On to October (4 Dec 2001) Agatha and Alice leave the Lake.

Hall of the Lake
The first chamber at the top of the Spire is a vast hall of white marble veined by green streaks. A long green runner of carpet leads from the archway of the spiral staircase to a dais at the far end of the semi-circular chamber. Three imposing cushioned chairs rest there, carved of white horn and cushioned by emerald velvet. The same sourceless glow that illuminates the hall is whiter and cooler here, echoed by blue-green highlights from the long slanted window that opens onto the lake.

After sending the Leviathan to bring in her new "guests," Nymuae escorted the other girls to the top of the spire. After they reached the top, she sealed the lower staircase -- the floor literally smoothed over where it had been, showing no signs of its existence. The chairs floated in from equally well-hidden closets in the walls. Nymuae looked about the chamber in satisfaction, then walked to the central of the three seats and settled herself in. "No sense in making Captain Morrigan feel too welcome," she remarks.

Agatha takes a seat in one of the chairs, and fidgets. "I feel like I should be standing up to meet them. Do you use this chamber often?" she asks.

"Only for uninvited visitors," the Sorceress admits. "They're still on the Leviathan, riding over. One of my servants is watching them, to lead them down, Agatha. When they arrive, I'll stand to greet them." She still sounds disgruntled by Morrigan's imposition.

"You must have expected October to react though," Agatha notes. "I take it this isn't the first time you've met with this Morrigan?" she asks, trying to get comfortable still. She finds it hard to relax under the circumstances, and has to suppress the urge to get up and pace.

Alice seats herself to Nymuae's left, occupying herself by fussing over her gown, trying to find and smooth out every wrinkle. "Is Lord October's handmaiden nice, Rebecca? Should I say or do anything? What if they don't like us ... "

Kuon sits next to Alice, wagging slowly, distracted momentarily by her fussing before he returns to looking alertly at the others.

Nymuae nods. "It was Lord October who saw to my return to Mirari. I do owe him for that -- but he had his own purposes for doing it. He hoped to use me as a pawn in his vendetta against House April. But I did not realize that immediately, of course. I spent some time in his House, and a little of that in the company of Captain Morrigan. She is not ... nice, Alice. But she is polite. We need not fear here, not within my own Lake." The sorceress has a certain hesitation in her voice as she adds the final words.

"We can't stay in your Lake forever though, Nymuae," Agatha comments, and looks to Alice. "So you and I need to make a good impression, Alice."

Alice nods a little. "I'll try and do my very best, everything you taught me, Rebecca." She blinks and looks down as she notices Kuon looking at her as she frets, and offers him a reassuring smile before she turns to her other friends and asks, "Will Lord October be worried because I look like I'm from House April?"

"Worried?" Nymuae considers that. "It might be a matter of concern for him, yes. We shall see. They are on the landing now. My servant is guiding them down to us."

Agatha takes a deep breath and forces herself to calm down. "Here we go then."

Alice looks about to ask another question but quickly closes her mouth and turns to stare forward in the direction the guests will come. Her left hand untwines from her right long enough to zip out, smooth a crease, and then it returns to her lap as she straightens and gives her bets attempt at proper posture. She evens seems to force a smile, making for a polite if not exactly genuine appearance.

A bobbing will-o'-wisp, like the one that awakened Agatha and Alice that morning, bounces down the staircase and rolls a little way down the carpet, then bobs back the other way, as if to watch for visitors. At that moment, a silver-booted foot appears on the steps, and soon the entire figure comes into view. The antlered woman looks very intimidating in person, even with the advantage of the dais to give the girls added height. Her rack of antlers towers over her head, sharp and dangerous. Behind her, the other soldiers follow -- the deer-footed centaurs taking the steps carefully, while the tree-like men move in stately way. In contrast with their leader, who radiates an aura of confidence and security, the soldiers fidget, visibly anxious at their surroundings.

Nymuae rises from her chair to greet them. "I, Lady Sorceress Nymuae, give you greetings, O people of House October, and extend to you the welcome and the hospitality of the Lake."

Agatha nods her head in greeting, but doesn't feel confident enough about Mirari etiquette to stand or bow.

The little blonde girl glances at her friends out of the corner of her eyes, and apparently taking from Agatha's lead she looks back and inclines her head respectfully.

"On behalf of the Lord of October, Lady Sorceress, I thank you for your welcome," Captain Morrigan says. If there's irony in her words, it is well hidden. Her eyes flick to the two girls flanking the sorceress as she continues to walk towards the dais, stopping a few feet back from it. Her soldiers form a kind of wedge behind her, but either she cued them earlier not to advance too far, or they lose their nerve -- in any case, they fall back at about the halfway point in the hall. "Will you not introduce us to your guests, my lady?" Morrigan asks.

"Names have power, Captain of October. The custom of the Lake is to let each person name themselves. All my guests -- yourself and your men included -- may speak for themselves -- if they choose to," Nymuae answers, cryptically. Having greeted the handmaiden, she returns to her own seat.

