Meeting of the Minds

[Derin Edala]

Derin couldn't help feeling positive as she left the farmhouse behind. Everything was looking up.

She should borrow the shovel from Old Jones. He was always so friendly to her. Derin still didn't entirely trust friendly people, but none of them had caused her any harm so far, unless you counted that one guard trying to do her duty. Damn guards had cost her a perfectly good body.

But that didn't matter now. She had a better one. And a house, and no more layabout father. And a tenant. Derin tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and let her face curl into a natural smile.

She paused, scanning the road. Where did Old Jones live, again?

[Navarre]

Navarre closed her eyes as she took a dainty sip of her tea, savoring the taste of the warm liquid. As much as she enjoyed her visits to Shim, it was becoming harder for her to make the journey, especially on chilly mornings like this. As much as she hated to admit it, she could feel her age catching up with her. A nice cup of tea always helped soothe her body, but the aches and pains were becoming stronger every year. Still, this particular trip was worth it -- even if it meant her legs would be killing her for the next few days.

"I can't thank you enough for your assistance, my old friend. I've been searching for a copy of this text for years now, and the university's library hasn't been much help. No matter how much I pester the administration, they always refuse to expand our resources. One would think an institute of higher learning would appreciate the value of literature, but I suppose the times are changing."

She smiled faintly at the old gentleman sitting across the table. Alexander, the scholar who had previously held her position, had long been a friend and confidante. She still remembered the many nights they'd spent together researching at the university. Their relationship had bordered on romantic for a time, and as much as she would have liked to take him as a lover, she had not been willing to settle down with him. Marriage, she had found, was rarely worth the effort; a meaningless union that she only entered when absolutely necessary. Fortunately, though, they had parted amicably, and he remained in her life as a valuable source of information. Even if Alexander couldn't be her nightly companion, he still had other uses.

The old man laughed heartily. "Think nothing of it, Madelynne! You know I'm always happy to help. But don't be too hard on the administration -- their pockets have always been a little tight. I'm sure they'll buckle down eventually."

"You're far too optimistic for your own good." Navarre chuckled as she slowly rose from her seat. "But I'm afraid I must be taking my leave now. As much as I'd love to stay and chat with you, I have much work ahead of me. I don't think I'll be getting much sleep tonight. Must be very nice, Alexander, being able to wake up at noon every day."

Alexander frowned, clearly disappointed. "You're sure? I'd been hoping we could have a nice lunch together. But you're a determined woman, Madelynne, so I won't try and talk you out of it. We'll catch up the next time you stop by."

"Of course. Have a wonderful day, Alexander -- and don't go getting yourself into any trouble! Your wife has been telling me all about your little exploits," Navarre teased him as she slid the book into her bag.

"Oh, she's just exaggerating again. I'll have you know that I haven't eyed a waitress in weeks! ...Well, a week, at any rate. Be careful on your way back, Maddy!"

Navarre, who had just stepped off the porch, turned and gave him a look of feigned annoyance. "You know how much I hate that nickname. Keep it up and I'll tell Samantha about how all the boys used to call you Ally." Chuckling, she waved him goodbye as she started down the path. "I'll write you a letter soon!"

Wrapping herself up in her tartan shawl, she made her way further into Shim. As much as she enjoyed Alexander's company, she knew that was their last meeting. As she had said, she would send him a letter soon enough, but little did he know that it would be an announcement of her death. Her time as Madelynne Vendeleur, while enjoyable, was coming to a close. Navarre yearned to wear the body of a young, voluptuous young woman, and she had just the target in mind. She already knew a fair amount about the girl, but this book would help her fill in the gaps about her family history. This new life would be more demanding than her previous ones; if she wanted to play her role properly, she needed to know the character in and out.

Her expression darkened slightly as her eyes fell on the peasants walking around her. Filthy, disgusting dregs of society! No different from her own family. At least she had the drive to rise above her limitations, but these fools wallowed in their ignorance and simple-mindedness. As much as she loved the scenery around Shim, its inhabitants almost ruined the whole experience for her. Fortunately for her, they kept their mouths shut and went about their business instead of pestering her with their "old-fashioned hospitality". Whenever she went to a simple town like this, it always seemed like a welcoming committee of friendly farming folk would spring on her like a snake from the grass. She knew she brought it upon herself for dressing so formally, but she'd be damned before she dressed like a stupid farmer again. Navarre refused to degrade herself like that, even if it meant sticking out like a sore thumb.

