Scene 3 - The Ardeyn Run

"While my search for mother is dear to my heart, we need to stop the criminals from attempting to destroy Ardeyn. Come, ride with me!"

The queen, astride her talbuk, does not wait. Her royal peacemakers scramble to mount their own talbuks and ride after her. The coachman snaps his reins and the carriage begins to creep forward toward you, slow enough that even Vinny can climb on board. Once you are loaded, the carriage picks up speed and races after the queen and her guards.

After a brief sprint, the group slows down to allow the carriage to keep a hard but manageable pace. You ride back to the highway, such that it is, and continue west toward the mountains. The smooth highway (not asphalt smooth, but way better than forest floor) makes the carriage's journey both swifter and more comfortable.

...

As the sun lowers in the sky, the Queen leads you ahead and you find another small town. Here, strange guards ride up, pulling their kit on as if caught unaware, and challenge your party.

"Ho, riders, approach slowly and identify yourself," the lead one speaks as if repeating rote. By his nervousness, you can tell he suspects much.

Huval rides ahead and drops down, approaching on foot with his talbuk left unattended. They speak intensely if briefly, and one of the guards runs off.

Huval returns saying to the Queen. "We're staying in the Baron's manor. We will no doubt be invited to dine with him." They both roll their eyes.

Domic informs you in a quiet manner, "The Baron Nomis is not a supporter of the Queen. We are on the very edge of the Queendom, and his loyalty is... mercurial." Domic smiles. "He is also a notorious letch and 'admirer' of the Queen's, erm, attributes."

"Oh good, another шовинист. I can take it from Vinny, I have grown to his passes" She motions 'so-so' with her hand. "Most time." Grabbing her lance. "Give me word, Queeny and I'll rrun him through. Hell, I run him through anyway maybe." She hold herself in the cart, mostly.

Admit it... you love me. Vinny winks at Katyushka, Did I hear something about food?

"You wish Jersey." A slight smirk crosses her face.

Micah steps down from the carriage to stretch his arms, then leans down to touch his toes, letting his legs and back stretch out. "Too much time sitting down!" he grumbles loudly, and good-naturedly.

He looks over at Huval, scratching behind his ear and squinting against the glare of the setting sun, and asks, "Do we think this Baron is harboring the device? Or in league with them, somehow?"

Huval seems to appreciate Katyushka's unexpected loyalty to his queen.

He answers Micah, saying, "Perhaps, but we stopped here for the respite and fresh talbuks. If you're free to part ways with the carriage, we can outfit you with faster talbuks tomorrow." He looks at Vinny, uncertain. "Maybe a racing cart for Rocky."

The carriage and the talbuks are stabled in the barons, erm, stables, and you are escorted to guest quarters. While not fancy, you do find a place to wash up and attend to some of your more human needs before a late second dinner with the Baron. (His second, your first.)

When the time comes, a servant collects your group and leads you to the dining hall. A rotating fire slowly spins in a hearth at one end of a long dining table of dark wood, behind the fattest and quite possibly best dressed man you've seen in Ardeyn. Gold and silver tableware are laid out feast style.

The lovely Queen is sitting at the opposite end, and Domic in the middle of one side, Huval between her and him, the other guard to his other side. You see settings laid out opposite Domic in a number equaling yours.

"Come, outworlders, sit, houseboy will fetch you drinks." The servant turns at the baron's words to face you, awaiting your requests.

Micah sits gingerly, trying to fit in with the nobles, in bearing at least. He orders whatever they have that's clear and alcoholic before sitting patiently with his hands in his lap.

Duke requests water and bows slightly at the waist at the host before taking a sit.

Slouching more than is probably acceptable, Katyu smiles and lets out a sigh of enjoyment. "Now, this I can get use to" She looks to the servant. "Vodka."

Sensing his guests uncomfortableness, the Baron sits quietly, eating a truly admirable quantity of food, with an efficiency and grace that seem to be entirely at odds.

The queen picks delicately at her food, clearly sitting uncomfortably, with sore muscles from days in the saddle.

Attempts at conversation, other than occasional requests from Katyushka for distilled alcohol, seem destined to failure.

Later, you adjourn to a sitting room, where the Baron's house servants continue to serve you, but the Baron begs the queen's leave and disappears.

After making plans for the morning, you do that night time thingy (the servants offer to overnight-wash any clothes you wish), and wake up with the dawn and the awakening of the castle.

Breakfast is served saddle-side, as the Queen is anxious to get back on the road.

As promised, you say goodbye to your carriage and find yourselves astride peacemaker talbuks when your group leaves the town.

Micah takes advantage of the clothes washing service and is out the next morning, wearing the minimal covering his garb provides. He stretches his arms out to his sides, working out the tight muscles left by unfamiliar bedding.

"Ok, new day. I'm ready to get back on the road. Not that I'm looking forward to it. Especially on horse-back. Talbuk-back?" He shakes his head, "I've never gotten along with these kinds of animals. When I was shooting..." he falls into a long-winded story about how a particularly nasty horse bit him and tossed him in the dirt while he was filming a movie in his early teen years.

Katyu has her clothes washed, armor and all, while she enjoys the once-in-a-lifetime service she is getting her. Getting up in the morning and gathering her clothes she joins whomever is downstairs. "This is great. Why we cannot just stay here. Do we need to find this...Strange thing?"

Micah looks over at Katyu and says, "Yes, we do need to find it. Unless you do want to stay here forever..."

The next two days are spent in saddle. The talbuks are high spirited, twitchy creatures, but practically flow across the land when at speed. You travel further down the Path of the Dead highway, passing travelers every now and then, many of whom barely have time to gawk at your strange coterie before you've passed them by.

You understand that you are no longer in the Queendom, and the fierce monarch with you may be in some danger because of that, but she shows no sign of caring either way. Two days later, the Nammu Mountains loom large before you. You have left the Path in order to cross country, and you are resting the weary talbuks after a difficult river crossing. Huval and Domic are arguing while the Queen has climbed a tree to get a better view of the terrain before you. The sun sinks low in the afternoon sky, and you nibble your dense trail food as your mounts graze on lush green grass and nip delicately at sapling willow bark.

"It's madness. Crossing country is one thing, but to enter the Mountains with naught but a handful, and untested strangers to boot? They'll have your hide, Huval. Recruits will tell stories of you as the worst Royal Peacemaker ever!" Domic sharpens the blade of his weapon dramatically as if to further his point.

Huval leans against the tree the Queen has climbed. He looks up, but she is lost to sight in the foliage. "It isn't ideal, I'll grant you that."

Domic snorts, and turns to you. "Why don't you talk sense into him."

"Regardless of the obstacle we have an objective, Queen and her cadre just add to the people that can grab your hide out of the fire... you're still our charge as long as you cooperate. Besides don't you know fortune favors the bold? I'm surprised you of all people didn't want to get in her good graces..."