The search for Brother Dalton, part 2

[Drusia]

"Please, help us find Therese, at least," she found herself saying, without being totally sure why. "She's disappeared into the bowels of a transportation system that we're pretty sure dates back to the dwarves. If anyone can understand how something like that works, it's an elf, not us humans.
"We need you, Drusia."

"No," I reply slowly. "No you don't. What you need is to get out of here. You found your missing Priest, Rose. You've done your job. Go home. And take these young people with you."

Well, that shocked everyone.

"I'm going to Praenubilus Astu to tell the Elves about what's going on in the north," I warn Rose - and everyone else. "If you keep sticking your nose into our business, you'll find yourself on the wrong end of an elven army." Or whatever response they decide to throw at this. Considering the threat, it might end up being something even less pleasant.

"I might - might - be able to get them to consider you an ally rather than someone who knows too much," I say to Rose. "But not if you have half elves with you. You've shown me that I don't have time to take Desiree home. Rescue your missing person and then get out of here. That the best friendly advice I can give you."

"And to you, Tamina," I add, turning to the Kobold. "Go home. Rebuild. Don't get yourself killed over this."

I turn to Desiree.

"I'm sorry," I tell her, "I'm heading in the wrong direction. You know where - and why. Take care and keep your head down."

I kiss Desiree on the forehead. And then I gate away - behind a nearby building. I need a few minutes of uninterupted quiet to break into the gate network and use it to teleport myself where I need to go. And anyway, after a speech like that, I wanted to make sure I got the last word.

-- Drusia

OOC: And thus Drusia departs for Praenubilus Astu.

[Jack Rothwell]

Tamina tried to make one last appeal as Drusia planted a kiss on her daughter's forehead. The kobold stepped forward, raising an arm to grasp as a flash of magic silhouetted the elf.

"But... Dru..."

The spell cleared, leaving nothing but the empty air where the woman had been. Too late. Tamina's words died in her throat, and her hand dropped limply back to her side.

OOC First Jaime, now Drusia leaving the poor Kobold behind. /OOC

[Graybeard]

A reasonable adjective for describing Sister Rose in the aftermath of Drusia's disappearance would be "thunderstruck." What brought that on? she wondered. When I talked to her before about this death cult, I got a distinct impression of indifference to them from her. No, that's wrong, she wasn't indifferent then -- maybe "detached" fits better. Either way, she sure isn't indifferent now. What changed? Is it just that we have more convincing evidence that something is going on that the elves wouldn't like? Or ... something else? I think she's been through a lot since the last time I saw her.

She became aware that Desiree and Tamina were both staring wide-eyed at her, looking as though they were ready to dissolve. Well, there was something she could do about that. She released Argus' hand and gathered them both to her in hugs, one with each arm.

"You heard what she said," she murmured. "A more powerful force than ours may be getting mobilized to go against those -- bad men, Tamina." Maybe. I hope? I hope not? I'm not sure. "She wants us to stay out of their way, to rescue Therese and then take cover. I don't know whether we can do that right away, while Brother Dalton is still in danger, but I promise you this: we will get you home safely once we've recovered Therese." Or die trying. She released the young women, for that was what they were, never mind that they weren't exactly of her own species, and took Argus' hand again. "My love, we have to talk, in private."

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OOC: Movement in the underground awaits seeing what Mordan is going to do, but note that I'll be off line from noon tomorrow until Sunday afternoon.

[Jack Rothwell]

Tamina watched the happy couple drift away. As she did she was reminded sharply of the last time she'd had some intimacy in her life. She turned back to Desiree a little flushed, saddened, yet not really surprised at her current situation. It seemed people she got... close to had a habit of running out and leaving her in the company of Rose and her companions.

Not that she wasn't grateful to have the chance to expand her magical knowledge by travelling with Argus, plus whatever she could learn from the other magic users in Rosey's party. Her recent experiences with the Ralkin and their efforts to destroy her people had illustrated the Killikah's need to expand their knowledge in order to protect themselves against another such attack. So Drusia's advice would go unheeded, in fact Tamina stiffened a little as she replayed the words in her head.

'Who's she to tell me what to do and then run out? I need to do this. If I go home now, we'll have nothing but the memory of the battle, the loss of our kin, and the ashes of our home to show for it.'

No, she was sticking with Rose, and if that meant facing another wizard group who meant to harm people the same way that the Ralkin meant harm to the Killikah, so be it. The kobold nodded silently to herself before she addressed Desiree. She forced a smile at the pretty half-elf, determined to put her best paw/foot forward.

"Hi." She said brightly. "Know we met before, but we didn't really get a chance to speak (OOC Pretty sure they didn't anyway./OOC). So hi again! M' Tamina. Your mother was a really big help with the bad men here, couldn't have beat them without her. 's a shame she had to go."

