DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Hall of Fame - Latest Top 10 completed games HWD: The Heartwood HWD: Introduction

Mikal

"True enough", he agrees, regarding Comfrey. "Question is, why do they all want it? Even if it is magicked? Must open something pretty important."

Daxia
with Mikal, Darian, Longtooth, Cesare and Celi

"Yah," she said with a nod. "Important... or something must be kept hidden."

Camelia

As she had no horse, nor any inclination to remain outside on the road muddying her boots any further, Camelia stepped straight through the front doors of the Hart and Horse as though nothing had ever occurred. In fact, she carried herself as might an Imperial personage would returning from an outing.

Through those doors, to make an entrance. Actually hoping to find Dandelion waiting...

Kadri. . followed briefly after, looking. . rather intense, and focused. Something had her, it would appear, angry - very angry. Seething. Entering. .s he looks around to get a tab on everyone in the establishment - and look for anyone out of place, or who was not a regular.

Darian

All these hunting for the key, seemed like the Hunt challenges the pack mates would issue sometimes. She was going to add her two pennies to the conversation when two more arrived. The not so bedraggled anymore waif and the other who she thought was the one being discussed.

"She has returned," she said and pointed towards Kadri. "And looks ready to kick a hornet's nest."

Daxia
with Mikal, Darian, Longtooth, Cesare and Celi

Daxia raised an eyebrow as Kadri followed Camelia. "Yah," she murmured, "Not seen anyone so angry since certain small child tell Priestess Kassia reading and writing stupid things to learn."

Mikal

He glances towards the door, a bit relieved to see some of the others arrive.

"They are not stupid, just mostly useless." He says, in an aside to Daxia, without thought.

Conrad at the Inn

Conrad had handed his steed over to the stable boy and headed inside, pausing after coming in to look around and spot those that he had traveled with the day before and that had been there with them last night was the man had been killed.

"Well met again." he said, motioning to the wench for a flagon and waiting to find a seat after all the ladies had been seated.

Camelia

"I could eat agai..."

And the eyes were on them. No, not her, on Kadri. Camelia knew the small woman's mood was darkening, but it hadn't looked like this when they were at the hospice nor the ride back. Darkening yes. This was bad... And Camelia didn't know what to say, or do, save for turn around and add her eyes to the collective 'Watch'.

Celi

So *she* was Kadri.

Celi was now able to put a face to the name everyone had been bandying about. She had half-expected a man, given the adventurous nature of what she had overheard.

"Your Kadri looks fierce angry indeed," she agreed. "Is she ... *always* like that?" Celi had encountered people who went through life with a chip on their shoulder, daring the world to knock it off ... which, invariably, it did.

Kadri:

She moves to the table with the others. . and sits.

"We all need to talk. And without outside ears listening."

Daxia
with Mikal, Darian, Longtooth, Cesare, Celi and Kadri

She looked at Celi and shook her head. "Nah," she said simply.

When Kadri sat down, she regarded the angry woman for a moment, then leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Not wish to speak here?"

Darian

"Does place like this have room that fit all?"

OOC Note: You can probably all fit into the room Camelia slept in

Mikal

"Not unless you think we can evict all the Horde members from here", he indicates the men lounging around the common room coming and going, "or whoever got a room upstairs can fit the 9 of us in it. Even then, no telling who could hear. Walls in these places are none too thick."

He nods his head towards the rear door. "Best option might be to go to the courtyard outside." Between the stables and the inn is a decent sized open space. "If we keep our voices down it should be fine. And at least we can see if anyone tries to listen to us."

Cesare

He smiles as Celi introduces herself a little hesitantly. She seems a little shy as she was sitting off to one side before. Then his attention is taken by the two new arrivals.

"We've talked enough here about the events of last night and this morning that it matters not now."

He turns to Kadri.

"Glad to see you safe. We were just talking about you and the others as it seems we have all been offered things.. or threatened.. this morning. Incidentally Mikal, the man I met referred to me as a wind-walker, another name for Rhoni - so he knew what I was if not who I was. It seems if there is so many people out there looking for this key, then there must be a lot of information to be had too. A secret is only a secret when known by just one."

