Arcaea/Dining Hall/The Sights of Sasat
It was early morning when Cypreana set out from Nocaneb for Sasat. She wanted to reach her new home before sun down. Her saddle bags were full and her trunks packed to follow on behind her with her maid, Elise. She was excited at the prospect of finding a new home. She wanted to meet her new liege and look for a suitable property to purchase.
As she rode through the countryside on the outskirts of Nocaneb, she was reminded of trips she had taken with her father as a child. Nocaneb had not always been a part of Arcaea. It was a strange feeling being in a new realm and yet at the same time being home.
The going was not easy. There were fallen trees to navigate, and her horse threw a shoe on the way. The local smithy was a friendly chap who did a good job, but he liked to talk and take his time over his work. Cypreana did not have the heart to tell him that she was in a hurry.
She stopped one other time to rest the horse and water her, and also get herself something to eat and drink. She contemplated taking a short nap herself in a local inn, but decided against it for she wanted to get ahead.
She continued on the path to Sasat as the sun went down and the shadows of night started to encroach upon the day. Te birds had already found their beds for the night as she rode down the lane with tall trees standing thick and majestically on either side.
A bat swooped low over head, brushing her hair, and an owl could be heard hooting in the trees. The moon was a pale, washed out blue color. Cypreana was tired. Her eyes were stinging and heavy. She was beginning to wish that she had taken the nap at the inn back down the lane. Her body ached from being in the saddle for so long and her hips just rolled with the motion of the horse as she trudged along.
Suddenly, from what seemed out of nowhere, a gang of bandits approached her on horses from in front and behind and she found herself completely encircled. They had arrows pointing directing at her.
Her horse reared, sensing the fear that was in her rider.
"What do you want?" Cypreana asked, addressing the man who seemed to be the leader. "How dare you approach a noblewoman in such a manner!'
Cypreana sounded stronger than she actually felt. The men launghed.
"We want a word with you," said the man as he slipped a woolen hood over her head, pulled her from her horse and dragged her off into the trees.
Lady Cypreana Rossini (Dame of Nocaneb)
Goffrey rode out to meet Cypreana the fallowing day, silently cursing the light of the sun, and those damn chirping birds, not to mention the unsteady ride the countryside of Sasat provided. His head already felt like someone had used it to anvil out dents in their armor, and the “fresh air” was doing him no good.
“How the hell did you talk me into this Eugen,” he said, rubbing his temples to relieve the pressure.
“Well you were drunk at the time Ma’Lord,” he said, smiling good naturedly as he rode next to him.
“Yea no kidding, how the hell much did I drink?”
“Well you were talking to no one for an hour and half alone in a dark room, so I’d say a fair amount.”
Goffrey gave a disgruntled sigh as he tried to concentrate on the road ahead to block out the pain, he gave up the effort shortly after when he realized concentrating on anything only increased the pressure building in his skull. The pair steadily trotted on for a time, one enjoying the ride the other not wanting to go to fast for fear of his head exploding.
Suddenly, figures formed on the horizon, a group of 5 sitting around a campsite in the shade of a group of trees. Goffrey cast a knowing glance towards Eugen who responded in kind.
“Damn bandits,” said Goffrey as he dismounted his horse, “Euran gives them a hard time in Lantaz so they think they’ll have easier picking in Sasat.”
“I almost pity the poor bastards Ma’Lord,” said Eugen as he took his lord’s reins.
“Right, well I’ll deal with them, you go gather the men,” said Goffrey as he strode off, before a thought accrued to him, “And bring the healers with you, they’ll be more useful to us alive after all.”
Eugen nodded before leading the two horses back down the road they had come, a trail of dust the only thing left in his wake. Confident that Eugen would return within the hour, and really needing something to vent on, Goffrey strode down the path with a determined eager pace in his step.
When he reached the trees, he realized the situation was much more complex then he originally thought. Back behind the gathered bandits, who had either failed to notice or did not care about Goffrey, was a woman, judging by her....figure, tied to a tree with a bag strewn over her head. Goffrey paused for a second to take the situation.
