[WFRP2e] The Power of One - Part 2 - "Transire Benefaciendo"

[BananaPhone]

Taalia Giovanni


A couple of minutes of broken-Tilean/Bretonnian conversation, and Taalia's troubles were momentarily forgotten. She found this amusing in its entirety, and her smile returned as she admittedly had a bit of fun trying to figure out what the unorthodox knight was trying to say.

Years ago when she had emerged as a skinny, escaped, frightened girl in the woods, the language barrier was a dread specter that separated her off from those around her. Perhaps, though, at the time it was terrifying because of how it cut her off from her means of survival: the Tileans. Now, however, Taalia was far more confident and capable. Perhaps this man and her would fail to properly communicate, wish each other well in their languages and then part ways...and that would be it. Taalia still had her fit body, her skillful mind, can-do attitude and, as witnessed by her rickety human-pulled sled, her tools. She'd be fine. Back then, fitting in was literally life or death.

Would it be as such here? Well, hopefully not. But as the saying went, hope springs eternal.

"Orcs, SÌ, SÌ!" Taalia would smile happily at the over-lapping word for those disgusting greenskins: orc. A universal menace, it seemed, and one whose brutish name was despised in all the realms of man.

But, when Bella giggled, that's when Taalia gave a 0.5 second sideways look, the tiniest of knowing smiles tugging at the corner of Taalia's lips before focusing back on the knight.

"Si, orc?" Taalia established, unslinging her firearm and bringing it up to aim off in a harmless direction, offering a smile as she pretened to receive recoil that pushed her shoulder back.

"Kaboom-a!"

Then the identities were shared.

"Briant Dubois, chevalier du Parravon. Je suis à votre service."

There were those familial-language words again.

Chevalier. Chivalry. Who were chivalrous? Knights.

Service. Servizio.

His name was Briant Dubois, a knight of Parravon, whatever that was, and he was at their service.

Maybe she'd get the hang of this language after all?

Or maybe...was it familiar to her, because it was her true mother tongue, back in her formative years before being stolen away?

It was a nice theory. But until the years unfolded it would remain that, a theory.

When it was her turn, Taalia gestured to herself, "Io, Taalia Giovanni," she spoke slowly, but wearing her friendly smile.

The cheese was delicious also! Receiving the bit of yellowed, tasty diary, Taalia held it up for him to see while saying "Grazie mille signore!"

The next few minutes were spent attempting to straddle the cart onto the destrier, Clemence apparently. She was a beautiful animal, Taalia took a few moments to go towards the animals long face and affectionately rub her cheek. Cunningly, it also gave the girl a few moments to watch the exchange between Briant and Bella, with her friend blushing and giggling gently, opening up in a way she hadn't to anyone before. Well, not in a long time anyway. To this, Taalia smirked knowingly, but her little smile was sheathed immediately when Bella approached.

"I think Clémence is his horse. She's huge - but if we load her up with our things, he will have no room to ride. Knights are bound to do good deeds and serve ladies, isn't it so? If we do not intend to go through this whole nation trusting no one, perhaps we should start with ...Sir Briant, here."

Yes, I'm sure you'd like that, Taalia thought to herself silently with an internal snicker.

"I'll see..." Taalia said in good humor, as she looked over Bella's shoulder - which was fairly easy, given she was over a foot taller - and caught Dubois attention.

"Singore," she said, her sonorous voice easily reaching him.

Taalia then patted her hand against her chest, "Io..." she started, then drew her hand up and her fingers down, her index and middle finger wiggling back and forth as she moved her hand forward; a universal sign for 'walking'.

She then pointed to Dubois and repeated the gesture.

Then, Taalia motioned towards Bella and drew her hand up to the top of the horse, onto its saddle.

Taalia and Dubois would walk alongside the horse, while Bella, the fair, sweet lady that she was, would ride upon the horse, her smaller frame avoiding any obstruction that the harness would impart upon the beast.