Disclaimer: Still don't own, except for what I do.
:}
It was an uncomfortable four days of travel that brought them to the river, over a hundred and fifty miles from Travmort. It had been an uncomfortable pace, short of forced marches, but the horses did the heavy movement, saving the people to complain of the long distances they were covering in what was feeling, more and more, like a fools errand.
Most of the men were fairly healed by the time they reached the river, and grateful for Jade and Rob's understanding of herbs, as well as the twos skills in healing. "Most of these men are going to be a liability." Ryder told Beck. "I get it, they're loyal men, soldiers of your clan. But in a real fight, they're more useful as alternative targets then something we can rely upon to land a telling blow against anything more serious then brigands."
"They are my people." Beck sighed. "I know, they lack a knights skills, but they're tough fighters willing to lay their lives down for the clan. I just," He closed his eyes, "we need them. Numbers may well be the advantage that makes a difference."
"Maybe." Ryder agreed. "I just hate to think they'll die, and those deaths will buy us nothing."
Despite those misgivings, this was Beck's expedition to run, and so the men stayed, loyal to the end. Ryder just hoped that his sister wouldn't get too attached, or had some way to keep those men alive when the real fighting happened. Soon the familiar (To him) sight of the city of the Holly Woods came into view, and he realized they were about to enter a very different wilderness.
The city of the Holly Woods was a far cry from a trading village like Travmort. Solid stone walls encircled the city, but the community grew faster then the walls could be built. Even the more temporary wooden palisades that offered some protection to the external communities had buildings and homes outside them, the city having grown that quickly.
"Always people who want to live outside the city walls." Ryder said. It was an of hand observation, made in the moment, showing what he thought was the obvious thoughts of his companions. Time living in that city had dulled his mind to the memory of his first time he'd visited one, and how intimidating that many people in one place could be. This was a bustling berg of over thirty thousand people, far more then many of them had seen in one place.
Ryder soon realized, while both Beck and Tori had visited the city, the others were all in awe of the size of the place. "Lets follow this road, and find us an inn before we set off to find us a Seer." Beck told the party.
"No." Ryder countered. "Sir Gary lives in the city. I suggest we find him, and see how many of us he can accommodate."
"We're that short on cash?" Rob wondered.
"No, this city's a great place to restock on cash." Ryder corrected. "No, the problem is, the threat is…" He hesitated, rethinking his explanation. "A city is it's own form of wilderness, complete with it's own dangers. The inn keepers will seek to take advantage. No, we find us a guide who can help us navigate this wilderness, and find what we're looking for from there."
They soon found themselves entering the city, past the outer parts that existed even beyond the palisades, past the outer gates manned by local militia, to the city gates that separated the docks from the city proper. A gate manned by the guard. Ryder was able to avoid the fee to enter the city, explaining that, while a chartered city, it did technically owe some allegiance to Clan Vega.
"Really?" Beck wondered as they made their way through the large gatehouse and into the city. "I thought chartered cities didn't owe allegiance to anyone."
"Normally they don't." Ryder chuckled. "Except they need those allegiances. This city, it would starve if it didn't import food, both through trade, and serfs in the fields. Those fields are outside the city, and thus outside the charter. Someone needs to take care of those serfs, and when push came to shove, the lands are technically part of those granted to the Vega clan."
"It's outside the dale." Tori noted.
"So are most of your southern lands." Ryder continued. "The territory protected by Clan Azur, for instance, is outside your very wide dale, and as such, needed it's own protectors. But the crown, they don't have the resources to patrol all the exterior borders, and Clan Azur was very much an outsider before they made their deal with the Vega clan. Had no idea about the dragon, however…"
"So this is Vega territory?" Jade whistled.
"No, a chartered city is outside the rule of anyone but the throne, or it's own government, usually made up of merchants." Beck explained.
"But The Holly Woods needs nobles, to protect the countryside, and that's where sir Gary comes in." Ryder continued. "He was granted a position by the counsel in return for representing them in certain matters. His personal merchant helps him make the most of his income, as well as run a couple of side businesses for him. But Gary can work with the local nobles, the one's who pledge allegiance to Clan Vega, and lord over the surrounding farmlands, thus enabling the Merchants to avoid the messy bowing and scraping that comes with dealing with people they feel aren't their betters, but have the authority to demand some respect."
"Does my father know about this?" Tori wondered.
