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Post by Brandwyn on Feb 4, 2013 10:30:14 GMT -5
(OCC: Setting is March Year 659 somewhere in the mountains of Picta north of Norgate...
Open to Katrina, Tim, Roath, Varik and Dougal. If anyone else wants to join, send a PM to Brandwyn and Ringulf)
Taken from Yuletide Formal...
Sir Katrina de Montgomery sat at a small table tucked into a corner of the ballroom and stared dumbly at the crinkled envelope in her left hand while she downed her third mug of warm spiced apple rum punch.
She wasn't paying any attention to those around her, most especially not to her mother who was hovering over her and scolding her for drinking so much. She hadn't wanted to come, not after the letter came bearing its ill news. She certainly wasn't in any mood to put up with her mother's usual stream of do's and don'ts'. She caught her father's eye and nodded her head toward the dance floor, hoping he would get the hint.
Her father patted her on the shoulder as he walked around her and dragged her mother off to the dance floor.
'Peace at last.' Katrina thought and sighed in relief and motioned a page for another mug of punch. She went back to studying the envelope, seeing the words of the letter in her mind as she gazed blankly at the Araluen Army Intelligence seal on the envelope.
We regret to inform you...
Why did they always start those letters with those fateful words? Katrina blinked back tears. She hadn't told her parents what the letter contained, but somehow she knew that her father had already known long before the letter had arrived this morning.
She heard a rustle behind her and the clink of chain maille as someone sat down in the chair on her left. Katrina recognized the crest on the back of the black glove.
"My Lady, what is troubling you this evening?" The dulcet baritone voice penetrated her depression, but only enough to take note that Sir Timothy was not alone. His young squire was seated on her other side looking at the food tables with pure longing in his eyes. "Roath, feel free to roam about as you please. I suspect there may be some gambling going on over there in that side parlor." Timothy pointed as he leaned in closer to Katrina. "Or perhaps you can cheer our pretty fellow warrior up with your clever banter."
Katrina tried to smile at her old friend, but it probably looked more like a grimace instead. She took another gulp of the rum drink, hoping it would numb the pain. At Timothy's look, she just handed him the letter, unable to put her worst nightmare into words. Maybe if she didn't say it, it wouldn't be real.
Timothy took the letter and unfolded it carefully, smoothing out the wrinkles and began to read...
Unto the Honorable Lady Sir Katrina de Montgomery from His Majesty's Royal Army, Secretary of Kingdom Security and Defense...
We regret to inform you that your fiance, Dougal of Skandia, is missing in action and believed to be captured or killed by Picta forces. He has failed to report or send any communication for over a year and all attempts to find his whereabouts or what has happened to him have failed.
Know that he has given the ultimate sacrifice in service to his King and Kingdom and has been granted the highest honors and title of war hero by His Majesty.
Before he left he named you as his sole beneficiary and has left all of his possessions to you. An army courier will be arriving in a week to deliver those items to you.
We are sorry for your loss. Please do not hesitate to contact our department should you have any questions. ...
Timothy sat for a moment after reading the letter and slowly handed it back to her. He was unsure what to do until Katrina covered her face with her hands and leaned forward as if she was trying to blot out everyone in the crowd around them.
Timothy gently pulled her into his embrace and held her close as she tried to fight the tears that were determined to come. "I can't do this, I have to get out of here," She whispered hoarsely. Her voice was muffled against his chest.
Timothy nodded and stood up, pulling her to wobbly feet and deftly led her through the crowd and down a quiet hallway. Eventually he found an unoccupied room and closed the door behind them. It was then he remembered she had left the letter on the table. He hoped Roath would keep charge of it.
As soon as they were alone, Katrina's composure melted and she sank down on the settee and let the tears flow. Timothy sat and held her stroking her hair for a very long time, not knowing what else to do or what to say.
Finally Katrina got somewhat back under control and wiped her eyes with the back of her silk sleeve. "He's not dead."
