Arcaea/Dining Hall/Retuning Harmony
Harmony walked out of the manor, blinking her eyes at the bright sunshine. She hadn’t realized that it was daytime. She didn’t even know what day it was. There were soldiers bustling about...lords...ladies...
For a few moments, Harm just stood there...watching everyone...feeling oddly disconnected from all of the activity. It was over...all over. She shivered despite the warm sun...was it over? Was he really dead? Someone should find his body and cut the head off of it...just to be certain. She turned to go back inside, to tell...someone that they should cut off his head, when she heard her name being called.
Father...and Edara with him...
Dougal’s arms felt warm and safe. Both of them were talking to her, but she just leaned into her father and concentrated on not crying. She was vaguely aware of her cousin wrapping a cloak around her. Yes...that was good...not very dressed...should cover up...she needed something else...something...
“Father...please...may I have your sword...just for...just for awhile,” Harmony looked beseechingly at him. Dougal frowned slightly, but unbuckled his sword and handed it to her. She buckled it around her hips with a feeling of relief...but there was something...
“Boots. I need boots,” she looked down at her cousin’s feet, but it was obvious even in her dazed state that Edara’s boots were far too small. Still frowning at her, Dougal beckoned one of his men over.
“Go and find my daughter some boots,” he commanded.
Boots, milord? I...uh...” the soldier looked baffled.
“Look at her feet. Go and find one of the striplings and take their boots for the Lady Harmony. There’s bound to be one that will have feet near enough the size...one of the slender ones.”
While they waited, Edara kept talking...asking her questions and then saying things that were meant to be reassuring...then asking her more questions. Dougal was quiet, watching her keenly, but saying nothing.
Harmony let her little cousin’s words roll over her like a pleasant wave and smiled vaguely and said, “Everything is fine. I’m fine.”
Dougal’s man rushed back with several pairs of boots, trailed by several curious, barefoot young soldiers. One of the pairs was a decent enough fit, and Harmony laced them on happily. The soldier to whom they had belonged returned to his labours...shoeless, but bearing a smug smile: The lovely Lady Harmony was wearing his boots.
Harmony held out a hand to her father, and wordlessly he handed her a knife She slid it into the top of her boot and smiled. Now she felt more herself. She looked around again at all the activity...the troops moving in and around the manor. She repressed another urge to shudder...she had no desire to enter that house again.
“Wait...did you say that they were going to burn it?” Her eyes showed an alert interest for the first time.
“Yes...I believe that was the word from Jenred,” Dougal told her, relaxing slightly, “Some of the men are going now to find oil and make torches.”
“Good,” she nodded approvingly, “I want to wait here and watch it burn,” Harmony stared blindly at the ramshackle house and murmured to herself, “...it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.*”
- Hey, it's the Bible.
Lady Harmony Kindon (Dame of Nocaneb)
When news of Goffrey’s victory had reached Richter’s ears, he made a bee line for the forbidden section of his father’s library, looking for a single book in particular.
The astonishing feat his brother had achieved had spread through the men like wildfire, and already story’s and legends were being born. Still Richter had little time for such frivolous chatter, already preparations were underway that would amend his mistakes of old.
After a few minutes of frantic searching, the book in question was found, along with several others that Richter hoped would be useful.
’This isn’t the end,’ he thought to himself, ’not for Goffrey anyway, no its only begun for him.’
Richter tarried only a little longer, relishing the place that been his one and only sanctuary during his childhood before trudging out the door for the last time.
He arrived at his next destination without further ado, finding it with a practiced ease. The room he and his brother shared in their youth. The door was open and the iron gate was locked in place above the frame. With a purpose in his steep Richter strode into the room and lifted up a floor board in the left corner of the room. Richter left his room without looking back, never even pausing for a glance, his sole possession from when he was a boy tucked safely under his arm.
Moments later, the oil was in place, and everyone had removed themselves from the vicinity of the manor, Richter stood at the forefront of a small group of men armed with torches.
He raised his hand, and in unison the torch handlers light they’re sticks. Suddenly, Richter stopped, and almost as an afterthought he motioned Udo forward for his torch.
Torch in hand he strode up to the Lady Harmony, and placed his hand her shoulder and offered her the torch.
