CHAPTER THIRTY SIX: THE ARRON ENCAMPMENT

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The poisoner feast is absolutely pathetic

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The poisoner feast is absolutely pathetic. But that is to be expected, it is the naturalists who excel at the Hunt. 

Looking at it Carina decides that she would rather go hungry, even though her stomach groans in protest, then dane to eat that wild bird, shot, killed and roasted only a few hours ago in the woods of Innisfuil Valley. It's horribly plain. Not an ounce of poison to flavour it properly or even a little spice. Only salt and pepper. The most basic of flavourings and the most bland and dull. Though the gravy coating it does make it smell delicious and it tempts her.  Carina pushes the untainted pheasant around on her plate using her fork.

After a while she sighs and looks away from the beckoning plate of food. It smells delightful but she cannot eat any of it. None of the other poisoners will simply because it has no poison to flavour it, but that is one of the rules of Beltane; poisoners aren't allowed poison in the food, not when they're so many other gifted islanders around who aren't immune to poison. Carina thinks it is a silly rule, what's a few irrelevant deaths in the scheme of things? As if the poisoners would be so reckless though, if anyone died at Innisfuil Valley it would be in no way accidental.

She only needs to be patient for she will have her poison feast soon enough tomorrow at the Quickening and she performs her Gave Noir. But Carina is anything but patient and tomorrow seems like so far away - she will waste away on her basic untainted rations until the feast tomorrow evening. Perhaps she is being a tad overdramatic but she's still hungry and annoyed. Especially as she is on her period to make things even worse. A woman's troubles.

The poisoner queen scowls at the rest of the table, suddenly feeling a flame of anger ignite in her. All of the Arrons are sat down, not even bothering to touch their plates which is to be expected. Idiots. They're all absolute idiots when it comes to hunting animals.

Carina knows that if she had been allowed to join the Hunt then they would have caught something worthwhile. Perhaps she would've caught a stag using her bow and arrows. That would've showed the foolhardy haughty naturalists up. She had oiled her bow and arrows, dipping the arrowheads in winter's rose, the Arrons favourite poison, specially for just that reason, though she was not allowed to join that Hunt because she is a queen she can still put her weapons to some use. Shooting down her sisters for one thing because after the Quickening the Ascension officially begins - it is free reign to kill them.

The Quickening is tomorrow night as is the Disembarking and Carina cannot wait. After twelve years years she will see them again. Before she kills them at least.

On this table are all poisoners who are Arrons or at least have Arron blood. Of course Andrea, Octavia and all her children sit in honorary positions, though if it were up to her then Octavia would be joining the lesser poisoners feast or even the riff raff. Being among those families who aren't well known or particularly wealthy, Octavia would hate that and it makes Carina smile with glee. 

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