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R.I.P. neildarkstar. Haven will miss you dearly.
| Tiercel's Peregrinations | |
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| Topic Started: Jan 10 2017, 09:00 PM (4,172 Views) | |
| Serethil | Feb 28 2017, 08:32 PM Post #281 |
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Et'Ada
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Thanks Sis! Yep, slug, snake, rat, bug.... all of it.... |
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| Areial | Mar 1 2017, 10:22 AM Post #282 |
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Et'Ada
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That's an "Oh Shit!" moment!.... great read! |
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| Serethil | Mar 1 2017, 10:26 AM Post #283 |
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Et'Ada
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Thanks! Yes, truly one of those.... |
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| Serethil | Mar 1 2017, 07:51 PM Post #284 |
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Et'Ada
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40 - Next steps.... Before any of us could die of heart failure, Melki walked into the Hall. His eyes got round as he looked at all of us staring at him. “What?” “Eh, yon git just told us that there’s a back way out of the Manor - which comes out just where you’ve been this morning, is all.” I tried not to let him see how worried I’d been for the last little while - because he certainly wouldn’t appreciate the sentiment! “Well, no one went in or out while I was out there. And no one showed up out of a tunnel around up there either. Place was dead quiet. Fireplaces were going, and there was some lights showing through the windows before I left. If he wasn’t there, the fireplaces would have been cold, I’d think.” And that wasn’t really enough information to be going on with, but it was the best we had or could get. After that, we hired the carriage and escorted Torvik to Solitude, where Vartain explained to the Legion Commander just exactly why we needed to leave the man in a cell in the castle. His eyes bugged a bit as Var mentioned his twin brother, and what we figured was going on. “Just keep Torvik here under lock and key, and no visitors - not even his da. Because you don’t know his da, and we certainly don’t want Vintan sending a fake Tovis here to kill Torvik. And be sure if you spread any of this around, I'll hear of it. Keep your lips shut on this, if you please.” I think the Commander thought it more than odd that the High King was messing with this entire imbroglio himself. Perhaps he thought it should be the Legion’s to do, I don’t know. However, Vartain and I rode back to Morthal, trying to come to some conclusion about how to go on from here. “Well, really - the only logical thing to do is use the tunnel to get into the Manor by middle night. Surely the man has to sleep - and since Melki says no one went in or out the hours he was there....” Vartain shook his head. “It’s dangerous.” “And so is simply riding up to the Manor in the open. I tend to view sneaking in a back way as essentially safer than showing up at the front door, after all!” I could tell he didn’t think I should be involved at all. “Look. Your brother chose to attempt to kill me. I take personal exception to that - and considering I’m the one who’s life was at risk, I’m going to do my level best to make sure Vintan doesn’t get away with anything he may be planning. And of course, you feel a responsibility as he’s family. “If you want the truth, I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t be in on this. You’re the only High King we have, after all.” He just laughed a bit grimly. “If I die, they’ll just hold another moot. At least, unless I die and Vintan doesn’t - in which case, you’d all be at risk at that point. I can’t like it, but obviously you’re your own woman.... I dare say your family won’t be happy either.” “Most likely not - but they know me of old, and while they’ll grumble, they know they can’t keep me mewed up at home! Besides, the two of us should have better luck doing this as quietly as possible, unlike if we let my entire family in on it.” “Well, I’m not much at sneaking.” “No, but I’m sure you’re very good at sword-work. I mean, you don’t come across as a mage....” He laughed. “No. Not a magely bone in my body! However - I do think Vintan got some of the mage-blood from Mother’s side of the family. So that would be something to beware of. When you knew him, did he appear to be involved at all in magics?” I thought about it. “Not so much, no. He talked a bit about joining the Legion. As if it was something his family expected. He didn’t routinely do anything remotely like spell-casting. But since he wasn’t anything he told me really, he would maybe have kept anything not germane to his story-telling under wraps?” “Probably.” He ran fingers through his hair, and sighed heavily. “At this point, I just want it over with. I have.... uh.... other things I want to pursue.” He slanted me an odd gleaming look from under his lashes, and smiled. Hmm. Well, that was - interesting. I’d have to think about if I thought he really meant.... what I thought he meant.... |
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| Brambleberry | Mar 1 2017, 08:23 PM Post #285 |
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Jarl
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Oh my, oh my. Not sure what's more dangerous. Dealing with Vintan or that gleam in the eye. Another intriguing read Sere! :book: |
