Glowing Ring of Autumn/Bluelake

Mary Anne de la Fere Bluelake acquires the ring from the commoner Bryn

Letters exchanged

Request from Mary Anne de la Fere Bluelake
Message sent to everyone in "Adventurer's Guild" (21 recipients)
Greetings, all,

I see our member roster has grown by quite a lot in the latest weeks, more in nobles than commoners, but still, I'm glad.

I was charged by a very dear friend of mine to look for a ring or a trinket that might suit a commitment of love.

If any of you has such a piece, please get in touch.

Respectfully,
Lady Mary Anne de la Fere Bluelake
Dame of Al Arab
Supportive Noble of Adventurer's Guild

Letter from Bryn
My Lady Bluelake,

I am unsure whether it is fit for a commitment of love, but I have recently acquired a ring, and I will let you, my Lady, be the judge of whether it is suitable for your needs. I showed it to a sage and he named it the Glowing Ring of Autumn.

In service,
Bryn
Commoner

Letter from Mary Anne de la Fere Bluelake
Mister Bryn,

Can you possibly bring it to Al Aquabah?

Your ring does have a very romantic sound to it's name. If the condition is poor or average, please repair it on the way and I'll reward you for that as well.

Thank you for outstanding work.

Regards,
Lady Mary Anne de la Fere Bluelake
Dame of Al Arab

Letter from Bryn
My Lady Bluelake,

The sage to which I previously brought it informed me that it was in relatively good condition ((OOC)85%). As for Al Aquabah, I am only a few hours travel away at the moment, so that is quite a simple task to accomplish.

In service,
Bryn
Commoner

Bryn is summoned

The teen that approached Bryn was just at that moment in life when young men stretch up, but are still quite disproportionate. He was messing his own short, black hair, while looking around, until someone pointed him in the direction of the experienced hunter.

"Hello, ah, mister Bryn. Princess Mary Anne, my lady, sent me here to fetch you... Sir. Please follow me?" quickly turning around, he almost knocked over a passing woman. "I'm sorry, ma'am, sorry!" She cursed at him but ended with a smile when she noticed his clearly regretful face. "Please, Bryn, milord, I mean, sir, mister, follow me."

They soon arrived to Mary Anne's quarters within the town and were granted entry. Mary Anne was sat at her table, writing, when they entered. Her captain Elena was quick to greet the boy and look carefully over the man.

"Princess, he's here." The dame looked up. Her left ear was still bandaged from the most recent battle wound.

"Ah, mister Bryn!" she got up and approached him with an extended hand. "I'm glad to meet you finally! I owe you so much, we all do... Please make yourself comfortable."

Bryn meets the perleoni princess

Bryn paced quietly back and forth a short stone's throw away from the edge of the Perleonite camp. He had been waiting here for some time since sending word through the guards that he had arrived on Lady Bluelake's summons. Though they had not initially believed him - Bryn was still a young man, and had not yet the hardened look of the experienced hunter he hoped to live long enough to become. It wasn't until they nearly ripped his recommendation letter from King Asher, carefully tucked into a sidepocket in his pack, that they realized that he was probably telling the truth, and returned his gear - excepting his weapons which they insisted be held until he left the camp - to him and sent word to the Lady. Now he was approached by a boy only a little older than his adoptive mother's son, Thomas, would be now.

He paused briefly wondering what Thomas might look like now, and what Thomas would think if he had known of his choice to forsake his adoptive home in Nivemus. Bryn's mother had been a refugee from Westmoor, and had returned to her family in Nivemus to protect her then-unborn son's life.

He shook his head softly, ending the brief reverie. The past was behind him, and there was no turning back. A noble lady's summons was before him, and he would not risk her disappointment. He smiled briefly and nodded to the boy, "Good day to you! Bryn will suffice, or Mister Bryn if you must. But please, lead on, I would not wish to keep your lady waiting."

---

After apparently passing the captain's careful inspection, Bryn was ushered past the door into the lady's quarters, where he saw her sitting at a table, apparently writing. Looking at the stack of already-inked parchment beside her, Bryn did not envy her. Though he had been taught to read and write by his mother, the stack of paper at the lady's side looked to contain more words than Bryn had ever read in his entire 21 years. Once he looked past the mound of parchment to the lady, he quickly took on a concerned expression at the sight of her bandaged ear. However, he quickly remembered his manners, and bowed deeply before her, "My lady Bluelake, it is an honor to serve you, and an even greater honor to meet you."

As he slowly rose from his bow, he gestured towards her ear, "I hope the Divine has been kind to you and protected you from any permanent damage, my lady?"

