The road to Snamish

[Graybeard]

[OOC: OK, new topic, taking up exactly where the Artifact of Absonial left off...]

Sister Rose let Argus drive (and Lillith sit next to him) as the wagon pulled away from the floating inn. They were going to be heading into, well, "conservative" country where it might be best for a man to be seen driving. Besides, there was something she needed to discuss with her cousin.

Brad had started to insert his foot quite deeply in his mouth just before they set off. His eyes had been positively aglow with the prospects of a new life in Snamish with his inamorata, and he didn't care who knew it. "Rose," he'd enthused, "I just can't tell you how happy I am right now! After all that's happened, to finally get on the way to Snglurgh--" And Rose had clamped a hand quite firmly over his mouth. Now there was hurt in his puppy-dog eyes, and she needed to deal with it.

"I'm sorry I was a little rough when I shushed you," she said as the wagon reached the main road. "I just about made the same mistake myself, a few minutes ago. It's important, I think, that we not say the name of -- our destination until we're sure there's no one around to hear us. We don't want anyone to know where we're going, and we certainly don't want anyone connecting the name to what they see." She lifted eyebrows in the directions of Lillith, up in front with her father, and Suriah, receiving love and comfort from Drusia. "Argus, turn left here," she continued.

Brad looked like he'd got over the mild reproof, but he was puzzled. "Left? Doesn't that take us back toward Cartish, was it? I thought we were going up oof!"

Another elbow dug into his ribs as Rose mentally facepalmed, unable to spare a hand for the physical action. Her cousin could be a bit of a slow learner sometimes ... "Get this into your Bad-Brad head," she hissed sotto voce, using a long-forgotten (and cordially disliked) childhood nickname. "We don't want people to know where we're going. I told a couple of slight fibs to the people on the base and at the inn to try to make them think we're heading for the coast. That may give us enough cover, but it may not, so we're going to follow the road that way until we're well out of town. Then we'll turn off on a side road, skirt Lorenzel and Ramanzel, and head for our real destination. Got it?"

Abashed, Brad nodded silently as the horses plodded slowly south.

[Drusia]

Another elbow dug into his ribs as Rose mentally facepalmed, unable to spare a hand for the physical action. Her cousin could be a bit of a slow learner sometimes ... "Get this into your Bad-Brad head," she hissed "We don't want people to know where we're going. I told a couple of slight fibs to the people on the base and at the inn to try to make them think we're heading for the coast. That may give us enough cover, but it may not, so we're going to follow the road that way until we're well out of town. Then we'll turn off on a side road, skirt Lorenzel and Ramanzel, and head for our real destination. Got it?"

I smile at the byplay between Rose and Brad. Nice nickname - I'll need to remember that for those times when I want to slap the shit out of him, but just don't have the time.

As to our destination, there are a number of ways to cover our tracks. Rose's plan is good for physical observers, casual or otherwise. However, just in case someone has taken it into their head to try something magical...

I open my pack, untying the pouch that contains my "collection". I don't remove anything in the cart, as I wouldn't want Brad crashing into anything due to severe nosebleed, but rather sort through them by feel. Most of them are human made, imported or purchased in Tsuiraku or Farrel. A few are collectors pieces crafted in Veracia, before the church shut down whomever was making them. One, though, is older. It's of elven make, and in addition to three speeds and two distinct motions it has an additional privacy feature. I think it must have been added to appeal to the Cimmerii, since most Rinkai would generally prefer to invite others to join them rather than hide what they're doing, but who knows. Whatever the reason, when the mode is activated, a low-power magical static is produced that prevents scrying or other magical observation. Good for preventing Toms from Peeping, and at making sure no one can track you magically.

I find it and turn it on. Then, without removing it, I close up my pack again.

There we go. One more defense against anyone who might be after us.

-- Drusia

[Graybeard]

OOC: Truthfully, I'm tempted at this point just to fast-forward all the way to the jumping-off point for Snamish (i.e., the no doubt well concealed road leading to the caverns that are its only known way of getting in). That way, we can get right to the heart of the character interactions. Any objections to that?

[Drannin]

OOC: Sounds good to me.

[Porcelain Fish]

Ok!

[Drusia]

Desirée knelt before the statue of her goddess, praying without words, letting the early morning sun warm her skin. The Veracian windows let in the light and warmth, and changed it too, bright patches of color spreading across the temple floor.

Outside the temple, Desirée could hear the sound of people preparing for the festival. Today was a holy day, a day of celebration in Snamish; it was a day dedicated to fertility, of crops, of the fish in the lake, and of the womb. It was a day sacred to Anilis, goddess of life. It was an important day for all the priests and priestesses, which was why Desirée was working so hard to prepare herself. The elder priestess had made it quite clear that, to properly perform her role today, Desirée would have to take a hard look at herself, and her relationship with the goddess. Such was the case when one was to act as a goddess's living vessel.

The other priests and priestesses of Anilis moved about the temple around her, hanging flowers, lighting incense, preparing the tea. Elsewhere, some of the stronger members of the faith would be hauling a case of oil vials for the upcoming fertility blessings. Today, in addition to the revelry, priests and priestesses would go about blessing crops, boats, livestock, expectant mothers, newly-weds, no to mention anyone else who asked for the blessing of Anilis. Desirée had done that duty herself last year. Not this year though. No traipsing about the town for her.

