08-29-2021, 05:37 AM
(This post was last modified: 08-29-2021, 05:57 AM by Rowan Finnegan.)
The rest of the ride had gone on with less than a few sparse words spoken between the two. Vivienne was lost in her own thoughts – looking like a Brown – and taking every advantage of Letto’s newfound calm. Nothing seemed to travel along the bond, not even irritation at Vivienne. It almost made her worry. Almost. Letto had rode on ahead by a few paces, her cowled head sweeping back and forth ever so slightly. If there was any danger to be found on the road, Letto would spot it.
The few farm folk that were about the land slowly started to drift back to their own homes as the day drew closer to nightfall. At least three farmers recognized Vivienne and Letto, offering cheerful greetings as they rode by. Vivienne always returned the gesture and even sparred a few gold coins for the people. The road they took now seemed to be well-traveled, as much of the snow had been trampled to slush - thank the Light.
Letto nodded in approval with each coin that passed from Vivienne’s hand. They both knew all too well what it was like to scrape by. The farmers had suffered the worst under the wicked weather that had passed over the land; first drought and then blizzards. But then, the Dark One seemed to be touching more of the world with every passing day.
Gilyard Manor came upon them suddenly as they crested a hill. Downslope and at the base of the hill, thick stone walls rose a few paces from the ground. A large gate of polished hawthorn and iron sat open, flanked by a pair of guards wearing the red and black of House Gilyard. Archers would be stationed in the watchtowers that dotted the walls of the manor grounds. Lord Lamorach Gilyard had grown increasingly paranoid since Merdyn fled to the Black Tower, in so far as Vivienne had been able to discern.
Stables and the guard’s barracks sat just behind the walls. Much of the rest of the property was taken up by gardens and other smaller buildings. At the center of it all sat the manor proper. It was a three-story building made of darkly varnished hawthorn and stones brought from the Mountains of Mist. A red-tiled roof capped it all off, smoke billowing from the three chimneys that sat along the ridge of the roof. Lights shone from a few windows on the first floor, although not a body nor a silhouette could be seen through any of the casements.
Letto and Vivienne rode up to the main gate and stopped up short as the guards approached them. They were familiar faces by now, of course. Kallain was a youthful man with golden hair and brown eyes. He was very polite and observed every respect due an Aes Sedai. Before taking up service with Lamorach, Kallain had been in the Queen’s Guard. He was one of the unfortunate men that had been forced out by the odious man – no, Forsaken – Rhavin. The other guard was older and rather gruff. He had been in service to the Gilyard house for much of his life. His name was Dougal and he seemed to have a natural dislike for women in general.
“Good evening, Vivienne Sedai!” Kallain greeted them as Dougal smothered a look of irritation. “To what do we owe the pleasure? S’awfully late if you don’t mind my saying.” Dougal harumphed at the last bit, clearly in agreement with the thought. The sky was starting to turn to a brilliant shade of orange, but the Sun had barely begun to set. It would be another hour or so before nightfall and Vivienne had started to wish they had left sooner – or at least gatewayed in closer to the manor. Why had Merdyn dropped them at the edge of the estates?
Vivienne banished the thought and nodded graciously at Kallain’s words. “Indeed, it is, young Kallain. I would have come sooner in the day, but the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. Is Lord Gilyard available, pray tell? I have a matter I wish to bring to him.” Vivienne spoke lightly and without urgency. Today was just another day and she was just coming to see Lord Lamorach, which was most definitely not out of the ordinary – even if it had been two months since her last visit to the man.
Uneasiness started to creep along the bond, but Vivienne quickly threw walls up in her own mind. It was possible to censure the Warder bond, in a way. It was a very useful tool should one wish to become intimate with a partner or lose a night to the drink, and then there were moments like this one. Vivienne had to keep her calm and wits about her this night, censuring the bond would just have to be one more thing to concentrate on. There was no avoiding it. Vivienne had already tramped down her own unease, adding Letto’s in would only increase the anxiety tenfold.
“I’m sure he is Vivienne Sedai, but I’ve still got to run a message to ‘im. Forgive me, but I have strict orders,” Kallain spoke as he bowed to her. Vivienne nodded graciously before he turned on his heel and marched past the gate. She let her eye follow the young man. It was then that she spotted the rows of soldiers forming up near the barracks. Two months ago, Lamorach had fifteen men in his household guard but from Vivienne’s vantage, it appeared that he had increased that number to well above fifty. Her face remained calm, but inside her stomach began to rile. Those guards could spell trouble.
