Birthright Tuornen Chapter Four

[kintire]

Safana tilts her head and looks interested.

"Plans? How fascinating! Perhaps I can be of help?"

[ewancummins]

Safana tilts her head and looks interested.

"Plans? How fascinating! Perhaps I can be of help?"

Cormac is out the door pretty quickly, but Squire Ranald is happy to talk about plans.

"Ah, I think that they are not taking any women with them, where they are going. But it occurs to me that you should meet my lieutenant, Gunnar. You might be a great help to him. He has been training the men to defend this manor, and setting up traps and ambush sites on my lands. Perhaps a mistress of magic such as you knows a few tricks that could prove useful in those things? I wouldn't want you to expose yourself to unnecessary danger, of course."

[Adam]

Cormac stops and turns back. "Ah, at the moment they're not much more than ridin' out of the keep an' settin' up shop, but we'll keep yeh in mind. I'm sure a...ah...fine lady such as yerself ain't in a rush to go live in the wild wi' four woodsmen."

[kintire]

As he calls her a "Fine lady" her smile twists for just an instant, and for a moment turns bitter, but she recovers in a flash.

"No fine lady I, but I will be guided by your advice. Still, I can observe your enemies, render you invisible to the eye as well as divert, alarm or even slay your enemies. And I am happy to take risks if it will avert the discovery and destruction of this place. What risk could be more grave than that?"

[ewancummins]

KITCHENS OF CAER HAES

The page leads Roald to the kitchens, where twenty-odd soldiers and palace servants eat cold chicken soup and hunks of dry bread. Somebody complains loudly about the cellarer watering down the beer again.

Roald helps himself to his own bowl of soup, sitting down at the first open spot he can find. All the while chuckling to himself. He was certain that if he didn't laugh at the joke the gods had just pulled on him, he would be sobbing.

The page stands against the wall in silence as Roald eats. The crowded kitchen doesn't afford many seats.

A boy brushes past Roald the counter where Roald eats, carrying a steaming tureen of soup.

''Scuse me, sir."



Through an open door, Roald may look into the dining hall. He sees rows of cuts and table draped with linen. Men lie on some of the table, covered in blankets. Maidservants move among the tables, bringing the men meals, washing their faces, or simply speaking soothing words. Roald's nose twitches at the scent of blood and stale sweat, familiar after-battle odors. No scat, at least. Sniffing, he picks up another odor wafting in from the dining hall; a faint but horrible mixture of scents like charcoal, scorched steaks, brimstone, metallic reeks.

VIEW CONTENT:

]Burned men

[Adam]

As he calls her a "Fine lady" her smile twists for just an instant, and for a moment turns bitter, but she recovers in a flash.

"No fine lady I, but I will be guided by your advice. Still, I can observe your enemies, render you invisible to the eye as well as divert, alarm or even slay your enemies. And I am happy to take risks if it will avert the discovery and destruction of this place. What risk could be more grave than that?"

Cormac nods. "We'll keep ye in mind, then." He agrees.

Later, he is standing over Foerde. He heaves a heavy sigh, looking back and forth between the fleece and the priest. "May as well have challenged a bighorn sheep to a headbuttin' contest..." he mutters and he drops to one knee, channeling some of the healing power of Aerik into the priest.

He waits until the man's eyes open and leans over top of him. "We gotta quit meetin' like this, lad," Cormac says, flashing a sardonic smile, "People are gonna start to talk."

[ewancummins]

THE GORGON'S CROWN

"A pail? Whut're its teats for? Drinkin, I tell ye. Ye done it at yer ma's teat, so this aint any diffrent. Pretty good tastin too as it be fresh."

''Um, okay. I'll keep that in mind if I come across any cows.''

"So, Reese is it?" The dwarf states and asks, squinting at the lad.

"Where's yer Boss? 'E certainly should be out with ya, drinkin. Sounds like someone I'd like ter meet."

"He's busy. But I'm sure he'll be back soon. If you stick around, I guess you will meet him and..."

