Finchley rubbed her hands together nervously. "Aye... Where do I begin?
"Okay. So, you and I needed to go to Fornost, Miss Cat. We were told by... someone who knew that we needed to enter the fortress to find the last treasure of King Arvedui and look for somethin' called the Chalice Without Mercy. We were told that this Chalice would help you with the mark that you had on your wrist and me with the... other person livin' inside me. 'So, uh, off we went. But when we got to the fields outside the fortress, a sort of friend of mine came to warn us away. We all fell asleep. I was supposed to take watch but somehow I even fell asleep.” Finchley looked incredibly guilty about that.
Catalinna seemed to be following along while Finch spoke. "Ah, that boy... He never did know how to keep his mouth shut... always a tattletale."
Finchley paused when she heard what Cat said and went somewhat pale while Gwyndolith blinked a bit and stared at Cat "What do you mean that boy?"
Catalinna snapped her fingers as her gaze drifted upwards, "Oh, what was his name?... It was... hm... That sister of his was quite a sweet lass if I recall correctly "
Finchley frowned, 'Robin. That is the name I gave him.' Finchley looked distinctly uncomfortable and decided to continue. "When we woke, Miss Gwyn and Dar were gone. Lif thought maybe they left us? Or were taken. So we hurried to the fortress of Fornost and... that's where we found your sister. We thought she'd gone home to Angmar weeks before. But looks like she was taken captive instead. When the rest of us got to Fornost, somethin' happened. I dunno what; magic? We were taken back in time to just before the Battle of Fornost. We saw King Arvedui and his wife and his son."
Cat listened carefully, 'Hm...'
Finchley says, “Plans were bein' made for the escape of the King, Queen, and their son since the battle was to be lost... Except it wasn't goin' the way it should've. They were plannin' on goin' the ways that they were supposed to like what can be read in the history books and such. The King's mistress, Fayna, was tryin' to get the Queen and her son to go with King Arvedui up to Forochel to escape... And she had put some sort of curse on the King's son. History was bein' changed. But if that happened, then none of us might ever exist. Things could go horribly wrong. And we still needed to find the Chalice. So, Miss Cat, you went lookin' for it and I tried to convince the Queen to stand up for herself and not go with Fayna... And I sort of told Fayna to um... leave 'em alone. And she tried to light me on fire. I think.”
Catalinna quirked a brow. "She tried to set you on fire?"
Finchley nods. "Aye. It didn't really work. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's cause she was actually Aganalu and Aganalu was the other one inside me for all this time. Maybe it's cause she couldn't kill herself."
A voice called out from the other room, “But Lif took care of that, right? I heard her shout something whilst clashing with that... Lord of Fire... guy... thing...” Nethrida entered the main room and approached the others.
Cat grinned and perked up a bit, “Ah.. the cleanin' lady, wagon driver.. and.. hopefully ale fetcher?”
Nethrida blinked and looked at Cat "Wagon driver...?"
Gwyndolith snorted loudly at Cat’s words, but Finchley just facepalmed and tried to explain, “That's Neth. Er, I mean, Sir Nethrida, Knight-Bachelor...”
'Sir? She's a he? And this boy telling the story is actually a girl?' Catalinna's head tilts to the side as she looks Neth over. “This is just like that story…confusing.”
Nethrida shook her head “The title is used for Knights of both genders...'
Gwyndolith grinned a bit "Oooh... The soldier is a knight! How... Hm... Old timey."
Nethrida pinched the bridge of her nose "No... a Knight-bachelor... Not a full fledged Knight"
'So... you're more of a lad than a full sir, hm?' Catalinna grinned to show that she was just teasing
Nethrida deadpanned for a moment of awkward silence, but then ended up shrugging with a grin "I guess you could put it like that... I'm no squire but I suppose it's close enough. In times of need the Captain of the company of which I am a knight bachelor may demand my attention and strength of arm to defend our home.'
Cat was still thirsty…and not letting the point go. 'And... what if the need is for ale?'
Nethrida sighed, 'You could always ask nicely if I could bring you a pint..?'
Catalinna batted her eyelashes at Neth.
