"Darkmane, I don't think I coudl have failed to see you."
Undaunted, Priyya decides to cheat and 'try on' a Cloak of Elvenkind, then tracks her prey and jumps AGAIN!
Priyya just nearly catches Mal unawares as he peers very closely at what appears to be a pair of iron-clad women's panties with a scarlet light pulsing where the woman's crotch would be. Just as she's about to touch him he turns with a grin, "I'm thinking you should totally get a pair of these... your sailor would love them."
Priyya is disappointed at her failed surprise attempt but is interested in the panties. She eyes them as curiously as Mal did, seemingly deep in thought.
"Problem is... that metal monstrosity would cover up my best asset." She immodestly pulls her robe tight across her rear (defining her curves in no uncertain terms) and gives her caboose a healthy slap. "I've been short-changed up top but you could bounce a coin off this ass. Can't be hiding what the Goddess gave me."
Lureene wonders how much physical contact he could stand before he pops a vital blood vessel. Still, she feels she owed him the pleasure of a hug, so that is what she does, giving him a very close hug, and also a kiss on his cheek.
”Thank you so much, and also there is one thing I would like to purchase from your shop. A Pearl of Power for first level spells, I believe this is one of those items?” She holds up a gleaming white pearl she had found while Immerstal was hunting for the Bracelet earlier. She remembered all too well Princess Alexis well timed advice about increasing her spell casting capabilities.
Felmor sidles behind Priyya, and murmers, "Aye, I be kinda glad she be hidin' yer assets from me, it be more fun that way!"
Priyya backs happily into her mysterious whisperer, curling into his body, a contented look on her face.
"Apparently, Mal, I stand corrected. It seems you were right about my sailor's tastes."
Mal shakes his head and wanders off. I'll just leave them to that, then.
"Hmm..." Alis, who has been walking around with a pair of ornate bracers in-hand stops and looks over some camping gear she passes. "Mon Shea? What's all this?"
The young sphinx stands bolt upright from where she was peering around a corner at Mal and blushes as much as a woman with her complexion can. "Oh, these are mugs that never run out of whatever you want to drink, an orb that holds back either heat or cold around the bearer, a box that makes food each day to feed about a dozen people, and a sleeping bag that will keep you comfy no matter what and gives you a really good night's sleep!"
Hmm, well there's no telling if we'll even get to do any exploration given the diplomatic situation. If the city gets sacked and burned there will be bigger priorities than a good night's sleep...
"OK, well the practical choice is clear then," she hands Mon Shea the bracers, smiles and says, "I'll go with jewelry then, please!"
Having successfully thrown Mal off, Priyya pounces!
Mal is oblivious to Priyya's pounce as he nearly bumps into the furred woman. He steps toward her calmly, pulling a deep breath through his nose, trying to gather her scent. "Mon Shea," he says, tasting the word.
”Thank you so much, and also there is one thing I would like to purchase from your shop. A Pearl of Power for first level spells, I believe this is one of those items?”
Immerstal's silly red hat flies off his balding head and hovers in the air for a good minute after Lureene's peck on the cheek. When he finally realizes that she is holding up an object before him and speaking, he blinks twice, casts detect magic and says, "Oh, that's a pearl of power you have there, did you want to buy that then? Stop looking at that lad's rump, quit bothering the princess, and get back to work!"
"Yes master!" comes the ever-cheerful reply. The feline woman smiles warmly at Mal, waves, and skips off to help the others with their purchases.
A few minutes later, whilst involved in a game of Cat and Also Cat with Priyya, Mal finds Mon Shea tip-toeing along behind him, her wings knocking against the store's assorted oddities and she tries to mimic his movements.
Mal turns quickly to catch her unsuspecting, flashing his most feral grin, "The trick will be to tuck those wings, Mon Shea." He stops in his game to turn to the strange creature, "An interesting name. What does it mean?"
Sensing love in the offing for Mal, Priyya makes herself scarce and returns the Cloak of Elvenkind to the shelf...
"The trick will be to tuck those wings, Mon Shea. An interesting name. What does it mean?"
