(28 Oct 2001) Alice, Agatha and Thomas witness Rebecca's return ... or do they?
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The Return of Lady Sorceress Nymuae
(28 Oct 2001) Alice, Agatha and Thomas witness Rebecca's return ... or do they? |
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Thomas moves silently up the hillside. He approaches the cave slowly, a few feet in front of the others. His eyes dart about, scanning the ground and the trees to insure the approach is safe. "Move carefully," Thomas calls back to the others after a moment. "I don't like having to outright lie to the others, but I understand the caution. You did bring two books, correct, Alice?"
The greyhound trots up the trail, darting off now and then to investigate scents, always returning to the group before very long.
"I know you said not to ask any questions, Tom," Agatha whispers, looking at the cave, "but I wouldn't mind knowing what's going on."
Laboring under the weight of not one, but two spell books Alice walks along after Thomas. In her hands rest a book rather close to Rebecca's own spell book -- one of Alice's, though her book is filled with doodles and silly songs. The real spell book lies hidden in her purse wrapped in a bag and hidden beneath Lord Mel. "Yes, Tommy," she answers.
Tom looks to Agatha and whispers back, "Rebecca's note. She asked me to bring the book to the Siege. It implied only me. This bothers me. I asked Alice to bring two. One fake, one real. If things turn out safe, I will provide the real one. If not, the fake one will hopefully distract long enough to allow me to escape. The letter specifically said that Alice could not come."
Tom motions to Alice. "Ask her if you want to see it."
"So the bird would have snapped at anyone but you or Alice trying to read it, including Elinor?" Agatha supposes. "Can I see the note?"
Alice stops long enough to reach in to a side compartment on her purse and draw out a little letter which she gives to Agatha. "I think it said if I couldn't come I should have Tommy bring it, not that I shouldn't come. But Rebecca was writing funny so it was hard to tell," she explains as she begins walking again.
The note, written in graceful black script on the thin, fine paper, reads:
The Uncounted Days, Winter, in the Year 53 of Mirari
Dear Princess Angel:
I wish that I had time to tell you of all I have learned -- yet I fear this letter may miscarry, and I dare not write o'ermuch. This much only I will bid thee: Be wary. There are more powers at work here than any suspect, and most of them not friendly. House October may have returned me to Mirari -- but that does not make them our friends. The Houses squabble as they always have, and most of the lordlings are on no one's side but their own.
When I left -- a lifetime ago -- I did not think I would have a use for my book of spells, where I thought I was going. How little I understood then! I have great need of it now. I ask of thee: please return it to me. On the evening after thou receivest this letter, bring it to the Siege of Stone and Water. There I shall meet thee and receive it back. An thou canst not come, please ask Thomas to bring it to me. Trust it to no other!
Yours,
Lady Sorceress Nymuae of the Lake
Agatha hmms. "It sounds like Rebecca, alright," she says, and hands the note back to Alice. After that, she rummages in her backpack to retrieve her sword, just in case.
Thomas chuckles, "Indeed. She does write in a peculiar fashion. We must be careful here. I feel as though we're walking into a trap." He looks at the two. "And take this as a warning. Do not cross into the circles. Once inside, you can be transported to Mirari. Until we know it's safe, I repeat, do not cross the circles."
The letter is received and tucked back away, and as Alice continues to follow along she suddenly says, "I feel really bad for being mean to Elinor. I didn't want to ... but I'm worried about Rebecca." A frown forms on her face, and she reaches to adjust the strap on her shoulder -- her other shoulder still hurts even after it was bandaged.
"We can wait on the slope," Agatha starts to say, then asks, "Even buried parts of circles?"
As the cave comes into sight, Kuon barks and runs toward it, perhaps intending to check it out before the others enter.
"I am too, Alice," Thomas admits, "but we can't let our fears make us rush into things." He thinks on Agatha's question. "Actually, within the parts that they intersect, as that is how I traveled. But down here, that is water, if I remember." He takes in a breath. "And one more thing, the ability to open the Siege might be carried by any of us. It's apparently a gift of birth to be able to do so. You just will know how to if you have it."
Agatha frowns at first, then cheers up. "At least you'd be able to get back then, if you got transported over. What have we got for light? I don't want to be snuck up on by Jruuh while hiding."
"I brought my flashlight and rope, as I knew we'd need them to traverse the slope," Thomas replies, elbowing his near-empty pack under his cloak.
Looking to the sky, the little blonde girl watches the sun begin to set beyond the hills. "Rebecca must know that we've learned a lot. She wrote like she knew what we were doing -- about the Sieges and stuff," she comments. "I think we should hurry, though. I'm worried, and I want to see Rebecca again."
