Once at the house, As a witch, I have been entrusted with the harrow deck, except for the individual cards that each person carries. Pyron brings out the deck and summons Zellara, Zellara, with all due respect, please come forth.
After a moment of hesitation, a good-looking Varisian woman approaching middle age comes out of the kitchen. She surveys you all, and smiles widely.
"Hello, my friends. I have followed your progress, and you are doing quite well! I see you have added a couple members to your group, as well." She nods politely to Zart and Raamanti. "Many more allies must you make before this all ends..."
In his wanderings, Daud comes across a floral shop that hasn't quite closed its doors yet, although it looks like the proprietor is getting ready to shut it down soon. The riots apparently have been bad for business, as she has quite a bit of stock still left out.
Stepping into the business Daud will knock on the door sill if there is no bell to announce customers entering the building. "Is it not too late to buy some flowers?" he asks to no one in particular if he does not see the shop owner.
Trying not to be startled by the apparent solidity of what he thought would be a ghost, Zart dips a deep bow, "Zellara, I presume? Thank you for having me in your house. I am humbled to be in your presence. My name is Zart and my companion here is called Raamanti. If you have any questions for me, I would be happy to answer them."
Looking around for a suitable table, the fetchling eventually spies one and gestures towards it, "If it is not to forward of me to ask, I have been led to believe that you have the ability to perform a true harrowing. I have a natural affinity for mysterious, hidden things, and have not ever had the pleasure of having a harrowing done for me. Would I be troubling you too much to ask for one?"
Raamanti bows also when he is introduced. When Zart asks about having a harrowing performed, he backs away slightly and sticks to the shadows. MY MASTER, YOU ARE PERHAPS UNAWARE OF THE FULL DANGERS OF A HARROWING. A FATE, ONCE KNOWN, IS MUCH HARDER TO CHANGE. DECEPTION IS EVER THE NATURE OF THE HARROW CARDS, AND YOU WOULD DO WELL TO LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE WITHOUT RESORTING TO SUCH FOLLY. THEN AGAIN, I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DISSUADE YOU FROM FOLLY BEFORE...
Raamanti is unsurprised when Zart ignores his telepathic warning.
With a nod of gratitude Daud will look over the shop for a bit. She looks the ideal of a Chelish Lady... So dark roses? "Hate to state the obvious but they're for a lady, just hope I pick something she likes. A bouquet of these would do well?" With the question he points at some of the darker roses.
Daud returns her look with a mirthful smirk. "Just two adults who rather enjoy each other's company, but work would keep it from becoming anything more. Regardless, I do care about her."
"Well, I guess if you're feeling up for it later, please do let me know," more than a little deflated, Zart sits at the table anyway, "Raamanti asked earlier, but I think I would like to know also: would all of you like for me to stay here with you? It would make some kind of sense if we are to work together. Carla can look after Donna well enough, and it's not to far to walk over and see her from time to time.
"Speaking of working together also, what is next? Pyron, you said you would let me in a little more on your motivations for helping the city. Was it as simple as following up on the results or a harrowing, or was there more to it than that?"
"AND IF I MAKE YOU FEEL ILL AT EASE, DON'T WORRY - MY MASTER NEEDS TO REMAIN NEARBY AND CONSCIOUS TO MAINTAIN MY PRESENCE IN THIS WORLD," Raamanti tries to sound comforting, but his otherworldly voice struggles to convey emotion.
I think it is safe for you to be able to still live your life and come here on our business days. Once we are sent to do a mission, then we can see what is required.
Raamanti, your presence is soothing to me. I rather enjoy your company.
Regarding motivations, I didn't want to bring someone who has ulterior motives, such as wanting to get revenge on us, to know the whereabouts of our safe house and the true nature of Zellaro.
When we are done here, we can take a walk and I talk about our own pasts, so we can get to know each other a bit more since we are going to work with each other.
Zellara smiles ruefully at the summoner. "This is not technically my house anymore, but I extend you my invitation to stay here, regardless. If you are a friend of Korvosa, then you are a friend to me."
The tips of Wednesday's lip curl up into a smirk. "Thank you milady, I think that works quite nicely."
Daud pays, then proceeds to the agreed-upon meeting area. Valeria is not there, but he spies her walking down the dock, resplendent in a dark green gown that generously displays her creamy breasts. The straps hang off her shoulders, and the skirt hugs her hips. On both wrists is an assortment of semi-precious jewelry, and a deep green stone adorns each ear. Her dark lips widen into a wide smile at the sight of him.
"And here I was just beginning to doubt my hero."
Daud puts five gold pieces into the florist's hand but leaves before she can protest. Upon seeing Valeria he is simultaneously awestruck and worried for her wearing so much jewelry in public, though he only lets the former show on his face as he offers her the bouquet. "For you milady, I would crawl my way back from the Boneyard."
"SOOTHING?" Raamanti seems taken aback, "NONE BUT MY MASTER HAVE EVER CALLED MY PRESENCE SOOTHING BEFORE. I MUST ADMIT, I TOO AM REMARKABLY COMFORTABLE AROUND YOU."
