#baronyofthesilverwolf

Nadeen is alone, well, alone with her dog nearby, and the target dummy before her. Her blade sings, carving and striking out. At one time, she had an amazing sword that screamed pure agony into sluagh about, but alas, through no fault of her own, Nadeen had to give up that most delightful of weapons. Her other sword is no less magical in it's way though, and she puts it through its paces.

In Rivervale, she often felt coddled. It was hard not to be, when it seemed every other troll was a warrior legend. They often seemed surprised that she could use a sword. To be fair, once she asserted herself, there were lessons and practice. It should be said, Chieftain Brekke was never shy about making sure ANYONE of the lodge could defend themselves. So Nadeen became... passable, perhaps by some standards good, though she was merely 'good' among a field of excellent, or so it felt. She relied then more on her cantrips of rule and winter.

Once she came here, she once again kept her sword handy, though the thanes were ready to protect her, it was no more than anyone else under the hold.

Then, she became Baroness, and the two thanes became alternating book ends, blue walls of steel and muscle ready to interpose themselves . It was Rivervale all over again in some ways, and not an unpleasant thing. Trolls needs must troll. They can be rather simple hearts.

She loves ruling, and she likes to think she's good at it. She helps settle disputes, she grants advice to those that ask, boons to those that are worthy while still helping the hold and lands prosper! The arts in the area are being promoted, mortal children having new charities that inspire dreams and thus may make future dreamers. No kithain goes hungry that she knows of. Haven is granted, and patrols go out for chimerical threats or ravagers. Aiden, her hunter and equal, is fierce and proud and wonderful. And she and he compliment each other very well.

She is more social, which given the cold reputation of Varich, is something, but Aiden's preference for his animals and the hunt has bestowed upon him a different sort of mystique with the locals. Thus, the two of them can play many angles in the games of high and low rule.

But of late, while she has loved figure skating and dancing and stayed trim, she has neglected her sword play.

So here she is, outside in the cold, trying to shake the proverbial rust off. I've slipped more than I thought A pretty frown on her face as her placement of a blow is off.

She wonders if she should order Dame Lavender to spare with her? Or Danica or Linnae? But frankly, the satyress has been busy recruiting for 'joust club', while the thanes? Well, yes, they'd probably agree to it, but a part of her fears they might 'coddle' her a bit, for fear of offending when they walloped her. They ARE more used to AIlil sensibilities.

Also, Nadeen must admit, it's possible that troll coddling would remind her of the less FUN aspects of Rivervale. There were days I was SURE the Baroness Breakke was handing holds out to anyone BUT me.

And given her Gwydion House, and Nadeen's own relative newness, MIGHT have been the case.

She hopes she has since earned Rivervale's respect. WHich shouldn't matter, but it does.

More important though , and, to her surprise, more precious are those here, at Silver wolf. She is their lady, and they her subjects. Not hers alone, but still precious. She'll miss Linnae when finally that good thane snags Hewitt. Mind you, troll romances move at a GLACIAL pace.

She will still have Danica. IRonic how fond one can get of someone who shot at you..

Lavender and Gladiola both knights feel more like Aiden's creatures, and that is not a bad thing. They would still fight for SIlverwolf with a tenacity. If she has a knight, ironicly, it might be Wudlig. While Aiden has projects for the nocker, sometimes it seems she uses the nocker far more than Aiden does. WHo better than one who builds sneaky spots for a living to find ways to guard against squirmy intrusion? She will do her duty towards her sluagh subjects, but trust them? No. Symon the Denier , for all his accidental heroism, taught her that. Sluagh , each and every one of them, each have their own agenda and they will rob you of your very heritage without remorse or regret. Still, she has made some overtures to show compared to most of her house, she's positively progressive.

A cry of triumph and a bolt of feathers slams into the ground, then flaps over to present Nadeen with the mole that had been tunneling near the practice yard. Vespa, her kestrel, preens.

"Vespa" She beams, and immediately reaches into the small bag of meat she carries with her to reward the Kestrel for a job well done "Good work, little death bringer"

And she does take the mole, not like she doesn't have gloves

PROUD!

And well done, moles may have a place in the circle of life, but Aiden has made it clear that the hole-digging rodents are persona non grata where their burrows might cripple a horse.

"I will boast of your skill to my lord later" She assures. "mmm are you still in contest with the Glennies to see who gets the most moles?"

The terriers are low ground creatures, but it must be said they too are good at getting vermin. Not as good as the birds, perhaps

The mole carcass will be taken care of by the usual methods, and Vespa fussed over a great deal.

A chattering reply, and Vespa takes off once more to patrol the skies. She is the best at taking vermin on the run, but it must be said that when it comes time to go to ground, the terriers are the best at digging out. A lofty queen of the air could not be expected to grub in the dirt, after all.

Indeed not she thinks approvingly.

She has become a good falconer herself, she and blossom, neither up to Calanthe's level, but they are getting there. Particularly Blossom. Nadeen puts her blade away for now, and stares in a South Western Direction towards what she imagines might be Oklahoma. "I do hope they come back soon." She has put too much work in Thistle, helping the young nocker grow into the amazing artist Nadeen felt she could be, to lose her to some malady. And it would break Marigold's heart to have her daughter lost to some danger. As for Arthur? He has a part to play here as well.

The lad is BRILLIANT She confesses to herself.

She is very bright herself, but Arthur is a natural academic, and potentially, very powerful in magic if he pursues it.

Arthur was born to learn as much as I was born to rule She observes I hope he heeds Aiden's warnings about Soothsay the woman glides along the snowy grounds.

That's enough sword practice for now she supposes. She hunts a bit more with Vespa, then goes back into the warmth of the hold

The entry into the halls makes her smile and she moves to the balefire Hello, my home. How fare you and how fare our peoples?

And for a while, still dressed in outdoor winter clothes, she seems lost in the fire, feeling the health of the land and more

...............