Dragul Family/Katrina/The Virtues of Fafnir

The Virtues of Fafnir

Katrina had had to leave quickly from the ceremony, as she had a ship to catch. She was on her way back to Raviel and to renew her oath to Lady Thalia, and get back to the business of raising funds for the realm.

The captain was waiting the ship for her and smiled as she approached the dock. “My Lady Confessor, welcome aboard, I have quarters arranged for you and a place for your men to bed down. The water is a bit choppy and it may be a rough ride.”

Katrina smiled at the crusty captain, “I will be fine I am sure, having been born around the sea, and its waves are a lullaby to me. I would like to be shown to my cabin as I am rather tired from the last few days’ proceedings. “

The captain had his steward show her to her quarters and the dutiful Thorrson followed behind, making sure that all of his lady’s needs would be met. Thorrson then took up a silent vigil outside his lady’s door to make sure no one would disturb the sleep he knew she so badly needed.

Katrina didn’t even stop to eat, or prepare for bed, she all but fell into it because of how exhausted she was from the last few days.

She was gravely worried about the queen. The attack on her in Port Nebel had left her with some wounds the healers had said would be fine in a few days. Katrina knew from watching the queen in Paisly that all was not well with the queen. Perhaps the beating she had taken was just the final thing it would take to make the once great woman crack under the pressure of the seemingly relentless attacks from all sides outside the realm and from a few that had come from within as well.

Katrina quickly fell into a fitful sleep and was immediately taken to the scene of a great battle in what appeared to be Paisly. She stood on the hillside overlooking the destruction from the horde of armies of the south. She could see the battlefield lined with the dead, and on the walls no banners flew that she could recognize.

She felt the tears come for the loss. A hand gently touched her shoulder and she turned to see the woman who always came in her dreams. She was the same one who had become the ice blue dragon in Katrina’s first dream of her. “Daughter of giants,” Nailyon began, “Why do you weep?”

“I weep for the loss of this land, and for the loss I fear is about to happen in all of D’Hara!” Katrina told her.

It was then that Katrina noticed that Nailyon was not alone. Standing slightly behind her was a man, ghostly white, and silent. He was tall, dark and noble; handsome but there was wildness and a troubled look in his eyes. They blazed with the fires of strength and vision. He was the one that had orchestrated the destruction of realms and the deaths of thousands of soldiers on the field of battle; most of them had been enemy soldiers. To Katrina he looked like an older and sadder Ceyln.

Nailyon looked at Katrina with the same serene sadness that had been there in the last dream when Nailyon had given her the first lesson of virtues. “The people of D’Hara don’t listen to my words even now. You must give them the second lesson now in hopes they will listen to it. This lesson is on the values taught by Fafnir. His are the values of Courage and Truth. Courage is the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty and danger without fear. It is also known as bravery. Most of the world challenges our values because they are not the easy way to do things. Living honorably is simply too inconvenient, but the only way to change things is to have the courage to refuse to take part in anything that is not within our values. It has been more convenient to allow other religions to bully their way into the heart of those who once were loyal to our ideals. Now a great tide is coming that will shake D’Hara to its very core.

Truth is essential to personal honor and to any system or morality that is not based on rigid legalism. If one is to uphold an honor code, one must be brutally honest with oneself and with others. Truth is hard to be found now in the realm. Intrigue abounds and there is only one who may lead D’Hara away from its peril.

The one you see with me is a great warrior, he was slain defending what he believed in. Find him and you will find what you seek.” They faded from view and Katrina awoke in a sweat.

Katrina lay there contemplating the words of the dragons. Courage yes, D’Hara would have to show great courage in the time ahead, but truth and being truthful to oneself? And what of this one who had been with Nailyon; she had seen those blue eyes before, the rugged dark looks; he was most like Sir Ceyln. This completely baffled her. She must send a message to Ceyln at once. She called for Thorrson and he appeared concerned for his lady at the door.

“Thorrson, I must send a message to Sir Ceyln immediately. Send for my scribe and a messenger immediately."