’Ok her clothes are still intact and the disgruntled look in the bandits eyes means that the leader must have instituted a “hands off policy”’ thought Goffrey, as he strode closer to the gathered bandits, ’Which simplifies matters exponentially.’
Goffrey stopped in his stride as the group of thugs began to look up from what they were doing and starred at him with collective bewilderment.
“Greeting gentlemen,” Goffrey said, his trademark nonchalant tone well in place, “My name is Goffrey Massey, and I just so happen to be Lord of this little region of land you haven taken upon yourself to harass.”
The youngest of the bandits paled visible while the others retained their bewildered look, their frail minds trying to grasp the incredible situation facing them.
“As it stands, I am hung over, dead tried, and rather....frustrated.....over a matter intimately personal to me, so I felt that you deserved fair warning in advance, getting to the point you all have exactly 3 seconds to get as far away from me as you possibly can, starting......now.....” said Goffrey as he took in a deep calming breath in an attempt to loosen himself up for the coming fight.
“......1......”
The bandits milled about in confusion, two looking about incase the barons men had moved to surround them, two still trying to grasp the situation presented to them, and one in the back immobilized by fear.
“......2......”
When it became clear that the good Baron did in fact NOT have an army to back his threat a confident teeth missing smile formed on 4 out of 5 bandits, swords were drawn as they slowly began to close on their target.
A feral smile formed on Goffrey’s lips as a joyful exhilaration filled him, “......3......”
The second the word was out of his mouth the bandits were upon him, swinging wildly, so sure their opponent would be on the other side of their attacks. The first indication that they had made a grave mistake being the sudden lost of air in two of their number, as a blurry figure barely registered on their sight before his fists were wrist deep in their stomachs.
The other two stood where they were, not used to a target actually fighting back, and watched as Goffrey landed blow after blow in their comrades’ faces, throats, kidneys, and chests. Barely 3 seconds had passed and two of the bandits number were already spiraled out before the irate lord in pools of their own blood.
Fear soon turned to a kind of bewildered outrage, how dare this man try and defend himself, how dare he oppose their right to have whatever they want whenever they want. The two charged forth, more animal than man at that point as Goffrey half turned to face their charge.
A round house from the lord lanced out and caught the first one in the temple knocking him out almost instantly. The other had a moment to register that he was now alone before a knee suddenly found itself deep in his rib cage, cracking 5 of his ribs into splinters, followed subsequently by an elbow to the back of his head that numbed him to the world for an hour or so after.
Goffrey sighed, disappointment clear in his voice, he noticed the other one, still frozen where he stood. Suddenly Goffrey jerked towards him and the man took off into the woods with his proverbial tail between his legs. That done Goffrey turned his attention back to the women tied to the tree. He cut her loose with a knife he lifted from one of the bandits, and caught her as her numb legs failed to support her body weight.
’Well,’ thought Goffrey, not relishing this next part, ’judging by experience, she’ll probably find it easier to yell at me without that hood on.’
Gently he moved his hand up to remove the hood, “Are you ok,” he said, silently waiting for the yelling to start.
Goffrey Massey Baron of Sasat
Cypreana had heard Goffrey's arrival from under the hood. She had been listening in nervous anticipation to the sound of fighting going on around her, only wishing that she could join in. Then suddenly all was quiet and she heard only a small twig snap as a man stooped down towards her, lifting the hood from her head. Daylight streamed in.
"Are you ok?" asked the Baron of Sasat.
Cypreana's hands were numb and her eyes blinded by the sudden light. All she could make out was a silhouette of a man with curly hair and a gentle face. She realized that he would not know who she was and so before he mistook her for her identical sister Madelena she announced herself.
"Yes, thank you. You are Goffrey and I am Cypreana. Thank you. Thank you," she said weakly for she was thirsty and tired. "I think you saved my life."
