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Summer of Victory: Interlude #24
Decisions to Make Ffiona walks through the doorway into her room with barely enough energy to sustain her movements. Exhausted, she closes the wooden door and closes her eyes. Stinging sweat has managed to work its way beneath the lids and with a sigh, Ffiona lifts her hand to wipe it away. Even such simple movements are difficult when the body is so exhausted. Opening her eyes and blinking away the final remnants of moisture, Ffiona looks around her room for a moment and then heads over to the bed. On the way, she manages to strip out of the soft leather armor she is wearing and drop it on the floor. It hits with a wet and heavy sound for it is soaked not just with her sweat but also with heavy rain. Lady Sierra never lets the weather stand in the way of training and Ffiona suspects her mentor prefers such black days. It fits her mood better. Having made it to the bed, Ffiona wonders if she should risk soiling the sheets with her wet clothing. With a dismissive wave of her hand she decides that it doesn't matter. Her only bow to propriety is removing her wet and muddy boots, which she now notices have left muddy prints everywhere. She is sure neither Darian nor her mother would not approve of such un-ladylike behavior. Ironically the bully who was her father would no doubt be pleased by such behavior. The struggle to remove her boots is finally won. Ffiona looks down at her feet. The boot socks must be stuck in their respective boots as all she can see are the well-worn hose she wears under her clothing. They are torn and beaten things and she can see one very tired toe sticking out from a hole. Again she dismisses such thoughts with a wave of her hand and simply flops down on the bed, letting her head fall on the comfortable blanket. She is not bothered that her head missed the pillow entirely for there is not enough energy left to try and move. Ffiona no longer even tries to fight the exhaustion as it drops her into a place very near sleep where her mind can wander. She reminds herself that this was her choice. The strained scene between Ffiona and her husband had all but dictated that she could not come back a failure. Ffiona had decided at the beginning that no matter how difficult the task, she would persevere. Gyri women were not weaklings by any stretch, even noble ones. Life was never one of complete pampering and so her body was used to some physical work. The physical training is brutal of that she has no doubts. Lady Sierra herself is in excellent condition and Ffiona has a hard enough time keeping up with her. However, the members of the Griffon Guard are asked to come and occasionally help in her training. Ffiona is in awe of their abilities but then she reminds herself that a well-armed goblin would at one time have given her pause. Even though her training is difficult, no one has been unkind. Indeed Ffiona feels closer to Lady Sierra then she ever has to her own family. The two of them have so much in common that Ffiona often wonders if it is not the work of Pelor or Heironeous that brought them together. "Ffiona?" Ffiona wakes with a start and rolls her eyes in the direction of the voice. It is Sierra and with all of her energy Ffiona tries to sit up. She stops however, when she sees Sierra raise one gloved hand. The Llwyress of Cymeravon is standing partially behind the wooden door to Ffiona's chamber. "Yes, Lady Sierra?" Ffiona does manage to push herself into a more dignified position. "We have been working hard of late and I think we deserve a day or two of rest." Ffiona allows a smile to come to her face but it quickly turns to a frown. "Are you having trouble with your stomach again?" Sierra closes her eyes and lets out a little laugh. "Very perceptive. The druid says it is nothing physical and no one is trying to poison me, except perhaps the cook." "He didn't like the way you ignored his venison pie?" Both women chuckle but an awkward silence follows. Ffiona is concerned but Sierra is a wise and strong woman. If she was sick, would she not seek help? "In any case two days of rest will do us both some good. Dinner is at sundown." With that the Llwyress closes the door. Ffiona is no longer sleepy though her body aches and her muscles groan with every move. She lays there thinking about Sierra - the sleepless nights, the mysterious stomach ailment, the times Ffiona has quietly watched as the older woman cries in supposed isolation. "If she was troubled she would seek help." Ffiona says the words out loud almost as a ward against her own troubled ideas. It is true that Sierra is wise and experienced. It is also very true that she is a woman of great pride and pride can be a person's greatest enemy. 
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