A gift to Crevan and the truth about Pen's Guard Rhiannon...and disruption at a banquet

Crevan half expected Pen to show up, he knew he'd not been truthful about him and Ciri. They had not been true lovers until after the frost, that part was true. He had skirted around the years prior. He was surprised when she was not angry. She had laid something small in his hand and curled his fingers over it.

He opened his hand to see it was a bit of candy called a "Honey kiss", a small sweet hardened honey. Ciri had given him one that Beltine, then pulled him off toward a place in the wood. He had not expected her to ask, knowing well what had happened to her. The granting of her request...He looked up to See Rhiannon.

"Come..." She took his hand. "I won't bite, much..."

Could he do this again, but the woman before him wasn't asking for his love. She began leading him toward the gardens.

It was past sunset when He made his way back into the manor and Rhiannon of to some duty elsewhere. A bath and a warm meal were waiting in his chambers as was Pen. He half ignored her while he undressed with his back to her. She had seen all of him, poked about his insides several times, so undressing in front of her did not bother him. He didn't ask why she'd set up that little...distraction.

"...I enjoyed the afternoon." He said, rubbing his shoulder.

"Yes..." Came Pen's voice.

He slid into the tub, the water was warm. He scrubbed the smell of grass and sex from his body. He had enjoyed the distraction, pulled his mind from their guests.

Ciri stood in front of the window, they had been moved to the guest guarters a few hours ago. She shivered, the room was chilled. A shawl was laid over her shoulders. She looked at Avallac'h, he really should have been resting.

"...I will rest when you do." He said. "I do not need much rest..."

She knew he was trying to make her comfortable at his discomfort. She walked him back toward the bed if being in bed meant he'd stay there all the better.

"Then I will rest..."

He smiled at her, pulling her to the soft surface with him.

Nuada decided to hold a banquet that night for the Thorn's allies. Each of the allies had a delegation of about six or seven. The only exception to this was the Higher vampires, of them there were only three., Regis and two other elder vampires. Pen rose from the table and went to them as the other delegations were ignoring them.

"Lady Thorn..." Regis said.

"Elders..." She said, in their language.

She knew a bit from long years of knowing Regis.

"You do not fear us..." Said one of the elders.

"No, I have known Regis since I was small." She said softly.

She sensed the movement before She saw. She sidestepped, the assailant's hand sliding past her with the blade, she caught the wrist, struck with the heel of her hand to snap the arm. with her knee into the side to drop the assailant to the floor, her blade at their throat. The blade intended for her dropped to the floor with a metallic ring.

The room went silent as they watched the attempt on the Lady Thorn, it also showed that she had not lost the edge that had demonstrated to the humans the guild's skill. Cullen and Rhiannon reached them a few moments later. The assailant hissed something derogatory in Elder speech at Pen.

"...A thousand devils take you..." She said. "Get this...filth from my hall..."

She sheathed her blade, scowling now as the intruder was taken away by two Ravens.

"That was unexpected," Aethen said. "and we vetted all of the delegations...We have a leak..."

"Plug it, I do not care how..."

Those words, it meant he and the thorns could act in the court's best interest without involving Pen and the main court.

"As the Lady commands..." Aethen said, bowing.

The banquet was broken up shortly thereafter.

The morning gossip was filled with rumors of the events of the Banquet, Rhiannon listened to them all. Her little trysts were the perfect cover for her to talk to her spies. The sage had been for fun, skilled and sweet. It also allowed her to clear him from being a leak in the court.

"I heard you had some fun..."Aethen said, the code for asking about what she found. "With our court Sage..."

"Smart, sweet...not the one I was looking for..." She said. "Lady thorn asked me to look him over...that tattoo is amazing."

"She asked you to look into Crevan...why?"

"Just so the others do not think she is showing favors...I'd look into Himself If that is what she asked..."

"That is one direction the leak won't come..." He said. "Others?"

"Two are suspicious...I'll keeps investigating." She said. "and get permission to investigate the generals."

"Have a care of the hearts you play with." He said, rising.

"I always do..." she said.

Aethen left with a snort of laughter.