Chapter 12 Reunion
From across the garden there came a ruckus. It was the High Seeker talking loudly again."I don't care what it takes Ronaldo, we will continue if we have to turn every stone in the cathedral.", the High Seeker said angrily. His voice faded as he walked away, "I will not have another death in my church on my watch."
Eliza blanched at the Inquisitor's words. Things had changed since she had last been to the cathedral, and not for the better. She looked after the seeker, a familiar worried look on her face. Then she finished up sewing the rose to Lynn's robe and turned to Weamar.
"Are you sure you saw something up there?", she said.
"Very.", Weamar replied. "I don't suppose it is thought to wander the rooftops.”
"Going on the roof would bring questions. We could go up into the bell tower though.”, Eliza suggested.
"That might be useful.", Weamar agreed.
They left the green of the gardens and returned to the cold stone of the Cathedral's interior. In short order they were climbing a set of winding stairs. Half way up Weamar glanced over the railing and grew a little nervous at the sight of the dizzying drop. At the top he marveled at the massive bell suspended over the open space in the middle of the tower. If it were to sound, he mused, they would all surely have been struck deaf.
Lynn peered out from underneath her hood and marveled at the view. The entire city could be scene from the tower as well as miles worth of the surrounding countryside. Soon all of their gazes shifted towards the gargoyle. It was still as stone, crouching fixed at the front of the Cathedral. But it was not in the same place that Weamar and Marinae had seen it before.
Eliza pointed to the gargoyle. "That was the last statue carved by Nikolai Pyotrovich. They found him lying beneath it. His heart had just given out. They moved it from his workshop and to my knowledge it has been in that spot ever since. That and the statue of Ezra in the main hall were his greatest works."
"Had he ever carved a gargoyle before?", Lynn asked.
"Yes.”, Eliza answered, “There are several other smaller gargoyle carving throughout the building"
Lynn committed the gargoyle to memory and then put her blindfold back on. "Maybe he didn't carve it.", she said.
Eliza looked confused at Lynn's statement. "What do you mean?”, she asked.
"If you were a gargoyle, you could get away with m..", Lynn paused at the word, then said, "...anything. And you wouldn't have to hide. When did he carve the statues?”
"Nikolai was first commissioned when he was a young man, a few years after construction began some 60 years ago.”, Eliza explained, “The final statue was complete about 6 years ago.”
Marinae thought about the kind of magic needed to make a stone gargoyle come alive. She knew that it had to be a lot. She cast a spell and looked around for traces of magic, but the only auras that she saw were those around Lynn's hand, Eliza's amulet, her robe, and William's dagger.
Eliza sighed, "I need to officially report in." Then she took Lynn's hand, "You said you'll be singing tonight at the Inn?"
"Yes.", Lynn answered.
Eliza smiled, "I'll be there." She squeezed Lynn's hand and looked to Marinae and Weamar. "I'll see you both tonight, then."
Lynn gave Eliza's hand a quick kiss and then Eliza turned and went down the stairs.
Marinae whispered to the others, "I don't even see any magic on the thing. That’s something to really worry about!"
"Does it have to be magic?", Lynn wondered aloud.
"I suppose not.”, Marinae thought, “But I've never heard of a living stone gargoyle."
For a time all three of them stood in silence, deep in thought. Then Lynn took off her glove and changed the subject.
"My ring.”, she mused, “What did the book mean about it? That there's a bond between me and the wearer of the other ring."
Marinae and Weamar were staring at the gargoyle, wondering if they hadn’t just been seeing things.
"I feel nervous wearing it.", Lynn added. "When I was on the dais, I could read from the book. And I summoned the magic. Was that the ring?"
Marinae had no idea how Lynn was able to read from the book. She hadn’t really thought about that since it happened.
"If you don't read Elvish, it could be something your ring is doing.”, Marinae guessed, “If I understand what the book said about your ring, there's someone on the other end of the link to your ring. Maybe that person can read Elvish. Still, I have a spell that lets me read scrolls and spell books. Maybe you were using a form of that, through the ring?"
