The Ambition of the Dreadlord Raveres
Part V: The Hanil Khar
Episode Thirty-Two
The noble quarter of Karond Kar sat above and away from the city's harbour and laid nearer the Drachau's spire.
Higher in elevation, and protected by the inner walls of the city's defences. It had been built so that it was comfortably distanced from the smoke of the city's industry and the wailing of the slave markets. By being closer to the citadel and the Drachau's court, the quarter was also nearer the city's barracks.
With the quarter being populated by the more 'well-bred' of Druchii its streets were wider and relatively cleaner than the slums or the markets, and more regularly patrolled. Yet the winding cobble lanes were no less confusing to an attacker or an unwitting traveller as any other in the stone city.
Off of the main promenade which lead towards the citadel and the Drachau's spire was a curving street of brutal and redoubtable, freestanding, walled townhouses. Not quite the mansions and spires which lay closer to the citadel, but they were large and imposing nonetheless.
Minor nobles, fledging Dreadlords, and rich merchants flaunted their wealth by stationing guardsmen outside their doors, typically with coloured tabards and nicely forged weapons and armour. These stern Druchii minded the landing, eyed passers-by, and were the first to receive any callers.
Parading up this street, Raveres Naguii was watched by many such guards. Each under the stoop, or on the landing of their respective house. From under visors, through slits, or their open helms, she received some inquisitive, but many more disinterested looks, as she and her train marched along.
The she-elf had a satisfied smirk on her face the whole while, and when she and her escort finally came to a stop it was in front of one the few buildings which had no men posted at its door, or gated entrance.
In addition to the lack of guardsmen, the house's thin windows were darkened, barred and shuttered, showing to all there hadn't been any occupancy for a while.
The home was surrounded by stone curtain walls, with a gnarled iron wrought gate. A dirt path led along its side to a courtyard and small backyard stable. It was built up and to reach the door one had to climb a short flight of wide steps.
Scrutinising the dour, all but abandoned exterior, Raveres announced sarcastically, "This appears to be our refuge."
Beside her Yurin grimaced, taking a shallow breath before he replied.
"I think it may just be my lady."
Lieutenant Salis grunted to the men and a few of them approached to push open the iron gate of the house's courtyard. With a hop Raveres dismounted the horse drawn cart and stepped through the mercenaries.
Yurin followed on her right, and Salis casually strode along her left.
Arriving at the bottom of the steps to the door, Raveres stopped and folded her arms. Looking up while she cocked her head she chuckled under her breath.
Clearing her throat, she looked to her side and nodded,
"Lieutenant Salis, you and your men can make sure there aren't any squatters. And should you find any, bring them out here before killing them. It might just be good sport; I'd hate to miss it."
The mercenary officer nodded, a sadistic smirk widening across his features, elongated by the scar up his cheek, "With pleasure milady."
Turning to her other side she spoke,
"Give the lieutenant the keys Yuri."
Yurin nodded and quickly reached into a pouch on his belt for the house's ring of iron keys. Once he'd handed them off, Salis ordered his men upwards and they drew steel before moving on the door.
Entertained at the prospect of watching Salis and his fellows fight dirty, squalid, peasants Raveres watched on keenly. The fact that she had Druchii sell-swords to order about also made her vibrate in her armour with excitement.
Yet when the men opened the door and set inside with some yells and weapons high, they were hit with disappointment. The air inside was stale, and it was difficult to see through the gloom past the light cast from the open doorway. Undeterred and squinting into the darkness Salis and his men inched inside the foyer, swords drawn.
Behind them Raveres followed, her hand at her hilt and Yurin stiffly at her side.
Salis kept his longsword poised and pointed towards the open doors on either side of the foyer with a motion of his head, quietly hissing an order,
"Rachet, Haeloc, open the shutters and get us some light."
The two named men grunted curtly and moved swiftly to comply. After their pulling of the shudders, daylight flooded in through the iron barred windows, and with it the men slowly relaxed. Lowering, or sheathing, their weapons disappointedly.
The floors where they hadn't stepped were coated with a visible layer of sand-like dust, the surface broken only by the small pawprint paths of house-mice. The stairs to the second level were similarly dirty, with small cobwebs here and there indicating the lack of any travellers larger than a spider.
Narrating the situation, and beating Salis to saying it, a swordsman grunted aloud, "No one's been in here in ages."
Salis nodded in agreement as he finally sheathed his weapon. Beside him some of the men looked with interest and subdued impression at the house's furnishings. Despite the abandoned exterior, the interior certainly belonged in the noble quarter…
The foyer was decorated with hand carved wooden panels and several tapestries still hung on the walls. Un-looted, but empty, silver candle holders poked out from small alcoves at regular intervals along the walls.
To the right of the foyer was a set of double doors leading to a large parlour, doubling as both a sitting room and hearth. Plain carpets adorned the floor and all number of curiosities and decorations were strewn about table tops or hanging from the painted walls.
The left room to the foyer was missing some of it's more ostentatious decoration; inside was a long dinner table and nine chairs pushed tightly against it. A cloth had been draped across, obscuring the table's wooden surface from view, and a large, cobweb covered, iron-work chandelier hung overhead.
To some of the Druchii mercenaries this was probably the finest house they'd ever set foot into and the low born men blinked and looked around slowly as they took it in and tried not to gawk.
For Raveres however, she now struggled to hide her disappointment. Stepping past the men she finally let out a breath of disgust before growling lowly,
"It's bloody filthy."
Turning around Raveres continued,
"Yurin, I'm not dwelling, nor sleeping in this 'sty while it's like this."
Salis privately snorted before he pointed to a few men and then the stairs, "You lot, head up and clear the rooms above. Make sure we're the only ones here."
Yurin pursed his lips as he looked around, then his voice rose diplomatically as he responded to his mistress, "It isn't exactly as the clerks had described it milady."
