• Placeholder • Purpose

[Rafael Warrick]

5th Vhalar, 716

His first few trials at the Willow Woods Outpost had ranged from uncomfortable to dreadful. The many disturbing noises that came from the forest kept him up at night, and when he showed even the faintest hint of nodding off during the day, Captain Ziri was quick to keep him awake with a playful jab of his elbow, or by barking at him with that deep, commanding voice of his.

It was clear to Rafael that those stationed at the outpost were like a family of sorts, albeit a mildly dysfunctional one. Every day had the same basic structure: they woke early in the morning, ate together, and discussed the tasks of the day. Patrolling their direct surroundings was among the standard tasks, as was gathering firewood as well as checking and setting snares for small wildlife. According to Nabarra, who remained constantly at his side, things had been quiet recently and life at the outpost was generally more exciting. He suspected that with exciting, she meant more lethal.

It was midday when he and Nabarra walked out of the small outpost with thick crusts of bread and a bowl of hearty soup, for lunch. Ziri and the rest were all out on various missions, giving him and Nabarra some rare alone time.

“Do they hate me?” Rafael inquired tentatively.

Nabarra frowned as she sat down on a thick log and patted the space beside her. “Why do you think that?”

“Well…” Rafael sighed as he sat down next to Nabarra, “I don’t know. I just feel like they don’t want me here.”

“You’ve only been here for a few days, and you weren’t expected. They just don’t know what to do with you, I think.”

“That’s a nice way of saying I’m useless here.” Rafael tore a chunk of bread from the slices allotted to him and dipped it in the hot soup before turning to face Nabarra. “It just seems, wherever I go, I’m either not needed, not wanted, or both.”

[Rafael Warrick]

5th Vhalar, 716

This was the chance Nabarra had been waiting for. She could see now why Labrae had been so keen to reel this boy in. He was at an age full of uncertainty and self-doubt and with no one to guide him, except for her, he was bound to become a useful asset to the Immortal Sintra.

“I’ve often felt the same,” she lied. “But I found my home here. Well, not here really, but with the Webspinners.”

Rafael swallowed a mouthful of hot soup. “The what?”

Flawless. It was plain as day that she’d stirred his curiosity.

“The Webspinners, Rafael. Kingdoms rise and fall because of us, because of our service to the Immortal Sintra. Labrae is her daughter. It’s thanks to her grace and guidance that we can become whoever we want to be.”

Rafael gave her a puzzled look.

“I sensed it in you the minute you arrived here, Rafael. You’re searching. You’re searching with all your heart for something. I’ve searched for it as well, Rafael. Do you know what it is?”

He swallowed. It was as though she’d read his mind. In truth, of course, Nabarra had simply deduced whatever she could from the young noble’s mannerisms. Besides, the daughter of Sintra had given her exact instructions how to deal with the boy. It was no coincidence that she knew how to press his buttons.

“Purpose,” he muttered.

Nabarra smiled. “Exactly. So you know what it is you seek, but you don’t know where to look. Sintra, whom we call mother, can help you. She can show you the way, as she showed me my path.”

“And what is your path?”

Nabarra chewed on her bread thoughtfully and chuckled. “Currently, it’s my path to help you and keep you safe from Cassander.” Like Labrae, Nabarra knew that Cassander had never had any intention of seizing Rafael Warrick, but it was the lie that had driven the young Warrick into their hands, and for the moment, it served them well.

[Rafael Warrick]

5th Vhalar, 716

“I don’t think I like being safe,” Rafael mused. “It’s dreadfully boring.”

“Spoken like a true Warrick.”

“Only in name”

“What?”

“Only in name,” Rafael repeated, “I’m really only a Warrick in name.”

“How do you mean?” Nabarra pressed.

“Well,” Rafael set his emptied bowl down and kicked the ground idly with his feet. “I’m the last of my father’s children, the very last in line to the duchy and even then…” he let out a mirthless chuckle, “even if the whole bunch of them drops dead all of a sudden, I’ll never be made Duke.”

Nabarra shot a questioning look at him.

“You were right,” Rafael continued. “When we first met, you said that I didn’t look like any of my siblings. I’m not a Warrick, Nabarra…and I don’t know who or what else I am either.”

Nabarra had known that the boy before her was a bastard, but she had never anticipated it troubled the youth so deeply. But, like a true webspinner, she knew how to turn this into an advantage.

“And would you have liked to become Duke?”