Standing up, Agatha introduces herself. "I am Agatha of Ainigton. Pleased to meet you." No sense in giving away who she might really be, after all.

Alice rises and takes up the length of her gown offering a curtsey to the armored woman. "Forgive me, Captain Morrigan, for honesty ... and courtesy ... forbid me from presenting a name. But may it be said I am pleased to ... to make your acquaintance."

Kuon barks and wags his tail, standing up a little after Alice's introduction, by way of his own greeting. He looks brightly up at Alice.

The antlered woman bows the red-headed girl, her silver armor glinting in the white light. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Agatha," she says. Rising, she looks at Alice, as if not sure how to respond to that. "Honesty is an admirable trait," she says at last. "I am Captain Morrigan of House October, and leader my lord's troops. I gather you are friends of the Lady Sorceress, from her time in Ainigton?"

"Oh!" exclaims Alice as she looks down and gestures to the dog beside herself. "This cooki- ... noble canine is Kuon, my protector."

Something flicks through Morrigan's brown eyes as Alice introduces the dog, but she only nods and offers a slight bow to Kuon, as well.

The greyhound pauses at Morrigan's bow, then makes a show of slurping Alice's hand as if he hadn't more than two brain cells to rub together, wagging his tail "obliviously" at the sound of his name. "Bark!"

Agatha sits back down and tries not to grin at Kuon's antics.

Caught completely off-guard by the lick, Alice suddenly giggles, pulling her hand back and clutching it as the laughter echoes in the great hall. "Silly!" she tells him, and then she blushes as she finds that, yes, the captain is still there. She offers the woman an apologetic smile, curtseys lighter than before, and resumes being seated.

The greyhound looks innocent.

Morrigan stands before them, still waiting for an answer to her question. At last, Nymuae clears her throat. "Thou asked that thou might see my guests for thyself, Captain Morrigan, and tell Lord October whom I had brought. Now thou hast seen. I give thee my word -- I brought none other through thy master's portal, only these three. Art thou satisfied they pose no threat to thy house?"

The antlered woman answers, "I never said that we feared your guests might be enemies, Lady Sorceress, only that my lord wished to now more of them. It befits a lord to know those who travel through his lands."

"Yes, it could be said we hail from Ainigton," answers Alice cryptically, though her voice and cheery tone keep her from sounding like Nymuae. "We are most certainly friends of Rebe- ... the Lady Sorceress."

Morrigan nods to Alice. "You have the look of ones that the Lady Sorceress told me of, when she was new-returned to Mirari."

"We, or no I should say I, am very pleased to be here and ... and I offer Lord October my thank-yous for his ... hospitality in allowing us to walk ... to tread upon his lands."

"We apologize for any disturbance our arrival caused," Agatha adds.

"I am glad to hear it," Morrigan answers to both of them. "Before I left, my lord authorized me to invite all of you to return with me to House October. My lord would be pleased by your company, if you would be so gracious as to accept the invitation."

Agatha glances to Nymuae, trying to catch the sorceress' reaction to the invitation.

Alice casts an uncertain glance towards Nymuae. "Lady Sorceress? Your opinion?" she inquires quietly.

The Lady Sorceress folds her arms across her chest. "I have enjoyed enough of the Lord October's hospitality, thank you," she answers. "I have work to do at the Lake, and it cannot wait."

"I see, my lady. And do you speak for your friends, as well?" Captain Morrigan glances between the two younger girls.

Agatha turns and leans over to whisper to Nymuae, "I wouldn't mind seeing October for myself, so long as it was under familiar circumstances, like a dinner."

Alice looks between Nymuae and Morrigan, then hesitantly offers, "I would very much like to attend the Lord's court, Lady Sorceress. Maybe ... mayhaps I could learn there what I cannot here? I want to learn more, be more prepared to meet her, so I can make a good impression. To be sure."

The sorceress looks disgruntled, but she nods to her friends' words nonetheless. "My guests speak for themselves, Captain Morrigan, and may come and go as they please -- be it from October's House or my Lake. I am sure no one would wish to hinder my friends." The emphasis is unmistakable.

Morrigan smiles briefly. The expression looks out of place on her face. "I am sure not. I believe the Lord October may have much of value to offer you," she says to the two girls, "in addition to his hospitality. He has information that may be of use to you, as I believe certain things he told the Lady Sorceress were useful to her."

"I would be most appreciative of Lord October's offer of assis- ... assistance, Captain Morrigan. I have many questions," says Alice.

Agatha raises her eyebrows, and nods to the handmaiden. "Information is what we're here to get, certainly."

The antlered woman bows again. "We are agreed, then. If the Lady Sorceress will not object to the imposition, I and my men will wait here, that we may offer you escort back to my lord's lands," she offers.

