T
TatianaDaene
Guest
It felt like she had been riding for months. The rain didn't help either. She pulled her cloak tighter around her as the wind whipped at the soaking wet strands of hair that slipped out from its clip to lash at her already chapped cheeks. She saw faint glows at the base of the mountain in the distance. It wouldn't be long now. She kept herself warm with the images of a crackling fire that awaited her. She slapped her wet Nightmare's neck with her wet gloves and urged him on.
Finally the faint glows became bright flickering candles in the lanterns that lined the small cobblestone road, hanging from old wood posts. Riding past the small town dwellings until she found the stable, and ignoring the boy that offered his assistance, she rode Shade right into a stall and slowly dismounted.
The ache of what felt like a thousand days of riding filled her as her feet hit the straw, now in her mind, skipping the fire and meal in the inn, she only pictured a soft bed. Her weary arms hefted her saddle off Shade's grateful back and slung it across the stall door. The bit and bridle came next, which she handed to the stable boy who was waiting in earnest. His eyes gleaming at the Nightmare with interest. Unhitching a pouch from her belt she handed it to the boy.
"Do not put any male horses in the stalls near him, and feed him only red meat, bear if you have it." She shrugged off her soaking cloak and set it on a hay bale. Then clasping the sides of the Nightmares long face she put her forehead to his, whispered a small phrase then turned and exited the stall.
"The Inn?" she said to the boy and set out in the direction he pointed. Rain hammered down the fabric of her robe that was saved by the cloak, soaking it anew, but the brightly painted wooden sign that swung back and forth on its post was all she cared about.
Stepping into the inn was like stepping into a warm embrace, she paused there a moment, feeling the heat seep into her bones as she looked around the Inn. How is it possible? She wondered to herself as memories of her last visit matched the decor exactly. Nothing had changed, not even that painting of a girl with golden hair that hung over the fireplace had moved. She stepped over to the fireplace, rubbing her hands in front of her before turning to hear the Innkeeper.
"Staying long in Delucia miss?" Apparently they still didn't get many visitors. Thats what she and Ari liked about it. Privacy. She could still picture the hours they killed drinking ale and tossing dice, laughing over adventure stories and the many near misses. As her body warmed, she felt exhaustion take over, even in the few steps over to the bar.
"Mhmm" Was her non specific reply. "I'll need a room for the night, with fireplace, and have the serving wenches send up a roast pig and ale."
"Rooms with fireplaces are reserved for high paying customers miss-?" She unhooked another pouch from her belt and dropped it on the bartop.
"Lady." She corrected "Lady Tatiana Daene." The Innkeeper swooped up the pouch and nodded to the girl at his side.
"You heard the Lady, Abigail. Show her to her room." He turned and smiled that Innkeeper smile as he hooked the pouch onto his own belt. "And if there's anything else you need mi'Lady.." Tat didn't much care about any further frivolities and turned to follow the girl without another word.
Later, dressed in a fresh robe and wrapped in the blanket from the bed, Tatiana sat in front of the fire's hearth. She had scooped ashes from the metal bin next to the hearth and sprinkled them onto the stone, forming a circle with in a thick line. Then to the circle she laid different gems; amber, sapphire, tourmalines, diamonds and rubies, pressing them into the thick ash of the circle, and linking them with lines drawn by her fingertip through the ash until a rune symbol came into focus. Taking another pouch from her belt, she slipped her fingers in, pulling out a pinch of a dark sparkly dust and scattered it on top of the rune symbol. Opening her hand wide, she whispered a word and shot a fireball onto the symbol causing the entire circle to erupt into flames.
"You have arrived.." Came a low throaty voice from the flames.
"Indeed." She replied.
"Is anyone aware?"
"We will know in the morning my Lord."
"Very good. Take your rest, regain your strength and contact me when you have more." The voice paused.. and Tat felt a new chill creep along her skin as she thought she heard whispered words but could not determine the sounds.
