One of Zekagh's goblin guards heard Palatina's roaring, and listened in.
Hearing that one of the dragonesses was in a bad way, he ran quickly to Zekagh's private study.
"Sir! One'a dose lady dragons is dyin, and de other's puttin' up a racket! Y'need ta come quick!" the goblin stammered.
"What?" Zekagh replied. The goblin repeated himself a bit slower, and Zekagh rose from his seat.
"Very well. I will go see what the problem is. You. Get another guard and come with me." he snarled. "Send someone to get my healing kit again."
The Drow and the goblin made their way back to Palatina's screaming. As he entered, Zekagh shouted, "Silence, Dragoness!"
"I am here to find out what is wrong with the Fae, cease your shrieking!"
He stalked to the small cage, unlocked it, and removed Serylda's wheezing form.
He put a small cushion on the ground, placed Serylda gently on it, and examined her.
"You! Greenskin! Name and rank!" he growled.
"Crixzix, chamber guard, Sir!"
"I need airwort and some of my dried dwarf truffles. NOW!" Zekagh ordered, shouting when the goblin hesitated.
Soon enough, Crixzix was back with the required herbs.
Zekagh was fiercely aware of Palatina growling softly behind him.
As the elf administered the airwort, which almost immediately improved Serylda's breathing, he asked, "Lexya. What happened here?"
"Ssshe wasss given maggotsss to eat. Ssshe isss allergic, from what thisss looksss like, Sssir." Lexya replied.
Serylda, hearing this, was glad that the Imperial had lied, sort of. But, the best lies were half-truths.
Zekagh fed Serylda the dried mushrooms.
As soon as they hit her stomach, she began to vomit. Pieces of mushroom and maggot covered the floor, the cushion, and Zekagh's lap.
"Crixzix. Go prepare a bath for the little dragon, and get my servant to get me a change of pants." Zekagh ordered.
The goblin took off, and Zekagh left with Serylda cradled in the crook of his arm.
Serylda hazarded a wink at Palatina; she wasn't in danger anymore.
Rhys checked Marya and Zamoro over, picked the maggots out of Zamoro's food, which luckily had quite a lot of the earthworms in it, and settled back down.
He ate the token couple of eels to satisfy Sakuya, but offered the rest to Dalecar, Heliessa and Volarian.
"You should eat these, but if you really don't want them, I won't let them waste." Heliessa said, accepting some of the eels.
"Neither will I." Volarian followed, taking the largest, fattest one he could see.
"Rhys! You eat those eels!" Sakuya growled.
"My appetite is gone, My Lady, and I'm sure the good healer will tell you that I'll do more harm than good retching again. Please, Sakuya, let it be for today. I'd like to go back to sleep." Rhys replied, as respectfully as he could.
Marya sat with Zamoro, singing, as she'd finished her "dinner". It was one of the songs Silvona would use to sing them to sleep, her favorite.
Ú i vethed nâ i onnad.
Si boe ú-dhanna.
Ae ú-esteli, esteliach nad.
Estelio han, estelio han, estelio,
estelio han, estelio veleth.
Esteliach nad, estelio han.
It was the only Elvish Marya knew, the one lullaby.
"Marya." Rhys said. "Was that Evenstar?"
Marya blinked sleepily.
"Mhmm. It was." she said.
"Sing it again, please." Rhys continued. "You've always been the best singer."
"Okay."
Ú i vethed nâ i onnad.
Si boe ú-dhanna.
Ae ú-esteli, esteliach nad.
Estelio han, estelio han, estelio,
estelio han, estelio veleth.
Esteliach nad, estelio han.
The young Tundra's breathy soprano rang in the cavern again, warming it like her fur warmed Zamoro.
"That's beautiful, Marya." Sakuya said, laying her head on her front claws and attempting to sleep as well.
"Me and mine are as you see us, Ser." Val said, bowing politely to the inkeep before slinging her arms over Persephone and Kharahm's withers.
He scribbled in the book, handed her a key, informed her that their suite was immediately next to Malu's, and bid them a good day.
Silvona followed the others to the larger room containing Canari and the rest of Benioti's family.
"Malu, I'll be over in just a minute. I need to take one last look at my supplies before I tell everyone my idea. I'll rap three times on the wall when we're coming back over." Valravn said, opening the door to her chambers and going in.
She dropped the sack on the bed gently and opened it.
There was a note alongside the bottles, three of a roiling purple fluid and two of a clear bubbling liquid.