"Very well," Nymuae says. She gestures, and the floor around the stairwell opens up to reveal the spiral continuing downwards. The deer-soldiers start to one side, spooked. "My wisp will guide you below, where you may find refreshment after your long ride, Captain Morrigan," she instructs, and the gold glowing ball bobs obediently by the stairs. "Do not stray from the path it shows you."

The blonde turns her gaze again to her ebon-haired friend and asks, "Lady Sorceress, are you in need of us? If you are not then I think I'm ready to go when Agatha is. And may I go with them while they rest? I have many questions."

The sorceress holds her friends back until after October's people have taken leave of the hall. "I do not need to caution you about them, do I? I am sure they will not hurt you -- but they may try to use you. Be wary of whatever it seems they want of you."

"I have a little experience with that," Agatha says, standing up. "Tristan did as much. Be careful of gifts too, Alice. You never know what might be a bribe."

"Oh," says Alice, nodding. "I don't ... really understand, but if I'm not sure, I'll ask Agatha or you Lady Sorceress, okay?"

"Kuon, be sure to nose Alice in the ankle if it looks like she's about to promise or agree to anything when I'm not around, okay?" Agatha asks of the greyhound.

The greyhound barks up at Agatha alertly.

"You'll want to put on some warm pants under your skirts too, Alice," Agatha notes, rubbing her chin. "And maybe bring some galoshes. Just because we're riding there doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared to cover ground on foot, just in case."

"You'll have to trust Agatha to help you, Alice," Nymuae says, seriously. "I was serious when I told her that I cannot afford to pay social calls at this time. Here -- " She digs into a pouch at her side, and takes out two small amulets on chains. They have the symbol of a leaping hart on them. "If you truly need me, hold this in your hand and say my name three times. I will come if I can."

Alice wrinkles her nose, both at the suggestion and the potential cold-nosing. "Okay. But I want to look nice for Lord October's court. I don't want to dress silly," she says.

Agatha takes one of the amulets and slips it over her head, tucking it away under her shirt for safekeeping.

"I'll provide you some spare clothing to change into, if you need it, Alice," Nymuae promises.

"No one will see the pants unless they're looking under your skirt anyway, Alice," Agatha points out. "And galoshes will keep your shoes clean."

Blinking down at the pendants, Alice extends her hand to accept one. She brushes her hair back as she settles the amulet in place around her neck. After a bit of adjustment of her now many necklaces, Alice tucks her newest one away beneath her gown. She then gives Agatha another nod. "Okay Agatha, I will then."

Morrigan offers the girls the choice of riding behind her on her knightsteed, or on the back of one of the deer-centaurs. Alice accepts the back of the knightsteed, while Agatha rides on the strongest of the bucks. The tree men divvy up the girls' ordinary possessions among their own packs, though Agatha has left her lance behind, and carries her sword on her back.

The deer-man carrying Agatha proves to be better company than Morrigan -- he's a friendly, talkative man who appears to have taken an immediate and unaffected liking to Agatha. Morrigan is polite, but cool and uninformative, responding to questions with as few words as she can without being rude. Try as she might, Alice can't escape the conclusion that Nymuae was right about the antlered woman -- she's not nice.

Tugging her cloak closer around her against the cold, Agatha asks her ride, "Has the Lady Sorceress actually done anything to make you seem so nervous around her?"

After a half an hour of trying to strike up friendly conversation with Captain Morrigan Alice has since given up, and seems to have settled with bundling up in to a cloak-covered fuzzy topped lump behind Morrigan -- if not appearing exactly happy. She's been silent for some time.

"Well, er, no, not really," the buck, whose name is Caradoc, answers. "I mean, not in person. Actually, I talked to her a couple of times, early on, you know, before, and she seemed nice enough. It's just -- all the stories you hear. She may be good but she's terribly powerful. Makes a body nervous, not knowing exactly what might happen next. And it's no secret she ain't exactly happy with the Lord just at the moment."

"Well, I hope that I don't change," Agatha says to Caradoc. "I just want to get this winter taken care of."

Alice fidgets under her cloak, her arms obscured underneath her cloak. She reaches out of the cloak and then into her bag, retrieving her favorite stuffed animal, then pulls him under the cloak, hugging him, as she hums the Melody of Thorns.

The greyhound trots silently after Morrigan's steed and perforce, Alice.

Morrigan's knightsteed, which had been moving at an even, stately walk so smooth Alice could hardly feel his motion, lifts his head and whickers, ears going back. He prances to one side, skittish, and Morrigan frowns, gathering the reins. "Angwar," she says sharply, "What's gotten into you?"

The captain manages to keep her uneasy mount going forward, but she looks disturbed by this turn of events, and the soldiers adjust the resting positions of their polearms, looking around as if considering whether or not to unlimber them -- just in case. The path they are on is submerged beneath unbroken new-fallen snow, but it's clearly demarcated by the forest of trees that border it on either side. A ridge of ground rises ahead and to their right, on the east side.

Alice breaks in her humming to ask, "Is something amiss, Captain Morrigan?"

