While Nethrida dealt with her annoying suitor, Cat moved slightly away to hear the plan Rula had for fleeing the doomed city, and Finch looked around for a toy with which to woo a sad Prince.
Catalinna glanced at Moyna for a moment and then motioned for Sable to continue packing things before following Rula at a close distance so not to arouse suspicion. As she followed, she picked up several things as though she was still 'working'
'Rula whispered to Cat urgently. "Sorry, don’t trust those witches. Once the royal family has run for it, my cousin knows a way through the sewers to get away from the City. Hopefully we can avoid the Angmarim and make for somewhere free, or worst comes to worst, pay them off with treasure or information.'
As Rula spoke, Sablelinna did as she was told but kept an eye on Cat. She no longer shivered but still felt weak and struggled to move the heavier items. Noting a dagger in the goods, she pocketed it quickly.
Catalinna nodded as though she agreed with Rula's statement on witches. "What information would we have to offer them, hm? It's not like we could point them to some special treasure that could save all of our hides... or is there somethin'?" Cat pretended to look around as though looking for something 'big' and 'important.'
Rula glanced around, whispering lower. "Well, the fact the king and queen are bound for Forochel in secret may buy us some time...'
Catalinna shook her head, "Nah, you think they won't have spies that know that already?"
"Ya think so?” Rula frowned. “...maybe...then we better steal more gold.'
Catalinna nodded, "Yeah, I think we might... or some sort of unique artifact."
Unable to contain herself any longer, Sablelinna made her way over and nudged Cat, 'what are we looking for?'
Rula looked at Cat as if she were a bit mad. "Artifact? What are you talking about?'
Catalinna let out a loooooong sigh as Sable nudged her and glanced over her shoulder toward the woman. "We're lookin' for artifacts." She then turned her gaze back to Rula, speaking to both her and Sable now, trying to sound mysterious. "Hm.. Anything that might be of use to a sorcerer; I've heard that they like usin' things for rituals in Angmar. Maybe some sort of cup?"
Rula gasped. “Sorcerors!!! I hadn’t thought of that...what if they catch us and turn us into something??!!'
Catalinna nodded dramatically, "They might unless we give them somethin' worth our lives, hm?"
Sablelinna nodded too and started digging through different piles throughout the area.
Rula sideeyed Moyna and Fayna and spoke very softly. "If there is anything like that, it would be the room those witches use....something queer about both of em...'
Catalinna pressed her lips together to stop herself from grinning at obtaining the information, feigning a serious, concerned expression with her eyes still. She also looked toward Moyna and nodded at Rula. "I only know one way in that room... You don't happen to know any others, hm?"
Smiling slyly, Rula raised her voice as she crossed the room. "Your Highness....we shall go prepare a snack for the young Prince....'
Catalinna cringed at first, thinking she was about to turn her in, but then relaxed as she heard the words and followed
Rula drew aside a tapestry and showed Cat and Sable through a servant’s door.
Xandilif watched the trio leave the room, frowning to herself. “Great, lets all get spread out, what could possibly go wrong.”
Finchley stepped over to a pile of toys that hadn’t been packed yet and tried to sort through them. She was looking for a small one that was light and easy enough for a child to hold onto. She considered a small toy knight but finally selected a small stuffed black bird because it reminded her of Galvra. She hoped the bird was safe with the horses…somewhere in the future. Just thinking of that made her hear hurt so she stopped and stepped back over to Xandilif. "Ummm... Lif, how do I go about approachin' the Queen and such? Do I just bow or...?"
Xandilif looked at the girl and shrugged. "She don’t seem to be much for protocol, and could likely use all the friends she can get...just go for it, ‘pageboy”. Nethrida laughed slightly at the gentle teasing.
Finchley stuck out her tongue at her and checked to see that her hood and mask still obscured her face before moving toward the Queen and her son, taking care to keep her face angled away from Fayna, just in case. She paused a few strides away and then made a fairly graceful bow. "Um, excuse me, your highness." She shifted her weight awkwardly a bit.
The queen looked at Finch....and blushed a bit. "I...I am sorry...I had forgotten we have guests amongst us....you must think me to have the courtesy of a common fishwife. It is wartime, and we must ban together, noble and commoner alike.'
Finchley shook her head. "Ah, I don’t think you a fishwife at all. You're dealin' with a lot, aye?" She looked to the boy behind the Queen and gave him a little wave. "Hello, there, little highness. Are you sad?"