"I don't know.”, Lynn shivered, “It was scary. I wasn't in control of myself."
Weamar was growing uncomfortable being up in the tower. "There doesn't seem to be much else to see up here, we may as well get back down.", he said.
As he spoke he noticed a person walking around in the cemetery. He, or she, was bundled up in several layers of clothing, making any determination of gender difficult. The figure stood over one grave, staring at the headstone. After a brief period the figure knelt before the headstone and bowed its head. Marinae noticed Weamar staring at something and walked over next to him to see what it was. They watched the mysterious figure kneeling before the headstone for several minutes, after which it then walked stiffly back into the cathedral.
Weamar made a mental note of the location of the headstone and headed down the stairs with Marinae and Lynn following him. On his way down he looked up into the bell, something that he meant to do on the way up. He saw a huge clapper hanging in the middle of it, and on one edge he could see the craftsman's mark. It was a mark that he’d never seen before. He made a mental note of that as well. Lynn walked down the steps wondering if she should get rid of the ring once and for all. Now that she was with Eliza she started to think that she wouldn't need it anymore, but she felt that something would happen to pull them apart. Something always seemed to happen.
Passing back through the main hall Marinae noted numerous small gargoyle-like fixtures in the arched ceiling. She restrained herself from making obscene gestures at any of them. When they made it to the cemetery, there was not a soul in sight.
They went over to the grave that the hooded figure had been standing over. The grave was very well cared for, but there was no inscription on the headstone, only a name and a date.
Serena Raye, 729-750BC.
“Only 21 years old.”, Weamar mused.
"The man who was here, Ethan?", Lynn said quietly.
A door slammed, echoing through the Cathedral and out into the quiet cemetery.
"Who is that?", Lynn asked the others quietly.
The High Seeker's aid, Ronaldo, entered the cemetery. He started to head off along the Cathedral's wall but noticed Weamar, Marinae, and Lynn.
Ronaldo came over to them and said, "I didn't know you all were still here. Is there anything I can assist with?", His eyes constantly flicked at each of them.
All three stared at the brave with their heads bowed, hoping that the aid would go away. There was a brief and uncomfortable silence, Ronaldo looked at them curiously.
"Hmm. Well, we will be closing the grounds soon.”, Ronaldo said curly, “Please complete your business here and go."
Ronaldo continued on his previous course along the building and soon passed around a corner and out of sight.
"We should go.", Lynn whispered.
Marinae nodded. She wanted to get back in town with time to gather ingredients for a spell. The three left the cathedral and split up. Marinae went to the market while Lynn and Weamar headed back to the Inn. Once at the Inn, Weamar retired to his room while Lynn went to the front desk to inquire about being the entertainment for the evening. The same dull innkeeper that greeted her the night before looked up at her.
“Hello. I’m a singer. I’d like to sing for your guests this evening.”, Lynn asked pleasantly.
"We already got someone.”, The innkeeper began.
Lynn began to feel a little dejected, then the innkeeper added, “You'll have to ask him if you want to sing too. You get the same deal, free meal and whatever tips you can manage."
Lynn’s hopes rose, "Which room is he in?", she asked.
"Top of the stairs, 4th on the left.", the innkeeper replied tiredly.
Soon Lynn was knocking on his door. There was some shuffling from inside and after a moment the door opened. The smooth, melodic voice of a man greeted her. "Hello, there."
"Hello. Are you the man who is singing tonight.", Lynn said from behind her hood.
As Lynn was accustomed, the man was surprise by the feminine voice that came from beneath her hood. The wood of the door frame creaked as he leaned against it, "Yes. I'm Damon Hazlegrove. What can I do for you?"
"I also sing.", Lynn said softly, "We could both sing tonight if you'd like."
"Well, I'd have to hear you myself before I could decide.", Damon said charmingly.
Lynn breathed deeply and then began to sing one of her sad songs. Damon remained leaning against the doorframe as he was immersed in Lynn’s delicate tones. It didn’t take him long to make his decision, but he let Lynn finish anyway. Then he asked, "So what's your name?"