Navarre's thoughts were interrupted when she bumped shoulders with someone on the road. She stumbled backward slightly, her book sliding out of her bag. Once she regained her composure, she looked over the young woman standing before her, giving her a friendly smile. Another farmer girl -- what a surprise -- but this one seemed a little different than the rest. Familiar? No, she never saw this girl before. "My apologies, sweetheart! I was lost in my own thoughts for a moment there. Are you all right?"

[Derin Edala]

Derin froze.

She stared at the woman for several seconds before her instincts took over and she swept up the book. "I apologise, Ma'am, for bumping into you." She had learned that human elders didn't like being addressed as 'Old One'. "I should make a greater effort to look about me."

What was it about her? Not the fussy, friendly smile that she'd seen so often on the mouths of weaverwomen and maids in her previous life, not the random apology and expression of concern that she'd learned (usually) wasn't a challenge; those were normal. There was something else about her. Something about the way she moved? Or perhaps Derin was just jumpy, letting old instincts overwhelm her again?

Old women are worthy of respect but not fear, she told herself. Stop acting suspicious.

"I'm Rosemary," she said, to fill the silence. She had no idea if the woman cared or not, but offering information was friendly, right? "Would you, uh..." Would you like to come back to my rotting, beer-stained hovel and sit with a tiny incontinent dragon while a Northern giant and I go bury my dead father? "Were you hurt? Would you like any assistance?"

Derin's knuckles had whitened around the volume she clutched to her chest. She'd barely glanced at the thing, and had almost forgotten she was holding it -- whatever thing was screaming in the back of her head and quickening her heart was far more interesting. Why were her instincts jumping to the fore now? She'd gotten over the whole "old people are dangerous, terrifying monsters" thing, she was sure of it.

It could be a clue. Derin would take any clue.

[Navarre]

"There's no need to apologize, my dear -- it was entirely my fault! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I must be getting a little scatterbrained in my old age. Probably won't be long until I'm running into trees, knowing me."

Slipping into her "nice old lady" persona had been simple enough. As much as she disliked farming folk, the last thing she wanted was to cause a scene. It would be highly uncharacteristic for Madelynne to lose her temper over something so small, and she couldn't afford to draw unwanted attention so close to her next jump. Her last few transfers had been handled rather sloppily, and if she wanted her plans to be successful, then she needed to carry this one out without raising any red flags. Besides, it had technically been her fault, and this girl was being polite enough. If she had anything positive to say about peasants, it was that they had good manners.

So her name was Rosemary, was it? Seemed a little too nice for a peasant girl. She'd been expecting something like Beth or Peggy Sue. At any rate, she knew she never heard that name before, so it was clear that she'd never run into this girl before. Perhaps one of her ancestors? No; whatever it was about this girl that was giving her a strange feeling, it wasn't anything physical. Still, she couldn't put her finger on it.

Navarre adjusted her shawl, still wearing her artificial smile. "Oh, where are my manners! My name is Madelynne. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Rosemary. And I'm fine, thank you for your concern. I just need to start paying attention to where I'm going!"

Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the book Derin was clutching to her chest. It must have fallen out of her bag when she bumped into her. "Thanks for picking that up, dear! I didn't even realize I dropped it. I walked all the way from Marn to pick that up, so I'd really be kicking myself if I'd lost it. My goodness, I really need to stop being so clumsy!"

[Derin Edala]

"You're a scholar." Who else would walk so far for a book? One of the few pleasures that this world offered was reading. The concept of recording information in a way that just anybody could get it was one that wouldn't make sense to Derin's people, but it was very useful and it wasn't so long ago that she'd been diligently learning every language and script that she could access. She was pretty sure that Rosemary was supposed to be illiterate, but she couldn't keep the enthusiasm from her voice.

"Have you seen the library in Marn? It's said they have books on almost everything you could want to study." Books that it would be far too suspicious for an uneducated farm girl to try to obtain. Not that that was a problem. Eventually, Derin would find a host who could walk into that library, and then the door would be open. She could wash dishes for a few years to make that happen.

Derin realised that she was still holding the book and quickly handed it back. She brushed some stray hair out of her eyes, painfully aware for the first time since the battlemage thing that she wasn't entirely comfortable in Rosemary's body. She treated the whole thing like an amputee treated their missing limb; something she'd grown used to working with, but that would never be quite as natural as one somebody had grown up in.

“Um, here you are, Ms Madelynne.” Her eyes took in the title of the book as she held it out, more through habit than anything, before returning to meet Madelynne's.

