6. Silvershield Estate

"Al, you're back!" The girl releases him, pulling a few strands of red hair from her face. Her eyes flick to his and Stella's hands and she breaks out in a knowing grin. "And with company!"

Grin still in place, she drops into a respectful curtsy to Stella. "I am Skie Silvershield, sister to Aldous. Most pleased to meet you!" Her eyes take in the whole party. "Al, who are all your friends?"

"Skie, you've cut your hair. I adore it! You look so much older than I remember, and it's only been a few months!" Aldous chuckles and spreads an arm towards the party. "I'll let them introduce themselves."

he cant know about my secret blend of herbs and spices

"Hello I am Dieter, Son of Tulfgar, Son of Tulfgyr. It’s a pleasure to meet you" Dieter says giving a respectful bow.

Knowing he was visiting the silver shield estate today he took special cleaning and polishing his armour and weapons, He also did his hair.

Aiwë thumps her chest once and bows with a smile. "Aiwë Blacksheaf, of the Cagebreaker tribe."

By the time they arrive at the manor, Stella finds herself a bit disoriented and dazed. Never in her entire life had she seen so many grand and varied sights in such a short amount of time.

"Where do we leave the horses?" Stella asks as the approach, sliding off her mount shortly before Aldous addresses the guards.

She blinks in surprise as how eagerly Aldous takes her hand and leads her onward. She looks back at Aiwë and blushes but can't help but smile at the same time.

"Oh, a reading lounge! That sounds lovely. Perhaps we could—" Her eyes widen as Skie charges out and throws herself at Aldous. She tries to steady him so the young woman doesn't topple him.

Stella giggles at Skie's enthusiasm, and blushes when she notices Aldous and her hands clasped. "A pleasure to meet you, Skie! Stella Melerelel of Kuldahar in the Icewind Dale" she says, eye-stars twinkling gold as she gives a curtsy in return. "And I must agree with Al, your hair is gorgeous!" Stella was glad to find out her accidental nickname was one with which he was already familiar.

A moment later, she stiffens and glances around at the estate and servants. She forces a pleasant smile back on, trying to keep her fears of assassins down. She still wanted to be cautious, but not bothersome about it. Then another fear comes to mind: was Aldous still planning to have her and Aiwë perform? She takes a deep breath, pretending to breath in the smell of the estate's landscaping and exhales slowly, trying to keep her eye-stars from shifting to blue.

Koveras clears his throat, and Skie freezes up a moment upon seeing the half-orc. It would seem she already knows who he is, is surprised to see him here, and isn't sure how to react. And he's aware of all of it.

Rather than dwell on the awkward silence, the two seem to prefer to just ignore each other.

Recovering quickly, Skie flashes the rest of the group a beaming smile, and takes Stella's free hand to give it a friendly squeeze. "You're all so impressive! I wish I could stay and get to know you better, but I'm afraid I'm already late for... erm... an appointment."

(Insight: Skie's face reddens slightly and her eyes sparkle. Whoever this 'appointment' is with, she's eager and excited, but either isn't ready or doesn't want to share any details.)

"I'll catch up with you later, Aldous. Good luck with Father!" She practically skips off towards the estate gate.

Aldous winces at the mention of their father, but watches his sister go fondly. "Oh she likes you, Stella! Good. Very good!"

He pauses. "She didn't mention the frog leg. Maybe she was just distracted? Ah well, I'm sure she'll tease me enough about it later."

The young noble gives Koveras an apologetic shrug. "We... haven't had much of a habit of speaking kindly of the Iron Throne in my family, I'm afraid. And that was without having learned of their part in the Iron Crisis. But fear not. Since our time in the bandits' camp you've become like a brother to me, and I'll make sure everyone here knows it, my sister included!"

Koveras' reply is a single, grateful nod and the hint of a smile.

The mansion's entryway isn't as lavish as the gardens outside, but everything from the coat hanger to the cabinetry is well-made and well-maintained. Some if it looks to be decades old.

Aldous catches sight of himself and Stella in a large mirror and gives her reflection a wink. "I know we're busy saving the Gate and all, but sometime we must attend a ball. A proper ballroom is the one thing my home lacks, but the one at the Ducal Palace is breathtaking..."

A servant approaches with a short bow. "Lord Aldous, it is good to see you returned in good health and good spirits. The Grand Duke is out at the moment, I'm afraid, but we've sent word to him of your homecoming. May the house staff be of service to your... guests?"

"It's good to see you too, Palo. My friends will be with us for a time, so if you make sure the guest rooms are made up? Thank you."

Aldous watches the servant leave, then turns to the party. "Make yourselves at home! We have several bathing rooms if you want to finally be rid of the mud and dirt. I think I still have Cloakwood webs stuck in places..." He grins. "Adventuring is good fun, but so is having a place to live with baths and beds and food..." His frog-leg grumbles hungrily. "Yes, food of all sorts."

Dieter immediately takes a bath and changes into his normal clothes which despite Dieters regular attire are indeed normal and in fact quite plain. They still have the crease lines from when he first packed them when he left Tulfgar’s.