Nethrida deadpanned again at Cat and wanders off in search of ale, looking somewhat bewildered
Gwyndolith pinched the bridge of her nose and tried not to laugh "You know Cat... You could always get some for yourself... Not like this is the Pony where you aren't allowed to buy them any more..."
Finchley looked between everyone and thought it best to just continue the story. "... Aaaaanyway, so then um... After a bit, the Queen threatened to drink poison and kill herself to get Fayna to release her son. She pulled out a chalice and said the poison inside was without mercy. Miss Sable seemed to be driven by somethin'. Somethin' she was told? I think maybe her captors tortured her. She uh... killed you while you were tryin' to get the chalice."
Nethrida looked over her shoulder. She called out "Given the state we found poor Sable in there can be no doubt that she was tortured" as she begun to fill a mug.
Gwyndolith lost her look of amusement quickly and wandered over to Neth to get herself a drink. "How do you southern warriors fight..." she asks trying to escape the story and also strike up a conversation relevant to something she had been thinking about.
Nethrida had filled the tankard up with small beer, then grinned at Gwyn. "With discipline" she inclined her head. "Gondorian vigil has kept the evils of Mordor in check since the days of Elendil himself."
Gwyndolith snorted softly as she filled her own glass. "Ah yes... Plain and straight forward."
Nethrida frowned, “You and I have wildly different understanding of what discipline is... But of course it is easy for the uneducated to misunderstand.” She nodded sagely and strode past Gwyn to bring the mug of ale to Cat. “Here.”
Catalinna gladly accepted the tankard and reached up to pat Neth on the head for her service
Finchley looked at her lap as she continued. "I was distracted. You died and I couldn't save you. Lif yelled at me to get the chalice. But when I tried to reach it, the Prince picked it up instead... And then everything changed. We weren't there anymore. We were in some sort of throne room filled with bones and the Prince was sitting there laughing. We had failed. That much was clear. But I couldn't just... give up. So I climbed over those bones and went to talk to the boy. But he called himself the Lord of Regrets. Aganalu gave him that name. He didn't remember his own. I tried to help him remember. And it worked I think. He remembered who he was, the first chieftain of the Dunedain. Aranarth. But...' Finchley looked pained. "'Aganalu decided she didn't like that much and took over from there... I did fight her best I could." She hesitated, clearly not wanting to give the details of that fight. "But it weren't enough. Before I could take myself back, you had somehow come back to life? And she tried to kill you. Again."
Dartanius quietly listened to Finch as he was hearing about things from the other group for the first time.
Finchley swallowed hard, 'But I think Aranarth had said somethin' to Miss Sable that made her feel guilty or made her come to her senses. Aganalu tried to shoot you. Sable jumped in front of the arrow and died instead."'
Catalinna shook her head, whispering. "Nah.. it wasn't the boy."
Gwyndolith raised a brow and looked confused at Cat's statement "What do you mean?"
Catalinna didn’t answer, instead, she slowly looked around at the others and nodded. "Interestin'... You folk are quite the group, hm?"
Finchley nodded sadly. "I did win in the end. You helped. Or, maybe it wasn't you. Maybe it was Moyna. I saw both of you... We forced her out and Lif put an end to her. Regardless, in the end I wasn't quick enough. Sable died."
Catalinna nodded at Finch. "Everyone lives and dies, hm?"
Finchley sighed. "And Aganalu is gone. Or, at least I hope she is. And you lived, Miss Cat. But... I think, maybe when you remember everythin'... Just please promise me that you'll let me know how I can ever make it up to you."
Catalinna chuckled. "I could ask the world of you, lass, you should be careful with your offers." As she said that, the woman turned and looked pointedly at Gwyn.
Gwyndolith grimaced "That's not even the point...I had no choice." she said plainly.
Nethrida blinked a few times and looked at Gwyn "What...?"
Gwyndolith looked annoyed "I made a deal with a different version of this... Aganalu..."
Catalinna 's brow quirked, but her eyes don't seem to show any surprise. "Oh?"
Gwyndolith nodded, 'It was that or Dart and I die...'