[Navarre]

Her forced smile became slightly genuine when the farm girl guessed her profession. For a moment she thought that her reputation had preceded her, but no, that couldn't be it; her position was comfortable, but it didn't exactly offer much esteem outside of academic circles. And from this girl's simple appearance, she could guess that she wasn't exactly the intelligent type. Or was she? As much as she hated to admit it, she started out as a mere farmer's daughter herself, and now here she stood as the conqueror of death. Besides, something about this girl definitely set her apart from all the ignorant, slack-jawed yokels that lived her. Exactly what that was, she couldn't say -- but she intended to find out.

The library in Marn? Had she not suspected something was different about this strange girl, she would have been surprised that she'd even heard of it. Or knew what a library was, for that matter. Hell, she had a feeling that half the people of Shim couldn't tell a book from a sandwich. Maybe she was being just a little unfair, but so what? It wasn't like any of them mattered! As far as she was concerned, these dregs of mankind didn't even deserve to be called human. No better than the dirt they plowed every day. And as a woman who transcended her own humanity, why should she waste her empathy on them? They weren't worth it. This Rosemary, however, had an air of intelligence about her. She could be useful.

"Thank you, dear," Navarre said, accepting the book and sliding it back into her purse, this time making sure to close it properly. "Yes, I've been to the library in Marn. I spend most of my afternoons there on weekends. My job requires that I do a lot of research, as I'm sure you could imagine. But it's quite enjoyable and the time really flies!"

She paused thoughtfully for a moment. How could she crack this mystery? Might as well start with some simple questions. "May I ask what gave you the impression I was a scholar? I'd like to think I don't look like a stuffy old academic," she said with a faint laugh.

[Derin Edala]

Suspicion! Run!

Or a friendly question. Maybe it was a friendly question. Derin dismissed the panic rising inside her; it was unhelpful. "Books are rare about here. Any writing more complicated than a stall sign or stocktake list is rare around here." She didn't even bother to try to disguise her distain. The woman had already pointed out her mistake in guessing her profession; there was no point in playing dumb. "Not many people would even be carrying a book around Marn, and very few would come down into Shim for one. If you were just some rich person collecting random books for the sake of it, your supplier would go to you. I can't think of anyone but a scholar who would go out of their way for a specific book."

Someone with access to Marn's library! Plans to get her own, suspicion-free access started to form in her mind. She dismissed them. Time to think about that when she wasn't under the scrutiny of a sharp-eyed stranger. "You don't look like a stuffy old academic," Derin said, guessing that Madelynne didn't want to be thought of that way. She was getting better at this social conversation thing, although she couldn't help feeling that the conversation she was having now was more in line with the ones she grew up with; a dance of barbed words, tests and attempts to find information or weakness. So perhaps she wasn't getting better; perhaps the conversation itself was an easier one.

Wait.

Derin turned a new suspicion over in her mind. One she'd normally dismiss out of hand as being far too improbable. But it would explain so much! And it cost nothing to test. No human had pulled her into such a conversation before, no human had that... familiar thing that was in Madelynne's movements. Not in Derin's experience. Could she be talking to a kindred spirit? It cost nothing to test.

"I knew this one academic once, Lyr Ekali, who wore the same flat grey suit every day for twelve years. HE was a stuffy old academic." Lyr Ekali was a formless energy pattern from Derin's home dimension; powerful enough that anybody from home would recognise the name. Powerful enough that there was no way they could be drawn into the service of a human and have their name known here. She searched Madelynne's face for any hint of recognition as she spoke.

[Navarre]

There was no question about it now -- this girl was definitely much smarter than the rest of the peasants around here. Reminded her a lot of herself at that age, actually. But despite her suspicions, this Rosemary was really starting to grow on her, farm girl or not.

"Quite an impressive analysis! It's such a shame that a bright young lady like yourself is stuck in a place like this. Have you ever considered studying in Marn? I'm sure the university would love to have you. And even if you can't afford it, I'm sure accommodations could be made."

She recognized the obvious disdain in her voice. This Rosemary girl didn't have a high opinion of Shim either, so there was no need to hide her dislike for it, either. Anyone with a good head on their shoulders wouldn't want to live in a place like this. Why Alexander thought this would be a nice place to spend his retirement was beyond her. Only idiots believed in that "hard work makes for a good life" nonsense. Propaganda meant to keep the masses in line. And it would indeed be such a shame for a good mind like hers to be locked away in a farm house. As much as she hated other people, she hated to see the gifted weighed down by the mediocre.

Hmm... Lyr Ekali? It wasn't ringing any bells. She'd worked as a historian for decades, and she kept close track of her colleagues. After all, most of them had information that could be useful for her jumps, just like Alexander and his book. A little odd that she'd never heard of him, but that didn't necessarily mean --

Wait, twelve years?

