The dark haired woman moved closer to the King, speaking to him softly. "My liege...time is of the essence if we are to make use of this brief lull....destiny waits upon your will.”
And for some reasons, those words sent a chill through all of them.
The King reluctantly nodded, looking unsure but resigned. "If you think that best, Fayna, perhaps soon.” He gestured at Xandilif and the others. “The first born and her retinue may go as well, see to the aid of their wounded compatriot…if they so desire.'
Finchley was working hard, attempting to look the part of Lif's pageboy while trying to get a better look at Fayna without Fayna noticing. She tugged her hood over her face a bit more. Fayna appeared to be a more glamorous version of Finchley herself, with very similar features, the same dark hair but worn long and beautifully tended. In addition, her figure was decidedly more voluptuous than Finchley’s. “No one could mistake HER for a pageboy.” the girl thought in annoyance.
Catalinna looked around while the others spoke, trying to determine what direction they would keep a chalice in since that was still their goal…find the Chalice Without Mercy. She listened but didn’t seem too concerned about what was going on around her, thinking it either a magical illusion or dream to distract them from their true purpose.
Looking around at the rush of civilians and soldiers in the doomed streets Cat slowly realized that if this WAS an illusion, it was a very impressive one. As for where a Chalice might be, she shook her head finally. They were on an observation deck overlooking the fields and battlements of Fornost, arrayed for war…finding one cup would be like a needle in a haystack at that moment.
Sablelinna staggered to her feet and took in her surroundings. She saw strange faces and had a shocked look on her face when she saw the king and the armsmen. Her gaze finally alit on Cat and she limped to her side to feel secure.
Catalinna side-glanced over to Sable and shook her head, but didn’t take too much time to speak or console her sister. Instead, she walked over toward the loudmouth sword elf and poked her in the shoulder as Sablelinna moves behind her, staying close and feeling lost.
Xandilif looked at Cat, raising one eyebrow. "Yeah Red? I can do something for ya?”
Catalinna lowered her voice, 'You're all bein' fooled... We need to get that chalice.'
Xandilif shrugged. "Whatever and whenever we are...we got no way to find this chalice yet. It could be fecking anywhere...lets bide our time.”
Catalinna took in a deep breath after hearing the elf's words, clearly not agreeing with them; however, since she had been separated from Gwyn and Dar and was now surrounded by guards and many other unknown people, she didn’t have much choice but to wait patiently for now. Her eyes turned to Sable and she looked over her injuries. "Did you a lot of good to run off, hm?"
Sablelinna crossed her arms for warmth and looked pitiful, 'I did what I had to do Cat. You would not understand.' she looked away. 'What is this place? How long have I been here?'
Catalinna shrugged toward Sable, "Why are you askin' someone that doesn't 'understand', hm?" The impish gleam in her eyes showed the smirk that was hidden under her mask.
Nethrida looked at the maps the king had unrolled across the table with furrowed brow. Something about it felt off but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what. She turned to look at one of the generals for advice, only to fall silent as she saw the hilt of his sword, simply staring for a moment. His sword seemed to be very much like her own, possibly identical...but how could that be?
The dark haired Fayna was clearly growing impatient with the delay...and glared at the general she called the Lord of Fire. An unspoken communication passed between them and the general cleared his throat.
The Lord of Fire would nod sternly and clear his throat again. He would seem familiar to Finch...he was good looking, with a hard, cold eye and very fine features. Compared to the other generals he seemed almost delicate.
The King looked up at the Lord of Fire. "Ah...of course...you are dismissed my Warden of the Tower of Fire. Please guard over the queen until I call for you again.'
As the group gathered themselves up to go, Sablelinna shivered. 'Do you have an extra pair of shoes in your gear? Some socks?' Her legs buckled but she caught herself.
