Redsand Canyon exordium

Ruenna emerged from their shared quarters at Germanicus's soft summons. "Germanicus?" she greeted him softly, a question in her tone. She was quite relieved to see him home, and she was also very much curious about the summons. He must have something to show her, otherwise why would he call her out of the den at a time of the evening when he ought to have been settling inside himself?

Ruenna's soft, honey gaze fell upon the travelers. "Oh! You must have been caught in the storm," she noted regretfully, the snow crystals upon their pelts a reminder of the storm that had recently passed. Snow rarely touched this part of the canyon, and she could almost forget that outside the canyon, winter had descended heavily upon the Teekons. 

Her kind features tightened with concern. She knew nothing of the ghastly trade which weighed upon the hearts of the trio, but she was perceptive enough to see that they were each weary in body and soul, burdened by more than simple physical exhaustion.

This pair were no doubt Arsenio and Tamar, but they had not been expected to arrive until spring. Something must have happened in Akashingo, Ruenna deduced. She would hear the whole story from Germanicus in privacy. 

"I'm Ruenna Caeso-Redsand," she introduced herself to the pair of newcomers. The former mazoi she recognized from the wedding at Akashingo, but she could not recall whether she had seen Tamar present at the festivities. Rue's concerned gaze fell upon Tamar as she stifled a cough. She should not remain outside any longer. 

Did Ruenna have anything in her meager stores to treat a cough? She racked her brain. There were precious few herbs available in the mountains in the winter, and Ruenna could not travel far. Honey would have been best, but until spring, Tamar and any others would have to make do with birch sap-based cough syrup.