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Wonky giggles at Addy's discussion of romance novels. She giggles even more as Addy tries to touch Wonky's leg.
"That is DEVILISH," she giggles, splashing water at the freckled face opposite her. "I have never had a sister, but I have always envisioned what it would be like. You, my dear Addy, are a Naughty Sister!" She punctuates the two words with large splashes of soapy water.
Later, as the two are both trying to dry their sodden locks, Wonky says, "I am not so snobbish in the literature that I peruse that I would not derive some amusement from some of the stories of Jane Bond and her adventures. It might even be something that I could recommend to my dear mother to keep her spirits up in these dark times. I would like to borrow a book, Miss Librarian." Wonky pronounces the last request with a formality and a grin.
Sprocket, having laid forlorn far from the splash radius of the bathtub during the duration of the soak, barks from beneath both ladies' legs, tail wagging frantically.
Addy has a sad look when she says dangling. She hears the Vixen in her telling her to savor the moment. The sob-story can wait, Child. Smiling at Wonky, Addy goes on, "We weren't reading the works o' Bond at the time."
As the two dry off, Addy makes a correction, "Jane Bond's the author. Belle de Fleur's her main character. Critics call her Mary Sue, whatever that's on about. I don't recall a single Mary or Sue throughout the series." She adds in an indignant, fan-girlish tone, "Critics think 'emselves clever bashing a true contemporary creative, but if any even attempted to write a thousand-word short or a four-stanza poem, they'd only serve to further prove what asses they are."
Addy purposely lets her towel drop when she says "asses," and turns around to pick one of two outfits she's laid out. One is the mithril shirt and bloomers, which she simply moves away from the fire.
The other, which she dons over white-vermilion plaid undergarments with a lacy trim that Wonky might consider borderline "naughty," is a bold blazer-skirt combo. The vermilion blazer has sizable black buttons and trim. The skirt is black and pleated. A black-and-white-checked silk scarf (which could double as a chess board when laid flat) almost conceals Addy's freckled cleavage. She completes the look with a hat, black with a vermilion band, brim tilted at a subtle angle. She then slips into white and vermilion striped stockings, though only the uppermost white stripe is seen over the long stiletto boots. The skirt conceals the flesh on the upper thigh.
"I'll dress down later," she explains. "If me understanding's correct, Svetlana's the lady o' the house. I won't dishonor her by dressing too casually."
It's possible that lounging in her mithril shirt and bloomers is Addy's idea of too casual. Her current outfit would be appropriate for a tea party with the queen. (For that occasion, Addy would wear her long gloves that are currently in need of mending.)
Addy expresses doubt that Mother would approve of Jane Bond's writing, but is fine letting Wonky borrow the book. For now, Addy grabs one of her sketch books.
She asks Wonky, "Shall we dine, Sister?"
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"Thank you," Ahto says to Baldar, then replaces his gag without further comment.
He moves over to the archer and looks him in the eye. "Now, we're going to talk. I am going to remove your gag and ask you some questions. The truth will be a lot less painful to you than lies. Do you understand?" He pricks the hollow under the man's jaw with the point of his dagger for emphasis.
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However, when Ahto removes the gag, something more than words spills forth from the archer's cracked lips. His nerves fail him, and he spews a mixture of bile and what little he ate for breakfast upon the ground. Small globs of the mess splatter upon Ahto's boots.
"Oh, Desna," the man moans piteously, sputtering and straining to catch his breath.
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Wonky dresses again in her functional clothing, watching with admiration as Addy dons clothing of the most fashionable mode.
"You look amazing!" Wonky says. "I have no nose for fashion whatsoever, but I think I can spot it on someone else when I see it. You most definitely would fit in within some of the elite noble circles in Karcau, I would think. That is likely the most elite of social environments that I have ever been privy to see."
Wonky buries her nose in The Bellflower Innuendo as she and Addy head out from the bathing chamber to find sustenance and Svetlana. The book does a decent job of hiding the gnome's beet-red cheeks as she reads the fictional narrative.
Addy says to Wonky, "If we ever find a moment's peace, I could design and craft something elegant for ye. I'm afraid I lack the materials and am down to me last platinum coin, but who knows what the future'll bring?"