Lady Cypreana Rossini (Dame of Nocaneb)
Goffrey winced reflexively as the women below him began to talk, waiting for the yelling and possibly hitting to start. An incredulously look overtook his face as he realized that he was, in fact, not being yelled at.
He looked down at Cypreana with a mixture of surprise, before he realized what state she was in.
’Well if this is an elaborate trick to.....I don’t know.....yell at me better, I’ll fall for it later,’ he thought as he took the women in his arms and gently laid her against the tree in a sitting position, ’For now she needs to get some liquid in her.’
“Rest here,” he said, as he began to look about the camp for the bandits food pack, “Lets get you something to drink.”
A few minutes of searching bore fruit and Goffrey quickly returned to the weary lady, plopping down next to her and leaning against the tree.
“Here,” he said, producing a water sack, along with some bread and cheese, “you need to get your strength up, my men will be here within the hour, until then, we’ve got to get something in you, you look......” Goffrey trailed off as he looked at her solidly for the first time.
’Oh God not again,’ he thought, as heat rushed to his face, and he became painfully aware of just how close they were to each other.
He covered it up as best he could by clearing his throat into his hand and looking away. “Heh, you.....you look like your sister.....” he said awkwardly, silently cursing himself for stating the obvious.
Goffrey Massey Baron of Sasat
Cypreana took the drink from Goffrey willingly. She couldn't stop looking at him. He was a bizarre mixture of handsome virility and war wounds. She was a little dizzy from her experience so sipped on the drink slowly.
"Yes, we are identical," she replied smiling at her new liege. "You, you saved me. I don't know if I shall ever be able to thank you enough. I should have known better than to ride alone at night. I feel so stupid. If you hadn't come when you did I would probably be dead. They took my gold you know. I hope it can be recovered. I shall not be able to buy an estate without it. Thank you. Thank you."
At this point a tear started to run down Cypreana's cheek and she reached out and held Goffrey's hand.
"You are so brave," she added. "I think I might be able to get up now, if you can help me, but I don't know where my horse is..."
Lady Cypreana Rossini (Dame of Nocaneb)
Goffrey squirmed inwardly under Cypreana's gaze, while at the same trying desperately to find something to distract him the physical contact that was proving painfully hard to ignore.
"Now there's no need to strain yourself," he said, failing horribly in his attempts to hide the redness of his face, "my men will be here shortly and we'll get everything squared away then, right now you should just sit back and rest."
'Huh,' thought Goffrey as a notion accrued to him, 'that's certainly an ironic twist.'
Goffrey Massey Baron of Sasat
Cypreana noticed that Goffrey seemed embarrassed an uncomfortable and she felt that she had done something wrong and grew embarrassed herself. She slumped back against the tree and closed her eyes, waiting for the men to arrive so that she could be escorted back to Sasat.
Lady Cypreana Rossini (Dame of Sasat)
Goffrey settled against the tree resolving to wait for Eugen to show up so that they could have this whole matter dealt with and over. They wait for the longest time as the sun began to fade into twilight, the silence between they two was defining Goffrey to the point where he was sure he would go mad.
But damnit if he wasn't too damn nervous to move, and looking at the girl still holding his hand was certainly not helping matters.
He needed something anything to break the ice.....
His eyes lit up in realization as the perfect idea came to mind.
"Come on," he said, helping Cypreana to her feet, self assurance returning to him as he rose, "I want to show you something."
The place he had in mind wasn't very far, the trek was worth it, and he needed to share this with someone who might actually care. So tentatively he lead the girl out of the trees and up a small slope, mindful of both of their footings.
"You know," he said, as they approached the apex of the hill, "When I first came to Sasat, I couldn't figure out why anyone would live here, nothing but rocky wasteland as far as the eye can see, and only a few stretches of fertile soil in the whole region."
They crested the hill, finding a large dried up bush and an equal dry out logged laid out parallel to the bush upon which Goffrey sat Cypreana down. That done he turned back to the bush, seemingly inspecting it for something.
