Umbertiel, part 2 (Inquisition)

[Sareth]

Lillith fought down the urge to laugh. Brad's inadvertent innuendo had simply proven to be a delightful bonus to her teasing. She supposed it was fortunate that Brother Timothy hadn't caught any of it.

"We've had to range pretty far, I'm afraid. We never can be sure where we are going next. It all depends on where the trail leads next. I suspect Rose will soon get a parrot giving her instructions from this patriarch fellow."

"The Patriarch, sweetheard," Brad gently cut in. "He's the one providing you with protection."

"Yes, dear. Sorry. The Patriarch. Wherever the orders send Rose, the rest of us will follow."

The girl turned in her seat to look toward Desiree and Eli. "We're over here. Come try some crackers and cheese. It's divine!"

[Jack Rothwell]

"I mean, I'm a priestess of Anilis. Everyone who has me knows I'll be with someone else soon. It's... kind of nice having someone be jealous over me. It doesn't happen very often."

Eli opened his mouth to protest that he wasn't, but thought repeating himself wasn't going to dig him out the hole he'd just created. He might've said something anyway, but as his eyes alighted on the Priest who'd been the subject of their discussion in the tavern and talking to Sister Rose the words died in his throat. Luckily Lilith called to them at that moment and gave him a second to think.

"We're over here. Come try some crackers and cheese. It's divine!"

"As long as there's wine..." He muttered, and moved to join them and then, rallying, spoke to the newcomer. "Brother Timothy! When you said you had to report I didn't realise you meant to the nearest pub. You have business with our friends?"

[Alberich]

Brother Tim's eyebrows bounced once. Her husband was jealous? To be expected. But was it the jealousy of a true husband -- around here, that would mean fists or stronger, if the law didn't do it for you -- or some weaker version? I bet I could take him. No matter. This could be his protection! Still, that was a pretty inane thing to say. Between the stables and here he, Timothy, had done some practical good, both for his town and for his Church. What had Eli accomplished? But voicing that thought would sound petty and mean, and that wasn't the right tone to take in front of her in front of anyone.

"Well, actually, a lot of business does get done in the inns here - we can often keep a couple of townsmen from going to law, or fighting, by sitting them down in a familiar place and talking it out." That was true enough. In fact, conciliating was one of his favorite duties as a priest. It didn't always work, and it couldn't, but when it did he slept a peaceful sleep. Which I won't be doing tonight - She will disturb my rest - It would be more fun not to go to bed at all, then - Shut up, me. He kept his tone, if not his heart, entirely innocent.

"But certainly it's good to sit down with our guests from out of town, and talk. They've just been telling me about all the wonderful things you've seen in your travels, and I've been talking about our local attractions, the countryside and so on" - he paused to recommend a cheese or two - "It's a rare opportunity, what with your only staying one more night, and leaving tomorrow and all."

His two strongest wishes were (1) that Eli would cleave to his wife, and stick around, and save him from damnation; and (2) that Eli would be cloven from his wife, and get lost, and go to damnation himself.

[Drusia]

I glance between Brother Timothy, Eli, and the others at the table. This is... unexpected. What is the priest doing with the others?

Eli's comment and Timothy's reply are both rife with undercurrents. I'd suggest we leave, except I'm not sure where we'd go - except perhaps back to our inn room. Then again, I'm not sure Eli wants to be stuck in a room with me at the moment.

Also, there isn't any food in our room. We only got to eat part of our pasteries before horses and fires and all. That cheese looks wonderful.

You know what - screw it. I'm clearly bad at playing a devout wife anyway.

I step past Eli and take a seat, leaving a spot for him beside me. "That looks wonderful," I say to Lillith, ignoring Eli and Timothy for the moment. They can work things out for themselves. "Could you pass me some of that one?"

-- Desiree

[Alberich]

For whatever reasons of her own, she was concentrating on Lillith and cheese. Timothy had already given his recommendations where she could hear, and repeating himself would just look foolish. He gave her a nod of acknowledgement and a cheery "good afternoon!" as she joined them at the table, but he didn't dare stare or let his eyes wander - there were too many people watching too closely that matters, does it? as if the mere scent of her wasn't more than enough to make his body respond...With Rose and Argus gone, and Bryce and Maduin at the other table, only five of them were here. There were a lot of limbs below the table but touching was out of the question. Too risky too wrong.

So he looked back to Brad, and tried to engage him again on their mission - "But you were saying about where you'd been going?" - whether Brad answered his previous question about whether the next part of the mission was local, or told stories about places they'd been before, it was better than an awkward silence.

Couldn't someone get badly hurt and need two healers now? Just as someone in the other direction needs, I don't know, someone to turn milk sour by staring at it?

[Sareth]

"It's very good. I highly recommend it." Lillith slid the indicated platter over towards Desiree. "And given how hard you were working earlier I don't doubt you need it. It looked like you were doing a good bit of healing." She reached over and took some more cracker for herself. "Did you find anymore ardent suitors?"

[Graybeard]

Before Brother Timothy could reply, the door to the inn burst open, revealing at least three large, red-faced men, wearing coveralls and brandishing clubs and pitchforks. There were others behind them, although it was impossible to tell how many.

The largest of the three glared around the room, his hostile gaze finally fixing on Maduin. "There! He be the one who be settin' the fire! The foreign devil!" He advanced a step into the room as an ominous rumble passed among the crowd outside.

------------

All of this was completely unknown to Sister Rose and Argus, still reading Sister Bree's unpleasant diary, behind the protection(?) of a Damping spell.

[Alberich]

Timothy was on his feet in a moment - in this theocracy, justice belonged to the priesthood, and letting the layfolk take it over while he stood by would be a sign of weakness. And that kind of weakness was not allowed. With two strides, he was closer to the three men than to the others, and held himself so as to show they were not to step closer.

"Now, hold on there," he said. "I don't see any officers with you, so I don't think you've been mobilized. That man's under Patriarch's Protection, so no rough stuff. If you have orders, let me see them. If you have information, report it to me." When one of the three started to step forward, he glared and pointed - he didn't need to speak the order; the man stepped back.

Turning his head back to the Maudin, Bryce, and the others, he said, "No weapons, no leaving just yet." He hoped they were bright enough to get it - if they fled, there'd be pursuit, which Timothy would be powerless to control. If they drew weapons, there'd be a fight, and none of that was good for the mission or anyone's safety. Then he faced the man who'd spoken.

[Jack Rothwell]

Eli, much to his surprise, found himself standing next to the object of his irritation with one hand resting on the pommel of his sword and the other clenching firmly half behind his back as the urge to start another fire, this time on the new arrivals, kindled in his gut.

"Do ALL the people in this town treat visitors who help them with such hosility?" He snarled. "This man-" He pointed at Maudin. "-is one of the reasons that fire isn't dancing it's way through the district right now, stopping to alight on hopeful passers by." Eli's temper was reaching breaking point, a vien was pulsing lively on his forehead. "I helped put that blaze out too, you want to wave one of those pitchforks at me?"

[Sareth]

Lillith rose carefully and quietly, then backed away. She reached over to Desiree and pulled the girl behind her. "They can take care of themselves. We shouldn't add fuel to the flame."