At the table, Addy watches Wonky blush at the pages. She waits for the gnome to finish a chapter before offering, "When ye get to a good stopping point, I'll show ye me sketchbook. Oh, but do read the next bit first. I need a moment to pick out the sketches I'd really like ye to see."
If Addy sees Sams and Svetlana, she offers to show them her designs as well, and suggests Wonky enjoy her borrowed book until dinner is ready.
While Wonky reads, Addy looks through her sketches.
She seems perfectly calm, even as her drawings trigger the worst memory of her life...
With clean bodies and dirty thoughts, Addy and Wonky find Svetlana doing her best to tutor Sams in preparing supper. She divides her attention between dicing up some wild leeks and keeping an eye on Sams, making sure that he is not stirring the stew pot with too much enthusiasm.
"No, no! I never have! I...I only...they pay me to clear out goblins or muscle out rival gangs. I'd never hurt women or children."
He is lying. He may, indeed, make a living as a sellsword like he says, but he is desperately trying to conceal the sins he has committed in his idle hours.
You can read this man quite well. Although he is not some devil-souled murderer, he possesses a cruel streak and enjoys acting upon it when he can. Of course, he is also a coward, and currently prays that his past sins are not catching up to him now.
At one point, Addy closes her sketchbook, confident she can get through her story without melting into tears. With proper poise, she approaches the cooks, standing outside the perceived "splash zone," with her sketchbook in hand.
"Sams, ye told me o' Svetlana's excellent cooking, but never boasted o' yer own culinary genius. Now I'm really looking forward to me next meal!"
To Svetlana, Addy says politely, "I'm truly grateful for yer hospitality, Svetlana. Me name—I mean, me name by birth—is Addison Lane. Will ye be dining with Wonky and I? —or will ye be busy the whole evening, given all the faces to feed?"
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"You and I both know you are lying. You have been warned, and will not be warned again. You have a fetish for cruelty at the very least, and from what information I have gathered, you are likely a rapist and child molester. I give you one more chance to speak the truth of your own volition. How did you become part of this assassination plot?"
Ahto gives the man an intense stare, daring him to continue his denials.
Svetlana offers her usual warm, world-weary smile as Addy and Wonky arrive at the cookfire.
"I'm no pampered duchess or queen. I'm certainly not above eating with everyone else," she jokes. "Of course, you're right. I'm usually too busy to set down with you all - especially these days. Of course, I can't bring myself to complain about how things've turned around here. With Sams' help, though, maybe the workload'll be more manageable."
"You're right. You're right," he babbles. "I'm a wretch.
"I was looking for work in Mivon and took up with this band," he says, nodding languidly at Baldar and the other captive mercenary. "We guarded a caravan to Pitax and back, and along the way we robbed the gnomish weaponsmiths at Jovvox. When we returned to Mivon, we had a damned good time. It almost seemed like our money would never run out - but it did.
"Broke again, I thought we'd get hired as muscle, taking some ill-starred bastards for a walk to the fishponds to make them disappear, but then that pale man approached us. Baldar, the blowhard, was the face. He always did all the talking. I was busy eying the jewel-hilted dagger peeking out from beneath the bloke's cloak. I thought about all the wine and flesh it could buy. I wasn't paying attention, but when the deal was struck, we marched out this way - to our doom."
The reality of his situation, the end of the path that he has walked, weighs upon the archer anew. He shudders, seemingly on the verge of blubbering tears.
"I look forward to eating with ye then," Addy replies, returning the warm smile. She then says to Sams, "I owe ye a story—with pictures." She holds up her sketchbook, flipping through pages that depict women in outfits—many dresses like the Vixen did in combat.
She doesn't dare leave a page open or stand close enough to the pot, knowing steam or drops of stew would permanently damage the sketches, some of which are from five years ago.
"Perhaps me show-'n'-tell best wait 'til ye're done cooking," she offers. "Smells delicious!"