"I doubt it." Ryder guessed. "I know Lord Gary left his direct service to your father over some issues, and as such, had to make his own way…" He let that drop. They were in the city, and Sir Ryder was greeted by a small contingent of guards, standing in salute. "Okay, this used to be my territory, even if Sir Gary and I spent most of our training time on circuit, heading from one hold to the next, patrolling the borders of this part of the Vega holdings." He offered a quick salute, and was rewarded with a response. There was respect.
The guard escorted them a ways, as the size of the city began to press down on the party. Soon, Jade was feeling claustrophobic, and she'd been raised in a castles compound. The others, especially the Vega nobles, also felt the world closing in on them, the tight streets and crowds pressing the density of humanity around them. "Lots of people." Jade noted.
'Yea, loads of em.' Cat said through their link. 'This is a major trade rout for this part of the kingdom, and as such, loads of people. Good three times as many as most of the cities in the more settled areas, as well as many on the frontiers. Tiny compared to the cities of the outer planes, but hay, my kind like our space, with exceptions, so I tend to stay outside the cities, except when I'm attending the Queen on the Petrified Throne.'
"Yea, needed that." The witch deadpanned.
"What was that?" Robbie wondered. Oddly, the ranger was taking the whole experience very calmly. For a man of the wilds, he seemed to almost fit in among the throngs of people. "Just to let you know, someone tried to pick my pocket. I've been watching to make sure no one succeeds with any of us, but just be alert."
"Right, thieves." Tori nodded.
"Um, Jade?" Ryder whispered. "We still haven't met your familiar."
"Familious." Jade corrected. "Trust me, she won't let me hear the end of it if I don't use the correct term."
'True that.' Cat reminded her master.
"I just, we were traveling, making distance, and so tired at the end of each day…" Jade made excuses. The truth was, she didn't know how to explain her bonded familious to the others, and hoped to avoid any real explanations. She was also worried about what happens if she lost the amulet. She needed the lessons Cat was helping facilitate, and wasn't sure if the faerie would owe allegiance to her, or the holder of the amulet. 'And asking Cat is out of the question, at least for now. I need to focus on getting stronger, cause damn, time is running out here….'
They reached the upper class districts and immediately the differences were apparent. Each home had a yard around it, enclosed by one form of wall or another, as well as private guards to protect the property. No one, it seemed, trusted the town watch with their valuables. In response, the escort departed, heading off to who knows where, having done minimal to prevent the half dozen attempted thefts Robbie, and unknown to all, Cat had thwarted.
Ryder lead the way to what looked like one of the smaller houses, but on one of the larger pieces of property. The gate was guarded by three man, all standing around, relaxed, but on the inside of the gate, somehow looking over the ten foot high walls. "Platform" Tori told those less familiar with such things.
"Travmort had a platform." Robbie reminded the lady. "The palisade isn't as tall, but they have boards nailed along the inside, giving the guards something to walk on, as well as stand on when defending the town."
The guards recognized Ryder, and the word flew inside in seconds. "Gary has his own house guard, paid for by both his income from the city, as well as his business interests." Ryder told the others. "We should see him soon enough."
Quickly, the gates opened, and the travelers were able to see that the stone wall wasn't much more then a foot thick, save for the platform on the inside, and wouldn't hold off a serious siege. Still, Tori guessed it wasn't intended to, and just chalked the whole thing up to an impressive barrier to stop the locals from doing any damage to the household in times of trouble.
They were brought in to the house proper, and made comfortable, waiting for the knight and lord of the home to make his appearance. "Beck? Tori? That you?"
"Sir Gary." Beck greeted the aging knight. A large man, still solidly built, the knight was holding his sword, still sheathed, in his hand.
"Sir Gary." Tori echoed.
"My Lord." Sir Ryder added. "I've joined these two on their quest. They're out to slay the beast that's been harassing the Dale."
"We were looking for a wizard…." Beck added, trying to regain control of the conversation.
"I heard there's one near Travmort." The elder knight informed them. "Said to be quite the character. Just, be careful, wizards in general can be a tricky lot…" He smiled towards his former squire.
"Oh, right….." Ryder hesitated only a moment. "My lord, may I present to you, my little sister, Jade…"
"West." Jade finished for him. "Dad may have disowned me, but Jasper didn't have a choice. I'm using that name until forced to stop. And I dare anyone to try." The growl was edging on dangerous.
"Apparently, she was Aleister's apprentice." Ryder hastened to fill in.
"So you have a wizard?" Gary noted. "Or would you prefer a different form of address. Last thing I want is to offend someone helping the Dale."
