COVENANT

[Excession]

Fera & Hannus Augusta & Margot Fayola

• 
  It's a chilly day, for Spring. The skies are clear blue for miles, the fields and plains rolling like waves in the wind; a whispered chorus bowing and rising.
  
  Hannus has come from the northwest, crossing the plains without approaching the roads. But food is running out, and ahead there's a small village. Tiny, even. You're not quite sure who owns these lands, but the lack of any walls implies either excellent patrols or an absentee lord.
  
  Meanwhile, Fera is out to milk her goat. It's hard to miss the figure on the horizon, cresting a distant hill.
  Your dove coos pointedly and flies in the direction of the stranger.
  
• 
  Margot is following a scent. Unfamiliar, unusual, dangerous.
  
  It's a bright and brittle morning, though far in the east rainclouds gather like a vast castle in the sky.
  
  A ruined tower looms from a hilltop nearby - maybe half a league from the village, barely visible on clear days. Someone is in there.
  
  Augusta has set up camp in a ruined tower. A very old ruin, it seems - she's never seen stonework like this elsewhere. But the floor is dry, there are walls enough to keep the wind off, and the view of the surrounding terrain is formidable.
  
  Your spider companion is spinning a map on one wall.
  
• 
  The threads sing in perfect harmony. Your task is done, for now; they approach the gate and you will be waiting.
  
  An old farrier's shack serves as your shelter for now, but you have been promised a revelation at a barrow just north of here. When all five of you are present, a vision will come.
  Now it's simply a matter of walking the rest of the way.
  

 

[Hair]

Augusta
The Ruined Tower

Augusta awakes, shuddering, in dawn's cold light. Her fire had gone out again, even after two months in the wild the fire extinguished itself more nights than it stayed alight. She flexes her left hand, ensuring the spider silk cords running across the entrances remain unbroken.
She glances up at the wall, where her companion is working furiously. "I felt someone plucking my strings overnight. Not just mine, it seems."

She gets up, stretches, and moves to her pack to get breakfast. She fishes half a bread roll and a small piece of aging cheese from the corner of the satchel. "Hmm, we're about out. I'll need to make a trip into the village tonight, I think." She casts another glance at the spider's workings before tucking into her meager breakfast.

 

[PixelWitch]

Fera

Hilda, her nanny goat, was grumpier than usual. Not that anyone but herself would notice.
She was the kind of mouldy old creature whose stare could wither plantlife and could unleash fumes so toxic the town guard would fear a corpse lay nearby. Crumbling horns that could scrape paint off walls, gnarled hooves that could pulp errand toes and long thin teeth that raked along fingers when anyone had the audaciousness to put them too close without offering food.
She was almost better than a guard dog, if the geese didn't see to any intruders first.
Not even the town clergy messed with the bloody geese. They'd sooner take Hilda's signature horn-to-crotch left hook than deal with those hissing devils.
Speaking of birds, her little grey dove stirred from under her hood, warbling excitedly in her ear, only to flutter away in a cacophony of feathers to the new arrival. Fera stiffened. And not from the cold seeping into her backside from sitting on the cold stool. Hilda grunts unsympathetically as her companion creaked to her feet, nervously making their way out of the pen.

She offers a very hesitant wave, staying silent to not attract the attention of anyone in the village.

 

[FuzzMonster]

Margot

Margot pulls her shawl tighter around her shoulders, and thinks for just a moment.

Is this the kind of thing the Hunter wants?

She slips from bush to boulder to wrinkle in the landscape, adjusting to her new senses. If anyone should ask, why, she's gathering! Her pouch has briskel, horsepass, and red wrinkle. It also has aconite, shhhh.

Thus, Margot slips right up to the rough gravel of the trail leading to the ruined doors of the old fort. She listens, sniffs, waits.

 

[Custodiet Teh]

Hannus

There was a chill in the air, Hannus could recognize it though she didn't feel it. Days like this, specifically day, she just felt the presence of Him on her. Shoulders and back warmed to the touch. The only reason she wore her cloak and hat to hide her face from anyone who might be familiar with the politics of her House.

As the days began growing longer and the weather warmer, worry slowly began slipping away. The more distance she put between Ymon the better. What was bothering her now though was the absence of any direction. He was just present but He hadn't given her any demands or requests. He'd taken her hand and given her freedom but when would He issue his demands.

Cresting the hill, Hannus let her weary eyes fall on what could have loosely been defined as a farm. Part of her believed it most likely not even worth the land it was on, it needed serious work. Something she wasn't willing to stop and do during her travels, maybe after she uncovered what was happening. For now though she simply had to press on.

A few moments latter, Hannus took note of the small village beyond the farm and a figure raising a hand toward her. Returning the gesture Hannus eventually made her way up to the worn gate.

Tapping the wooden gate with her walking stick, Hannus cleared her throat. "Excuse me...what Village is this?"