It was a statement, such that if she said it enough times, it would be a fact. Timothy nodded but didn't say anything.
"He's not dead. If he were dead I would feel it." She said again. "I am going to go find him."
"Into Picta?" Timothy asked with concern. "Do you think that wise?"
Katrina shook her head, "of course not, but if it were me, he would come find me and rescue me."
"Even if he had no idea where you would be and across closed borders? I hear nothing is getting in or out between Picta and Araluen these days." She was thinking wildly and this was no time to make rash decisions. "What of your duties here?"
Katrina glared at him, "Duties be damned! I don't care about duties or borders or this stupid stand-off between Araluen and Picta. I am going after him and that's how its going to be. I have friends there who can help me."
"You have many enemies too. Perhaps this is just a trap to ensnare you. Didn't you have that group of Scotti warriors stalking you last year before the plague hit?"
Katrina glared at him defiantly, her hands folded across her chest. "We ran them out of here, those we didn't kill in the battle anyway. Things have been quiet since." If she stopped to think about it, things had been way too quiet lately along the border. But she was being obstinate in her grief and neither Timothy, her mother or even her old mentor were going to talk her out of going to find out what had happened to Dougal.
Timothy saw the determined look in her eye and knew that right now there was no reasoning with her. He would have to have a little chat with the Baron and clear things for them both, for he intended to go with her and keep her safe. The Baron would not want to loose two knights and a squire when he was so short-handed, but maybe they could press him into letting them do an intelligence gathering trip. If anyone could get into Picta, it would be Katrina.
"Okay, so when do we leave?" Timothy asked, folding his arms across his chest and looking just as determined.
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Post by ArcaneNyte on Apr 22, 2013 21:06:34 GMT -5
Varik was watching from across the room. He saw the female knight bury her face in her hands and the older Knight trying to comfort her. The older knight quickly led her away. He noticed they had left something, a piece of paper, an official document of or a letter of some kind. He walked over to the table and saw it was a letter bearing the Araluen Army Intelligence seal, it was addressed to Sir Katrina de Montgomery. It must be the female Knight he thought. He highly doubted it would be the older Knight.
He thought for a moment, he had heard that name somewhere before. He now remembered, she was the one who had rescued three other Knights from the Scotti. He should probably return this to them. He went around searching for them but there was no sigh of them. He then remembered that the other Knight had a squire with him, he should find him.
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Post by Brandwyn on May 18, 2013 21:56:53 GMT -5
"Okay, so when do we leave?" Timothy asked, folding his arms across his chest and looking just as determined.
Katrina shook her head, “We aren’t going anywhere. I am going to leave as soon as I can get away from my mother tonight,” she answered as she wiped her tear-stained face on the sleeves of her dark blue gown. It was the dress her mother had picked out for her to wear and she was so out of sorts today that she hadn’t even given it a second thought. Normally she flat-out refused to wear the dresses her mother wanted her to wear, but today she hadn’t felt it worth the battle over a stupid dress. Perhaps that’s what had tipped her father off that there was something drastically wrong.
“I am not going to sit here and let you get captured by the Scotti,” Tim glared back. “You and Roath are pretty much the only real friends I have and there is no way I am going to let you go in there alone and risk your life.”
“You’re not going to ‘let’ me?” Katrina’s voice rose in indignation. “No one ‘lets’ me do anything. I do as I please.” She stood up and towered over him. “I am an Araluen Knight.” She crossed her arms and glared at him. “And I say I am going alone.”
Timothy stood up and found he was barely taller than she. He got right in her face and said calmly, “The King, The Baron and even Sir Kenyon tell you what to do all the time. Technically I outrank you anyway if you want to go down that road.” His current status actually cast doubt on that theory, but he had been knighted years before her when she was still in diapers. Had he not been convicted of murder and been on the run for the past 20-something years, he would have been a senior knight and would have every right to tell her what to do. More or less anyway.
