"I don't think upsetting Ellesandra when she's talking to her son is a good idea," says Eglantine nervously.
She glares at Bren. "Don't you dare do anything stupid. I'm not losing you."
Bren glares back, but says and does nothing.
|
Ellessandra crosses the dam and goes to speak with her son. Flax leans down from the saddle and they hold a hushed conversation. She is clearly anxious, he is clearly angry. He repeatedly looks up and glares at the party.
The other fey divide their attention between Flax and the party, apparently waiting for either to make a move.
Eglantine watches, content to feel the comforting warmth of Scathach behind her.
"He's lying out his buttocks," mutters Bren. "I wish I brought my bow and arrows."
Eglantine nudges Elias gently. "I think Bren's right," she says softly, "but he doesn't seem to want to attack us."
"Not so fast, boy. What are you and your Black Fey friends doing here? You're not planning on making trouble on the other side, are you? Haven't yet heard about what happened to those fool satyrs who invaded Riverbend?"
Catriana nods, then calls back to Flak: "I'm sure you would take care of both of them. The problem is we must take your mother back to the village as that's our contract. Some of us are bound by money while other are by their promises or justice. We would be grateful if you could accompany us there, and even if you couldn't, your mother would soon be free to join you again."
"Bren, those fool satyrs and the bear nearly killed us. I'd really rather that didn't happen any time soon."
Eglantine struggles to keep panic out of her voice.
"Yes, but I'm hoping they don't know that."
|
|
Flax seems to bristle at "Boy," but then calls out. "Yes, Redcoat told me all about it. How a few drunken satyrs required the town heroes," the fey laughs. "Sadly for Riverbend, I'm neither drunk nor a fool."
Then to Catriana, "Very well, half-breed. I shall take my mother back to Riverbend for you, and your duties are discharged."
Greatly agitated, Bren turns to his comrades.
"He's all but admitted they're going to attack Riverbend. Are we going to just let them do it?"
"No, no. We're not. If that what he's doing, we have to stop them. But we have to get there first and without Ellesandra, we probably can't."
"Eglantine is right."
"Should we attack them here, before they jump in the pond?"
Catriana tells the group, uncertain of herself: "We can still try to solve this with no fighting. We should try, at least. No reason to get Flak killed after we rescued his mother..."
Turning to the fey, Catriana tries to hide the nervousness in her voice: "Let's go then. I'm sure your friends will be bored in that small village, so they could stay here. I and my friend here <points to Eglantine> can entertain them meanwhile"
While Catriana is speaking Bren keeps his eyes averted from the fey. His head is down, obscuring the growing scowl on his face.
Catriana's nervousness causes her to fumble some of the words, causing a great potential oration to be just a mediocre presentation.
"He's stalling for some reason," Cyrus mutters under his breath.
Eglantine notices nothing amiss with Flax, but as she watches and listens a kind of mad plan forms. Her fingers move unobtrusively around the hilt of her dagger, as she palms it so the blade lies against her arm, well out of sight.
Taking a tiny breath, she walks towards Flax smiling adoringly at him.
"Let me come. They're small-minded bigots and if you're teaching them manners, I want to see it. I've spent years being looked down on and sneered at for being a circus girl. Time for payback." A mixture of bitterness and adulation thrums through her words.
Behind her back, her friends can just see the tips of her fingers crossing.
"Thank you," she breathes adoringly. "You've just fulfilled my heart's desire."
'Tis a special kind of madness. The Feywild has affected them all in their own ways.
"Once the Fey have gone through we've got to come after them," whispers Bren to the party. "I don't know what Eggers got planned, but she's going to need our help."
"Once the Fey have gone through we've got to come after them," whispers Bren to the party. "I don't know what Eggers got planned, but she's going to need our help."
Catriana watches as Eglantine advances, uncertain of what is going on. Trying again, she calls to Flax: "Are you sure your friends want to come? After all, it is pretty boring in Riverbend. Not much to do there. Why not stay here in the feywild without going through the trouble of getting through the pond".
Eglantine sways gracefully towards Flax working her way through the black fey with an exression combining worship of their beauty and awe at their fey supremacy.
"Your son is a wonder Ellesandra," she says, low and respectful.
Eglantine's face falls a little in a disappointed pout.
"But ... then they'll miss seeing how magnificent you are ... that's not right. They should watch and learn from you."
A naughty smile crosses her lips. "Let them watch and then send them into the world to tell of your prowess and beauty. That's fitting, isn't it?"
Catriana quietly says: "I don't know what Eg's plan is, but we'll probably fight soon anyway".
Thinking for a moment, she adds: "If we're right and they're about to attack Riverbend, shouldn't it be better for us to wait for them at the other side? If he's waiting for more of his allies, we could attack them as they pass to the other side after us, and we'll stand more of a chance against these odds".
"That makes sense. As much as anything can at this moment." Elias says wryly.
Reminder:
Catriana shares her knowledge with the group.
"The fey have a system of honors, in which personal honor is very important to them. It also means that in order to resolve conflicts, they duel between themselves. The feywild is different than the world we know - there are many portals around here in which all kinds of fey can move through. They are organized into all sizes of kingdoms, which organize the duels and other customs such as feasts or markets. There are two main kinds of Fey - Light and Black. The light ones are "good", while the Black ones are treacherous. In any case, the fey give great importance to oaths and bargains, so even the Black ones could be controlled in such a way. For that reason, swearing service to a fey is considered as a very serious thing.The fey do deal with non-fey, but usually see them as inferior to them. They like athletic and acrobatic shows, gifts of almost all sorts (not including weapons, which is offensive to them), or even songs, skills, poetry, memory or stories. However, all these come at a price to the giver."
"Sounds right, Cat. Should we make a run for the pool? I'm guessing this portal is activated the same way as the other."
"Shall you sweep through Riverbend like the refreshing river or will you duel a worthy champion, my lord? I have heard that such is the way of the mightiest fey."
Eglantine ventures a look upwards at the fey lord.