@PixelWitch

 

[PixelWitch]

Fera

She blinks, taken aback by the rather forward question, "Uhm..." she begins, and realizes that her throat is cracking. She hasn't spoken in days and never realized it, "This... this is Osshoven. Just shy of Gatewood and the Frontier to the East,"

Her dove coos excitedly, returning to her shoulder and nestling in her hair, picking through it like nesting material. Flushing, she continues, "You... won't find much here, unless you're wanting to talk to Father Rowan, head of the Church, or his ... um, assistant Ulric, who keeps his notes?"

She looks her new visitor up and down, "Unless a drink and rest would be preferable? ... I don't have much else to offer I afraid,"

@Custodiet Teh

 

[Excession]

Augusta & Margot

The spider's map is especially dense around a point somewhere east of here, the threads there shimmering like true silver.

Meanwhile, Margot smells smoke - the remnants of a campfire. Someone chewing on a disappointing breakfast.

 

[Custodiet Teh]

Hannus


"Unless a drink and rest would be preferable? ... I don't have much else to offer I afraid,"

Hannus looked over toward the little hamlet before answering. Osshoven, another one of the many villages she'd never have expected to visited. They were all over this area, scattered around the edge of the Frontier. If she was this close to the Frontier already, she must have been spat out of the woods a considerable distance to where she'd entered them. A strange sense of fatigue caused Hannus to lean heavily on her walking stick before staring straight back at the waif and her hovel.

"I shan't say no to the offer to rest my feet. I thank you for your hospitality" Fiddling with the latch of the gate, Hannus attempts to let herself in to be led inside.

 

[PixelWitch]

Fera

She attempted a smile, and led the way back to her abode, bypassing Hilda, who simply followed them churlishly with her gaze, before returning to silently gnawing on her breakfast.
The house was as simple as they came. White washed wattle and daub between the beams of a dark timber frame and a thick, thatched roof. A small stone chimney on one end, and small windows covered in slatted shutters.
Inside was just as simple.
A flat stone floor, featureless but clean at least. A wooden cot bed, with a mattress of straw stood against the far wall behind a small table and two chairs, a dowry chest at it's feet. A single wooden closet for clothes and pantry and a few pots and pans sitting next to the hearth, which held a small fire, crinkling softly against the silence inside.

It's only when the door opens enough for light to be thrown into the interior that it becomes apparent that there is another person in here. A man, a very elderly, wizened individual, underfed and currently sleeping, sits in one of the chairs, next to the fire.

Fera raises a finger to her lips, and her brows knit sheepishly. She slips inside and offers a place on the bed, before pouring some fresh milk for her new guest.

"So, you're traveling? Madam...?" she asks softly, keeping her voice low.

@Custodiet Teh

 

[Hair]

Augusta

The Ruined Tower

Augusta finishes chewing her breakfast and stands, absentmindedly brushing her skirts clear of crumbs. She reaches up towards the spider as she takes in the map. "Come," she orders. "We need to find food for me." She waits for the spider to settle itself, doing her best to memorise the contents of the map, they wouldn't be returning to this place. She gathers her meager possessions into her battered knapsack, before leaving the tower, intending to make for the nearby village.

 

[FuzzMonster]

Margot

It is day, and therefore Margot remains Margot alone. The tooth in her bag is merely a knife.
This necessitates greater caution.


This is why Margot lurks in the bushes overlooking the path, hunkered down, still, silent, scentless, and covered in fabrics coloured dull green and dull brown and dull.

She heard a voice giving orders, and a single armoured figure emerged. Her reasoning is as follows:

There is a camp.
There is a fire, and the sounds of a food being eaten.
Orders were expressed, and this person has now left the camp.

Therefore, Margot intends to wait patiently for the guard to leave, inspect the camp and see who has given these orders, and then follow the guard to see if it may be necessary to waylay this person...later.

 

[Custodiet Teh]

Hannus

"Hannus, Hannus is just fine, no need for the madame title." Hannus slips inside the homely cottage, tutting once. It was a far cry from the sprawling estates of her previous family and though she'd been on the run for some time now, it was still a difficult thing to come to terms with. Abject poverty. At the very least there was some effort being put into keep it clean.

Hannus circled the room once, her steps gliding her along until she came upon the elder. His features betrayed a rough life, Hannus nearly gasping at the way his hands gnarled. An air of awkwardness fluttered through the room as Hannus moved to sit on the bed, doing her best to keep a regal composure.

"I had hoped to travel by daylight to the Gatewood. I fear though I'm slightly uncertain of where I'm headed. I'll most likely find out tomorrow...Is he alright over there?" She motions to the man.

 

[PixelWitch]

Fera.

"Oh..." she stumbles, "My apologies... Hannus,"
The correction is awkward, like she is unused to addressing anyone so informally.