"Lynn."
"Lynn, it would an honor and a pleasure to sing with you." Damon bowed low, taking Lynn’s gloved hand and kissing it.
"Thank you.", Lynn said blushing under her hood, "I must go change."
Damon released her hand. "How will I know you?", he asked.
"You will.", Lynn said softly and turned to go to her room.
Looking about his room, Weamar noticed that there was a tear in his pillow that hadn’t been there before. As he looked closer he saw that the tear was more like a puncture, like something sharp had been pushed into the pillow. Weamar slowly lifted pillow from bed the bed, holding only one corner of it. To his horror, beneath the pillow lay a human ear. The edge where it was torn from its owner was still fresh with blood. Weamar quickly took another look around the room but no one was there. He stood for a moment gathering his senses and then studied things a little closer.
The pillow and bed were both stained crimson where they had lain next to the ear. On the underside of the pillow there was another puncture, but the two holes did not meet in the middle. It looked like they were made when someone picked it up by thumb and forefinger, someone with sharp claws. There were also pin prink wounds on the ear similar to the punctures in the pillow. Weamar realized that whatever had done this had been a little more careful in removing the ear than lifting the pillow. Nothing else in the room had been disturbed but Weamar looked through his things just to be safe. The latch on his pack was open, but nothing seemed to be missing from it. Weamar pulled a knife out of the pack and cut a section of cloth from the pillow, then he wrapped up the ear and placed it into his pocket.
Behind the inn Marinae set up her supplies. She lit a candle and focused on the flame. Magical energy flowed into it, making it grow abnormally large. She began sprinkling pinches of the various ingredients over the candle. The flame turned colors as each bit was consumed. First yellow, then red, then green, then blue, and then finally white. A breeze lifted around her, blowing loose strands of her hair around, but the flame remained still. Marinae reached out with her mind, the candle acting as a beacon to summon forth a willing companion. After several minutes the wind died and the candle was snuffed out. There was only silence.
Marinae waited several more minutes and just as she began to think that the ceremony had failed there was a rustling in the bushes. A short-hair tabby, gray with bold black stripes and yellow-green eyes emerged from the bushes. It looked at her expectantly.
“Hello.”, Marinae said to the cat.
The cat approached her with caution. Slowly he came within reach. Marinae held out her hand low to the ground but otherwise didn't move. The cat sniffed at her hand. Seemingly satisfied, he butted his head into her hand. Marinae smiled and scratched him behind the ears.
The cat purred softly. A small voice spoke up in the back of Marinae’s mind, "Who are you?"
Marinae was startled at first, but then she realized that it was the voice of her new familiar.
"My name's Marinae.”, she answered, “Thank you for coming to me."
The cat looked up at her, “Who am I?”, the small voice said.
"What name would you like?", Marinae replied.
“I don't know.”, the cat thought to her.
Marinae thought for a moment. For a while she couldn’t think of anything, but then it came to her.
"Your name is Rambis.", Marinae said.
“Rambis. I am Rambis.”, the cat repeated. Then he climbed into Marinae’s lap and curled up into a ball.
Lynn went to her room to change. She unpacked her stuff and pulled the red dress from her backpack out of habit. It felt like one of those kinds of nights. Then Lynn thought of Eliza and changed into her white gown. She put on her makeup and perfume. She wanted to look perfect for Eliza tonight.
Lynn quietly walked down the stairs. She quickly glanced around to see if Eliza was in the room. To her dismay, Eliza was nowhere to be seen. Lynn noticed Weamar looking about and Marinae sitting quietly off to one side with a cat in her lap. Sitting at the hearth with a lute in his hands was Damon. Damon looked to be in his late thirties. He was lean and graceful with a handsome, lightly freckled, face framing a set of blue-violet eyes. A mane of flaxen hair fell upon his shoulders and his clothing was a rainbow of flamboyant color and was rather out of place amongst the grays, blacks, browns in the crowd. Lynn walked over to the hearth and sat down next to him.
Damon looked Lynn up and down. With a huge grin he said, "Lynn?"