Rafael averted his gaze to the ground and flared his nostrils. His heart dropped to his stomach with the elegance of a brick as he contemplated Nabarra’s question. His instinct was to deny, but somewhere, deep down, he knew that wasn’t quite true. In the end, he merely shrugged.

“The thing is,” he started in a low voice, “no one expects anything of me. I’m not important, not to anything or anyone. I don’t know what to do about it.”

Nabarra seized the golden chance presented to her with open arms. In a fluid move, she scooted over to Rafael and patted the boy on his back. “You know, sometimes it’s the people of whom no one expects anything, that do things no one could have expected.”

[Rafael Warrick]

5th Vhalar, 716

Rafael tensed a little at Nabarra’s touch, but wasn’t inclined to move away. He sensed Nabarra was steering their conversation toward something, he could tell just from the way she looked at him that she was on the verge of revealing what.

“Do you know who the Qe’dreki are?”

Rafael huffed. “Of course I do, I’m their enemy, supposedly.”

“Do you know what they fight for?”

Rafael rolled his eyes at her. Was this going to be a history lesson of sorts?

“Who cares?” He mumbled eventually. But Nabarra wouldn’t let him get away so easily and kept her gaze trained firmly on him. “They want to kill Cassander, basically,” Rafael amended.

“And do you know why?”

He shrugged. “I’m not a politician.”

“That’s a terrible excuse,” Nabarra warned with a faint smile. “I’ll help you out. They wish to see Cassander removed because he’s a foreigner, an outsider. He’s not of the old blood, unlike you.”

Rafael caught on to the implied meaning and laughed. “Pigs will fly before I ever become King.”

“Are you under the illusion that the King has any real power?”

“He defeated them. The Qe’dreki I mean. Wouldn’t say that’s an illusion.”

Nabarra nodded and gazed into the old forest before returning her eyes to Rafael a few bits later. “Of course, he has power, but not ultimate power. There are beings in this world that could overthrow him on a whim. Some, I suspect, even roam these woods.”

“What does that have to do with the Qe’dreki?”

“Very much and very little,” Nabarra whispered ominously. “The one I serve has a plan for the Qe’dreki, and a plan for you.”

Rafael was reminded of the first time he’d met Labrae. She had managed to both intrigue and frighten him at the same time, and in that moment, Nabarra was almost indistinguishable from her. Both had a way with words that enthralled him completely and left him thirsting for more. More knowledge, more wisdom, more advice, more power. And like the loyal cupbearers they were, they poured him plenty.

“The Qe’dreki have been defeated, but they’re not dismantled yet,” Nabarra said. “Many still roam around freely, it’s merely their leadership that has fallen.”

Rafael frowned deeply. “What are you playing at?”

“The old blood flows through your veins, whether you want to admit it or not. They’re leaderless, and without someone to steer them, someone show them the way, they’ll be picked apart before the end of this arc.”

“And you think that should be me? Are you mad?”

“Hardly. Think of what will happen if the Qe’dreki fall. There will be no one left, no one at all to oppose Cassander’s tyranny. All the good and old traditions of Rynmere will fall away, and he’ll set his sights on the noble houses next. Besides,” Nabarra chose her next words carefully, “your cousin Vivian has already joined with them to fight against Cassander.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I serve Labrae, Rafael, and there’s nothing Labrae doesn’t know.”

Nabarra paused a few bits to let her words sink in. Then she rose and motioned for Rafael to follow. “After we’ve put these bowls away, I’d like to see how good you are with a bow.”

“Rubbish,” Rafael spoiled.

“I'm glad to hear that,” Nabarra smiled over her shoulder, “it means you can get better.”

[Whisper]

Rafael Warrick

Peer Review

Story: 5/5
Collaboration: 0/5
Structure: 5/5

Awarded Knowledge

Labrae: Sintra's Daughter
Qe'dreki: Allied with Vivian
Qe'dreki: In Search of a Leader
Qe'dreki: Want to Kill Cassander
Warrick: Only in Name
Webspinners: Service to Immortal Sintra

Extras

Loot & Losses	[/color]xxxxxx	Injuries
None	[/color]xxxxxx	None

Fame	[/color]xxxxxx	Devotion
None	[/color]xxxxxx	None

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Comments

Ah! I found it! Awesome very nice, very intriguing... I want to know what happens next! But still.. An update to the Thread List wouldn't harm you!

As you can see, I have provided feedback and reasoning behind my review. If you have any questions, comments or criticism about your review, feel free to send me a PM and we can discuss it.
Thank ye.