"Vikki Finn, me childhood friend," Addy says in an almost-peppy, nostalgic tone. "She knew o' me dreams o' fashion, so her wedding was me chance to prove meself. Any function at the Finns' was a snobfest, but the only daughter being married off—all o' Silverhall's highborns were on their highest horses that day. I designed three wedding gowns—" Addy lets the pages do the talking, then on the fourth page, she adds, "—and that o' the whole bridal party." The colors in the bridesmaids' sketch are peach and vermilion. The curly-haired readhead must be Addy. She is the most elegant of the five bridesmaids. The next page depicts Addy, Vikki, and an older woman in peach and vermilion. Her dress is the most elegant of all. "I was the Maid of Honor, and I even crafted Mrs. Finn's dress. If the groom's parents were around, I'd have made one for her as well."
She turns to the next page. It's skinny-legged Vikki dressed as the Vermilion Vixen... sort of. The long gloves are white, not black. Her shoes are flats, not heeled boots. She wears a floral headpiece instead of a mask. But the long dress with the sideslits is exactly like what Addy wore as the Vixen. "I almost had this one ready for the wedding night."
She pauses.
Ye feel like ye're gonna burst, Child.
I've got this, Addy assures the Vixen.
She manages to hold back her tears as she momentarily changes the topic. "I was eighteen when I made these designs, and once word o' the mother's gown spread, I started picking up high-profile clients."
The next woman is rather portly, the one after is tall and probably wrinkled. But Addy's sketch depicts a narrow face with silver hair. Both women wear a lot of jewelry in the sketches. The next woman has a hat, a short skirt, and short silver hair. Addy feels the need to point out the woman isn't as old as the hair color implies. "She's blonde... Jane Bond." The next four sketches are of the same woman, and in three sketches, she shares the page with another woman—a different one each page. "Jane brought me business, and whenever she brought a friend, she'd ask for a new outfit for herself."
Finally, there is a short, dark haired woman in a fine outfit with a cape and platform shoes. "Edna the Enchantress. She loved the outfit, except for the cape. The way she went on about capes, I thought'd cost me business. In the end, I ended up partnering with her for footwear designs. She's a cobbler."
Addy crosses her legs and pats the knee of her boot.
"This's me work, the full length o' the leather. But the soles... that's Edna's work."
If Wonky wants, Addy let's her go ahead a few more pages. But Addy keeps the book in her own hands. There's a story in the sketches that she wants to hold off on until the men are seated.
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"These are glorious designs!" Wonky says with wonder and sincerity. "Truly, you have a gift, Addy!"
There must be some tragedy that has befallen her, Wonky surmises. I will not pry; her business is hers and I will exist and allow her space. Her misanthropy runs deep, it would seem. I wonder if Sams' presence is keeping her tongue.
"Sams?" Wonky asks. "I think we are running low on firewood to keep the fire in the hearth going. Do you think you could please retrieve some more wood?"
Wonky turns back to Addy as Sams helpfully departs.
"Edna the Enchantress is a cobbler? You do need to tell me how a shoemaker came upon a name like 'Enchantress', please."
"My name is Barris Volklev. I served in the House of Scales, the grand temple of Abadar in New Stetven. Unfortunately, my fondness for gambling rivaled my devotion to the Master of the First Vault. I fell deeply into debt. I became an embarrassment to the temple, so I was sent away. The High Taxmaster said it was so that I might seek redemption, but I know what it really was: banishment, lest I steal from the temple's coffers. I heard the other priests' whispers; I know what they said of me, how little they thought of me.
"My charge was to travel into the River Kingdoms and found a new shrine in one of its villages. Once it became a successful center for commerce, my sins would be forgiven, but I saw through the cruel jest. It was an impossible task. I was given no funds, no acolytes, no help of any kind. And those River Kingdom heathens - they treat law and oaths as though they were filthy rags. They would never embrace an Abadaran shrine.
"I turned to offering my services as a mercenary, if only to survive if not for my quest. I provided healing and blessings to the League of Merchants' thugs and the Aldori Houses' personal militias, but I never served alongside such men. It was only after much wheedling by Baldar and his promises of significant remuneration that, against my better judgment, I joined this accursed endeavor of his."
This priest, Barris, glares at Baldar with terrible bitterness and loathing. His eyes speak volumes on how he blames this spellcaster's schemes for how much further he has fallen.
