The Winds of Ysgard - Part One

[Ireth]

Rikhard had risen early, as he was wont to do, and ate his breakfast in silence (aside from greeting the others as he saw them). Each one of them seemed to be in worse shape than the last, probably from a combination of alcohol and last night's chaos.

 

[Gryphos]

When Bendalitz came down into the common room, it was with his usual pensive, slightly furrow-browed expression. But what it distinctly lacked was any hint of discomfort. He felt absolutely fine.

"Morning," he said pleasantly, leaning himself against the bar. "How is everyone? Dying inside?" He smirked at them each in turn, basking in his completely pain-free head. "Before you ask, yes I do remember everything exactly."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

When Loke told Addison she looked terrible, she shrugged. "That's what I get for sitting next to someone younger and prettier than me."

When Bendalitz said he remembered everything, Addison said, "So do I, milord o' the dance." But she went on, "Don't mistake me words as an insult. It was good to see ye let loose like that. I've no intent to discourage ye."

She dug into her food, not entirely sure what the travel plans were, and whether Farrun would invite Chrissy or whether she would want to tag along. Addison hoped so. Maybe she'd make a better magic teacher. She didn't forget about the love potion either, or her own promise to make an outfit for Chrissy. All promises that could be followed through with ease if Farrun saw the potential in Chrissy that Addison saw. Introducing the two was as pushy as Addison would get on the matter. Farrun was leading the expedition. Addison knew better than to vouch for Chrissy without having been asked.

 

[Nimue]

"Good morning!" Farrun said to Addison, once he'd swallowed a mouthful of buttered toast. The woman at the next table spoke to Addison as she came over--a curvy, curly-haired woman with an accent, who, if he wasn't mistaken, Addison had been talking to last night. "Have too much to drink?" he said sympathetically, and nodded courteously to the strange woman. It would've been polite to introduce himself, but the desire to remain anonymous a little while longer held sway.

Aye, Addison was looking bleary about the eyes, and slower than he'd seen her before. At least she'd enjoyed herself. Loke came down the stairs then, and Farrun didn't even have to ask. He was squinting and staggering. Farrun shook his head ruefully, remembering Loke's promise the day before, and then beamed at the barmaid as she dumped battered eggs onto his trencher. Talk passed among them, as Farrun ate, and greeted Rikhard in passing--at least he didn't look too foul. At last he sat back, reaching for a mug of small beer, and raised his eyebrows at Bendalitz. "Great gods, what did I miss in the dancing?" he mused.

He hadn't missed Loke's baleful look at his morning cheer, and felt that he should do something for the wearier among them. He'd been fortunate to have a gentle awakening, and a gentle potion-maker, that morning. "If any of you like, I'll take the headache off you," he offered. "Won't take a moment, and I don't want anyone hurling from horseback." He hid a half-grin behind a drink of beer.

 

[AkamaruGames]

Chrisania glanced over at the large, battle-scarred man as she finished the last of her breakfast. Giving a playful smirk to the redhead next to her, she said, "Your handsome man friends are many, Addison. Vill you be introducing me to the bearded vall here?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"I certainly will," Addison replied. She figured Loke was the bigger wall but Farrun had the handsomer beard, so she introduced both. "That's Loke who don't find me at me prettiest this morning, and this here's Farrun, our fearless leader who means to cure our headaches." Turning to Farrun, she added, "Surely, ye know me well enough that it ain't the drink that wears me down. And before ye say anything, I minded me manners. Something got into some folks and it upset some o' the performing animals and some wild dogs… I had me work cut out calming them, but I didn't push meself harder than I had to."

She didn't mention getting into the dog's head, or that doing so got the dog killed. That probably violated some kind of druid code. But I'm a Huntress and the dog was after me friend. Had it coming, he did.

"I'm hoping Chrissy's herbal tea'll fix me up. Did ye have the pleasure of meeting Chrisania, Farrun? Judging by your mood, seems ye had the pleasure o' meeting a pretty lass nonetheless. I saw ye dancing on the square. Ye looked like ye knew what ye were doing, though I can't say ye topped Rikhard's dancing. I'm not sure anyone could top Bendalitz's solo performance, not even King Milford himself."

 

[Ireth]

Rikhard smiled and dipped his head modestly when Addy complimented his dancing, then chuckled at the mention of Bendalitz. "Aye, Bendalitz was the best at that. I wish I had half his enthusiasm." He grinned at Bendalitz.

 

[Nimue]

Farrun sorted through Addison's revelations, scratching the back of his neck. He wasn't sure he wanted to know who King Milford was. "Well met, Chrisania," he said, finally. It seemed like she and Addison had become fast friends over the course of an evening--strange, how women could do that, particularly women as forthright as Addison was. "Trouble with the animals? No one was injured, were they?" He did remember there being some performing dogs and hawks, near to the square. A shade of regret passed over his otherwise pleasant evening, but surely if things had gone very badly he would have heard of it. "Sounds like you handled it well," he said, a line still between his brows. "But I have strength if you need it. Not spent my magic these past two days."

As to the rest: "Aye. Ran into an acquaintance," Farrun said, reaching for a roll and studiously prying it open. He was very bad at falsehood, or even evading the truth, so he didn't try much. He couldn't suppress the trace of a fond smile. At last he added, "I dance the same way as a performing bear: by dint of training. But Rikhard, I'd not have faulted you for enthusiasm!" His eyes flashed up, catching Bendalitz. "I can only imagine," he uttered, breaking out into a broad grin. "You know...I had heard some stories from the Queensguard about you, Left Hand, but though them too outlandish to be true."

