RP:Lessons on War
Part of the Appeasing Aramoth Arc
Snow-Covered Remains
Ignatius had been, for some time now, walking up and down that old roadway in solemn silence - pacing back and forth along that bend, pausing only upon occasion to kneel down and take some bit of debris in hand and utter some small words of acknowledgement before tucking that artifact of sorts into a bag that he carried with him. It was slow work but it was necessary. The remnants of people long dead was an all too pungant reminder that Ignatius was himself part of a world that he had no place in.
Kaval kept her gloved hands tucked tightly beneath her arms while she made way rummaging undead. Pausing a few metres before and curving her torso forward in habit she inquired, "Are you know of where Ignatius may be?" Ignorant of whom she may be speaking with or even what; her sights didn't not focus clearly on the man's face while he worked through the debris.
Quinmyutiotu trudged through the snow and debris in her makeshift plant-parka, little capuchin friend perched as always on her shoulder. A glimpse of Ignatius and an unfamiliar woman in the distance brought her to change direction, headed straight for them. "Musical One~" The dryad calls through her enchanted mask, "I've been searching for you."
Ignatius was just standing himself up again when the unfamilar woman made her approach, the dim red light within his otherwise empty eyesockets concentrating into mere pinpricks within the blackness as he looked upon her. Stepping forward a few paces, he'd lift his hand to make a gesture towards Quin in the form of a single finger held upwards to symbolize a request for one moment. "E, informi, what would you do when you found this Ignatius?" He asked, a grin forming across his skeletal visage.
Kaval seemed visibly taken off guard by the man's appearance. True, queerer beings have stalked these lands yet none of which the human dared to linger nearer. Her lips pressed in a defined line, jaw clenched while trying to wash the shocked expression from her features. She stood idle in that spot, rather still and hardly taking note of the dryad appearing in her peripheral.
Quinmyutiotu froze on the spot at Ignatius' gesture. Jiin-Jiin reacted similarly, but the pair began to move again a few moments later. While the knight and unfamiliar woman continued their conversation, Quin and her monkey friend curiously prodded at bits and pieces of debris poking out of the snow.
Ignatius took a few more steps forward towards the girl, tsk-tsking as he made his way in her direction. "Mia cara, è scortese stare in silenzio quando ha fatto una domanda. Especially when there are others waiting for my time as well." He gestured his hand towards Quin and her monkey as they poked about in the snow, his head inclining a bit to the left whilst he continued to stare in Kaval's direction. "Quindi chiedo ancora una volta, what do you intend to do when you find this Ignatius that you are looking for?" That grim grin never seemed to fade from his face, a smile that would be jovial and friendly enough were it not so grizzled with skeletal features.
Kaval pushed aside whatever already subsiding shock remained instilled best she could as she perked up, clearing her throat, "Ehm, I am told to talk to Ignatius about aiding in some construction…or, by the looks of it," for a moment she pried her sights from the man's figure towards the scattered rubble, "reconstruction. Of a school?" Her words came out far softer than intending, feeling a twinge of regret in the lack of confidence shown.
Kuiai is out for a walk and has decided to visit the spot he helped clean up and build some. HIs mind is racing with thoughts, thoughts that will haunt him till his nightmare is over. For now he focuses on the surroundings and is taken off guard as he stumbles upon a small gathering. Dressed in warm clothes and void of his armor, he steps up and speaks up in his rought Larketian voice, "I'm not interrupting anything am I? I can leave if you wish or if you need my help then ask. I was here once before and started some construction here, but have yet to return until now to check it." He waits for a reply, not sure which one is in charge, but that also brought another thing to mind, but he will ask in a bit.