The queen smiled gratefully at Finchley. "Of late I have had little chance to speak with the common folk I am supposed to rule. it has made me sad. This city was once filled with light and joy…now, only fear and death it seems...and a sense that we are not in command of our own fates.'
Finch gave the little boy the toy bird. Taking it cautiously, he looked at her and smiled sadly. Looking into his eyes, Finch was suddenly filled with sorrow, realizing that as a child this boy's age she must have been a sore trial for her Grams...she had never been kind enough to her when she was young, she thought to herself.
Finchley took a deep breath and got her emotions under control quickly, for fear that Fayna would suspect something. She looked to the boy and smiled with her eyes. "We can't have you goin' anywhere without somethin' to play with, aye? I know things are scary and you don't get to do as you like or see others. But, that's okay. It's okay to feel afraid... Just so long as you hold onto the good things. Okay?"
The boy stared at Finch silently, his gaze impossible to read.
Looking at the boy, Finch suddenly thought of Xan. Xanderian had always been so kind to her, and what did she do but treat her coldly and bring more trouble to her doorstep....all she ever did was bring trouble, it seemed.
Finchley felt so very burdened with sadness but sort of slapped at her cheeks a bit to snap herself out of it. "Ah, sorry. Guess I'm feelin' a little sad too. But, that's okay too... I hope your nanny treats you alright?" She glanced over to where Moyna stood but was careful to not meet her eye.
As Finch tried to reach the Prince, Rula, Cat and Sable were headed down the hall. Suddenly Rula pulled them both into a side room. Two cots were made up with several knapsacks packed and ready to go. If this was the chamber of the two witches they lived simply.
Catalinna remained on her guard, looking around carefully.
Rula nodded to Cat. Gesturing at the knapsacks she said "This is their baggage....I bet they have all sorts of foul..what did you call them? Artifices?'
Catalinna looked to Sable and nodded at the woman, "Keep an eye out, hm?"
Sablelinna moved to the door as asked to keep watch. She pulled her dagger out but at that moment her legs went out from under her and she fell to the ground. Her blade flew forward on the floor making a horrible clattering sound.
Catalinna inwardly cursed, "Are you kiddin' me?" as several guards approach the door to see what the noise was.
Catalinna hurried to hide under the blankets while Rula would start frantically dusting. Sablelinna tried to get to her feet but her weakened legs were like jelly, looking up as the door was opened in front of her by one of the guards.
The young guards helped Sable up and gestured at Rula. “Come along both of you, no time to be worrying about such chores, you’ll be needed elsewhere.”
Sablelinna smiled wanly at the guard and moved to pick up her dagger. 'I am sorry. I have no strength in me.' she breathed hoarsely and resheaths the blade. 'Might there be some food?'
Catalinna remained under the piled up pillows on top of the blankets and listened for the moment, staying perfectly still
The guard nodded to Sable and led her and Rula out. "We don’t have much....a bit of stale bread but not much else until mess later' 'The Guard closed the door and locked it...unaware that he was leaving Cat inside.
In the main chamber, Finchley just sort of stands there, looking somewhat deflated meeting the little boys quite gaze. Her fists clenched at her sides and she bit her lip a bit. This was no time to cry. She took a deep breath and then slowly let it out. Then, she paused again. Hang on, when did she ever feel she was cold to Xan before? When had she ever felt like she brought nothing but trouble? When had she ever not let Grams know she loved her? Not ever. She glanced toward the boy again, though with more apprehension this time. Something wasn't right.
In the side room, Catalinna waited until she no longer heard footsteps or any sounds before she carefully peeked out from under the blankets. Seeing that she was now alone, Cat sat up and let the pillows and blankets slide off of her as she turned her attention toward the bags containing the two sister's belongings. There was hesitation as she looked down to her gloved hands and then to her left wrist where the symbol of the eight-pointed compass star was embedded in her flesh.
The eight pointed Witchsign was blazing with a white light...and for a moment she was somewhere else, watching. Looking down she could tell by the garb that she is Moyna, hiding behind a pillar. In front of her, The Lord of Fire was kneeling to Fayna. He said. "All is ready...the three of them will find only death in the snow, their final fate put in motion in Gondor long years ago by those fools and their obsession with Earnil, an obsession you whispered into their hearts. All shall be as you have striven for, my Lady Aganalu.'
Fayna smiled, but her eye gleamed with an unmistakable evil...and vast power. “Fear not, you shall be well rewarded for your service, General Carneryn...well rewarded indeed.'...and then Cat was back in the side room.'