“Care to put your sword where your mouth is?” Katrina challenged him, reaching for her sword only to remember that she wasn’t in armor and somehow had left it behind in her room. She felt naked and vulnerable without it at her side.
Timothy searched her eyes for a moment. He had no desire to fight her. Not that he was afraid of her, but because there is no way he could hurt her, not even to leave a bruise. He cared for her too much for that, so how to defuse the situation? “No, I don’t. Besides you don’t have a sword at the moment anyway,” He responded and then placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to draw her into his embrace again. “Katrina, I know you are hurting and you want to act now, but I beg you to consider what you are proposing. Going into Picta right now is next to madness, and trust me, I know about madness and reacting rashly,” he said intently. “Just stop and think about it for a moment. I wish someone had been there to stop me and make me think…” He pushed the memories to the back of his mind. This was not the time for his own demons to take over. Logic was the way to reach her. “You will need to keep watch and so how will you get any sleep if you are alone?”
Katrina kept glaring at him, but she listened reluctantly. She pushed against his gentle pressure to pull her into a hug. She found part of herself wanting to accept the hug and the other part feeling guilty that she was seeking refuge in another man’s arms when she’d just gotten word that the man she planned to marry was missing and possibly dead. “My horse does a great job of keeping watch while I sleep,” she said obstinately.
“And how do you propose to rescue Dougal should you find him? It is likely he will be heavily guarded. You can’t perform that rescue all by yourself. What if he’s in no shape to travel on his own?” Timothy reasoned. “He could be pretty bad off you know, from torture or battle.”
Katrina hadn’t thought of that. What if Dougal wasn’t able to walk or ride under his own power? She could not lift him into a saddle. She couldn’t carry him. He was a big Skandian warrior and although she was tall, she was thin. Certainly she didn’t have the strength to manhandle him if the need arose.
Timothy pressed his advantage, “Besides, who is going to serenade you to sleep at night and laugh at all your really terrible jokes?” He grinned at her with boyish charm. “You need me.”
Katrina rolled her eyes at him, but still she studied his face and considered his words. She was feeling rash and needed to move right now. Full of nervous energy and a sense of urgency to find Dougal, she didn’t want to waste any time at all in getting started. She had to admit it would be nice to have Tim along. That thought provoked another attack of guilt. Secretly she had fantasized about Timothy for many years before she had met Dougal. Tim was tall and dark-haired with strong features that were very nice to look at. He also had the most amazing voice of any man she knew. He had been her rescuer as a child and later she had helped him survive when he had been on the run. Thoughts of a relationship with him had often entered her mind. Until she met Dougal. In many ways he was the opposite of Dougal, but they were enough alike that she was attracted to both of them. She ruthlessly turned her thoughts away from that path.
“What about Roath? Are you going to force him along with you?” Katrina asked, throwing in her only real reason to disagree with Timothy. “Anyway, you are needed here more so than I.” That was her second argument. It was only fair she used duty against him since he’d already tried that argument on her. “The Baron needs you here. I can travel faster and quieter on my own anyway.”
“I am just as familiar with those mountains as you are, remember?” Timothy shook his finger at her. “If you don’t agree to my coming with you, then I will just track you and follow you anyway.”
Katrina sighed and gave into his embrace, once more burying her face in his chest, but this time in defeat. She knew he would do just that and there would be little she could do to stop him. His tracking her on the other side of the border could get them both killed. “Fine, fine,” She muttered crossly, “Come with me then. Just be ready to travel fast and for a long time without stopping.” His arms felt good around her. Her agitation was calming, but not the sense of urgency. “I am not going to set an easy pace.”
Timothy smiled and kissed the top of her head as he held her close. “I would never expect you to. As to Roath, that is his decision, but I suspect he will want to come with us.” Her hair smelled of rose petals and lavender. His thoughts strayed for a moment and he quickly corrected himself. As good as she felt in arms, she was off-limits. She’d just gotten word about her fiancé, for God’s sake, what was wrong with him? He should go find Roath now, but he just stood there holding her and she was letting him.
