Getting her bearings for a moment she looks around, "Well...here we are again. Let's get it done for good this time so we don't have to come back again." She says before moving forward.
She holds out an arm in front of Arista, "Hold on a minute...you've been away from this place for a while right? No telling what's gone on since you were here last. Let me take a look around first and make sure everything is alright before you just go walking on in." She moves ahead of the others, keeping her senses aware of any dangers that might lurk ahead.
Cyna offers some water to Lea. "Are you going to be alright?"
The gatehouse looks foreboding, no light to be seen anywhere in the structure. However, there is nothing of note to be found here either.
Lea takes a sip. "I'll be okay. I feel different...I just need to get used to it."
Taking Tes’ hand Rhadaya leans up to give her wife a gentle kiss on the chek. ”It’s ok honey, some people have a hard time accepting help. Especially if thet’re used to onoy having themselves to depend on.”
"Alright...other than looking slightly creepy it appears to be alright. Let's keep moving. I'll stay ahead and keep an eye out for trouble." As they proceed along she keeps her eyes and ears open for any problems.
Drawing her sword, Sādhanā looks down the length of the bridge in silence for a moment. "I really hope we don't have to go through everything all over again." she mutters.
She nods in understanding, "Yeah...I can understand that. I love you Rhy...I'm so happy we found each other."
She nods in agreement with Sadhana, "Me too...I'm sick of this s#i+. I'm ready to get this done and get home to take care of other issues." She says with a bit of a cold steely edge to her voice.
Again, Tesia finds nothing as the group proceeds across the bridge.
"Same here love. I'm thankful for you walking in that door every single day."
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Ylrhea stays silent as everything occurs. She knew in her heart that Sienna would be alright, convincing her mind was a different story.
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As they walk across the bridge towards the bathhouse she wraps an arm around Rhy's waist and gives her a light squeeze before resting her hand comfortably on the small of her love's back. The simple gesture saying all that needed to be said.
As they get closer to the bathhouse, she draws her sword and prepares to fight if necessary.
As you near the bathhouse, you see a solitary figure leaning on the railing of the bridge: Zaudejis. The vampire looks up as you all approach. "Oh, you've finally come back."
She looks at him apologetically, "I'm so sorry it took so long for us to get back. Things got.....really complicated."
Zaudejis simply nods. "Someone left a gift for you inside."
Lea looks at the vampire and then turns to Cyna. "He smells dead."
She looks confused, "Really? Who would leave a gift for us?" She racks her brain trying to think of who could possibly leave them something as she heads inside the bathhouse.
"He said his name was Ezikhel," the vampire answers. "Said you needed to buy a boat."
A light seems to go off in her head, "Oh yeah....Daphine's mate. Damn it....oh well, that's just one more thing we have to deal with. Hopefully enough of their people will survive to sail the boat to them." She says with a hint of sarcasm and frustration in her voice.
"We'll figure it out. Let's get inside." Sādhanā says looking at the structure.
She nods as she walks inside, "Okay."
Zaudejis leads the way back into the bathhouse and goes into the main room. "Rivell, we've got company."
The elf sitting there looks up. "Isn't this a pleasant surprise? I was wondering if you were alright. I see you have some new faces among you."
She nods, relieved to see that the ones they left there were still alright. She walks over to Rivell and takes his hand, "Yes...we're alright...for the most part. Things got really...complicated and messy after we left and there were things on top of things that we had to deal with and I'm sorry that it took us so long to get back...but we're here now. Allow me to introduce those you have not met, these two young ladies are Tesia and Rhadaya Stormbringer...they have a rather....unique way of handling things and quite the electrifying personalities." She says with a hint of a smile, "And this nauseated looking tiefling that bears an odd resemblance to our own Cyna, is Lea....we really don't know that much about her yet, but we'll get to know her soon enough since she'll be sticking around with us for a while. So...how have things here been? I heard that Daphine's mate came by with something for us to get that boat for them?"
Rivell produces a large bag of holding. "There's a lot of money in there, that's all Ezikhel told me. Also..."
He sets a heavy bar of metal on the table. "Your adamantine."
She eyes both items, her gaze settling on the adamantine. Knowing what having the adamantine could mean her eyes get a little misty, "Thank You Rivell....I'm sorry we kept you waiting so long." She takes the adamantine and puts it in their bag of holding. She would be able to get his sword fixed soon and then maybe she could figure out what happened to him.
"We were getting a little anxious," Rivell says. "Things have been quiet here, though...something must have happened at the tower. I'm debating on whether I should stay here, go to Valwick and find Horsha and Belle, or go back to Lysse. Or a combination of those last two. I just get the feeling that here is not where I need to be."