"For months I saw the whole region like that, just a rock with people living in it, then I got close squinted really hard, and tripped on that log your sitting on fell through this bush, and saw it" said Goffrey, as he pushed aside a certain branch in the foliage.
The scene laid out before the two was absolutely breath taking, the sun setting over the mountain range at just the right angle, catching stray particles of dust blowing in the wind leaving, casting red's, orange's, yellow's and every color in between dancing on the plains before him, as the water fall that feed the river Remtonas crashed majestically down and framed the whole scene. Goffrey stood where he was, still after all the times he had seen it, captivated by it all. He couldn't help smile as he turned back to Cypreana, "Well, what do you think?"
Goffrey Massey
Baron of Sasat
Cypreana sat and gazed at the waterfall and rainbow in wonder. She transfixed by the light which shone down on the spray, casting color off in different directions. What an amazing place this was.
"It is beautiful my liege," she said to Goffrey above the noise of the falls. "A piece of heaven on earth. I am glad I have come here."
Cypreana looked at Goffrey meaningfully with a gentle smile on her face. Her piercingly blue eyes, the exact replica of Madelena and Willow's seemed to reach out to Goffrey begging him to respond.
Lady Cypreana Rossini (Dame of Sasat)
Goffrey nodded his agreemnt as he turned back to the sky line once more.
"It certainly is," he said hazily, eyes glazed over in thought, "And I'm glad you could be here to share it with me."
They both stayed where they were for moments after that, enjoying the view and the others company, until the sun fell behind the mountain range, and the sight before them reverted back to its ordinary state.
"Well, lets head back, I'm sure Eugen is worried sick at this point," he said, as he helped Cypreana to her feet, "On a semi related note, please, call me Goffrey, calling me 'My Liege' makes me feel like I'm actually in charge of something."
A lighthearted half smile covered his as he led the lady back they way they had come. Idle conversation passed between the two, mostly about the finer points of Sasat and Cypreana's exact share of the taxes. They arrived back at the camp to find Captain Eugen there with Goffrey's unit, in the process of transporting the bandits back to their respective jail cells, and tracking down the one that ran off into the woods.
They road to the region's capitol shortly after for some peace after a long day.
As Goffrey laid down for the night, he began to suspect that Cypreana wasn't going to yell at him at all.
Goffrey Massey Baron of Sasat
They rode to the region's capitol shortly after for some peace after a long day.
As Goffrey laid down for the night, he began to suspect that Cypreana wasn't going to yell at him at all.
Cypreana lay in a guest bed on Goffrey's estate looking out of the window at the moon. She kept replaying the previous twenty four hours, especially the part when Goffrey took the hood off her head and she saw him for the first time. He was such an amazingly complex man. She had never met anyone like him before. On the one hand he was a brave fighter and a hero, and on the other he took the time to enjoy the pleasures of nature. She smiled as she thought to herself that she couldn't ask for anything more.
She wondered whether she should write to her sister but decided against it. Things were still extremely strained between them and now that Tenal was in the realm she wasn't sure what to do. The last correspondence she had written to Tenal, which had probably not been delivered to him at the docks, had contained a promise that when they would next meet they would duel for he had proven himself a hypocrite and inconstant in his love for Madelena. But Cypreana knew he was back in Arcaea and that could only be for one reason. It is amazing how much gossip goes on in the servant's hall.
Rolling over and closing her eyes, Cypreana pictured Goffrey holding her hand and walking through the mountains as she fell into a deep sleep. She had no idea she was so exausted.
The next morning she awoke early. She ached all over from being tied up for so long but arose and washed and dressed and decided to go for a walk in the grounds of Goffrey's castle. The castle gardens were delightful and Cypreana had just picked some lavender which she was smelling when she thought she saw Goffrey come out of the back door.
Lady Cypreana Rossini (Dame of Sasat)
Goffrey awoke the next morning with a jolt, sweat coating his body. It was the first night he hadn't been blackout drunk sense he had fought his father, sense he had unleashed his birthright.