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Post by Ringulf on Jul 1, 2013 10:21:13 GMT -5
"So yeah...Picta, heard it is cold as polar bear turds up 'dere right now! You got air between your ears? I know you are all squirmy 'bout Sir Katrina an all, you knights sure got a girl in armor thing you gotta work out! Anyway...yeah I'll go, there aint nothin going to go on here in Castle "Ice burg" that is going to require my particular talents, so...I will pack my wooly knickers and be ready by midnight. Oh and I will pack Katrina some too, those Chainmail bikini's are dangerous around that temperature! HAAAha ha!"
Roath skipped off leaving Sir Timothy looking like he was going to protest, but the last comment sent both their minds in another direction entirely.
It had been somewhat dull for Roath since they had come back up north, though he seemed to be doing less of the manservant thing and much more of the page thing now, he still had to scramble a bit to find things to do.
Beside the rash of pranks he had been pulling around the castle, (which he fortunately still had not been implicated in) his only real joy had been weapons practice.
Roath had found a very special Seax knife while in the south and it set off a strange reaction in him. It was the first real weapon he had ever owned and was so much better than his broken sword addaption that he had broken off at the tip to give a point. The Ranger seax was a very interesting and elligant blade and he had spent many hours restoring it and practicing with it. He had even got Harrison to show him some of the basic "Ranger tricks" and combat methods. Harrison had been very interested when he had heard were the blade came from and had told Roath that just because he had found it there, did not make it Will Treaty's seax.
"What a kill joy that guy is!" Roath thought as he reflected on the Ranger's attitude, But he had made a good point and when he said to Roath that if he really thought it was Will's that he should give it back and offered to take it to give him when he saw him next, Roath saw the offer for exactly what it was. He had just laughed at the Ranger and said he was most likely right, and it could be anyone's seax.
Roath had gone as far as writing to Commander Crowley to try and get a message to Will, which he had not recieved any reply to. He thought it would be something Will might like to have back, even though he did not really want to give it up.
The young Roath had also found that he was very skilled with thrown weapons. Small blades, axes, throwing spears even simple stones became like an extension of his arm and no matter the distance he had an uncanny knack for feeling the speed and rotation of an object to make it strike the target just as he wished it to. spears were alot of fun and double as staff type weapons when not thrown, the staff had been his main line of defense growing up in the streets so it was also second nature. He had just started playing around with a sling and was getting the hang of flinging stones much faster than he could throw them, but as of yet he had not quite gotten the consistancy or accuracy he enjoyed when simply throwing them by hand.
Back in his small room next to Sir Timothy's Roath was packed and ready in no time, he had developed the habit of keeping his collection of "stuff" loose but keeping his absolute needs packed ready and close at hand, it was a street thing and had served him well in the past.
He looked around and tried to think of what he might need unexpectently on thier mission, he grabbed a few other strange items and headed down to the stables to get the horses ready.
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Post by Brandwyn on Apr 17, 2016 20:48:09 GMT -5
Katrina and Timothy, after a very heated discussion with the Baron and Battlemaster of Norgate, finally headed down to the stable with relunctant approval for their mission. The Battlemaster agreed to the plan only on condition that they also find out what the Scotti were up to and why they weren't letting people across the border any longer. It had been way too long since they'd had anyone get over there and survive to come back. Katrina had overheard him say bitterly to the Baron, "It's a shame. Waste of two good Knights if you ask me," as she and Timothy were walking away from the Baron's office.
The supplies Katrina had ordered for the trip were already loaded on a couple of pack horses and she saw Roath there ready with his horse, her horse and Tim's horse. She walked up to Ace and checked the cinch, loaded in her extra short sword and horseman's mace in the saddle holsters and scratched Ace's neck for a moment while she searched for peppermint treats in Katrina's pockets.
'Was she doing the right thing?' Katrina wondered. Doubts assailed her. It was truly madness to even attempt to get into Picta right now and the likelihood of getting out alive again seemed pretty slim. She didn't care about risking her own neck to find Dougal, but now she was risking Timothy and Roath too.
