: As long as they have the skills to make the portal work, I'll allow odd. Most mages are odd.
[Ben]: … fair.
[Elohad]: As long as she's not, you know, Medivh odd.
[Ben]: And… Miss Nish?
Jocoza winces. "I can ask her. I'd love for her to come along, but… Northrend is kind of a bummer."
[Ben]: Uh.
[Ben]: … okay.
[Jocoza]: She's… um… not a big fan of downers.
Ben squints at Jo.
Elo also gives her a baffled look, then just shrugs.
[Elohad]: So yeah. If the ship hits an iceberg, or a — I dunno — a dragon or something. We should have mages ready to portal our people to safety. They likely won't be able to get everyone on the ship, but I want to make sure our people don't end up at the bottom of the sea.
[Ben]: Yessir.
[Elohad]: If they can get others, fine, but Cobalts first.
[Elohad]: That's my family on that ship.
[Jocoza]: If we can get those four, that should be enough.
Elohad nods.
[Elohad]: I'm going to admit it's… really hard sending so many of you up there.
[Elohad]: I just… I think about the last ships that went to Northrend.
[Ben]: We will bring 'em back safe, sir.
Elohad nods.
[Ben]: You got my word.
Jocoza nods.
[Jocoza]: Oh, and we should send Hex. She was so invested in healing Lordaeron. I think she'd want to go.
Ben nods at Jo.
[Elohad]: Might be good for her.
[Ben]: If we got a couple warlocks up there, when we get established we might could summon other folk up there if we need more numbers.
[Ben]: … just sayin'. Her and Miss Coit could get that covered.
[Jocoza]: That's not a bad thought. Travel.
Ben nods at Jo.
Elohad sighs but does not comment.
[Jocoza]: Who else… *Jo considers.* A few more of the kaldorei would be helpful. Velrin, if she's recovered? And maybe Lode or Roriandris. Or both. And the other Blooms.
[Ben]: Oh, I like that Lode. Reckon she'd go. She is curious as anythin'.
[Jocoza]: And I can send the call to Velrin, see if she's better now.
[Ben]: There is that priest fellow, too. Friend of hers?
[Jocoza]: Celaven?
[Ben]: That's him.
[Jocoza]: He's the one who let us know she was on leave. *Jo nods.*
[Elohad]: He's a good kid.
[Ben]: Nice fellow, yeah.
[Elohad]: Lode… she's a bit odd. Can't get a good read on her.
[Elohad]: But I have no particular objection, if she wants to go.
[Ben]: I like her.
[Jocoza]: Oh, what about Rae's friend? Jenzelle? She's been doing very well lately.
[Ben]: Yes'm, Miss Halveris. I mentioned her.
[Ben]: 'Nother priest, reckon she'd be useful.
[Ben]: Good girl.
[Elohad]: She showed up last Saturday at the meeting.
[Jocoza]: Anybody else?
[Ben]: Oh, talkin’ of the Blooms… I mean, she is not one, but a druid. Healer. Ivy? Ivy Starleaf.
[Jocoza]: Elo, you can be the one to do the invitations? And we can always let you know if there’s anyone we think of later.
Elohad nods.
Ben gets wearily to his feet. “All sounds good to me. I am gonna– I reckon I ought to get home now and maybe get a wash. Maybe I won’t unpack just yet, though.”
Jo gives a tired half-giggle, and says, “Pack new clothes, at least.” As Ben heads out the door, Jo turns back to Elohad. “So, let’s write up the list…”