The man with the sword that Nethrida was staring at would look at the dark haired woman as well but not with a friendly eye, and then spoke as he gestured to Nethrida. "Sire, I see little that the wife of a fallen hero can contribute to our counsels. She is but a woman...if her friends are being sent away, then her place is also within with the Queen or sent forth to find her own way in the tumult.' However the King seemed strangely reluctant to send Nethrida away.
Xandilif realized that the King intended Neth to remain there and spoke up. "Ummm…..Your highness...the woman Nethrida is a healer of some note and our wounded comrade needs her aid…” she gestured at Sable. “...she should come with us. Lord whateverhisnameis is quite correct. Having a woman seek to counsel you on these matters is like a one legged dwarf in a halfling-kicking contest...amusing but sort of pointless...”
Finchley slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from giggling over 'whateverhisnameis'…and then the image of her friend Bryge with one leg kicking a hobbit.
Lord Whateverhisnameis would start to look offended but then stopped himself…this was an elf after all and they had dark, mysterious powers. "I am the Warden of the Tower of Water, Lord Netariel....and I...um....am pleased the first born agrees with me.'
Nethrida remained quiet but kept an eye on the man’s sword. Fighting off the temptation to challenge him so that he would draw it so she could check the engravings she was snapped out of it by Lif's statement. She quickly nodded, playing along "Yes my King. I am skilled in healing. I am deeply honoured that you would ask for my counsel, but I feel I could do more if I was with the rest"
The King would finally surrender. It was clear he was not the sort to stand against so many opinions and gave way. "Very well...Fayna, take the Queen away with the Lord of Fire and see to...umm...her preparations. I will attend on you presently.'
The Queen spoke. "My lord husband, it is best that our son's nanny comes as well...Moyna will help calm the lad in these tense times. Please may she come as well?'
Fayna looked none too happy at this but the king waved his hand vaguely in assent. Catalinna shook her head and bit her tongue.
Xandilif leaned close to Cat. "Keep your eyes open, little thief....but don’t do nothing stupid.”
Catalinna grinned, though it couldn’t be seen. "Sometimes it's the 'stupid' things that work best." She winked at the elf who laughed despite herself. The two were coming to a strange appreciation of the other’s “gifts”.
As the blonde “nanny” stepped forward and curtsied to the King, Finchley blinked and watched the woman most knew as Moyna. A hand came up to clutch at her chest through her armor without her even realizing it. She swallowed hard, fighting the urge to rush to the woman she called Grams and throw herself into her arms, knowing that she would make everything alright, as she always did when Finch was little. “No…” she muttered to herself. ”I’m not little no more…”.
Finally the party moved through the streets, the crowds parted, many saluting or kneeling, some throwing flowers to the Queen and young Prince. It seemed clear that the Queen was more popular than the King, or maybe that was just the effect of war.
Sablelinna looks around and approaches Finch and pointed to her bare feet, stuttering. “I remember you from before, before I ran away…might you have something I could cover my feet with? The ground is cold and sharp.”
Finchley nodded…and began going through her gear as best she could, apologizing as she did. “I’m sorry we didn’t go after you, but you left so sudden, we had no idea where you went…we should have tried…but there was a lot happening…”
Xandilif sighed and noted a supply wagon passing them. She reached out, grabbing a pair of low campaign boots that looked small enough and tossed them to Sable. “Yeah, those orcs always have a thing about feet…kinky bastards. And Baby girl? Stop apologizing for stuff you had no control over…she made her bed, and she lied in it. Case closed.”
Finchley nodded reluctantly and moved back towards the elf. Sablelinna smiled gratefully and gathered the boots to herself. She winced as she pulled the left one onto her foot. It slid right on, the Elleth had chosen correctly. She reached for the other, ignoring the obvious bloodstain on it and pulled it on as well. She winced again, her right foot was worse than the left, but took a breath and pulled it on. She eyed the bows on the racks by the soldiers, biting her lip.
The group was led to what appeared to be an out building of the palace, heavily guarded and secured. As soon as the party is inside, Fayna looked at the queen and curtsied somewhat insolently. "Continue packing, your highness...when the moment comes you must be far away from here with the King.' Fayna glared at Moyna for a moment. "And that is not my dear sister's to question or argue with...the King has made his decision.”