"It's not too late to slow down and sleep on this, Kat." Tim suggested gently. "We could always start out in the morning instead of this late hour."
Katrina looked at him and then shook her head. "If I don't get out of here now, my Mother will find some way to stop me. I wouldn't put it past her to have me arrested on some trumped up charge just to keep me from leaving Norgate." She led Ace out into the courtyard and mounted him. "If you insist on coming with me, then let's get going."
Timothy sighed and swung up into Tonnerre's saddle and whisled for his falcon, Flachette. She swooped down from somewhere over the stables and landed on his shoulder in her usual place. "As you wish, My Lady," Timothy nodded his head to her. "Come on Roath, it may be cold where we are going, but it's going to be your greatest adventure yet!" He laughed and trotted out of the courtyard behind Katrina, leading a pack horse laden with items to trade along their journey.
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Post by Brandwyn on Aug 11, 2020 19:56:44 GMT -5
The journey up the mountain range to the border of Picta was uneventful. The weather was a challenge, even for Katrina who was used to the inhospitable conditions. She worried about Roath and constantly fretted over him, even checking his fingers and toes for frostbite each night. The snows were already deep in the highlands and the nighttime temperatures were dangerously low. She was very glad they had commandeered a four-man winter tent and two hefty tarps. They were able to all sleep inside the tent in winter bedrolls and put the tarps up in the trees to shelter their horses and the pack mules from the howling wind.
Each night she or Tim had been able to get a fire going and dry their socks and warm rocks for their bed. Katrina made sure Roath slept between them, not only for propriety's sake but also to keep Roath as warm as possible during the night. She couldn’t remember a winter in the mountains that was as cold as this one. Perhaps it was just that she was getting older, or maybe she had grown soft in the last few years because she hadn’t been on regular border patrols lately. Either way, she was feeling the cold right through to her bones.
Today they were crossing the border into PIcta by a high mountain pass that Katrina figured very few people knew about. It was the pass she had told Dougal about and most likely the way he went. They had about an hour on the trail to reach the border and it was a strenuous climb for a horse. She had scouted ahead at dusk the night before and it did not appear there were any Scotti soldiers guarding the pass. She hoped they didn’t know about it. It was not a trail anyone could bring a wagon over and there were much easier passes on either side less than ten miles away. Actually it wasn’t even really a trail. Katrina had first discovered it about eight years ago while following a bear’s trail.
On the Picta side of the pass there was a large cave hidden in a cleft in the rocky mountain canyon wall. It was about a half a day ride down the mountain and Katrina planned to hold up in that cave for a few days to let their mounts recuperate. She hoped the cave wasn’t occupied already.
The sun was peeking over the mountain ridge to the east and the coffee was brewed. The animals were all munching on their grain and the corned beef hash in the pot was warmed through. The sky was overcast and gray, a sure sign of a heavy snowfall on the way. Katrina could feel the bite of the wind and smelled the snow in the air. It would be snowing heavily before they reached the cave. “Tim, Roath, breakfast is ready.” She called softly into the tent. “up and at it!”
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Post by Brandwyn on Aug 11, 2020 21:28:31 GMT -5
“Tim, Roath, breakfast is ready.” She called softly into the tent. “up and at it!”
Timothy had been listening to Katrina making the hash and smelled the coffee brewing for several minutes. He didn’t stir, however, because he wanted to let Roath sleep as long as possible. At her call, Tim pulled the covers back and rolled up into a sitting position while he pulled on his boots over his clean, dry socks. “Roath, are you awake yet?”
After donning his fur parka over the clothes he slept in, Timothy began packing up his bedroll and tiding his backpack. Then he rolled up Katrina’s bedding for her and stepped out into the damp, cold dawn. Instinctively he looked up the mountain to make sure they were not being observed. No one was there.
