The Tovi Returns

Late one morning, Vesta’s vardo rolls up to one of Volaire’s gates, only to veer aside before reaching it. The driver guides it beneath the shade of a stand of trees, allowing the dappled light to flicker across the brightly painted wood.

Vesta hops down lightly, bells chiming as she hits the ground with practiced ease. She peeks into the vardo’s open door to murmur a few words to someone inside before turning back to the wagon. With efficient motions, she unhooks her grey horse, leading him a short distance away and securing the reins so he can rest.

When that’s done, Vesta straightens and plants her hands on her hips. Her gaze sweeps the area slowly: the gate, the road, the trees. She looks neither hurried nor hesitant, just watchful, taking the measure of the place before deciding her next move.

Coming down the road, towards Volaire are two winged people. Storm and a small, unknown person with black veins and shimmering wings. They are speaking to one another as they make their way to town. When the vardo comes into view, Storm points.

"I think that's my friend's vardo. Sure looks like it anyways. But shouldn't she be in...?" As Vesta steps around the vardo and Storm sees her, Storm raises an arm and waves. "Vesta! Hey!"

A man with short brown hair pokes his head out of the vardo door and looks in their direction. 

"That's her fiance. So, just a heads up, they are both very uh... Clean people. I mean literally. They don't like dirty things. He's rich so he's kinda worse about it." Storm informs Nill as they approach. "But they are both nice enough. Vesta wants to help people and she's very protective of her fiance. She'll probably want to feed you honestly. If she's even got any food."

Nill nods along as Storm explains. When she mentions the possibility of food, the pixie lifts her gaze to the draconian, tilting her head, expression perfectly flat.

“This place is having the strange…” Her attention drifts back to the vardo, grey eyes studying its occupants. “So she is being the seer. Interesting.” 

As they approach, Vesta smiles and nods a greeting to Storm.

“Hello, Storm. It’s been a while. I hope you’ve been well.” Her gaze flicks down to Nill, one brow arching with curiosity. “It seems you’ve brought a new friend.”

Nill performs her series of peculiar hand motions, then extends her palm towards Vesta, unwavering.

“I am calling myself Nill.” 

Vesta blinks. Her smile falters, and she frowns slightly.

“You are… calling yourself?” There’s a slight pause before she shakes her head, then dips into a practiced curtsy. “I am Vestarin Maireni Solsari.”

She makes no move to take Nill’s hand.

Nill simply turns to Tristan and repeats the same motions, her expression unchanging.

Tristan stares wide eyed at the pixie at first but then clears his throat after she looks at him and gives her a polite smile. "You may call me Tristan." 

He also does not reach for Nill's hand as he steps out of the vardo and over to Vesta's side. He slips an arm around her and smiles at Storm.

"Hello again."

Storm watches Nill's reaction to them closely before returning to Vesta, glancing at Tristan for a beat. "Yeah. Sup. Where ya been? You okay? I heard about the Baroness."

Nill retracts her hand and lets it fall back to her side, unbothered by the lack of response.

Vesta grimaces slightly at Storm’s questions and shifts closer to Tristan.

“Yes… well.” She exhales through her nose. “After the incident with the Baroness, I decided it would be best to take a break for a while. Put some distance between myself and…” she gestures vaguely towards the city. "All of this.” 

She hesitates, then glances back to Storm. 

“Were you looking for me? If so, I apologize. I sent a letter to Zuigrii informing him where I’d be if anyone needed me, but he’s always so busy. I suppose I should have informed you as well.”

Her hands move expressively as she speaks.

“I’ve been spending the past few months with my Queen and her clan. And staying with Tristan’s family as well. Just… decompressing.” 

Vesta lets out a soft, awkward chuckle, her shoulders drooping a bit. 

“Hero life just isn’t for me…” she admits quietly. “It’s too much sometimes.”

Nill’s head tilts as she looks between Storm, Vesta, and Tristan in turn, studying each reaction with unnerving focus. She doesn’t speak. She doesn’t blink. And the longer the silence stretches, the more Vesta shifts under the scrutiny.

Vesta leans towards Tristan, lowering her voice to a whisper and speaking in the Tovi tongue. “It’s honestly kind of freaking me out that her face hasn’t changed once this entire time…”

Straightening, she pastes on a smile and claps her hands together.

“But enough about that!” She beams at Nill, a little too brightly. “Nill, are you here to join our ragtag team and help solve the famine? Please say yes, I’m dying over here.”

Nill turns slightly and gestures towards Storm.

“I must be doing the paying back of Storm. So I will be doing the fighting. And the helping with the waking of Saige.” She shakes her head once. "You are having the dying? Do not.”

Vesta blinks.

“Oh- that’s… It’s just an expression. I’m not actually dying.” She drops her voice to a murmur. “Right now, anyway...” 

Her gaze returns to Storm, brow knitting with concern. 

“What exactly is the situation here? I’m a bit… confused.”

Tristan remains quiet with an arm around Vesta. Storm sighs and gestures to Nill. 

"Well. Uh. She came from the Sidhe. Just found her way here by complete accident from the sounds of things. Saw my wings and approached me in the tavern and well... I've been helping her ever since." Storm smiles at Nill before looking at Vesta and shrugging again. "So I guess she's going to help us with things to pay me back? I keep telling her she doesn't have to but I definitely won't turn down extra help when it comes to this famine and sleep stuff."

Tristan clears his throat. "I don't know much about the Fae but Auntie S used to tell us-" He looks at Nill and then Strom. "They are tricky and like deals. They always make good on their deals. Just not always the way you expected or want them to."

Storm nods slowly. "Right. Well. I don't think we've struck any deals. I'm just helping cuz she was lost and needed helping. I'm not going to let her suffer because of what she is."

Tristan chuckles awkwardly. "I think it's lovely you're helping her. I just hope-" He stops.

Storm frowns. "Hope, what? Exactly?"

"I just hope you are both being careful is all. The Fae just attacked us last year. We should probably be cautious of- Well..." He clears his throat and looks away from them. 

Storm folds her arms across her chest. "Yeah. She does need protection from the Fae. She was a slave. So you're right. We will be careful."