 

[AkamaruGames]

Chrisania bowed to the sturdy pair and said, "Vell meeting. They certainly grow men big here. My family has ox that is not this big. I even have potion that make muscle big and strong, but I never see muscle big as you two. If you have any problem, you let me know, I maybe know how to make potion to fix this, yes?"

 

[DMThaane]

Loke chuckled as Bendalitz said he remembered everything. "Well can you remember for both us, as I would not mind forgetting. I've seen the bodies of men writhe as their blood turned to poison yet still they maintained more grace and rhythm."

The barbs were friendly ones and Bendalitz deserved them for his lack of headache. The man had either consumed a barrel of water or was never truly that deep in his cups.

"As for the headache, I will keep it. Magic away all your pain and you never learn the lesson it’s supposed to teach."

He attempted to study their new arrival, Chrisania, but quickly gave up, due to the drummer playing a war march in his skull. If she remained he would have her measure, if not, no matter.

 

[Gryphos]

Under the barrage of comments on his dancing, Bendalitz simply looked silently from beneath his brow. "Leave grace to the fighters, I say. Well, them and Rikhard." He nodded at the veritable dance-master, before turning back to the bar and stroking his little goatee, very much inferior to the beards of Loke and Farrun.

 

[Nimue]

Farrun's brow knitted at both Chrisania's accent and her sentiment. Oxen, eh? "You are a potion-brewer here in Ilstenford, then?" he asked politely, wondering with a moment's qualm whether she knew the lady he had spent the night with.

At Loke's response, he turned and chuckled out loud. "After thirty years, you mean to learn that lesson? I've heard many a man bemoan a mead-headache, and not a one learned from it." His rueful smile softened the quip, and he sat back, stretching his legs beneath the table. It was a man's choice, of course.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Addison considered how strength comes and goes because of magic.

"I don't know if ye can learn from a headache, but I think if I get too dependent on ye getting me strength back, it'll make me dependent. I think if I recover on me own, I'll either be stronger for it in the long run, or at the very least, I'll learn how far I can afford to push meself."

All this talk about strength and recovery was as good a time as any to drop a hint about Chrissy.

"Besides…" Addison removed the healing potion from her purse. "…Chrissy gave me a gift that'll see to me strength in an emergency. I ain't tried it yet, but I've had a few close ones on me tougher hunts. I'm sure the need'll arise and I'll get a taste o' the potion." She turned to Chrissy. "Any chance ye make healing dog biscuits? I've managed to survive as a Huntress, but I'm two for two getting meself killed as a dog."

 

[AkamaruGames]

Chrisania shook her head and said, "No, I am traveler, though I have been to many many towns. Usually I help my family on road, but sometimes I go vhere I am needed. I do not always know vhere that is though." She gave a little chuckle after the last part.

As she hears Addison's request for healing dog biscuits, she ponders at the thought. After a moment of consideration, she says, "I never try this dog biscuit before. I take care of humans, not so much animals. Maybe if you give me recipe for this dog biscuit, I can mix vith healing potion recipe and we see if it vorks, yes? No guarantee though. Strong potion recipes can be delicate and mixing vith other things can make strange results sometimes. Once customer ask me to mix love potion vith cheese cake. It make girl very gassy every time she eat dairy forever after. Maybe you test on dog you don't vant first, yes?"

 

[Ireth]

Rikhard looks at Chrisiana in confusion. "...How does one make cake out of cheese?" He wasn't sure if that was supposed to be appetizing or not.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Addison was barely able to prevent her coffee from spraying the barkeep when Chrissy mentioned the side effects of her cheesecake potion.

Addison thought for a moment, then asked, "Ye sure the love potion don't have no side effects? I'd hate to confirm me friend feels the same as I do, then loses the attraction when I start blowing loud farts at the top o' the hour."

 

[AkamaruGames]

With a smile, Chrisania said, "Cheese is good, yes? Cake is also good, yes? Cheesecake is too, very good."

Chrisania then nodded to Addison and said, "No side effect if taken properly. Mix vith clean vater or maybe juice and it should be fine. Mix vith other potion and that vill maybe change. For example, mix healing potion vith love potion, and it make poison gas. Mix love potion vith strength potion and it make man hard like steel for many hours." She glanced over at the men and said, "Before any of you get ideas about this, let me tell you this hardness ends vhen it pops like blood-filled bubble."

Returning her attention to Addison, she continued, "Oh yes, that remind me, don't drink new potion before old potion finish vorking. You don't vant mixed effects, yes?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Addison shuddered at the side-effect for men. "What if a lady had a mix o' love and strength potion?" She took a stab at her sausage and just looked at it for a couple seconds. "Come to think of it, I'm not sure I wanna know the answer. Seems best if I have a potion, wait a day before taking the next."

 

[AkamaruGames]

Chrisania chuckled and said, "Vell, in some vays it better. In some vays it vorse. Do you know of rusalka? Because you end vith a rusalka. Especially if voman have red hair. This is sign of cursed voman. But do not vorry too much. Many potions finish effect in minutes. Most vithin an hour."

 

[Nimue]

Farrun regarded the conversation with barely suppressed alarm, and decided he didn't need another link of fried sausage. "Potion making is a dangerous art," he remarked, one eyebrow quirked. "Give me magic. At least it follows intent." Wizardry could run to similar risks.

Catching something, though, he leaned forward. "What do you mean, you've died twice in a dog's head? The gytrash was but one, I thought." A furrow deepened on his brow.