Nightmares, horrendous and violent, had dominated his dreaming world, causing him to toss and turn all night. The few moments he had forced himself to sleep were not pleasant or restful in the least. Richter had warned him that this would only be the first step in a long line of suffering to come.
Goffrey sighed a bitter sigh as the irony of the situation he was in was not lost on him.
He dressed himself and got ready to face the day, the lack of sleep something he was used to given his lifestyle. After he felt himself ready enough he headed to the castle courtyard, a quick stroll through the gardens always did him good on days like this.
His thoughts turned to Cypreana naturally, as if he had known her for years. He felt something was there, but he didn't know what, and he still had some feelings, whatever they actually were, for Harmony although she probably hated him and his whole family for what he dragged her into too.
Goffrey stopped in his trek as the crushing weight of guilt settled down upon him. He was tried of it all, so very tried, and he really wanted a drink just so for a little while at least he could escape it all.
'My Father's probably laughing at me while he's burning in Hell,' he thought with a bitter chuckle, while rubbing the pain from his temples.
He stood in the hallway for several more moments, gathering himself and the will to go on, before he straighten himself out and marched on with the weary resolve to simply soldier on.
He reached the garden only a few moments later, to find that he would not be alone during his soul searching. He was surprised at first, quite pleasantly he found after a moment of after thought, to find Cypreana in the garden at such an early hour.
The sight of her in such a tranquil, and beautiful environment momentarily stole his breath from him, but he regain it swiftly, fueled by a strong desire not to make a fool of himself again. "Good Morning Lady Cypreana," he said with a warm smile, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Goffrey Massey
Baron of Sasat
"Good Morning Lady Cypreana," he said with a warm smile, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Cypreana smiled at the obviously nervous Goffrey. "Good morning to you too Goffrey. You are not interrrupting me at all. I was just admiring your fine gardens. Will you take a turn about them with me?"
Cypreana raised her eyebrow in a subtle but beckoning manner and patiently waiting for Goffrey's response.
Lady Cypreana Rossini (Dame of Sasat)
Goffrey smiled a nervous smile as he found an excuse not to look directly at Cypreana. He scratched his head as he summoned the willpower to respond.
"I....I....I would....like that...yes," he said, chuckling like an idiot as he did so.
'Well,' he thought sardonically as he walked over to join her, 'So much for not looking like an idiot.'
Goffrey Massey Baron of Sasat
Cypreana could see that Goffrey was nervous and she hoped that she would please him and set him at ease in her company. She could see that he had a story to tell but thought that perhaps it would be better to save that for another day. Instead she walked with him through the gardens and asked him to explain the plantings and possible future plans.
The time went by quickly and Cypreana sensed Goffrey relaxing at times and enjoying himself, and then catching himself doing it and becoming self conscious again. She prayed fervantly that one day would come when he would be able to laugh and that the laugh would not end with a cloud of doubt. She wondered where all the lines on his handsome face had come from.
'Goffrey, will you go riding with me so that I might look at some prospective estates to purchase? I ask for two reasons: First that it seems I might need a protector in these parts and am fearful lest some bandits should hunt me down again; secondly because I know your knowledge of these lands is far superior than any man living. I know that I take a great liberty in asking so much of your time. I am sure you have a lot of other work to do. Please say so if that be the case for the last thing I the world I would wish to become is a nuisance.'
Lady Cypreana Rossini (Dame of Sasat)
“Oh don’t worry your self, its no trouble at all,” Goffrey said, smiling sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head in a nervous manner, “I’d be glad to show you around the region.”
The walk through the gardens had been a pleasant experience by all measure of the word, to Goffrey at least. He still had trouble getting over his inherent nervousness, and he could tell that was bothering her. He hated himself for it, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Pushing the matter aside for the moment, Goffrey turned his attention back to Cypreana, waiting for her to response.
Goffrey Massey Baron of Sasat
Continued in Arcaea/Dining Hall/13th Night