Kuon looks around worriedly as well, whining.

"No," the Captain answers shortly. Alice gets the impression that reply was more quick than honest. Morrigan pats the side of Angwar's neck, and the horse, after another sidestep, continues forward.

"Something in the air..," the buck Agatha is riding mumbles. He looks almost as worried now as they did hearing voices out of thin air by the shore of the Lake.

The little girl nods a little to the woman's reply, and returns to her song. This time her hand rummages through her cloak to fetch the flute Nymuae gave her and she picks this up, holding it with Lord Mel and not playing the instrument just yet.

"I think I heard something over that ridge," Agatha says, looking ahead and to the right at the rise of ground.

"What's that?" Morrigan says, almost snappish, then reins in her mount and lifts a hand to motion everyone to a silent halt. In the sudden stillness, some faint noises -- not immediately identifiable -- are audible. Then, there's the unmistakable ring of metal deflecting from something hard -- not something metal, but horn, maybe -- and a loud grunt.

"Could it be a fight?" Agatha whispers to Caradoc, loosening her cloak so she can free her arms.

Alice gives off a startled cry, and she lifts her head a bit to look around. "What is it, Agatha? What happened, is everyone all right?" she asks, worry carrying in her voice.

Kuon looks agitated, looking up and down and around as if every shadow might be concealing some hideous monster. He perks his ears up and listens.

"Aye," the deer man says, nodding to Agatha. He takes a few hesitant steps towards edge of the path, as if to go over the ridge, but seems oddly reluctant to approach it .

Morrigan fights with her knightsteed, cursing, as she tries to coax him off the path and towards the source of the noise. impatiently, she gestures to her soldiers. "York! Take your men and investigate!" One of the tree men nods and stalks towards the top of the ridge, two of the other tree soldiers accompanying him. Though they march along faster than a normal man can sustain a walk, the girls get the impression that the tree men only have one speed setting. York certainly isn't moving at the kind of sprint a human could muster. Curiously, none of the bucks seem all that eager to follow them, although two of them cast glances towards Morrigan and York, as if they figure the order applies to them but are hoping they are wrong.

"What would upset a Knightsteed like that?" Agatha wonders out loud as she turns to watch the tree men. "I thought they were unflappable."

Alice gives a second cry, this one in distress as she gets shaken about on the back of the knightsteed. She ducks down and lowers herself to the horse's back as she tries to hold on and not end up in the very, very cold snow below.

Kuon whines again, moving up close against the knightsteed's side. He looks as if he's nervous to bolt for the far horizon at the first thing that goes wrong.

"Did you hear that, Angwar?" Morrigan growls at her mount. "You're unflappable. Get a grip on yourself!" At last, she wrestles his head around and gets him to plunge into the snow off the path and up the ridge, after the tree men. "With me, the rest of you!" she cries. The three remaining tree men follow without hesitation, but the bucks mill a bit. Caradoc glances over his shoulder as if to check on Agatha before starting.

"Hurry up, Caradoc!" Agatha says, as Alice is carried off behind Morrigan. "She didn't let Alice off first!"

"Agatha," Alice calls back to her friend, "I'm going over here now ... I really hope this is okay!" The girl bounces and shakes on the back of the knightsteed, and she seems more occupied with trying to stay on the mount than to actually see where she happens to be going at the moment.

Spurred on by her anxiety, Caradoc charges after Morrigan. At a sprint, both they and the knightsteed move faster than the tree men, so that even with their head start, the riders reach the top of the ridge first. There, Morrigan's horse skids to a halt, snorting and tossing his head, shivering all over. Caradoc joins her a moment later, and though he doesn't seem quite as disturbed as the knightsteed, he's not inclined to advance, either.

From the top of the ridge, they can make out a few figures, indistinctly, in the distance through the barren trees. Two creatures loom, monstrously tall and wide, shaggy with dark fur, and what looks like black mandibles hanging from their jaws. A much smaller form lies fallen in the snow. Standing between the two creatures and the fallen person is a fourth figure, brandishing a drawn sword. The monsters seem wary of the sword, but it's doubtful the single defender can keep them off for long.

"What the..," Agatha gasps as she sees the monsters. "I mean, what are those things? Tarantula-bears?"

"Bugbears," Morrigan says, grimly. "Their presence creates panic, especially in animals. That's what's wrong with Angwar." She slides off her trembling mount.

When Alice manages to lift herself up and settle back in to her seat she leans around to peer past Morrigan at what the others happen to be looking at. She manages to keep herself from her third cry of the day as she quickly reaches up and covers her mouth in fright. Her hand reaches out to point Lord Mel at the creatures, as if to indicate their presence for all who just happened to miss them and ward them away with her stuffed animal's fearsome presence. "They're bugbears! They are bugbears! I read about them in a story once," she whispers as she draws her hand away.

Agatha dismounts Caradoc as well, figuring even a half-beast man would be affected. "Listen, Caradoc, can you get that fallen person if we draw off the ... bugbears?"