A'maelamin, I know your plan. I don't approve of it, but I will admit that if it works, I'll be very amused to see your hair with the dye.
Know though, that if you do not return to me safely, we will soon see what I look like painted red.
Again, I wish I could accompany you and your band, but my military obligations prevent it. All I can do is have faith and pray that the Flamecaller will give you strength, the Lightweaver bring you her hope, and the Plaguebringer call back those miserable kidnappers to the roiling pit of the Wyrmwound.
Gi melin, Silvy.
Dagorain
Tears barely glinted in the elf woman's eyes as she read the missive.
"Sil? Silvona, what's wrong?! Did that human write something to hurt you? Let me see it!" Merlin griped from her shoulder, snatching the note and skimming it quickly.
"This isn't rude or mean...Sil, why are you crying?" he asked.
Persephone picked Merlin up by the scruff of his tunic and deposited the Fae on the bed.
"Merlin, she isn't sad. Silvona misses her mate. You know she doesn't see him as often as either of them would like. She is teary-eyed because she misses him." Persephone said.
She turned to Val.
"Tell me I am wrong, and I will buy you dinner, Elf." she said.
Val smiled.
"No, Sephie. You're right. I do miss him. If we had time...No. I can't let myself think like that. We don't have time on our side. I think it's time to let everyone in on my plan. Let's go see Malu and the rest." the elf replied.
She gathered her supplies, the dyes and her new outfit, and prepared to move her entourage to the human's room.
But first...
"I hope you're all ready for something crazy. Because this rates very high on whatever scale you gentlebeings use to measure crazy." Val said, stripping out of her armor.
"Just what are you doing?!" Persephone exclaimed.
Putting on the pieces of the silken outfit she'd bought, Val replied, "Just playing a bit of dress-up."
The elf and her dragons took the small trip barely own the hallway to Malu's door.
Val knocked three times, knowing that the human would know it was her, and stood uncomfortably covering her bared stomach. The crimson silks were just thick enough to shield her more private bits from prying eyes, but after that, they were flimsy, gauzy and very transparent.
"Val, you..." Marlin began.
"I'll be more comfortable when I'm in full costume, Merlin." she replied. "Trust me."
They waited for the door to open.
Hearing that one of the dragonesses was in a bad way, he ran quickly to Zekagh's private study.
"Sir! One'a dose lady dragons is dyin, and de other's puttin' up a racket! Y'need ta come quick!" the goblin stammered.
"What?" Zekagh replied. The goblin repeated himself a bit slower, and Zekagh rose from his seat.
"Very well. I will go see what the problem is. You. Get another guard and come with me." he snarled. "Send someone to get my healing kit again."
The Drow and the goblin made their way back to Palatina's screaming. As he entered, Zekagh shouted, "Silence, Dragoness!"
"I am here to find out what is wrong with the Fae, cease your shrieking!"
He stalked to the small cage, unlocked it, and removed Serylda's wheezing form.
He put a small cushion on the ground, placed Serylda gently on it, and examined her.
"You! Greenskin! Name and rank!" he growled.
"Crixzix, chamber guard, Sir!"
"I need airwort and some of my dried dwarf truffles. NOW!" Zekagh ordered, shouting when the goblin hesitated.
Soon enough, Crixzix was back with the required herbs.
Zekagh was fiercely aware of Palatina growling softly behind him.
As the elf administered the airwort, which almost immediately improved Serylda's breathing, he asked, "Lexya. What happened here?"
"Ssshe wasss given maggotsss to eat. Ssshe isss allergic, from what thisss looksss like, Sssir." Lexya replied.
Serylda, hearing this, was glad that the Imperial had lied, sort of. But, the best lies were half-truths.
Zekagh fed Serylda the dried mushrooms.
As soon as they hit her stomach, she began to vomit. Pieces of mushroom and maggot covered the floor, the cushion, and Zekagh's lap.
"Crixzix. Go prepare a bath for the little dragon, and get my servant to get me a change of pants." Zekagh ordered.
The goblin took off, and Zekagh left with Serylda cradled in the crook of his arm.
Serylda hazarded a wink at Palatina; she wasn't in danger anymore.
Rhys checked Marya and Zamoro over, picked the maggots out of Zamoro's food, which luckily had quite a lot of the earthworms in it, and settled back down.
He ate the token couple of eels to satisfy Sakuya, but offered the rest to Dalecar, Heliessa and Volarian.
