Mercury's entourage showed up at Dave's castle a few days later. Mercury and Dave met and discussed all the implications of what had happenned at Northumbray's castle. Dave didn't tell me all the details; he thinks it would be better for me not to know, since I'm leaving the country. However, things don't look so good for him; it looks like Northumbray may try to pin the whole fiasco on Dave. I offered to stay with him, but he told me that things would be worse if he had to worry about me, on top of everything else, and if Archibald was really after me, then I should be as far away from England as I could get. So, I agreed to leave with the rest of them.
I managed to corner Mercury and asked him about his interest in Keef. His reply was pretty vague. At first he said, "Well, I can't have someone looking like that in my entourage," shaking his head at the thought of the lime jacket and red pants. But he became pensive, as if he didn't think he really answered the question properly. And then he said, "I'm not sure why I want to help him so much. It's as though I know him. I feel like I owe him something, which is strange, because it's really quite the reverse."
Mercury brought us to a port in his land, and got us smuggled aboard a Sea Folk ship with whose captain he had "dealings." To avoid the customs officials, we were smuggled aboard in large boxes marked "Live Animals." Erose seemed to take the role enthousiastically, according to Vrba (who shared her crate). I boxed with Keef.
When we were out of English waters, we got de-boxed, and were treated to supper in the captain's cabin. His name was Wayej, and he came from the main Sea Folk port, Port Royal. He questioned us about any non-Sea Folk ships we might know about (maybe he heard a rumor?). Amazingly, everybody kept their mouths shut about the Elf ship we took originally, and the ships in the South. I didn't want to mess up any plan Dave or Mercury might have for those ships; if they want the SF to attack those ships, they are perfectly able to contact them. We also learned that the Sea Folk-English alliance is becoming strained. We got dropped off at the port in Dave's holdings in the White Dukedom where we'd left most of our stuff. This area is where his horse-training places are. He'd sent word that I was to have a nice horse to replace my poor, lost Pooka. I got a good (light war-horse), even-tempered gelding named Larsha. He seems to get along with the packhorse I picked up in Steinhall (Oskar).
While I was in Eldamar, I wanted to take the chance to spend some time at a real Elven bard hall. The others didn't object to doing some touristing, so we travelled to Snowdon, the "capital" of the Dukedom, which has one of the largest Halls outside Imrryr. I took up residence there, studying, and relaying the tales of my recent adventures in Mexico and Egypt. I also arranged for the extra magic guitar I got in Greece to be sent to the Rock, to Gibson. I'm betting he finds a way to make them on a large scale within half a decade, probably less. I also took some time to learn the basics of knife-fighting, and brush up on some other skills.
While I studied, my comrades-in-arms spent some time travelling around, seeing the sights of Eldamar. Erose and Hal travelled with Vrba to a Grey Elf commune about a day's ride north of Snowdon. Apparently, Vrba felt he'd been contaminated in some way, and had to undergo a mojor purification ritual, which involved diving into a vat of flaming dragon dung. Those Grey Elves are a seriously strange bunch. Vrba got Hal and Erose named to the dubious honor of "righteous infidels" for their courage in sampling Grey Elf mind-altering substances like "Wyvern Whiskey."
I suggested to Hal and Keef that they visit Lothlorien. Hal seems like the sort of person who would truly appreciate it, and I thought it might have a healing effect on Keef, who seems to be suffering from a malady of the soul. Vrba, Sanjay, and Erose went along. While on the road, they had an encounter with a great elk. A stag, as a matter of fact--a rutting stag. When those guys are excited, they'll try to mount anything that moves; they aren't considered a male fertility symbol for nothing! According to Keef, Sanjay and Vrba were in mortal danger of being buggered by the elk, and were only saved by the mating call of a female great elk. This is especially amusing, because the great elk is considered sacred by the Grey Elves, and Vrba felt that he had to submit graciously to the elk's advances.
On a side note, Sanjay followed the elk to its rendezvous, and made detailed notes of the elk mating process. He's written it up as an "erotic scroll," complete with pictures. He calls it "The Woody Wood." I would never (well, hardly ever) want to discourage true attempts at artistic expression, but I can't imagine anybody getting off on a description of two animals going at it. I'm not going to comment to him on that, though, for fear that he'll take it as an invite to come peeking in my bedroom window.