Kuon whines louder, evidently not immune to the effect himself. He shrinks back, head averted.

Caradoc shuffles on his hooves, but nods to Agatha. "If -- if you can get them away, yes," he says.

Morrigan orders, "Treemen, with me. Forooves, stay here and guard our guests and Angwar." She pauses in this directive, looking to the redhead appraisingly. "Unless you have a plan you'd like to offer, Agatha of Ainigton?"

Left as the only one upon the knightsteed, Alice scoots forward to settle closer to the front and, after putting her flute away in her bag quickly, reaches over to run her hand over the steed's neck soothingly. "It's okay, Angwar, it's okay! See Lord Mel? He's brave, you can be brave too!" she offers comfortingly.

Agatha shakes her head, and just adds, "I'd feel better with Alice riding one of the ... Forooves?.. for now, though. Do these things have any weaknesses or tricks beside that panic glamour?"

Alice looks up from where she has leaned forward to comfort the distressed mount. "I ... I can try and help, if you can ... " She casts a glance at the bugbears and shivers. "... c-can bring that poor person here; they might be hurt."

"They are strong and tough, but cowardly," Morrigan says. "Kevan, take the blond child onto your back," she commands. Drawing her sword, she advances towards the bugbears, motioning for the tree men to join her. The figure defending the fallen one -- still a few hundred yards away -- takes another pass on one of the bugbears, driving it back. The Captain of October unslings a horn from her belt with her left hand.

Alice, the blond child in question, sits up and searches for Kevan as she hugs Lord Mel tightly to her chest.

Agatha draws her own sword and holds it two-handed, and advances as well. "Get your healing supplies ready, Alice," she calls back, and then sprints as fast as she dares across the snow.

"O-okay," says Alice in compliance. She untwines a arm from around her stuffed animal and removes the strap of her bag from where it was attached to Angwar's saddle. "But be careful, Agatha!"

One of the Forooves -- the name for the deer-men, apparently -- moves to lift Alice from the back of the skittish knightsteed. Two of the others unsling their polearms in preparation for battle, while Caradoc skirts closer to the bugbears, though in a wide circle that will take him nearest to where the fallen figure lies.

The greyhound growls lowly as he eyes the approaching deer-man, but seems to recognize him as not the source of the unreasoning fear that boils around the clearing. Kuon sidles, ears flatted, to take up his guardianship next to Kevan once Alice has moved over.

Morrigan seems about to caution Agatha to slow down, as she quickly outstrips the tree men that will back them up, but then the bugbear that the sword-bearer wasn't focused on swipes at his arm, and the man's cry of pain echoes through the woods. The Captain winds her horn, the blast of it ringing loud and clear through the forest, and breaks into a run after Agatha.

Agatha really, really wishes she had a ski mask to keep out the biting cold. As the horn sounds, she gives out a yell of her own and cocks her sword back to swipe at the nearer bugbear when she's in range.

With doll in hand and bag straps slung over her arm like one would wear a purse, Alice clings to the deer-man's torso and tries to hold on. "Idon'tknowhowreallytohelpafairybutI'lltryhardandIhopebandaids work and and ..."

At the sound of the horn, the bugbears pause in their pursuit of the single fighter. One backs away from the fighter, while the other, already clear of him, lifts his head to turn his attention to the two running towards him. As Agatha draws nearer, she can see that its eyes are huge and multi-faceted, like an insect's, and antenna bob incongruously on its forehead. Its long, dark mandibles gleam in the afternoon sunlight, and for a moment, Agatha can really sympathize with Angwar's blind fear.

The bugbear not turned towards the newcomers still has his eyes on the man with the sword. Unfortunately, that man cannot press his attack, since he's clearly fearful of abandoning his fallen comrade. The other bugbear moves to intercept Agatha, snarling, mandibles spread and great, clawed paws wide.

Disgusting, Agatha thinks when she sees the bugbear's face. As it turns towards her, she holds her sword low and hunches down for her final charge, aiming to strike at the monster's knees ... or at least get it to hunch over enough to expose its antennae for a follow-up strike.

"K-kevan, can you t-take me with the others over to that man who got h-hurt?" stammers Alice. She released her right hand so she can begin to rummage through her bag, looking down at its contents. "I t-think I can help him, please, we must help him."

The bugbear starts to lower its arm, intending to block the strike with its long claws, but something causes it to hesitate. It starts to take a step backwards, but it's moving much too slowly, much too late. Agatha's sword cleaves into its forward leg, biting through flesh and into bone at the knee. It screams, a horrible, keening cry of unbearable agony. Even the other bugbear hesitates, shuffling backwards and away from the combatants. The man fighting him cringes at the noise. Only Morrigan appears undeterred, charging the second bugbear a few yards behind Agatha.

Kevan glances over his shoulder at Alice, and takes a sidestep. He's not even as willing to face the bugbears as Caradoc, and the howl from the wounded one makes him even more reluctant. He lays his ears back against his head and half-stammers, half-mumbles, "B-best t-to w-wait here, cap'n's orders."