Lynn smiled and looked past him.
"Surprise upon surprise." Damon said as he tuned his lute to the perfect pitch.
The bard began to play a gentle tune. The crowd grew silent as he sang. Marinae looked closely at him. There was something familiar about him, and that nagging sense was increasing with every note the man played. When he finished, the crowd applauded and he bowed his head. Then he turned and looked to Lynn.
Lynn rose and began to sing one of her saddest songs. It was one about a child who had run away from his parents but who later came to regret ever having left. Damon sensed the melody and began accompanying Lynn on the lute. The feelings in the song were not lost on Marinae. Before long she was reminded of home and quickly had to clamp down on her tears.
Marinae heard Rambis’ voice, “Why are you sad?”, he asked.
“I am an outcast.”, Marinae answered in her mind, “I left my home because I had a choice of being a mindless nun or a mindless lady of the court.”
Rambis didn't seem to understand. “Make a new home.”, he answered.
“I am, in my own way, but it's still so soon after it happened that the wound is still raw.”, Marinae explained, “If you know what I mean.”
“It will be better later.”, Rambis replied.
Marinae hugged him tightly. “You’re right.”, she whispered.
Lynn walked through the crowd as she sang, her own sense of not being with Eliza mixing with the sentiments of the lost child. A tear came to her eye as she finished. The crowd reacted with tears and silence. Even the dull old innkeeper seemed moved by the performance. Lynn modestly bowed her head and sat back down near the hearth.
Weamar heard a faint barking outside. He made his way through the crowd and walked out to the stables. Outside, Cujia was barking at an alleyway. Weamar untied her and led her outside.
"What's over there, girl?", he asked.
Cujia rushed towards the alley with Weamar following behind. She stopped just outside, growling fiercely. Weamar squinted into the darkness but he couldn’t see anything. Then a chilling voice called out from the alley. The last time Weamar had heard that voice was when he was running for his life through the mists.
"I assume you found my little present?", the wolf growled.
"Yes.", Weamar replied grimly.
"I'm impressed with you, manling. I really am.”, the wolf said with a grin. “Not one of your puny little people has ever escaped my pack."
"I had some luck.", Weamar admitted. All that he could see of the wolf in the darkness was a toothy grin and a pair of glowing eyes. He felt like he was staring into death’s waiting gaze.
"Well, we'll see how long it can hold out. I have a new game to play.", the wolf said, becoming more excited with every word he spoke, "I will have all of you eventually, but first I want those three pretty little girls you're travelling with. I will take them one by one and there won't be a blessed thing you can do about it."
"And I suppose the only way for me to win this 'game' is to kill you?", Weamar said, trying hard not to sound frightened.
The wolf seemed extremely amused at what Weamar was suggesting, "Well wouldn't that be amazing. That is one possibility but I have another."
"Oh?", Weamar answered.
"When I said that I would 'have you all' I didn't necessarily mean for dinner. Well, for the young ladies, yes, but yourself...”, the wolf grinned horridly through sharp, dripping teeth, “If you prove yourself worthy I might be willing to make you a pack brother. We could share them then, that would be so much more fun. Don't you agree?”
Weamar became very angry at the thought of being turned into a wolf and forced to devour his friends. He almost shouted out, "I'd rather turn you into a hearth rug!", but thought better of it.
“Well? What say you?”, the wolf said amusedly, “Will you seize the opportunity I'm giving you or will you run like a sheep again?"
Weamar sneered with contempt, "I wouldn't wish to be a brother of yours."
Damon began to play an old love song. Lynn recognized it and waited for the parts where she could join in. As Damon delicately strummed his lute a cloaked figure entered the common room from the back. The figure made her way through the room and sat down next to Marinae. Then she pulled back her hood, revealing a smiling Eliza. Marinae greeted her and introduced Rambis.
Eliza could barely takes her eyes off of Lynn while she scratched under the cat's chin. "Where did you find him?", she asked.
"He found me, actually.”, Marinae smiled, “I decided that having a familiar would help us all out."