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| Serethil | Mar 1 2017, 08:48 PM Post #286 |
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Et'Ada
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Thanks Bram! I'm quite enjoying this whole thing.... |
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| Andra Hawksdaughter | Mar 1 2017, 09:33 PM Post #287 |
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Jarl
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Bram, I couldn't have said it better, and I agree! LOL Methinks Tier has her own gleam building there Sis....Love it! |
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| Serethil | Mar 1 2017, 09:37 PM Post #288 |
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Et'Ada
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Y'all are still far too kind to me.... but many many thanks for enjoying what I write! |
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| Areial | Mar 2 2017, 02:18 AM Post #289 |
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Et'Ada
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And they came up with a plan.. of sorts... not to detailed and neither completely happy.. good read! |
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| neildarkstar | Mar 2 2017, 05:15 AM Post #290 |
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Overlord
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Truly enjoyable! :clap: |
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| Serethil | Mar 2 2017, 10:30 AM Post #291 |
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Et'Ada
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Thanks sis and neil! "Plans never survive first contact with the enemy." |
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| Andra Hawksdaughter | Mar 2 2017, 06:48 PM Post #292 |
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Jarl
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LOL, that's when one hears 'time to try Plan B.' |
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| Serethil | Mar 2 2017, 07:10 PM Post #293 |
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Et'Ada
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And then.... "Uh. Do we HAVE a plan B?" |
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| Serethil | Mar 2 2017, 09:06 PM Post #294 |
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Et'Ada
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41 - Endings. Or not. We reached the old ruins, and started scouting for the tunnel mouth. We had to keep crouched just in case someone might be looking - and we had to pay attention to sound, in case someone was in the tunnel, even though we didn’t know exactly where it was. I was still annoyed with my family - who had, predictably of course - pitched cat fits over either of us doing this, me because that’s how they’ve (ma mostly) always been, and Var because he’s the High King. Fortunately, he was amused rather than angry. I made up for it for him. Finally da just shook his head at g’ma and ma, and said with that little “lilt” in his voice, “Might as well let it be now. They’re not listening.” True that - we weren’t. And after that, we left while they were all still a bit under da’s “bard spell”. I had one hells of a time keeping my mind on business though, with him close and smelling exactly as I had always thought my love should smell. Which was another point about Vintan - he hadn’t smelled right.... No, Var wasn’t perfumed - he smelled of soap and the outdoors, and a bit of healthy sweat since it was warmish. We’d left the cloaks at home, but still - leathers are damned warm after a long walk and circling at a crouch and a crawl trying to find a tunnel! What I really wanted to do was bury my nose in his chest.... ‘Stop that! Now’s not the time!’ And he kept sending me little looks from the corners of his eyes - warm, gleaming golden looks.... I wanted to tell him to stop that too - at least until this was done. I found the tunnel by the simple expedient of falling into it. It was hidden by a fair-sized bush - a thorny one naturally - and while trying to release my sleeve from the thorns, I stepped a bit too far toward the bush - and fell right through it. Var picked me up off the dirt, brushed me down a bit, and picked thorny branches out of my hair and gear. “You know, if you wore your hair up....” “If you say ‘like a woman should’ I will drop you on your rear. Your Highness.” He just grinned at me, and well - there’s no way I could be angry.... Or not much.... So we headed quietly toward the other end of the tunnel. He was at least as good at “sneak and quiet” as Melki, so not much worse than I am. That was good, because whoever used this tunnel - Vintan of course, and likely others - kept it cluttered (probably by way of being noisemakers) and very well lit. Var hissed a question as I put out the second torch and stuffed it in my backpack.. I whispered “It’s better to put them out and not leave them, in case someone comes in behind us.” He sent me a pole-axed look. “How do you know stuff like that?” I shook my head. “Later, Var. We need to concentrate on this job.” That was nothing but the truth, but he gave me another stunned look. Poor man.... I suppose I wasn’t a thing like the women fawning over him at court, and likely elsewhere. And as that thought ran across my mind, I realized I would be just fine all my life as long as I was NOT like those women.... We made our way as quietly as possible through the tunnel and its impedimenta. When Var realized I was moving junk as far out of the middle of the tunnel as it was possible to do, he began to do the same. I whispered “If we have to run, this makes it easier.” He nodded and grinned. Which just about stopped my heart. I grumbled at myself. ‘LATER Tier.’ It was a very long tunnel. After the latest torch I put out and stored, we could see much more light ahead. I pulled him into the shadows back behind the last torch-holder. “Stay here for a few moments please. Let me do a real sneak, see what we’re up against before we do anything serious. If he’s alone.... but probably he won’t be....” “I don’t like it....” “I know you don’t. But I’m the one who does sneak and hide the best. So just wait - and if all the sugar turns to mud, I’ll scream and you come running, okay?” He nodded, grim-faced. “Be.... safe. As safe as you can. I don’t want to lose you....” I sent him a startled look, but of course now was not the time. I guess that let me know what all those little looks were about then! ‘Shut it Tier - do what needs doing.’ So I slithered toward the light which broadened as I got closer. I flattened against the edge of the rough opening, slid to the floor, turned carefully and quietly onto my belly, and crawled so I could get an eye around the corner. There was one man sitting at a table. Facing me and the tunnel. Asleep. Gotcha. I slid around the room until I was behind him. He never moved. So I raised up, pulled a dagger, reversed it so the pommel-nut was down, and whacked him hard on the head. He dropped out of the chair onto the floor, and I cut his throat, making sure I was out of the blood-spray. I went back to get Var. “Your brother should hire better people. This one was asleep. Now he’s dead. Let’s go.” The tunnel past the watch point began to rise. So, likely we’d be finding the way into the house shortly. He tugged my elbow. “Tier.... you’re going to want to go in first, aren’t you?” I nodded. “Fine. I won’t be far behind though. If nothing else, when Vintan sees me, it might give us an edge. A few seconds before all hells break loose.” I nodded again. “That works. Just give me - a five second count before you follow, so I can get out of the way, and hopefully out of sight. “How’s this though?” I stopped him. “What if.... you show yourself to him if there’s no one else around? I might be able to just put him down.... That’s you being bait and a target though.... and I’m not sure it’s a good idea.” “Let’s keep that thought - at least until we see how things are set up. We know this comes out deep in the basement. We’ll have to get to the ground floor. Where does the basement access to the house come out?” “Ugh. Right in the kitchen, just inside the door to the alchemy lab and greenhouse plantings. It’s probably lit like broad daylight in there....” “Huh. That’s not so good then. We’ll be in full view.... What’s the time?” “I think it’s about middle night, maybe an hour after. You’d think he’d be asleep....” “Well. Crack the access open really carefully?” “Right. One eyelash.” No one was in the basement. Thankfully. It helped that I’d got rid of the beds down here. So I crept up the ladder to the hatch into the house, and pushed it up just a tiny bit. It was dark. Not totally - but dark enough. I motioned Var after me, and slunk into the kitchen. In a few moments, he was behind me. I breathed into his ear “I’ve lived here for years. I can’t feel anyone in the house at all.” |
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| Andra Hawksdaughter | Mar 2 2017, 09:21 PM Post #295 |
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Jarl
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Argh!! Woman, you're killing me!! LOL Nail biting again! |
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| Serethil | Mar 2 2017, 09:36 PM Post #296 |
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Et'Ada
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Sorry! Or.... well, I'm not. Because this is all how it's going down in "real time" for Tier (who's keeping me updated while I dream....) So - while I really do know what the ending is.... I really do NOT know how we get there until I write it. And you know something? I like it that way - because it's as good as reading someone else's book.... |
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| Brambleberry | Mar 2 2017, 09:54 PM Post #297 |
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Jarl
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I'm with Andra and thank you for the suspense! :D I'm starting to worry though, but I won't say why... no I must wait for what REALLY happens not my imaginings! :teehee: |
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| Serethil | Mar 2 2017, 10:01 PM Post #298 |
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Et'Ada
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Heh. Thanks Bram! And so must I wait.... because this IS all dreamtime.... which is about as odd as anything I've ever had happen. |
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| Areial | Mar 3 2017, 02:02 AM Post #299 |
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Et'Ada
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Veeerrry nice.. Poor Var.. a whole new experience and a traitor of a brother a the same time.. emotion's can be a wicked thing. |
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| Kane | Mar 3 2017, 09:19 AM Post #300 |
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Overlord
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I smell a trap. :nails: Wonderful reading, Sere! :-) |
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