“Here,” he said, his voice reassuring, yet still as hard as always, “Take it, it won’t take away what he did to you, but.......it helps......” he left the sentence hanging, feeling slightly awkward, as he waited for her response.
Richter Massey Marshal of the Tribute Collecting Army
Harmony looked at the torch in Richter’s hand and then looked into his eyes. She reached out and touched his face lightly, “Oh...what he did to me for a few days...was nothing compared to the evil he lavished on you and your brother over a lifetime.”
She dropped her hand and taking the torch from him she looked grimly at the Massey manor, “I rather hope he’s still alive in there...broken under the rubble...and that he feels every lick of flame...that his last breaths are heat and smoke...and pain. Even then...even then it won’t be nearly enough.”
She waited while the first of the torch bearers went into the house to start the fire from the center, then approached the house as they emerged to touch her burning brand to the oil-soaked timbers. Trailing around the house, they started blazes on every side. At last, Harmony threw her torch in through a broken window and stepped back to watch the house go up.
She would not be satisfied until there was nothing left but ashes.
Lady Harmony Kindon (Dame of Nocaneb)
After letting the realm know of the outcome of the kidnapping, Jenred made his way over to wear he saw both Kindon crests flying, guessing that Edara and Harmony would be there. As he approached, he was unsurprised to see Dougal as well. Harmony was...oddly dressed. A cloak did little to hide the tattered remnants of her shift, and several of the soldiers nearby were stumbling, unable to tear their eyes away. But...Why was she wearing a sword? And boots? Well, boots perhaps, her feet must be in pain, but a sword...With no pants?
Edara spotted him, her eyes filled with worry only partially alleviated by seeing him. He gestured toward Harmony's sword with a brow raised in confusion, and Edara's concerned shrug did nothing to reassure him. Harmony caught the movement, and turned with a surprising degree of speed, hand on her sword hilt, before seeing Jenred and relaxing. The sudden flash of fear was...Disquieting, but...Oh. Jenred had seen that fear before. On the faces of parents who had lost children to monster attacks. The huge monsters that rampaged with little thought or cunning were hard to kill, but not really all that frightening once you had fought them a few times, and the peasants he had met all knew how they were dealt with. But it was the others...The monsters that crept in to rob cradles, leaving a few bloodstains as the only evidence...Those were the ones that left you with nightmares...
Jenred spoke, knowing that it was going to be a long, long time before Harmony recovered from this...
"Lady Harmony...Let's get you in the Healer's tent, and find some better clothes. I think your captain has one of your fighting outfits handy, and I brought my old adventuring and infiltrating gear, we can get you properly outfitted shortly."
Sir Jenred Bedwyr Imperial Magistrate of Arcaea
Harmony’s initial daze had given way to tension: she felt so jumpy...or like a spring wound too tightly. Still...she felt so damned disconnected, and she had enough of her wits about her to wonder why. Nothing really bad had even happened to her. And why should she twitch at anyone’s approach?
“Healer’s tent, eh? Do I look so bad, then?” she grinned at Jenred in a poor attempt at humour. Harmony looked down at her scabbed wrists and considered the scrapes and bruises on her body...she probably did look that bad. She sighed and trudged towards the tent with the whole family in tow.
Family.
Harmony shivered again...Goffrey and Richter...their family had been a nightmare. She considered her own fortune as she entered the Healer’s tent. She had had a delightful childhood and a charmed adolescence...the only blot in her whole life was losing her mother as she herself crossed into womanhood. Harmony had then sought adventure and treasure...and found both...and walked away from the danger when she’d had enough of the latter to set herself up in a respectable business. Then...her father...and more family than she knew what to do with.
How had she never considered how blasted lucky she had been...always? How could she not have seen...oh...because if you were lucky...you never thought about it...just took it as your due. Then, when your luck ran a bit stale...all the more shocking.
Harmony stayed lost in her own thoughts whilst the healers cleaned and bandaged her wounds. While she sponged off the worst of the grime—damn she longed for a proper bath—and dressed in proper clothes. She knew that everyone was waiting for her...to tell them what had happened...what she had been through. But how? How could she explain that...nothing had really happened—he hadn’t even hurt her much—but that somehow it was worse than anything?