Mon Shea hops back, hands in the air before her like a surprised kitten. At Mal's question, she smooths away a lock of hair that fell into her face with the back of her thumb, her interest turning to his question, "Oh my name? Well master says that it means hopeless girl. But when I was reading History and Evolution of Philology in Eastern Silver Sea Cultures, it looks like it actually means Admirable Woman. Your name sounds sylvan, but it has been a few decades since I read any good books on the Eldar languages. What does Malandraenas mean?"
"It's an old phrase. Something my mother stumbled across in her youth. 'Savage Hearted' is the best translation." he laughs, though there is a longing in the sound, "I think she named me for my father… or at least for who she saw my father to be. Apparently I reminded her of him." His eyes regain their focus on the exotic creature, and his usual blunt manner resurfaces as well. "What are you? You look like nothing I have seen before."
"Savage Hearted, was your father a sphinx? That is what Master says I am, but I have never seen another sphinx either." She holds her hand up to yours, comparing them and shows off her retractable claws. "You and I fight the same, but our legs go the opposite ways."
She runs her hand along your face and then runs your hand over the back of her arm noting, "Your mane is darker, but I think I have more fur than you."
Lifting your hand up above her head, Mon Shae leans around the big hunter's side brushing her hand against his rear with her free hand, "Are you a half-sphinx maybe, Malandraenas? You do not seem to have a tail..."
Lureene looks over at Mon Shea, who is paying complete attention to Corporal Mal. Watching their interactions, she says nothing, and getting a sense they are looking for privacy, grants their wish. Moving away from the exotic couple, she movess over to keep Princess Alis company, a half smile playing on her lips. Seeing Majeff looking at her, she waves to the enigmatic skull, and blows him a kiss goodbye.
Majeff sighs contentedly and says, "Well in the end, I suppose your judgment is due more credit than I'd given you. My last bit of advice, and you can consider this a parting gift, is this: beware of strange doors in your dreams. Good luck finding your dear old Dad. You may find that he needs your help as much as you desire his..." With that, he goes silent again save for occasionally humming softly.
Seeing Lureene approach, Alis holds her arms in front of her, beaming a big smile. She says proudly, "Look, I bought some bracers just like you and Priyya have. We all match now!"
Pondering Majeff's final cryptic warning about strange doors, she cannot but feel a shudder of foreboding. Seeing Alis with a happy grin on her face reminds her, she is no longer alone in her quest, and she is able to banish her fears once again.
"I LOOOVVVEEE it! Now we need matching dresses, and shoes!"
Priyya looks skeptically at the two women, who are getting alarmingly 'girly'.
She observes drily, "I think you are mistaking me for a fashionista."
Alis exaggerates by holding one hand to her chest and waving the other dismissively, "No, no, that's my job." Then with a wink to Lureene she adds, "You're our fashion 'project', Priyya."
With that, she grabs Lureene by the hand and hightails it thru the shop before the Surya-ka-Vahaak gets the chance to detect evil again. ;D
<3
Priyya looks darkly at the fleeing women and then comments to Mal and Felmor, "I may have to bribe you gentlemen into NOT protecting those women."
Felmor gazes after the pair of fleeing blonde bombshells, and reflects for a moment. It seems like Lureene has become more flighty and girlish than even he thought possible. He gazes into his Beloved eyes and says quietly, "Oy, I t'ink they jes be overreactin' due ta their recent trials." When Priyya turns a steady gaze on him, he blanches slightly, and adds quickly, "A' course, they dinnae need ta tease ye like that either..."
Mal laughs at the sphinx's curiosity and strange behavior, enduring her odd exploration. "My father wasn't a sphinx, though he did give me some of my best features."
What an odd creature, he thinks as he amusedly watches her.
"You call the human 'master'. Exactly what is your relationship?"
Mon Shea scrunches up her face a bit and says, "I think what Malandraenas is is a better riddle than what Master is to me..."
The young sphinx pauses for a moment, hands folded before her as she considers your question. "Master lets me live here, play with his toys, and read his books. On the roof, he built a garden for me to play in, and he gave me this collar so I could fit in the city. I keep him company, help him with his shop, and do errands for him. Oh, and he likes to dress me up in different outfits."