[Drusia]

"Hi." She said brightly. "Know we met before, but we didn't really get a chance to speak. So hi again! M' Tamina. Your mother was a really big help with the bad men here, couldn't have beat them without her. 's a shame she had to go."

"Hello," I say, politeness overcoming surprise. "My name's Desiree. And... I wasn't really expecting her to leave like that."

So much for a ride out of here. I... guess that maybe she was trying to force Rose to back off?

"Anyway, pleased to meet you," I add, offering her my hand.

-- Desiree

[Jack Rothwell]

Tamina clasped Desiree's hand with the short, beclawed digits of her own and shook it as she made her reply.

"Dint 'spect her to go like that either." She gave a rueful sigh. "I hope I see her again."

Tamina stared a spot where Drusia had vanished for a moment before returning her attention to Desiree and lapsing into the bombardment of questions typical for younger kobolds meeting new, non-hostile people to make.

"So, umm, where you from? What brought you 'long to face the bad men? Oh! And have Rosie's group got any people with the good magics? You got the good magics? One of those magic sword thingies like you mum maybe? 'Mazing stuff, the elves make..."

[Drannin]

Argus just nodded solemnly at Rose. "Anytime you're ready."

[Alberich]

Anfisa was slightly perturbed at Drusia's sudden departure. For a thrilling moment she hoped there'd be another teleport, to get them quickly away from these cold strangers, and off to Drusia's mystery homeland. Where she could breathe free air, secure from the thought of Lord Duravsky having a prayer of finding her, and set up housekeeping with Desiree. Her fantasies had been tripping merrily along that way while Drusia'd been singing in the key of "goodbye." And then, it seemed, Drusia had some other way to go...

Well, no matter. Desiree's offer to take her home had been made before she knew Drusia was coming, and they'd just have to take some other way. Ships, horsecarts, travel portals - it all suited her as long as they were together. And when they got home they'd be safe and together, and she'd have all the time in the world to knit them together for good.

The cute furry girl didn't bother her at all. Apparently she was going to be joining "Rosie's group" while she and Desiree went back to Desiree's home. She wasn't sniffing any chemistry that would pull her dear, fickle sweetheart the wrong way. This wasn't seduction or those disgusting I'm-pretending-not-to-but-I-really-am games of Therese's -- it was simple sweetness without guile. That she could handle.

* * *

Meantime, back at the temple, Tim turned over in his cot. It was as if his body knew he would not be allowed to rest much longer.

Audie, having chased away every rodent he could find with Mordan's whistle, was wandering around the temple looking for things to do, while simultaneously avoiding everyone in authority who might actually have something for him to do.

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose walked alongside Argus in silence for a minute or two, trying to drum up the courage to tell him something rather important. Something very important. Something that he needed to know ... but ...

I can't do it, can't tell him yet. Not until I'm sure. And I'm not yet. Another week or two will probably do it. I don't think that'll be too late. At least I hope not.

She decided to go with Plan B; there was one, because something else had been bothering her for most of this day. "Argus, I -- I'm worried about Amalric. I've been trying to keep my Empathy up when he's around, and he scares me. There's something I didn't know about him when we saw him first down south, but I started to get a hint of it with that debriefing we had."

She cleared her throat. You're dodging this, girl.

Damn right I am. She looked around to make sure they weren't being observed before she continued.

"He -- he knows more than he's letting on about this Convergence conspiracy. He hates them, Argus. With a passion. And it's not the way you and I and Therese and the others do, hating evildoers for their evil. It's personal, in some way that I don't understand, and he'll never tell."

She took a deep breath before continuing; the -- other -- conversation she needed to have with Argus was definitely in the background now. "Whatever it is, he managed to get this airship 'assigned' to him by the Patriarch, and I'd wager it's loaded up with the latest and greatest weaponry we've got." A faint smile. "He's probably not supposed to let non-Veracians see it, but what happens, happens." Ironic I should use that term. (The other subject wasn't entirely out of her mind.) "But -- well, I'm afraid, after hearing that threat or warning or whatever-it-was from Drusia, that when he finds out we're standing down from going after them -- well, he's going to do something stupid."

Just like me.

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OOC: No news of Therese and the troll until Mordan does something (or opts to do nothing). No rush, that sub-thread is running a little ahead of this one in game time.

[Drannin]

Argus thought about it for a minute. "SHOULD we stand down? None of us are exactly beholden to Drusia, and she can't say that his doesn't affect us. And personally? I hate leaving things half-done." He chuckled a little bit. "As for Amalric... I've known men like him. Men who get consumed by their obsession, until it is all that they can think about. I worry that letting him go on alone is just going to make things worse, just as you were saying."