Dougal eyed the pair suspiciously but held his peace. Letto, however, did not.
“Something to say, Dougal?”
The man’s eyebrows drew down and he eyed the Warder with intensity, but still said nothing. Letto all but entered a staring match with him while they waited for Kallain to return. Vivienne’s eyes never left the guards forming rank. Something was off.
Vivienne opened herself to Saidar once more and held onto it as Kallain marched cheerfully back to them. “Lord Gilyard will see you in the main hall, Vivienne Sedai,” he said to them before urging Dougal out of their path. Letto waited half a heartbeat before cantering through. Vivienne tossed both men a gold coin each before following behind her Warder.
Vivienne kept her eyes fixed forward but allowed herself to take stock of the things caught at the corner of her vision. Yes, there had to be at least fifty guards forming up and more stationed along the walls and guard towers. Had the man’s paranoia grown so strong or was this all Lady Marne’s fault? The conniving chit. Lamorach had declared for her and by all reports she had been levying forces through the other High Seats that had declared for her. Clearly, he was gathering in more men to supply what he could to her. It was the only logical explanation. If so, that could work well in the Daughter-Heir’s favor, once Merdyn was installed as High Seat.
A groom came up to meet Vivienne and Letto as they drew closer to the manor’s grand entrance. He helped Vivienne from the saddle before taking their two horses off to be stabled. Letto had offered the man a gold coin before Vivienne could reach for her belt pouch. He goggled at the coin before scrapping a bow and trotting off across the sloshed, brown snow that still covered the grounds.
“I don’t like this,” Letto murmured as Vivienne came to stand beside her, pausing a moment before they entered the manor.
“It feels off, true, but I think he’s gathering forces to send to House Marne,” Vivienne murmured in response.
“No, there’s something else afoot. I can’t quite place my finger on it,” Letto all but shook her head.
“If something is amiss, we will quickly learn of it. I’m holding Saidar and you are a skilled warrior. We will be fine. I do not think we have any reason to worry, however,” Vivienne murmured reassuringly.
Letto grunted and strode forward. The double doors opened by unseen servants, light spilling forward onto the grey stoned stairs that rose before Vivienne and Letto. Smells of warm bread and bee’s wax tickled at Vivienne’s nose, a familiar scent by now. Letto ascended the stairs and passed through the threshold. Vivienne took a deep breath and followed suit.
The few farm folk that were about the land slowly started to drift back to their own homes as the day drew closer to nightfall. At least three farmers recognized Vivienne and Letto, offering cheerful greetings as they rode by. Vivienne always returned the gesture and even sparred a few gold coins for the people. The road they took now seemed to be well-traveled, as much of the snow had been trampled to slush - thank the Light.
Letto nodded in approval with each coin that passed from Vivienne’s hand. They both knew all too well what it was like to scrape by. The farmers had suffered the worst under the wicked weather that had passed over the land; first drought and then blizzards. But then, the Dark One seemed to be touching more of the world with every passing day.
Gilyard Manor came upon them suddenly as they crested a hill. Downslope and at the base of the hill, thick stone walls rose a few paces from the ground. A large gate of polished hawthorn and iron sat open, flanked by a pair of guards wearing the red and black of House Gilyard. Archers would be stationed in the watchtowers that dotted the walls of the manor grounds. Lord Lamorach Gilyard had grown increasingly paranoid since Merdyn fled to the Black Tower, in so far as Vivienne had been able to discern.
Stables and the guard’s barracks sat just behind the walls. Much of the rest of the property was taken up by gardens and other smaller buildings. At the center of it all sat the manor proper. It was a three-story building made of darkly varnished hawthorn and stones brought from the Mountains of Mist. A red-tiled roof capped it all off, smoke billowing from the three chimneys that sat along the ridge of the roof. Lights shone from a few windows on the first floor, although not a body nor a silhouette could be seen through any of the casements.
Letto and Vivienne rode up to the main gate and stopped up short as the guards approached them. They were familiar faces by now, of course. Kallain was a youthful man with golden hair and brown eyes. He was very polite and observed every respect due an Aes Sedai. Before taking up service with Lamorach, Kallain had been in the Queen’s Guard. He was one of the unfortunate men that had been forced out by the odious man – no, Forsaken – Rhavin. The other guard was older and rather gruff. He had been in service to the Gilyard house for much of his life. His name was Dougal and he seemed to have a natural dislike for women in general.