Alice shrinks at the sound, ducking back and behind Kevan's torso as if to hide from the noise itself. "Iron," she tells the man. "It must hurt them so."

Kuon whines at Alice as if to suggest he doesn't want to get any closer than they already are.

"She's wielding iron?" Kevan hisses, shocked.

It doesn't like the iron! Agatha realizes as she uses the last of her momentum to pull her sword free. She decides to test her theory by making a jab at the bugbear to see if it pulls back again rather than trying to block.

"But," pouts Alice, her protest broken by the question and by Kuon's insistence. She just frowns and nods a little. "I think so. Agatha's strong, she can beat those mean ol' monsters up."

The bugbear shies from the threat of the blade. With its leg badly injured, the instinctive move unbalances it and it topples into the snow, yowling piteously. It shields its face with one arm, and with the other tries, ineffectually, to pull itself away.

Figuring that to be proof enough, Agatha turns towards the remaining bugbear to see how Morrigan and the stranger are doing.

With the tide shifting against the bugbears, Kuon perks up a little, now actively growling in their direction.

The pained howling of its companion appears to have panicked the second bugbear, who moves to retreat instead of standing to fight Morrigan. The antlered woman pursues, taking a stab at its back, but the creature's lead lets it escape her first attempt.

"W-we should move closer now, I think that all shall be well. Agatha beat that one up ..." Alice's voice wavers as she talks and looks at the body of the fallen bugbear, and Kevan can feel her shudder. " ... and ... and I think it will be okay. Won't it?"

Agatha walks towards the wounded swordsman, using her handkerchief and some snow to clean the blood off of her blade. "Are you alright? Can you ride?" she calls to the man.

Instinctively, Kevan reaches back to pat Alice's leg awkwardly, but words seem to fail him. Even with the bugbears fallen or in flight, he remains skittish, but he advances slowly on them. Caradoc, meanwhile, is making a dash for the fallen man -- only to be brought up short when the standing swordsman turns his blade on him.

"No!" yells Alice as the swordsman turns on Caradoc. "Put your blade aside, we come to help!"

Caradoc is waving his hands frantically at the swordsman, saying, "Easy! I'm with the folks who're helping you!" Morrigan continues her pursuit of the second bugbear, while the injured swordsman looks warily around.

At last, the man answers Agatha, "I am -- now. I can ride, but my friend was hurt when his mount threw him."

"Kevan, forward. Bring me to that man's side ... I would treat him," directs Alice, and her voice seems to have calmed enough where the tone of fear has mostly subsided.

Seeing the man behave more rationally now, Agatha sheathes her sword and comes closer. "How badly is he hurt?" she looks back towards the ridge to see if Alice is near enough yet.

Kevan brings Alice to the side of the fallen man at about the same time that the tree men catch up. The wounded bugbear's wailing is abruptly cut off as York beheads it. "I don't know," the swordsman answers Agatha, kneeling beside his companion. "I haven't had time -- Orin?" he says, softly, to the fallen man.

Alice tells the Foroove to place her down, and once she has dismounted, she hurries over to the injured man's side and drops beside him in to the snow so she can get a better look. "His name is Orin? Okay," she studies the man, looking for and over his wound as her mother taught her to do, "Orin? Speak of your pains, if you are able, I would hear them."

Kuon approaches as well, and barkbarkbarks! at the dead bugbear, before looking satisfied as he trots back to Alice's side. He looks over as she speaks, apparently approvingly.

Orin is unconscious, though he moans once as his companion rolls him onto his back. Alice can see a livid bruise on his forehead, scraped and red, and the man's lips are blue from lying on his side in the snow.

Alice examines the man a moment more, then nods as if certain of something. "Kevan, please build a fire." She turns to Caradoc. "You sir, see what blankets or other warm items are available, and warm him up please. We may also need to move him." She looks away from the Foroove and back to the injured man, and reaches over to open his eye and tilt his head gently towards the sunlight.

While the wounded men are looked after, Agatha turns back to watch for Morrigan's return.

"You are a strange sort of healer, little one," one of the tree-men comments, watching her move the man's head about. The swordsman frowns with concern at Alice, but doesn't stop her as she opens one of Orin's eyelids. The eyeball rolls to reveal the pupil, which contracts visibly when she manages to get sunlight to shine on it. "I've got some angelica root on me, ought to do him some good."

Shortly after Kevan manages to get a fire burning and Carodoc has Orin cocooned in spare blankets, Morrigan comes trudging back through the forest, scowling. "Damned monster managed to escape me, into one of the caves," she grumbles. "Too risky to pursue it further."

"Any other critters we're likely to run into out here?" Agatha asks the Captain.

