Lightstar Family/Xarnelf/Roleplay 69/Epic Saga 10
Part 7: A Stable Encounter
The pair entered the stables and paused, trying to locate the commoner amongst the shadows. A couple guards, including the sergeant from before, stood at the doorway with torches held high. They looked quite comical there, standing side by side; the one still dressed in his tinkling chain mail, which he had not removed since returning, and the other wrapped up in a large, off-white colored robe.
Venturing forwards a few steps, Marcus called out, "Hello?" into the darkness.
(Roleplay from Irdys Galeheart)
Irdys woke with a start as she heard people enter the stables. Eyes staring out through the window high up in the slanted roof it was clear it was still night, who would intrude at this hour? Her hands immediatly shot to her side, feeling the blade was still there as reassurance before carefully creeping to the edge of the loft.
The loft had been, one could only say strategically chosen. High up near the rafters, a single ladder leading up but several bales of hay down below for easy ways down. A good view of the stable and, most importantly, positioned so that any opening of the door would wake the occupant if they slept lightly, much as had happened.
Her eyes gazed carefully down into the stables. Two men from what she could see, and by the flickering light of the torch they were well enough off. One was the weapon master if she was any judge. Seeing that her hand carefully crept to the hilt of her sword again, would he really come at night to take the blade? He'd seemed a kind enough man...
This wasn't a place to pick a fight, or after a moments contemplation Irdys realized even to doubt the truth and honour of men. That was exactly why she'd come here, not to have to do that any longer.
Swiftly sliding the drab brown cloak round herself again she slid down from the hay loft. Some rustling sound likely penetrated down into the stables for the practised ear, but that would be unavoidable, she just hoped it wouldn't disturb them much.
Pulling the cloak more tightly round herself she stepped forward and gave a cortious bow to the two men, not daring to gaze up to see if they'd noticed her sliding down. It was bad enough what she'd thought to herself, best not show just how tense she was in these alien lands more then she needed to.
Her voice rang out with a hint of tremor, higher then she'd hoped; A hint of who she really was before she managed to gruffen it again;
"Sirs, an honour, is something wrong that you come at this hour?"
And, clear enough, the young adventurer had not yet noticed who the armorers companion was. Merely a well dressed man, but the Duke? The thought really hadn't entered her mind yet...
"Ah, there you are!" the weapons-master remarked with a smile, as he peered into the gloom ahead, seeing only the vague outline of the adventurer. At a signal from the duke, the guards entered the stable to shed more light on their surroundings. All could now see the commoner some distance before them, wrapped in a brown travelling cloak, who had had the sense to bow to the visitors before speaking.
Marcus held up a reassuring hand and replied, "No, nothing is wrong..." He turned then to the man by his side and bowed his head slightly as he made an introduction. "May I present His Grace, Duke Lightstar of Idapur, who wishes to see firsthand that magnificent blade which you have shown to me."
Xarnelf crossed his arms and continued his perusal of the adventurer. The man's voice had sounded strangely high-pitched earlier, before it had suddenly deepened, but perhaps that was simply due to the commoner being younger than he appeared and merely acting older.