Lady Harmony Kindon (Dame of Nocaneb)
After the Healer's took custody of Harmony, Jenred motioned for Edara and Dougal to come with him. He wasn't sure if Dougal knew the kind of fear Harmony was going through or not, but he was dead sure Edara didn't.
After they left the camp proper, Jenred settled against a tree and drew a hand down his face. This was not going to be a pleasant conversation.
"Ke'chara...I've got a pretty good guess as to why Harmony wanted a sword and boots before even going for real clothes. But first, I need to know how bad it is...Did she ask for anything else besides those? Any other weapons, armor, tools?"
Jenred split his attention between the confused Edara, and the hard-to-read Dougal. This would be easier if Dougal could confirm what he was about to say...And would make it much more difficult if he had lived too sheltered a life for such fear to impact him or his...
Sir Jenred Bedwyr Imperial Magistrate of Arcaea
Edara looked at Jenred with some confusion, "Tools? No...she just wanted a sword...and boots. Why would she want tools?"
"Knife," Dougal said quietly, "She wanted a knife...probably would have liked more than one, but that was all I had with me," he said ruefully, "But, one seemed to be enough for the...reassurance...that she was looking for."
Dougal rubbed his face, "She's afraid...she's still afraid...even though he's dead. And I don't know what he did to her..." he said bleakly, his voice trailing off as he considered the possibilities that had been plaguing his mind.
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Nocaneb
Jenred nodded at Dougal. Good, he did know what they were up against.
"I see you've seen this before...Like I said, I brought my old adventuring and infiltrating kits, in case we'd end up needing those skills...I sent them over to the Healers, they'll give her enough weapons to suit her. But...We can't ask her about it. He's gone, we don't need the info, and forcing her to relive it too soon would be...A mistake. Edara...She's shaken. How deep it is, I don't know, but the fact that just a sword wasn't enough is...Bad."
Jenred sighed.
"This is going to fall to you two, she's close to both of you...Wish we had someone who knew her longer..."
Sir Jenred Bedwyr Imperial Magistrate of Arcaea
Dougal nodded tiredly at Jenred.
“She’s definitely…not all right. I’ve seen this effect before. I’m not even certain if I should take her home right now, as that’s where…he took her from.”
Edara looked at the two men and frowned, “That doesn’t make any sense at all. Of course she wanted more than a sword—wouldn’t you? I wasn’t even taken by that horrible man, and I’d like a few more weapons handy…just in case he isn’t dead. He wasn’t dead before, you know…”
Her face grew stubborn, “I think she’d want to talk about it. I don’t see how not talking about it does any good. Doesn’t make it so that it didn’t happen…just leaves everything in your head. And if she doesn’t want to go home, she can stay with us…we have lots of room.”
Dougal smiled gently at her, “Not everyone likes to talk as much as you do, little one. And…Harmony may not like the castle any better. He came there first. We’ll just let her take the lead…see what she wants to do…and how much she wants to say.”
Edara inclined her head at her Uncle slightly, but the stubborn look didn't leave her face.
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Nocaneb
After receiving word that Harmony was safe, Arlian cut off his current line of thought. Apparently, he wouldn't need to arrange something unpleasant for Goffrey after all...
And a party in Lantzas...After quickly scanning the listings for Nocaneb duchy, Arlian decided he could be spared for the party...
He set off to Remton with a bounce in his step. If asked, he would have denied any particular tension. Vehemently.
Very vehemently.
Arlian began humming, off-key.
Sir Arlian Bedwyr (Knight of Orbeh)
Goffrey awoke alone in a tent, befuddled as too his surroundings. He found a cast about his arm, apparently broken when the roof fell on him, and stitches covering most of his torso. The last thing he remembered seeing was the charred remains of Massey Manor’s great hall. He rose to an upright position, grunting in pain as he did so. The healers had been characteristically unconcerned with his clothing as usually and the lack of a shirt about his chest was all the proof Goffrey needed of this.
He pushed such physical discomforts to the side, he had a job to do, and he had to make sure he had been successful….he had to see Harmony, alive and safe, for himself.