“Morning, Kitten.” He smiled as he took the mug of coffee and sniffed It deeply. “You didn’t sleep much.”
She nodded her head, “same as usual these days,” she replied. “maybe once we get holed up in the cave I will sleep easier.” She didn’t believe it, neither did Timothy.
“You think we will make it by lunchtime?” Tim eyed the dismal looking sky. “Snow’s coming and it is going to be a big one. I feel it in my bones.”
She nodded again, “me too. We are going to have to push the horses and it is not an easy climb on this side. Depends on how long the weather holds off, but if it does, we should make the cave by lunchtime.”
“Any Scotti tracks up there?” Tim shoveled in a spoonful of hash. It warmed his tummy and radiated heat throughout his body. He followed it up with a swig of hot coffee.
“Looks like nothing has been up there, not even any deer tracks. Of course most things are hibernating this time of year.” Katrina sipped her coffee. “Hopefully not in our cave.” She grinned, almost like her old self. If you didn’t look into her eyes.
Timothy shoved the last of his food into his mouth and downed the coffee which was cooling fast. “Well, we better get packed up and hit the trail. There is a trail, isn’t there?” he teased Katrina. “Roath, saddle up the pick mules if your pack is ready.”
“Spread out the gear on all five animals,” Katrina suggested. “We will be walking up the mountain to make it easier on the horses.”
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Post by Brandwyn on Aug 11, 2020 22:19:58 GMT -5
Timothy kept a close watch on Katrina and Roath as they struggled up the steep trail. She was right, other than a few deer tracks and one fox footprint, Tim didn’t see any other signs of life. If the Scotti had been this way, they were sure adept at hiding their passage. “I guess the snow will cover our tracks up well enough.” He huffed as he climbed up and around a large boulder with Tonnerre on his heels. The stallion didn’t seem bothered at all by the climb or the cold. ‘This is a fool’s errand, boy’ his conscience kept telling him. ‘If the weather doesn’t kill us, the Scotti will.’ If only he could convince Katrina to turn around, but she was no closer to listening now, than she had been at the Yule Revel. She was obsessed with finding proof that her fiancé was dead. Timothy wasn’t sure what proof she would find after more than a year since he went missing. He would support her, though, no matter where she led him. Perhaps by saving her life, he could finally come to some self-forgiveness for his past sins. Then there was Roath. Timothy smiled as he thought back on their first meeting. The lad was already a man, not a boy any longer. He was growing fast and when they got back, he would go into regular battleschool, so this trip was likely their last as knight and squire.
After an hour, they approached the top of the ridge. Steep mountain stones soared above their heads on each side of the narrow gully In which they travelled. Timothy halted as Katrina stopped to survey the pass and the stones above it. The three of them huddled against the gully bank to discuss the next leg of the journey. “I don’t’ see any guards here,” Katrina whispered. The rock walls on each side were too steep and sheer to hide anyone. Only the eagles could reach the lofty peaks. The air was thin, making it hard to breathe. Katrina panted a little with each breath. Timothy had never known her to do that before. Was she getting sick? “I don’t think anyone is here, either, “Tim agreed. “Let’s all just go up and over together with weapons drawn.“ He looked at the sky again. “We don’t have time to play it safe if we are going to beat the storm and that storm would likely have anyone guarding the passes all holed up somewhere anyway.” Katrina nodded. “Roath, why don’t you hang back just a little with the one pack mule and your horse. Tim, take point and I will keep watch from the middle. You can’t miss the trail on the other side.”
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Post by Ringulf on Aug 17, 2020 20:39:38 GMT -5
[/quote] "Roath, feel free to roam about as you please. I suspect there may be some gambling going on over there in that side parlor." Timothy pointed as he leaned in closer to Katrina. "Or perhaps you can cheer our pretty fellow warrior up with your clever banter."[/quote]
"Hey yeah you're 'zactly right my creeky and armory friend! "Everyone will be distracted watchin' the gamblin', happens every time! "Mayhaps" I can lift a few purses and cut a few pouches..." Roathe loved to use the words of the upper crust of Araluen and always effected a snobby tone to his voice when he said them as though to say, "Yeah I know the words, but you ain't gonna get me to use 'em the way you want me too" He looked over toward the tables behind him that many folks were gathered around and when he looked back he was almost startled to see the two senior knights staring at him aghast and Sir Timothy was looking like he was just about to rise up and give him a tongue lashing.