Raveres raised a brow and put her hands on her hips as she looked at the retainer. Eventually she relaxed and shrugged,
"Be that as it may,"
Then with a sigh she turned to her new lieutenant and issued a soft order, "Lieutenant Salis, have the men open all the windows. It smells like a crypt in here."
He responded with a quick nod and waited as his patroness continued,
"I also want two men rotating as front guards, standard fare. And everything that's been left in here that isn't valuable, or immediately useful, have your men throw out."
Salis took a breath and nodded again, "Understood milady."
Turning to the mercenary nearest him and grunted, "Haeloc, you heard the lady, get this place straightened out sharpish! I want two men posted front and back at half-hour rotations."
The man Salis spoke to; Haeloc, was a scarred, boar-like, Druchii. With scrappy, short cropped hair, a fat drinker's nose, and bristle-like unshaven stubble. Despite his dishevelled appearance he was all the more vicious for it.
In reply to the order he nodded, his voice sounding with just a hint of discomfort, "Aye sir."
Salis walked towards the doors and back outside while continuing, "There'll be two teams, and responsibilities divided by seniority. You'll oversee."
Raveres observed her men's interactions with reserved wariness, and also a keen interest. Just from the tone and the few words between Salis and Haeloc she could tell the two had been working and fighting alongside one another a long time. Their voices and attitude towards cleaning a house seemed almost as routine as if they were about to set camp in the field or take up residence in a barracks.
Salis stepped past Raveres, giving her a respectful distance as he moved down the landing and yelled to those who remained outdoors. Pointing and dividing them into groups,
"You there are with Haeloc's detail. You two, mind that horse, the rest of you with me."
Watching on, Raveres stepped back out into the daylight. Inquisitively following her men with her eyes as she half-mindedly returned her left hand to her hilt. With a cocked eyebrow, Raveres moved her feet apart and presented a statuesque pose as she looked down.
As the Druchii sell-swords moved she couldn't help but feel a wave of eagerness and disbelief at the sight of the well-used armour and weaponry of the gruff and chuckling platoon of men.
'I wonder if my brother, or my father feels the same way?' she thought privately, 'These are my killers! My men.'
But before she got too ahead of herself, Raveres felt a shot of self-derision and doubt, 'My men, so long as I pay them. They've no fondness for me. Never forget that.'
Her earlier eagerness soured and her lips fought the urge to snarl.
'Such naïveté.'
As the men moved the horse and cart through the gate, Salis yelled for the slaves Maya and Rhea to get out and down from the cart's bed. Maya surreptitiously narrowed her eyes at the lieutenant, but Rhea nearly stumbled as she complied to his abrupt and authoritarian voice. Seeing the human woman's fear made Raveres chuckle and return back to her earlier, more pleasant, mood.
Once the two slave women were clear, the mercenaries led the horse and cart along the side passage of the house, the draught horse lowly whickering the whole while.
Standing in the unfamiliar courtyard, Maya and Rhea looked around uneasily before they moved towards the landing. Rhea had clung to Maya desperately since their disembarking into Karond Kar, and the blonde imperial shivered as she reached and hiked her Arabyan skirt to step up the stairs.
As the slaves got closer Raveres stole the opportunity to gloat, her voice rising smugly as she asked them a rhetorical question,
"What do you think? Finer quarters than that stinking ship, nay?"
Maya nodded, her lips pursed respectfully, and Rhea forced herself to speak, "Yes my lady, it appears a solid, uh h-home."
Raveres sneered and chuckled lowly before turning and looking up at shuttered windows of the second floor. Then with a lower voice she issued a plain order,
"Stay out of the way of the men."
Maya and Rhea nodded and dutifully stepped to wait behind Raveres as her eyes continued to look around. From what the she-elf had been told at the bank, the building which she and her thirty-four-member entourage were now moving into was once the home of a heavily indebted noble.
The property and its contents were repossessed after the Druchii in question lost his pitiful life in a sordid and unsavoury affair. Despite their efforts to sell it, the house had since sat abandoned. Glad to finally have a buyer from outside the 'Kar, the bankers had practically given Raveres the place.
But now, seeing how derelict its exterior was and how darkened and dusty its interior had become, the she-elf realised why the little bearded clerks were so ready to part with it.
Looking away from the exterior and back into the street Raveres took a breath and studied the noblemen and their bodyguards passing by. Most didn't even glance her way, but there were a few that looked at her and her men moving about the once-abandoned building with interest.
Seeing their expressions of curiosity made Raveres childishly smirk while her imagination bubbled.
'I wonder how many prying eyes are going to be on me now? With so many days until the Hanil Khar my arrival is sure to invite some scrutiny! Surely?'
She furrowed her brow, and scratched the edge of her jaw with the back of her right gauntlet.
'I wonder… would any go so far as to call upon me?'
Immediately the idea of a herald, messenger, or bodyguard knocking on her door just to find out who she was made Raveres' chest settle with entertainment. Shaking her head to herself, she then chuckled dryly before some men came out of the front door to throw armfuls of refuse into the street.
Looking up at the townhouse's soot dappled façade Raveres unfolded her arms and pursed her lips, eventually mumbling to herself,
"Though, if they do come calling this sight is not going to impress anyone just yet…"
Back inside, two large and muscled Druchii hefted Raveres' and her slaves' trunks into the foyer. Salis and his group had made their way around to the back of the house and were now coming through the servants' passage.
Pausing, the armoured men looked towards their patroness, and asked, "Where to with this then milady?"
Stepping inside Raveres cleared her throat and nodded. Pointing up the stairs as she ordered, "Take those to the master bedroom."
Looking to the side of the foyer for her Human seneschal she saw the erudite man scrutinising the dining room and lifting up the table's dustcover.
"Yuri, go with them."
He snapped around and nodded quickly, blinking and stiffening at the sight of the two tall Druchii, "Aye milady."
