Mists of Areinor, the first storm

[дон Алесандро >>>]

July 15th, year 361
City.


"In the name of the Prince! What are you doing here?" A tall pale guardian appeared behind the backs of a couple. "This is a forbidden area!"
"Warrant?" asked with dignity the dark-haired woman, turning away from the ruins.
"Ha! Smarty?" Guardsman grinned. "Here you are, the valid warrant form his grace, Lord Prosecutor!"
He waved the paper with seal.
"We need to ask you some questions."
And as an echo of his words, the dozen grey-coated guards were coming to site of fire from another street.
Seril's companion, frowning, moved closer, glancing sideways. The walk around the city was spoilt beyond hope. And this time the clash seemed to grow into a real trouble. Of course, two or three douzen guards were not a problem for a creature like him, driven to real anger, but it was the last thing Greenstone would do in the streets. He hardly settled down round here and the need to flee again would be depressing. And she promised help...
"Let me see," Seril readily approached the guardian who was waiving the rolled sheet.
"Ph, you can read?" the man smiled "Okay, if you tear it, I would..."
He didn't continue.
"You what?" the woman took the warrant and glanced through it quickly.
"Nothing."
"Lord Kessertin signed an in.. instruction... so if we are talking smut without reason with citizens, he fines us... Have you finished?" the guard lost all his patience.
"Would you invite a lady and her companion to have a talk in some more proper place? The nearest inn, for example?" Seril's voice was calm, self-assured and persuading. And she didn't show any intention to run away.
"Hm... it is not by the rules... but okay, let's go there."
They moved along, followed by an almost royal escort.

and Dae.

Сообщение отредактировал дон Алесандро - 19-04-2008, 20:14

[Daelinn >>>]

July 15th, year 361
Late afternoon
The inn

(Parkan's instructions taken into consideration)

“So what can you say in your defence?” the captain of the guard inquired.
“I do not see the reason for defending myself against the alleged crime I’ve never done,” the woman repeated once again with a bored voice.
The ‘meeting’ lasted for about half an hour, and neither side changed its opinion. The only useful thing Seril now knew was a long list of accusations she had been officially charged with.
“If that is going to continue any further, wouldn’t you at least order a meal for us?” she asked incidentally.
The guardian started, clenching his fists, a hardly polite impression still clutching to his face – that was supposed to be a civilised talk, but in the name of the King, he is not going to bear the witch’s levity and mockery!
“You confess to me now!” he yelled, springing to his feet and leaning menacingly over the table.
“How convinci…” Seril didn’t have the time to finish off the reply as her companion, losing most of his patience left, rose up to withstand the offender. One second, eyes to eyes, and of the two men only one would remain safe…
With a shrill cry, Seril waved her right hand so that it passed between the opponents, close to the guard’s face. He blinked, startled, and then, recovering, yelled at his soldiers who were already pushing in.
“Get them down!!”
Greenstone growled menacingly, but the chances were against him. Unless…
“No!” the woman cried out, and he didn’t know, whether that was to the royal guards or to his obviously guessable thoughts. The snatchers hesitated for a moment, then rushed to seize the disdainful couple. The latter recoiled until they reached other guests’ tables and the guards were forced to manoeuvre in between them.
“Could you please calm down, guys?” asked someone.
“Get him too!” snapped the captain.
“What is goin’ on here, eh?” said another sleepy voice from upstairs.
“Shut up, Di,” his companion tried to warn, but then one of the soldiers cut short his attempts. The man tried to oppose, until his capturer groaned and crooked down and some stronger hand pulled him to the back door.
“Ah, wait!” the one upstairs pleaded as he followed the suit, trying not to lose the bags he was carrying with him.
Seril raised her voice once again, in a short chant, but these soldiers were now aware of the trick and didn’t pay much attention. The whole company got into the kitchen area, the doors flung open, and hasted up to the exit… which was guarded by the second group under the inquisitive captain’s command. Those proved not that ready for the woman’s tricks, and stood still at her “Hush!” while the runaways speeded down the lane and disappeared round the nearest corner, leaving the guards only to wonder, “What the hell again was that?”

[НекроПехота >>>]