The song came to a heartbreaking conclusion. Damon was all smiles. Lynn looked around the room again and noticed Eliza. A warm feeling flowed into her.
Marinae hoped that they weren't going to sing any more sad songs. “A girl can turn to liquor over things like that.”, Marinae thought to herself.
Almost as though he had read Marinae's mind, Damon asked Lynn. "How about something on a lighter note?"
"Yes.", Lynn answered, "Do you know 'My eyes, my heart'?"
Damon just smiled and began to play. Lynn sang the song for Eliza, but she was careful to be discreet. As she passed Eliza she softly placed a hand on her shoulder and sang the heartfelt chorus. Eliza closed her eyes as Lynn touched her and couldn't suppress a dreamy smile. Lynn walked about the room, filling it with joy with a smile on her face.
Rambis looked at Lynn, “Pretty, but she smells strange.”
“How so?”, Marinae asked silently.
Rambis sniffed in Lynn's direction, “Like dead things. Does she eat mice too?”
Marinae laughed, “I don't know. But she's very interested in Eliza.”
Rambis didn't understand.
“Never mind, it's hard enough to explain it to Weamar.”, Marinae joked.
Eliza stood up and slowly walked towards the stairs. Lynn watched her and smiled even more. “Tonight is going to be a wonderful night.”, she thought to herself.
"At least the sheep gets to play in the sunlight, instead of skulking in shadows.", Weamar said, fighting back feelings or fear and revulsion.
Weamar turned to go back to the Inn, all the while listening for the sounds of the wolf approaching from behind, but all that he heard was a chuckle echoing from the alley, "You will find no comfort in dark or light, son of man. The game is on."
There was a slight rustling fading back into the alley and then all was silent. Weamar headed back to the bar, tying Cujia to a post out front. Cujia remained vigilant, standing guard against the night. Weamar went back into the main room and walked towards Marinae. Then he noticed Eliza beginning to ascend the stairs. Everyone else in the crowd was focused on the performance. Eliza looked over her shoulder at Lynn and then continued up. Weamar quickly changed course and caught up with Eliza, clearing his throat.
Eliza stopped and smiled, "Hi."
"I have something I need to tell you all.”, Weamar said gravely, “And being alone at the moment probably isn't a good idea."
Eliza seemed torn for a moment, then agreed. "Alright." She said, and they both went back down the stairs and sat with Marinae.
When Lynn finished the love song she asked Damon if he knew, "Til we meet again", a happy drinking song that was a favorite in this part of the country.
Damon laughed, "I couldn't call myself a bard if I didn't!"
Damon began to play with amazing skill as Marinae stared at him, still trying to place his face. Lynn started to sing and tried to get everyone to sing along. Eliza's mood brightened considerably as she sang along with Lynn. Soon the majority of the room joined in.
Weamar had too much on his mind to care about the music. He pulled the wrapped ear out of his pocket and passed it to Marinae, "When I got to my room earlier I found this. Don't let anyone else see. It was under my pillow."
Marinae unwrapped it a little, saw the ear, and wrapped it back up, “Disgusting.”, she said scrunching up her nose.
"Seems it was left behind by the werewolf that chased me in Verbrek.”, Weamar said just loud enough for both Eliza and Marinae to hear. “I just encountered it outside. It's decided you two, and Lynn, would make a tasty snack."
Eliza stopped singing and looked with concern at Weamar.
"My choices seemed to be join it, fight it and maybe lose, or let you know and then fight it.", Weamar said.
"How did it find you?", Eliza asked.
"I don't know.”, Weamar mused, “We’re a long way from Verbrek."
The drinking song came to a rousing conclusion and sparked a roar of applause.
"What do we do?”, Eliza asked as the cheers began to fade.
"I guess it must have followed us for some distance, since it knows of the 'three pretty little girls' I'm travelling with.", Weamar said. Soon he was deep in thought.
Lynn bowed graciously to the crowd and then turned to hurry up the stairs but then noticed that Eliza was at a table with the others. So instead she went to the bar to get a glass of rainwater and sat down next to them with a big smile on her face.
