Miranda Paige's Rediscovery
After the events of Court Of Thanes and in the middle of 20200117
Hoffman hurries into the Norse Temple, up to the first priestess he see.
"I'm looking for Miranda"
The priestess look distressed but points the the back room and Hoffman moves on without hesitation. He knock on the door but opens it immediately.
Seeing only a young jungle woman, he says in frustration
"Excuse me, but I am looking for Miranda Page, she's about this tall, sandy brown hair, looks a little like a chipmunk."
The woman stands suddenly, with tears in her eyes, starts to take a step before stopping herself and smiles hopefully.
"It's mea Hoffmana, I'ma Marranda."
Hoffman looks at the strange woman with frustration and confusion and is about to turn away when he notices a familiar look in her eyes.
Miranda nods in understanding
"It's mea, but it's not mea. Yourr drreama was rright, giants got mea."
It takes a moment for Hoffman to process what Branwyn said and what he sees.
"But... No... You were just going to stay here..."
They step towards each other awkwardly, Hoffman extending his hands while Miranda hoping for a hug, then pulling away as Hoffman tennetily tries to accept her but her size difference and his look reminds Miranda of what has changed. They end up sitting down, facing each other, just staring for a moment or two.
"I'm sorry" Hoffman says quietly, lowering his head. "I was not there for you."
"You would not have liked the plan" Miranda says trying to ease his pain, "but therre was nothing you could have done. Sometime things happen. "
She waits as Hoffman chooses his words and tries to look in her eyes.
"But the good news is your back.... Different... But, we can adjust. Not quite the same as when you went back to being 18 but you look healthy."
Miranda can only look so long before looking away.
"Therre's maorre changes than just mya body." She pauses to summon all her strength.
"I ama trrying, but I ama still getting used to this body."
Hoffman reaches out but Miranda stops him.
"It's so mauch maore. When I turrned away from Idun to perrsue a differrent kind of maagic, I still believed. I still felt connected." She starts to break but knows she needs to get it out and struggles to continue, still denying Hoffman her hands.
"That connection is gone." she expells as tears flows and she crumples to the floor.
Hoffman fully understand this is his Miranda, but is still at a loss for how to help her. He reaches down and puts he hand on her shoulder and just waits.
After a few moments Hoffman dares speaks.
"All will be ok, come home and.."
"NO!" Miranda startles him, "you don't underrstand. I can't take Ammiea therre, I can't prrotect herr therre, not like I used to"
"I'll be there." Hoffman tried.
"No you won't, I won't let you. I won't be somea helpless girl, I can't .. I can't be that for mea or for herr. "
Hoffman sighs.
"What can I do?"
Miranda sighs, picks herself up and plops her hands on Hoffman's shoulder.
"Give mea timea. I need to find out who I ama now. I need to deal with Ammiea. I have to figurre what we arre going to do beforre I know what WE will do." she finishes exhausted. "Just go. We will be herre."
Hoffman stands, allows Miranda to stand and they hold hands.
"It's not going to be the same with you here." he says longingly.
She shakes her head and looks him in the eye with calm but profound sadness.\\
"Nothing will be the samea. That's what I have to figurre out."
She let's go of his hands, turns him around and pushes him out the door and closes it.
Hoffman moves helplessly, moving his mouth as if trying to form words just not there. He glances at the priestess on the way out whom has her lips sealed tight and eyes focused down. He continues out and wanders the streets until he runs into the group again.
Later that day, and after some careful convincing, including help from other Norse priestess, Miranda composes herself and gets some alone time with her daughter.
"Ammiea, no sorry I can do better. A-me. I know this will be ... difficult for you, it's not easy for mea... mmee. But I ama here forr you... I aam and we arre going to get thrrough this togetherr... together. We are going to spend more time here in the city, I aam goning to show you what this kind of life can be for you, for us and see if this is what is best for us. And part of that is both of us getting used to my new look. Does that sound like a good deal?"
Ammie give a half smile and a nod and hugs her before climbing into bed. Miranda kisses her on the forehead and blows out the candle. In doing so, she lets go a silent sigh, letting go of today, of who she was, knowing tomorrow she will start anew.
Miranda spends two full days just playing with Ammie and showing her the rest of the city, at times feeling blessed by her new body and maybe even a little like it was fate before changing the subject in her mind as it reminded her of she knows who. She felt more energy that she had previously and she wondered if Idum? only kept her looking young, or maybe just too young.
She still taught as they played and traveled, she considered that part of who she was and not just a product of being a mother....
That thought took her by surprise, she decided she no longer considered herself a caregiver or foster mother. All that mattered now was she was Ammie's mom.
But part of that was being responsible and making a living. Living at the church was fine for the short term, but Long Sword... oh no, now Great Sword Sally had appearances to maintain. Non priests could not stay and neither was about to pretend. Miranda had to get a job and the Norse Church was no longer an option.
So the next day, she left Ammie in school and walked the streets alone. She stopped by the library where she had spent so much time before but apparently she did not look like the bookworm she was inside and Miranda was not in the mood to try and explain who she really was. She wandered around, seemly randomly until she got to the Mages Guild. She sat on the steps, thinking.
Many thoughts ran through her head. Not lost on her was that this is what she wanted for a long time. It was not hard to forget about what it cost to get here and what she had lost, allowing herself to dive into what she loved would help. So she picked herself up, took a deep breath and walked right through those doors.
The gentleman at the front desk remained seated as she approached but at least placed his bookmark in his reading material before speaking.
"Welcome, what brings you to the MAGE's guild today?" with clear emphasis to say he was sure she did not belong here.