"Shoes're her hobby," Addy says of Edna. She flips to a page with Edna drawn alongside a drawing of Addy (as Wonky first saw her—mask, boots, and qipao). Edna's height in comparison to Addy indicates that, if the drawing is accurate, Edna is about half a foot shorter than Wonky. "She more'an once told me her people traditionally deplore footwear. I don't know what kind o' gal detests shoes, but she calls her love o' them 'an eternal rebellious phase.'
"She's also led a double life. Quiet shoemaker in the shop, tap-dancing storyteller on the stage."
Addy turns back to another page depicting herself in the vermilion qipao—clearly it's thick-thighed Addy, not skinny-legged Vikki. Addy—or the Vixen?—is depicted several times on the page in kicking positions, much like Wonky saw during battle.
"So I knew she'd understand..."
Addy flips the page back again. There are early designs of the boot along with some stiletto shoes, cleated boots, and some kind of talon-like boot (which has a vermilion X drawn over it).
"...the modifications I'd need for me boots."
One more page back are two little red-haired girls. he curly-haired is pushing the straight-haired on a swing tied to the thick branch of an oak. This is not a fashion sketch. There is much more attention to detail in this piece, along with the words, I love you, Sister.
She looks about to turn back once more, but she stays her hand—
—which holds steady like a rock, despite the flashback overtaking Addy's mind.
Dammit, Vix! Can't a girl have a good cry?
Ye need me strength, Child. When the bandits come, the men need ye to be the femme fatale who bested Baldar and his mutts, not the tear-stricken damsel bawling at he dinner table. Save the waterworks for when lives ain't at stake.
And when will that be?
It won't.
Addy says to Wonky, "I did promise I'd tell ye about the outfit I created on these pages. I created it the way I created the Vermilion Vixen. She started as a pencil sketch. Then, after all me planning and sweating and commitment, I can don her same as I don me checkered scarf."
I ain't a f!!#ing pair o' spectacles, Child.
Ye're me big-girl pants, Vix.
....
"It's an unpleasant story, Wonky. But for the sake o' Svetlana, and every other in need of our protection, I mean to tell it without losing me s*+#. Do ye care to hear it?"
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Ahto considers the man's words.
"Gambling is foolish, but no sin if you risk only what you can afford to lose. But becoming a debtor? Do the sacred words: "the borrower is slave to the lender" mean nothing to you? Has the admonition against debt not always warned of the desperation it fosters in the soul, and the lawless corruption that desperation foments? Can you honestly say you are surprised at being sent away, or feel unjustly treated?"
Ahto continues even as the man opens his mouth to reply.
"You were given incredibly difficult task, but you were not defrocked. You were given a chance, as you said, to redeem yourself. Instead of preaching the virtues of civilization and law, instead of serving as an example for and as an advisor to the lawless rabble, you became an outlaw yourself. You empowered men who stole, robbed, raped and murdered, using the powers the God of Commerce and Law gave to you to do so!"
Ahto's eyes burn with a fire of intensity, and his knuckles crack as his hands curl into fists.
"Do you have any words, apart from blame for the company you have kept," he says, nodding his head towards the summoner, "that justify your betrayal?"
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”I would love to hear the tale, Addy. I fear that our prolonged absence from Ahto and the others might need to delay the telling of this tale, though. Would you have the inclination to share with me at a later time?”
Wonky winks as she moves to head out of the kitchen with Addy. ”If this diminutive halfling friend of yours is as skilled as she appears, then I think that I will need some new shoes soon.”
Addy closes the sketchbook without revealing the page she was about to reveal.
"I mean for Ahto and Sams to hear me tale as well. So yeah, it can wait."
Addy heads to wherever Wonky is leading her, replying, "I suppose if we're ever in Silverhall we can look her up. Just don't use the term 'halfling' in her presence. Only thing Edna hates worse than capes is labels. I once had to defuse a squabble between her and a male model by telling the man she's a person; I'm a 'doubling.' It worked until the scrawny f!$+er said I'm more like a 'tripling' with me thighs. Then Edna ended up having to defuse me."
Addy turns to Sams. The confusion on his face is apparent. To be fair, her condition is probably confusing to most people. The only two she's ever explained it to (Edna, years ago, and Wonky, just now) are eccentric geniuses.
"Yes, Sams, call me Addy. This is the Vixen."
