Queen Clarice Angelina Charmaine | Sapphire City Castle | Throne Room
Quietly, Clarice listened to the man speak. She felt disheartened as he admitted that yes, he would be taking Allora away. And right after her promotion, too - and what of her relationship with Diodora? They might not admit it, but Clarice knew that something was budding there. Her intuition was too strong not to know. She looked down at the letter that had been placed in her hands, waiting until after he spoke before starting to read it. Dismayed, she looked up at him and nodded slightly.
"Allora is well," she said softly. "She's small and frail, though - she tends to injure herself easily. We do what we can to prevent it, but what can you do to prevent an adventurous young thing from getting hurt?" She smiled, shaking her head slightly. She felt badly for the elf girl. Did she even have a say in the matter? "She actually has a broken arm right now, but it's been tended to and should mend in no time. I do have one question before I call for her, though - if Allora does not wish to go with you, then what shall you do?" She didn't know how Allora would react to this news, but she wanted to cover her bases before calling for the girl. She needed to know how he would react, and what she should do. Obviously she didn't want to tell him no outright, as it would be a show of ill will and she didn't want to anger him or his people, but what if it was Allora herself who said no? She intended to support Allora in the matter. If Allora agreed to go then she would provide her with anything necessary to make the journey easier and more comfortable. If Allora didn't want to go, though, then she would not force her - it would be up to her and this man, Loran, to work the matter out.
Crofton Dewl | Vastwater Basin | Inn/Streets
After a long yet satisfying rest, Crofton found himself waking in the inn room. It took a moment for him to remember the events of the previous day, but before long, he had. A smirk came to his lips. Yes, the Cave of Souls. Climbing out of bed, he changed his clothes and paused before the reflective glass mirror. He didn't look as exhausted as he felt, nowhere near it. Grabbing his headscarf, Crofton took the time to delicately wrap it around his head. He tucked the pointed tips of his ears beneath the thick linen and gathered together what few belongings he had. Having only paid for the one night, he was ready to leave - breakfast wasn't necessary quite yet, as he now had to make the journey from Vastwater Basin to Kynt Village.
Beginning to head out of his room and towards the inn's entrance, he thought back to his close examination of the map back in Eastway Bluff. The distance between Vastwater Basin and the other two towns had seemed the same, so he would have to walk the same amount of time as he had last night. Did that mean he had twelve long hours of walking ahead of him? He certainly hoped not - in fact, he was determined not to walk another twelve hours. Giving the waitress a brief nod as he headed out into the streets, he turned his attention on the road West. He knew that all towns had stables at the entrances, so he should be able to rent a horse for the trip to Kynt Village. He began to walk, his shoes padding against the cobbled streets as he headed for the town gates.
Reaching the edge of town in a matter of minutes, he sure enough found himself at a set of stables. They were small, but the animals looked hardy and strong. He approached a winged woman who appeared to be tending the animals and he smiled politely. "Good day to you, madam - might I ask how much it is to rent out one of these lovely animals for a few days?" he asked. He knew that being polite was the trick here.
"It's only twenty gold," the woman responded, a kind smile on her lips. She seemed like a good person - a good person with a good and pure soul...but no, Crofton knew better than to think of that. He was approaching this woman for the livestock, not for her soul.
"And do I have to return it here, or can it be delivered to you by stablehands from elsewhere? I intend to journey to Cublain Village, but then I must take a boat the rest of the way to my destination. Is there any way I can leave the horse in the stables there and they can ensure that it is safely returned to you here?" he asked, nervous that this would be a dealbreaker for the woman, but the fairy simply nodded and smiled.
"Certainly!" she said. "It happens more often than you might think - you need only leave the horse with one of their stablehands and let them know to bring it back here. The other towns are all so good about maintaining their stables - well, not so much Eastway, but everywhere else," she said with a light, musical laugh.
"Then madam, I'd like to rent one of your fine beasts," said Crofton, pulling out his money and quickly counting twenty gold. He handed the handful to the woman, who took it and recounted it even more quickly than he had done initially. Satisfied, she tucked the money into the pocket of her dress and headed into the stables. A few moments later, she emerged with a speckly horse, light brown in colour with darker brown dots. It eyed Crofton curiously, and he outstretched one hand so that it might smell him.
"This is Presley," she told him. "He'll treat you well if you treat him well, and he's been to Cublain Village before."
"Thank you, good lady," Crofton said, giving the slightest of bows. "I can guarantee you that he will be delivered safe and healthy to Cublain Village, and whether or not they treat him as well as I did will have to wait and be seen."
The woman, giving an amused laugh, nodded and bid him farewell. Crofton mounted the horse with ease, taking a moment to steady himself. It had been so long since he had ridden, but soon he was ready to go, digging his heels gently into Presley's sides and taking off in the direction of Kynt Village.
Expedition in progress: Cave of Souls
Posts: 4
Trials/tribulations: 2 (pity for a stranger; exhaustion)