Reese cuts off, staring past the dwarf, towards the bar counter.

"Uh-oh...''

[steveflam]

"Awright then. I'll wait....." He is going to add more but looks over to where Reese is looking, standing up almost protectively in front of the lad.

[ewancummins]

"Awright then. I'll wait....." He is going to add more but looks over to where Reese is looking, standing up almost protectively in front of the lad.

A red-haired, tall, lantern jawed, pot-bellied woman with fat dugs almost bursting out the top of her bodice bears down on the dwarf. She leans in and glares at him.
"You broke my floor wid yer skull."

[steveflam]

Torthur frowns, eyes bunching together, then looks the red haired woman up and down as if gauging her.

"Well, yer floor shouldn't'a bin there! Ye look rambunxious enuff! I wrassle ye fer tha damage. I win. You pay for the floor... Ye win i pay fer it. Unless ye gots a better idea. Mine sounds more fun"

His hands are folded over his muscular chest.

[ewancummins]

Torthur frowns, eyes bunching together, then looks the red haired woman up and down as if gauging her.

"Well, yer floor shouldn't'a bin there! Ye look rambunxious enuff! I wrassle ye fer tha damage. I win. You pay for the floor... Ye win i pay fer it. Unless ye gots a better idea. Mine sounds more fun"

His hands are folded over his muscular chest.

''You challenging me to wrastle? Okay, keg-butt. Let's have a toss!"

The large alewife closes in with her hands spread for a grapple...

[steveflam]

Torthur laughs heartily. "All righty then! Lad get some people to place yer bets. I aint sure If I gonna win, she looks mean enough even fer me! But that's ok, CLyde got me back."

He faces her in the same position.....

[ewancummins]

Torthur laughs heartily. "All righty then! Lad get some people to place yer bets. I aint sure If I gonna win, she looks mean enough even fer me! But that's ok, CLyde got me back."

He faces her in the same position.....

Reese nods.

''Okay, I'll do that!" and hurries out the door.

The big alewife rushes forward...

[JMaytr]

"We will make Alam howl like a thief in a brass bull," Renn agrees, "but there is wisdom in lulling him into a false sense of security. That gives us time to hear back from Ghonallison. And we can use that time to get Haes under control and shore up our defenses, and whip this sorry lot press gangs, goon squads, freebooters into an army worth leading to glory. Besides, if we pose as if we seek 'peace,' that gets him talking. And Alam strikes me as a man who'll give himself enough rope if we let him talk..."

"Before we remove ourselves to Monsedge, Your Grace, perhaps we should let the Archprelate examine the page I gave you? He might be able to make some sense out of it, and give us a better idea if we're on the right track before we leave the city without its Duke and Watch Commander."

Devlin hands the note to the archprelate.

"Captain, I assure you my cousin has no intent for peace of any kind. The country needs its Duke just as much as Haes does. You were there with me by the river when we heard him pronounce high to Haelyn's sweet scented lands above, that he'd rather burn Haes than lose his ground. By the way, has the dwarf we rescued been properly debriefed? I want to know why he was there and if he's overheard any tactical information we might find useful. Take what refugees you can and set them to task. The River Gate must be rebuilt forthwith. As for the defense of Haes, I have archers from Alamsreft marching here and they should be arriving at any day. They, along with the remaining knights and castle defenders should be an adequete defense while we investigate the north. Depending on the severity of the goblin threat there, which I hardly believe is coincedence, Ghonallison and you father will need us. If those gobs are indeed on Alams payroll, than why would Carilon believe we sue for peace or treaty? In fact, while he is the aggressor in this conflict, that move could make us seem weak and pleading for him not to re-invade. No, we continue the fight where he has hit us, and reenforce for our own invasion. The men in Hildon will need supplies if they are to continue holding that province."

[ewancummins]

COUNCIL AT CAER HAES-

One by one, heads nod in agreement around the table, though some more slowly than others.