+Olorin

After few hours Edwin and Diego were standing in front of the massive storage block. The name “slums” would be the most correct for that city’s region, if not the tons of various goods kept here.
“ That place never changes,” mumbled Diego, hopelessly trying to dust off his clothes, “like people, who were cursed to live here”
Before Edwin had time to ask what they were waiting for, clumsy commoner appeared.
“Here ye arr, Diego” chuckled clumsy commoner.
“Unfortunatelly me and my friend don’t have free time to trade chant with you, Jhon” answered Diego “so, please, hurry up and find my horses, wan and package”
“Oh, so we are going to skip the flirt part? What a pity!”
“Don’t force me, Jhon!”
“Alright, alright…” said the commoner and disappeared.
Some time had passed before they finally got Diego's stuff and got an oppurtunity to start packing it. Though Edwin hadn't left Areinor for about two years and hadn't had any practice of such an unskilled labour he was still a good assistant for his camrad. The memory of youth when he spent much time travelling all around the country made him completely forget the troubles of present. In some time the two friends completed the loading of the van.
"Do you have any idea where to go?" Asked Edwin as they were leaving the storage.
“I guess it doesn’t matters right now. As far as possible” answered Diego, from time to time whipping horses. “My seat will be much more comfortable when we leave the city”
Soon they left the storage area and finally joined thousands of commoners crowding the main street. Despite Diego’s attepmts to clear the way with his whip, movement notably slowed down.
“Good lord, that will take ages”
"Damn them!" Edwin was looking around trying to find some way out. He knew some other road to the gate, but now it seemed quite impossible to reach them. Suddenly on the wall he saw a list of names. The title said: "In the name of the King each citizen of Areinor must help to find..." He skipped some lines. "...suspected of the murder of Their Royal Majesties..."
"You see, lord counsillor and his executors are always working rapidly. I wonder if any of this people has an attitude to the crime..."
“Well, I just hope our names aren’t included in that list. Thought I wouldn’t be surprised…”
The closer to the gates, the more crowded it was. Inch along they reached the final line. City gates were guarded with few dozens of armoured thugs. Their primary duty was to check and rob everyone who was trying to leave the city. The God only knows whether they will let the wan get through or not.
“Here we go, Edwin” sighted Diego, joining the line, “let’s find out how lucky we are”

[дон Алесандро >>>]

July 15th, year 361
Late afternoon
Palace.

“Lord Ganlen… I am very sorry that I trouble you in this moment but” lord Keran entered to the minister’s bureau.
Men stood up and tried to smile “I it is pleasure for…”
“This is disturbance” assured Kessertin “We need to discus small changes in coronation ceremony, Pri… His Future Majesty said that palace and city should decorate these obelisks of glory”
“Of what?” Ganlen looked surprised “But we never doing this! Why he need this? And how it looks like?”
“Like this” Kessertin gives to minister a scroll “Messier Ganlen, I supposed that you are good servant of His Majesty?”
“Yes.. but.. I quite don’t understand..”
“It is not necessary, milord, just do it!”
“Bu…” Galen wants to say something, but then he saw Kessertin’s eyes and finished: “By your command.”
“By His Future Majesty’s command. Very good answer.” Kessertin closed the door.
“So, what we have” Ganlen opened the scroll.
“Nine obelisks, three here, in palace, and six in the city, looks like not very complicated… but this bas-reliefs.. Victory and glory and ornament hm… wooden, thanks God, we will be in time”
Minister puts the scroll on the top of paper mountain on his table.
“I started only few moments ago, and it seems that Keran drop all of his affairs on me… it unfair!” thought Ganlen, but other part of his mind said him “Wanna to go back, worm? No? So, do your work!”
Men took a long breath and continued his paper-work.

[Daelinn >>>]

July 15th, year 361
Late afternoon
At the gates

(With Olorin)

As the friends pushed through the crowd and approached the guards, they heard their grumbling about the weather, people, strangers, criminals who could-happily-make-money-somewhere-else and not in Areinor, it then changed to snarling "Who are ye?", "Papers!", "What's that filth in the bags?" "Papers on the load?", "Who's damn that with ye?", "Papers!", after which all returned to buzzing over the long list of names. The same lists that Diego saw on a house were pinned to the town wall to the right of where the merchants currently stood.
Now Edwin got a good chance to look through the list and read the names. "Luana Britt, former Royal healer", said the very first line of the list. The merchant elevated his eyebrows in surprise. As he used to have many nobles among his clients he was quite well informed about many gossips of Rosa. And as far as he knew Luana was one of the confidants of Royal family because of the Prince's disease. How could she kill Their Majesties? Why? While reading Edwin met some more familiar names of courtiers. But the last but one name made him gasp. The clear letters of unknown clerk formed the name, that he was never waiting to see here: "Edwin Clanter, antiques merchant". Mistake? He checked the adress which pointed at his former house, the description which was actually the description of his own appearence. No doubt... and no way!
"Di-diego, we can't go there", he nodded at the city gate and the guardians, who were checking the travellers. He shivered and nervously put the hood on. "I-i'm there, in the list!" Whispered he loudly. "They'll catch us! We can't go there! Turn back! We must hurry up!" His voice was trembling. Edwin, whose self-possession was famous among his colleagues and clients, was very frightened and couldn't hide it.