Navarre quirked an eyebrow and fell silent for a few moments. Rosemary seemed to be in her early twenties. She would have been a child twelve years ago, so what would she, a little girl living in a place like Shim, be doing with an academic? A relative, perhaps? Possibly; many people living in Shim did have relatives in Marn, after all. Or perhaps a friend of her father's, but that seemed a little unlikely. Maybe she was blowing this out of proportion -- she probably was -- but it wouldn't have bothered her nearly as much if she didn't know something was off about this Rosemary. There were too many similarities. A bright girl with disdain for her farming community, wise beyond her years...

Wise beyond her years. Could she...? No, the odds would be astronomical. In all her years of jumping bodies she'd never run into another. But there was no denying that there was a kindred feeling between them. But maybe...

Navarre smiled eerily. "Lyr Ekali? I can't say I recognize that name. But I'm surprised that a young woman like you would be hanging around with academics. You must be... very wise beyond your years."

[Derin Edala]

Derin was mentally tallying her savings and preparing to ask how much university would cost when her mind latched onto Madelynne's last statement.

What did that mean? She didn't admit to Ekali, but she threw 'wise beyond your years' out there? Just suspicion? Was she being threatened? Derin was beginning to realise that she'd let far too much slip about her academic inclinations.

No. She'd met several normal old ladies now, and they'd show polite puzzlement. And a general accusation would be... broader. 'Wise beyond your years' was very specific. Derin hated talking to humans, although she still wasn't entirely certain this woman was human. Not admitting to Ekali but throwing that statement out there... she was either playing her cards very close to her chest, or she was being sincere about her ignorance; she'd met others like Derin but wasn't one herself. That would work. That might be even more useful, especially if the others had managed to get out of this place.

When I get home, Derin vowed, I'm going to write a spellform in the sky as wide as my territory telling everyone exactly how I did it. Some sorts of information should be free.

"I look a fair bit younger than I am," Derin said offhand. A lie, going by how Derin counted her age, but a deniable one. She knew she was 'losing' this conversation, giving more information than she was recieving, and she didn't care. "Outward appearances don't always tell you about the person inside, do they?"

[Navarre]

Just as she suspected, there was far more to this Rosemary than there seemed. Sometimes she even impressed herself with her genius.

She had just stumbled upon someone who, like herself, was more than an average human. There was no definitive proof, but her intuition was never wrong, after all. Well, most of the time, but even she could make mistakes every now and then. This, however... she was sure about this. Why else would Rosemary respond in such a suspicious way? But still, there was no way of knowing if this girl was indeed a ancient spirit like herself. It would be incredibly risky to simply reveal her nature to her, so she had to find it out another way.

And perhaps Rosemary was thinking the same thing? Yes, that would make sense. Rosemary was being just as secretive as she was. Having lived for over two centuries, she'd developed a talent for reading people. This girl, though... she was hard to understand. Suspiciously hard to understand.

It was time to get to the bottom of this. She needed to choose her words carefully: vague enough not to incriminate her, but direct enough to get her point across. Fortunately enough, this was also one of her strong suits.

"Is that so? You don't look a day over twenty! It's truly a gift for a woman to be able to age gracefully. I don't mean to brag, but I've been told that I age much better than most. Many women my age look like they belong in a grave. But, of course, even the best of us need a little... outside help to keep the years off."

Silence.

"But I agree," she finally continued, her smile becoming far more unsettling. "A person can be far more than their appearance would suggest. For example, some might brush you off as a simple farm girl, but I can see that you are... far more than that... on the inside. A bright young lady. Many have made that mistake with me, as well."

[Derin Edala]

Most of what the woman said was gibberish to Derin. She was clearly trying to communicate some sort of message (unless it was all Derin's wishful thinking); Derin would have guessed she was feeling her out with some sort of specialist knowledge as she herself had tried with Lyr Ekali, but she wasn't picking up on any of it.

Except "far more than that on the inside." Some people made that mistake with her as well? Far too vague to draw any conclusions. Too vague to risk anything on. She'd had far too many brushes with discovery since arriving in this town, and the woman could easily be another government informant. Like that man who'd nearly got her killed. But an informant wuldn't bump into random girls on the road and start conversations, right? That didn't seem productive. Was she still being watched?

"I would very much like," she said thoughtfully, "to continue this conversation somewhere more comfortable. May I buy you a drink at the inn, perhaps? Or a teashop in town?"

[Navarre]

Her brilliant scheme had succeeded! ...or so it seemed.