In the hallway, Sablelinna glanced over the the locked door and made a decision, She walked over to the guard who had led her out and coyly whispered in his ear. “I believe the redheaded one was still in the room when you shut and locked it. I thought she came out with us when I swooned...'
Within the room, the vision around Cat faded quickly. She let out an anguished grunt and brought her hands to support her temples; the pounding in her head was overwhelming and her vision was blurred, which caused her to have to take a moment to steady herself before she could actually continue with her task. Her thoughts were racing. “What was that??? Some kind of dream? Fayna is actually this Aganalu, and the Lord of Fire is working with her to kill the whole royal family? That is…crazy?”
Catalinna shook her head a few times to try to correct her vision. She reached for the closest bag to her and opened it to look inside to discover Moyna’s undergarments, nearly packed. She recoiled by instinct. “Well there is a sight I can never unsee…”
As she reached for the next bag, the key grated in the lock and she froze. She had no time to move as the door was pushed open by the Guard. “You there, the redhead…come ALONG. I told you all that can wait. For god’s sake, likely we will all be dead by morning and you are dusting under the beds?”
He led her along with Sable and Rula back to the main room, seeming mainly concerned with keeping everyone where he could see them.
Still in the main room, Finch looked in the Prince’s eyes and realized she was being foolish, always looking on the bright side when everything burned. Xandilif would not be here, in this fix if it weren’t for Finch, dragging her here to her doom, far from her sister and her duties.'
Gasping as that last dark thought hit home, Finchley rigidly bowed to the Queen again and turned to walk toward Lif, grabbing at her hand. "Lif... Tell me right now that you don't regret comin' with me."
As soon as she said the word she reeled....REGRET! Suddenly she was in a vision, before the throne in her dream again, facing the boy with the ravenous eyes as he whispered to her. “Finchley of Angmar, you were never enough...can never be enough...and looking back all you see are missteps and broken promises. All the sacrifices made for you have come to nothing but failure. Surrender and spare those foolish enough to love you the shame and the pain of your pitiful flailing.'
Finchley just stared at the boy and shook her head. "... Maybe. Maybe I ain't enough. But that ain't a good enough reason for me to stop tryin'."
Suddenly Finch crashed out of the vision, having fallen to her knees in front of Xandilif. The queen was kneeling next to her. "Boy...you...you saw it too? My son...my poor sweet son....what sort of monster is he fated to become?'
Finchley glanced up at the Queen and nodded. "If you're talkin' about what I think you are, aye... as for what sort of Monster he becomes, I cannot say what, but I can take a good guess why..."
The queen rose, nodded and glared death at Fayna. She took her cup from the table and turned to face the dark woman. "You will leave my son ALONE...I know there is nothing I can do to pry your claws out of my husband but you will release MY SON... I know not what your game truly is, witch, but I know you need me alive, at least until some appointed time or I would be slain already. Release my son or I will drain this cup. The venom within is without mercy and I will be stone dead before you can save me with your vaunted arts and all your works will come to naught.'
Nethrida helped Finchley quickly scramble to her feet and she reached out to the Queen. "Don't! Don't drink that, please... Wait-- Did you say 'without mercy'?"
Catalinna huffed as she realized that the cup, the Chalice Without Mercy, had been here all along. She shakes her head. “Well don’t that just figure?”
-
Meanwhile far away on the blasted plain over conquered Bree, Dar joined Gwyn and Nik on the ridge, looking down at the Angmarim banners decorating the formerly sleepy town.
Nik scrambled further up the ridge to get a better view...."Uh oh...'
Gwyndolith blinked and groaned softly, lusting what she had learned for Dar. "One... We're in the future... Two... We aren't even /in/ angmar... Explains why I couldn't tell where we were."
Nik called and pointed from the top of the ridge. Beyond Bree, the valley and the Midgewater Marshes appeared to be one vast armed camp, tens of thousands of Angmarim and trolls and giants and worse were arrayed as if mustered for war.
Trumpets sounded and an honor guard rode out of Bree, leading a covered throne carried by four giant trolls.
Gwyndolith's heart skipped a beat before she pulled herself back into control "Well damn... We'd best find a way out of this nightmare hm?"
One of the priests called out, his voice echoing unnaturally. "The Great Queen Aganalu shall address her armies, before the final battle against the pretender Sauron and the last of his pitiful forces!!!!'
The curtains on the throne were drawn back and Aganalu rose. Dressed in beautiful red robes, she raised her arms, leaning back so the trio could get a good look at her. She was Finchley with long hair, and on her back.....was SilverWand.'
