Alfric tried to think on what would be appropriate here, pluck one of the roses? A single petal? Something else?
Daymar concentrated on the rose bush for several long seconds seeking for thoughts that might indicate whether the bush was another hidden sprite. After about thirty heartbeats, his spell came to its end.
As he let the last wisps of the spell's energy go, Daymar began wandering through his mind palace, looking for any information he may have stored away regarding giant fey rosebushes and fey royalty.
As Alfric considered the best course of action, Kellen prayed to the spirits of his tribe to guide their way... Honored ancestors, give counsel to this brave Knight that we may gain the favor of the Fey for this negotiation.
Basdemar is at a loss. Do they need this blessing or not?
"How do we know this wasn't some trick of the guide? The Queen, as majestic as that would be, is maybe just a figment of our guides imagination."
Levn tended to the rich loam around the rosebush's roots with water from his own waterskin. As he stood back up, it might have just been a trick of the light but it seemed to him that one of the roses was just a little bigger than the rest and the dangerous looking thorns just a little further away from the blossom than the others. Almost like it was being offered to him.
Alfric was sure that if this was the king's mother, a proper blessing would be to come back with a rose. What else could she have to offer? Of course, he also knew that damaging a rosebush in the Court of Roses was a deadly offense. A proper conundrum.
Daymar detected no thoughts, or at least nothing resembling anything he recognized as a thought. Just before his spell ran and as Levn finished watering the rosebush's soil, Daymar thought that maybe he detected something along the line of happiness? Or contentment? It was hard to put into words. But it could also have been his own desperation to figure out this puzzle.
Alfric frowned.
"Blast. There are just so many ways to put a foot wrong; I just don't know how to proceed properly."
Levn cautiously held his hands out under the proferred blossom, in case the bush dropped it into his hands - he'd take that as blessing enough.
"We thank you for the chance to look upon such beauty," he whispered to the bush in the fey tongue. "Grant us your blessing, and we will go as happy men."
The blossom didn't fall into Levn's hand but he was certain now the long, dangerous looking thorns were further away from this one, and it was extended toward his hand- just an inch or two, but he knew in his bones it was his to take if he cared to do so.
"You honor us," Levn breathed as he gently plucked the rose. "May your days be warm and your roots drink sweet water."
He backed away with a bow before turning back to the others. "Let's pay the king our respects."
Alfric takes a deep and quiet sigh of relief that someone found a way forward.
"Agreed; let's proceed." He said.
He gestured to the others that it's time to go forward.
Kellen nervously looks around, and as they depart, looks back over his shoulder at the enormous rose bush. Yes, let's go ahead and see what else lurks before us. The fey are always tricky...
When the group returned to Nock with a rose the size of Levn's outstretched hand, the fey guide looked astonished. "Oh! Fairest creatures may ever increase, that beauteous rose might never die. But ever riper should by time decease, even tender heir might bear its memory." He shook his head and snorted. "Gift you have and blessing too, but on to tragedy it may lead you."
The roseblood sprite led the group back to the dining room, where he announced "No cowards these, friends! The mother's blessing a hero portends!" The raucous group of sprites around the long table turned to applaud the group as Levn and the others entered and the herald who had wanted to throw them out got up to stand in front of the wall of roses, clearly waiting for the visitors to approach.
Levn strode forward with his companions , regretting that he'd never learned the simple magic to make their entrance a bit more impressive. He glanced at Daymar, hoping his "brother" would read his mind this once.
On reaching the herald, he gestured at the wall of roses. "The Queen has blessed us with her grace and beauty. Herald us now, that we may speak with the King and end this trouble."
The fey frowned at Levn and shook his head but waved his hand grandly at the hedge of roses. The solid-looking wall rolled back like a curtain, revealing a set of stone steps leading up to a dais carved with stone roses, upon which sat a towering throne of still-living oak, all of which was festooned with twisting rose vines.
A majestic figure clad in the finest silks and with a crown of blooming roses upon his brow sat on the throne. The King of Roses looked down at the mortals curiously. "Charmed my guards, bearing my mother's warm regards, yet you greet a King with no gift, giving protocol short shrift. Who are you to intrude on my knights' peaceful interlude?"
"What mere thing could such as we hope to offer a king? True, we come empty-handed, but a gift you shall have - if you would hear a tale of mystery and derring-do? Let our poor gift appease your ire, king of the roses. Will you hear it?"