Quinmyutiotu kept an ear on Kaval and Ignatius' conversation, remaining eye flicking over in their direction on occasion. Jiin-Jiin, who had never met the knight but had heard the dryad chatter on and on about him, seemed anxious to hop from her shoulder and scamper on over to him, but Quin kept a firm hold on the little vine scarf coiled around the monkey's neck. A handful of snow is picked up by the dryad, squeezed a few times in her palm in the shape of a miniature snowball, then gingerly placed on Jiintiufon's noggin. She gives a mischievous smirk behind her mask at the surprised screeches the little capuchin makes at his new snow-hat.
Madigan arrived as soon as she could to the place marked on her map. She hadn't understood a word of the message she'd received, partially because it wasn't in common and partially because she can't read very well. Instead, she opted to simply follow the map, assuming the sender was a benign one. On her way through Frostmaw, it had occurred to her that maybe the sender was the man with the strange name and flattering accent. The name Ignatius runs through her mind as she recalls her misadventure with Hildegarde who'd reminded Madigan of the man's name. She'd completely forgotten his name before then; even while they spoke for a second time, she couldn't recall his name at all. Thank you, Hildegarde, the dryad thinks to herself as she comes upon a gathering of people. She hadn't expected to see the group she spies before her, but then she doesn't exactly know what she did expect in the first place. A rush of excitement bubbles up inside her when she spots Ignatius with his hollowed out sockets and red lights for eyes. The excitement grows twofold when she realizes Quetzal is among these people. She approaches them with a genuine, heartfelt grin on her face, pausing to stand nearest to Quetzal. Madigan utters not a sound as she watches the exchange between the group. Really, there was no need to greet anyone when her entrance in such an open land is apparent to anyone with eyes, and greeting people when her presence is so obvious felt vain to her, so she stays quiet.
Ignatius listened for a moment until Kaval finally spoke, that grin fading as he gave his head a few slow nods. He was judging her now, taking in every flucuation of her voice and even the way that she held herself in whatever detail he could gather - the spacing between her feet, the posture with which she stood, and even the look on her face were all bits of information to be logged and analyzed by the old soldier. And a moment later, he had turned himself away from her. "Faresti bene a stare più alto e tenere aperto la bocca un po 'meno. Un cacciatore ha bisogno di apparire in grassetto e mostruoso si deve mai trovarsi faccia a faccia con un marchio che ha ottenuto troppo vicino." It was then that he suddenly jutted the sack that he had been carrying towards the girl. "You can begin by gathering up the debris. Be sure to place this in a safe place along the road when you are done. I intend to return them to their owners." He would then turn his sights suddenly upon the newcomer and with a wave of his hand, gestured him to come and walk with him as he made his way towards the two dryads that had also deigned to make their appearances in this fridgid place. "You look like you are a ragazzo forte, a... how you say, strong healthy bull." He began.
Kaval jerked a sheathed palm upward in reflex while the bag was thrust her way, quickly curling her digits about the open top rim of the sack. With a few steps taken back while exchanging hold over the sack the glanced at the contents already within to better grasp what materials she could be scavenging from the rubble, "Will do." Turning heel she took in the small group that gathered before finding her way towards a small pile of burnt debris, picking out what salvageable bits she could spy.
Quinmyutiotu ;; The presence of Madigan brought a large smile to the dryad's obscured face, and immediately her arms flew to wrap around the fellow dryad. This upset Jiin-Jiin a bit, and sent him flying and screeching from his perch to land with an unceremonious plop in the snow below. After giving Madigan a very tight hug, if allowed, Quin pulls away with a cheery wave. "Madigan Friend~ Hi there!" Jiin-Jiin eventually pulls himself from the snow, shakes a bit of it from his fur, and scrambles back into place on the masked dryad's shoulder. From there, he gives one of her antler-branches a sharp tug that makes her wince. "Eehehe, Jiin-Jiin, I'm very sorry and things, yes?" At Ignatius' approach, the dryad whistled a quick warning to the capuchin monkey on her shoulder this time around to move. He hopped down from her shoulder and soon enough, the dryad's arms were wrapped around Ignatius. "Musical One~ I've been missing you so very much." She pulls away with a warm smile then chortles a bit at her monkey friend, who happens to be sniffing and poking at Ignatius' feet. "He is my Jiin-Jiin," Quin explains. "I've been telling him things about you, you know?"