She leans forward and whispers, "Master says it is impolite for someone with smooth skin to go around without clothes. He gets upset when I do not cover up. Do you think I need to grow more fur maybe?"
"What Malandraenas is…" he laughs, "if you figure that one out, let me know, will ya?"
As she speaks on her relationship with 'Master', Mal listens, and watches the man from the corner of his eye.
What kind of man is he? he wonders, pouring through what he has observed of the man.
His eyes return to Mon Shea's, "It sounds like you have fun here, and he seems to treat you nicely."
When she leans forward and whispers, Mal smiles back genuinely, "I think your fur is perfect, Mon Shea, and it's a shame it has to be covered." He gestures to his own long black hair, "If I had more than this, I know I'd show it off."
"What Malandraenas is... if you figure that one out, let me know, will ya?"
Mon Shea nods enthusiastically. "The girl wearing the circlet, and the man with the funny hat are the only ones who are like normal people in your group. You, the woman with the head wrap, and the girl with the changing wings are all wonderful riddles! I will have to figure out all of you so I can let you know."
"It sounds like you have fun here, and he seems to treat you nicely."
"Oh yes, he treats me very nicely. Master says that it is better staying small like this so I don't scare people. He said that if I wandered off big and played with caravans that people might not like it and I might get hurt, so he keeps me out of trouble he says." The woman nods and then leans forward eyes closed as she sniffs at Mal. " Sometimes I get bored and break things to see what happens. Master thinks I am clumsy, but it gives him something to do. Finding replacements means going on an adventure!"
"I think your fur is perfect, Mon Shea, and it's a shame it has to be covered. If I had more than this, I know I'd show it off."
"Oh, thank you!" She reaches up and feels the texture of Mal's hair. "Yours is much darker and smoother than mine." She takes Mal's hand and runs it along her coarse brown mane of hair. "But it is softer other places." she then shows him the difference by running his hand along her shoulder where it is nigh smooth enough to resemble skin from a distance.
From across the room, Immerstal's voice calls out, "You, big guy, yes you! Mon Shea is not a cat. No petting!"
At his words, Majeff's eyes flare with green flame and he cries out, "The brute! Is he molesting her? Turn me around, turn me around, I'll not stand for such a travesty!"
Mon Shea's eyes grow wide with surprise at all the fuss and she pouts a bit. "You have to go soon, but you will come back again later, correct?"
While she awaits Mal's answer, she reaches up to her wing and plucks a single gold and brown-striped feather which she braids into his hair. "What lady favors the brave, is good and bad but never at the same time, does not come when beaconed, cannot be relied upon, although she is always desired, and may run out on you when you need her most?"
From somewhere else in the room, you hear the Princess' voice call out, "Hey Mal, if you answer 'Alis', 'The Princess', 'that blonde over there', or anything else like that, then you're getting demoted back to Private."
Mal ignores the shouts.
"Hmmmm, I never was any good with riddles, little Mon Shea, but maybe this time I'll get lucky." Emphasizing the last word.
"Maybe if Lady Luck is with me," and he touches the feather woven into his hair, "I will make it back through Valehaven. Then I'll definitely come to find you." He holds up one finger and begins rummaging through his pack, then pulls back out a unique pitch black claw of some kind of small hunting cat. A claw that looks surprisingingly like one of his own. "So you don't forget old 'Savage Heart' til he can come back."
Mon Shea furrows her brow at the comments from the peanut gallery, but her face lights up when Mal answers correctly. "Yes, a little something to bring Savage Heart Malandraenas some good luck so he can make it back again."
She takes the offered claw and quickly finds a bit of ribbon behind her counter which she uses to tie around it, fashioning it into a necklace. "Twenty-one claws now! That is certain to be lucky!"
With that, she give Mal a big hug which elicits a new wave of fussing from Immerstal and Majeff. After a moment, she skips away and says, "When you get back, we will have to go on a big adventure!"
