Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Three

[alhoon]

Termelan for once, is lost for worlds when he receives a gift from the Duke himself. He tenderly takes the ring from the guard's hand.

A bit pale in the face, Termelan takes the ring and looks at it as if he believes it's an illusion to be disbelieved. "A ... gift, your grace? For a traveler that just did what he thought best? You are very kind and gracious. It's no wonder why you command such respect from your people"
After a moment he speaks.
"Forgive my ignorance your grace, but I don't know the customs here. Are we allowed to wear something that your grace has donned in your lands? I would assume no, since such a thing would be unheard of where I come from, but ... you gave it to me and I don't know. Can I wear this ring or it will be an insult to your person? I hope I didn't embarrass you with this question. "

[ewancummins]

CAER HAES

Devlin says,
"Ah, yes. Of course, manners must be quite different in your country. You should describe your home and show one of my scribes where it may be found on a map of the world, after this current trouble has passed. "

The guard who gave Termelan the ring has returned to a spot behind the Duke. The armored man now pantomimes placing a ring on his finger. He mouths words twice Looks like" thank you."

[kintire]

Safana nods politely at the priestess.

"Well I am a foreign sorceress, and I provided some small assistance in the recent reoubles, so i suppose I fit that description, indeed."

[ewancummins]

Safana nods politely at the priestess.

"Well I am a foreign sorceress, and I provided some small assistance in the recent reoubles, so i suppose I fit that description, indeed."

IN THE WAGON

"I'm Priestess Idele."
(Safana already knew this woman to be a priestess of Haelyn by her costume: a simple red woolen robe with a full hood. And about her neck hangs a holy symbol: a painted wooden carving of a sword with a crown on the hilt and a sunburst style pommel.
But she did not know the woman's name.)
The priestess points out the great carved stone cathedral of Haelyn. " The cathedral, of course. Have you been there yet?" And then she points out a smaller half-timber building near the large church.
"The hostel. We'll go in through the rear. Just a minute and we'll see the apothecary. Hmmm, and maybe some warm broth?"

The driver directs his cart horse around the street corner and into a wooden loading dock set in the alley side rear of the pilgrims' hostel.
Marlae helps Safana down and escorts her inside, leaving the driver to care for the horse.

The priestess leads her charge down a short hall and into the apothecary workshop. The warm air here smells of dry herbs and soap. Bottles, jugs, small boxes, and cloth packets line the shelves on three sides of the small room. A big table mostly clear of items stands in the middle of the room. Marlae rings a brass bell, and in a short time a familiar face appears. The old man who answers the bell is the same apothecary who helped the injured Traveller that Safana rescued from the hooded thugs (when all this trouble first came to her attention).

[alhoon]

CAER HAES

Devlin says,
"Ah, yes. Of course, manners must be quite different in your country. You should describe your home and show one of my scribes where it may be found on a map of the world, after this current trouble has passed. "

The guard who gave Termelan the ring has returned to a spot behind the Duke. The armored man now pantomimes placing a ring on his finger. He mouths words twice Looks like" thank you."

"Thank you, your Grace for this gift and this honor."
Termelan starts wearing the ring on his index finger, looking all around if anyone would gasp in protest or indignity.
Then he moves back with Filbert, waiting either to be dismissed or to be asked another question. He doesn't speak to the duke unless spoken to and doesn't meet the duke's gaze.

[ewancummins]

CAER HAES

Devlin says,
"Ah, yes. Of course, manners must be quite different in your country. You should describe your home and show one of my scribes where it may be found on a map of the world, after this current trouble has passed. "

The guard who gave Termelan the ring has returned to a spot behind the Duke. The armored man now pantomimes placing a ring on his finger. He mouths words twice Looks like" thank you."

"Thank you, your Grace for this gift and this honor."
Termelan starts wearing the ring on his index finger, looking all around if anyone would gasp in protest or indignity.
Then he moves back with Filbert, waiting either to be dismissed or to be asked another question. He doesn't speak to the duke unless spoken to and doesn't meet the duke's gaze.

No one gasps.

Devlin smiles, just a slight upward tilt at the corners of his mouth. "I thank you again for your aid to my people." He leans towards one of his armed attendants and says,
"See that the minstrel is escorted back to his place of lodging. And have the scribes write him a pass to come in and out of the city gates tonight if he should need to do so due to some special situation."

The guard bows, and then approaches Termelan. He motions for the foreigner to rise.

Now Devlin turns his attention back on Filbert. " Filbert, shall we dine?"

[alhoon]

With another deep bow towards the duke, Termelan moves to follow the guard out.
He makes small talk with the guard, and the scribe if they make any effort. He happens to mention that he hopes he will perform for the duke in his wedding but doesn't press the matter much; just a mention to make sure the guard and the scribe know.
Once outside the castle, he slips the ring out of his finger and puts it in his pocket behind the guard's back.