Zaudejis shrugs. "I'm fine with any course of action, though I'd like to get back to my curio shop."
She nods, "I understand that....you might want to get Belle and Horsha and head back to Lysse. Horace is apparently headed for Valwick and will be there to invade in about a week or so. If you want to get the rest of your people and get back to Lysse before all hell breaks loose I wouldn't blame you in the least. We can't go back till we get the tower up and running again...which I'm hoping will not take forever. I'm just praying that we get back home in time...." She says before getting quiet again as she thinks of her and everyone else's families back in Valwick.
"I suppose I will head for Valwick in the morning. Zaudejis, go ahead and head back to Lysse tonight," Rivell says.
The vampire nods before becoming a bat and flying out the window. Rivell gives the group a half-hearted smile. "Want some dinner?"
Lea furrows her brow as she sees the man turn into a bat and fly out the window. "Are these your friends, Cyna?"
"Not quite friends, Lea," Ylrhea says finally. "I think dinner would be a good idea. Then some sleep."
She yawns as she realizes just how tired she is after everything they had been through. Her stomach rumbles slightly as well as she recalls how long it's been since they've actually eaten anything, "I think that sounds like a good idea too."
Looking at Lea she says, "Our interpersonal relationships with those that we have met along the way during this journey are a little complicated to explain. They're okay though Lea, I promise you that."
Lea shrugs. "If you say so."
She turns to Rivell. "I would like some food too."
The elf smiles. "Alright, then."
He goes to his belongings and begins extracting his cookware. He pulls out several preserved hares. "I hope you're not opposed to hare. There were quite a few for Zaudejis' taking. Not many other choices in this season."
She nods as she goes to the kitchen with Rivell and pulls out their own supplies from their bag. She pulls out some fresh fruit, raw vegetables, spices, and some bread as Rivell gets out the cookware. Looking at him she smiles, "Would you like some help? With everything I have here we could probably turn them into a pretty tasty stew?" She offers as she sets the things she took out on the counter.
"That'd be fine," Rivell says.
Arista lets Rivell skin and prepare the hares while she gets the vegetables ready to put with the meat in a pot. Once the hares are cleaned she cuts up the meat and seasons it well with the various spices that she has with her to give the meat a nice rich flavor. She put the meat in a pot with some water and lets it simmer slowly as she cuts up the cleaned vegetables. She cuts up potatoes, carrots, onion, and celery to put in the pot along with some fresh basil and rosemary. She loved the smell the herbs made as they simmered with the meat. After the meat had a chance to cook for a bit she adds in all the vegetables and lets it cook all together over a simmering fire as she makes herself a cup of hot tea and sits down to rest.
After a bit she gives the stew a bit of a stir and adds her own brand of special magic to it to make the broth a bit richer and the meat a bit more tender and less gamey.
She thinks about Sienna and how she would have loved learning how to prepare the hares and tries not to let her emotions get the better of her. There would plenty of time to find her after they were done with everything else. Sienna was very capable and right now she had to believe that her sister could handle whatever had happened to her and would be alright when they found her...because they would find her.
As she sits sipping on her tea, the aroma from the cooking dinner permeates the kitchen and starts drifting out into the main area of the bathhouse.
Smelling the dinner from the main dining area her stomach lets out a hungry rumble. Blushing she looks up, "Sorry...guess I'm even hungrier than I realized."
Rhadaya let's out a giggle giving Tes a kiss on her now rosy "That's ok honey, I think we're all starving".
She lets out a happy sigh and leans into Rhy.
Once everything is put together, it's about another forty-five minutes before it's ready. As it nears finishing, Arista gets down bowls and spoons and then starts putting it in bowls and taking it to the table. She calls out for everyone to come eat, "Come on everyone, the stew is ready. I've got a bowl and spoon on the table for everyone already, you just have to get your drink."
Ylrhea finds some tankards and starts serving water. "Another Arista masterpiece, eh?"
Lea sniffs the contents of her bowl before hungrily devouring the meal. It felt like she hadn't eaten in weeks. She felt tired too, which was a new sensation for her.
She shrugs, "I just work with what we've got. I know I don't really have to eat, but I like sitting down and enjoying a meal with everyone." She quickly gets Lea another bowl of stew, "Don't worry, we have plenty. Go ahead and eat up." She says getting her own bowl and water from Ylrhea, she sits next to her husband to enjoy the meal with everyone.
Lea takes her time with the second bowl, savoring the flavors that were new to her.