"I was thinking the same thing!"
Stella beams back at him. "I've never been to a ball...but it sounds wonderous! I don't know how well the dances I learned back home would translate, so perhaps you could teach me the kinds they do here. Or vice versa!" She frowns and looks at his leg, eye-stars shifting teal. "I wonder how dancing with that would be...It's certainly going to draw attention, at the very least. How do you think your father will take it?" she asks looking up into his eyes.
"Oh, baths!" she says, closing her eyes as if the word itself were bliss. "Aiwë's prestidigitation is quite useful for staying clean, but I haven't had a proper, relaxing bath since I left home, unless you count the hot springs at Candlekeep." She opens her eyes again. "Yes, I think I know my next destination..."

Aldous shrugs. "Honestly, I'm not sure! He'll want to get to know you before he forms too many opinions. He tends to be reasonable like that. Of people besides me, at least."

The rooms are comfortable, the baths are warm, and the servants are courteous. When everyone's cleaned up, Aldous leads them to a dining room where a hearty meal is set. "Dig in, friends!"

Partway through the meal a servant approaches Aldous and whispers in his ear. Aldous wipes his mouth with a napkin, then stands. "My father's just arrived home, and I had best meet with him to report on my journey south. I'm sure he'll wish to meet you all at some point, but he's business first as usual." He sighs resignedly. "It may be a while. If I'm not back before you leave for the Seven Suns, carry on without me and I'll see you again on your return."

With no other interruptions, the party finishes their food and then prepares for their investigation of the trading coster. When it comes time to leave, Aldous hasn't returned from speaking with Duke Entar.

As the party readies to head back out into the city, Koveras clears his throat. "Despite Scar's assurances that our group won't be recognized, I'm sure my accompanying you on this task would draw notice. I plan to stay in my room here and draft some letters to what contacts and friends remain to me. I want to know what Rieltar's been up to."

Dieter eats like he fights, grace and technique paired with savage brutality. Each dish falls before him, it’s every aspect dissected and relished but ultimately demolished and consumed. His still growing body demands nutrients as his sword demands blood. Even the wake of his distruction is beautiful. The plates and bowls are stacked to allow swift and clean retrieval while his chair and cup allow for swift reinforcement.

She rolls her eyes. "Not about me, I mean about your leg!"
"That seems decidedly unreasonable," she remarks. "But I guess we'll find out soon enough."
...
Stella thoroughly enjoys her bath and arrives at dinner in her usual blue blouse and long skirt, but without the leather armor. Her clothes are wrinkle-free and hair is pinned up in a neat bun instead of her usual ponytail.

"Good luck!" Stella mouths to Aldous when he leaves to report to his father.

When he doesn't return, she draws her lips to a line nervous for him, but prepares herself in her armor, belt, satchel and other gear and leaves with the rest of the party.

during Dieter’s downtime at the estate he spends his time bonding with his two dogs. The larger of the two he focuses on obedience and it’s protective instincts. He wants it to recognize their horses and to keep the predators away from them when the party has to leave them out of sight when out on missions.

With his blink dog puppy Dieter starts with forming a relationship with trust. The dog seems confused and scared with a loss of identity or family. Once he can recall the dog on command he starts to poke deeper into its arcane ability. He tries to associate a command when it blinks then see if he can then use it to trigger a blink. Long term Dieter hopes that he can even determine the location.

Dieter of course is quite inexperienced with animals aside from horses and driving carts but he knows how to get the best out of soldiers. While he never expects or plans to get any real work out of the blink dog but he feels a connection to it and wants it to learn its true identity.

Dieter himself is now mixed, both mundane and magic. This place put new life in his body, his every act a testament of the power Lythander wields and his strange indifference to Dieter. His acolytes surround him and support him but the god or whatever he is refuses to commune with him. Maybe it is actually Dieter that is abstaining. All that Dieter knows is that though it is Lythander’s breath in his lungs, it is his and his ancestor’s blood that is spilled in service to these lands.

What is dead may never die.

a new dawn comes to the gate, Dieter finds himself waking to meet it in one of the larger trees on the Estate. He is wearing a set of scuffed canvas pants with a loose undyed linen shirt. He felt light as a feather without his arms and armour. He couldn’t sleep and had found himself wandering towards the garden. The stillness and security of the Estate was unnerving, he couldn’t relax.

Watching the sunset He tried to think of home. He thought about his sister and mother. He tried to think about his father but his image was mixed and blurred with Tulfgar’s. Dieter could feel Tulfgyr’s blood reach out to him from Lythander’s side just as his Ancestor’s blood guided him from the life after. Tulfgyr’s touch is soft and loving but burns hot with dwarven pride and anger at times.

Dieter takes a deep breath " I fear I’ve been dead for a long long time now, this Revenant in my frame is not the Dieter that left Beregost."

Dieter cries quietly mourning the loss of himself. How was he supposed to go home now. Could he even go home? He finds himself wondering if he would be able to come back.

Dieter climbs down the tree and walks back to his room.

He wanted to be the hero his younger self dreamed of he just didn’t know if his younger self would see him as that hero.