Walking with a tenser step Yurin moved up the stairs and the two mercenaries followed.
Maya and Rhea followed behind Raveres. The two slave women were generally apprehensive of the Druchii mercenaries but now indoors and closer to their mistress they seemed to relax.
Raveres extended a hand as she indicated their surroundings, her voice somewhat quiet,
"It's a far cry from what I was sold. And I am not so keen on it being devoid of servants, or finery."
Rhea nodded in agreement, her cheeks and face doe-like, while Maya plainly looked around at the faded Druchii dwelling.
With a bit of a grumble Raveres stepped forwards, her voice almost lyrical as she continued her complaint,
"There's far more work than I thought would be needed before this is at all a place fit for my own tastes. But it is auspicious."
She smiled, and nodded, "And I know it will serve well."
Above them Yurin's voice came over the bannister and railing,
"Milady most of the rooms are empty up here. The beds have been stripped, and I've just checked for linens, it seems most of the household's cloth has been done away with."
Rolling her eyes Raveres grunted and stepped into the sitting room, eventually calling back, "I hope you're making a list as you go Yuri."
Rhea and Maya looked upwards at the retainer's blank expression and there was a pause before he eventually replied, "Yes. Of course."
His expression was comical and unexpected, so much so Rhea covered her mouth and stifled a giggle, while Maya smirked at the brief moment of levity.
Yurin was about to whisper down a remark, when beside him two Druchii carrying broken chairs heaped with trash stepped beside him and threw them up and over the bannister, without warning, to crash loudly into the foyer.
Rhea let out a yelp of surprise and Maya grabbed her and leapt backwards as the two broken sitting chairs smashed onto the first floor. The Druchii who had thrown the chairs laughed, drawing greater entertainment from the feminine shriek of the slave.
Looking upwards Maya shot daggers at the jeering men and Yurin grimaced as he stepped backwards. The mercenaries laughed and jeered, their expressions goading her on.
Ignoring the sudden action and the near-miss on her slaves Raveres interrupted, "Rhea, Maya! Come here."
Rhea nodded and grabbed Maya by the wrist quickly, whispering an apology as she pulled her fellow slave into the drawing room after their mistress. But Maya was still locking eyes with the two men upstairs, finally she shot out her tongue and pointed her curled fingers at them in an ancient Nehekarian curse.
One of the Druchii furrowed his brow in offence but the other laughed harder before they turned back to their work.
…
Even though the house became louder, filled with the grunting, yelling and action of the men, Raveres seemed unaffected by the noise and instead a calmness had settled over her features.
Sealed rooms and closets were loudly being broken open, windows that didn't cooperate or had rusted shut received the same treatment. The successes of their opening were announced by the dry snapping and cracking of wood punctuated by a triumphant series of cheers.
Yet all the while Rhea and Maya watched as their mistress disregarded the revelry and work and instead, inspected the once impressive, albeit now dirty, salon.
The chambre was dominated by the fireplace on one side, with cloth covered chairs and couches arranged in a U around the hearth. In one corner was a nearly empty bookshelf, and in the opposite corner a draughting desk. The room's windows were flanked by dusty and mangy looking curtains. But its walls were similar to those in the foyer, decorated with wooden panels of rich chestnut coloured wood.
The only difference between the salon and the foyer was that these panels had been inlaid with a detailed motif of ebony.
Scrutinising the furnishings more closely Raveres eventually realised that the choicest knickknacks and decorations of the room had been stolen away. Tables which ought to have had silver candlesticks were barren and what remained only did so because it was either too cumbersome to lift, or somehow awkward to have stowed on ones' person.
Raveres eventually remarked aloud, indicating the barren spots, "It's been picked and skimmed though by thieves…"
The tone of her voice made Rhea uncertain whether to respond and Maya merely shrugged. Sighing and looking across the room Raveres narrowed her eyes before she spotted something left. Then a dagger like smile erupted across her face, as the she-elf continued, her voice lilting girlishly,
"Yet hope remains!"
Recognising what she saw as a wooden liquor cabinet depressed into the wall beside the bookcase, Raveres practically leapt across the room before stooping to reach the small doors of the dispensary. Once it was open, she began scrutinising the bottles within. Most of them were empty, and there were spaces where she assumed the good spirits had been.
Grumbling, Raveres' optimism began souring as she pushed aside the empty bottles until she saw a glimmering blue glass at the back of the cabinet. Letting out an excited scoff she brought it out and scrutinised the label.
"Breath of a Lothern spring"
Gwindol's Vintners of Eataine
By appointment to His Chosen Majesty the Phoenix King
When she finished reading the exquisite Asurian script she let out a sharp, loud, laugh in disbelief.
"Ha-ha! The same stock as the Phoenix King himself eh?"
Unable to keep from smiling Raveres moved with a hop to her step towards the largest of the cloth covered chairs by fireplace. Pulling the cover away from the seat she adjusted her sword before jumping onto the cushion, childishly draping her legs over the arm of the chair.
Now lounging, Raveres released a contented breath as she drew a dagger from her belt and dug at the wax covered cork from the bottle's opening. Maya watched on with a raised brow, while Rhea looked around at the dirtiness of the room with apprehension.
With a slap of her palm on her dagger's hilt, Raveres shot the cork into the bottle and immediately let out a sharp noise as a bubbly froth poured up and out of the opening in response.
Moving the bottle away from her, and looking down at her wine splattered armour, her cheeks reddened, somewhat in embarrassment, but also in complete surprise. Now knowing it was sparkling wine Raveres couldn't help but chuckle while she waited for the bubbles to calm.
"Gods! I don't even care I haven't a glass!"
Bringing the dripping bottle back towards her, the she-elf closed her eyes and sniffed at the rim. Savouring the bouquet of southern Ulthuani grapes she shivered in anticipation. Touching the lip of the glass to her mouth, the seventh born Raveres Naguii had the pleasure of drinking the same wine which, allegedly, filled the goblet of the Asur king, Finubar.