"It's time," the high priestess told her. Desirée nodded, standing. Her deep crimson vestments flowed around her; unlike the high priestess's heavy robes, Desirée wore vestments of a light gossamer that seemed to drift about her like mist. Holding up her arms, Desirée invited the goddess to fill her, as water fills a lake. She felt a gentle fluttering in her breast, like the wings of a small bird, and sighed happily at being found worthy. Smiling radiantly, Desirée turned and walked from the temple.

People were already gathered in the square outside. At the center, an area was reserved for her; a bed of flower petals lay strewn in a circle. Desirée walked to the center of the circle. She paused there for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. The other priests followed her outside, but they stayed out of the circle, becoming part of the crowd. When they were all in place, she closed her eyes and offered a brief prayer to the goddess.

Bowing her head, Desirée let her vestments slip off and pool at her feet. She felt the sunlight warm on her naked back. The crowd waited. Taking another breath for confidence, Desirée began to dance.

There was no proscribed patern to the dance of Anilis, no complex steps to memorize. One let the dance flow, each motion guided by the goddess. It was different every year - the great sacrafice of the dancer was that she could never see her own performance. Desirée didn't mind; she loved the dance itself. She'd heard tales from her mother about the great statue of Anilis in the underground elven city. The goddess danced in that statue, a moment frozen in stone. Desirée couldn't imagine trying to capture Anilis in such a cold, static medium - Analis was a goddess meant to remain in motion, always changing, always new.

Desirée arched back, bringing up one leg, ponting her toes at the sky. It was a difficult motion, but it opened the gates of life, sacred to Anilis, to the sunlight. Several members of the crowd, probably dancers themselves, cheered and applauded the difficultly of the dance. Desirée's smile brightened - she did like to impress her audience.

-- Desirée

[Graybeard]

[OOC: OK, here we are, and I'm looking forward to meeting "Desirée"...]

"Yes, this is just as I remember it," Sister Rose said as the wagon ground to a halt.

Brad was puzzled. "Remember what? I don't see anything here but an old, abandoned farm. I thought we were going through a cave entrance and on into -- Snamish." He'd looked around to make sure nobody else could hear him say the name, worried that Rose or Drusia or (perish the thought) Lillith would shush him, but they seemed to be in the clear.

Rose nodded. "That's the whole idea. The entrance is back in those hills." She gestured toward a set of foothills rising behind the farm toward the mountains -- the mountains that concealed Kenny's (and Drusia's) home town. "The farm is the first layer of cover. Notice that the fields are well tended even though the farmhouse itself is falling down? Records would show that the place belongs to an absentee landlord from way up at Delphiniel." She permitted herself a wry smile; the irony of that was considerable. It had never occurred to her until just a few days ago that Drusia might be that "absentee landlord."

She dismounted from the wagon, hobbled the horses. "Laborers come and work on the thing as needed -- laborers like us." Another smile. "Nobody asks where they come from, or where they go afterward. Come, let's take a look around."

[Drannin]

Argus looked around the farm. It was a nice place, he had to admit. He'd slept in worse places, during those bad years. Harker waddled alongside him, apparently fully recovered.

"So you really don't remember anything?" Argus had asked.

"Nada. There was this weird sense of something pressing on my mind, and then you were shaking me awake Boss. Weird sensation."

They had had this conversation shortly after Harker had been roused. That whole incident still disturbed Argus greatly, and reminded him of just how many secrets this world still held. He sighed. Some of which were closer than others.

His eyes strayed to Lillith. His daughter. Still a stranger to him. How the hell did one recover a relationship when they hadn't even HAD one up to now? And then there was Rose... that was a conundrum in a while other way.

"I wonder what kind of defenses this place has?" Argus wondered aloud.

"Death rays?" suggested Harker.

"Doubtful."

[Drusia]

"I wonder what kind of defenses this place has?" Argus wondered aloud.

"Death rays?" suggested Harker.

"Doubtful."

I smile and walk forward. "You'd be surprised," I say, not specifying which one I'm speaking to.

I never really cared much for the farm. A necessity, sure, but I generally breeze past it. I'm looking forward to getting home, as I always am by the time I make it back here.

"Do you want to explore," I ask Rose, "Or shall I lead the way?"

-- Drusia

[Graybeard]

"Do you want to explore," I ask Rose, "Or shall I lead the way?"

There was a wistfulness to Sister Rose's smile as she answered. "Oh, no need to explore. The first time I ever came here with Kenny, we did enough 'exploring' to last me a while. There is one question I want to ask you, though, after I show you something." <"In private,"> she continued mentally.

She walked around the side of the decaying farm house to where a henhouse stood, still in fairly good repair, and with the noises of chickens within. "Here was where I met Benedict, Kenny's father, for the first time," she said. "He was collecting eggs. Kind of a funny thing for what amounted to the mayor of Snamish to be doing, but of course, that was part of the cover."

Her eyes got a faraway look. "He wasn't very friendly to me at first, what with me being not just a human marrying his son, but one from outside the village. It took a couple of visits before the family really accepted me, but it did happen. I came to love him as I loved my own parents, and when Kenny -- died, he was a lot of help to me. I hope we can see him again. Is he still doing all right?"

She was quite sure that Benedict was just fine, in fact, but she wanted cover for the real question she wanted to ask Drusia, which she now did mentally. <"Are we going to take this whole entourage to the town? Obviously there are no problems with Brad and the half elves, and Argus -- well, I think we can confide in each other. But how about Kim, and Maduin, and particularly Bryce?">