"I've been called a lot of things, but lately, I've been refereed to as a witch." Jade said causally.
"How is it a term for a female mystic has become an insult?" The old knight wondered. "Sorry, everyone, please…" He turned to the servants. "They'll need rooms and food." Then he looked back at his guests. "Anything else you need?"
"We're going to want to speak with a Seer names Sikowitz." Beck said.
"And we're looking for a minstrel names Andre, said to have connections to clan Azure." Tori amended.
"Okay, I know of both men, but I'm afraid I can only help you find one." Gary said. "At least for the nonce."
"I'm just looking forward to a warm bed." Robbie said. "Wait, I'm the scout. Do I get one? A bed?"
Sir Gary's laughter was rich and merry, showing little of the formality he once held in such high regards. Still, it was a good natured laugh at the presumptions of the ranger to speak in front of the nobles, even as he slowly realized how unimportant he might be seen as.
'He can share with me.' Cat echoed in Jade's mind. 'After you introduce us. I swear, been waiting here for a proper introduction for a while now. Talk about rude. Learn your manors, and make introductions so I can get to know your ranger better. Think he wants me to swallow?'
Jade's face grimaced at the thought. "Miss?" One of the servants asked.
"I'm fine." Jade warded the girl off. "I just had a thought, and I didn't need it."
"Of course, we have beds for all of you." Sir Gary assured the young ranger. "I may not have private rooms for all, but at the very least, we have beds. No worries there."
"We'll also need some privacy." Jade said. "I need to discuss our next move with the lords here, and we'll need us some privacy." Her blue eyes scanned to the side. "I guess Robbie here can come too."
'I wonder, how big his member is?' Cat let Jade know where the faerie's mind was. 'Not that it matters nearly as much as people think, cause it's about how you prepare, in our minds, as much as anything. I could teach you so much… Will I have to teach you? I mean, you weren't exactly willing that one time, so it's not like you know what you like. And I could help. I really could… However, given the nature of our relationship, probably best I find you someone else to teach you. I'd ask Victoria, except some humans are such prudes. Ironically, Prudence, someone I know, technically a faerie, but she's like a total slut…. Yea, not important right now, even if she can do the wildest things with her tongue.' Jade felt the leering smile. 'Still, that's a talk for later, after you've bathed, and I've made at least three comments on how someone should be willing to hit that.'
Jade cringed, but then forced herself to stand erect. 'Cat, calm the fuck down. I don't need this. Not right now.'
'Yea, you need some hot noble ass. Just, gonna take us some time to make that romance happen, cause romance, duh.' Cat taunted her mistress, enjoying the game.
Beck and Ryder seemed in a friendly competition to explain to Sir Gary exactly what they were after, something that was made all the more awkward by the fact that Gary, as fit the courts of the Dale, kept an informal house. That meant he didn't remember to tell the others to relax, something standard in most courts, and expected by the master of Travmort. So Rob and Jade stood awkwardly, unable to read the signals as Vic wandered off to find something to drink as the boys argued over unimportant details. Still, before long they managed to get across what they needed, and Sir Gary called his men together. "As Ryder here can tell you, I have people to help do searched like this. Or, more precisely, I can hire a couple to reach out. So, relax, and let me do the legwork..."
The party was allowed to relax as Sir Gary reached out with his contacts to find the Seer. He also made a room available to the gathering, so Jade could discuss whatever was on her mind with Tori and Beck. Killing two birds, he had given the nobles his guest suite, and apartment with two bedrooms off of it, plus servants quarters, and an open space where they could relax and discuss whatever was on their minds.
"Okay, everyone here?" Jade said, counting heads. There were now only the five of them in the room, sitting on the couches, and relaxing before food was ready. The rest of the party, the extra's, had found themselves a place to relax, and had no intent of facing that city again for a while. "It's past time I introduced you all to my familiaus."
'Way past time.' Cat agreed.
'Behave.' Jade shot at the faerie. "So, without any more distractions, Cat, show yourself."
With a flutter, the small fae materialized on Jade's shoulder. "Hii-ii, I'm Catarina-Crimsona-Magestica-Flutterous-Valintine, Thane to the Petrified Throne, and Noblus Imperious to the Pixie Court." She gave a courtly bow. "But most people call me Cat."
"M'Lady." Robbie returned the bow.
"That's a lot of title." Tori noted.
