Getsemiel, part 2

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose's military training kicked in, and launched by Tim's shove, she did a quick drop and roll out of the way of the carriage, aided no doubt by the fact that she'd already had to dodge a carriage in the last week or two, courtesy of Maduin's shopping obsession. The Millenarian nun, however, wasn't so prepared, and the carriage barely missed her as it thundered by, leaving her almost petrified with fear. Rose tried her best to console the girl, but it took the appearance of a Millenarian priest (with dark hair, Rose was happy to note) to get her calmed down, with words and embraces that reminded Rose that the Millenarians were another denomination that was agreeable to married clergy.

It looked like Tim, bless his heart, was getting the horses calmed down, so Rose's attention turned away from both nun and carriage, to where the horses had come from ... and for just a moment, she saw a blond man in Millenarian robes back that way, retreating with a hand gesture that expressed anger and frustration.

Well, that answers that. She hurried down the street to where Tim had stopped the wagon, conveniently close to the Calfornican temple. (And Desiree, minus Eli, in full, glorious view of the young Orthodox priest.) "Thank you," she told the young man. "That was a close call, particularly for that poor girl."

Her eyes narrowed. "And it wasn't an accident."

[Alberich]

The voice of a schoolmate in Tim's past muttered, The prophet speaks! In a different time and place, that would be rendered No shit, Sherlock! For cart horses to bolt like that with no one at the reins - straight at them at that angle - while they had active enemies they'd led into the city themselves - well, it didn't feel like an accident. He eyeballed the horses' rear ends anyway, in case he saw the Mother of All Stinging Insect Welts.

"Any trace of who did it?" he asked. "Or where?" The attempt had been clumsy - as missiles went, panicked horses were not at all precise - but they could certainly be deadly. Could be but needn't be, especially with so many skilled healers in the group. This felt more like a distraction or delay. Yet even a clumsy effort to kill clergy was a serious matter. If they could capture even one of the persons responsible, the inquisition might be interested...

"They might be moving fast - I would be." Desiree registered. Hey, Tim, say something clever and original! "Oh, ah, good morning!" Well, he tried.

[Drusia]

Oh look, there's Rose and Brother Tim. I wonder who - oh crap, horses! Before I can yell, Rose flings herself aside and the horses pass harmlessly by. And head towards me before slowing. I stand up, ready to get out of the way if necessary - or ready to help with healing - but it doesn't seem necessary. Time runs up and inspects the horses.

"They might be moving fast - I would be." Desiree registered. "Oh, ah, good morning!"

"Hi," I reply. Tim seems to be... distracted by me, and I recall that Eli was upset about me being naked around Tim, so I sit back down and faux-casually rest my arm across my breasts.

Tim's still looking at me. "So, same guy who attacked us with run-away horses the last time?" I ask, trying to make conversation.

-- Desiree

[Jack Rothwell]

Eli made his way his way back into town. As he entered the last stretch before the buildings started, the strange smile that had spread across his face grudingly faded.

'Keep your head.' He thought sardonically and then, in much flatter tones. 'Keep your eyes peeled.'

He'd be back with his companions in a few minutes. Truly, there was nothing like a morning stroll to clear a man's head.

[Alberich]

"I think that was from the fire set by Blaise." Fire set by Blaise. Pretty ladies make you so witty, don't they, Tim? He prepared to turn the wagon, to get it back to where its owner had left it. And he awaited an answer from Rose, to see if she had a lead. Actually capturing an enemy, getting some useful information, stopping something instead of helplessly watching it happen -- these would be refreshing tonic.

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose shook her head. "Different situation," she said. "I think the incident in Umbertiel really was an accident, or more accurately, an unplanned side effect of what Blaise did at the stables." Whatever that was. "This wasn't. I saw who did it, I think, one of those blond Millenarians I warned you about. And I'm pretty sure I know why."

For a moment she seethed at the ingratitude of the Millenarian denomination; she and Tim and Eli and Desiree had invested a great deal of time and energy in doing heals there, and her reward was for one of their clergy to try to kill her. Then she caught herself. The blond man had almost killed one of his own clergy, too, and the young nun was still terribly upset despite the efforts of one of the priests (who happened to wear a wedding ring, as did the nun) to calm her down. Either they were incredibly good actors, or they had no idea that the girl had almost been killed by a member of her own priestly brotherhood. No, this wasn't about the Millenarians as a whole; it was about that perversion in Provatiel.

She made a quick decision. "Let's see if we can find a quiet place in the Calfornican temple, and I'll fill you in. It's not something that should see the light of day, though, and you'll have to be sworn to secrecy until I can report back to Emerylon. Are you okay with that?"

[Jack Rothwell]

Eli arrived at the moment, stopping his greeting wave in the face of the concerned faces of Rose, Tim and Desiree. The elation he'd been feeling disappeared in an instant and a stonier expression crossed his face.

"Let me guess. Another problem?"

[Drusia]

"Different situation," she said. "I think the incident in Umbertiel really was an accident, or more accurately, an unplanned side effect of what Blaise did at the stables. This wasn't. I saw who did it, I think, one of those blond Millenarians I warned you about. And I'm pretty sure I know why."
"Let's see if we can find a quiet place in the Calfornican temple, and I'll fill you in. It's not something that should see the light of day, though, and you'll have to be sworn to secrecy until I can report back to Emerylon. Are you okay with that?"

"Sure," I reply slowly. I mean, really, who am I going to tell?

"Let me guess. Another problem?" Eli says, approaching.

"Run-away horses. Again," I reply. Nothing for it now - I stand up and step out of the bath. No way to hide, well, anything, I walk calmly over to my borrowed robe, pick it up, put it on, and turn back to them, hair dripping with water.

"I guess we should go do that then," I say to Rose. I'd like to ask about getting my travel clothes laundered, but I don't think this is the best time.

-- Desiree

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose nodded. "Let's see if we can find a quiet room in the temple."

A few minutes later, they were installed in a small, private room, and Rose cast the sound-damping, anti-eavesdropping spell she'd used before. "What I'm about to say stays here," she cautioned, and then she summarized what had been observed in Provatiel. [OOC: I won't repeat it all here. See also the later entries in the Homontel thread.]

"Ever since then," she finished, "I've been looking over my shoulder to see if anybody from that secret Millenarian army is around and causing trouble for us. This is the first time anyone has, and it worries me. We need to report that back to my higher-ups but haven't -- had the opportunity." She grimaced. "Well, actually, we did have the opportunity, in Lorenzel, and simply screwed up and forgot to do it. It was rather a tense time..."

She looked at the others. "You have nothing to worry about from them. You weren't there and they don't know you. Argus, Lillith and I, however -- we may be a different story, because we all saw what they were doing. I don't think they'll move openly against us, but we're going to have to be on our toes."

She smiled faintly at Eli and Desiree. "Yes, the quiet peaceful life of -- your home town does have its attractions. I kind of wish I was back there myself..."

[Graybeard]

OOC: Just a small heads-up that a bit of a Deus Ex Machina is being prepared if we can't move things forward with the crew on Fayna's airship pretty soon. Somebody, somewhere, had a most entertaining idea ...