The Rosa

When the paperwork was substantially finished, Ganlen leaned back in his armchair with satisfaction and looked at the ceiling. Dark wooden panels high above were covered in thin dust and seemed awfully old compared to the Rosa’s stonewalls. Then he suddenly jumped up, recalling Lord Keran’s instructions.
“Here it is,” after a short while, the scroll was found on the far side of the large desk and re-read carefully. “I’ll should have someone do that… quick! Better send a messenger to that good old man Raesley, who’s doing the woodwork. Yes, he’ll get to the job by tomorrow morning with some of his folks.”
Ganlen reached to ring a bell, but halted his hand.
“No, I must see to that myself. The glory obelisks are too much important a thing to be left to discretion of a hardly literate artisan,” he said to himself.
The minister grabbed the bell at last, ringing for his servant (he was still not comfortable with this guy, being too accustomed to his faithful Lofan) to come and prepare a carriage for him. After the boy left, the lord rolled up the scroll, put on a hat and circled the desk. In the far corner of the room, a secret door led to treasury. Old Raesley will have nothing but to do the job real quick – half the money paid in advance. Ganlen was going to prove himself in this noble task to the Regent… and His Future Magesty, of course.

[Олорин >>>]

Land was swinging below him, hardly visible through a thick cloud of smog. As he eased down, the outlines of a city opened to his spirit’s eyes. Then in a second, the vision once again became blurred – this time by dark smoke coming from the east. In the darkness that enveloped him, a light silhouette emerged.
“Run, run!” a hoarse voice was following after the mystic shape, “Fool, no! That’s not the way!”
“Geoffrey… Here, Geoffrey…” came another one, persuasive and sweet… too sweet…
“Leave now!” the old man’s voice cut in again.
“Here, my dear…
The silhouette fell down, wavering, and disappeared, and in its place emerged its follower, black robes swaying in the unseen wind, only eyes twinkling under the hood.
It. Is. Gathering.
The figure hissed and waved a hand with numerous rings and signets. And drew nearer…

He started back and saw a darkgreen canopy of the bed. Some seconds passed before His Highness realized that he was lying in his own bed as it was actually usual for John early in the morning. It was dark in the room, but the sky seen through the split between the curtains was already not so dark. He sat down and looked around. Though he was not a single figure in the room, the ghosts of the nightmare couldn't leave him alone. Prince wiped his forehead wet of sweat and rang calling somebody of the servants.
"M'lord", William appeared in the room in some moments, "can I help Your..."
"Sure, you can!" exploaded the young Prince with anger - the troubles of the previous day and the nightmare made him very nervous. "If you couldn't why would I call you then?! Can you understand, you, s..." He suddenly recollected, gave a deep sigh and said in calm but a little bit trembling voice:
"I'm sorry, William. I don't know what is happening to me. Give me some water, please. And then open the window".
The servant passed him a glass. As the room was fullfilled with the light of rising sun, John had already felt nearly alright. He told his footman to come back later in the usual time of His Highnesses getting up. The young man was sleepy and again had a headache. John closed his eyes lying in bed and praying that it wasn't a new attack of his illness. Luana was far now and the Prince wasn't sure that he would be able to endure it without a proper medicine.

[дон Алесандро >>>]

July 15th, year 361
Late afternoon
At the gates

A sudden cry ringed through the air, making the merchants forget for a while about their own troubles. A dark-haired woman was pushing her way out of the crowd, followed by shouting guardsmen. She was obviously about to be let through the gates when her name and appearance were recognized as those of an announced criminal.
"I did nothing bad, I served Their Majesties as best I could!" the lady was yelling, her once pretty face ugly with fear.
“Best poison that you gave to the King was a service too?” Guardsman pushed her with halberd. “Bloody poisoner!”
Woman fell down on the stones.
“I didn’t!” she sobbed, rising to her knees and creeping away from armed men. The people in the queue around her stepped back, having no intention to get on bad terms with the guards. “It is His Highness lord Keran who hunts me and casts aspersions! Prince do Rey knows better, he is the lawful ruler, not …”
She reeled, put down by another blow.
“Shut up, witch! How dare you?! We’ll teach you how to calumniate Lord Keran!” new guardsmen tried to bludgeon the crying woman.
"Don't touch me! Heeelp!"
The crowd swarmed around, uneasy with such revelations, almost blasphemous, spoken openly. Some tougher men pushed forward at last, finding resonance in there souls to the poor woman's words. The anger brooding in Areinor people from furnace heat all days, from inexplicable arrests and fearsome disappearances, from sudden Monarchs' deaths at last, was about to break free, fuelled by this open opposition to the dubious ascension of lord Keran to legitimate power.
“Hey, stop the beating, she’s helpless!”
“You should protect the people, what are you doing?!”
The voices rang from all directions, when the population of Areinor finally burst out against the royal soldiers in a riot. Beaten and trembling, Luana for a moment left alone.

(и Даэ)

[Ясмик >>>]

Прикл закрыт, поскольку вышел срок и отведенное на реабилитацию время тоже, а никаких указаний дополнительных мне не приходило.

С уважением, цензор Ясмик.

Сообщение отредактировал Ясмик - 20-12-2008, 16:27