07.08i: Chilly Reception

The goings on of courts
Wyvern
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07.08i: Chilly Reception

Post by Wyvern »

Alys, Aibne, Asai, Raven, Priscilla, Gwen, Leanne, Lleufer, and Tinder appear on the Amber docks in a swirl of multicolored sparks. There are a few things of immediate note:
First, it's the middle of winter. There's snow on the ground - though it's been mostly cleared from the arrival area. Lleufer and the two kids are probably not prepared for the sudden change in temperature.
Second, there are guards present, overseen by representatives of both the Amber castle guard and the Rebma rangers. Those with warfare (all the Amberites at the least) can tell the guards aren't expecting trouble, but are prepared for it none the less; they're mostly there to greet arriving Amberites (and see to any immediate needs), but are not neglecting their secondary duties of keeping the location clear, and being prepared in case anyone... unexpected... arrives via trump.

Alys turns immediately to one of the guards, and puts in a request for winter clothing for the two children and Lleufer*.

_____
* In that order of importance, too.
Thread title refers to both the ambient temperature... as well as the reception Lleufer is likely to get from the Rebma guards if they have any knowledge of Priscilla's history.
Draylen
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Re: 07.08i: Chilly Reception

Post by Draylen »

The two guards nod, glancing at each other. One sends a runner for the clothes, who returns after a short while with appropriate clothing with the children, before heading off for Lleufer's from the market. "You're the Princess who was going to train the guards, right?" one of them asks Alys. "Captain was saying something about it, but it's all rumor and hearsay right now."

The other guard - an older one - cuffs him lightly on the back of his head. "Like a couple o' nobs like them'd have time for a couple a' grunts like us, ya? Don't bother them, just do what you're told."

Aibne snorts a little, folding his arms together. "Well, obviously they don't know me," he says to Alys, shaking his head slightly. "That makes me sad." He speaks up a little, looking at the guard. "Do you have anyone you know who has enough time to work on the rigors of Sorcery? I mean, if I'm going to train an..." he asks, tilting his head at Alys, "'Apprentice', I might as well open it up for others who are interested. It would be good for the guards to have them, anyway. Ther'es a reason Rogbar has one Sorcerer on each team, after all, and since Alys is going to be training anyone who wants to in combat..."
The Raven
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Re: 07.08i: Chilly Reception

Post by The Raven »

"You'd be amazed how much time nobles can make if they want to." Raven comments offhandedly.

Taking in his surroundings, the Raven pokes his beak at the snow on the ground. "My, snow sure is inconvenient." He's clearly ready to get inside.
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Joshua
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Re: 07.08i: Chilly Reception

Post by Joshua »

Priscilla will be making apologies and planning on going through the air-breather entrance to Rebma (which is within a block of the landing point). She is getting a guard escort for herself, her kinds and her ex. There are a lot of thank-yous to Alys and Aibne, but it seems things are getting busy.

Where are people going?
Wyvern
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Re: 07.08i: Chilly Reception

Post by Wyvern »

Alys will take a few moments to re-iterate her offer of training to those who hadn't gotten more of it than just rumors (and will make sure that this is said where Lleufer can hear it, just in case he decides he's interested). She also takes a moment to talk to Lleufer specifically, saying, "I would prefer to stay out of matters between you and Priscilla; you owe it to your children to resolve things peacefully and privately. However, if I find there to be any cause to do so, I will not hesitate to bring this matter to Ashara's attention."*

Once that's taken care of, she heads to a waiting carriage - clearly expecting Aibne and Asai and the Raven to come with her as she returns to Ht'gon.**

_____
* Alys says this quietly, so that there's some pretense of privacy... but also within earshot of the more elite of the guards from Rebma, just in case Priscilla ends up needing more immediate intervention than Alys would be capable of. She's careful to avoid letting the common rank and file hear, though; she trusts the elite rangers not to spread rumors, but not the regular guards.
** She's planning to tell the story of what happened, in detail*** - albeit leaving out her own use of shapeshifting**** - but I suspect Aibne will beat her to the punch, or if necessary take over the tale-telling himself.
*** Rather than the quick cliff-notes version Asai got before.
**** Though Asai was there, Aibne was close enough to there, and the Raven probably has enough warfare to deduce from the state of her clothes that the damage came from blows that (aside from one spear-thrust) glanced off her skin. Oh, and that she probably had wings there for a bit...
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Re: 07.08i: Chilly Reception