Kuiai walks with Ignatius as he bows to them all, more deeply to the ladies than the male. Ignatius recieves a stern look of shock and wonder, seeing as this is the furst undead Kuiai has ever spoken and interacted with. "I am strong and healthy as you have noticed, a prince from the largest minotaur tribe. All of my tribe is just as healthy andI can see why the Queen of Larket doesn't mind having us around." He grins and he took one step for each of the Undeads. Never in his life has he seen so many females come to do the work of a man, but it impressed him even more and he would show them the respect they deserved. "What is it that you would like me to do?"
Madigan had watched the exchange between the woman and Ignatius with quiet interest and grinned when Quetzal hugged her. Wrapping her arms around her friend, Madigan returns the warm hug, but before she can respond to Quetzal, her eyes return to Ignatius and the familiar minotaur. She'd finally remembered where she'd first seen him and had realized who the Sasha he'd mentioned to her was. She casts him a smile of acknowledgement before looking at Quetzal's capuchin. She clicks her tongue at him as she jerks her chin up, wondering his name. Madigan doesn't have to wonder too long before Quetzal introduces her companion, though, and the name causes the white-haired dryad to grin. "Jiin-Jiin," she quietly sings out, testing the name on her tongue. She likes that name very much, but doesn't think on it too long as she watches Quetzal hug Ignatius. Her name for him seems fitting to Madigan with how lovely his accent is to the ears, and no matter how difficult it is to understand him when he speaks in his native tongue, it still sounds like a magnificent song. Maybe he plays instruments as well or even sings. She'll have to ask him at some point.
Ignatius was cut off momentarily from continuing his conversation with the minotaur by a sudden and terribly unexpected hug gifted unto him by Quin, a hug he returned as best as he could manage while also keeping it as brief as one was able without appearing rude or harsh. "E 'bello vedere anche te, bella fiore." He said as he offered to Quin a tip of his hat before he turned his gaze back upon Kuiai. "I have need of that strength." He said as he gave a brief gesture towards the land surrounding. "Much of this rubble is far too heavy for us piccola gente and I would greatly appreciate your assistance in lifting it so that we may pile it closer to the road where it may be more easily, how you say... piled into the carts when they come to carry it away." And yet again his attention was upon Quin and Madigan, arms once more crossed behind his back. "And I was thinking that queste due belle signore would be so kind as to lash together the smaller bits of rubble with their vines that Mister... uh... uomo forte here might be able to carry loads a bit more how you say, effeciently." Kaval quickly became enveloped in her given task. Keen eyes identifying what bits of debris still held form of its original state, plucking fourth from the clattered mess an array of clothes, toys, partly scorched books and things of the sort. Though all the while compiling a small, yet growing, stack of unrecognisable items tossed to the side. With the sack quickly filling her curiosity peaked into asking, "What exactly happened to this place?"
Kuiai nods his head and without being told twice and without warning, he finds a large piece of flat wood and with his horns, he punctures two holes on one end and places it near the larger debris with a grin. Years of living in the forest, he has learned he can do the same amount of work with a lot less energy. Minotaurs are not as dumb as people may think, not Kuiai, anyways. He moves to an area he remembered clearing of debris last time he was here and looked near a tree where a rope was left. Grabbing it he slipped it through the holes in the wooden plank and tied it in place, where he would drag it. Large pieces of stone were now his target and he looked them over and even moved the snow away from one side of a block, where he pushed and slid it slowly onto the plank with lots of grunting and panting. Moments passed when he thought he would get the thing to move, but he did eventually and was glad for it. Once on the slab he pulls on the rope and with ease pulls the stone block to the road, where it would have taken probably a dozen men to do the same thing. "Aramoth bless me with the energy to do this. I do it in your name, in your city of Frostmaw," he said as a prayer to the god he worships more than the others.