Addy opens up her sketchbook to somewhere in the middle. She peeks first, winces, flips the page, and seems satisfied. She turns the book so Sams (and Wonky) can see:
It is a series of drawings in rectangular panels. The Vixen is depicted kicking and dodging against various shadows of men. Sams and Wonky have seen VV attack exactly as seen on the page.
"When we dine on that delicious meal ye're cooking up, I'll tell ye why I created her. For now..." Addy tucks away her book and removes the mask from her purse (which is currently worn on the shoulder, not as a trendy backpack). She does not don the mask, but simply holds it up.
Black. Carved of bone. Simple, not ornate. If worn, most of Addy's freckled face remains exposed, and the eyeholes are almond-shaped to account for peripheral vision.
"Know that I don the mask, the Vermilion Vixen's in control o' this body."
She's about to say more, but...
They accept us, bat-guano insanity and all, the Vixen tells Addy. Now can the name-dropping, Child. If ye keep saying Vixen-this, Vixen-that, they'll only know me. It's self-defeating. I exist so ye can be you.
...Addy simply puts her mask away, and does whatever social grace demands of her.
Ahto's accusations seem to harden Barris' resolve, like a piece of steel hammered in a fire. He offers a stony face to mirror that of his fellow Abadaran.
"If I am a betrayer, if I am an outlaw, then why does Abadar still heed my prayers? he asks defiantly "Why do my blessings still carry his power? Commerce and law are not kind, nor are they gentle. Perhaps the Master of the First Vault sees my methods as necessary to carry civilization into the chaotic River Kingdoms?"
The barest hint of a smirk crosses his lips.
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"Perhaps he knew that we would cross paths," Ahto replies with no hint of backtracking.
"You were wondering how you would bring civilization to the River Kingdoms, this impossible task as you put it in such a self-pitying tone. Perhaps it is the will of Abadar that you make your penance here, rather than have me send your soul to the Spire for judgement. Have you even considered that? The question you must answer is for yourself is, are you genuinely willing to repent or not? I am quite certain that if you answer that question definitively as 'No' that Abadar will turn a deaf ear to anything else you have to say."
Ahto return the man's smirk. "So what say you? Care to wager your soul?"
Svetlana sends Wonky, Addy, and Sams on their way, assuring them that she can handle the last of the dinner preparations.
The trio return to check on Ahto's interrogation of the prisoners. Along the way, they overhear some of the indentures muttering about how "The Judge of the Greenbelt" is at it again.
You arrive to find Ahto delivering his divine ultimatum to the mercenary priest.
There is no reply, though. The captive priest lets his head lull, hanging down in apparent shame.
Addy doesn't know what the cleric-for-hire said, nor can she read his expression to know an act from true repentance. She has a look of admiration when Ahto speaks, and even has words for the cleric hanging his head—but Ahto doesn't need an assistant.
Instead, Addy remains in the crowd, hoping her presence won't cause a distraction.
Disguise check with +20 is a class ability, and the only reason I put 1 rank in Disguise.
That said, Addy and VV have the same boots and color scheme. Addy's hair is curly instead of straight, but everyone who saw her enter just sees the Vixen with her hair up and mask off.
The check is just to see if Baldar & Co. will pay any attention to the freckled redhead standing among the servants. Feel free to make that check conditional. If Addy talks to one of the captives or even approaches them, I would expect this check is rendered meaningless.
If you think the roll should not apply at all, even as hide-in-plain-site (or act-casual-maybe-they-won't-notice), I won't have a problem with that.
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"Give it thought, but your time is short. I will demand an answer, and you will speak true. Either you will sincerely swear to fulfill your penance to Abadar and his Church, or you will forsake your vow and find your soul standing before the Gray Lady. You will give me your answer at dawn."
He replaces the man's gag, checks each of the prisoners' bonds to make certain they are still secure, and turns to his comrades.
"Well then, ladies, do you feel refreshed from your ablutions?" he asks politely.
Addy says in agreement, "Oh, yes, the accommodations here're lovely." She then positions herself closer to Ahto and the gagged men, no longer concerned that her presence will distract them during the interrogation. She tells Ahto, "Addison Lane's me birth name. Kindly refer to me as that, or Addy for short, when the mask's off.