He smiles at Kadri and Cami.

"You might as well add your stories to the pot and we in turn will relate ours."

Camelia

Camelia could certainly respect the desire for privacy when speaking of personal matters. But it wasn't her room to invite people into, especially people she barely knew. Yes, Dandelion's room was big, too big, for just one person when so many were cramped up with each other. That bit of hospitality had struck her when she entered the room, but there were quite a number of personal effects in that room. It would be presumptuous and ungracious to allow others into the room without leave of Captain Koromov.

"Why are we telling stories?" Wide-eyed and a little innocent. Naive perhaps, since she had no understanding of what was happening here right now. She saw the serious and expectant faces regarding the new arrivals. Hushed, like a conspiracy...

Camelia knew several stories, some of them best suited for an evening and fire and food and drink. But it was the songs that she loved the most, although she had little experience, save for two nights past, in the sharing of them with others... an audience as it were.

Daxia
with Mikal, Darian, Longtooth, Cesare, Celi, Kadri, Camelia, Conrad

Daxia gave Cesare an inscrutable look and shook her head. "Not stories for amusement," she said to Camelia. "Reports of... interesting experiences of morning." She turned her gaze back to Kadri. "All reports revolve around Kadri... and thing she possess."

Camelia

"Oh..."

Now she blushed.

Mikal

He nods, looking at Kadri. "As Cesare says, all of us have had offers, threats, or warnings of some sort regarding the key you found last night. Substantial ones too. But you seemed ready to spit fire when you entered. Can you tell us why?"

Kadri:

"I do have the key. It is. . .in my possession. There is a reason, however, I will not be returning it. This morning. . as I was tending to Lisica. . . someone snuck up on me. And placed a knife at my back. He told me. . not to give it to anyone else - and to hang it on a nail on Hoffman's Warehouse by sunset. I would not normally be inclined to respond to threats. . however. . ."

There was a pause there, then her voice continued, its temperature rapidly dropping;

"He then continued with. . . 'Or she will pay dearly. You give it to anyone else. She dies. You give it to her. I take my time.'"

She takes a deep breath before continuing.

"I don't care if I am threatened. I will deal with that. That is not important. But . . . how dare he threaten someone else in my name. How dare he threaten that girl. I have seen his type before, and that hunter needs to be the hunted. That predator needs to feel what it is like to be prey. And. . above all. . I can't see that he can be allowed to win."

She still seemed to be. . smoldering.

Darian

"Is he true Hunter or only one who plays at hunting?" the huntress asked, in a not so subtle way wanting to know if the one who threatened Kadri was one like her.

"And did he say who this she is or just think you know?"

Then a quick add of, "Oh, I be Darian. Ruff is Longtooth. We be Hunters."

Daxia
with Mikal, Darian, Longtooth, Cesare, Celi, Kadri, Camelia, Conrad, Comfrey

"And who this girl?" Daxia said, sitting forward and leaning on the table. "Men this morning say to me... if you want girl to give, you get us key. Too many people want key. Don't think any should have. But need to know... who should be protected from harm, yes?"

Squire Conrad

The revelation that Kadri had the key that the girl had talked about and that his companions had been either threatened or attempted to be bribed came as news to the young squire but it was as nothing compared to the threat against the innocent child that he had sent back to her inn earlier.

His blue eyes hardened and he got to his feet. There was an air of menace about him.

"The life of that child was threatened? For this key? This is a deadly serious matter and one that must be taken care of now. Kadri, I require this key. Then I, and any who would go with me, will go secure the girl and her family from their inn and take them to a place of safety." he said firmly.

Camelia

And the story that everyone wanted to hear unfolded like a vent of steam from a stifled pot and Camelia could only stare at Kadri, this woman that she had understood she knew nothing about, but that became even more evident.

"You lied to her... While she cried, while we listened and she told us about her father..."

There was no question. Not even a tone of surprise. What she felt was matched only in her eyes as she looked to the small woman.