While she did Salis and Yurin entered into the room, their armour and clinking swords announcing their approach.
"The kitchens are quite bereft of anything edible." Salis reported martially, "But not to worry, I've sent some men to market for provisions."
Yurin nodded and added, "I've also made a list and checked the cellar for oils, candles, and other such things and I've asked-"
Raveres raised a hand and silenced them.
Pulling the bottle away from her lips she finally opened her eyes before swallowing. The sound which escaped her lips was nothing short of a moan, then with a loud laugh she sat up and stood, all the while shaking her head.
"Lieutenant Salis, Yuri" with a toothy grin Raveres continued, "This may just be the finest bottle of grape juice I've ever tasted."
Her fellow Druchii raised an eyebrow, doing his best to hide his apathy, "Is that so?"
Beside him Yurin nodded his head servilely, "Quite, my lady."
Nodding at them Raveres coyly smiled. Her eyes scrutinised Salis' for a moment before she wordlessly offered him the bottle. The mercenary stiffened slightly and blinked in surprise, disarmed by the sudden generosity of his employer.
Looking down at the extended drink Salis chuckled awkwardly, then Raveres nodded and smirked, as she encouraged him, "Go on."
Salis smiled strangely, as if he didn't quite know how to act, then after swallowing an empty breath, he tilted his head in gratitude as he took it, "Many thanks milady."
Raveres grinned like a spoiled child as she asked, "Have a sip of that and tell me it isn't worth a Drachau's ransom."
When she looked towards Yurin she cleared her throat and changed her tone, "Yuri, are there any bottles of that Asur wine left over from the voyage?"
The retainer furrowed his brow and thought a moment before he nodded, "Aye, there should be. Why do you ask my lady?"
Raveres nodded, her voice rising as she explained, "I'd like to ensure the men's hydration. Ha-ha! This is a glorious day, and I'd like them to partake."
Salis finished his sip and let out a pent-up breath before he handed the blue bottle back to Raveres. The officer shuddered and shook his head, doing his best to stay reserved as he let out a chuckle, both at her statement, and at the bubbly, sweet drink's aftertaste lingering along his palate.
At the noise Raveres' smile intensified and she nodded expectantly as her eyes darted to Salis' face. With a high feminine laugh, she raised a brow inquisitively,
"Well?"
Salis blinked and avoided her gaze as he reluctantly nodded, his professionalism slipping just a bit as he admitted sheepishly, "It… it's certainly something else."
Then he nodded and stood straighter, "And the men would be most receptive to a drink, however they're likely thirstier than you have the means to quench."
Raveres turned her attention back to Yurin. The seneschal's fanciful Druhir had a strange effect on the mercenary but Salis was glad his patroness was no longer staring him down.
"I believe those crates of wine were brought into the kitchens, but Lieutenant Salis is correct my lady. I wonder if there's enough for them all."
Raveres pursed her lips before taking another swig. Then she nodded, "If you can, find any glasses or cups left in the house, see if you can't get every man at least one drink."
Yurin nodded and turned around towards his task. Then Raveres looked back at Salis as she clarified, "And you've sent men to the markets, correct?"
Salis nodded sharply, "Yes ma'am, I did."
Then he raised his voice almost apologetically as he added, "Though, I regret I didn't ask yourself if you'd have wanted anything particular. My lady…"
Raveres turned towards her chair and jumped back onto it. Sighing she replied boastingly, "After so many months at sea lieutenant, I assure you anything which isn't fish, gruel, or a preserve of some kind will be as if a feast to me."
Snorting and shaking his head Salis forced himself to relax as he looked at his lounging mistress. With a broad, satisfied, smirk, Raveres took another drink and deflated.
Clearing his throat Salis tilted his head again. This time more slowly and purposeful as he attempted courtesy,
"Though they're naught but a pack of dogs in armour, I suppose it'd be proper for me to thank you. On, on behalf of the men."
Raveres' entertainment grew at the low-born mercenary's lack of courtly graces. But rather than chastise him, she chose clemency. There was a perverse entertainment growing in her mind as regarded the mercenary officer… One which the she-elf was increasingly fascinated by.
Nodding and gesturing with bottle; Raveres wordlessly accepted Salis' attempt at respect.
The man forced a smile and motioned to the doorway, "Now, I… I ought to see to the men's progress."
Raveres furrowed her brow and shook her head, her reply coming out quicker than she might have liked, "Nonsense! They seem capable enough to me, sit. Rhea?"
The slave perked up and realised Raveres wanted her to pull the cloth from a place where Salis might stay. So, with a servile quickness, the human drew the sheet from over one of the couches and bowed her head as Salis slowly attempted to refuse.
"I'm flattered milady, but-"
Interrupting him, Raveres pointed towards the dining room, "Rhea? Take Maya with you and see if you can't find some cups. Mhmm? Give this some semblance of dignity."
"Yes, my lady." The two slaves nodded and replied in unison before swiftly moving away.
Salis blinked and quietly watched on. Realising he was now alone in the room with his patron; a noble and a woman at that. As the slaves left Raveres indicated the couch with her free hand, her voice somewhat curt and awkward,
"Sit, lieutenant. Now we might speak with a degree more privacy and familiarity."
Raveres laughed as she watched his expression. Salis hadn't the means to refuse, nor could he really. He was more suited to a tavern, to street brawls, and to the battlefield than a lady and her salon.
After an uneasy breath, Salis adjusted his sword and slowly lowered to sit on the edge of the couch as Raveres continued to watch him. Very quickly Salis decided to speak first and pre-empt his patroness,
"With respect, I'm just a soldier milady. Outside of orders and things related to my profession, I wouldn't know what to say to a noble, I mean… A, a Dreadlord, such as yourself."