Finchley tugged on the elleth’s arm. "Lif," she whispered, trying to be subtle as she pointed at the dark advisor. "Her name is Fayna... She just said she is Gram’s SISTER… But what is she doing here?” Finchley frowned and whispered more to herself than Xandilif, "Does she mean to have the King and Queen just... leave and abandon everyone? And what about that poor boy?"
Lif looked again at the striking similarity between Fayna and Finchley and remained silent about it, but it was giving her a very very bad feeling. “Just stay away from her baby girl..stay away from BOTH of em until we figure out what is going on.
Once inside, Cat's eyes flitted around the room in search for any fancy looking cups. She was also taking note of anything else of importance such as books or 'treasure', most of which was currently being loaded into chests to be carted away or hidden. She picked up the nearest item and acted as though she was helping to pack, all the while slowly inching toward the treasure chests and the cups she had spied. “Without Mercy…” she whispered to herself. “What can that mean…?”
The queen's facade of meekness fell away at Fayna’s manner, fire coming into her eye. "Watch how you speak to me, Fayna of Aughaire. I am the daughter of a King and the bride of a King and will not be ordered around like some Witch's familiar. I care not what you and the King decided my fate to be while sharing his pillow! I will make my own choice how and where I die.”
The Lord of Fire closed the door with a hollow, final sound. "Her highness is distraught...certainly she does not mean her...wild...accusations. The tension has had a terrible effect upon her delicate mind.'
Moyna would remain notably silent, as if awaiting her moment.
Finchley winced a bit at the Queen's rebuke and then raised her brows at the last statement. She wasn’t sure whether to feel especially strange out that someone who seemed to share her face has been sleeping with a king...then she glanced around, looking for the young Prince, finding him hiding behind his mother’s skirts, staring with wide eyes at the strangers.
Fayna would not be happy with the Queen's show of spine. "HIS highness has decided, by dawn you will be on the road to the North to seek aid from the wildmen there, who have always warred with Angmar...and you, and the boy WILL go with him.'
Sablelinna was feeling better now that she was shod. She returned to Cat having seen her packing like a servant and whispered, 'You are up to something, how can I help?'
Catalinna nodded at a servant who was handing her things and went about the task of packing away most of them, while slipping a few trinkets here and there, into hidden pockets in her clothing. When Sable approached, Cat pointed as though directing her on how to pack, but didn’t let the woman see her attempting to pocket items.
Sablelinna shrugged and began following her sister's lead. However the servant noted Cat slipping a trinket into her pocket...and smiled to her. "We are doomed..might as well get something to trade to the Angmarim for our skins later…or at least a meal and bed without working for it, if ya follow me.... I am Rula....you are new here?”
Sablelinna spied a bow in the corner with a small quiver, so she quietly walked over and picked it up, hiding it away as continued to look around for a dagger or sword.
Catalinna looked at Rula and paused only long enough to quirk a brow; she continued 'packin' so that she could search everything that was being packed. "You've seen me around, you just didn't recognize me in this clothin'." She shrugged, careful not to look directly at the servant.
Rula however seemed satisfied by the answer. "Once the King leaves the city, some of us are planning on making a break for it, if you are interested, before the siege starts in earnest.
This caught Cat's interest and she stopped to turn and look at the woman. "Oh yeah? What's the plan?"
Rula gestured that Cat should come a bit away from the royal party....as Nethrida straightened her posture and looked around. "Could I see what sort of medical supplies we are dealing with?”
One of the guards stepped forward and handed Neth some bandages and alcohol. Nethrida frowned a bit. The lack of any herbs seemed particularly troubling to her. Regardless she went to place them down with the other crucial provisions and things that had been packed away.
The guard noted that Nethrida was displeased and shrugged. "We run out of Athelas months past, my lady...the physicians are nearly to the point of just giving the wounded a gentle departure."