The king looked intrigued. "You think you have a story unknown to the fey? Our talespinners are arrayed in glory! But please, share with us whatever tale you may."
"A marvellous storyteller don't you think?"
The King of Roses and his court were enraptured by Levn's storytelling and his tale of a lost foundling possessing secret power, all the others agreeing enthusiastically with Sir Alfric as he made his rounds. By the end all the fey were clapping and cheering when the young squire made his mad dash into the dragon's den and speared it right through the single missing scale on its chest.
The King leaned down toward Levn, beaming at the talespinner. "A tale such as we've never heard, enrapt we were with every word! A new story to add to ones we spin, a villain dark but heroes win! My friend, my poet, a place I'll hold should you have more tales to be told. Fey friend I name thee, Talespinner for true, among all fey glory your name shall accrue."
He sighed and sat back in his throne, his smile fading as he turned to less entertaining thoughts. "Sadly, my friend, ours is a tale of woe. Our story contains its very own foe. Would you care to take a quest? To help this court, a wrong address?"
Kellen listens, enthralled and impressed by Levn's storytelling, applauding at the end once things have concluded. Well done Levn, that was good thinking.
Listening to the Fey's question Kellen stiffens ever-so slightly and leans to his friend, We should be careful here in what we agree to, but it might not hurt to help them.
"Pronounce your quest, that we admire, Before your test, we may aquire." Asked the Green Knight politely.
Basdemar broods as the villain of the story becomes a dragon. But he realizes the intent and plays along, hissing at the appopriate moments, flaring his crest and wings and in general helpingbthe story along.
He doesn't clap as the story ends.
"Couldn't it all just be a great misunderstanding? I know one where the seemingly white dragon...isn't. "
But he congratulates Levn at the stry well told and keeps his peace in front of this audience.
"We are intrigued, Great King, what could threaten such as you?"
Levn took a bow, with a flourish of his longcoat, and nodded in the direction of the others who had spoken. "Wrongs we might right, great King, if we should. Tell us about this wrong, if you would."
Daymar had simply watched and listened. His spell of thought reading had expired, and he didn't dare do any obvious casting in this place while surrounded by fey observers. Levn might have gained the rose-Queen's favor, but Daymar knew very well how quickly Fey tempers could turn.
The King of Roses gestured at his herald and the fey standing at the bottom of the dais described the problem. It turned out that a band of terrifying fire drakes has blackmailed the King of Roses for months now, demanding the ears of his subjects in payment for not burning down their glade. As the sprites have little defense against the flying menaces, the king reluctantly agreed. Now, once per month, four sprites sacrifice one of their ears, which are left in a rosewood box atop a nearby tree for the drakes to pick up.
Kellen nods his head sagely as the king spoke his tale of woe. I think we can come to accord on this one Levn, but what about the slaying of the workmen in the area? I'm willing to slay the drakes, but there is still that matter.
When asked about the workers, the King made a disgusted face. "Humans made bargain to lend us their ears but went back on their word and it ended in tears." He shook his head, and from what the group knew of the fey he was probably more upset by the workers not abiding by their agreement than he was that his men had killed them.
"If I may, oh, great king,
May my words in your ears true ring.
The human says to lend his ears
When they sit with one and their woe hears.
Your woes didn't go away with dead ears
They may yet end with more tears,
Alas, the ears lent cannot be returned
You may owe the humans the debt, the tables have turned.
"
Looking at the rest if the group, Basdemar shrugs
"What!? Jobolds have great tradition in quips and word duels."
Listening to Bas' witty retort to the king, he jumps into the conversation, admittedly not as well as the others, but trying to imitate their style:
Yet your debt unpaid is owed to the slain
Should we lend fortuitous aid to you
Blood debts needs settle for our lords fine mien.
Should we slay fire drakes who doth cause you pain
Weregild must we bear from hence to families' gain.
He looks strained with the effort of keeping up with the Fey's speech patterns, and doesn't care to repeat, but feels like he drove home the point about paying for the slain workers.
The King looks disturbed that he might have incurred some sort of debt through his vassals' actions. "If debt be owed for mortals slain,
no true king would dare complain
to pay what's due. But less you bring me true account
for ears and lives and body count,
all spoke here is naught but wind and smoke
with no debt heard to invoke."
The Green Knight tried to remember if they had been given an accounting of the names and numbers of the slain woodsmen...
As well as what would be the appropriate weirguild in this case.
