The Winds of Ysgard - Part One

[Legendary Sidekick]

Addison gave Milford the idea to fly to his tent. She didn't want him to speak for her anymore. She didn't sense much tension among other animals. Even the dogs who killed their alpha seemed content. Guess he had it coming. They probably wouldn't run wild and hurt anyone unless provoked, but just to be safe, Addison gave them the idea to run off into the woods.

She decided not to talk to any more animals for the night. Rikhard asked a question. She could talk to people…

"If ye can get one arm, Rik, and Chrissy, if ye can get the other… I'd appreciate that." Addison didn't want to be thought a drunk. She poised herself as elegantly as she could manage, and offered her arms to Rik and Chrissy. She took a single step on her own to make sure she could. "If Farrun sees me, tell him I ain't abusing me beast-speak. I used it right, just… had a lot to say to a lot o' beasts." Breathing took effort when she spoke. "If ye forgive me… seems I've run out o' things to say."

On second thought, Addison decided it best not to talk at all for the time being. At least not until she was safely at the inn, preferably seated comfortably by a fire.

 

[Ireth]

Rikhard willingly took Addy's arm, and waited until Chrisiana had the other before guiding Addy gently back toward the inn they'd all left in the first place. Hopefully this would be the most eventful thing to happen tonight.

He looked at Chrisiana as they walked, feeling a need to apologize for disrupting the dancing and fun, but unsure of how to phrase it. He wasn't even entirely sure what had happened or why, which only made that harder.

 

[AkamaruGames]

Chrisania took hold of Addison's arm as asked and assisted her in returning to the inn. The evening had been oddly eventful, and while it all ended up alright in the end, Chrisania hoped that the future would be somewhat more boring. Or at least not accidentally spurred into chaos by her own hand.

As they neared the inn, Chrisania asked, "You vant drink? I know good potion for time like this. It called 'tea'. You drink this, yes?"

 

[Ireth]

"I've had it," said Rikhard. "Some friends from Iridhe showed me what it was. It's not what I'm used to, but it's not bad. Good for cold nights, though."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

As Rik and Chrissy walked and talked, Addison felt her strength returning. She thought about what was really good for her one particular cold night, but kept that memory to herself. She gave a delayed answer to Chrissy's question. "Tea…" Then elaborated, "Tea would be nice. I know a bit about making me own tea using fresh picked herbs. Oh, but what's served at the inn'll do for now."

She could probably walk without anyone's arm at this point, but Addison didn't want to. In part, she liked the attention. In part, she wasn't entirely sure she wouldn't immediately fall on her face if just one arm was released.

 

[AkamaruGames]

Giving a nod, Chrisania said, "I make some for everyone then." Apparently not hearing the part that the inn actually serves tea.

With the aid of Rikhard, she helped to put Addison into a comfortable chair before running off to her room for a few minutes. She returned with a small pot, which she had already filled with water from a pitcher sitting in her room. Placing it above the fireplace she asked the staff for some cups and by the time she returned with them the water was already boiling. Before long she had some fresh tea ready for everyone and she handed it out. "Please drink," she said, "It vill calm nerves and boost energy. Is very good potion."

As she handed out the tea, a staff girl approached and said, "Ma'am, we would prefer if you did not use our fireplace for cooking. In the future, if you wish to have some tea, please just ask and we will provide it for you."

Flushing red, Chrisania said, "Ah... Sorry. I did not vish to trouble staff. Vould you like some tea?"

"No, thank you ma'am," the girl replied, "Just leave the food and drink preparation to us. We would greatly appreciate it."

"Okay, I remember," Chrisania answered as she sheepishly pulled the pot away from the fire.

"That is all we ask," the girl said before running off to the kitchen, shaking her head while muttering something about "crazy foreigners".

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Addison called meekly to the girl. When she approached, Addison pleaded, "Do be a sweetheart and let her prepare the tea. It's an herbal remedy, and much as I dress meself in fancy things and paint meself like a colorblind hussy, no hiding the fact I'm a bit under the weather."

When the girl left, Addison gave as much of a grin as she could muster in her state. "Leave it to them me ass! I hope ye'll chance me words did the trick that ye'll not get any trouble making your herbal tea now. I prefer herbal tea to black, and that's black tea with so much sugar the last sip's solid. Only a good herbal tea's good on its own."

 

[DMThaane]

Loke and Halden burst through the door to the inn's common room, both singing the Saga of Signy Moonslayer. Though Halden sung in common Aerde while Loke sung in Old Ysgardur, a tongue very few could speak. They walked through, stumbling through the corridors until they found Loke's room, bundling inside.

Loke collapsed into a chair and watched Halden helped into one by Sir Trolf.

"You, boy," he said, calling Sir Trolf over. "Take this." He threw his last remaining coin at the boy. "Now leave us and forget everything you witnessed tonight. Make it so."

The boy left, as bidden, and Loke raised his mead horn.

"Last drink of the night!" he declared, throwing it back.

"I think it might me morn," Halden said, waving his hand at the door. "Ah, no matter."

"No matter. If only."

"Right." Halden chuckled. "Thank you for this."