Mal watches the curious sphinx walk away, idly running the feather between thumb and fore-finger. Sweet girl.
He then turns to go find Priyya, hoping to return the goggles to her before he forgets.
Priyya thanks Mal for the cusps and pops them into her eyes. She is surprised at how quickly her eyes are learning to adjust to them. She gives a vague nod in the direction of Mon Shae, "Interesting girl."
With your shopping adventures concluded for the time being, you exit Immerstal's tower to find Yvonne waiting for you down below. "It is not so late in the day that we cannot leave. Continue we can at your word, Princess."
Mal rounds up a few trinkets he knows can be incorporated into the materials for his Druid's Vestments, pays for them with Mon Shea, then heads out into the nearly-blinding daylight.
By mid-afternoon, you are once again ready to embark for Malatesta. On your way out of Valehaven, Valeria and the cast of plays along with the surviving members of the orchestra come out to bid you farewell.
"If it were not for the heroics of you five, I fear that tragedy would be all that our beloved playhouse was famous for. Please, when you pass this way again, send word in advance so that we can dine together again. I can hardly wait to write a script around the adventures you'll all surely have!"
No long thereafter, Duke Jarmaand arrives on horseback along with Captain Stallings.
"Please accept my utmost apologies," the Duke begins, "for the dangers you faced while within our humble city. These are good people here and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for exposing this plot by The Ruby Coil to undermine the stability and prosperity of Elsmyr Dale."
Captain Stallings adds to what the Duke says, "Just be careful, all of you. The Cabal of the Ruby Coil is no ordinary syndicate. They have agents who masquerade as ordinary, albeit generally influential, citizens in many cities. Worse still, as you saw they have a reputation for trafficking with devils."
"Remember, we may have stopped a pair of assassins last night, but we still don't know yet who contracted with the cabal and planned all of this. While you can hope that their designs were only upon the Ladies Yvonne and Verona, there's no telling if they have interest in you specifically, your Highness."
The Duke nods solemnly. "Lady d'Calla, on the off chance that this villain is based out of Dunwaar, I am sending Captain Stallings and a dozen men along with your caravan."
Yvonne begins to protest, but Jarmaand refuses to hear it. "This is only until you have cleared Dunwaar and reached the start of the pass over the Drakedowns. I simply will not jeopardize the continued safety of Elsmyr Dale not taking all due precautions against the possibility of having royal blood spilled here. These men are veterans and rangers used to forced marches and long days, they will not delay Princess Kirmoon's mission or yours. Captain, I shall leave matters in your capable hands..."
The Duke rides a short distance away before he suddenly turns back and says, "I almost forgot... There was a majority vote by the council earlier today for Verona to assume Baltus' old seat on the city council. Given everything that happened, she did not deem it prudent to meet with you in person, however, she asked me to give you this letter. 'Read it on the road,' she said. Verona indicated you would understand..."
With that, the Duke departs and Captain Stallings calls up a group of mounted warriors to clear the streets to the city's eastern gate. A short time later and Valehaven's walls are quickly disappearing as you being the two-day ride to Dunwaar.
Lureene looks back at the receding view of Valehaven, with a sense of accomplishment. She had made a difference here, in help preventing the conspiracy against the two groups in power. She had not realized the changes that would affect her on her arrival. Still, she now feels a sense of freedom she had never felt before, and also a sense of kinship with the Princess Kirmoon, and Priyya. She was told Alis had somehow triggered the vision of her Father back in the theatre, and she wondered if there would be further visions. She fingers the locket hanging around her neck, and although there is a chance it was being used as a scrying focus, she could not bear the thought of getting rid of it; it was her only link to her Father.
News of this cabal, the Ruby Coil concerned her. Actually it scared her. They were allied with the devils, and although their original target may have been House Kale and the Golden Drakes, her interference, coupled with her demonic heritage, automatically put a target on her back. Plus, they may indeed be after the Princess. Her mind swirled with the possibilities.