Quinmyutiotu 's remaining eye rested on the minotaur for a moment. She was somewhat familiar with the race, but had never crossed paths with one. Naturally, she would have to think of a -one name for him eventually. The thought is filed away for later, and the dryad takes a quick sweep of the area around she and the others with her eye. That grin once again reappears on her masked face, and she offers Ignatius an enthusiastic nod. "Of course! I can be doing the helpings...And Jiin-Jiin! Jiin-Jiin might, as well." Her head jerked downward to the little monkey, then added, "Though he might only be able to pick up the very tiny things, yes?" Dryad and capuchin then set to work, brushing past Ignatius and Kuiai to see what hidden things in the snow they could tackle with the help of Quin's vines. Madigan follows behind Quetzal, pressing her palm against Ignatius' arm as she passes and lets it drop with ease. She'd watched Kuiai push the rock and had gathered how much it weighed before deciding how to group the rubble for him to deal with it in the most effective manner. It doesn't take long before Madigan comes upon a pile to work with, and she sets herself to raising thick vines from the ground to tightly weave themselves around a scattering of rocks and then pulling them together to cluster into a ball. The vines tie together and hang limply on the ground in a cluster so that the crudely bundled rocks may be dragged by the vines' ends. As she moves rocks this way and that, she uncovers bloodied items that were once owned by a people. Her lips draw into a thin line as she considers how to handle these once valuable possessions. An idea occurs to her and she begins to weave thinner vines together to form a woven blanket and through the manipulation of another vine, she grabs the most intact items and has them tossed into the make-shift blanket. Once she's filled the blanket, she'll tie it off at the ends to form a bag and take care of the remains in whatever way Ignatius prefers. If anything, she'll bury the items themselves and hold a private ceremony for the lost lives. Lifting her head from her work, she looks over to the others, wondering the same as the unnamed woman in the group asked.
Ignatius would watch the minataur set about with his labors for a brief moment before his gaze shifted back towards Quin and he excited chatter about the skills of her monkey - to which he would give a smile and a slow nod of approval. "You are very smart, bel fiore. Una delle ragioni per cui sono tanto bene." And as Madigan passed by him, he touched the tips of two of his scaled fingers against his brow as a salute to her before turning towards Kaval who had been laboring admirably as he stood in conversation with the other three who had now set about their own tasks. "Per rispondere alla tua domanda, I am told there was a war a long time ago." He began to explain as he moved to help her sift through debris for bits of this and that. "E per essere del tutto onesti, I do not know what they were fighting about or even if one side or the other was truly victorious. I have learned something in my time of wars though..." He said as he lifted from the snow a doll that someone's daughter had once loved. "In time, no one will care of the wars that we fight now. She certainly did not." He said with a tinge of sorrow in his voice as he held that doll out to Kaval. "Che hanno abbracciato questa bambola di notte, she knew nothing of the quarrels of kings and yet I am certain that those quarrels cut her life short ugualmente."
Kaval kept shifting her glance from the debris before her and the undead man as he spoke of what tragedy befell this structure. Lightly setting the sack aside the arched up to take grasp of the old doll, pinching the two arms of the toy between her digits while inspecting it. Slightly torn at the leg, but nothing a quick stich would fasten up, "I would not think a war to spread its wrath to parts like this. Seem' to be, rather far from town." Quietly she went back to her task at hand, placing the doll within the sack.
