| Silver Insanity https://silverinsanity.com/forum/ |
|
| Chapter I: In Which There Is Far Too Much Magic https://silverinsanity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4130 |
Page 7 of 9 |
| Author: | Wyvern [ Wed May 16, 2007 1:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
The gate, when you reach it, is closed. And locked. And barred, and possibly blockaded, judging from the amount of time and effort it takes the guards to open it. It is clear they were not expecting to see the two of you again - and not all of them seem overly pleased about it, either. Still, they do have a few small cells they can lock the were-rats into, and there is at least one guard who is happy to see the two of you (or Lauren, at least,) unharmed. The guards are not entirely pleased with the brevity of your explanation of events. But Lauren is cheerfully playing the part of distraught noblewoman; a role that sheds questions like a duck sheds water, while still making the pair of you seem such obvious upstanding citizens that the guards can't even bring themselves to ask the two of you to stay for the watch inspector. Back at the inn, however, it becomes clear that the night is not yet over, for an elegantly dressed courier, in the brown and green of the local lord, awaits the two of you. "Milady is invited to dine with the Duke. We would not be so remiss as to fail to extend every courtesy to such a distinguished visitor." He bows low, and awaits a response. "While I would be delighted to accept his invitation, I must warn him that I have been greatly fatigued by my journey. I will need some time to freshen up, and will most likely have to retire early." Lauren replies. "Of course, Milady. Please, this way." The courier leads the two of you out of the inn, and further south, to a great mansion built up against the edge of the fortress. "Bad placement," mutters Lauren under her breath. "A determined force could take that fort in half an hour with this mess giving them an open path... Though I suppose a city this far south doesn't have to worry about orcish war parties." Eventually, however, the two of you are deposited in adjoining guest rooms in the Duke's mansion. It takes Lauren another ten minutes to convince the provided ladies in waiting to "go away already!", though of course she uses much more elegant language to their faces. "I don't suppose you happen to know anything about this duke? His name, perhaps? I've bought us at least an hour to decide why we're officially here." Lauren pulls a dress out of her backpack, and retreats behind a curtain to change into something more suitable for dining with a duke. |
|
| Author: | Froborr [ Wed May 16, 2007 2:10 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
I go to the window and open it for Kitty. She runs up my arm to perch on my hat, and I scratch her chin as I talk. "The Duke? I know of him by reputation only; a fat and lazy fop, but nothing worse. So long as he has his luxuries, he is happy to let the city run itself -- hence the wererats." I pause. "Still, certainly far less bad than many I have encountered. He is not, so far as I know, actually directly responsible for making the wererats." I pause. "By the by, I checked us into the inn as the Tzarina Ekaterina Alexandrovna Romanova D'vai and entourage. If he recognizes you, he'll want to know why. Tell him Twill insisted on accompanying you. Hopefully it will give him a great deal to think about." I plop into a chair and put my feet up. "I shall await your return here." |
|
| Author: | Wyvern [ Wed May 16, 2007 2:40 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
It takes Lauren much less than the available hour to prepare herself; she may disdain cosmetics and "impractical" dresses, and complain about them in private, but she's still quite capable of using them to devastating effect. And having her own magical servants that know exactly what she wants does rather speed things up; as does having enough natural beauty that she only needs cosmetics to cover up the otherwise still obvious signs of not enough sleep. She returns in a mere hour and a half, wearing a slightly sour expression, and heads straight for the concealing curtain. "Excuse me for a moment, please. I need to change into something that actually lets me breathe." Once she's out of sight again, she adds, "He didn't even ask why we were here. Danced around the question a bit, but didn't push things when I didn't give him a straight answer. He did, however, propose. And then merely invited me to his bedchamber, as if that was somehow a more palatable alternative. Hopefully I said no in enough different ways that he'll actually realize I meant it." She sighs. "Someone should make you a duke. You'd be so much better at it than any I've ever met." You can't tell from her tone of voice if she's joking, or serious. |
|
| Author: | Froborr [ Wed May 16, 2007 2:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
"Hmm..." I say, absent-mindedly feeding Kitty a fig. "No, I don't think it would suit me. I should doubtless be expected to give up my hat." I give Kitty another scratch after she finishes the fig and continue in a more serious tone. "Besides, the laws of the Holy Monkey Tsarinate strictly forbid me from accepting any title from another realm." |
|
| Author: | Wyvern [ Wed May 16, 2007 2:56 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
"Of course, of course." Lauren momentarily re-emerges, having donned a heavy dark blue nightgown of the sort that is completely serious and not at all revealing, and flops down onto the bed. "Amusing, isn't it? Sleep too many times on hard ground, and I find myself looking forward to a soft bed. But by tomorrow I'm sure I'll be looking forward to the ground again. This thing is overstuffed." She rolls to the edge of the bed and pokes at the plush carpeting covering the floor. "This might actually be a better choice, though I'd have to be careful to wake before any servants come in." |
|
| Author: | Froborr [ Wed May 16, 2007 3:03 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
"As you please," I say. "Now, there remains one small matter to address this evening. I am sorry, as you are doubtless tired, but it is a pressing concern, to whit: your attempt at murder this evening." |
|
| Author: | Wyvern [ Wed May 16, 2007 3:19 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
"Look. I'm sorry. But you didn't answer when I asked if you could handle them, and as far as I could tell your weapons weren't effective. What was I supposed to do? Leave you there, with no way to injure them? I'm not a wizard. I don't have seven different attack spells. I have two, and the other one wouldn't even have slowed them down." She pauses for a moment. "I also hadn't seen you fight before. Now I have - and you're far better at combat than anyone I've seen before; better even than the stories make you out to be. With the best warrior I'd met previously at my side... That would have been a hard fight, with no certainty of the outcome, even if I used the strongest magic I have available. I wondered at the time how you could call that attempted murder - I think I've figured it out now. They weren't a threat to you, were they? At all?" |
|
| Author: | Froborr [ Wed May 16, 2007 3:49 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
"No, they weren't. I'm sorry; I thought my attack on the first wererat would serve as an answer to your question. I didn't realize the injury would be so subtle. Nonetheless, Lauren, I saw you melt a lamppost today. If I hadn't stopped you, you would have done that to a person. A person who was trying to hurt us, yes. A dog of the street, yes. But still a person. If you killed him, no one quite like him would ever exist again." "If what I've heard of the Greywinds is true, they are one of the few families that understand what it is to be noble. You have powers beyond most, as a sorceress and as a noble both. You can use that power as comes easily, like our host the Duke. Or you can use it for the benefit of those weaker than you. It's your choice." "Enough lectures. It is late, and you are tired. Sleep well, and I shall see you in the morning." I go to my room. |
|
| Author: | Wyvern [ Wed May 16, 2007 3:55 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
"Before you go... Could I examine your sword for a moment? As I said, I've never seen an enchantment like that before. I'd like to see if there's some way I can adapt the principles to my spells." |
|
| Author: | Froborr [ Wed May 16, 2007 3:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
I pause. "That... is an excellent idea, actually." I hand her my sword. "Keep it as long as you need to. I can make do without for a while... m'Lady." I bow and leave the room. |
|
| Page 7 of 9 | All times are UTC-04:00 |
| Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited https://www.phpbb.com/ |
|