Eliza grinned back. "You were great, again.", she said to Lynn.
"Thanks.", Lynn replied, "I'm so glad that you could come."
Eliza blushed. "Marius said I couldn't come.”, she said, “He said things weren't safe in the city these days but I had to see you. So I snuck out."
“Think you'd know a werewolf if you saw one in person-form?”, Marinae thought to Rambis.
Rambis didn’t answer. “Sorry. I can see that you and I have a lot to talk about, cat.”, Marinae added and scratched Rambis under the chin. Rambis purred in approval.
Weamar leaned over and told Lynn about the ear and the werewolf.
Lynn's smile gradually faded. "The wolves.", is all that she said.
Marinae quietly tried explaining werewolves to the cat.
“Scary. But I know you'll protect me.”, Rambis replied tickling Marinae with his nose.
Rambis’ cute little cat laugh tinkled through Marinae’s mind. He rolled onto his back and batted playfully at her hand.
Damon came over, "Greetings all, mind if I sit with you?", he said taking a seat. "My name is Damon Hazlegrove. Lynn, you are an amazing performer, truly."
"Thanks.", Lynn blushed a little, "You play wonderfully."
"I learned from the best. I went to the Harmonic Hall in Kartakass, the greatest bardic college in all the lands. Of course that was many years ago.", then he nudged Lynn’s arm playfully. "So are you going to introduce me around or what?"
"Oh, yes.", Lynn said, remembering her manners, "This is Eliza, Marinae, and Weamar. All, this is Damon. We just met tonight."
"A pleasure to meet all of you.", he said politely, his eyes lingering a bit longer on Marinae than the others.
Marinae greeted the newcomer politely, and a little distantly.
Damon noted everyone's less than warm reception. "I'm not intruding on something private am I?"
"I hate to be rude.", Lynn said softly, "But something has come up."
"We've had a rough few days.". Marinae explained.
Damon nodded, "I thought so. I've got a sixth sense about these things. Well, I'll leave you to your business."
Damon left them, going off to another part of the bar to get a drink.
“He was strange.”, Rambis thought to Marinae, “He smells like you.”
“Like...me?”, Marinae replied.
“Different but kind of the same.”, Rambis explained.
“Family?”, Marinae asked, but she was beginning to figure it out.
The word fit into Rambis’ small but growing brain, “Yes, family”, he replied.
“Excuse me. I'll be right back.”, Marinae said to the others, “Want to come along?”, she thought to Rambis.
“Of course”, Rambis answered and off they went.
On her way across the room Marinae suddenly realized that she had no idea what to say. She found Damon sitting amongst a group of patrons telling off-color jokes. Marinae caught his eye.
"Excuse me gentlemen.", Damon said, always able to find time for a pretty face.
Damon moved away from the group and smiled at Marinae. Marinae managed to say a single word.
"Amadriedia.", then Marinae managed to add a few more, "She's, she's my mother."
Damon’s face went slack. He quickly sat down at an empty table away from the crowd. Damon swallowed hard. All his charm and bravado vanished. He suddenly looked much older than he did a moment before.
"That was so long ago.", Damon said.
"You look like you need a drink as badly as I do.", Marinae said sitting down next to him.
Damon laughed without mirth. "Yeah."
Marinae thought to Rambis, “He's my father.”
Rambis climbed onto the table and sat in front of Damon, looking at him. Damon motioned to the barmaid who quickly brought over two tankards. Then Damon turned back and looked curiously at the cat on the table.
“What are you doing?”, Marinae thought to Rambis.
“I tried to ask him why he's sad when he hasn't seen you in a long time.”, Rambis explained, “You're here now, he should be happy. He doesn't understand me.”
“I don't think other people can hear you, love. Just me.”, Marinae replied. She took a drink of the ale and started to feel a little better.
Damon gulped down half his drink. "So how much do you know?", he asked.
“Not much, really. You looked familiar, and I finally figured things out, with a little help.”, Marinae said nodding to Rambis.
"Could it be this thing that is responsible for the deaths the Seeker was talking about?", Eliza wondered out loud.