"I'll explain as we dine on the meal Sams helped prepare, but I wonder if yer divine insight can prove the truth o' what I've to tell ye. Can Abadar tell ye I ain't the same person as the Vixen?" She looks at the shamed cleric as she adds, "It was Abadar who revealed me true intent. I had no idea I was playing one Abadarian while being true to the other. Interesting that Abadar only revealed me intent to one who wears his symbol."
Addy is saying to the priest, "Baldar's f$!&ed. Ye best take whatever deal the true Abadarian's offering ye, and don't even think o' bull-s%++ting him."
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"As you wish, Addy," Ahto replies politely, though his tone is slightly tinged with confusion.
"Whether Abadar will grant me the insight to confirm your assertion or not, I can only have faith that if he finds it necessary to his purposes for me to better understand your nature, he will provide."
"Since you are here, I have a question that requires answering. That man," he says, pointing to the archer. "He is the one you said bragged about enjoying hurting children, is that correct?"
Addy glares at the archer. "He is. The Vixen thought I'd wish him dead." Addy moves closer to the archer. She wants him to hear her say, "She's part right. I want to make sure no more li'l girls're hurt. It's an impossible goal. Having one less man in the world to hurt 'em's a step toward me goal."
Addy faces Ahto. "When'll the step be taken?"
Addy is unresponsive for a few seconds.
She finally replies, "The Vixen will be on duty come dawn." She glances at the men in gags, then says to Ahto, and to Wonky and Sams as well, "I want to tell ye now. Here. Why I created the Vixen.
"It ain't a proper story for the dinner table. But ye've a right to know, and besides, I've been avoiding the topic for nearly four years, and avoiding people most o' the duration."
Addy reaches into her purse and removes her sketch pad. She marks a page with a vermilion-polished fingernail while patiently awaiting a response.
"Yes." She opens the sketchbook to an artistically detailed drawing of two little red-haired girls. The curly-haired is pushing the straight-haired girl on a swing dangling from an oak. "Part o' the story involves li'l girls."
Addy briefly re-introduces herself as a daughter o' merchants, briefly mentions her childhood friend Vikki Finn, the wedding, and the day-late gift.
When she tells of the delivery of her gift, the story is told in detail. Her voice loses its gentle as she described the hanging bodies and her friend's cold, dead eyes. She shows a detailed sketch of the scene—none of the Mrs. Bluebeards' faces are drawn in detail. There are simply seven figures dangling in a dark, detailed basement. The wedding dresses are depicted by the absence of color. The corpse with vermilion hair is hanged next to a ladder...
Her voice becomes momentarily emotionless as she tells of the most emotional part of her memory: taking her friend's corpse down, holding her, sobbing. As she tells of her meticulous planning to catch the killer herself, it's the Vixen talking.
She then dons her mask and says to her captive audience—particularly to the archer, "A predator like yerself made me the woman I am." To Baldar she adds, "So understand I betrayed no one. Ye were me prey."
Baldar grimaces as Addy, channeling the Vixen, confronts him after finishing the tale. He seems to remain stubbornly defiant. Barris, the disgraced Abadaran, shudders as he hears the story. The archer listens intently, his lips occasionally curling by an almost imperceptible measure.
Barris Volklev, the priest, seems horrified by the story. The macabre details compound with the reflections upon his own sins, and he shivers with fright.
The captured archer, though, is trying to hide how fascinating - titillating, even - he finds the story. He knows that betraying his proclivities will surely damn him, but the rising heat in his face is too much to suppress.
The Vixen looks the archer in the eye as she replies, "Glad I could help, Ahto."
The look Addy gives the archer tells him just how glad she is—
—and the Vixen's emerald eyes are not only tearless; they are the mocking eyes of the satisfied predator who knew her prey's weakness and weaponized it.
She maintains eye-contact with the archer as she continues to speak to Ahto in a businesslike tone, "I look forward to the morrow's proceedings."
She then looks calmly at her allies and asks casually, "Ye think dinner's ready by now?"
Although Baldar remains arrogant even in captivity on the eve of his probable death, you leave behind a sinful archer whose spirit is as broken as his hands. Of course, most of you feel little sympathy for his crocodile tears. As Paval points out, he does not regret what he's done - he regrets that he's been caught and will be held accountable.