With slow practiced movements Goffrey pulled himself to his feet and began the arduous task of sneaking out of his tent, and finding out just where they would have sent Harmony.
Several moments of slow motion searching/sneaking finally resulted in Goffrey locating the tent in which the healers were attending to Harmony.
They were apparently just finishing up, telling her to get some rest in that comforting voice Goffrey was so familiar with, when he entered. The healers on duty there scrutinized him, wondering if he should really be out and about given the amount of work already preformed on him, but they emptied the tent all the same, deciding to give the two of them a bit of alone time.
He smiled his most reassuring and warm smile as he approached Harmony, pulling up a nearby chair and sitting down next to her, not entirely sure what to say.
Words rushed through his head faster then he could keep track, thousands of unformed sentences, and unfinished thoughts drowning out his ability to talk. Goffrey sat there for the longest time, doing nothing but staring at Harmony before he finally spoke.
“.......I know.........its okay........,” he said, his face becoming serious but warm and comforting at the same time, “Do you want to.........to talk about it?”
Richter Massey
Marshal of the Tribute Collecting Army
Harmony was relacing up her borrowed boots when Goffrey entered the tent. She watched him curiously as he sidled up next to her and sat down. She waited while he sat there just...gazing...at her. The way he stared at her made her feel a little queasy. What the devil was she going to do about him?
When he asked her if she wanted to talk about it...for a moment, Harmony thought about punching him. She could see it clearly in her head: her hand fisting, snaking out, catching him right on his nose...she could even see the blood spray and hear the satisfying /crack/.
She stood up, “No, Goffrey. I don’t want to talk about it. In fact, I really don’t want to talk to you at all right now. And, why are you even out of bed? Didn’t a roof just fall on you?”
Harmony pulled open Jenred’s kit and began apportioning knives about her person whilst she was talking.
“I’m not entirely sure what happened between you and that piece of excrement that fathered you, but I can’t believe that the best answer was one-on-one combat,” she eyed him as she strapped on Dougal’s sword, “You almost DIED in there! Again! Nine bloody hells, Goff...” Harmony shook her head.
“No...I can’t talk to you right now...I’ll say something that I’ll regret...or worse...I’ll say something that I won’t regret,” Harmony sighed, “I’m going to find my father now...just...just go back to bed...better yet...lay down in here and save yourself any further damage...you look like hell.”
She gathered up Edara’s cloak and Jenred’s kit. She hesitated over the remnants of her night shift before bundling it into the pack. Without a backward glance, Harmony strode from the tent.
Lady Harmony Kindon (Dame of Nocaneb)
Goffrey sat in the tent for awhile after Harmony had left, unsure of what to do at this point. He had come here hoping to provide some comfort to Harmony after her whole ordeal with Siegfried, he had not expected anything like.....well like that.
A man could only take so much heart break, and Goffrey, was in the end, just a man. So, without thinking, he pulled himself his feet, not really minding his wounds anymore, and marched outside.
"Eugen," he said, his voice sounding dead inside, "Bring me my horse, we're done here, we're going home now."
"But Ma'Lord, your injur...." started Eugen before Goffrey cut him off.
"Eugen ethier get me my horse or I'll get someone who will."
Eugen stood in shock for a moment, befuddled and a little hurt at the abrupt change in his once light hearted Lord, before nodding and striding off to fulfill his request.
It took a few goes for Goffrey to mount his horse, the pain and retaining only one arm hindering him. By the time the horse and saddle were firmly beneath him, he had already torn most of his stitches, and reopened 3 of his internal wounds.
Goffrey spat the blood in his mouth out and he motioned his men forward, only wobbling slightly with the effort.
He passed Harmony on his way out, sparring her only a passing glance as he rode by. They broke passed the gathered army of Arcaea and left the land of his old home, possibly for the last time.
They were forced to stop in Remton after several hours of hard riding, blood loss forcing Goffrey from his saddle and into bed rest.
After all he had done, after all he had accomplished, vanquishing his father, saving Harmony's life, he still felt....dead....like he should have let his father finish him off back in the manor. Only one thought rang in his head as he fell into another slumber on the healer's bed.
'Why did it matter.....whats the point.....'
Goffrey Massey Baron of Sasat