Casting a glance over at her sleeping parent as she sits down next to her guest, she offers a mug, "Oh, he's fine. He does little other than sleep these days,"
Her lips purse, expression souring, "In truth it is more peaceful when he sleeps than when he is a awake. He is... difficult to deal with. His mind is not what it was. All my tender care does nothing to ail him. I fear he does not have long left in the world,"

Her hands grip her own mug tight the point it starts shaking, "And when he does pass, he will take ownership of this house with him. I shall no doubt hear from the town council to whom I shall be made to remarry, so I do not go to waste as a homely wife and childbarer..."
She scoffs, humour missing from her voice, "If the villagers haven't driven me into the wilderness by then..."

Why am I telling all this to a stranger? Have I already gone mad?

She clears her throat, "Pardons, that was none of your concern..." she combing her ash grey blonde hair away form her face with a gloved hand, clearing her throat, "If you're needing passage to Gatewood, I can guide you. No one else dares go near the forest. Too superstitious. Too God-fearing. I can ask my neighbors to care for my father in my brief absence. We can leave at first light tomorrow morning... if... you're ok with staying the night..."

@Custodiet Teh

 

[Hair]

Augusta

Unaware of being observed, Augusta makes good time towards the village, making sure to check for pursuers. Her father's hunters were still cropping up from time to time.

 

[Custodiet Teh]

Hannus

"I would never impose, you don't seemed prepared for visitors but if you are offering...I am carrying with me a few items of comfort. I have cow butter, pepper, a sprig of rosemary. If I am to stay, at the least I could provide a meal of comfort for you and your father."

It was a tough maneuver to pull off, Hannus now feeling slightly awkward over this poor peasant spilling her life story out before a stranger. She truly must have been alone, even the way this girl spoke seemed dry and out of practice.

"If you would have me then, I would enjoy your presence guiding me to the Gatewood. I will pay you upon arrival there"

 

[FuzzMonster]

Margot

Thoroughly bemused by a bizarre spider web on the wall, and the embers of a campfire, Margot quickly gathers that all has in fact been gathered.

They took everything. They might be coming back here, or not.

Leaving, Margot returns to the brush, to trail the tall figure.

To the village? She's no trader. Who gave the orders, who spoke to whom?

Margot decides upon cunning, or at least, upon risk. She'll break from the trail, loop around to get well ahead of her target, on the path to the village, and begin quietly gathering, waiting for them to stumble upon her. She'll wait close enough to the village that if it goes wrong, she can break and lure them into the woods, but the village will still hear the scream.

 

[PixelWitch]

Fera

"Payment?" she stammers, "Oh Great Earthen Father, I wouldn't dream of charging you for such a service!"

She pauses, "However if it is not too much, I will take the comfort foods, if I may be so very bold... they'll help the meal before bed,"
Said meal is not much more than stewed potatoes and mutton stew, but the butter and herbs make it much more palatable.

She looks almost thrilled to be having an eating companion that she can talk to. Her father, when offered the same meal, had to be woken and spoon fed, most of it dribbling form the corners of his mouth, like an infant. He gave her a look that showed no understanding of who she was or what she was doing for him. Before he simply went back to sleep, having barely said a word.

She sighs, as she pulls out an extra blanket from the cupboard.
"I'll take the chair," she nods to the other table chair, "Guests have the bed,"
She manages to make the smile alarmingly sincere.

--
@Custodiet Teh

 

[Excession]

The sun has barely moved in the sky when Augusta happens upon a young woman picking berries.

 

[Custodiet Teh]

Hannus

"What about your...father. I wouldn't dream of taking an elderly mans bed, his comfort and health supersede my own." Hannus gracefully focusing in on the mans age rather than any possible sickness he may have had. The elderly, while worthy of respect, did not win favors with Hannus. Their scent, their dawdling nature, restful minds, all of it was anathema to how Hannus lived in her House. There was no malice, just annoyance at the ravages time took on them.

"No, I would be most comfortable upon your floor. I can rest my head upon my pack, I can't impose on you any more than I already have"

With the tutting nature of a matriarch, Hannus concluded the situation. Body language screaming that she would not compromise. Tossing an old man from his bed indeed. She pondered which corner to take, preferably one nearest the hearth but stopped for a moment to rest in a shaft of warm sunlight filtering in.

"It is still early on, how do you pass your time in this place, this village?"

 

[PixelWitch]

Fera

She chews her lip for a moment, but upon hearing Hannus's tone, decides this is an arguement she is not going to win.

She sits with her guest, chewing at her meal, "Well, most of us work from dawn till dusk, earning our daily bread. Time that isn't spent working the fields, cooking, cleaning, washing or tending the animals is spent in the Church of Our Lord Father, being told that theway we live our lives and the thoughts that we think are wrong and terrible and that we will be punished for them..."
Her expression turns stony, "It is getting.... tiresome, to say the least,"

"I often go for walks near the forest to get away from it all," she continues, "I know the townsfolk won't follow. They are too superstitious. Afraid they will be snatched away by the things that live there. But at this stage even the Gentry themselves couldn't make my life any more of a misery than what it is now. I would welcome the adventure..."

She looks up at her guest, "Perhaps a strange fate has caused our paths to cross at such a time..."

--

@Custodiet Teh