The little girl lets the man's eye close, and she sits back a bit. "He is cold, maybe ... maybe frostbite or hypo- ... hypo ... hypo-coldness." Her nose wrinkles. "I do not know how angelica root works. I have yet to have the chance to learn your healing, but I think mine will work. He wasn't knocked out but he's probably all dazed from his fall. He should be okay if he warms up, and I'll look at his head."

Now that the battle is over, the redhead bundles herself back up in her cloak.

The swordsman seems comforted by Alice's words. He sits on the ground beside the fire himself, cradling his injured left arm loosely to his chest. "Thank you for your aid," he says, belatedly. "I am Trahern, of House September, and my companion is Orin, brother to the Lady of September."

The tree man shrugs at Alice's words, and fills his round helm with snow, then sets it on the fire to melt.

"September?" Agatha asks, ignoring the cold for the moment. "Which House is closer, Morrigan?"

Kuon watches the goings-on with curiosity.

"House October," Morrigan answers, and Trahern nods. "Closer still is a public house, which we should be able to make before nightfall, if we can move soon. I do not recommend that we spend the night in these woods."

Alice leans over the man so that she can look at the bruise on his forehead, finding it swollen and awful. She purses her lips and leans back so she can rummage through her bag again. To free her hands to the task she sets Lord Mel on the man's chest -- after all he always helped her when she was feeling bad. After a moment, Alice draws out a roll of bandages, a bottle of antiseptic, cotton balls, a pad, and the cloth napkin her cookies used to be in. She shakes the crumbs off the napkin and then sets it aside before unscrewing the bottle and putting some antiseptic on the cotton balls before dabbing the man's forehead gently.

"Let's get moving as soon as we can then," Agatha agrees.

A few moments after the antiseptic is applied, Orin's eyes flutter open. "Hnnhmmm?" he mumbles incoherently, lifting one hand towards his forehead.

The hand is intercepted by Alice's, who though not strong does her best to keep him from touching his head. "No, no ... please sir, you mustn't touch it," she tells him, smiling down at him as his eyes open.

The tree man who commented on her healing skills blinks at the smell of the antiseptic. "Curious sort, indeed," he mumbles.

"My apologies, gentle lady," Orin answers, letting his hand be pushed away at Alice's urging. "But -- what happened? Trahern?" He becomes agitated again, trying to move until the sound of Trahern's voice " -- be easy, m'lord, I am here -- " soothes him. He lays still while the little blond girl finishes bandaging up his forehead.

"What were the two of you doing out here?" Agatha asks Trahern in a gentle tone.

Alice finishes up by placing a clean pad to the wound, binding it by bandages, and then filling the napkin with some compacted bits of ice which she holds to the man's forehead and then reaches her other hand to move him to hold the cold pack his own accord. Finished, she settles back and begins putting her medical supplies away. "You fell, m'lord, and were set upon by bugbears. Trahern protected you till we came along and aided you. Agatha even fought one," she explains in quiet soft tones.

"My Lady of September had -- " Trahern glances to Orin, who is looking much recovered after Alice's ministrations, and trying to sit up.

"Where is my steed, Trwyth?" the young lord asks, looking around. "Ah -- bugbears." He grimaces, patting at his belt, then seems to relax.

"Oh," says Alice, sounding suddenly apologetic. She turns from the lord and leans towards Trahern and hold out her hand to take his arm. "I am terribly sorry, sir. Aare you well? Do you need aid?"

Trahern does look a rather unhealthy pale color shade, even for a fey. He shakes his head at Alice. "I am fine, m'lady." He doesn't resist when she takes his arm, however, and she can see the cloth of his sleeve is rent in several places and matted with dried blood.

"You are brave, but a terrible liar, sir," Alice says. She smiles, faintly, and reaches her free hand to draw her bag over beside Trahern. "Settle and remove the cloth from thy arm, that I might tend it."

The swordsmen does as instructed, cutting the remainder of his sleeve off with his dagger and peeling the tatters off with a grimace. Beneath the dirt and dried blood, Alice can distinguish four long, shallow gashes. "The cuts are not deep," the man says, which is true. They are very dirty, however.

Agatha squats down to pet Kuon, and whispers to the dog, "Can you tell which way their horses ran off?"

Alice's smile fades again, and she frowns at the man's revealed arm. "Sir ... " she looks up and around, and spots the one she was looking for, " ... I fear I do not know your name, or the name of your like. Treant, perhaps? Would you bring the water you made, and speak of its temperature?"

Tracks in the snow lead in all directions from the sight, but, while there's a confusion of hoof prints in the immediate vicinity, a handful of yards out, the tracks resolve into divergent sets -- the prints of the rescuers, and two separate tracks leading off, one to the west, one to the south, of horses.

Kuon looks up at Agatha curiously, then sniffs at the snow.

Agatha walks towards the southward track, and raises a hand to her eyes to block out some of the snow glare. "Think they'll come back on their own, now that the bugbears are gone?" she asks the canine, still keeping her voice low.