Raveres had another sip of wine before extending the bottle back across the distance between them. Eyeing it hesitantly, the mercenary received it with more trepidation than he'd shown before. Filling the air Raveres responded, her voice even as she attempted to change tact,
"I'm not a Dreadlord yet Lieutenant, but no matter. We can speak of soldiery then, ha-ha!"
As Salis took the bottle, he raised it slowly to his mouth and Raveres' waited a moment before speaking again, this time her tone had lowered jarringly as she indicated his apprehension with a degree of impatience.
"Why are you so stiff? Hmm? This isn't so great an imposition Salis, is it? I'm not some mad Death Hag. You should expect no strange brews or Khainite intoxicants from me, ha."
Salis lowered the bottle, and immediately shook his head, "No, not at all I… I mean no offence, Lady Raveres."
Furrowing her brow, she looked at the scarred Druchii in frustration, "Why then? Is it because of my sex?"
At this Salis scoffed defensively, "No, ha! I… it's merely because of some advice I got a long time ago."
Raveres adjusted how she was sitting before narrowing her eyes at Salis, "Which was what, pray tell?"
Salis grunted and swallowed, clearing his throat before answering,
"An officer of mine, he once told me never to drink or to be friendly with those who might employ us…" indicating the room and their current sitting arrangement he continued, "especially like this milady."
Raveres made a bemused expression, "Why's that?"
Salis stiffened awkwardly and took a drink. Then his voice responded reluctantly and matter-of-factly,
"If some noble's friendly, it might make us like them. And if we like 'em, then that makes them harder to kill should someone pay us more."
Immediately reminded of her earlier thoughts on the subject of loyalty Raveres pursed her lips and nodded slowly, fighting the urge to laugh aloud at the irony. Salis, uneasy with the situation and his honesty was about to stand when she replied,
"It might be a long-shot, but I'll ask it anyway… Should you ever receive such an offer, would you consider warning me first?"
Salis laughed as he leant forwards and handed her back the bottle. As she took it Raveres raised an eyebrow and her expression seemed almost entertained at the prospect of betrayal. Meeting her eye Salis blinked and stiffened, appearing to genuinely take a moment to consider her request.
While he thought Raveres chuckled and sipped gingerly, until eventually Salis answered, his voice sober and emotionless.
"I'd consider it."
Laughing and leaning back in her seat Raveres nodded while sighing, "Good enough."
Salis hoped to escape the room again, and was about to stand once more when the slaves Rhea and Maya returned, having found two small crystal glasses. Raveres laughed at their diminutive size before pouring herself and Salis both full servings.
Watching the she-elf pour Salis blinked and did his best to hide his discomfort, but as he received the glass with obvious reservation, Raveres finally chided him, her voice rising impatiently.
"Oh, come now Salis! By the gods, after what I went through in Araby, the months long journey at sea with only a human crew and slaves for company, the least you could do is share some goddamn wine and words with me."
Raveres forced herself to chuckle, but it was obvious she was impatient.
Watching Salis' surprised face she cocked an eyebrow, "Unless, you find me an ugly bore?"
Salis let out a shallow breath and finally leaned backwards in defeat.
"I suppose I ought to oblige such a wanting fellow Druchii."
Raveres sipped at her glass as she nodded, "Indeed! It helps that I'm paying you too, no?"
Salis pursed his lips and nodded, "Sure. But as I said, I'm not one for noble company."
Raveres swallowed her wine and shook her head, her voice snapping; "I don't care!"
The sound made Rhea flinch. Then Raveres shut her eyes and pursed her lips a few moments. When she was calmer, she reopened them and looked at Salis' surprised expression. Raveres' cheeks seemed a little embarrassed but she lowered her voice conciliatorily,
"If only you knew Salis…"
Nodding, the mercenary took a drink before looking around the room. Then, he blatantly disregarded convention by looking at and indicating Raveres' two slaves.
"Fine flesh, eh? From what I've seen, yours must have been a very successful Hakseer?"
Raveres blinked at his jarring, low-born, manners but realised he was trying to change the tone of the conversation. Nodding half-heartedly, she replied, "It could have been easier."
Salis nodded and unclipped his sword so he might sit on the couch more comfortably. Laying the weapon to the side of the cushion, still within quick reach, he smirked and retorted with a playful jab, "I bet that could be said of most worthwhile ventures, nay?"
Raveres agreed reluctantly, "I suppose so."
Waving Rhea and Maya to her side Raveres put her glass down and held out her gauntlet covered hands. Wordlessly the two women began unclipping and routinely removing the armour.
Salis looked on enviously, before remarking, "I wish I'd squires that looked like that."
Raveres snorted.
"Just go to the slave market, I'm sure you can pick up any that strike your fancy. Light skinned, dark skinned, girls…" Her voice lowered, and her eyes narrowed sadistically, "boys."
Salis ignored her jab, casually nodding. Then his words came out faster than he intended, a subtle insult in kind, "No, that's quite alright. I was taught to mind my own armour."
Instantly he cringed, realising how poorly what he said could have been taken. Tilting her head forwards and ignoring his words Raveres indicated his face and asked somewhat bluntly,
"Might I know how you earned that little wound?"
For the first time since hiring Salis, Raveres made mention of the long scar which ran from the edge of his lips up the left side of his cheek. Salis moved his free hand to push a few of his locks back over his right ear, as if to divert attention to the other, more conventionally attractive, side of his face. His voice lowered as he replied sternly, his body language changing,
"It happened when I was a boy, that's all. There's no story to tell."
Maya and Rhea were moving up to Raveres' vambraces and pauldrons now and she cooed in teasing interest.
"Oh?" she laughed, "No, no master Salis. Now you must tell me."
Salis blinked and grew colder before shaking his head moving forwards from his seat and preparing to stand, "Milady, I should see to my men."
Raveres stiffened, ignoring his attempt to leave and diverting to ask another question, "Fine, fine. Tell me instead how a Druchii as young as you have come to such a command?"
