Within the House of Three Graces, Finchley’s keen sense of smell – at least when food was involved! – picked up on the sweet, savory scent of baked apples. She, of course, followed her nose all the way into what had been dubbed the ‘dining room’ to find Addiela, who clearly had been hard at work baking. She placed down a fresh tray of apple tarts just as Finchley entered the room – the fourth batch she had made that day. Yet, somehow she feared that even four batches would not be enough to satisfy her friends’ – but, mostly Finchley’s – appetite.
Finchley’s eyes grew as big as saucers at the sight of the tarts and tried to pretend she wasn’t drooling a little. "... Can I have one?"
Addiela slowly slid the tray across the long table toward Finchley and then quickly moved her fingers out of the way. The shorter woman looked at Addie with a misty-eyed smile. "Aw, if I didn't think you'd hate it I'd hug you right now... But, don't mind if I do! I've missed your bakin' somethin' fierce for a long time!" She reached out and snatched up two tarts, one in each hand and set to work doing one of the things that she always did best – eating.
Addiela studied Finch's expression closely as she consumed the first tart, still a bit worried over the possibility of the food causing illness again. However, nothing of the sort happened as the boyish woman ate both tarts, humming happily in satisfaction. Addie’s cooking and baking were one of her favorite things in the world.
"I can only imagine what the Banshee caught for you to eat while traveling," said Addie.
Finchley almost choked on her tart as she tried to keep from laughing too hard over that statement. "Ah – It wasn't so much what Lif caught. Rather, what Nik caught..."
Addiela immediately shook her head and closed her eyes for a brief moment, showing that she didn’t wish to know. She then looked past Finch into the next room. "Where is that little devil? I haven't seen him around yet. But, I do suppose he appears when you least expect him to."
Finchley gigglesnorted. "Eh, maybe hidin' since I told him I'd have him take a bath." She shrugs and then chows down on the second tart, already reaching for the third.
Addiela raised her brows at the idea of giving the odd, furry kobold a bath. "We really should try to make that happen."
Just then, Eduwiges and Elsabeth stepped in, all smiles. Addiela dipped her head to both Edu and Elsa and offered them a bright smile while motioning to the table full of apple tarts and mushroom pies
"Addie, you are looking lovely! Nice robes. Hello Finch!" said Edu as she glanced over the buffet of food laid out on the table.
Elsabeth smiled and gave the other occupants of the house a cheery wave. "Hello everyone."
A brief moment of silence fell upon them as they all busied themselves with the food. Eventually, Finchley paused in her eating long enough to speak more than two words together. "How was it?" she asked quietly after a while. "Mister Caine's funeral I mean."
Addiela leaned across the table to push yet another tray of mushroom pies toward Finch, but froze midway as the question was asked. "It was... something." She quickly changed the subject. "And what did you learn from the journey back to Bree?"
Finchley also stopped short while reaching for a mushroom pie and smiled wryly. "More'n I think I was plannin' on. I--... Well, it was a lot. And complicated. And hard to explain."
"To be honest,” remarked Edu, "I think I preferred to be off in Trestlebridge, getting shot at by red robed morons, than to be at that funeral from all the posh nonsense Xan said occurred."
Addiela blinked a few times as her gaze turned to Edu. "What?"
"Oh, Finch hasn't filled you in yet?"
"No one has filled me in on much, Eduwiges. I overheard a few things last night. The Banshee's voice carries."
Eduwiges laughed. "You know, she snores as loud as she talks."
Finchley looked to her toes, frowning and worrying at her bottom lip and turned a mushroom pie over in her hands. "We were followed and attacked at Trestlebridge. And then we paid a visit to my Grams' grave again afterwards. Sorry... It's just--... It was a lot. I don't think I've fully thought it all through yet."
Addiela nodded toward Finch. "That is understandable. Sometimes, things can be hard to process or even recount." Addie took a deep breath. "These figures in red robes; they were the Unsealed?"
Finchley nodded and had another bite of pie. "Mhm. But they weren't just lookin' for me. They were lookin' for Miss Catalinna who we had finally found. Turns out, she’s as much entangled in this as we are, but not by any fault of her own."
Eduwiges pulled Elsa to her side and started in, clearly wanting to have done with the whole thing. "In a nutshell, Addie, we found the sisters and were attacked by Unsealed. Then, we made our way to Moyna's grave where it looked like we were supposed to have been attacked again. But, somehow, Moyna took care of that. The sisters followed us there and were watching us and, when they heard their part in Moyna's story, one fell of the cliffside nearby and ran away. The other two drifted off. Then we went to Bree and picked up Elsa here—"
Addiela waved her hands frantically in front of herself in an attempt to to slow Eduwiges down a bit, but to no avail as the warrior continued at a rapidfire pace.
"—rode towards home, and then we were ambushed by that deacon of the Unsealed at Thinglad. And after that we came straight home, little to no stopping… Oh, and Lif snores. Elsa makes cute little bunny noises when she sleeps. Finch here still eats everything in the saddle bags. Aaaand that’s our trip in a nutshell!"
Finchley snorted. "Thanks, Edu."
Eduwiges cackled and resumed her eating as Elsa looked on, clearly amused. "You’re welcome!"
"Forgive the flurry of questions I am about to ask," began Addie slowly as she pinched the bridge off her nose and slid more food towards Edu and Elsa. "But, there are several things spoken of that I have not heard mentioned yet. First, who is this Miss Catalinna? And what sisters? Do you have more family, Finchley?"
