HLoM: The Firebird, Chapter 1

[NeoTiamat]

The Barovian woman arched a single, delicate black brow, but she managed to not smile more broadly at Richard's discomfiture. Even if the blush was kind of adorable.

"The storms at the Svalich Pass make mockery of all attempts at scheduling. You have my sympathies." Lena said, taking another look at Maya. That was really a gorgeous animal. "I would offer to show you around Vestrdyrr, but I have my own welcoming committee, with schedules which no one has told me about."

"If you like, I can probably de-fox you now." Lena suggested, looking up at where Ushka seemed to be settling down for a nap on Richard's shoulder.

[Isabella]

"You are-are most kind, my lady," Richard replied, stepping forward to present his be-foxed side.

[NeoTiamat]

"If I get bitten by a panther, I am going to be annoyed." Lena said dryly, but she braved the reach of the vastly intimidating Maya in order to come up to Richard. Lena, in the general course of events, considered herself a tall woman. She knew that when she arrived in Hazlan, this would no longer be the case (they seemed an entire nation of people on stilts), but she found it somehow amusing that she was being overshadowed by a Mordentishman the size of a tree before she even got into the country.

"Alright, get down from there..." Lena said, as the fox wiggled in her grasp. The little red canine wagged its tail cheerfully as it sat in its mistresses arms. "Again, I am sorry about that."

[Nathan of the FoS]

"Aha!"

The tete-a-tete is broken by a Mulani--obviously a Western lord by his tattoos and dress--who strides forward to greet the pair at the gate. "You must be Baroness von Zarovich. I am most pleased to meet you. Renhalt Jarenberg, your servant." He does not quite succeed in concealing his quick but thorough admiration of Lena's admittedly admirable charms. "And this is...your cousin? This way!" he says, waving to a small group following him at a distance. "I've found her."

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Vasili stands a little behind Cattia, trying not to look like he is using her for cover. Shading the sun with one hand, he surveys the crowd in one direction and then another, unsure of what he's looking for and not pausing long enough to be sure he's seen it.

<Leila says she's not finding anyone who fits,> he murmurs under his breath. Hushed though the words are, they find their way to the ears of Renhalt as well as Cattia thanks to their whisper-link.

When Renhalt waves to them, Vasili nods to Renhalt and mutters a quick incantation in the midst of his hand-wringing.

<There you are!> His whispers reach her ears despite the intervening throngs. <Can you hear me, Lena? If you understand me, nod twice.>

[NeoTiamat]

"Freiherr Jarenberg, what an absolute pleasure to meet you. Come along Ushka." Lena said, as the fox scrambled up onto her mistress's shoulder. She sat there, proud and noble, though the wiggling fox tail rather ruined her dignified impression. "May I introduce you to Richard Blackwood, of Mordent. Not my cousin, sadly."

<You may refer to me as the Baroness Elena von Zarovich, sir> Apparently, Lena's magic whispers could be chilly enough to freeze water. <And I am familiar with this spell, as you can see. Now. Whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?>

[Isabella]

"May I introduce you to Richard Blackwood, of Mordent. Not my cousin, sadly."

Richard bowed.

"No, no, sadly not. I-I-I was merely keeping the lady company while we both-both waited, as we shared a-a rendezvous point," he replied with a smile, his otherwise fluent Vaasi betraying its foreign nature with a strange accent - Richard had learned the language from Valachan, and so it was peppered with strange words, elegant vowels, and rolling consonants. His stammer didn't make things easier. He regarded the new arrivals with a curious, intense look, his eyes lingering on them one by one.

"Your companions are found, my-my lady," he said pleasantly to Lena. "I-I fear you will wish-wish to take your leave, now. It has been the-the finest of pleasures to have made your acquaintance, Baroness von Zarovich - and you-you as well, good sir Jarenburg."

