#maybe have some moonberries and you'll calm down

[ask-runaan-anything]

Wait you’ve encountered human assasains!!! Please do tell this story!

A few years ago, an upstart nobleman in Del Bar was well on his way to enacting a coup against King Florian. He dabbled in dark magic to influence those around him. His most recent acquisition from Xadia via dark market smugglers was something he very much was not allowed to keep. For that, and for his designs against a king who had given us very little trouble in all his reign, we were sent to take him and recover what he had stolen from Xadia.

That same night, Florian’s own assassins sought the upstart’s life. He’d learned of the plot against him, but not its details. My assassins came face to face with Florian’s as we all entered the target’s sleeping chamber at the same time--us through the window, and them through a secret passage behind a painting.

We had half a second of wide-eyed staring all around as ten people armed to the teeth tried to remain silent in each other’s presence and not wake their target to call for his guards.

I drew my bow to silence their leader, but she stabbed her sword into a soft chair and dropped to her knees in a bow. “Please,” she whispered, “we all want the same thing. There’s no need to kill us tonight. We won’t stand in your way.”

Well, one of her men decided that he might just. He demanded that they have the right to kill their target because he was a citizen of Del Bar and under their jurisdiction.

That was already far too much talking for my preferences, but I could already see that a simple battle would be anything but. If the humans took their target, our mission would fail. The binding ribbon doesn’t account for accidental deaths, and letting a human assassin take my target for me definitely counts as an accident.

I lowered my bow and jerked my head to summon the human leader over by the fireplace on the far wall. We both gave our squads the same general instructions: no one kills anyone until we come back with a plan.

So the human and I cahooted by the embers of our target’s dying fire.

“I’ve heard of you,” she began. “Moonshadow killers.”

“Assassins,” I corrected.

“It’s the same thing, innit?”

“It’s really not.”

“Fair enough.” For being as short as she was, she was surprisingly unintimidated by me once my bow was down. “All I ask is that you let my crew live. Even Barnaby there, with the big mouth. Maybe let him get in a good stab with you? He’s tops with that sword of his.”

I shook my head and glanced at the white ribbon on my arm. “We are bound to take him. It is our way. But if you don’t stand between us and our target, I will let you pass. That is also our way.”

She folded her arms and studied me. “Barnaby’s right about one thing, though. This fool here, he’s our fool. Why does Xadia care what trouble he gets up to? We were just about to handle him ourselves. You really didn’t need to trouble yourselves.”

“We did. He has taken something, and we’re here to retrieve it. And to punish him for his reckless arrogance.”

She glanced over her shoulder at the secret painting doorway. “You mean that strange dog in the cage?”

“You found him?” I blurted.

“Passed by in a curious and staring sort of way, more like,” she said. “Tell you what, my good uh, elf. I’ll have my crew free the dog, and you can handle His Nibs here. On two conditions.”

I squinted down at her. I’m not used to being given conditions by a human. “I’m listening.”

“We claim the kill in the name of King Florian.”

“Fair enough. We do not kill for glory--”

“And,” she continued, right over me, “I get to tell everyone whatever I want to about making you go away.”

I frowned, not following. “What do you mean?”

She chuckled softly. “This is a once in a lifetime chance at bragging rights. I want to be able to say that I beat you. It’ll look amazing on my resume.”

“You already work for a king.”

She grinned. “Today, I do. Tomorrow... who knows? So no coming back over here to shut me up for telling lies and besmirching your flawless reputation or anything. You get the kill, I get the glory. However I want it. Do we have an accord?” She held out her hand, expecting me to shake it.

I stared at it. “Not until you decide on your... lie of choice.”

She glanced over her shoulder again. Our squads were getting restless, making tiny aggressive gestures at each other. “You came for the dog, so I’ll say I bribed you to go away.”

“Not with the... the dog,” I countered. “If those who dabble in dark magic start collecting Xadian creatures to use as bribes, your troubles will only increase.”

“Hmm, a salient point, my good elf. Alright then. Maybe I bribed you with a kiss.”

I stared at her for a solid ten seconds. She raised a curious eyebrow. I coughed a laugh against my fist to keep it quiet from our snoozing target. “Everyone in Xadia will know that to be a lie upon hearing it, I’m afraid.”

Her gaze swept me up and down. “Alright, fair enough, but that’s good for both of us, isn’t it?”

“It’s really not,” I repeated. “Just stick with your golden coins. That’s still an easily spotted lie.”

She frowned up at me. “You don’t have gold in Xadia?”

“Gold, yes. Coins, no.” I tapped my horn cuff with a finger. “But I prefer silver anyway.”

“Fine. You’re common grubby rabble, eager for the shine of pretty coins... and I... raided this fool’s strongbox to pay you off,” she finished with a big smile, realizing she was about to go home with her pockets full. “Now, shake my hand and I’ll get you your dog.”

I stared at her for another long moment. “I could still kill you.”

“You won’t. You like me.” She shot me a sassy wink. 

“I really don’t. Go get the moonstrider before I change my mind.” I shook her hand, and she hurried back to her crew.