"Do not fail me Tatiana." And with that the flames were suddenly doused, the circle of ash, now a grey smudge on the dark stone of the hearth. Tat plucked the gems and deposited them back in her pouch, before standing and returning to her bed. As she lay her head upon the coarse pillow casing, exhaustion took her and she fell into a deep slumber.
((if anyone is interested in joining this rp post, feel free))
Finally the faint glows became bright flickering candles in the lanterns that lined the small cobblestone road, hanging from old wood posts. Riding past the small town dwellings until she found the stable, and ignoring the boy that offered his assistance, she rode Shade right into a stall and slowly dismounted.
The ache of what felt like a thousand days of riding filled her as her feet hit the straw, now in her mind, skipping the fire and meal in the inn, she only pictured a soft bed. Her weary arms hefted her saddle off Shade's grateful back and slung it across the stall door. The bit and bridle came next, which she handed to the stable boy who was waiting in earnest. His eyes gleaming at the Nightmare with interest. Unhitching a pouch from her belt she handed it to the boy.
"Do not put any male horses in the stalls near him, and feed him only red meat, bear if you have it." She shrugged off her soaking cloak and set it on a hay bale. Then clasping the sides of the Nightmares long face she put her forehead to his, whispered a small phrase then turned and exited the stall.
"The Inn?" she said to the boy and set out in the direction he pointed. Rain hammered down the fabric of her robe that was saved by the cloak, soaking it anew, but the brightly painted wooden sign that swung back and forth on its post was all she cared about.
Stepping into the inn was like stepping into a warm embrace, she paused there a moment, feeling the heat seep into her bones as she looked around the Inn. How is it possible? She wondered to herself as memories of her last visit matched the decor exactly. Nothing had changed, not even that painting of a girl with golden hair that hung over the fireplace had moved. She stepped over to the fireplace, rubbing her hands in front of her before turning to hear the Innkeeper.
"Staying long in Delucia miss?" Apparently they still didn't get many visitors. Thats what she and Ari liked about it. Privacy. She could still picture the hours they killed drinking ale and tossing dice, laughing over adventure stories and the many near misses. As her body warmed, she felt exhaustion take over, even in the few steps over to the bar.
"Mhmm" Was her non specific reply. "I'll need a room for the night, with fireplace, and have the serving wenches send up a roast pig and ale."
"Rooms with fireplaces are reserved for high paying customers miss-?" She unhooked another pouch from her belt and dropped it on the bartop.
"Lady." She corrected "Lady Tatiana Daene." The Innkeeper swooped up the pouch and nodded to the girl at his side.
"You heard the Lady, Abigail. Show her to her room." He turned and smiled that Innkeeper smile as he hooked the pouch onto his own belt. "And if there's anything else you need mi'Lady.." Tat didn't much care about any further frivolities and turned to follow the girl without another word.
Later, dressed in a fresh robe and wrapped in the blanket from the bed, Tatiana sat in front of the fire's hearth. She had scooped ashes from the metal bin next to the hearth and sprinkled them onto the stone, forming a circle with in a thick line. Then to the circle she laid different gems; amber, sapphire, tourmalines, diamonds and rubies, pressing them into the thick ash of the circle, and linking them with lines drawn by her fingertip through the ash until a rune symbol came into focus. Taking another pouch from her belt, she slipped her fingers in, pulling out a pinch of a dark sparkly dust and scattered it on top of the rune symbol. Opening her hand wide, she whispered a word and shot a fireball onto the symbol causing the entire circle to erupt into flames.
"You have arrived.." Came a low throaty voice from the flames.
"Indeed." She replied.
"Is anyone aware?"
"We will know in the morning my Lord."
"Very good. Take your rest, regain your strength and contact me when you have more." The voice paused.. and Tat felt a new chill creep along her skin as she thought she heard whispered words but could not determine the sounds.
"Do not fail me Tatiana." And with that the flames were suddenly doused, the circle of ash, now a grey smudge on the dark stone of the hearth. Tat plucked the gems and deposited them back in her pouch, before standing and returning to her bed. As she lay her head upon the coarse pillow casing, exhaustion took her and she fell into a deep slumber.
((if anyone is interested in joining this rp post, feel free))