"Hello" Miranda spoke spoke slow and clear which made her sound like Western common was her second language but she thought better to control her new accent. "I am here to join the guild."
She paused, partly because of the look he gave, and partly because she knew the reaction she would get when she said...
"I was an apprentice to Branwyn the Mysterious"
He reaction was clear, if not slow in developing.He quietly closed his book and stood up, places his hands on the desk and leans in, as if to get a closer look and talked very direct.
"Now I hope you don't expect us to take your word for it, while I doubt anyone would dare risk the consequences of dropping her name, but if you can prove it, rest assured you can get just about anything you need, we know she is good for it."
"No, No. I clearly said WAS an apprentice. I am here on my own, ready to prove myself. I do want a room and I will be paying my way, I am ready to work and for when I I am ready to do my own research I have this as a down payment." Miranda pulls out her shell flute and sets it on the table.
"I think the rest of this discussion should be in private." He said as he examined the shell and waves someone over. I think Master Pelois will want to speak with you."
Miranda smiles and pickup up the shell and follows the new guide into her future.
(space for possible in character discussion)
Walking home from the Guild, Miranda smiled the whole way. Still lots to think about, details to work out, but that was part of the joy.She could not wait to tell Ammie and Hof... No, she would be fine just telling Ammie. It would be like they are both going to school. Miranda now had the best of two worlds, private quiet time where she could get lost in books and family time when her and Ammie could chat and play. They knew where they were sleeping and what they were eating every day. That is what a child needs, stability. Sure a bigger family would be nice but that would start with a father and if that father was not here and committed then there is no father. Besides all of that can wait, today was.. IS a good day.
The next evening, Miranda has dinner with her good friend Sally, a Norse priestess.
"So Skull Church, huh. That place gets some talk up here, that seems like a pretty big challenge." Sally breaks the ice after all the personal talk.
"Yea, well first, it was just there but now, for them it is really there." Miranda chokes up a little when it hits her "I.. had a thought, we were going to final make it Manor, not a church, try and break the cycle."
"It certainly makes sense, I mean no offence but even before you lost your connection with Idun, when you went the way of arcane magic, you would have had no support from the Norse church and what religion would. " Sally tried to sound supportive. "I would do what I can,but that needs a lot of work."
"I know, I think that was the point, how else was I going to keep him interested in staying in one place. But now with Amiee, don't you think this is a better life for her? .... What?" Miranda said to the expression on her friends face.
Part amazement, part disgust, all sarcasm. "This from the girl who could not run away from everything this city, not to mention the Church that raised you had to offer. No, your right, this is the life for a young wild eye girl."
Miranda sat for a few moments, letting the gears in her head spin. Trying to justify her current situation without discussing how she got here. "But you were right, before. Without the Norse church, it can't be done. Hof... He can clean it out with the rest and defend it but to make it a home, there is no Norse presence. "
"Well, maybe that is what we need. I might know exactly who you need to talk to, that is if you want?"
A couple days later the two meet up again, but this time with a third woman, arguably more attractive, certainly with a little more attitude.
"Eirline, this is Miranda, Miranda the is Eirline I was talking about." Sally makes the introductions.
"You look pretty good from what you have been through, Miranda. It is a bit of a shame." Eirline says with a sideways nod of the head
"Thanks, I am starting to feel like myself, thanks, how to did you and Sally met?" Miranda tries to change the subject quickly
Eirline, wanting to control the conversation answers quickly before getting to the point "You know how it goes, two Norse priests walk into a church, it is boring. What I want to know is what can you tell me about Skull Church?"
"Oh, well it used to be Sumoi, been Kayugan, lately seems to be a favorite of Necromancers, probably because of the history and all the dead bodies in the area." Miranda does not put forth much effort but tries to summarize nicely.
"Now tell me something I don't already know" Eirline says with both interest and droll indicating this really is a business meeting.
"Oh" Miranda catching up to life with people in the know, quickly tried to consider the important details."Well the trap door behind the altar is not what I think a Priestess of Frey as yourself would consider normal and the stone that shocks good priests will be taken care of soon enough I am sure. We had not mapped it out as of yet, but Hoffman has a few plans. The trap door in the back of the barn is interesting, but again, not very lady like." finished with just a hint of attitude herself.
Sally just sits backs and watches as a warm smile covers over Eirline's face. "Good, please tell me more about this Hoffman I have heard about. What do I need to know about HIM?"
Miranda's jaw drops a bit and her eyes widen. "I... I'm not sure that is for me to say. What would that have to do with anything?"
"Darling, If I am to bring peace for once and all at this church, I will be working closely with the man, no? He is part of the package, and as I hear he is unattached at the moment?"
At that point Sally steps in. "Ok, Miranda, why don't you come with me to the little girls potty. We will be right back Eirline." As she takes Miranda's hand who follows with her head spinning and emotions rising out of control.
The next day , at the mage's guild, Miranda found herself distracted. Here she was in the place she wanted to be for as long as she could remember. Surrounded by books and people that appreciated them like she did. She looked out the tall pained window that reached from the blue sky to the the street when she saw a little girl trying to peer in. She remembers what it was like, wondering why anyone would have such a window but not be able to see through, but of course, it was magic. Light got in but no light got out, so nothing to see from the outside. That thought had helped her from time to time, don't look back, but was that what she was doing now. Was she returning to the past to avoid the pain, or was she really just moving forward past it all. She was on the inside now and thought see saw everything clearly, but she did miss the time, the feeling of being outside and knowing exactly what she would do if given the chance. Once again she had the chance, and did not know what to do. Flashback