Her thoughts returned to the Princess, She was a priestess of Sumalya? That is the Goddess of passion? It certainly fits her mindset!” Being from a place where her Mother was worshipped as a goddess of passion, she had never been exposed to the calling of the gods in her heart, but maybe they had always been there, they just needed an outlet for release. She glances at the Princess, who is busy consulting with Y’vonne on the travel plans to Malatesta. Maybe she would want to talk about her childhood experiences…but not now. Perhaps later, she will open up…
After enduring ambushes, assassination attempts, and atonements, the monotony of the road to Dunwaar is a rather welcome reprieve. For the remainder of Lakusday, you are greeted primarily by the bucolic scenery of Valehaven's numerous farmsteads being plowed and planted now that all danger of a late frost has passed.
As you travel, Alis takes the time to read the letter she received from Lady Kale...
Her Highness Princess Kirmoon:
Greetings your highness. I regret that we should prove unable to meet in person. Twice in as many days has your presence blessed my house with justice even though you have never set foot within the halls of Kale Manor. If ever you should grace Valehaven with a return visit, I should very much wish to repay this debt.
For now however, please allow this humble servant of our city to deliver a warning. If, as Captain Stallings suspects, my father was beguiled into undertaking his final, ill-fated expedition, know that there were no men within Valehaven of sufficient prestige to goad him so. Only in Dunwaar, on the frontier of the steppes, was he ever able to find the rivalry he sought. Ironic that an apparent rival would send him as far away as possible to meet his fate.
I shall pray for your highness' safety and hope to hear your voice fill Valeria's playhouse once again.
Humbly and gratefully yours,
—Lady Verona Kale,
Councilwoman of Valehaven
By nightfall, Sawng's Way and the River Elsmyr once again begin to diverge — the river leading northward towards Brahm Forest and its eventual source in The Dwarfshield, the road continuing further across the plains.
The heat of the past few days is replaced by humidity as patching skies intermittently shower endless meadows, only to be dried up minutes later when the sun reemerges for a short time before the weather repeats itself.
That night, you find rest in a town, a day’s ride from Dunwaar, called Brahmvil. Located at the southernmost edge of Brahm Forest, outlying communities provide much of the timber used throughout Elsmyr Dale. By the time you arrive, news of your approach has already set the sleepy logging town abuzz. You have little doubt that the nearly 3 dozen people comprising your caravan is the largest concentration of interesting and important visitors that have passed thru there in quite some time.
While Alis has too much love of fanfare to simply ignore the gathered crowd without singing at least one song with the Golden Drakes, Captain Stallings and his men pretty much ensure that no one gets within 20-feet that either his or Malandraenas' approval. That night, in their room at the town's inn, Alis finally explains to Lureene about something she said at the beginning of the atonement ceremony the day before...
It is a quiet day on the road to Brahmvil; Both Alis and Lureene seem lost in their own thoughts. Priyya, giving thought to the potential threat of these Red Coil conspirators and their diabolic connections, decides to augment the security force. She rides Saija casually, always smiling, but with her bow in hand and an arrow loosely knocked.
On occasion, she exchanges a few words with Mal. As they approach Brahmvil, Priyya says to him quietly:
At the inn on Rosday evening, you are a bit surprised when Alis says, "Everyone, if you'll excuse me. I believe I'm going to call it an early night."
Sense Motive Checks:
When Lureene comes upstairs to their room, she finds Alis curled up in bed hugging a pillow to herself fast asleep, back to the room. It is only when she goes to slip into bed herself that Alis turns over and asks, "El, there's something that I've been meaning to tell you about... How much do you know about my past?"
The golden-winged beauty quickly rattles off what she knows admitting that there are lots of gaps right now.
So neither 'Sis nor Priyya mentioned to her about my time at the temple yet. Well, at least I know they can keep a secret if need be...
The princess breathes a long sigh. "Lureene, I'm really not sure how to explain this so I'm just going to have to dive in..."
She sits up, still holding a pillow tight and says, "I used to be a priestess at the temple of Súmalya, the goddess of passion. After– after Mom and Dad got killed, the rat-bastard Dad thought was his younger brother showed his true colors. Evidently, our 'Uncle' was no where near as progressive-minded as his big brother, and like many elven nobles took a rather dim view of the fact that Mom was a human. More than that, he really didn't want two little 'half-breeds' like 'Sis and I inheriting the duchy."
