Iratea looks at her sisters. "We can fight, given enough time to rest and recover. We kind of owe you, anyways." She rubs her face wearily. "I can disguise myself with ease, but..."
One of the women, who was introduced as Imperia, speaks. "We're not exactly good at hiding who we are - or were. Of course, most Kintargans don't know much about our pasts, but we are... distinctive." She chuckles bitterly.
Another woman looks distressed, and Iratea hugs her gently around the shoulders. "We'd like to help. But if your hideout is across the river... hm. Maybe we can boat across the Yolubilis this evening? When it's darker and no one will be watching?"
"I could look into a small rowboat. It's possible I know someone who knows someone."
Vantine considers further and adds "I think the bridge would be alright to use if she weren't a single larger group. Going one person at a time and out of armor at a busy time of the day should mean collecting the fee and keeping people moving would matter more to the guards than scrutinizing each person closely."
The Raven spreads his arms in mock exasperation. "Did I not suggest a boat from the very outset?" He sighs and shakes his head as his great boat idea is stolen. "I do have experience moving about the city in the shadow of night. I am sure something can be worked out." The Raven clasps his hands over his lap and leans towards the sister's leader. "The real question, I think, is 'why'? Why do you care what we want? We cannot pay you or offer you positions of prestige. Why do you care what happens to Kintargo?" He fixes Iratea with a stare. At least, as much of a stare as one can muster with a mask that covers ones eyes.
"We could go one at a time, I suppose..." Iratea nods thoughtfully, before looking at the woman she's hugging and murmuring something to her.
"One problem: We don't have any money." The one-eyed woman called Moriana says bluntly. "I don't want charity." She looks at the Ravens.
In answer to the Raven's question, Iratea speaks up again. "Why shouldn't we? I do not speak for my whole organization, but we saw what a crazed queen did to our home city." Her silver eyes sweep over her sisters. "We committed some of the most horrible acts against the people of Korvosa. If we can stop even one person from suffering what we inflicted on others and suffered ourselves, then we have made a step towards balancing the scales."
"With the Everlight as our guide." The bronzed woman called Osaria says firmly.
Jessibel wisely keeps her mouth shut; she's got some opinions but she fears she may be ignorant of some facts that might affect said opinions. Moriana is a total mystery to her. Osaria's mention of 'the Everlight' tickles something buried in her memory banks.
"They might make good allies if we ever need to physically confront the Hellknights under Thrune's command," the bard suggests to Aisling.
Vantine doesn't understand why everyone seems so cross and gloomy. After all, they have just pulled off a daring rescue successfully, and everyone is back alive and safe.
"These are all things we can worry about in the coming days. In the immediate present we should be let ourselves feel good about what we've accomplished and regain our strength."
"I will go get some food and drink. We will eat well, and then we can rest. When our bodies are well, our minds will be more resourceful and creative. Our problems will seem diminished and more solvable."
Vantine will go shopping for what's needed.
"Curfew's still in effect, isn't it?" Jessibel asks Vantine while stifling a yawn. Honestly, the bard's lost all sense of time and is craving a good, long, uninterrupted nap.
Jessi peeks out a window, noticing a slight brightening in the sky: Dawn is approaching.
"I'll come with," she tells Vantine with a tired smile. As the two young ladies make their way through Kintargo's cold streets, the bard says, "Those gals aren't exactly bright and cheerful...or particularly friendly. Think we can find a place for them in our little club?"
"Yes well... We all have mistakes we are ashamed of. What matters is what you intend to do to right the wrongs of the past. Or something like that. I do not know, I am a bird. I regret nothing." The Raven holds out a hand and examines it as if inspecting his nails. "If you do not mind me asking, what all were you able to bring with you?" He gestures with his foot, pointing at the armor the women had refused to leave behind.
"It's our armor. A symbol of our past, I suppose." Iratea answers the Raven. "We've some special training in its use, and it serves as a part of who we are."
Jessi and Vantine easily find a food stall that allows them to gather enough food for the Ravens and the Scarlet Rose Grey Maidens both.