While they were gone, I had an audience with Dave's wife, the Lady Angela. I gave her the missives Dave had sent for her. I don't know how much she knows about Dave & me, and I didn't dare ask, but she must at least suspect something, because she was rather cold and distant with me, in spite of my best efforts to be charming.
After I'd finished my business at the Bard Hall, and the rest of the party returned from their various jaunts about Eldamar, we boarded a ship for Bremen. By the time we got to Steinhall, it was mid-spring.
On our way through Steinhall City, I took the message to Happy Hogan's family, the Steinbecks, which he'd given me all that time ago, and I forgot about on our last trip through the city. They were very happy to recieve word from Hogan, and insisted I stay for dinner. It was very tastey, especially the ale, which was from their family brewery. They told me to come by and visit them, next time I'm in the city. (Billy Ray took some time to visit the Main Temple of Odin and turn over the evil soul-sucking sword to them for safe-keeping, de-spelling, or whatever they do with such things. I'm glad to have that thing out of my keeping.)
Keef asked around about Harris and his pals, but if he found out anything, he's kept it from me.
We got back to River's End. Everybody was very happy to see Keef alive and (relatively) well. The River's Enders did some training with the town guard, which has grown to a large size, due to the continuing orc raids. The mages went to Throntax to see if they could work some deal with her for training them. She said she'd train them if they undertook a "quest" for her. They agreed. More on that, later.
I've been doing what I can to avert boredom while everybody is training. There's a Persian barmaid at the Spitting Camel who I hadn't seen before, named Sue. Her Steinhallish isn't very good, but she has other talents. She came on to me after a gig Keef, Udo, and I did there, and totally blew my mind...among other things. Her story is that she was a sex slave for a magician, until she was freed by Keef, Erose, Hal, and Billy Ray during one of their past adventures. Now she makes a decent living as a bar wench, and sleeps with the men _she_ chooses. Suits me fine.
| Persistence pays off, I guess. I propositioned Elspeth yesterday, expecting the usual brush-off, and she said yes! I'm recovering now. She must get her endurance from Thor himself. She wore me out, and still wanted more! That woman doesn't need a lover, she needs a fucking brigade! Even more disturbing, when she gets excited, the scars from the Drow ceremony show bright red. It is really disturbing to have one's partner break out in evil invokations when she comes. Not as disturbing as Throntax, though. | |
| Elspeth the Mighty |
Sitting outside the inn, drinking some juice to rehydrate myself, I noticed some signs plastered about town, advertising a Metallica concert in Lubeck, a month hence. The innkeeper, Herr Ahlberg, said that the fliers had been stuck up by a bunch of "rowdies," about a week ago. I ripped down the ones I saw, and told Ahlberg that Metallica had broken up, and they sucked, anyway. I'm sure he thought it was just musician rivalry.
 |
Speaking of Throntax, I got her to take a look at
the weapons we found in the cave, and the amps we picked up at the concert.
The longsword is of Elven make, called "Tongue of Death." Throntax
remarked that the name-sigil on the blade looked rather like my mouth:  . I decided to keep it, and gave
Svengal back to Erose. The mace is of goblin manufacture, and is called
"Bone-crusher, heh heh he said 'bone'." The bastard sword is called
"Conflagrator," and is of Dwarvish origin. Throntax said that it had some
kind of power, but she wasn't about to spend the hours needed to divine it
just because I was cute. The name indicates its power may have something
to do with fire, but that's all I know. Maybe I'll take some time see if I
can make out some of the runes, later. She also looked at the amps, and
said that they didn't look like they were cursed or anything bad like that.
I may take them to
BRB to look at, as well, just to be on the safe side. |
| Mistress Throntax |
The Quest (as explained to us later by Vrba and Sanjay): Throntax has a sister. Many years ago, she was kidnapped, and everybody thought she was dead. Throntax recently discovered that her sister, Sarafina (Sara for short), was NOT dead, but had been sold into slavery in Persia. She recently was traded to a Steinhall mage of reknown (and evil repute), one Jurgen Göbels. He has a tower in the hiss near Naussberg, which is west of River's End. Sanjay and Vrba are supposed to sneak into Göbels' stronghold and steal Throntax's sister from him.