PRAVDA
WHAT IF I READ YOU A STORY CALLED ONCE UPON A TIME, AND YOU REALISED IT WAS YOUR LIFE, SPELLED OUT ON EVERY LINE. Books train soldiers?
The young man’s intense reply takes Pravda aback for a moment. The scholar is unaccustomed to such strong reactions, and he takes a moment trying to reply. After a moment, Pravda smiles a knowing sort of smile. “Books can teach you just about anything, even soldiering. There’s books on tactics and discipline and overarching strategy, which is important for any soldier to know. I’m not one myself—I’ve never been good at violence—but I read about it often.” Pravda cannot say what encourages him to add, nearly as an afterthought: “My Court is well-known for their book-keeping. I know some might not know the languages, but if you ever come and ask for me, I would be glad to help read some of them to you. Or simply show you things you might be interested in, if you’d prefer to do the reading yourself.”
It is the most Pravda has talked thus far; clearly, the subject of books and libraries is more his element than their other topics of conversation. His eyes linger on the sailors and he is as quickly distracted from them by the smell of bread as he had been by the subject of books.
No. Not to fight only. I want to protect.
The notion is curious to Pravda; although he has read of soldiers and military campaigns, in his research the idea rarely seems to focus on pure protection. Too often, such forces are used for conquering, for violence. Pravda wonders if it is different in Novus; he has nothing to compare it to. There had been no permanent military in his homeland.
“Would you like to go get some? My treat.” Pravda does not comment on Sirius’s correction, and turns to follow the scent of freshly baked bread. After a long pause, where he navigates the crowd to find, at last, the bread-stand… Pravda asks, “Are you from here, originally? Novus, I mean.”
Pravda finds himself distracted from his original objective: he had wanted to learn about Raum, and the war, and instead he is buying two loaves of bread and handing one kindly to his newfound companion. “I’m rude for not having introduced myself… I’m Pravda.”
@Pravda "speaks"
@Sirius