“Good evening, Vivienne Sedai!” Kallain greeted them as Dougal smothered a look of irritation. “To what do we owe the pleasure? S’awfully late if you don’t mind my saying.” Dougal harumphed at the last bit, clearly in agreement with the thought. The sky was starting to turn to a brilliant shade of orange, but the Sun had barely begun to set. It would be another hour or so before nightfall and Vivienne had started to wish they had left sooner – or at least gatewayed in closer to the manor. Why had Merdyn dropped them at the edge of the estates?
Vivienne banished the thought and nodded graciously at Kallain’s words. “Indeed, it is, young Kallain. I would have come sooner in the day, but the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. Is Lord Gilyard available, pray tell? I have a matter I wish to bring to him.” Vivienne spoke lightly and without urgency. Today was just another day and she was just coming to see Lord Lamorach, which was most definitely not out of the ordinary – even if it had been two months since her last visit to the man.
Uneasiness started to creep along the bond, but Vivienne quickly threw walls up in her own mind. It was possible to censure the Warder bond, in a way. It was a very useful tool should one wish to become intimate with a partner or lose a night to the drink, and then there were moments like this one. Vivienne had to keep her calm and wits about her this night, censuring the bond would just have to be one more thing to concentrate on. There was no avoiding it. Vivienne had already tramped down her own unease, adding Letto’s in would only increase the anxiety tenfold.
“I’m sure he is Vivienne Sedai, but I’ve still got to run a message to ‘im. Forgive me, but I have strict orders,” Kallain spoke as he bowed to her. Vivienne nodded graciously before he turned on his heel and marched past the gate. She let her eye follow the young man. It was then that she spotted the rows of soldiers forming up near the barracks. Two months ago, Lamorach had fifteen men in his household guard but from Vivienne’s vantage, it appeared that he had increased that number to well above fifty. Her face remained calm, but inside her stomach began to rile. Those guards could spell trouble.
Dougal eyed the pair suspiciously but held his peace. Letto, however, did not.
“Something to say, Dougal?”
The man’s eyebrows drew down and he eyed the Warder with intensity, but still said nothing. Letto all but entered a staring match with him while they waited for Kallain to return. Vivienne’s eyes never left the guards forming rank. Something was off.
Vivienne opened herself to Saidar once more and held onto it as Kallain marched cheerfully back to them. “Lord Gilyard will see you in the main hall, Vivienne Sedai,” he said to them before urging Dougal out of their path. Letto waited half a heartbeat before cantering through. Vivienne tossed both men a gold coin each before following behind her Warder.
Vivienne kept her eyes fixed forward but allowed herself to take stock of the things caught at the corner of her vision. Yes, there had to be at least fifty guards forming up and more stationed along the walls and guard towers. Had the man’s paranoia grown so strong or was this all Lady Marne’s fault? The conniving chit. Lamorach had declared for her and by all reports she had been levying forces through the other High Seats that had declared for her. Clearly, he was gathering in more men to supply what he could to her. It was the only logical explanation. If so, that could work well in the Daughter-Heir’s favor, once Merdyn was installed as High Seat.
A groom came up to meet Vivienne and Letto as they drew closer to the manor’s grand entrance. He helped Vivienne from the saddle before taking their two horses off to be stabled. Letto had offered the man a gold coin before Vivienne could reach for her belt pouch. He goggled at the coin before scrapping a bow and trotting off across the sloshed, brown snow that still covered the grounds.
“I don’t like this,” Letto murmured as Vivienne came to stand beside her, pausing a moment before they entered the manor.
“It feels off, true, but I think he’s gathering forces to send to House Marne,” Vivienne murmured in response.
“No, there’s something else afoot. I can’t quite place my finger on it,” Letto all but shook her head.
“If something is amiss, we will quickly learn of it. I’m holding Saidar and you are a skilled warrior. We will be fine. I do not think we have any reason to worry, however,” Vivienne murmured reassuringly.
Letto grunted and strode forward. The double doors opened by unseen servants, light spilling forward onto the grey stoned stairs that rose before Vivienne and Letto. Smells of warm bread and bee’s wax tickled at Vivienne’s nose, a familiar scent by now. Letto ascended the stairs and passed through the threshold. Vivienne took a deep breath and followed suit.