Loke blinked at the strange remark. He had done nothing to be thankful for.

"Why offer thanks? For what purpose?"

"Ah, well… this day is always a bit grim for me." Halden steadied himself on the table. "I'm from south, originally. Fought in the Trolf Queen's, Wolf Queen's, army. It was here I heard my wife and son had died, of a fever, if you can believe. A land of war and bloody carnage and I lose them to a fever."

"You settled?"

"Well, I had nothing to go back for. I wasn't there for them, I was… I was here. Fighting for these people. So I stayed." Halden chuckled at some dark joke. "Hath's horns, I hate Banner Day."

Loke looked down at his empty horn. Somewhere in the fog of his mind the joke turned and suddenly he saw the humour.

"I never wanted to survive," he admitted. "To fight, yes, but not survive. Some cruel joke Vyrhel plays on me. I am her play thing, dancing on her strings. I'd give my life for that of your family, if I could."

Halden nodded thankfully. "But who are we to choose our fates?" He pushed himself out of his chair and wobbled towards the door.

"Indeed."

Loke stood shakily and headed for his bed, collapsing just short. To him, the floor seemed as good a place as any to close his eyes and rest.

 

[Gryphos]

Bendalitz collapsed on the bed in his inn room, face first. The alcohol was beginning to wear off, and against the mattress, his face slackened into its usual pensive frown. He remembered leaving the town square amidst applause and many pats on the back. What an idiot he must have looked. Hopefully none of them knew who he was, else his reputation would be irreparable. One day he'd be in a position where he could enjoy bursts of lunacy, when people were meant to love him instead of fear him. What a day that would be, when with a crown on his head he could dance his way up to the throne, throw aside his dagger and his crossbow and embrace the people with dragons at his side. Until that point, though, no more dancing.

At some point, he fell asleep.

 

[Ireth]

Rikhard sipped his tea in silence for a while, trying to compose his thoughts. Eventually he looked back at Chrisiana. "I'm not really sure what happened out there, with everyone getting angry, but I saw in your face that I upset you, and I'm sorry about that."

 

[AkamaruGames]

Chrisania thanked Addison for explaining things to the young maid. She had already had enough embarrassment for trying to help for one night, and hopped that her tea, herbal and quite lacking of sugar, would help return everyone's nerves to a more normal state.

She then bowed her head to Rikhard in response to his apology. Both of their reactions had been primarily her fault, though she preferred not to reveal this. She did not know him well enough to judge how he would react to the well-intentioned trouble she had caused and preferred not to make matters worse. Still, she was unsure as to why the spell had backfired as she was only trying to help everyone have a better time and it was a shame that she would not soon live down.

"It vas the moon," she lied to save face, "Full moon do many strange things, especially during festivals, yes? Think nothing of it." She was not sure what the current phase of the moon actually was, but hoped that the explanation would be sufficient to drop the matter.

 

[Ireth]

Rikhard didn't remember the moon being full tonight, but decided not to correct her. The world was full of strange things and people he knew nothing about; maybe this was a custom or superstition he was ignorant of. It wouldn't do for him to make a fool of himself by saying something wrong. So he just nodded and smiled.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Addison calmly sipped her tea. "It's perfect," she said. "We'll need to exchange recipes at some point. Shall we meet for breakfast in the morning?"

 

[AkamaruGames]

Chrisania nodded as she gathered up the cups and placed them on a tray for the staff to take. She said, "This is good. I shall see you for the breaking of the night's fast. Good night Addison. Good night Rikhard."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Addison said goodnight to her friends as well, and joined Chrissy heading upstairs. She kept herself upright and gave a smile and a wave before entering her room alone. Once the door was locked behind her, Addison removed her dress and slumped over naked on the floor.

At some ungodly predawn hour, she awoke in her bed and in her sleeping furs and wondered how she got there. Five seconds later, she was neither wondering nor conscious. The sun would likely rise long before Addison would.

 

[Nimue]

Farrun woke from a deep sleep, to a slender beam of grey dawn light in an attic room. Motes of dust floated above his mail and surcoat, slung over a chair. The fire had burned down to embers. From downstairs, there came a faint clinking noise, and the thump of firewood on the hearth.

He dressed slowly, stiff in slightly unaccustomed ways, wondering what to say. He climbed down the stairs and there she was, bending over a small cauldron hung over the shop-kitchen fire. She wore a shift, a sunny yellow skirt, and a bodice half-laced. Her sleeves had fallen down her shoulders, and her hair--all loose and dark. She turned around, unsurprised to see him, and lifted a small earthenware cup.

"Cure for a wine headache," she said succinctly, a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.

He felt a silly grin cross his face. His head had ached getting up, but it wasn't near enough to distract him from other things. "Thank you," he said, and reached to take it from her small hand. She had another cup for herself. There was a moment's silence as he did, then she broke it:

"I might wish for another day or two," she said, mildly.

Farrun looked up at her, his brow etched with sympathetic agreement. "I leave by noon," he said, regret clear in his voice. "And I think you will be busy today, with headache cures for other folk."

She nodded, with a small smile. "You're right. To festival luck, then."