"Kidddiinngg!" "I ain't no reprobate! I will go saunter around and see if that table over there with all the food on it, is sturdy enough to hold up under all that weight! I might have to lighten it up a bit or it won't last the night!"
Roath did not wait to hear what snappy remark or "command" the knights would give him and seemingly melted into the crowd. As he circled around using the crowd and even the servers to play what he called "the Shadow Game" Roath made almost a full circle around the room to the wall past Katrina and Timothy's table, he scanned the crowd as he was apt to do taking in the faces of people that he knew and looking for those he didn't. It was a skill he had learned very well in the street-life of his youth, as it meant staying ahead of danger and competition, either was a matter of survival. He never stopped doing it even now as page/squire to Sir Timothy, even though his life was much more secure and safer as an every day matter. He knew there was still danger to stay ahead of. "Sir Timothy ain't no slouch, he would notta gotten as old as he is if he didn't live by his whits, but sometimes brawn makes you rely less on being clever and more on being comfortable that your muscles can get you out of a scrape faster than your eyes can keep you from gettin' into one!"
Then he saw him, a few yards ahead of him between where Roath was leaning up on the wall and a bit to the right, watching the knights quite intently, though Roath could also see that he was clearly trying not to make it seem as though he was. "Hmmm...Da plot thickens! Whose dis clown and what is he up to?" He watched the figure at the table and he moved along the wall so he could get a better angle to see the face of this threat. As the two knights left abruptly with Katrina falling apart and Timothy comforting her and supporting her around her shoulders, Roath saw some movement from his person of interest. he stirred and started to rise and move toward the recently vacated table. Roath followed his gaze and saw the object that interested his study, it was Katrina's letter! Scooping up to drinks from an unoccupied table, Roath tossed one on the ground in front of the interlopers feet and trumpeted out a huge boisterous laugh and a surprised yell as he launched himself, and his other drink through the air in a side ways lurch so that he careened into his mark soaking him in alchohol and falling to the departed knight's table all the while cackling with what sounded like drunken laughter. as he fell he made sure he fell on the letter itself and it went under his body as he rolled from his side over his belly and continued to his other side. He looked up at the person he had just crashed into and jokingly extended his hand and spit out through a giggle "May I have this dance!" everyone in the room looked toward he and his mysterious dance partner and the commotion that had caught them all somewhat by surprise. The figure pulled his hood down a bit over his face and realizing the letter was gone and that this young lad had just made a fool of himself to thwart his actions, he realized he had found the squire but now he needed to get out of there. He gave a look to the outstretched hand and the fresh young face, now devoid of drunkenness and merriment. and saw the look that stared back at him sharp as flint with a little sneer.
"Young fool!" was the last sound Roath heard as the figure turned and left the room. In a moment he was up and down the hall. fortunately he heard voices arguing in a room to the right and he pressed his ear to the crack around the sill of the door.
[/quote] “What about Roath? Are you going to force him along with you?” Katrina asked, throwing in her only real reason to disagree with Timothy. “Anyway, you are needed here more so than I.” That was her second argument. It was only fair she used duty against him since he’d already tried that argument on her. “The Baron needs you here. I can travel faster and quieter on my own anyway.”[/quote]
Roath pushed on the door and it opened, "Sir Timothy being the enlightened old knight that he is would never force his Squire to do anything,....cept wash behind his ears! Besides you need your friendly, local, Travel Agent to help you get there and it jus so happens dat I ran into the perfect guide to help you guys out! A Ranger friend of mine that just happens to be here in Norgate deliverin' a message!
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