"Brave heart, Alice. We will find her," Thomas says warmly to the little girl.
"She asked for you two because she knows you'd be able to verify it was really her, I bet," Agatha offers.
Tom walks up to the cave and pulls out his familiar rope. He ties it to the same spot he did before, and starts to unroll it, looking into the darkness of the cave. "Redmane, I feel Angel should stay between us as we enter. Do you want point or rear?" he asks.
After a cursory checking around, Kuon returns to the group, his tail wagging but a low growl in his throat as he looks back to the steep drop as if to say that he doesn't sense any immediate threats, but that it would still be a good idea to be careful down there.
"I'll take the rear, just in case someone is already waiting for us," Agatha says. "I can grab Alice and get her out then."
"Understood. Do not concern yourself with me. Protect Angel and the book. I will find a way out, somehow, should something happen," Thomas replies grimly. He looks back to the two and says, "Let's go."
Thomas produces his flashlight and flicks it on. Carefully, he enters the darkness of the cave, flashlight lighting the way. His other hand remains on the rope, gripping firmly.
Agatha keeps close to Alice, and whispers to her, "Let me know if you need help with your purse; I don't want you to be off balance."
The Secret Caves
The caves would be pitch black, were it not for flashlights; as it is, the beams play across the irregular, water-eroded floor and reflect from the stalactites and stalagmites that occasionally join to form a column from floor to dome-like ceiling. From a triangular pool at the intersection of southern, northern, and western cave, three streams run in smooth arcs that appear naturally eroded, but must surely have been designed to achieve the effect of delineating circles which meet at this pool.
The raven haired explorer slides down the last few feet of the slope and lands with a soft thud onto the stone floor. He takes a few steps into the cave and looks about carefully, green eyes narrow. "Proceed carefully," he whispers back to the others. "Be ready to move fast up the rope if need be."
Alice slowly eases down the slope after Thomas, hunched over a bit so she can grab the ground with a hand should she slip. Once at the bottom she stands up and waves the dirt off her left hand, her right clutching the book to her chest. "I'm ready, Tommy ... I think," she says.
Agatha drops down next, right behind Alice, and looks back up towards Kuon, stranded at the top of the slope. "Keep your ears open, Kuon."
An affirmative bark echoes back, reflecting around the caves.
Thomas slowly sweeps the flashlight beam through the cave.
"It's still scary," the blonde girl says as she huddles in the dark.
As the flashlight pans over the cave, a faint light shines from the direction of the pool. A moment later, from its center, a figure rises, breaking the dark water with scarcely a ripple. A silver circlet crowns hair of a brown so dark it is nearly black, but from which red highlights flicker. A green gemstone rests above the bridge of her nose, matched to green eyes. Her skin is cream-pale and perfectly clear, a fey glow illuminating her figure and casting shadows on the cavern floor all around. She stands tall and proud, clad in an elegant gown of white trimmed by green, with a green sash around her waist, folded in front so that its long ends dangle to her feet. Despite her emergence from the pool, she stands on the water's surface completely dry. In a familiar voice she speaks, her words clear and resonant. "My thanks to you for coming, my friends."
"That can't be Rebecca," Agatha whispers to Alice, "unless it's a glamour."
Thomas steps forward. "I am Lord Explorer Thomas, of House November. You sound like my friend, Rebecca, but do not look as she did." Thomas says firmly, "Please, identify yourself."
"R- ... Rebecca?" inquires Alice of the apparition. Her eyes widen as she takes in the full sight of who may well be her best friend since she was little, and the little girl takes a step forward. "It's me! Alice! Do you remember me, Rebecca?"
Agatha reaches out to get hold of Alice by the back of her dress. "Don't go out there. Let Tom handle it."
When Agatha grasps Alice's dress the little girl staggers to a stop and looks over her shoulder, pleading, "But I want to see Rebecca ... " She glances towards her friend who looks so very different from when last they met and she stops tugging Agatha's hand. "O- ... okay. I'll wait."
The woman walks over the surface of the water, slight ripples trailing out from feet which do not get wet. She smiles at Alice. "Of course I remember you, my friend. And you as well, Lord Explorer. Rebecca ... was a name I carried once, for a while. But I have broken the seal on that spell, once and for all. I am the Lady Sorceress Nymuae of the Lake, and I have come, once again, to aid the land of Mirari in its hour of need."
"Much as I have begun breaking the seal on who I once was, then, Nymuae?" Thomas asks, not quite certain he believes it just yet. He folds his hands behind his back and waves them at Agatha and Alice, as if to tell them to back up some. "Forgive me, but I too defend Mirari and have had experience in the past with Warlocks. Can you prove your identity to me?" he inquires, green eyes focused on the figure.
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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.