The road to Gervasiel

[Porcelain Fish]

Maduin's gaze rested thoughtfully on Sister Rose's back as she reassured the native that all was yet well (relatively speaking) with his little corner of the world, thoughts whirling down twisting paths, calculating, weighing, evaluating.

He could, he decided, trust Rose to act in the way she thought would serve the greatest good. And in these circumstances at least, it seemed he could trust her not to bring up any mention of Fayna where it would draw undue attention. There had been understanding in her gaze despite the remoteness of her expression, and to his surprise, what might have even been sympathy, hinting that she had her own secrets to keep.

In truth, his relationship to Fayna was already percieved back in Tsuiraku as the perfect excuse for him to approach Argus in the first place and remain at his side, but he was very interested in ensuring that no one suspected the flip side of that little coin was even within the realm of possibility. Until it was time for the world to know otherwise, the Cleiviein household was to be perceived as irreparably divided. Maduin would see that that image was maintained.

Hazel eyes flicked to Brad, just as calculating, just as sharp and emotionless. If it became necessary, there was insurance conveniently to hand after all.

Maduin put away the handkerchief and pulled out a pocket mirror, adjusting the fall of a curl and ensuring that his perfect, smiling mask remained in place, immaculate and impenetrable, concealing all that coiled beneath.

[Graybeard]

"Siggy-Rum?" Sister Rose prodded the farmer.

The man nodded. "Yes'm. They be the cultists that come and tore down Leonish a ways back. They was puttin' it to fire -- magic-like fire, just like what be happenin' here."

Rose tried to hide her astonishment. This man knew it was magical fire that had erupted in this forest? Maybe she'd been underestimating him. "Well, perhaps the careless traveler was a mage," she said, as neutrally as she could manage. "It really doesn't matter, because the fire is out now. But I'm curious: how do you know the fire was magical?"

"The smoke, ma'am -- it be unnatural-like," the man said, with discomfort in his face. "I just be feelin' it." His body language was saying very clearly, change the subject, please. Rose obliged.

"Well, not to worry," she said. "Luminosita has blessed the land with His Tears, and we don't have to worry about fire any more." She smiled; the man smiled back and turned to go, but she caught him. "One question for you before you leave. Are the -- Siggy-Rum -- still in the town of Leonish? We're heading that way, and I'd prefer to avoid them."

The man frowned, made the Sign of Luminosita again. "No, ma'am. There be nothin' left of Leonish 'ceptin' an old couple that be runnin' a little inn there, what they be callin' a bed and breakfast. The Siggy-Rum ain't been here for many a year, and good riddance to 'em, I be sayin'." With that, blessings for the road were exchanged, and the man headed back down the lane.

[Drusia]

"No, ma'am. There be nothin' left of Leonish 'ceptin' an old couple that be runnin' a little inn there, what they be callin' a bed and breakfast. The Siggy-Rum ain't been here for many a year, and good riddance to 'em, I be sayin'."

I watch with the others as the old man departs. Well. That was odd.

Since no one seems particularly interested in the bead anymore, I slip it away into a pocket. I'll examine it more closely later.

-- Drusia

OOC: Sorry, some IRL issues have kept me from posting as often as I'd like.

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose watched the man go, breathing just a little easier than she had been as regards the path forward. She didn't know much about the Ensigerum; they were one of the things that the Orthodox church (which, after all, comprised 95% of the Veracian Church all told and pretty well ran the government of Veracia) didn't talk about to the minor denominations like her own. However, she'd picked up just enough rumbles, and had observed Drusia's reaction to the name carefully enough, to have a strong suspicion that they were not to be messed with. If they'd left Leonish some time ago, the B&B there would be a more reasonable place to spend the night than if they, well, hadn't.

"Ready to roll?" she asked, looking around the group. She noticed that the "bead" had disappeared, probably pocketed by one of the other travelers, most likely Drusia although she wasn't going to pry. Argus seemed to be calmed down -- Lillith really did have a gift for that -- and with nobody objecting, she pulled the wagon back onto the main road. They should be able to make Leonish before sundown, if all went well.

[Porcelain Fish]

Maduin swayed absently with the wagon as it lurched into motion once more, not even glancing up from buffing the edge of a nail.