Finchley paused for a minute and then smiled a bit. "... I never really thought of it afterwards but, in a way, I suppose I do, though I doubt Miss Cat would agree." She had another bite of pie and chewed thoughtfully, considering her next words before she said them to make sure she recounted correctly. "The one who attacked us in Thinglad on the way home, he's the one that held up Xanderian and Calidis when they came to get us in Linhir. He's the one who told them about Miss Catalinna in the first place. By the time we all came home from Linhir, Lif got letter from a friend in Angmar, she had been writin’ to who said that Miss Catalinna was the one to find after he did some diggin' for us. Said she might have information we didn’t. So, that's why Lif, Edu, and I went to Trestlebridge. We had looked for her in Bree-town first but the constable there said she had been gone up north towards the Downs for a long while. We found Miss Catalinna in Trestlebridge with her sister, Sablelinna is her name, one other companion, and, also, someone I knew - Mister Gregwald, who's Mister Leoffrith's good friend."
Addiela blinked a few times nodded to show that she was piecing together the information. "The one that attacked you in Thinglad? This is the Deacon, Desad, that the Banshee spoke of? How were you attacked?... And this Catalinna is from Angmar? Are you sure she is not with the Unsealed?"
"Aye, the same one,” answered Finchley, nodding to the first question. "He came to us while we were asleep – or maybe it was awake?... It’s complicated. Anyhow, he didn’t try to harm us right away and, instead, told us to keep away from Miss Catalinna, just like he warned Xanderian and Calidis. As for Miss Cat..." She shook her head and smiled sadly. "I doubt she’s with the Unsealed, since they were tryin’ to take her too. And, well... Turns out, she's my Grams' — Moyna's real granddaughter."
Addiela nodded again and let her gaze drift upwards as she took in the information. "I see," she finally remarked before looking back to Finchley. "Did he say why he wished for you to keep away from the woman? And her sister... What's her importance?"
Finchley shrugged and looked to her toes, brows furrowing. "I’m not sure of the particulars yet but I have a good idea... When we visited Grams' grave again, Moyna was there. I mean, she was still in her coffin that I buried her in years ago, though it looked like someone tried to dig her up afore we got there. But she was also 'there' if that makes sense. I could see her and touch her but even she said she was dead. I dunno how." She sighed and clasps her hands together, rubbing her palms together nervously. "She told me things that filled in the blanks as to why the Unsealed want me, why they want Catalinna, and what the b-brand means."
Addiela 's brows shot up at the mention of Moyna being there. "What? Her spirit still walks this realm?" Her expression turned into a mixture of confusion and concern. "What did she reveal? And are you certain it was not a trick of this Deacon?"
Finchley shook her head at Addie. "No, I'm sure it was her. I would know her anywhere." She sighed heavily again and rocked back and forth a bit on the balls of her feet, as if trying to build up momentum. "... You remember Mister Leon, Addie? The man who helped you bring Mister Caine's body back to Linhir? When we spoke, he called me a Cenotaph. A container."
Addie nodded to Finchley, indicating that she remembered as the woman continued. Finchley still did not dare to look up, keeping her gaze to the floor. "Well, Moyna explained that too. The brand marks me as – " She took a deep breath, hating to even speak of it. " – as a slave of the Unsealed. But that ain't all it is. It's also a mark showing that I am a Cenotaph. And that means -- … Addie, it means there's someone else inside me, sleepin'. They put someone else inside me and the guild wants me so that they can bring her back."
Addiela 's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Her crystal blue gaze drifted to Finchley’s left hip, where she knew the brand was hidden beneath clothing. "Who? Do they know?"
“Moyna said somethin' about me bein' the ‘perfect container’ for some reason. And, there were others before me that they put this fragment of this other person in. But they weren’t ideal Cenotaphs so they were all killed when they had their first blood. Aganalu is her name. Grams said she was some terrible sorceress from ancient past…”
Finchley’s voice trailed off, halting her explanation for a moment before gathering her courage to spill the last and most troubling bit of information. "Moyna was supposed to kill me. That's why I was left with her. She knew and was supposed to kill me so that the Unsealed wouldn’t try to use me like this. Bury Aganalu for another age, she said… But, she didn't. Because she loved me."
Finchley turned and wiped at her eyes as the dam within them finally broke.
"I want to get my hands on the fiends that did this to her and all the other children," said Eduwiges, cracking her knuckles. "They will pay for this. They will also pay for the death of my father as well."
Addiela was silent for a good minute or two. She picked up a napkin and walked it over to Finch along with yet another apple tart. "That is quite a lot to process, Finchley, and a heavy burden to bear... But it is also as you have once said..." Addie held out both items to the little woman, who finally dared to look at Addie. Finchley took the napkin to dry her eyes, fighting to keep anymore tears from falling.
"Said what?"
Addiela offered Finch a reassuring, bright smile. "That you are Finchley, just Finchley... Whatever resides in that mark is no more a part of who you are than Mans was of me or Anendyl when he was in our minds and bodies."
“Aye, just Finchley!” said Edu enthusiastically. “You'll always be that to me Little Sister.”
Finchley sniffled a bit and then slowly nodded, a small but sure smile returning to her face again. "Aye. I don't belong to anyone but myself and whoever else I say. This Aganalu can uhh..." She laughed wetly. "Like Lif said, 'lick my shiny palantír'."
Eduwiges burst out laughing and wrapped her arm about Elsa. "With all that said and done, I believe it’s time I gave Elsa here a tour of the island grounds, now that I’m not sleeping off the journey here. Addie can fill you in on the other things, right Addie?"
Addiela nodded, still looking at Finchley with concern.
"I would love that, dear," replied Elsa, slipping her hand into Edu’s as she was pulled toward the door.
"Be careful," called out Addiela and Finchley in unison behind her.
"I am always careful!" laughed Eduwiges as she and Elsa slipped outside.
Addiela watched the two depart and sighed. "So... each time we visit Bree, one returns with a mate."
(to be continued in "A Delicious Reunion - Part 2")