[DeepShadow of FoS]

<You may refer to me as the Baroness Elena von Zarovich, sir> Apparently, Lena's magic whispers could be chilly enough to freeze water. <And I am familiar with this spell, as you can see. Now. Whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?>

Vasili groans a little and swallows hard. <Len...Baroness Elena, it's me...it's Vasili. Vasili Boritsi. There's no time to explain. You'll just have to play along, and berate me later.>

[NeoTiamat]

"It has been entirely my pleasure, Mr. Blackwood, or mine and Ushka's, more accurately." Lena said, favoring the Mordentishman with one final, sweet smile. "But you are right, and I should take my leave now. I expect I'll be in Hazlan for some time though, so if we should happen to be in the same town, I hope you'll do me the honor of calling on me?"

Lena was a diplomat by training, and she networked as easily as other people breathed. In any case, while pausing for breath she also sent a soft spell-whisper back the way it came.

<Vasili?!> Lena did not let her surprise appear in her face. Her voice wasn't quite as stolid though. <No, feel free to call me Lena, though really, I would like to know which genius had the idea of sending you as my welcoming committee. Could you at least tell me what I'm supposed to be playing along with?>

[DeepShadow of FoS]

<It...wasn't supposed to happen this way. I just found out last night. Wait til they introduce me, you'll see.>

As they move through the crowd toward Renhalt, Vasili emerges fully from behind Cattia. His gaunt frame is only more pronounced by his adoption of the traditional Mulani zarong and bare chest. While his head is shaved in Mulani fashion, he has no tattoos, only the pasty complexion of one who spends most of his life underground. As Renhalt makes the introductions, Vasili lifts his hollow eyes from the ground to the panther, then swerves to the fox, and finally to Lena, all without blinking.

"I'm Vasili Boritsi, sent to meet Baroness Elena von Zarovich, a representative of the Immol Foundry. Are you she?" His tone is one of carelessness, but his eyes never stop staring.

[Nathan of the FoS]

"Pardon me, sir...you're Richard Blackwood?" Renhalt asks, not quite stumbling over the name. "The Lawgiver smiles on us, I believe. I think my kinsman is looking for you. Something about a letter from our relation Darius? Baroness, my sister Cattia Jarenberg. Our retainer Vasili Boritsi, he manages the Bergsforg. The Baroness Elena von Zarovich and Richard Blackwood of...Mordent, yes?"

[Revka et al]

Cattia comes forward. As her brother, Renhalt, introduces her, she smiles pleasantly and brings her hands together in front of her bare chest (bosoms barely covered by a stiff vest), prayer style, and bows. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Baroness. I hope your journey was pleasant and uneventful."

[NeoTiamat]

"That is correct, Freiherr." Lena said, her expression reserved and just a touch haughty. Though not by nature a particularly proud woman, the ability to do haughty at the drop of a hat was also a useful one. She let Ushka down onto the ground, the red fox sitting politely next to her feet. Lena cast a sidelong glance at Richard and Renhalt, before turning her attention back to the Boritsi. Vasili's explanations were going to be fascinating.

"And a pleasure to meet you as well, Freiin Jarenberg." Lena said, bowing politely to Cattia. One of these days she was going to try these Hazlani fashions.

[Isabella]

"Pardon me, sir...you're Richard Blackwood?" Renhalt asks, not quite stumbling over the name. "The Lawgiver smiles on us, I believe. I think my kinsman is looking for you. Something about a letter from our relation Darius?

"Of-of Mordent, yes. I-I-I am he," Richard replied, blinking at Renhalt and rifling around in his saddlebags for a well-weathered letter. He gave Renhalt and Lena a bright smile. "Now-now here is a happy coincidence! The Baroness and I-I shared a meeting place for a-a reason, it seems. Darius had said that someone would meet me here... ah, are-are you he? Do you know where-where Darius is? He must-must have been quite busy."

[Nathan of the FoS]

"Darius had said that someone would meet me here... ah, are-are you he? Do you know where-where Darius is? He must-must have been quite busy."

"Not precisely, no," Renhalt says. "That would be Altan...Altan? By the Name, I could have sworn he was right here. Where...? That's Altan for you. Never where you thought he was a moment ago. Well, Altan has the letter. But since Darius is my kinsman too, well, I bid you welcome to Hazlan on his behalf. I'm not surprised he couldn't come; they've kept him on the hop since his promotion."