The hairs on the back of his neck rose. He had a sudden sense that eyes were on them. He blinked, deliberately not lifting his head immediately, hesitating. He wondered if he should say something, but the feeling vanished as quickly as it had come. His lips pursed briefly, but he kept his silence.

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose felt it, too, that sense of being watched. It didn't have quite the same menace as at Albigenish, but it just wasn't right. She almost thought there was a flicker of movement in the field east of the road, visible out of the corner of her eye ... but when she turned to look, nothing was there.

I'm all spooked by this talk of the Ensigerum, and probably of this sinister Captain Goto, she scolded herself. I should be more under control than that. She took a deep breath, calmed herself, held the wagon resolutely in the center of the road as the travelers moved on in silence, each lost in his or her own thoughts.

It wasn't long before a side road presented itself, this one originally a little wider and more substantial than the one they'd detoured onto, but showing signs of disuse. A crudely lettered sign announced the "LEONISH BED AND BREAKFAST" down the road. Rose pulled the wagon to a halt and addressed her fellow passengers. "Looks like we have about another hour of daylight. Do we try this place, hope for something better down the road, or plan to camp?"

[Porcelain Fish]

"I for one would prefer a bath, dinner, and a bed to sleeping on the ground," Maduin said frankly. He gave the structure an appraising glance. "Besides, aren't Bed and Breakfasts supposed to be homey little retreats of quaint comfort? I'd dearly like to give one a try while I have the opportunity."

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose didn't wait for a dissenting opinion. "Sounds good to me." She turned the wagon down the side road.

The house that presumably constituted the B&B was farther away (and therefore larger) than it seemed to be, and Rose had some time to look around as the wagon rolled toward it. The landscape appeared to be entirely normal farm land. Grain grew in this field, still springtime young; in that one, cows grazed contentedly; in the next, soybeans were leafing out. It all looked pleasantly rural ... but Rose noticed one oddity. Where were the farm houses? Not only were none in sight other than the large one, there didn't appear to be any farm lanes that might lead to houses they couldn't see. Unless the fields tended themselves, there should be more people here.

Well, somehow that little oddity didn't really seem like a problem. The old man they'd seen had to live somewhere, and where there was one farmer, there would be more. Might there be some small hamlet nearby, not shown on the map, where the people that worked these fields lived? Surely that must be the answer. Rose contented herself with enjoying the bucolic peace and quiet as the wagon drew nearer to the house, where a gray-haired woman sat on the front porch, rocking in a wooden chair.

Meanwhile, Brad continued to dither over Lillith. "Are you feeling better?" he said, for probably the twentieth time since she'd left the coffin. "Is -- is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable? Water? A pillow? Anything?" he almost begged, his eyes a spaniel's.

[Sareth]

"Anything?" Lillith smiled as Harker snickered. "Ice cream would be nice."

Brad's face fell a bit. Obviously they did not have any ice cream in the cart. Lillith reached over and patted Brad's hand. "It's alright. I'm fine. Thank you for asking, Brad."

Lillith looked around. Her head was still displeased with her treatment, but the pain was fading. She was finding herself better able to focus on her surroundings, and something was not right about the place. She couldn't quite place what it was. Still herself, she closed her eyes, and reached out towards the spirits of the place.

[Graybeard]

"I-ice cream?" Brad sputtered for a moment, then got a resolute look on his face. "I can do that." With surprising agility, he vaulted out of the wagon, and ran ahead toward the inn/house/B&B/whatever it was. Sister Rose remembered that he'd been a successful sprinter as a young man, and he was still in good shape...

The woman in the rocking chair noticed, and even at a distance, it was clear to Rose (if not necessarily to Brad) that her body tensed into an alert position. She called something into the house -- Rose thought it sounded like "Zeb!" but couldn't be sure, and Brad wasn't listening -- and momentarily a much younger man wearing laborer's clothes joined her on the porch. He was still too far away for Rose to tell much about him, but his posture, which she'd seen many times back in basic training, spoke volumes.

Rose considered for a moment whether to spur the horses into a faster trot, to try to beat her cousin to the house, but decided against it. If the people at the house were suspicious of the way Brad and the group were behaving (and under the circumstances, she wouldn't blame them), making an aggressive move would definitely make things worse. She forced herself to be patient, and instead gave as friendly a wave as she could manage, with no idea whether the woman and young man, whose attention was clearly focused on Brad, could see her or not.