Quinmyutiotu thought that this may be a wonderful opportunity to put her earth dancing to use, now that she had a somewhat stronger handle on it than past attempts. She stands before a pile of rocks she could easily lift individually and move, but opts for her different approach. Tattooed hands extend outward, palms facing downward. The bits of deep dragon-scale tinged ink in her palms twine with her own magic, and at the final word of the string of lip movements her mouth performs, the dryad throws herself into a crouch and presses her hands into the frigid snow. The magic performs a rippling effect from her palms, and it eventually surrounds a pair of the nearest rocks. Once Quin is certain that she has 'felt' them, her hands slowly leave the ground, and the rocks follow suit from their position a short distance away. As they lift and her hands lift, she stands, causing the rocks to elevate more so they reach her middle. Tattooed hands draw close to her form, and the rocks follow suit, finally coming to a stop at her side where she can form a small, organized pile. This process is continued with the assistance of Jiintiufon, who flits here and there amongst the floating rocks Quin lifts to pick up what lighter pieces of rock and lost items he can lug in his tiny hands. While she lifts, he separates. Rocks fall in the pile the dryad created, while other items went to a separate pile he began. A slight frown tugged at Quin's lips while she listened to Ignatius and Kaval discuss what occurred here. "Poor things," she murmured, while watching her monkey friend carry a spineless book off to the pile. "Do you think more of this will happen here, Musical One?"
Kuiai listens to the tale that is being told as he pushes the stone oof the slab and turns around to gather another one the same way he did before. The minotaur seems to have put his mind to this task and can only wonder if the building of stables will be like this. As the thought hits him, he stops for a moment and asks, "I know the reconstruction is going on now, but I have to ask all of you or atleast tell you, in three days I will be in Enchantment, trying to organize a team to help build the stables for Queen Thea. I could use all the help I can get. I wasn't supposed to lead this building, but with the absence of Valkor, it has fallen on me. It's a opportunity to recieve more recognition from Enchantment as well as the Queen and you will be paid greatly for your services." He pauses and looks at each in turn, "I may be minotaur, but I cannot do this alone. I am not above asking for help." Now, while he waits for their replies, he goes back and gathers more debris on his slab, piling more and more and even tells the others they can add to it. He would move it all for them, when he could. He knew not to over burden himself in this could. Which for him is just not right.
Madigan doesn't respond to Ignatius' words as she turns just in time to catch him hold up the doll to the woman and watch her take the doll from his hands. A shake of the head as she returns her attention to the rubble, angered by politics, though she doesn't know that's what it's called. A small few killing hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent people over petty disputes like who owns this land or she having more money than him. Her angry musings get away from her as she mindlessly continues to divide the bloodied rock from the bloodied artifacts, not realizing that the bits of dried blood hidden deep within the snow under her begins to surface on the snow. Each step she takes one way leaves a trail of crimson red steps. It isn't until the blood starts dancing in thin strings around her feet that she realizes what she's done. Her body visibly seems to clamp down on itself as the swaying blood collapses into the snow. Hastily, she kicks the snow out over the trail of blood, not wanting anyone to see what she'd just done. A quick glance up to the group to make sure no one saw a thing...
Ignatius shook his head slightly as he rans his hands through the snow, feeling for anything that may lay beneath those heavy drifts. "It may not have been the war itself but these conflitti, they bring scavengers along with them. It could have been bandits, looters, or even disease that took these. Aye, Ho visto i sanguinosi attacchi sparsi a macchia d'olio simply because some villagers drank from a river where a corpse lay rotting." He then turned his words towards Quin to answer her question in turn. "I would work to avoid un'altra guerra in all that I do here. I teach not so that others may learn how to fight wars but rather so that they may know how to difendere against them... and minotaur, I would were I not needed here for this." He added at the end with an apologetic nod given in Kuiai's direction. And had he seen Madigan's blunder, so to speak, the undead knight certainly was not making it known - choosing instead to thoughtfully examine an old coin he had come across. Afterall, some people had secrets that were theirs to keep...