They raised their cups and drank. There was a moment's sweet silence, as he lingered, and then she spoke again. "I didn't want you to tell me your name because soldiers die in battle," she said simply. "And one that carries a sword as fine as yours might be put into a song, and I might hear it. I would rather not know, and have only the memories of two happy nights instead. But if you pass through Ilstenford again, come and see me. You know where my shop is." Her hazel eyes glittered.

"I won't forget it," Farrun said, at once warmed and sobered by her words. He took her hand and kissed her fingers, then turned, with one last smile, to go.

--

The streets outside seemed bittersweet to him: misty and still, hung with flags limp in the dawn air, the merchant stalls still bright with color but shuttered fast. It was quieter this morning than it would have been on any other day, and though the doors of the butcher's and the baker's were open there was little business. The sun was rising, though, pouring clear and splendid light into the town as it crested the walls.

By the time Farrun reached the Grail and Arms his mood was afloat again, and he was whistling tunelessly but merrily in the dawn. He came through the door with a very cheerful "'Morning" to the barkeeper and a nod to the weary maids who were laying out new rushes. Breakfast was but half cooked, so he began with yesterday's bread with plenty of butter and fried bacon, and waited at his table for the others to emerge from their nests.

 

[AkamaruGames]

Chrisania was not typically an early riser. Years of late nights performing with her "family" had well accustomed her to burning the midnight oil and snoozing well past the the morning birds' daily aubade. This morning was somehow different. Her slumber was restless throughout the evening and as the dawn broke, she uncharacteristically decided to get out of bed.

A churning feeling deep in her gut made her uneasy and she was pretty sure that it was neither the previous evening's events nor the street food that was causing it. Somehow she felt like something needed doing. The problem was she had no idea what that was. Judging by the silence, she guessed that none of the other guests were yet stirring, so with nothing else to do, she decided to brew up a replacement healing potion for the one she had given away last night. The work would keep her mind occupied, at least for a short time.

The ingredients for the potion were readily available in most forests, though only someone who was skilled in potion making could identify them as well as infuse them with the catalytic magic required to be effective. After a good half hour or so of grinding, brewing and quiet chanting, the mixture briefly glowed yellow, a sure sign that the potion was complete. She carefully poured the mixture into a bottle before carefully cleaning up after herself. By the time she was done with her cleaning, an audible, "Morning" mixed with the sounds of breakfast preparation from downstairs signaled that it was time for Chrisania to join the outer world. After spending a few minutes washing her face and getting dressed, she stepped out of her room to join the early risers below.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Clear and splendid light poured into Addison's window. When it crossed Addison's eyes, she covered her face with her pillow.

"Can't there be an eclipse or a thunderstorm or something?"

Addison wondered if, someday, her storm-calling magic could be used to block out the sun. She wondered if she would ever put so much effort into being lazy, then immediately forced herself out of bed.

She threw on her buckskins and walked the halls as if on the way to her own funeral, but as soon as she saw Chrisania, Addison perked up and managed a sufficiently cheery "Top o' the morning." She wanted to keep appearances for more than the next five minutes, so she dropped a coin onto the bar and said one word to the barkeep: "Coffee."

Farrun was there, and in a good mood. Addison told the barkeep, "I'll need some meat with that coffee." She let the barkeep let her know what specific meats were available before introducing Chrisania to Farrun.

 

[AkamaruGames]

By the time Addison joined the slowly growing crowd, Chrisania was halfway through her breakfast of bread, eggs and ale. As she heard Addison's morning greeting, Chrisania smiled and waved her over. "Good morning, Addison," she said after swallowing her current mouthful of egg, "You are feeling better?"

Though Chrisania's demeanor was nothing but welcoming, the dark circles under her eyes suggested that her evening had been less than restful. Despite that, she seemed determined to greet the day with gusto as she took a sip of ale to wash down the eggs.

 

[DMThaane]

Loke pulled his head from the icy bowl of water, the cold mercifully distracting from the pounding in his head. He was regretting his night of revelries, perhaps most of all for feeling as though he had never actually slept. A few bruises and it would be as though old times.

There was a knock and he called with a hoarse voice for the person to enter.

"Your clothes, sir," the woman said, carrying his dirty things from the past weeks, now cleaned.

"I am no sir," he replied, feeling his eyelids droop and splashing some water on them.

"I, I just assumed. The sword. I mean, what should I call you?"

"Anything, so long as you call quietly."

He glanced down at the bowl of water, trying to decide if he'd prefer drinking it or drowning in it.

"I would like a bath," he said. "And drinking water."

The woman nodded and left.

Once bathed he changed into clean clothes, smelling less of drink, and made his way to the common room and finding Farrun and Addison already there, and another, a stranger.

"I will eat anything," he told the barkeep. "Provided I have something with which to wash it down."

He slumped into a chair, glaring at the sun pouring through a window. "Addison, you look terrible; although I think I may be faring worse. Still, Bendalitz has yet to appear and if what I remember of his dancing is true he may outdo us all."

He threw a glare at Farrun, who seemed none the worse for wear. Awoken in the arms of some girl, no doubt.