The Abadaran, Barris, remains a mournful enigma. He shows genuine contrition. Nevertheless, as you break for supper, it remains unclear whether he will accept Ahto's offer of redemption. Over steaming bowls of turnip and venison stew, Svetlana offers her own insight.
"Even if salvation's within grasp, some men just don't think they deserve it," she muses.
Oleg simply snorts and picks up another spoonful of stew. He only cares that, come sunrise, there will be fewer miscreants in the Greenbelt to threaten his livelihood.
Undoubtedly, the next two days will be eventful for the trading post. The span will start with another execution, this time representing the fight against a danger even more insidious than mere banditry. At the end, of course, looms the promise of a veritable siege by vengeful bandits and hired killers.
This dinner may be the last peace you enjoy before throwing yourselves into preparing for the coming struggle that could define the future of the Greenbelt and the Stolen Lands at large.
Addy removes her mask at the table and spends a minute in silent prayer. She then enjoys the meal Sams and Svetlana prepared. "I ain't had venison like this since I was eight," she exclaims. She favors the taste and sweet memories of life before high society. "Me compliments to the chefs!"
When Addy hears Svetlana's words, she replies, "I'm sure the reverse's true: the least deserving'd take an offer if given one. But only the tears of his innocent victims deserve an answer." Of the priest, she says, "May I talk sense into Barris an hour before dawn?
"Me greatest fear in that den o' thieves was the Vixen being the one woman among I'll-tempered scum. It did occur to me that the company of a cleric, fallen as he is, may be the reason none o' the bandits got handsy or worse." Addy looks to Ahto and Captain Garris. "Only if ye permit, but it can't hurt to have an additional healer among us if ye believe he'll truly repent."
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Ahto nods in agreement with Addy. "Abadar allowed the man to remain a vessel of his power, which means he hasn't completely strayed from his vows. Barris has been greedy, prideful and foolish, but beneath the offal of that behavior lies something of worth. Do your best to make him see the truth. If, in the end, he does not accept, I will grant him a quick death, and let Pharasma decide the worth of his soul."
Addy tries her best to eat like a lady of high society, as opposed to eating like the homeless woman on the brink of starvation that she practically is.
She savors the stew's taste and warmth before replying, "I'll see what I can do. What ye said about Abadar granting him divine magic'll help. And I caught the bit that he was disgraced and given a seemingly impossible task by his superiors, and he gave up and strayed further.
"That and his reaction to Vikki's murder gives me enough to work with," she assures Ahto. She adds, "I prefer not to know what sins disgraced him. Then I can truthfully say I don't know his sins meself.
"I'm a bluffer, not a liar."
After supper, as the last labors of the day are finished, the indentures mutter about how another "bloody dawn" awaits, courtesy of "the Judge." Of course, having spent weeks now living with them in the crowded confines of the trading post, Ahto and his more veteran companions have come to recognize the endearment in the rabble's rambling. Although one or two remain bitter about their lot in life, missing the freedom of banditry, the majority of them have come to recognize how their quality of life has improved, even if the amount of labor required has increased commensurately.
.....
In the twilight blue hour before dawn, Addy goes to visit Barris where the prisoners are secured, behind the midden heaps in the back of the outpost.
As soon as she arrives, before she can even open her mouth, Baldar's words are the first to break the stillness of early morning.
"Let me join you," he pleads. "You've seen how strong my summoning skills are. I could be vital in defending this fort from the coming army."
Baldar is a very poor liar. There is no sincerity in his words. You strongly suspect this is merely a ploy to escape his pending execution.
Addy wears black, save for the vermilion brim of her hat and vermilion scarf. She takes the falchion that was won in battle, just in case she is forced to defend herself. For Addy cannot fight like the Vixen. As the Vixen's persona is a costume donned by Addy, Addy's body is a weapon wielded by the Vixen. It's a complicated relationship...
Addy's thoughts are interrupted by Baldar's words. She tells Baldar to "F+$& off," and passes him by.
She then kneels down by Barris. "Morning, Barris," she says softly, sweetly. "Are ye well rested? I'm not making light o' yer situation. I mean... ye're gonna take the deal, right?"