[ewancummins]

DOMENICA

RIVER GATE

DOMENICA recognizes one of the guards as a man she has bribed in the past, a pot bellied man called Otho. She approaches him and greets him in good cheer.
He bows. "My lady."
She tells him that she and her workers need to pass the gate.
"It's shut by the Duke's order, my lady. Only those with a pass get through."

She stands so that the other watchmen cannot see her hands.
They seem mostly interested in huddling close to the gate and out of the cold breeze.
"Oh, right, I have it here. " She hands him two gold coins.

He holds up his torch in his right hand and lays his left hand across his chest. Finger by finger he counts to five. Frowns. Closes his left hand and counts out three more fingers.
" Let me make sure it has all the required marks."

DOMENICA pays him eight more coins.

"Everything is good." Otho turns." Alright , I checked. Let these people through."

The other guards lift the heavy bar from the gate.
They push it open.

DOMENICA and her men move towards the gate at a brisk pace.

But just then a man comes out of the little gatehouse door set in the left side of the archway that holds the big gate. "Wait, wait!" The skinny young man adjusts his cloak. A copper star, a badge of his rank, shines there in the torchlight. "Come on now, men, you know Otho can barely read his name. You had better let me take a look at those papers."
He sticks out his right hand, his palm open and up.


Some of the watchmen stare at Volmar and his limp human burden.
The dwarf mumbles something about an accident, too much beer.

[steveflam]

Sighing inwardly she smiles at the approaching skinny man. She nods to Otho.

"Pardon me, sire. I am the Lady Domenica Barillia, the owner of Barillia and associates. I was unaware of the fact that I would need papers to get back home.
I am back with my employess from a night of drinking and merriment. We all just wish to get back home sire. One of my men drank too much and has hit his head,
passing out. Seeing as I did not have any proper papers to pass, I gave your good man some coins as to let us pass so we might retire for the evening. I assure you we
wish only to return to our abodes and retire peacefully for the evening. It is quite cold out here,sire. Might I inquire as to your name?"

When she says her name she bows and curtsies properly, even in her thick warm coat.

[ewancummins]

.

Sighing inwardly she smiles at the approaching skinny man. She nods to Otho.

"Pardon me, sire. I am the Lady Domenica Barillia, the owner of Barillia and associates. I was unaware of the fact that I would need papers to get back home.
I am back with my employess from a night of drinking and merriment. We all just wish to get back home sire. One of my men drank too much and has hit his head,
passing out. Seeing as I did not have any proper papers to pass, I gave your good man some coins as to let us pass so we might retire for the evening. I assure you we
wish only to return to our abodes and retire peacefully for the evening. It is quite cold out here,sire. Might I inquire as to your name?"

When she says her name she bows and curtsies properly, even in her thick warm coat.

The skinny guard frowns.
"I'm sorry, my lady but orders have come down from Caer Haes. No one except certain special persons may pass the gates after dark. You are not on the special list."

He casts a nasty look at Otho.
"You, give me that bribe money."

Otho comes over and gives his superior two gold coins.

"All of it, you villain."

Otho takes third coin from his cloak, handing it over with a pained expression.


The young lieutenant then turns back to Domenica. " I believe you. You were only trying to get your men out of the cold and back to their homes. I see one of them has had too much too drink. But I can't let you through without a pass. It would be big trouble for me and all these men. The Duke expects us to do a better job than the fools who let the hooded mummers through."
The skinny officer pockets the three coins.
" I'll have to keep these as evidence in case there is any legal trouble." A thin imitation of a smile passes his pimply face. "But I wouldn't worry about that, my lady. You have been so honest and helpful. And I am sure you can find lodging someplace in the city, even with the lateness of the hour."
He bows.

[ewancummins]

With another deep bow towards the duke, Termelan moves to follow the guard out.
He makes small talk with the guard, and the scribe if they make any effort. He happens to mention that he hopes he will perform for the duke in his wedding but doesn't press the matter much; just a mention to make sure the guard and the scribe know.
Once outside the castle, he slips the ring out of his finger and puts it in his pocket behind the guard's back.

The scribe proves too busy for small talk. A stack of parchments sit on his little desk, crammed in the back of a dusty office.

But the guard is happy to talk a little. Mostly he discusses how cold this winter is compared with last year.

He lingers for a moment in the inner bailey.

The sun has just set.

Presently, a girl arrives and hands him a round package about the circumference of a helmet , all wrapped in white cloth and bound with twine. The guard places this in a leather sack and ties that to his belt.
The soldier gives the girl a kiss and bids her adieu.