Kaval hummed slightly to herself in acknowledgment of the undead's words, though the large Minotaur stole her attention. Brows knit themselves together with a disapproving grimace to the title 'queen'. The countries politics had always been an ill spoken thing within her household, and held no true interests to the women. Yet the proposition of available work tugged at her thoughts as gaining coin during the heated seasons while game scattered across the hunting grounds was always a dilemma in acquiring. Balancing the idea of another job momentarily she gave the Minotaur a quick nod, "Ochota, Dobicha, yes I would be glad to be aiding you in this."
Quinmyutiotu frowned as Jiintiufon carried more and more small items that he could carry out of the snow, and soon enough she was assisting him with them now that the rocks she found were out of the snow. Her eye didn't manage to catch Madigan and the blood, but she did glance the other dryad's way to see how far along she had gotten. The monkey and dryad pair lapsed into contemplative silence, focused on clearing more of the area out. She made a note to belatedly respond to Kuiai later on, once she decided whether or not she could help.
Madigan hadn't realized until she'd looked up that Kuiai had asked them a question and although she hadn't been paying particular attention to his words, the others' responses helped her understand what his question had been. "If I happen by that day, I'll help with whatever I can." Hoping the drastically disturbed tufts of snow around her weren't plainly obvious to everyone else, she tries to roll a rather large boulder as nonchalantly as possible. What better way to divert people's attention than by attempting stupidly futile feats? She gives up on the charade, her shoulders slumping a little embarrassedly, and twirls her finger around her head to wrap the rock in a vine. Screw playing it off; it's too much effort, she decides. Whomever saw already did and her foolish attempts to pretend nothing happened will be just that - foolish.
Kuiai noticed Madigan covering up a trail of what seems to be blood, but he won't express his concerns if she wasn't willing to let others see she has a problem. He smiles and thinks, 'Women are stubborn, more stubborn then men.' He laughs a bit, loud enough for others to hear and realizes they might think he is crazy for such an outburst. He makes a note to add Madigan to the list, remembering her finally as the female that helped him try and save Sasha from Xzarren that night. "Aye, I understand that one. We all have things to attend too and I have to say that the stables are keeping me from my quest to find the minotaurs that are somewhere in these mountains," he drags that slab to the road and neatly piles it by size and stacked it if he could, while he said this. He smiles, finally getting folks interested in the Enchantment stables and it made him smile, "Then I hope to see you in three days time. If you need directions to the place or just want a guide, don't hesitate to ask." He goes back to work, stacking the rubble in neat piles. The minotaurs seems to have been trained with manners and the ability to keep things organized. He respected the others here and stayed out of their way and in return, respect and recognition will be given to him, in his mind, hopefully. Again he stops and he watches the monkey and shakes his head on the way back from the road to the site. It may be cold, but he still sweats like an over worked horse and whipes his browi with his arm and resumes working, not all afraid to take abit of clean snow and eating it to get his water intake.
Ignatius finally stood himself up from the snow, passing that coin that he had been purposely paying attention to if only to avoid observing in too much detail what Madigan had done. It was none of his business to impose upon things that she wished to keep hidden but he was not about to let her lay there in the snow trying to not look the part of a fool. He would offer the fallen dryad his hand and with it came that wide smile of his, inviting and friendly were it not for the features of death. "Ci sono cose che non parla but should we choose to, there are people who would listen." He said before turning himself to face the rest of the group. "I am needing to be off, I have to fetch some plans that I commissionato and give the queen a list of forniture e dei costi." With that said, he gave a flourish and a bow before beginning his long hike back towards the city proper. "You are welcome to continue your labors here as long as you like, I assure you that all your efforts will be conpensated d'oro."
Kaval found herself quickly filling up the sack with the late possessions of the former owners whom had previously resided in the demolished structure. With the bulging sack nearing capacity of all it could hold, she twisted a stray leather strap tightly about the sacks opening to seal it shut. She heaved the sack out of the way of the others still working at the rubble, setting it off to the side and looking back towards the undead, "Here is a good spot? It had its full…so many things, I am surprise still kept hold together." The mild heat of working through the debris warmed her enough to comfortable remove her gloves, stuffing the pair in the lower pocket slits of her vest. "Three days, it is in the place past where the sage rangers are. Am I right?"