While they returned through the painting, my crew and I took our target, swiftly and without waking him. By the time the humans returned with a very wiggly moonstrider pup wrapped in a tapestry to keep him from biting them, our binding ribbons had turned red and fallen. I picked them up reluctantly, so that their existence wouldn’t contradict the human assassin’s tale of the evening’s events.

Their leader handed me the wriggly pup, who happily licked my cheek and snuggled against me. I couldn’t help smiling to have him back in Xadian hands. “Shh now. You’re safe, and we’re taking you home,” I told him.

“Oi, can I have those ribbons there?” the human assassin leader asked.

“Absolutely not. I’m not letting you plant these at any convenient kill you make.”

She had the audacity to pout at me! I very nearly changed my mind about letting her live. I pointed to the painting. “You have your lives. Now go.”

Her crew sauntered off, and she turned away last. “Alright boys, help me crack this strongbox open.”

We headed back out the window, and I left last. I heard the strongbox lock crack open, followed by three swift thumps. Morbidly curious, I hopped back down into the sill. The assassin I’d spoken with was the only one left alive in the room.

“What?” she asked innocently. “See, this way, you’ve killed all my crew and broken into the strongbox too. Greedy and murderous. The story sounds much better this way. And the four of us can keep this secret much more easily with three of us dead.” She saluted me with her bloodied sword. “Safe travels back to Xadia.”

I left without a word and barely spoke on the journey home. The thought that little discs of gold metal could inspire such behavior sent shivers of distaste through me every time I thought about it.

And now, here I sit in the midst of my own economic crisis. Such irony.

[ask-ethari-anything]

How would you deal with moon primal spirits from another plane of existence seeking to kidnap a few moonshadow elves for their ruler's pleasure?

*side-eyes the disabled Moonhenge* Good luck to them on that. We have ways of making sure beings don’t portal in from elsewhere in unwanted fashion.

We’re a stubborn lot, Moonshadows. Feeling a spectrum of life and death in our souls makes it easier to stymie those who try to sway us with threats. We’re not afraid to die saving our fellow elves, or simply to thwart a cruel captor. Some might find the challenge of breaking a Moonshadow to be an enticing prospect, but in our deepest of hearts, we just don’t care that much about needing to be alive. There are other interesting things we can do instead, if we really have to. I would expect moon primal spirits to understand that, but then, Moon beings do have our dark side too.

In any regard, I’m really not seeing this ruler’s plan working out the way they expect. Perhaps if they talked about their feelings a bit more, they’d feel a little less grabby and needy.

[ask-runaan-anything]

Okay, this is the last angsty question for this night from me: Did you ever got so angry, that you did or said something, that you regretted with all your heart, after you calmed down?

And when you are done telling me your story, you'll get this extra big moonberry suprise. It is the prize for opening yourself up and beeing brave. Please know: We will always love you, together with your dark side! *BIG KAIA HUGG* You are an great elf!

This wringer of yours is going to ruin my 3D effect, little shadow. I shall be wrung flat if you squeeze this much angst out of me! But here you go.

When Lain and Tiadrin chose to serve at the Storm Spire... I wasn’t ready for them to leave. I wasn’t ready to step into their shoes, in any way. Not for Rayla, and not for the Silvergrove. And... I said so. To their faces. In anger. Anger borne from the fear of losing them, of never seeing them again.

Tiadrin was having none of my angstiness, though. She had already made up her mind, and she wasn’t about to listen to her second-favorite assassin whinge at her after the fact. She walked out on us without a word. Lain and I stared at each other with wide eyes, while Ethari tried to chase after her.

And then things got worse. Tiadrin came back in with little Rayla in one arm and my bowblade in her other hand. Ethari followed her, but he’d gone silent and wide-eyed.

“Choose, Runaan,” she demanded.

Choose between them? I couldn’t. Little Rayla was reaching for me with urgent noises, wanting to be held, but Tiadrin’s other hand held my duty. The duty I would need to rely on even more once she left.

“Tiadrin, please...” I began.

“No. You’re in charge now. You need to make a decision. Choose.”

Her eyes glittered furiously at me. I knew I’d broken some of her trust, and if I didn’t choose correctly, I might never see Rayla again. My heart was already breaking. I reached out with both hands, trying to reason with her. I looked down at them, then back up.

“I have two hands, Tiadrin. I choose them both.” I reached out and scooped Rayla into the crook of one arm, then I took my bowblade with my free hand.

Behind Tiadrin, Ethari pressed a soft fist to his mouth and nodded. Lain rested a hand on my shoulder and kissed Rayla’s little head. “We’ll miss you,” he told me.

But Tiadrin was still glaring. When they left the Silvergrove for good, I could see in her eyes that I had hurt her with my anger. The last time I saw her, years and years ago, she looked at me with pain and doubt because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. I passed her test, but if I’d kept my head, I would never have needed to take it at all. My foolishness has lived rent-free in my head ever since. I could have given her a better parting memory. She deserved that from me. I let her down, and then... I let her down again, when I ghosted her and Lain.

I... It’s too late now, but I’m so, so sorry. I carry her hurt as if it were my own. And if that’s the strongest memory I have on new moons, then that’s no less than I deserve.

well now i have no appetite for moonberry surprise

okay maybe just a little bit