"We don't really know much about those deaths, but I don't think so.", Weamar guessed.
Eliza's head sank. "This is terrible."
"Why does it want to kill us?", Lynn said, then she remembered what she, Marinae, and Weamar did to the wolves. Feelings of guilt began to wash over her.
"It gives the impression that it enjoys a good hunt.", Weamar replied.
“It doesn't sound like it will just go away.”, Eliza said nervously, “Can...can it be killed?"
"Yes.”, Weamar answered, “But as I understand it, they can only be harmed by silver or magic weapons."
"Your dagger.", Lynn said to Weamar with a little spark of hope.
"Yes, and the sword from Aselid's.", Weamar added.
"I might be able to kill it now, but you needed to be warned of it first, in case I fail.", Weamar said.
Eliza protested, "No! You can't face it alone!"
"Yes. We should fight it together.", Lynn added.
"They didn't tell me a lot about you.”, Marinae said, “Mother is too busy being a proper Lady these days. I learned by talking to servants."
Damon filled in some of the details, "Ama, Amadriedia, was in Sithicus on diplomatic affairs. I was only seventeen at the time. The first time I saw her, I knew I had to at the very least know her name. I doubt you want to hear all the details but I did learn her name and great deal more. Eventually we were discovered and she returned to Darkon."
"There's enormous pressure to conform.”, Marinae interjected, “There were times when she seemed willing to talk. She's still fond of you, though she can't admit it publicly."
Damon smiled a little. "This isn't the first time I've met you, actually. It was maybe a little less than a year after she left that I received a letter. She said that she was with child. I traveled as swiftly as I could but I got entangled in some trouble along the way. Falkovnia isn't a pleasant place. I reached Neblus the day after you took your first steps."
Marinae interrupted him again, "I was taught to respect you. I resisted at first, but once I saw how it nettled Grandmother, I found it easy enough.”, she smiled for a moment, then became serious again. “You should know, I...I don't hate you or anything. I don't know that I could call you Father, though."
Damon couldn't bring himself to look Marinae in the eye but he smiled. "I don't think I could handle that either."
"Can I just call you Damon, then?”, Marinae asked, “And maybe, a friend?"
Damon looked up. "I'd like that.", he answered.
Marinae felt as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.
"So what are you doing in Levkarest?", Damon said, feeling more comfortable himself.
“Well, it's a long story.”, Marinae began, “I was deported for slapping a member of the royal family.”, then Marinae burst out with a laugh.
Damon broke out laughing as well. "Well, it must have been a long trip.", he commented.
"Just a few days ago. I was transported to Sturben by some strange fog. I've been attacked, bitten, speared in the foot, and shot at, all in less than a week.", Marinae answered happily, "But it's been so much more fun than being a pampered Court lady, and better than being a nun. That's the choice I was given, and why Grandmother has a slap-mark on her cheek."
Damon laughed, "Sounds like fun. So how'd you meet up with that lot." He said nodding towards the others.
"After I left on the road to LaMordia, as I was nearing Necropolis, I lost consciousness and woke near Sturben. I was set upon by wolves just outside the inn there, and Weamar and Lynn came to my aid."
"Really?”, said Damon, “I was in Sturben a few days ago myself."
"We must have missed you. We left the next morning.". Marinae explained, "Eliza, the one trying to hide in a cloak, showed up the next morning and tended our wounds. Lynn nearly had her throat torn out. I got bitten on the leg."
Marinae wondered if she should tell Damon about Eliza and Lynn, but decided that it wasn’t her place.
"Did you see anything unusual in Sturben?", Marinae asked. "Like, packs of wolves where there aren't supposed to be any. And where were you during the storm?"
"Well, I was already here in Levkarest when the peak of the storm came.”, Damon shrugged, “Can't say that I saw anything odd back in Sturben. You got caught in that storm then, right?"
“Yes.”, Marinae looked over at Weamar, Lynn, and Eliza. Their conversation was heating up. "Would you like to join us at our table?”, she asked Damon, “It seems they're having an animated discussion."