Nethrida looked solemn, being short on supplies was a sensation she was acutely familiar with. She ended up nodding slowly. "Very well... I had no idea the situation was that utterly dire" she shook her head a little.
The guard would shrug again at Nethrida. "Angmar has been bleeding us for years....now is just the final blow....it’s almost as if...nah...that is treason.'
Nethrida attempted to place an arm on the guard's shoulder and lowered her tone whilst guiding him off to the side a little. "I've seen what the wicked sorcery of Angmar can do... Your secret is safe with me, what is it you think?" She inquired with a very careful, very hushed tone.
The guard looked at Neth....wondering if he can trust her. Finally he would decide what the hell. "It is almost as if certain commanders...even the King himself...have just been letting it happen. We waited so long to call for aid, to repair the battlements, to marshal the troops. We knew this day would come, but the King did NOTHING to prepare.”
Nethrida glanced around to make sure no one was within earshot, then blinked a few times. She didn’t seem upset or even angry. Instead she pondered for a while and ended up nodding subtly. "Mayhaps..." She whispered back.
The guard offered Nethrida a sip from his water skin....but that was clearly not water. "Ever since Gondor made that other man king, our King Arvedui has seemed....distracted. Like he doesn’t much care anymore.”
Nethrida flashed a cheeky smirk at the man as she took a very, very carefully measured sip from the waterskin. The homebrew burned but reminded Nethrida of countless other furtive drinks by campfires. "The king of Gondor? Unfortunately, I know little of the Southern Realm... Why would the King there cause such... Lethargy in His Highness?"
The guard would take a sip, standing closer to Neth. He was surprised she didn’t know the story, but pleased to seem smart by sharing it. "King Arvedui, by right of marriage to the old king's daughter, put forth a suit to be King of Gondor as well as Arthedain when the old king died...but they tuned him down...made some general king instead. Lord our King was mad...then that Fayna came from Gondor and started advising him. He don’t listen to almost anyone now but her.....and the Warden of Fire. The other three wardens tried to tell him what was happening out there, that Angmar was encroaching, but they were just wasting their breath. The Lord of Fire said they were warmongering and making trouble and the King closed his eyes. Now we have nowhere to run.”
Nethrida furrowed her brow again "Ah... The matters of royalty are indeed complicated... But to allow an entire realm to fall?" She inquired with a quiet voice.
The guard shrugged again. "They are different from simple folk that much is certain....so..you said out there on the battlements you're a widow? Sorry to hear that....' Nethrida noted with some awkwardness that the guard addressed that remark to her breasts.
Nethrida deadpanned for a moment, then nodded slowly "I am... My beloved gave his life against the Angmar forces" her voice had become more formal and distanced as she told the lie she had prepared…but she had never expected it to need to turn aside an amorous guardsman.
The guard tsked at Neth in sympathy. "Sad tale...but nothing wrong with easing the loneliness ya know…before the end. He wouldn’t want ya to grieve too much....would he?'
Nethrida continued to deadpan and sighed dramatically "I shall grieve by exacting vengeance upon those who took him from me. Even if I were to fall in so doing."
The Guard explained to Neth's left nipple that she shouldn’t throw her life away when she is so beautiful...and vital....and desirable....and beautiful. He put one hand on the wall beside her and leaned in close. "I felt like you and I...there is a spark...we understand each other....can’t you feel it? I can feel it...a bond with you rising inside me. Throbbing.'
Suddenly the guard stiffened and gasped, his eyes rolling back. Nethrida carefully let the unconscious suitor topple forward against the wall and slide down, having been elegantly sucker punched by the woman. “Yes…it is clearly throbbing” she muttered. As she stepped away, she shook her head. “Why do these things always happen to ME?”
Meanwhile, Cat moved slightly away to hear the plan Rula had for fleeing the doomed city, and Finch looked around for a toy with which to woo a sad Prince.
TO BE CONTINUED