"It's our armor. A symbol of our past, I suppose." Iratea answers the Raven. "We've some special training in its use, and it serves as a part of who we are."
Jessi and Vantine easily find a food stall that allows them to gather enough food for the Ravens and the Scarlet Rose Grey Maidens both.
Vantine considers Jessibel's question, it's a difficult one for her to answer. She doesn't know all the in and outs of what went on in Korvosa, mostly just what filtered to her through her mother, who only knew what had filtered to her rom business contacts there.
"I can't be certain, but I think so if given some time. From what I've heard of it, they had a rough time. Most, at least later on, weren't volunteers. Afterward those that remained were marked, mostly reviled for a time. On top of it all the survivors split into more or less two factions. One wanting to leave the past behind and move on, the other bitter enders looking for a new leader of Queen Ileosa's ilk to throw in behind. I doubt I'd be cheery either."
Nyxra remains quiet as she's been inclined to as of late.
Yes, we struck a blow against Thrune... but what now? Can these Maidens really help us? What's Thrune going to do in response? We got in and out with only one fatality on their end... will they direct a proportionate response to that or go all-out in hunting us?
"Yeeeeaaaah.... All I knew about Ileosa was that she became Queen of Korvosa and by all accounts had fabulous taste in fashions of all kinds! Then she went all nutty and evil and was deposed. The end."
Aisling gives Moriana a quick glance. "Don't think of it as charity - that's more of a Sarenite thing. Iomedae is more about workng out your salvation with fear and trebmbling and I'm helping you to do that. No charity involved."
AS the others talk about Korvosa, she listens but doesn't say much.
"Your symbols of the past are going to have to go into storage for the time being, I think. I will see what can be done to create a false trail out of the city for you and your sisters, witnesses seeing you headed south just before dawn and whatnot, but for now laying low is the order of the day. Especially since those mercenaries are quite familiar with your faces and will be looking for you." The Raven stands and stretches with a sigh. "Dear lady Eagle was recently set upon by a gang of women intent on murdering and robbing her. We believe we know where they call home, this gang. Cannot have them running about killing innocent people and drawing the attention of Thrune. Would that be something you ladies would be interested in helping us deal with?"
"Mm. I suppose we'll have to be a bit more subtle than using our armor..." Iratea nods hesitantly. "What's this about a gang? It will depend on what you want us to do, and how - I don't know how quickly we'll be able to get back into combat."
Upon her return to the apartment, Vantine goes to work preparing a meal for everyone. She pauses when she hears the gang of thieves being discussed to come out and give her opinion though.
"I think it is too soon. Iratea and her sisters need time to recuperate. We can handle them ourselves. Their help gives us a trump card to play, let's not play it too soon just because we have it."
Jessi nods at Vantine's words. "Yeah--way too early for the Scarlet Rose to resurface. Before we go after the Red Jills, though, I'd like to have my Magpie mask available."
"Rules of engagement for dealing with the Jills?" Nyxra asks, her eyes sharpening.
Jessibel fidgets at Nyxra's words. It's not the elf she's worried about, though; she's pretty sure what she's about to say will put her at odds with Aisling, but the bard reluctantly has her say nonetheless.
"The Red Jills aren't innocents by any means--they've already set up an ambush to rob us once, and when we didn't capitulate immediately they had no qualms about killing us all. We have to be ready to do the same to them this time. If we want Kintargo to be a safe place once Thrune's gone, the Red Jills and their ilk have no place in the city's future."
Aisling nods in agreement, posilby taking Jessi by surprise. "I agree. The citziens of this city are safer without the Red Jills. Don't kill anyone who triess to srurrender, obvously, and I will try to use my healing to stablise anyone who falls. But they have brought this on themselves by thier actions."
Iratea nods slightly, relaxing a little. "Alright. We'll rest and recover, then. Do you have anywhere we should stay? I don't know how safe this area is for such... distinctive people as ourselves."
Vantine brings out plates of food and hands them around since there isn't a table large enough for everyone to be seated at it. After the meal she goes out again and buys some more supplies, this time for her flat guest. She makes sure to use different shops so her behavior doesn't seem odd.