Zart nods in agreement with Raamanti, "Thank you for the invitation to stay here, Zellara. We may take you up on it when there is something to be done, but for tonight I would like to return to my daughter. How about that walk and talk, Pyron? I doubt you will find much to interest you in my past, but I would be fascinated to hear about yours - and more than willing to answer any questions you may have about mine."
Sure, I'll walk you back and talk with you.
The woman grins widely, her green eyes shining. "Such a flatterer! I feel almost a proper lady now!" She puts both hands out, grasping onto his right arm, hanging onto him as they walk through the street as a man and his lady might. "I hope Oralo's Tavern is alright with you...they have the best lamb and roasted potatoes."
"You are a proper lady, and I will glady strike anyone that attempts to claim otherwise." Wearing a serene smile as she takes his arm and begins guiding him through the streets he nods along at her suggestion. "That does indeed sound nice."
Daud thinks for a moment, but decides to go with playful bluntness. "Oh? I am playing at something now? Aside from merely enjoying your company and giving my gold to someone who appreciates it more than I do?"
"Ah! Tis a shame that, but no offense took. In truth in coming to Eel's End we were supposed to gather information and tells about your employer so that dealings with him would be more amicable. That was how it was supposed to go anyway, how it was supposed to happen when I picked you out. But I faltered. When I heard your sweet voice, felt your warmth, everything else just fell away. But I didn't care, and it was nice, nice to be held, to be loved, I so missed feeling that way."
"So what did you need from Devargo, if you don't mind me asking?" She takes a sip of the wine at your table.
"Somethings a man like him can easily come into posession of that were very important to someone and who my employer wanted in order to have leverage over said someone. While we didn't have much information to use against Devargo and diplomacy only got us so far your boss was luckily very fond of bloodsport... Knive-sees? Speaking of you and the other girls and guys at the Palace might want to be wary of one of his thugs with a horribly broken nose, sore losers tend to vent against those around them." Taking a sip from his own wine he thinks for a moment, This would be really awkward if she is the mistress.
Trying his best to hold back a grin towards her roundabout praise he happily tears into his lamb for a bit, Huh? So this must what that gator felt like. Feels damn good. His Ustalavic upbringing shows through though as he holds off on speaking before swallowing and wiping his mouth with a napkin. "That eases my mind a bit, I don't know what I would do if that thug took his anger out on you or your coworkers because of what I did," a lie of course. Daud knew exactly what he do if something like that occurred. "And actually I gain very few scars from work, most if not all of them are from stupid stunts done to gain the favor of a beautiful maiden."
Daud's brows knit straight in realization as her words strike true. "My deepest apologies for offending you milady, if it helps most attempts ended in disgust at my wounds and attempts or mockeries thereof for my lack of thinking and sanity." Taking a monent to gather himself he calmy asks her, "Is their something you had in mind that I could do to gain your favor, as well as your forgiveness? Merely ask it, and I'll ensure with my dying breath that you truly feel special."
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Although the the thoughts that accompany it are enough to cover up in his mind the twinge at her self proclaimed degradation it still plays out on his face as takes it on his usual serene tone. "I'm glad I could give you an enjoyable evening Miss Valeria, for you are the nicest thing to happen to me in quite some time."
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Zart eventually goes home to bed. As always when he stays at his own abode, Donna wakes home far too early by bouncing on his packed-wool mattress. This is the first time Zart can ever recall not minding. Then the questions start, "How was your time with those magnificent heroes, father? Are you going to become a hero too? Was Pyron a demon or an angel? Did they like uncle Raamanti? Do you know the future now? Are they going to come over again? Can I see the ghost at their house? Does this mean you work for the queen now?"
Eventually, Zart manages to answer Donna's questions to her satisfaction and begins his morning ritual.
The mystical fire before His master grows ever dim and the shadow that is Raamanti gradually elongates. Eventually, the shadow is no more the shadow of his master, but his own separate being. A cloak mystically appears over his shoulders and a hammer in his hands.
"YOU HAVE SUMMONED ME TOO EARLY! IT IS NEARLY MID MORNING. WHY... OH, GOOD... MORNING DONNA. IT IS LOVELY TO HAVE YOU BACK AT HOME. I HAD ALMOST FORGOTTEN WHAT A DELIGHT DAYLIGHT WAS." Alas for Raamanti, his voice cannot convey sarcasm and Donna simply beams and wraps the big shadow in a hug.
Zart joins your group right in time for well...nothing. A week passes by without a summons, the only activity Daud's wanderings, Tolenn's checking on the orphans at the church of Sarenrae, Zart's daily check-ins, and Gaius' visits to the Temple of the Savored Sting to pray or f+@~ or whatever Calistrians do in their Holy House. Things in Korvosa seem to be growing less tense, as everyone starts to settle into the fact that Ileosa is indeed Queen, like it or not.
As Zart is making his daily visit, you hear a knock upon the door.
Daud happily saunters arm and arm with Valeria back to Eel's End where he leans in to kiss her on the cheeck before their depart. "I'd quite like that milady. Do you need any assistance getting to your house from here or will someone from the Palace escort you?"