[Previous session]

That evening, Laylah spoke with Thaddeus. She had been told some disturbing things--a goddess seems to have put a hand on her--and she wasn't sure she would be able to perform for a while. He was solicitous, and gave her a few days to figure things out, but anything longer would require her to speak with the Magister (the circus's owner).

The next day (21 Greening), Fazia got confirmation from Ulfgar that the expedition would happen, and that she would represent the Bloodletter cult. Meanwhile, Darra learned the same from Corben, and started a crash-course in riding from Arnhem, the company's animal handler. Fazia joined the company to continue getting acquainted while they made preparations.

Laylah decided (reluctantly) to get the inevitable talk with Magister Motho over with. She and Thaddeus met with him, she explained what the priests had told her, and she expressed her confusion about what to do. Motho asked her to keep him informed of further developments, and if a dramatic change was needed, they might be able to come to an arrangement.

That night, Laylah had another dream. At sunrise in the desert, she saw a tawny cat, which she called to her. In the distance, a blood-red horse and a white camel charged at her position from opposite directions. Laylah pulled the cat out of the way as the two large beasts collided and fought. She heard an evil laugh, and saw a robed man with a strange tattoo watching the fight. She woke with the cat's eyes and the man's laugh foremost in her mind.

Laylah rushed to the temple as soon as she could wake Thaddeus to walk her there. The priests speculated that the three animals represented three of the totemistic Desert Men tribes. They suspect Fazia was the second horse from her earlier dream, and may have some connection to this one as well. Rashira may have some rough equivalence to the cat god worshipped by one tribe, so Laylah may be called to become involved in this conflict--or to prevent it?

Pelmark and Laylah went to see Darra and Fazia while Theolodia cast her divinations. The four of them held a "war council" with Ulfgar to share information. They learned that Fazia was a werehorse as well, and the tattoo on the dream-man matched one Fazia saw on an assassin she killed while living among the Horse tribe. Pelmark decided to accompany the expedition south himself, to learn what he could about Laylah's prophecies.

Meanwhile, Theolodia had learned more: She confirmed that this last vision concerns a conflict among the Desert Men tribes. More cryptically, each of the horse-women seemed to have her own mission, and her own personal enemy to face.

Laylah then spoke with Motho about these new developments. Pelmark offered, on behalf of his temple, to cancel Laylah's indentured servitude, freeing her to explore her own life-path. Motho accepted. 

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