"My name is Adair, and my kind are tree men," the man answers, a bit gruffly. He seems to have forgotten about the water boiling, but he takes it off the fire. "It's boiling now, but plenty of snow to cool it down if you want." He sniffs, looking at Trahern's cuts. "Ought to put some comfrey on that," he comments.

Kuon ruffs, and considers the matter a moment as he walks alongside Agatha, then casts his eyes toward the distant forest as if to suggest it depends on how far they went.

Agatha sighs. "Well, we can't go looking for them. Maybe two of the tree men can do it, if they aren't affected by the cold, but I'm not sure normal horses could survive the night if it gets much colder."

"Thank you, Adair. Would you cool the water so that while hot, it will not burn the brave sir? His wound need be cleaned before I can apply the antiseptic and bind it." Alice again tilts her head, then shakes it. "I'm sorry, but I truly do not know the way of your ... your herbary. Yes. If you think it best it can be applied when I set to bind the wound."

Kuon scratches behind an ear with a hind leg, then looks down at the tracks, possibly a bit pointedly.

The redhead notices, while out looking at the hoof prints, that the tracks leading to the south are of a shod horse, while the ones leading to the west were of one without shoes. "Trwyth ought to be bright enough to look for shelter," Orin responds to Agatha's musings aloud.

"He's a Knightsteed then?" Agatha asks, turning back towards the man from September.

Adair does as he's asked, almost embarrassed by Alice's comments. "Well, can't hurt none," he says, a bit gruff. He cools the water off to the point of being hot but not scalding, and passes the helm to Alice to wash off the injuries, along with some oval, spiny leaves.

"Aye, my lady," Orin answers. The man gets to his feet, touching his forehead gingerly, but seeming steady enough. "I shouldn't have thought he'd panic like that, even at bugbear ... "

Morrigan chuckles. "My own Angwar is still cowering over by the rise," she says, with a gesture to the animal in question. Angwar no longer trembles -- in fact, he's snuffling at the snow with a nonchalant attitude that reminds Agatha of a cat's "I meant to do that" expression.

Agatha puts two fingers to her mouth and whistles loudly to the south and west, hoping the horses will hear.

The little blond girl holds Trahern's arm out, warns him this might hurt some, then pours most of the hot water across his wounds to clean them. She then places the helmet down, fetches her bottle of antiseptic, re-warns the man, and applies the solution liberally to each of the man's cuts before peering at the leaves offered. After a second of puzzling over them she just nods and places one leaf over each wound, places a pad over those, then begins binding the wound with her length of bandage. "This should for the moment, sir. But I warn you to wash the wound again and seek hasty replacement of the bind from another healer," she instructs.

Kuon yips curiously at Agatha's whistle, then perks his ears up, listening.

Some minutes later, a palomino stallion comes trotting back from the northwest. He passes not far from Angwar, who lifts his head and follows the other, a few moments afterwards. Orin smiles in pleasure, recognizing the animal. "Trwyth!" he cries. But the stallion comes to Agatha first, lowering his great head to whuffle at her hands.

Alice pauses as she puts her things away, immediately sets down what she was carrying in her bag, then stands up to walk where the lord had rested and leans down to scoop up her beloved Lord Mel. "Oh, poor you!" she tells the doll, shaking her head. "Here you stand guard so valiantly and you are dropped to the snow." She gives her doll a hug, and carries him back so she can resume putting her things away.

Agatha grins, and finds a sugar cube for the stallion from one of her pockets.

Trahern bears Alice's ministrations with a grace almost to rival that of her stuffed animals -- uncomplaining, and only occasionally clenching his jaw against the pain. When she's done, he thanks her, heartfelt. Surprisingly, his color has improved almost immediately, and he looks much better and more comfortable afterwards.

The thanks are returned with Alice's own your-welcomes, and she smiles, then rises with her bag slung under her shoulder and her doll tucked under her left arm. "Forgive me, I do not yet know your metho- ... "

Trwyth accepts the sugar cube, then trots to Orin's side, where he bows deeply, one foreleg back and the other stretched before him. Orin shakes his head at his mount. "You silly old -- " He pats him on neck. "Go on, get up." Trwyth straightens obediently, then drops the sugar cube into Orin's hand. The young lord looks at it, then breaks into laughter.

Alice, interrupted by the spectacle of the horse's antics, suddenly bursts into giggles.

Agatha can only shake her head and laugh along at the sight of the horse apologizing.

"Eat your sugar cube, Trwyth. I believe you -- you really are sorry," Orin tells the animal, offering him the cube back. The knightsteed whuffles at Orin's sleeve in apology again -- but he doesn't need any further encouragement to eat the treat.

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This site serves as a chronicle of sessions in an online roleplaying campaign moderated by Conrad "Lynx" Wong and May "Rowan" Wasserman. The contents of this site are (c) 2001, 2002 by Conrad Wong and May Wasserman except where stated otherwise. Despite the "children's fantasy" theme of this campaign, this site is not intended for young readership, due to mild language and violence.