Agreed, we shall provide you an accounting of the slain. Whence do we find these fire drakes which cause you pain? the shaman speaks, trying to mind his words with the Fey.
Daymar simply continued watching. Poetry and people were not really "his thing." Either one of them.
Knowing things - including things about people - that was a him thing. So, too, were watching, listening, and learning. So that's what he did, keeping an eye on the King and his court as his companions talked.
"Where they might lair we do not know but from the north they come and go." Daymar thinks that the conversation has been pretty well balanced- in exchange for slaying the drakes who are blackmailing his Court the King will pay a weregild for the dead workers, as long as he is brought a list of the dead.
Though now that he thinks about it, the King hasn't actually agreed, he only said that 'no true king would would complain.' That said, the fey are odd and if they believe they owe a debt they will always pay.
One of the roseblood sprites at the table speaks up. "From Pointing Rock the drakes do fly, I've seen them come with my own eye." The King gestures at his vassal in a 'there you go' gesture.
Kellen looks at the others, It sounds like we have a pair of objectives and things to resolve, do we need to remain here any longer, or should we be about our day? I'd prefer some time before assaulting Pointing Rock to prepare my prayers differently for fire drakes.
Daymar managed to keep himself from frowning, but something niggled at him a bit.
"Confirm the bargain," He murmured to Levin.
Kellen thinks a moment as they exit the Court of Roses, Well, I'm sure Daymar and I need time to prepare ourselves before encountering the fire drakes to the north. We should head back to Fort Varn, we can pick up extra arrows as needed. But a night's rest is definitely needed. he swings up on Clumsyfoot and looks to the others for their feedback.
Kellen thinks a moment as they exit the Court of Roses, Well, I'm sure Daymar and I need time to prepare ourselves before encountering the fire drakes to the north. We should head back to Fort Varn, we can pick up extra arrows as needed. But a night's rest is definitely needed. he swings up on Clumsyfoot and looks to the others for their feedback.
The Shaman adjusts the cold iron longspear, adorned with the markings of the hated Red Tiger tribe in his stirrup. The flying squirrel, Ryllia settles on his shoulder, and he looks ready to go.
When they stepped outside the court, Alfric breathed a sigh of relief.
Presenting his shield, he called out "Avalanche! Come forth!"
Out of the hostelling shield came Alfric's charger Avalanche; fully armored, saddled and apparisoned.
Alfric lept into the saddle and donned his great helm, making him The Green Knight again.
"Aye Kellen, I am in full agreement. Returning to Fort Varn we may pick up news as well as supply." He said.
By the time the group got back to the road it was well unto night but along the road the horses could easily make the six miles back to Fort Varn in less than two hours, so the group found themselves making their way back into the fort near midnight. The guards at the gate seemed reluctant to let them in but some of them were riding borrowed guard horses and wearing guard livery and that seemed to convince them more than the group's assurances that they were legitimate.
There was hot, if not exactly fresh, stew on the hearth for late night customers at the Boar's Bones, and clean beds that were a step up from sleeping on the ground. Morning came too soon and in what seemed like only a few minutes the group was eating breakfast with a crowd of early morning guards and workers.
Basdemar remains quiet for the conversation, but as the group starts leaving he looks at Daymar.
"Shouldn't we..."
Shrugging, he bows to the fey king, he speaks
"We go forth, to resolve your woes,
We kill the drakes, your foes,
We bring the names of the people who helped you stave off the drakes
You make right with humans, weregild payment to leaven the stakes."
OOC: not my native language, I hope it makes sense :)
---
In the inn, during dinner.
"We need to get the list of the people killed. For the fey king. And we need to explain the situation in a way that will not have humans up in arms."
Alfric nodded his agreement at the inn.
"Aye I agree Sir Basdemar. As for explainations, are we not on a quest, answering a challenge of a high noble? We don't need to explain details."
Sir Gyrad readily provided a list of the dead workers and soldiers. As Bas had predicted, he did want an explanation, though. "What did you say you needed this for?"
"We didn't," Daymar said, a very slight upturning at the corners of his mouth the only sign of emotion as he did so.
"But if we are to fully investigate, we need to know everyone involved. This gives us a place to start." He didn't elaborate further.
Sir Gyrad snorted. "Alright, then. Keep your secrets." He waved his hand at the door, looking amused- a retired adventurer who knew what it was like to be in Daymar and Sir Alfric's shoes. He also knew that they would have to tell him what was going on eventually- that was the way of the adventurer.