Clearly, some of her suspicious about this girl had been correct. There was definitely far more to her than there appeared, and now it looked like she would soon find out. But, of course, this Rosemary girl would want to know more about her in exchange, and she wasn't sure if she was all right with that. She knew that most would see her methods for obtaining her immortality as "evil", and even if this girl had unnatural youth, that didn't necessarily mean that she had matured enough to abandon petty concepts of morality. Few understood the truth that "morality" was only a means to keep the masses in-line with their masters.

But perhaps she was being too paranoid. After all, she and this girl had some sort of connection, didn't they? Rosemary was living in the kind of environment that she herself had come from, and she didn't seem to like it any more than she did. If Rosemary was anything like her, she would understand that these insignificant insects walking past them were worth little more than dirt. Bland, unimportant drones who only existed for the benefit of great minds like themselves.

Yes, she was definitely overreacting. Still, she'd need to be very selective about what she told Rosemary -- at least until she knew if they were on the same page.

"Tea sounds lovely," Navarre said with a bright smile, once again falling into her "kind old lady" routine. A routine that she would hopefully be able to drop completely soon enough.

[Derin Edala]

"To town, then," Derin smiled. She was vaguely aware that there were tea-shops in Marn, although she had no idea where they were. Madelynne, presumably, would. It occurred to Derin that it had been a long time since she'd drunk proper tea, and months since she'd had any tea at all. Tea confused her. Ale, she understood -- adding alcohol to water removed its potential for disease, although most people drank it far too strong and became addicted. Boiling water coud do the same thing, but why add leaves? Was it a health thing?

As they walked to Shim, Derin mused over whether she was supposed to offer to carry Madelynne's bag or not. She was vaguely aware that that's what you were supposed to do for old ladies, but it didn't look heavy, and she'd always thought trying to take somebody's possessions from them was rude. She defaulted on the side of caution and didn't say anything.

The gate guards used to terrify Derin, but she'd become used to the fact that they barely gave unassuming peasant folk a once-over. They'd never even looked twice at her bracelet; today was no exception. Once inside the town, however, she was utterly lost.

"Um, do you have a favourite tea-shop?"

[Navarre]

"I remember there being a nice little place somewhere nearby, although it's been a few years since I've been here."

Navarre headed further into town with her companion, falling silent as she once again returned to her thoughts. The area was starting to look familiar, so she knew she wasn't mistaken. As much as she hated towns like Shim, she had to admit that their tea was generally better than Marn's -- well, the regular tea, at any rate. Although her funds weren't what they used to be, she could still afford the best imported tea. Hell, she could afford the best of anything. Inhabiting a wealthy woman's body had its advantages, and she wasn't about to give them up with her next jump.

But that wasn't important right now. What was important was this mysterious Rosemary woman. Yes, she would know some of her secrets soon enough -- and probably weasel out some of the rest -- but she was beginning to grow impatient. If this girl had obtained immortality like herself, she could be a very useful ally. This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity!

But it could still be a risk. Their conversation would have to be a handled very carefully, especially since they would still be a public setting.

After a couple minutes passed, the two came upon a quaint little shop near the inn. Not nearly as impressive as the restaurants Navarre would frequent, but it would have to do. Besides, the tea itself was entirely unimportant. It was time to get to the bottom of this little mystery.

She turned to Rosemary, smiling yet again. "Here we are! I came here with some of my colleagues a few years ago; we had quite a time. Of course, we ended up getting kicked out for being a little too rowdy. A little embarrassing, I suppose."

[Derin Edala]

Derin smiled politely at Madelynne's comment, scanning it for hidden messages or tests and finding none. Normal small talk? She hoped not. She was terrible at that.

She paid for her tea from the small purse of emergency money she kept at her belt. She had more hidden in her skirts in case she ran out. Even that at her belt was more than a barmaid of her stature should have, but it was safer to keep money on her person in case she needed to leave the area in a hurry. Besides, her father found any money kept in the house, and was normally rather upset that it had been hidden. She almost winced (she was getting too comfortable in this body) and reminded herself that that was no longer a problem.

She quickly sought out the most out-of-the-way table available. Even with a new set of hands, she unconsciously cradled her teacup in the high society manner drilled into her years ago and sat, back ramrod-straight, politely but carefully meeting Madelynne's eyes. Strange how a piece of china could so completely awaken old habits.

Speaking quietly enough to not be overheard accidentally and yet not look suspicious (there was little she could do about deliberate eavesdroppers), she said, "I believe we were talking about appearances, and how decieving they can be?"