She takes the stuff over to her flat and uses the agreed upon knock at the door.
"We have a nest. Elsewhere." The Raven waves his hand vaguely in the direction of the Wasp's Nest. "I would like to get out and take Thrune's pulse, see how they are reacting to this. You ladies should stay here and take a nap while we figure out when and in what manner you shall safely be moved."
Possibly she feels slighlty guildty about her earlier reaction to teh prisoners (if so, she's not telling) but Aisling volunteers to show them to the Nest and look after them, running errands to bring them food and blankets and so on.
The Raven, meanwhile, gauges the feeling on the street... to find that most people don't seem any different than the previous morning - at least, not in a way that is a reaction to the Ravens' activities. That said, he does hear a pair of workers chatting with one another.
"Did you hear? They found another dead tiefling in the Nursery. Things are getting worse all the time."
"You'd think that the new Lord-Mayor would care about such blatant lawbreaking, but no. Not even his pet Hellknights seem bothered by it."
Vantine comes in and closes the door before she says anything, neighbors.
"Hello Narcelia. I'm fine, just a hectic couple of days. How about you? How have you been?"
Vantine takes the food she's brought to the kitchen, then comes back to show Narcelia the other things she's brought. From a sack she takes out a couple of nice looking but comfortable dresses, a comb, and a small mirror.
"Since my dresses don't work for you, and you need something clean to wear, and some variety."
"Have you been eating? I'll make you something later, but first let's get you bathed and fixed up."
Vantine starts some water to boil, and chats a little with the young woman while they wait. When the water is ready she mixes it with cold water so Narcelia isn't scalded and gets her into the bath.
"You relax and have a nice, soothing soak. I'll wash your hair. But first, one more thing."
Vantine takes a small amount of lavender oil and places it on a plate with short candles lit to heat it. Partially the scented oil is to help Narcelia relax, partially it is to chase away the smell of a person cooped up in a sealed room for days.
Vantine washes Narcelia's hair, and makes small talk with her. When the water has cooled and starts to chill, she gets the young woman out and into one of the new dresses. She then combs and styles Narcelia's hair.
"Have you remembered anything more since I was last here?" Vantine asks when the flow of the conversation seems right to insert the question.
As the session is coming to an end, Vantine also asks Narcelia about her solitary habitation of the flat. She's becoming concerned that the young woman isn't going to improve much with so little stimulation.
"I know you don't mind being here alone so much, but the hours must surely drag. There is another place I could take you where you would be out of sight and safe. It's much larger with plenty of room to move around. There are also a few other people there."
"They're like you, people we're hiding because they aren't safe. It might be a good thing for you to spend more time with people who can understand and sympathize with your situation. Of course you can stay here if you want, but you could also come back here after trying the other place if you change your mind."
"S-sorry! Sorry... I... I don't know why, but this is... suffocating." She shivers. "Something wrong, something wrong, but I don't know, I don't know what..."
After nearly ten minutes, Vantine manages to get the young woman to calm down. When she offers sanctuary somewhere else, Narcelia looks conflicted. "I don't know... I guess I could go, if you think it's a good idea. But maybe I'll bring bad attention to you and your friends..."
"I'll make you something to eat, a warm meal with some meat in it. It might help put a little more color in your cheeks. While I'm doing that, could you think on what precisely felt suffocating? Maybe some past experience or memory came to you? It might help to figure things out."
In response to Narcelia's worries about relocating, Vantine tries to reassure her.
"It is your choice. I promise I will not force you to leave here if you don't want to. But the other location is well concealed, better than this one, so you needn't worry about bringing attention to us. As for the others there, I think they can manage themselves fine. You might make friends."
Vantine doesn't bring up the feeling of familiarity just yet. Before she does it might be better to put some feelers out to see if anyone she knows can identify the young woman. If she and Vantine do have some sort of commonality, Narcelia isn't a completely random person who can be identified. Maybe.
Jessibel takes a little time to visit the costume shop to see if her Magpie mask is ready yet. She uses the same disguise as last time (probably her Amanda Juliac identity).