As another awkward silence descended, Xandilif walked in from the back room, dragging a squirming, very hairy “hobbit” by one bat-like ear. The combination of injury and insult clearly became too much for the kobald who yankd away from Lif with a yelp, sat in the corner, and threw his gingham skirt over his head.
Gwyndolith turned her gaze to Lif and the hairy hobbit "So that /is/ your pet?"
Cat blinked a few times. “Is that that elf's child?... I know they say that kids are cute, but...I think that thing proves people a liar.”
Xandilif raised an eyebrow and spat. "Yeah...me and a troll named Blorp met on a very drunken night for both of us...I couldn’t sit for three months.”
Catalinna shrugged, grinning. "To each their own, hm?"
Gwyndolith looked awfully confused but decideds not to question it much.
Finchley stood and went to pick up Nik and to give him a tight squish and a snuggle. "Nik! You're okay, thank goodness..."
Nik peered out from under his skirt....and threw himself into Finchley's arms. "FINCHBUTT....THEY ARE THA MEANS'
Gwyndolith snorted. "Rich... Coming from the one who blamed US for the whole... Future fiasco..."
Catalinna almost spat out her drink as she laughed. "Finchbutt? Did I just hear that right?"
Xandilif ignored everyone and looked at Neth while gesturing at Cat. "So...regarding Red, lights are on but nobody is home still?
Gwyn responded, still staring daggers at Nik, "She's home... partially."
Nethrida thumbed over to Gwyn "She is correct... Someone is home..."
Xandilif nodded. “Well that is something..."Do we know who yet?”
'It's Cat... Mostly.' Gwyn looked unsure.
Xandilif nodded again as she picked through the remains of dinner. 'What's the other part?'
Gwyndolith looked unhappy, 'I think... She has memories from at least Moyna.'
Xandilif shrugged, and taking a piece of meat, threw it towards Nik, who caught it in his mouth over Finch’s shoulder, still crying. "Oh...THAT. Time can be...squishy. Like unbaked bread, or salamander brain...it can be shaped, parts can be pulled off and used to make new things...
Catalinna peered at the elf from over the rim of her mug as Gwyndolith blinked a little "If it weren't for what I experienced... I wouldn't believe that."
Finchley just petted Nik between the ears as he chewed and smoothed his fur down while the kobold continued to sob into her neck. Finchley grabbed her scarf where she had hung it and wraps it around him.
Nethrida waved her hands, to ignore Nik and get back to what Gwyn had said earlier. 'But I fail to understand how this deal would be of any consequence anymore? We... Lif... Destroyed Aganalu... Right?"'
Xandilif shrugged, 'Idiot here made a deal with a High Priestess of the Unsealed...worse, of the Tribute Infernus, A stupidly powerful Priestess...there is no way to know how that oath changed the weave.'
Gwyndolith deadpanned "I told you…..I had no choice."
Xandilif frowned, 'Choice or no, no way to tell what effect it will have...at the very least, Aganalu is not COMPLETELY gone.'
Catalinna quietly listened to Gwyn and Lif speak, but her expression was now blank and unreadable
Nethrida furrowed her brow. "I refuse to believe she is an immediate threat at this time. Whatever it is we did at Fornost -had- to have set whatever plans she had back... Considerably. I will admit I am not well versed in the fell magics of these guilds. But dying had to have been a setback... Even to them...'
Xandilif nodded, 'Oh they completely changed whatever plans they had…like when it rains on a day you were gonna go fishing....but death is sort of an inconvenience for these jackrabbits. I mean, Necromancers, right? Been there, done that. 'Dying was not so big a deal...that we got her brand off of Finch and Aganalu’s soul out of her...THAT was a big deal.'
“Oi! You weren't the one that died for that,” Cat interjected.
Gwyndolith said, 'Either way... I will know if that deal becomes relevant.'
Xandilif rolled her eyes, 'Cause Aganalu told you that you will? She tell you that you’d find true love and always smell like roses too? Important fact one...Necromantic Priestesses LIE.'
Gwyndolith glared at the elf. "You really are just a shite person..."
