Role

Chapter 27

Oirwn often felt responsible for the feelings and well-being of others. When
her dearest friends hurt, she did her best to cheer them, but it was the plight
of poor Flackerbuz that confounded Oirwn the most. He was a peculiar Svirf,
and very much in love with another of Oirwn's friends, a paladin of Rayihn named
Rosaline. Rosaline had no interest whatsoever in the Svirfneblin chef, but
Flackerbuz was too swept up in the paladin's beauty, and far too unaware of his
own value to ever let his obsession go, even when she let him down time and time
and time again. It irked Oirwn. She was irked that Rosaline seemed to do every-
thing she could to hurt Flackerbuz. She was irked that Flackerbuz was too much
of a stubborn brat to listen to reason and find someone who'd appreciate him.

It reminded Oirwn a little, just a little, of her trouble so long ago with Leric.
Leric was never coming back to the Heralds now, and Oirwn felt like a little piece
of her had gone missing with him. She understood why Flackerbuz felt so hurt, but
Oirwn, for the good of everyone around her, decided to channel that pain into
poetry and dance. Leric would never have wanted her to be miserable over him,
which is why she never pressed the matter of loving him in the first place.

And then there was the Marshall of the Fortress, Tanion Sunlash. For some time
he had been visiting with Oirwn, asking for a garment here and there. It took
Oirwn a while to figure out that he might be piling up these requests as an
excuse to see her. The notion made Oirwn smile, but she and the Marshall were
so different in their views. Leric, when he was still around, disliked the man
so much for his unwillingness to accept that dark artifacts and magic ought to
be studied for the good of the Light. Know your enemy, Oirwn thought, long
before she was ever asked to guard any secrets. Still, Oirwn found the Marshall's
excitement contagious when he spoke of the building of the new Golden Tower. He
even showed her the site where it would someday stand. His passion for his Lord
and his mission shook her a little, and she began to wonder whether or not she
fancied him.