Mary Anne talks of a battle scar

Mary Anne took her hand to her left ear. So Bryn was also a follower of the church. She hadn't gotten used to calling all deities by the general Divine yet. She offered a kind, yet a little sad, smile "I don't think they have, Bryn. It looks much better than at the time of battle, of course, but it won't be even near perfect. At least we were able to sew it all together to their right places - and I wear my hair quite long." Running her hand through one of the auburn locks, the princess shook her head. "But it's no matter. I was imprudent, held my archerwomen in the field way beyond what our orders commanded, until they were all dead or hurt, and I paid the price. A small price compared to that which their families paid."

Looking at the young hunter, younger than she'd have imagined for his line of work, Mary Anne asked. "Can I see it?"

Bryn presents the ring

At her words of the battlefield, Bryn sank a little lower in stature, sighing quietly, he had not meant to make the lady sad. Sadness did not suit her. He was somewhat taken aback, however. He had not expected a noble to care about the families of the common men and women who made up their armies.

Bryn stood straight again, pulling himself out of his slight slouch, and bowed his head, placing a hand over his heart, "I am terribly sorry for your loss, my lady. I will pray for their souls and for their families the next time I visit a shrine or a temple."

The princess looked at him, considering he knew not what, and asked, "Can I see it?"

The young hunter quickly perked up and responded, "Certainly, my lady!"

He lifted up his land hand, palm facing the ground, and with a few fingers of his right hand fished out a small package of cloth from underneath the back of his glove. He walked slowly to the table from which the lady had risen to greet him, the package cradled carefully in his palms, and deposited the package upon the table. Drawing one edge of the cloth away from where it was tucked in, he slowly unwrapped the package, until the cloth was unfolded upon the table, with a gleaming ring resting in the center of the cloth.

Backing away from the table to allow the princess to inspect his prize, Bryn half-bowed and gestured from her to the ring upon the table, "Please have a look, I do hope that it meets your expectations."

The ring's description

The young hunter did have a sense of showmanship. As he slowly unwrapped the ring, Mary Anne waited. She figured the Glowing Ring of Autumn would be a flowery ring full of shining gems, possibly silver or copper to evoke the season colors. But when he finally stepped back, she gasped. It was beautiful. .. The princess reached out to touch it. It felt so smooth. Wouldn't ever get in the way of good swordbearing or archery. She put it back and wrapped it up, then picked a small leather bag from her belt and offered it to the man.

"Mister Bryn, this is perfect. Here's what we agreed on. Inside there's also a letter where I offer you my protection, should you ever need it. Just know that I have no influence in the north." she smiled an almost painful smile "There's no amount of gold or protection in the world to thank you for what you have done for Glory. So that's something I still have to repay you for."

Bryn inquires after Glory

Bryn took the proffered leather bag from the Lady, and carefully placed it in a pouch on his own belt. She had been kind and honorable thus far, he would not insult her by counting the coins in her presence.

"It was my honor, my Lady. I believe you mentioned that this was to be for a commitment of love, and I hope that the ring shall serve whoever receives it as well as the commitment itself." Bryn gives a slight bow, and lightly pats the pouch he had placed the Lady's bag into as he stands straight again, "I thank you for your business, and especially for your letter. If the Divine should favor me, I won't need it. But I dare not pretend to know the mind or the will of the Divine. I appreciate the gesture. And I shall certainly stay as far from the North as I can. That witchcraft in Bescanon, I've heard about it even here, and I want nothing to do with that foul sorcery."

Bryn turns to make his exit, and then slowly turns back with a thoughtful look on his face, "If I may, what became of Princess Glory? After I delivered the scroll, I was not permitted to stay. I heard rumor that she was well again, and if the rumors are true, I am all the more glad of it, but I have learned not to trust in rumor alone."

The trade is done

The princess just nodded at Bryn's best wishes for the engagement. It wasn't her place to announce a friend's betrothal, especially not one filled with such controversy.

"If I may, what became of Princess Glory? After I delivered the scroll, I was not permitted to stay. I heard rumor that she was well again, and if the rumors are true, I am all the more glad of it, but I have learned not to trust in rumor alone."

At that, she smiled. "Oh, Glory is just perfect. She got well, she got well soon enough to stop a war from starting, thankfully. But still, after the happenings in Bescanon, and all that her father went through, she became quite wary of magic, so we are done with that. She's attempting to remove all magic on these lands by calling upon ancient deities. I don't know if the Divine would bother with such requests, but it doesn't hurt to try. I have prayed and lent her my support." She wondered for a bit if she had said too much. Magic was never an easy conversation to have. And she didn't feel like having it right then either.

"I truly thank you, and, should you find yourself in trouble, ask for my help, and you shall have it." With a wave, turning back to her pile of letters with a rather displeased look, she added. "Sometimes I wish I could just walk out as well. Until we meet again, mister Bryn."

And got to writing, as her captain escorted the hunter out.