Nethrida blinked a few times and raised her eyebrow, still taking in what Lif had said. "The Brand on Finch is gone?" She sounded very relieved
Finchley stepped back over to the group, tying the scarf around her midsection to carry Nik like a baby. Nik looked down at his feet...."Where my boots? Yelpy Knife Ear, where my booties?” He prepared to start crying again.
Finchley soothed Nik. "We'll get you new shoes, Nik." She then looked to Neth and nodded. "Aye, the brand's gone."
Nethrida smiled broadly and gave Finch two thumbs up "Fantastic news".
Finchley nodded but didn’t look particularly happy. "Aye, I suppose it is." Then she carried Nik into the other room to look for his booties.
Nethrida sat down again, 'I'm... Sorry I must admit I'm not entirely sure what happened. Whatever happened with the Lord of Fire had me... Confused....'
Gwyndolith sighed again, 'I already explained it, Dart and I were transported to a future where Aganalu had taken over, if I hadn't have made the deal then we'd both be dead... Then again I'm sure the elf would have preferred that.'
Xandilif nodded to Neth. "Yeah...that was interesting....not sure what it meant though.” Then she looked back to Gwyn and shrugged. “Well, whatever effect the oath had, we ain’t likely to know for awhile so you may as well make yourself comfortable....'
Nethrida nodded with Lif. "Indeed. I think it's best not to pay it much heed at this time, other than to ensure it's not forgotten about"
Gwyndolith crossed her arms. "On that we agree."
Xandilif looked at Neth and pointed at Cat again. "She said anything yet about what happened on HER end yet? She was dead, then she wasn’t, and then she woke up talking like her grandmother....
Nethrida shook her head again "No... As long as I've been a part of this conversation we've gone over what happened from our point of view."
“STILL in the room…” Cat sighed long sufferingly
Xandilif looked at Cat. "So....what happened after you died?
Cat smiled, 'I woke up here.'
Xandilif said, “The name Moyna mean anything to you?”
Catalinna kept her gaze on the elf and nodded. "Of course... and all of you know her as well."
Xandilif looked at Neth. "She still got the mark on her wrist?
Nethrida tilted her head to the right. "That is an excellent question... Would you... Mind rolling your sleeves up, Cat?"
Catalinna grinned. "Tell ya what..." she downed the rest of her ale before continuing, "I'll show you my arm if you bring me another ale."
Xandilif muttered, 'Get Red another ale, Trouble'
Nethrida deadpanned but ended up nodding "Right..." and reached over to take the mug from Cat... And meandered off to go fill it up once more.
Catalinna grinned at Lif, "You might want to pay that one more.. she does a good job."
Xandilif nodded. "Yep, she is a good little worker.
Gwyndolith snorted softly.
Nethrida made her way back with the now filled up mug and holds it over to Cat "Here you go."
Catalinna accepted the mug, took a good pull from it, and then placed it down on the table so that she could roll up her sleeve- the symbol of 8 outward arrows would still be there and seemed to be even more prominent now- a brilliant gold instead of the pale gold that it had been.
Xandilif sat down, “OK...if we all know this Moyna...who is she to you, Red?'
She shrugs at the question. "A strand that is woven in the tapestry."
Xandilif slapped her forehead, 'Oh fecking hell...have we been talking to the old bat this whole time?'
Gwyndolith grimaced "Not entirely... But this... Why does Moyna have to ruin everything."
Cat looked offended, 'Oi... I ain't old... and I ain't no bat.'
Nethrida thought for a moment, 'I don’t think it's Moyna... Finch and Gwyn would've noticed for sure... Yes?'
Xandilif nodded, 'Gwyn maybe, Finch certainly...but that was not a Red answer....she sounds like a fecking Witch now. They always give those sort of answers. "All will be as it is meant to be while dancing on the head of a pin..."'
Gwyndolith agreed, 'Riddles... Every time... Perhaps I was wrong to think I got my sister back.'
Catalinna's eyes gleamed as the elf spoke. "Fine talk comin' from one that is also here by magic, hm?"
Xandilif stodd and backed up a step, 'OH fecking hell she is definitely a Witch now...'
TO BE CONTINUED
