Hello, Everyone!
As you know, Mary’s story so far has been part of the D&D game my friends and I are playing every week. This, however, is a special chapter for a couple of reasons. First, it didn’t take place during our usual game sessions. And second, for a while it was a secret, the results of which were revealed to the other players after a session or two.
All and all, this is an adaptation of an in-character online chat between me and our DM, concerning an unfairness our dear Mary Windfiddle found and wanted to rectify.
I hope you like it!
It was the third day after the ceremony that named them ‘Heroes of Belfast’ and Mary wasn’t happy. For half a week now, she hadn’t been able to see Paulina except for when the whole family sat down to eat together. As a punishment for disregarding her mother’s wishes, the dwarf girl wasn’t allowed to leave her room.
“That’s the dumbest thing ever!” Paulina had said but she’d complied with Konstanz’ punishment.
Then, there was the other thing nagging on Mary’s consciousness. There were four people who’d gone to the tunnels, saved all the prisoners and found out the location of the Artefact, but there were only three ‘Heroes of Belfast’.
It wasn’t fair!
So, Mary gathered all her courage and went to see the head of the Airhammer clan.
The door to Konstanz’ office was open. Paulina’s mother was writing something in a big ledger but when Mary showed up at the doorframe, she raised her head and smiled.
“Yes, Mary?”
Mary hesitated. She didn’t want to start the conversation talking about Paulina, in case it made Konstanz angry, so she decided to mention the ‘Golden child’ first.
“Hello,” she said. “I, um… I’ve been thinking of making a surprise for Bruno in our next trip and I was wondering… Is there something he likes to, um, eat?”
Konstanz grinned and gave her a conspiratorial nod to enter and close the door.
“I’m really happy that he found friends like you two,” she said. “Brunost has always been an odd child – he’s always loved my roasted rat. With garnish, of course. Here, let me tell you how it’s cooked…”
Mary sat by the desk and obediently wrote down the recipe. When she was done, she put away her notebook and stared at Konstanz.
“You’ve got good children,” she said. “I don’t know them all well enough but you must be very proud. With each and every one of them.”
The smile left Konstanz’s lips.
“I have the feeling that you have something to say about that,” she said. “Ever since you came here, you’ve been following Paulina like a puppy and I can tell that you like her a lot.”
Mary took a deep breath. Now was the moment to tell her everything that she wanted.
“Paulina is my friend!” she said. “If it wasn’t for her, I’d be dead! We’d all be dead! I don’t know if you realize what she’s done for us!”
“I am glad that she’s helped,” Konstanz said flatly. “I expect her to be capable, considering who her teacher is. That, however, doesn’t solve her other issues.”
“Issues?!” Mary said indignantly.
“Paulina is not a kid anymore, but she refuses to learn a craft. All she wants is to mess around and smoke garbage. Each of her siblings knows who they are and why. She doesn’t. And she refuses to care.”
“You don’t let her find out who she is!” Mary burst out. “All she tries to be, you either don’t notice or don’t approve of!”
Konstanz’ fingers tapped on her desk.
“Paulina has been on this world for 54 years,” she said, “and I dare say that as her mother I’ve made many attempts to help her be herself.”
“She doesn’t need someone to help her be herself!” Mary insisted, almost shouting in her opponent’s face. “She can do it on her own! Can’t you just see her and accept her for what she is?!”
Konstanz stood up abruptly and even though she was the shorter of the two, it felt like a giant had loomed over Mary.
“If she didn’t act like a child, she wouldn’t need my permission!” she said, her voice raised as well, to match Mary’s. “Do you think Saami asked me if he could go on a dangerous mission with the loggers? Do you think Brunost asked me whether he could become an adventurer? No. Because they know what they are. All Paulina knows is to do drugs. I hope that what you’ve experienced together has shown her what she could be, because I want her to be magnificent!”
Konstanz paused to regain her composure, while Mary was glaring at the floor, her eyebrows almost locking above her eyes. She looked like she was the one being scolded.
“I didn’t let her go with you,” Konstanz said, “but I didn’t stop her either. She had to decide for herself, not ask for permission.”
Mary suddenly raised her eyes, struck by a realization.
“But she did it!” she said. “Paulina came with us! Without asking for permission!”
“Almost.” Konstanz shook her head. “Before heading out, she did ask and I did forbid her. She went anyway. Now I’m waiting to see what she’ll decide. Will she do what she wants or will she come to ask again.”
This sounded a lot like what Paulina had said in the tunnels. Mary was beginning to think that her friend’s mother knew her daughter better than they realized.
“You know, I’m not a villain,” Konstanz said. “I’m a mother of eight. That’s way harder.”
Mary hung her head.