Unfortunately, other than getting the sense of having seen the cause of familiarity recently, Vantine cannot put a finger on what exactly strikes her as familiar about the young psychic.
"Nobody cares, I guess. That you are missing." The Raven announces upon his return to the crowded apartment. He is wearing the smaller masquerade mask now. He had expected some kind of reaction from the so-called law enforcement of the city over the jailbreak. The complete lack of any word of the deed puzzles and concerns him. Maybe those mercenaries are hiding the truth for some reason? He would have to stop by the saltworks and see how things look over there. "I think we can safely move you ladies to our lair now. Just need to keep your heads down and we can bring something pretty along to distract the troll at the toll bridge. Probably safer than a rowboat at night."
Iratea looks up at the Raven as he returns. "Huh. Well, we weren't that important as far as prisoners go. That's why we were there, rather than in one of the more major prisons." The aasimar points out.
She looks to her sisters. "Are we going in parts or all together? I would prefer all together, but I know that would be riskier."
Jessibel is thrilled to finally have her Magpie mask, but she's not ready to don it in front of the Scarlet Rose ladies...at least until they're more formally indoctrinated into the rebellion. Unfortunately, the bard doesn't have any clever ideas for getting the scarred warrior women across the Bleakbridge that doesn't either involve a huge wagon with a giant hidden compartment or the formation of a circus troupe with a half-dozen female clowns in heavy makeup.
"Multiple trips means multiple chances to get caught. One and done and get it over with, I think." The Raven says. "Deep hoods should be adequate to hide your identities. I have not had any problems thus far."
Aisling nods. "Let's keep it simple and keep us lal together. That way, if it does go wrong at least we aren't too spread out."
Jessibel seems to have some reservations about the Raven's plan (Non-plan?) but is hesitant to speak against her mentor. "One group of eleven might be conspicuous," she argues. "Especially if they subsequently discover that ten of us are women. If they've received any alert about the breakout, we'd be in big trouble. How about if I take three of the Roses across with me first--I'll pretend to be a noblewoman from the Greens on a shopping trip, and the Roses can be my porters if you will, carrying everything I bought. I can do all the talking and keep the bridge guards' attention on me, not on the Roses. I think that could work."
Vantine is a little doubtful but she shrugs and says "very well, let's get it done tomorrow."
Nyxra doesn't have much to add to the conversation, opting to just go home and get some much-needed sleep once it's over.
As the group progress towards Bleakbridge, they garner a few odd stares, but nothing notably out of the ordinary. Once they arrive, they prepare to cross over. At the toll booth, the dottari holds up her hand. "Coin please." She looks at the large number of scarred women curiously.
Jessi presents the guard with a gold piece for herself. When she's also charged for her 'porters,' she feigns mild outrage. "They're just servants...shouldn't cost the same as a real citizen!" she mutters under her breath.
The Raven hangs back near the railing of the bridge, watching how things play out.
Vantine, behind Jessibel and the Sisters, tries to keep the line moving. She starts grousing loudly.
Hey! This is taking forever! Just pay up and move on! We've all got places to get to, today!"
With the ease of long experience, Jessi and Vantine persuade the woman to disregard the Scarlet Rose, and after taking their money, the dottari waves them on.
When the Ravens and their Scarlet Rose fellows arrive at the increasingly cozy Wasp's Nest, they find that the Fushi sisters are in something of a state. Jay is the first to notice them. "You're back! Thank the gods. Two days ago, of the walls collapsed and nearly crushed Korva, and Threep got hurt pulling her out of the rubble." She looks to Aisling. "Could you help them?"
"Laria wanted to talk to you, as well." Rexus says, stepping out of the living area, his expression weighed down with sorrow. "Also, Lady Talbot, thank you for- oh. I take it your rescue was successful?"
Aisling looks concenred. "I hope it's not falling apart on us, we have new arrivals to keep thaere. Let me take a look at the injuries and see what i can do."
Vantine groans and goes to look at the damage. Something like this could make it harder to get Narcelia over here.