He leads Termelan into another courtyard where a linkboy waits with a blazing torch.

All three leave the castle together, and pass though the River Gate (chronological note, this happens before DOMENICA arrives there) and into Riverside.

Now the guard has left off all small talk, and walks in silence. If spoken to, he responds in short, polite, but not very informative sentences. The young torchbearer only chatters his teeth and tries to tug his coat snug with one hand.

Termelan and his escort reach the Hostel. The Duke's man beckons the link boy to move just behind him and to the left, in the street.
Then he draws his dagger and turns to face the bard.
"It's time."
He unwraps the cheesecloth from his burden using the dagger point. Termelan seems something light brown inside. Despite the cold snot dripping from his nose, he detects a savory scent. The guard slice the item from the kitchen into three pieces, two big ones and one little one.
A rich aroma of cooked pork, apples, cheese, and herbs wafts out in a thin cloud of vapor.
"Eating time. You won't burn your tongue on it now."
The man gives the smallest piece to the boy and one of the two larger pieces to Termelan.

[alhoon]

Termelan smiles happily and fishes out his own dagger to eat the pie. "You're most welcome my friend! Allow me to return the favor." Termelan lets down his pack and fishes out the remaining brandy. "If you heard the details of the day I gave to his grace, then you know that this is a very nice brandy. Appropriate to chase the cold out of us. I'm happy to share!"
Termelan takes a swig from the bottle and passes it to the guard as he takes cover from the cold wind by propping himself on the inn's wall.

[steveflam]

The skinny guard frowns.
"I'm sorry, my lady but orders have come down from Caer Haes. No one except certain special persons may pass the gates after dark. You are not on the special list."

He casts a nasty look at Otho.
"You, give me that bribe money."

Otho comes over and gives his superior two gold coins.

"All of it, you villain."

Otho takes third coin from his cloak, handing it over with a pained expression.


The young lieutenant then turns back to Domenica. " I believe you. You were only trying to get your men out of the cold and back to their homes. I see one of them has had too much too drink. But I can't let you through without a pass. It would be big trouble for me and all these men. The Duke expects us to do a better job than the fools who let the hooded mummers through."
The skinny officer pockets the three coins.
" I'll have to keep these as evidence in case there is any legal trouble." A thin imitation of a smile passes his pimply face. "But I wouldn't worry about that, my lady. You have been so honest and helpful. And I am sure you can find lodging someplace in the city, even with the lateness of the hour."
He bows.

"I thank you for your honesty and studious work ethic. We shall find refuge in one of your fine establishments. Might I Inquire as to your name, good sir?"

[ewancummins]

The skinny guard frowns.
"I'm sorry, my lady but orders have come down from Caer Haes. No one except certain special persons may pass the gates after dark. You are not on the special list."

He casts a nasty look at Otho.
"You, give me that bribe money."

Otho comes over and gives his superior two gold coins.

"All of it, you villain."

Otho takes third coin from his cloak, handing it over with a pained expression.


The young lieutenant then turns back to Domenica. " I believe you. You were only trying to get your men out of the cold and back to their homes. I see one of them has had too much too drink. But I can't let you through without a pass. It would be big trouble for me and all these men. The Duke expects us to do a better job than the fools who let the hooded mummers through."
The skinny officer pockets the three coins.
" I'll have to keep these as evidence in case there is any legal trouble." A thin imitation of a smile passes his pimply face. "But I wouldn't worry about that, my lady. You have been so honest and helpful. And I am sure you can find lodging someplace in the city, even with the lateness of the hour."
He bows.

"I thank you for your honesty and studious work ethic. We shall find refuge in one of your fine establishments. Might I Inquire as to your name, good sir?"

The lieutenant has already turned away from Domenica." Shut the gate", he cries.
The watchmen close and bar the gate.
The man bows again to Domenica and retreats into the gatehouse without ever having given his name.

[ewancummins]

Termelan smiles happily and fishes out his own dagger to eat the pie. "You're most welcome my friend! Allow me to return the favor." Termelan lets down his pack and fishes out the remaining brandy. "If you heard the details of the day I gave to his grace, then you know that this is a very nice brandy. Appropriate to chase the cold out of us. I'm happy to share!"
Termelan takes a swig from the bottle and passes it to the guard as he takes cover from the cold wind by propping himself on the inn's wall.

TERMELAN

The guard thanks Termelan for the brandy.
He sips it, and afterward pronounces it top stuff.

The two men and the boy eat their meat pie slices, drink brandy, and try to keep out of the wind.

After the last bit of pie has been gobbled, Termelan's escort deprats in haste for Caer Haes.

Now that he has no one to talk with and nothing to chew, the minstrel becomes aware of faint noises that seem to come from inside the hostel. Creaking floorboards, maybe...