"Yea, some day, I'll have to tell you my full title." Cat said. She smiled up at the thin girl dressed as a man. "Please don't be jealous, but on those cold mountain roads, I've been sleeping in the warm valley, and I know that's a place you'd like to claim as your own."
"She's a faerie." Beck said, watching the small girl with the velvety red hair and wings.
"What was your first hint?" Jade snapped, not wanting this to take any longer then it had to. "Sorry, my familious, she can be a handful sometimes."
"I'd like to say I put my mischievous days behind me." Cat assured them. "But then, Jadey told me not to lie about that stuff."
"Technically, she's an ascendant Pixie." Jade explained to the gathering, hoping to prevent her familious from doing to much damage with her new found honesty. "A celestial faerie."
"And don't you forget it." Cat added. "And oh yea, I have red wings. You may not know this, but among my kind, red wings shows a specific, special blessing. I may even tell you about it, some day, once I get my charge here trained enough. And no, my magics work differently then hers do, but I have the power to take her, in dreams, to study at the foot of the Petrified Throne, so we're getting someplace."
Beck had finally recovered. "All right, Cat, welcome to the party." He said, choosing to use all his hard learned diplomacy. 'This is even more crazy then I'd thought. We need that Seer, now.'
"Want me to scout him out?" Cat asked, somehow having read the young lords intentions. "I could so do that, flitter out and find us a Seer. Who knows, it may even be the one your looking for."
"NO." Jade shut that down. "I'm thinking I wanna keep you close, for now."
"Besides, we have Gary's people looking for this Sikowitz." Beck added. 'Did she read my mind, or was that just coincidence? Either way, this is less than comforting...'
"Gary should find him soon." Ryder assured them. "We just, we need to give them time…"
"Yea, or we could just head out." Cat urged. "I wanna see this city. Jadey here NEEDS to see more of this place, cause gods, sheltered. Not saying the trauma's she's been through… Yea, not my story to tell. Just, damaged girl needs some life experience to help counter balance the dark attitude, even if you mortals seem to think that tude is the norm for wizardly types and chiz…."
"Chiz?" Beck wondered.
"Leave it." Tori warned. "The faeries, they obviously have their own way of saying things." She glanced around, confirming all eyes were on her. "I say we relax, cause we won't necessary get much time to do that after we've seen the Seer. We need to find him, then find this minstrel, Andre of Clan Azure."
"Lets get some rest, and maybe we see the city later, after we've recovered a bit from the road." Beck decided. "All agreed?"
"Do I get a say?" Robbie wondered.
"Sure." Tori nodded.
"Then I agree with Lord Beckett." The Ranger declared. "We're all more tired then we're willing to admit, and a little rest won't cost us much of anything. Sides, assuming we survive, we'll have plenty of time to see the sights later, after."
Jade sighed. "I just don't wanna go looking around and miss our chance to speak with this Seer we're looking for." She admitted. "Cat, lets get us some rest."
"Lady Vega, you wanna come with, maybe snuggle?" Cat offered.
"Cat, please…" Jade begged.
"Oh, right, they don't know…" Cat shrugged. "Yea, time to rest…" She faded from view.
Jade took that opportunity to slip away and find her bed. Moments later, she'd settled in for a nap, all the while looking in her mind for how she'd use her magics to help slay a beast resistant to magic. 'Obviously, we use indirect attacks, energies conjured rather then invoked. Raw damage to pin it down long enough to maybe find a weakness I can exploit….'
"Jade, I was wondering, do you think the size difference turned that cute Ranger off?" Cat asked.
"No, I think he never even considered you as a viable option." Jade spoke, too tired to hide their communications. "Besides, nice enough boy, but he's such a, I don't know… He just feels so soft. Not that he is, cause damn, boy is good in the wilds. He just comes across as one of those pampered types, who couldn't fight their way out of a pile of kittens."
"Gee, thanks for the nightmares." Cat sniped. "Or maybe you forgot, when you're this small, a pile of kittens can be a major threat to life and wings. Not that I'm that vulnerable, cause hello, red wings. It's just, kinda on the small side here."
Jade smiled. "Get some rest."
Cat snuggled into her favorite spot, and rested her mind for just a bit. "Warmer then kittens." She said, and purred herself to sleep.
:}
So, they've met Cat, and Sir Gary, and made it to the cit of the Holly Woods. So much of their quest is ahead of them, yet somehow, this is a major step. Thinking things get easier from here, at least until they leave the city. Plus, we'll meet Andre, and find out of his clan really has a dragon.
Thoughts?