The two elves looked at one another for a while.
Cocking her brow again Raveres joked, "Surely it's an unrelated subject. There are men older, and far more scarred than you in higher positions."
Salis offered a conciliatory chuckle before he responded and agreed, "No, it's not related."
With her arms now free from her plate armour Raveres let out a breath, "Well there's a mercy!"
"The man who recruited me, the same one who gave me the advice, he recommended me for command. Said I had a knack for leading in the thick of it."
Raveres nodded in faux surprise, "How forward of him. And he confessed this to you?"
Salis shook his head at her tease, "Not in so many words."
Rising from her seat Raveres extended her arms as her slaves worked at her cuirass, having laid her gauntlets, both sections of vambrace, and her pauldrons on the floor behind the chair.
"How long have you been a sell-sword?"
Salis cocked his head to the side, narrowing his brow warily, "Long enough."
Then, pre-empting her he shot a question of his own, "What was Araby like?"
Once the front and back of the cuirass was away from her chest Raveres waved the slaves away and sat back down with a heavy breath of relief. Though she still had her cuisse, poleyn, and greaves on.
"Hot. It was bloody hot, like how I imagine Vaul's piss must be. Oh, and there was sand everywhere. And Humans… Khaine damn them."
Salis laughed in surprise at Raveres' brutish language while Rhea offered her mistress back her topped-up glass. As Raveres took the wine she watched Salis laugh with a reserved smile of her own. Before drinking she decided to speak without pretence,
"The first thing which strikes you, other than the heat, is the landscape. Dunes rise and extend for miles, beyond count. Stone and ruins buried here and there. How Humans have dwelt there since the days before the sundering I do not know."
Salis nodded in agreement, his features somewhat interested.
Before taking a sip Raveres eagerly asked another question, "What's the farthest you've ever been from Naggaroth?"
He nodded and thought while taking a quick drink of his own.
"To the west I've only ever been as far as the capital. I once went to Arnheim. And, to the east, I twice raided along the northern isles of Ulthuan."
Raveres nodded, she had him beat for distance, but not for duration, or for variety. And her voice came across as half envious, and half approving.
"Impressive, for a sell-sword."
Swallowing she pursed her lips and merely looked at her mercenary lieutenant. At first, he didn't notice, but after a few seconds without another question he realised Raveres was staring. Avoiding her gaze, he finished his drink and she reluctantly let him go.
"Alright, fine, go. See to your men, let me know when something to eat arrives, aye?"
Rhea stepped forwards as Salis rose, he gave her the empty glass and began re-bucking his scabbard to his belt, a nearly hidden relief to his movements as he spoke.
"Of course, milady."
Raveres nodded, then watched him as he moved towards the door and exited the room.
With a heavy breath she shook her head, 'Gods be good… my fortunes have been too high!'
Then, finishing her drink in a quick shot, she hissed and cooed at herself.
'No. You know what? After the harrowing near-failure of my Hakseer, I deserve this! I earned it, and more!'
Then Raveres turned her thoughts to the terrifying, but anxiously awaited Hanil Khar. Looking at her two slaves she nodded and spoke aloud,
"When I go up into that damn tower and face the Drachau they will remember my name!"
Her voice was filled with confidence and she punctuated it with a proud nod. Then she waved the slaves closer.
"Rhea, go and retrieve your flute. Maya? Get the rest of this armour off me."
Quietly the two humans complied and Raveres closed her eyes, listening to the noise of the men turning the once crypt-like house upside down, with an odd smile on her face.
…
The end of the raiding season was in the next few weeks, and the Hanil Khar would properly begin in a few days. As that moment grew nearer Raveres became more and more nervous, doing little to hide it in her growing curtness and quickness to ire.
As those days passed, the city became more populous, the slave markets teemed, and all the pubs, taverns, inns, and bawdyhouses overflowed with masters, would-be Dreadlords, mercenaries, sailors, and ravers.
An irregular routine had settled over Raveres and her retinue, and to her credit she had predicted the inquisitive calling of her neighbours.
On several occasions' bodyguards had made enquiries to her identity; knocking on the door to size her up in a variety of ways, hurrying back to relay what they saw to their masters and mistresses.
In the morning, just a few days from the official beginning of the Hanil Khar, there arrived visitors Raveres had not expected at all. Dressed in green, and bearing the colours and sigils of the city and Drachau, Raveres received an actual herald of Karond Kar.
It was early, and Raveres was woken with a heart dropping start when Yurin told her who it was that had come calling.
Dressing quickly in some clean plainclothes, the she-elf descended the stairs of her foyer to see two men in full plate armour accompanying a waifish, scarred, and gaunt man. He'd lost one eye, the iris a striking milky white, while the other was an intense emerald.
His once black hair was dappled with long streaks of white and was pulled backwards into a small and tight ponytail at the base of his neck. His features seemed almost familiar, but Raveres knew she'd never seen or met this Druchii yet.
Unlike his bodyguards, the helmetless man was dressed in an ornate kheitan with a fine riding cloak on his left shoulder, well-spun trousers, and polished brown riding boots. The weapons at his side; a longsword, and a stiletto, were also of impressive quality.
He looked at her with reserved, but obvious disapproval. Catching her breath and straightening her back, realising how underdressed and embarrassing she must appear in comparison.
Ignoring her pride for a moment Raveres forced sleep from her mind and body before bowing her head at the neck in respect.
"My lord, good morning. Hail the Drachau. You are a herald of Karond Kar I presume? To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
The man snarled and took a step forward.
"You owe my arrival to your own stupidity, and nothing more."
Raveres was so stunned she angled backwards and blinked in surprise. Yurin, and her mercenaries tensed as they looked between their employer and the three visitors.
Shaking her head and feeling a fire rise in her chest Raveres scoffed,
"Excuse me?"