"Now you'd have to ask Alexis to lay out what his master plan was in all of this but basically, 'Sis, being the good twin, got sent to live with Auntie Corrina and study magic. Meanwhile, being ever the cooperative child myself, not to mention the younger by a few minutes, I got sent away to the temple. Now in theory I was supposed to be taught how to become a good little wife for any nobleman who might be willing to overlook my mixed heritage. In practice though, it meant being groomed to be a consort or a concubine by men and women who would probably be labeled as prostitutes if not for the veneer of religious ceremony wrapping everything."
"You remember that elf girl, Suny?" she asks. "If it wasn't for the fact that I was from a noble family and my maidenhood actually had some value, that's pretty much what they would have tried to make me into. You weren't along on the trip that Priyya, Felmor, 'Sis, and I took last month, but Alexis really didn't like her. I think it was like a reminder of what they tried to make me into..."
"Now it wasn't all bad, mind you. We were taught how to fight so we protect ourselves and others. We learned how to focus the force of our soul into an actual aura of spiritual pressure. We also learned how to read the hopes and desires in the hearts of others and in the world at large. All of that was actually pretty interesting and useful. I mean, I'd like to think that I've been able to hold my own in the tough spots we've gotten into so far..."
She gives a nervous laugh thinking back for a moment before continuing. "The part that wasn't so great though was everything else we had to go thru..."
Alis looks at you very seriously and says, "Now you have to promise not to breathe a word of any of this to Felmor, or Mal, alright? Men have a hard enough time taking women like us seriously. I really don't want them or anyone else knowing that I'm a priestess of Súmalya. It's not that Súmalya is a bad goddess, far from it! But the religions that people form based on their interpretation of a deity and what agenda those people have can be very divergent from how they are 'supposed' to act."
"Now as far as a marriage bed goes, I'm still technically a 'virgin'." The princess' shoulders slump slightly. "However, if you take that word to mean a woman who is still innocent in mind as well as body... Well," she blushes deeply, "let's just say that we all received a great deal of instruction on how we should best be able to satisfy our eventual charges along with how to ensure we could show them how to satisfy us. And that's really not anything that Mal, Fel, or anyone else ever needs to know. Unfortunately, if they even heard that I was a priestess of Súmalya they could probably figure the rest out. Soooo... yeah. No need to make things any more awkward for them, or have them lose any and all respect for me. That would be decidedly unhelpful."
"Anyway, that's part of the reason I got so pissed-off at Mal after that fight with those minotaurs a couple weeks ago. Huge surprise I'm sure, but I wasn't exactly the most cooperative little initiate at the temple. There I was, still thinking that all boys were good for was to beat up when they pulled your hair or looked at you funny. I still really didn't have much of a clue as to why I was growing breasts or what my period was, had just lost Mom and Dad, and was taken away from 'Sis and suddenly I had to learn what? So yes, I got lashed pretty frequently for being a royal brat and refusing to show the same enthusiasm to the temple's more carnal teachings that I had for martial instruction or the arts."
She turns around and lifts up the back of her night gown. "Not that you could ever tell, mind you. Scars aren't becoming on a lady so they always made certain to heal us to prevent such unsightly marks from ever forming. Of course, that also meant we could endure much longer disciplinary sessions as a result. But that's basically why I wanted to free those slaves back then. The only thing that kept me going thru such lashings was the thought of turning that damned whip against its wielder..."
Alis sighs and plops down on her back staring up at the ceiling. "I'm just glad that Laithoron found me when he did and got me out of there. I don't know how much more I could have taken before I would have just said 'to hell with it' and ended everything."
"You know, I always kind of wondered why Súmalya didn't visit some kind of a curse upon him or me after that. I never really understood why I could still call upon her for healing and other abilities. But yesterday, when we were in the cathedral, I got the feeling that all of that wasn't actually what Súmalya wants for her followers. That I'd misjudged her because of how her supposed servants in this world acted. I had to ask her forgiveness for misjudging and reviling her because of it."