"You should eat these, but if you really don't want them, I won't let them waste." Heliessa said, accepting some of the eels.
"Neither will I." Volarian followed, taking the largest, fattest one he could see.
"Rhys! You eat those eels!" Sakuya growled.
"My appetite is gone, My Lady, and I'm sure the good healer will tell you that I'll do more harm than good retching again. Please, Sakuya, let it be for today. I'd like to go back to sleep." Rhys replied, as respectfully as he could.
Marya sat with Zamoro, singing, as she'd finished her "dinner". It was one of the songs Silvona would use to sing them to sleep, her favorite.
Ú i vethed nâ i onnad.
Si boe ú-dhanna.
Ae ú-esteli, esteliach nad.
Estelio han, estelio han, estelio,
estelio han, estelio veleth.
Esteliach nad, estelio han.
It was the only Elvish Marya knew, the one lullaby.
"Marya." Rhys said. "Was that Evenstar?"
Marya blinked sleepily.
"Mhmm. It was." she said.
"Sing it again, please." Rhys continued. "You've always been the best singer."
"Okay."
Ú i vethed nâ i onnad.
Si boe ú-dhanna.
Ae ú-esteli, esteliach nad.
Estelio han, estelio han, estelio,
estelio han, estelio veleth.
Esteliach nad, estelio han.
The young Tundra's breathy soprano rang in the cavern again, warming it like her fur warmed Zamoro.
"That's beautiful, Marya." Sakuya said, laying her head on her front claws and attempting to sleep as well.
"Me and mine are as you see us, Ser." Val said, bowing politely to the inkeep before slinging her arms over Persephone and Kharahm's withers.
He scribbled in the book, handed her a key, informed her that their suite was immediately next to Malu's, and bid them a good day.
Silvona followed the others to the larger room containing Canari and the rest of Benioti's family.
"Malu, I'll be over in just a minute. I need to take one last look at my supplies before I tell everyone my idea. I'll rap three times on the wall when we're coming back over." Valravn said, opening the door to her chambers and going in.
She dropped the sack on the bed gently and opened it.
There was a note alongside the bottles, three of a roiling purple fluid and two of a clear bubbling liquid.
A'maelamin, I know your plan. I don't approve of it, but I will admit that if it works, I'll be very amused to see your hair with the dye.
Know though, that if you do not return to me safely, we will soon see what I look like painted red.
Again, I wish I could accompany you and your band, but my military obligations prevent it. All I can do is have faith and pray that the Flamecaller will give you strength, the Lightweaver bring you her hope, and the Plaguebringer call back those miserable kidnappers to the roiling pit of the Wyrmwound.
Gi melin, Silvy.
Dagorain
Tears barely glinted in the elf woman's eyes as she read the missive.
"Sil? Silvona, what's wrong?! Did that human write something to hurt you? Let me see it!" Merlin griped from her shoulder, snatching the note and skimming it quickly.
"This isn't rude or mean...Sil, why are you crying?" he asked.
Persephone picked Merlin up by the scruff of his tunic and deposited the Fae on the bed.
"Merlin, she isn't sad. Silvona misses her mate. You know she doesn't see him as often as either of them would like. She is teary-eyed because she misses him." Persephone said.
She turned to Val.
"Tell me I am wrong, and I will buy you dinner, Elf." she said.
Val smiled.
"No, Sephie. You're right. I do miss him. If we had time...No. I can't let myself think like that. We don't have time on our side. I think it's time to let everyone in on my plan. Let's go see Malu and the rest." the elf replied.
She gathered her supplies, the dyes and her new outfit, and prepared to move her entourage to the human's room.
But first...
"I hope you're all ready for something crazy. Because this rates very high on whatever scale you gentlebeings use to measure crazy." Val said, stripping out of her armor.
"Just what are you doing?!" Persephone exclaimed.
Putting on the pieces of the silken outfit she'd bought, Val replied, "Just playing a bit of dress-up."
The elf and her dragons took the small trip barely own the hallway to Malu's door.
Val knocked three times, knowing that the human would know it was her, and stood uncomfortably covering her bared stomach. The crimson silks were just thick enough to shield her more private bits from prying eyes, but after that, they were flimsy, gauzy and very transparent.
"Val, you..." Marlin began.
"I'll be more comfortable when I'm in full costume, Merlin." she replied. "Trust me."
They waited for the door to open.
"Beware; for I am Fearless, and therefore powerful."
-Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
-Mary Shelley, Frankenstein