Vedette Niveue-Uthral (in_the_service) wrote in caeleste, @ 2010-12-12 16:35:00 |
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Entry tags: | onainat sjorl, ulbarich, vedette uthral |
vicissitude (onainat, ulbarich)
The Otter and Fowl wasn't very far from the castle, but far enough away for her liking. She went there because he suggested it and because she hoped at least if he knew where they were that he might come to find them. But the hope was small because of how Ithacles had reacted, and even more so because of how she had reacted herself. The main of the inn was a Tavern, like most inns in the capitol it had too warm insides. Wood and stone keeping the heat of fireplaces inside the walls as much as they could. It was cold enough at night that you could set out water and it would be ice in the morning. Solid ice. It was those nights that Vedette enjoyed the best. But here she had Onainat to think of to a warm inn with many great big fires was the best idea. Ulbarich was still silent as he accompanied them. She wondered why he was so silent. Why he was taking them, and what exactly had happened in her absence.
There were likely too many things to say and not enough time to say them.
Vedette and Onainat stashed their packs and everything they were carrying that wasn't needed on their person in the room given to them, but not before Vedette had gone to retrieve Red from the stables she'd left him in to move him to the stables of the Otter and Fowl. She would not leave the horse far behind. He'd been fed a plum and left again in the stable. Ulbarich waited patiently downstairs before all of them went right into the inn's main attraction. A long wooden bar was along the bar wall, behind it bottles of various glasses and sizes, wooden barrels filled with a great many different things. The smell hit them full in the face when they stood looking. Hot stews and even better meals awaited the tired and hungry people who came here.
One look around the room and Vedette had a count of how many of them were currently in uniform. No telling how many were without it. It didn't matter. If she was seen and she was questioned, or worse she thought if Ithacles thought she'd deserted him, then she was seen and questioned. But Ulbarich was there, silent as he'd been the entire time. The man had a way about him, a look about him, that made men quiet down. At least, he had when she'd known him. His men had been loyal and well treated. He was not stuffy like other captains but as brave as ten of them bound together. A very good quality in a human. It was something Ithacles had in spades and why Vedette enjoyed his company so much. Nothing had ever stopped the Prince in his tracks. Not a dragon, not a phoenix, and certainly not an ogre. But Ulbarich would probably have been the same, she thought. That didn't make her eager to tell anyone else what she was.
He led them to a table and they sat down in the sort of muted silence that they'd been in since leaving the castle. Onainat seemed a little more cheerful being out of the castle. She was sure it was the promise of food and drinks, and probably enough of both to make up for the lack of much during their journey here. Vedette didn't mind the cold, or being hungry, but Onaiant was used to being warm and fed. It was no surprise that the drinks started coming the moment the woman smiled over her shoulder and turned her lashes down at a table not far from them that was full of men. Vedette didn't seem interested, she was looking at everything but other people and especially not her companions.
The question of where to go from here hung heavily in her mind. Where else did she have to go? The world was wide open, but it seemed terribly closed now. It was easier in her youth to roam it freely, without a care about what she would find on the road. Now that she was an adult she wanted to settle more than ever. It wasn't that wandering wasn't fun, it could be, but that she liked having a home to return to. People to return to. Someone who knew her better than the others ever had. Koe had known her, but there was so little they'd spoke about that wasn't revolving around them together. Whereas she'd told Ithacles a lot more, and he knew her more.. She couldn't measure them fairly. Koe had known enough about her to make her happy all of the time. Ithacles knew enough about her to keep her grounded. The differences were great, but there was no way to measure one or the other. And it didn't matter now did it?
Koe was dead. Ithacles hated her.
She finally looked up to Ulbarich, who already had a tankard of ale in front of him while Onainat had quite a choice of drink in front of her. A little of this, and a little of that. Someone had put a drink in front of her. The glass was frosted and the drink a warm dark brown.
"I apologize for making your evening difficult, Captain Ulbarich. I should not be keeping you from your duty. I apologize for not thanking you earlier but I was.. preoccupied with my thoughts. Thank you for escorting us here. I don't want to get you in trouble with Ithacles, he's quite.." She didn't need to say it.
He probably already knew.