Alis smiles sadly and runs her hand along your face. "I wonder if she set you and I to meet to help me see that being a creature of passion doesn't have to mean being wicked. I think she knew that I might never have made that realization or thought on divine matters again if not for trying to help out someone else..."
She sits up and and gives you a big hug, "Thanks El..."
As they approach Brahmvil, Priyya says to Mal quietly:
** spoiler omitted **
He looks over at the carriage....
He gives a shrug and a smile.
She gives the Princess one final hug, and whispers, "Don't worry 'Lis, I won't betray your trust in me. Your secret is safe with me."
Later while lying in bed, she thinks, Wow, so that explains a lot. It must have been really hard for her to reach out a hand in friendship to me, since I must remind her of those instructors. And to open up her heart, thus risking getting hurt and betrayed like that. Like she was betrayed by her own family, simply for not being a pure elf. Unfortunately, I wish there was more I can do for her...make her see that carnal passion is only one element in the whole range of passions that should be experienced. Indeed, strangely she feels even more passionate now than before the ceremony, she has noticed things about everything and everyone around her that brings joy to her life. She wonders if this is Súmalya calling in her heart. It verywell could be, so she resolves to listen to her heart, and also to listen to Alis whenever she needs an ear, since she really needs a friend more than anything right now.
Still, hearing about the Princesses' past, makes her wonder if perhaps there was some otherplanar influence at work here.
He gives a shrug and a smile.
** spoiler omitted **
Priyya looks down at her chest and then at Mal sourly. "Gee, you really know how to pay a girl a compliment, Mal. Remind me to beat you insensible later." Then she laughs.
At the inn on Rosday evening, you are a bit surprised when Alis says, "Everyone, if you'll excuse me. I believe I'm going to call it an early night."
She watches Alis head to bed and considers the events of the last days and weeks. Grieving? Crisis of faith? She notes Lureene's interest. Dread that she must lower her mask to re-open old wounds?
Concerned, Priyya sighs and turns her attention to the clueless gents, mustering a smile. "Well gentlemen, with our songbirds fled... it falls to you to entertain me. Don't be shy." She pulls her feet up onto a chair and watches them expectantly.
"I wasn't really sure how you'd take," she says wiping her eyes with the corner of the bed sheets. "These past few days have been crazy and with everything you've been thru I didn't want to pile-on anything else. There everyone else is, risking life and limb protecting me, you almost got killed, just by being there for me..."
"Meanwhile here I am resenting my goddess for the shortcomings of her followers while people like Priyya would do anything for hers... I was doing the exact thing that frustrates Laithoron about others. He must really think I'm a fool."
She holds onto Lureene again, her voice now strained with emotional exhaustion. "I know that there are other things to be passionate about. Singing, sailing, swimming, songwriting... but this damned stigma that everyone associates with not just revering Súmalya but actually serving her... Every little thing I do reflects on Silverwake, Ilmarond, my sister, our adopted family! Everything can be scrutinized or made into some political powder keg. After everything everyone has done for me, feeling like I've let others down hurts worse than anything."
Alis practically collapses onto Lureene from her fatigue and her friend lays her down, putting an arm and wing around her protectively. "How do I reconcile who I am with who everyone needs me to be? There's just no way I can make everyone happy. Someone's going to get hurt..."
...and I already am.
Felmor looks over at his Beloved Desert Rose, and seeing a need for her to be entertained, ‘N jes how am I s’posed to do that wit’out bein’ indecent?
He looks over a t Mal, who only shrugs. Well, it up ta me, I guess.” He decides to regale the crowd with tales of his nautical exploits, and once the crowd has shown their appreciation (or lack thereof), he will then shift to singing some bawdy sailor songs, and spinning other various yarns.
Taking Felmor's lead, the Golden Drakes eagerly join the good Knight Captain and jam along with him...
Pretty soon, the entire inn is rockin attracting attention from even out in the streets.
MAP: Whiskey in the Jar