Post by Veyska »

Asai seems amenable to tagging along, although she will flick Alys a faintly exasperated (in an amused sort of way) glance for a fraction of a second. The way in which she manages to curl herself up into so compact a ball atop out of the cushions seems like it ought to violate at least one law of physics or at least require the assistance of magic, but the feline seems quite content with herself as she settles in for the ride.
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Re: 07.08i: Chilly Reception

Post by The Raven »

The Raven will take a perch on the top of one of the seats, and work on getting any snowflakes out of his feathers.
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Re: 07.08i: Chilly Reception

Post by Draylen »

Aibne will slip into the carriage last, ducking his head a little. "Well, with ALys' permission," he says, tilting his head. "She might have other insights or such that she might want to share, but that's up to her. So!" With that, he closes his eyes and breathes slowly, before beginning to speak. It's a simple story, at least at first - telling how he and Alys met up at the ball, then meeting Priscilla, going to her dressing rooms and talking, learning of Priscilla's past. It's short, simple, and sparing on the details*, but he tells what there is that there needs to be, before telling of returning to the ball.

From there, he'll time-skip, fast forwarding to after Father Bonebreaker's lesson, how Priscilla summoned Alys and himself, gating and walking to Fishguard. At this point, more details start to get given, weaving the narration with precisely what Fishguard *is* and *is not*, then Aibne striding straight through the center of town, paying no mind and no heed as he slips on Vengeful God. He has the dignity to look abashed, and explains that it's for the story, before continuing, speaking of the meeting between Lleufer and Priscilla, talking about the girls. It's very clear as he does that he just adores the two little ones, and then he'll start to talk about the hivers.

He gives the encounter almost verbatim, taking his time with it now that the scene is set, ending as Asai got them out of the mess**. He then explains where the name came from - with the men acting like a hive of hornets, fierce and angry and dangerously coordinated, even more so than the Shadow Striders. Afterwards, he'll muse about doing research into duplicating the effect, calling it a 'thought weft', and asks Asai if she might be willing to help.

-----
*Roughly, he's giving *exactly* Priscilla's past, only with much much fewer details than Priscilla did - enough to get the gist of the paragraph that Josh posted, but not enough to actually reveal anything people didn't already have at least some idea about. It's Priscilla's story to tell, not his.
**This does not, by design, include the after scenes. It ends when Asai teleports the three of them to the obsidian standing stones, minus Aibne's screaming fit. He has some dignity still, after all!
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Joshua
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Re: 07.08i: Chilly Reception

Post by Joshua »

A number of well groomed dwarves (two in ceremonial plate-mail) greet the carriage at the entrance. (It's not that far to Ht'Gon and the roads seem designed to let arrivals from that dock head straight there or Castle Amber.) They start up with a welcome spiel, then wind down when they realize it's Alys with guests.

"Welcome to Ht'Gon! Our fort has been prepared for your enjoyment. If you wish to partake of the games, follow the- Oh.... Hello." One of the dwarves will say. "Good to see you again Mi'Lady. Were you looking for the tournament or privacy? The field is almost prepared, that's at the orc encampment. For privacy, you'd have to go... uh, we set* aside the main hall for displaced orcs, so... perhaps the workshop. That was ordered closed for tonight, due to not wanting any explosions. From the goblins, not the dwarves..."
________
*: He somehow manages to make this sound like a swear. Clearly the thought of orcs in the dwarven main-hall is nauseating.
Wyvern
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Re: 07.08i: Chilly Reception

Post by Wyvern »

Alys steps out of the carriage and nods politely to the dwarves, "Thank you; for the moment I will be heading to my quarters for a change of clothes, but after that..." She glances back at the rest of the Amberites, adding, "I suspect Aibne may have similar immediate goals. Asai, Raven, could I trouble the two of you to pass this story on to your respective Courts? It seems a thing worth being aware of."
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