The man shook his head and swore under his breath.
"Idiot girl…"
Raveres was about to retort when the man interrupted,
"Your mother wrote to me."
The she-elf cocked her head to the side and her voice caught in her throat in total bewilderment and confusion.
Then the man leant backwards, "We met only once before, so I shall forgive you that you do not remember."
Finally, Raveres snapped from her daze, her voice lilting with agitation, "Who the hell are you? What word do you have of my mother and family?"
"I have many words. But first you'll learn to show respect! I am no mere herald, or errand boy. I am your uncle by marriage you venomous creature." His voice was authoritative and continued to strike her off guard.
Blinking and standing rigid Raveres stared at the man until she recalled a very, very, old memory. Of a dinner party, or festival day, years before her brother Narien was born. Her home was filled with members of her family. Then the man's features became clearer, and she could picture him standing beside her mother at the fireplace. He had fewer scars and both eyes then.
'Uncle by marriage? That means,' she wracked her brain for his name, 'He's married to my aunt, so he must be…'
Finally, she spoke, her voice feeling clumsy and awkward in her throat.
"You're Uncle Luran. Luran Vayle?"
He looked at her with disdain, "Lord Vayle, if you please. And yes, I am."
Bowing her head slowly and begrudgingly Raveres corrected herself.
"Lord Vayle. Uncle."
Narrowing her eyes quickly Raveres moved her head to the side, her confidence returning as she plainly showed her wariness, "How do I know for certain you are indeed my uncle?"
Luran nodded and reached to a pouch along his belt, "Of course."
Withdrawing an unsealed parchment letter, he waved it for emphasis before making a 'tuck-tuck' noise with his tongue and offering it to Raveres.
"I don't know what it was you chose to say to your mother, but my wife told me she's never read her use such strong language in decades."
His tone was condescending, and made her feel like an unruly child. Far too accurate to be an imposter. But then Raveres blinked and averted her gaze, almost childishly before furrowing her brow,
'No. I am no damnable child! I am a woman! I am to be a Dreadlord! Relation or no, I will not be talked to like this!'
Accepting the parchment with a snap of her hand, Raveres saw the wax seal of her family's sigil, and as she unfolded the letter, the familiar hand of her mother's writing. Just a brief skim of the densely written sheet made Raveres stiffen and clear her throat with disappointment.
The guest before her was who he said he was; Lord Luran Vayle, husband to her maternal aunt, and Raveres' uncle by marriage.
Looking over the parchment, she didn't read the whole text, but one of the closing lines sealed the situation for her. In her mind Raveres could clearly hear her mother's voice, an uncomfortable situation to be sure…
'If Raveres is so stubborn as to refuse your council and my written words, then let her know we shall be in the city for the Hanil Khar.'
Scoffing and handing the letter back, Raveres shook her head before looking at Lord Vayle and folding her arms.
"I care little for a dressing down from a man I barely know. So, do not speak to me as if I am still a babe, my lord. Instead, do what you've come to do."
Vayle raised a brow before chuckling. Then, rather leeringly he looked Raveres up. From her legs, to her chest and then face, his eye doing nothing to masque his tracing of her curves. Then in agreement his voice lowered,
"No. A babe you are no longer, that's for certain."
He stowed the letter and took off his gloves before stepping closer. "Yet, I would remind you that Karond Kar is a city where one slip-up might see you in the slave feed."
Raveres ignored both attempts to unsettle her and instead narrowed her eyes at him. Slowing her breathing and relaxing her shoulders of the unease and tension growing in her body, she replied plainly,
"Well then, why are you here uncle? Why did my mother write you and my aunt, and not me?"
Looking away from his niece Luran scrutinised the décor, his voice coming out both disinterestedly and insultingly,
"Your mother is still quite close to her sister; their correspondence a regular affair. This should not come as a surprise to you." He laughed before clearing his throat. "As to my visit, well… This is not the place to speak of such matters."
He then indicated the mercenaries scrutinising him and his men with a lazy motion of the wrist.
"You have slaves, you have servants, and from what I've gathered you and your little rabble have been living quite loudly and contentedly since your arrival. The least you might do is offer some of that hospitality to your family. No?"
Raveres was uneased, concerned, and utterly surprised at the appearance, and unannounced entry of a 'fringe' member of her family into her life. But, status, decorum, and her overall uncertainty put her into an awkward position.
Silently Raveres entered into a strange and tense staring match with her uncle. His features were calm and betrayed none of his thoughts now. She was entirely on the defensive, once again…
Blinking and unfolding her arms Raveres had no choice but to acquiesce. Her voice came out sternly, but casually, as she spoke to Yurin at her side.
"Yuri, I'm going to sit with Lord Vayle by the hearth. Wake Rhea, and get Salis to wake his men. Come see me when you're finished."
Looking back at Luran Raveres continued, "Would you like anything my lord?"
Her uncle smirked and tilted his head sarcastically, "You're most kind, but I'm fine."
Raveres waved Yurin off and he nodded curtly before scampering from view. Then she drew a breath and motioned towards the door to the salon.
"After you, uncle."
Tucking his gloves into his belt and adjusting his scabbard Luran nodded and stepped towards the warmth of the freshly laid fire.
Once the door was closed Raveres' voice came out in a controlled growl, "Why did she send you?!"
Luran turned and scoffed in disbelief.
"You read the letter."
Raveres fought the urge to roll her eyes, "What? She wrote a treatise! No, I didn't read all of it."
Luran shook his head as he sat.
"I am here, my dear niece, because, while it is within her power, your mother wants you to continue breathing."
Raveres blinked in confusion before sitting down opposite Luran, "What?"
He exhaled contemptibly,
"Stupid girl… You think the Hanil Khar is as simple as just showing up to the Drachau's court and declaring: 'I finished my Hakseer, make me a Dreadlord', hmm? You've survived this long somehow, so tell me, is that how it works?"