“I… don’t think you’re a villain, ma’am,” she mumbled.
“Oh, come now!” Konstanz almost laughed. “You came here so bold, so determined! Don’t call me ma’am as if you were a child! I respect you for leaving your home and following your dreams. Maybe you gave Paulina the courage to go with y’all instead of sulking in her room."
Mary looked down with a sheepish smile.
“It was more like she gave me courage.” A blush started spreading on her sides. “There were moments where I couldn’t keep going if it wasn’t for her.”
“I see,” Konstanz said. “Well, anyway. Me, personally? I am feeling hopeful about the whole deal. But I’ll ask you not to share with Paulina what we’ve been talking about. You know, she has to figure out things for herself.”
Mary was beginning to like Paulina’s mother. All she was doing was try her best at raising her daughter. Like Lilly and Bramble did with Mary. Suddenly, her heart felt heavy thinking about them.
“I really don’t think you are a villain,” she said. “I’m sure it’s difficult to raise so many children. I just… um… when I left home, my parents were so disappointed… I wanted to make sure that Paulina, at least, will manage to get on with her mother… um, I mean with you.”
“They might have been disappointed, but not with you.” Konstanz looked at her tenderly. “They were sad that you’re leaving. Worried that you might not come back. I’m sure they’re proud of you. Heck, I am proud of you, and I barely know you!!”
Mary’s eyes were filled with tears now. She wiped them off, furiously blinking at the floor. Then she looked at Konstanz with resolve and changed the subject. This wasn’t about her. It was about her friend.
“It’s not fair that we received honors and rewards from the Council of Belfast, and Paulina didn’t. She deserves them just as much as we three do!”
Konstanz tilted her head. Her eyes were sparkling with something Mary couldn’t quite catch.
“Yes, that is true,” she said. “But we shouldn’t forget that Paulina went with you when I had explicitly forbidden. Which means that she’s grounded. I just don’t know…” She opened one of her desk drawers and pulled out a box. “Do I give this to her when her punishment is over, or do I wait until she realizes who and what she is?”
She showed her the content of the box. It was a patch, the same as Mary and her friends had gotten from the Council. Mary gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.
“I… she… you…” She had no words for the exiliration she was feeling.
She jumped from her chair and threw her arms around Konstanz’ neck. Then backed away awkwardly but kept on smiling like a pumpkin.
“I… won’t tell her,” she said.
“Good girl!” Konstanz said with a sly smile. “So, what do you think, when do I give it to her? I’m sure that you have something to say about that.”
“When she realizes who she is!” Mary blurted. “No, when her punishment is over!” she corrected. “No, the former!” She put her face in her palms. “Oh, I don’t knooow!” She was so happy and excited that she couldn’t think straight. “If it was up to me, I’d give it to her right this second, only to be able to see her reaction!” she said. “I know it’s not up to me, though…”
“You’re right. I can’t go back on my word,” Konstanz said. “Very soon, if Melora allows it, my kids are going to make me a grandma, and that means that a new generation of little monsters are going to need me.” She cackled. “And my word has to be my promise.”
She kept on smiling. Mary was reminded of her own grandmother and all the antics she and little Leefie had played on her.
“Maybe that will give Paulina the push to go on her own way,” Konstanz said, pensively. “We don’t want her to fall behind Brunost.”
“Oooh! I wouldn’t say she’s falling behind Bruno! Only if you knew all the things she did in the tunnels!”
Mary went on describing all of Paulina’s abilities and achievements. Her transformations into various beasts, her ‘Pass Without A Trace’ and her ‘Darkvision’, the way she’d saved her from the Roper on the bridge…
Konstanz was nodding with a patient smile, but after a while her eyes started flashing towards the ledgers on her desk and the door at the other end of the room. Then, she gasped and pointed at the mechanical clock on her desk.
“Ah!” she said. “Look at that! It’s time for tea! Go, dear, make yourself some. Please.”
Mary was always ready for tea. She thanked Paulina’s mom and went out of her office. When she closed the door behind herself, she heard the key turn in the keyhole.
I don't think Konstanz was too eager to hear much more about Paulina, do you? 😅 Anyway, here's one more thing Mary managed to do for her friend. Hope she appreciates it down the road :)
In other news, I'm going to take a few weeks off from posting, now that this part of the adventure is finished. I know there are more mysteries and loose ends but I'm sure they'll be explained and tied up in the future. I know some of them are, and they don't dissapoint!
Hope to see you when the story continues! When that happens, this link will become active.
Until then,
Take care and be well!
When that time is over, we'll come back with new episodes every Monday and Friday.
(Also, here's a link to the Chapter Guide and the Glossary for the series. You're welcome!)