Kuiai said to Kaval, "It is in Enchantment, west of the Crystal Clear Moat. I can always guide you or send you directions. I will have more on the board here in Frostmaw and Kelay, as well as the dwarven city and Cenril."
Quinmyutiotu finally imitated Madigan's actions of bundling up the rocks with vines now that her area was cleared away. Vines that had grown too long were tugged loose from her hair, while others tore through the flesh of her palm to grow and coil around the rocks in a neat, easier to carry bundle. Once the vine completed its growing process from her palm it detached, and Jiin-Jiin set to knotting it tightly so it wouldn't come undone. The process is repeated with the lost objects that they found. The dryad peers down at the split flesh of her hand while it begins to seal itself with the assistance of very thin vines, which acted as stitches. Her attention is drawn toward Ignatius however, and with a slight frown she lifts her self-stitched hand to wave to him as he departs.
Kaval emitted a short laugh, crossing her arms, "Ah, I do not so much like being under, more of up within the mountains than in the ground. So I will check on Frostmaw's tavern. I will be visiting there much the next few nights I believe, so you can tell me more then." Casting a glance skyward she estimated the general direction she should head back to lead towards her home. "It was nice meeting you all." With her task done, she departs.
Kuiai stands up and pants a bit, "Ladies, don't work yourselves too hard now. I too must return and get these letters out and check on Sasha. See you two lovelies around." He bows to them all, then takes his leave back to the Frostmaw Tavern.
Madigan had grabbed a hold of Ignatius' hand when he offered it and it saddened her when he said he had to go. She watched his back for a while as he moved further away from them and headed toward the city. Sighing heavily, she looks around at the others and returns to her work, dragging massive boulders out of the way nearer the street and collecting the worldly possessions that remained intact. The white-haired dryad became so concentrated in her work that she forgot to notice the others working around her. She would continue to work into the night and later still before the sun ascended into the sky. She would hardly notice when any of the others would chance in front of her or even when she would help any of them with their area. Her mind has set itself to a specific task and very little would disturb her concentration. The white-haired dryad chooses to ignore the smaller pieces of rubble, knowing exactly how she'll take care of all of them at once. It's not until she's cleared a large area that she starts raising vines from the ground to till the dirt and the snow, causing the smaller pieces of debris to be buried under dirt, ice, and dried blood. The mixture of snow and dried blood creates an unappealing sight, but Madigan understands that snow will fall again and the blood will disappear into the churned soil eventually. She would continue to clear out large areas as the day becomes night, and she would repeat this soil-churning process and likely won't stop until everyone else has already decided to make their leave. That wouldn't bother her, though. She's much too deeply caught up in Ignatius' words to her to really be bothered by the notion.
Quinmyutiotu thinks it might be time to depart once she noticed that the majority of the others had gone. Her eye found Madigan however, and the dryad opted to approach her instead. The dryad grinned a bit, but it faltered slightly at the sight of blood. She didn't voice it right away, but Quin really admired the other dryad's ability to concentrate for so long on one task. After a few moments of watching, she finally spoke. "I'm thinking, maybe I could be staying to help you some more? It can be full of the spooks out here when the moons are visiting the sky, you know? Jiin-Jiin and I can be helping some more with things through the nighttimes, and we could be doing the chatters, maybe? Yes?" Jiintiufon had already found a new spot to begin clearing up, and waved his tiny arms to beckon Quin over.
Madigan pauses a moment to pay attention to Quetzal and grins at her words. She nods at the masked dryad, happy to have the company. "I'd like that." Once again, she sets herself to the task, and together the two of them work to clear as much as they can before they tire out, occasionally taking breaks to drink water and to talk amongst themselves. For the rest of the night, Madigan had a smile on her lips.