Raveres furrowed her brow wordlessly, before she responded sarcastically, "I was hoping that the conclusion to this arduous misadventure would be as simple as something along those lines, yes."
Luran shook his head before he continued, "That lack of caution will ensure your skin is rent from your back."
Raveres stiffened in her seat while Luran exhaled and finally lost some of his insulting air. He didn't appear to want to trade verbal blows, and neither did she. But he did manage to get one more wound in,
"Speaking of which, how did your Hakseer go? Apparently, your whole crew was lost."
Raveres scoffed, "How did you find that out?"
Luran raised his hand, "It doesn't matter. But what's more important is that for someone like me it wasn't hard."
Raveres had hoped she'd be able to avoid scrutiny and shame for the failures of others but it seemed the spectre of captain Dorath hadn't left just yet. Thankfully Luran seemed to give her something of a break, choosing not to make any further insult as he continued,
"You'll likely have to make an explanation as to what happened. From the hearsay it's not too unbelievable."
He sighed, "Regardless, you are here without a sponsor. Tell me child, how were you planning on making your oath to the Drachau?"
Raveres pursed her lips and looked away for a moment, "Well. I've survived by wit and fortune so far."
Luran sneered, unimpressed. Then reaching back to his pouch he pulled another letter out, "That won't get you much further. And she did pen you a reply, by the way. Your mother asked that I deliver it."
Raveres felt her heart skip a beat as she took the parchment.
"From what I had read it seems my mother and father are intending to come?"
Luran nodded, "They are. I shall host them. Though you'll be finished before they arrive."
Raveres furrowed her brow and laughed nervously, "What?"
"You didn't think I'd come just to chastise and humble you?"
The she-elf opened her mouth but Luran interrupted, "By necessity I shall vouch for you in court. It's short notice, but it shouldn't be too troublesome. Besides I'll ensure you're nearer the top of the list, as it were."
Raveres' lungs emptied involuntarily in surprise.
"What? That's… I…"
Quickly gathering herself Raveres knew such generosity was not freely given. Trying not to sound as flustered as she was, she asked,
"How would I repay this debt, uncle?"
Luran smirked but waved her off, "We'll have time for that later."
Not assured Raveres avoided showing her discontent before pointing back towards the foyer, changing the subject,
"Those guardsmen bear the colours of the Drachau, how is it they're with you? Surely they don't owe you favours as well."
She chuckled falsely.
Luran shook his head and smiled, "Not at all. They serve me freely."
Raveres raised a sceptical brow as she thought chidingly, 'Of course they do…'
With a sanctimonious tone of pride, Luran began to boast,
"I served with great distinction in the tower guard of Karond Kar. Now, I still serve in court at the Drachau's pleasure." He stiffened, "It might come as a break in my personal tradition, as I never sponsor anyone. But it would look worse if you were entirely alone. And at such a time now you've no other options."
Raveres pursed her lips a moment before begrudgingly nodding. Fighting the embarrassment of her hubris her mind raced, deriding herself for thinking that she'd be able to breeze through victory after victory, to then arrive home in triumph as easily as being borne by slaves on a litter.
Finally, through grit teeth, Raveres responded, "I must thank you, uncle. I hope to be worthy of such an honour."
Luran's expression shifted, his voice plainly doubtful, "We shall see."
…
Yurin approached the door to the salon when it opened and Lord Vayle nearly knocked him out of the way as he exited. Speaking over his shoulder as a visibly drained Raveres followed him, Vayle's guards stood straight as they readied to leave.
"I'll be back tomorrow niece, and by then I hope you will have come to peace with what must be done."
Yurin looked from his mistress to Lord Vayle as the Druchii chuckled and stepped out the door and down the landing. After they had remounted their horses in the courtyard Lord Vayle raised a brow and looked at Raveres expectantly. Yurin watched on, almost as if he were a voyeur… He'd never seen Raveres' body language quite like this before.
Finally, she spoke, straightening her back as she tilted her head in a bow, "Very well, my lord."
Lord Vayle smirked before turning his horse and kicking it to action out of the gate and into the street.
Raveres stood in the open door for several moments, watching her uncle ride off. Then she turned back into the house, her eyes burning with the expression of someone who was just cheated.
Yurin swallowed as she waved him to follow her back into the sitting room.
"Yurin, we've got to do some counting."
He nodded, "Aye, very good my lady."
She laughed while moving towards the draughting desk and sighed, "If only."
Raveres closed her eyes for a moment before finally speaking, her tone indicating she had begrudgingly made a decision, "What's money for, if not spending, hmm?"
Yurin pursed his lips and merely stood still. Then she indicated the desk, the parchment, quills, and ink.
"Sit. I need you to estimate the gross from my Hakseer and tabulate what's left."
Yurin blinked and held back a scoff. Raveres laid onto one of the couches and held a still-sealed letter contemplatively.
"When you've done that, I need you to divide the total into one half and two thirds. Do you understand?"
Yurin furrowed his brow, her words weren't correct, but he thought he understood what she meant, "You want me to half the total, then divide the remaining half in two?"
Raveres nodded disinterestedly, "Yes."
Yurin took up the quill and began writing as she explained.
"Whatever I've spent will have to come from my part. The lion's share is to go to the Drachau."
Yurin began drawing an Arabyan tabulating square and raised a brow before quietly asking, "Who's the other third for?"
Raveres sneered and ripped open the wax of her mother's letter as she replied venomously, "My uncle."
Yurin swallowed and immediately looked down at his work.
"Tomorrow he'll come for his due, and together we'll take my tribute to the Drachau's tower."
Raveres unfolded the letter, her voice lowering,
"And then the day after that is the beginning of the Hanil Khar itself…"
Yurin nodded quietly as he carefully recalled and mentally recounted. Exhaling a heavy breath Raveres finally began reading her mother's words.
…