Daemon approached McCrowley Manor at a trot. He reigned in and dismounted fluidly at the front steps. As soon as he dismounted his ethereal mount was a statue again, safe in his pocket, to be summoned again later when needed.
He entered his home, removing his cloak to hang it. He could hear her in the next room, sharpening her weapons. She was already aware of his presence, and he needed something to wash to taste of bad wine from his mouth. He went and poured a home brewed ale and entered the room in which she was.
"Well Good evening stranger" she said, carefully examining the edge of her blade.
"Good evening to you he replied" as he dropped a tankard on the table next to where she worked and took a seat himself.
"Thank you, I was about to get up for that, did you have a good ride?" she laid the sword aside and selected another from a pile near her
"hmm, hard to say, it was uneventful, yet eventful at the same time, an interesting evening to say the least. I went back to that town we were in the other night, the one with the archery contest, Yew I think it was called"
"Oh yes, the town where they murder in the streets" she grinned knowing she was egging him
"Yes thats the one. There is an Abbey there. I walked its halls a bit to orientate myself, and also to see if I could discern what these particular Monks are up to"
"and?..."
"Well, it is strange indeed. It appears as if this abbey is not only an abbey, but also a town center of sorts. There is a bank there. As far as the monks, it appears they grow grapes and sell wine. Bad wine I might add, don't waste a trip" he grinned knowing her love of all wines and ales " I left thru the front doors to see what else I might discover,no sooner had I left the abby when a woman called to me. She asked if I was here for the contest. I asked her what contest, and she said a sheep shearing contest"
His love giggled
"Yes I thought the same thing, could you imagine? Yes with all that I am and have accomplished, let me run around and shear sheep with the commoners, oh dont get me wrong, I spose it isnt beyond me to participate for charity or the like. I let it go as I realize she knows not my titles, and I believe she made an honest mistake, just being friendly I suppose. Or perhaps in this world, gentry competes with the commoners, who knows? I noticed quite a crowd gathering, and most were not leaving to go shear sheep, many, though trying to hide it, were armed and others were armed and not even attempting to hide it. I decided to stick around a bit to observe" he sipped from his tankard "I bought some wine from the brothers to occupy myself, that is how I found out it is bad wine. I found myself a place along the wall to watch the towns people come and go. It was a short while later that I heard the woman who was holding the contest addressed as "governor" by a man that looked quite a bit like one of the men from the archery contest."
"Wait, did you say governor?"
" I did"
"And she is governing a sheep shearing contest?"
"No, what I got from it was that she is the Governor of the town, and yes, also running a sheep shearing contest"
"How quaint" they both chuckled
"There was also a bulletin board, there is a group that calls themselves the hand. I think the men we saw at the archery contest maybe a part of it. There were certainly some members there tonight, as I over heard bits and pieces of conversations I heard the term "The Hand" used several times. I do not know for sure, but there seems to be some conflict between the hand and the " he chuckled again " government of this city called yew."
"Well, you certainly had an interesting night"
"Oh wait it gets better, can I get you a re fill?" He asked rising to fill his tankard again.
"Yes please" she never missed a stroke on her blade
He set her tankard down again in passing as he returned to his seat.
"There was a lot of movement, and more armed people kept showing up, but no one seemed the least interested in the "contest". People kept shifting and moving, the tension was very high. A group of people began talking, something about someone looking at someones arse. As if this world does not have bigger things to worry about. It seemed there was some history between the Governor and some other woman, the victim of the gaze I suppose. There was a loud argument, something about someone named Tom. At first I thought Tom was the man who had looked at the second woman's arse and that was what the fuss was about, but quickly realized this person was not even present. I thought there would be a fight. It didn't take a genius to realize these wemen are not fond of each other"
She raised an eyebrow "And you deduced this how?" she was baiting him, and he knew it. She knew, though he would never admit it, that one of his favorite things was watching people and trying to figure why they did things they do, what motivates them. It amused him, and it amused her to see him amused.
"Well it is a long shot" he said this sarcastically, knowing she was baiting him anyways "But the woman said something to the governor about this Tom fellow not needing a B**** like her, and then the Governor " he grinned and took a drink "Yes the Governor herself, of the town, not the contest, well actually, it seems both, she replies "Get the F*** out of my town" Daemon looked to his woman
She stared at him. "That isn't funny Daemon"
" I am not being comical" he was dead panned
"She really said that?"
Daemon could contain himself no longer, he laughed aloud "YES!!, Still think they are quaint?"
"evidently, quaint and classy" she replied sarcastically, shaking her head. "So what happened next?"
"Thats the strange part. I know how I would react if someone called you a B****, not to mention your personal reaction, and to be told to leave is one thing, but in such a disrespectful manner....."
He drank again, watching his wife.
Finally she raised an eyebrow, "And??"
"And they left, the whole group of them, after some robed man said something to them"
She looked stunned. "They just rode off?"
He laughed, "oh no, one of them stepped forward as if the king himself, and commanded someone or something to open a gate. But nothing happened. He got very angry and starting shouting NOW, soon there after a gate opened and they all left thru it."
"There are flyers posted around the region, This group that calls themselves the Hand warrants some looking into." He sipped his ale, "Is that one of my weapons?" he asked
"It is Daemon"
" And why are you sharpening those?" She stopped and laid the weapon to the side. She sighed and then looked him straight in his eyes. "Really Daemon, why?"
He looked a bit confused and said Innocently "Um, yes, Why?"
she shook her head slightly and used a tone as if talking to a child
"I have been in love with you a long, long time Daemon. I know you better than you know yourself. We have been summoned to a land of blindness, witnessed a murder in the streets. I can feel the unrest emitting from the ground, water and air itself. Every time we ride the countryside we find some evidence of how torn this world is. I know you Daemon, if there is trouble of any kind within a hundred miles, you'll soon be in the middle of it. And you ask me why?"
Daemon laughed aloud and slammed the rest of his ale, shattering the tankard in the fireplace he whirled and picked her up spinning in a circle. "By The Fathers Your Right!" he said placing her back down. "That is why I love you, you are smart!" His eyes twinkled as he kissed her and pulled away. He stepped towards a wall and with a wave of his hand reveled a hidden room. "Ill tend the armor" he said as he entered the cubby.
Her head shook slightly from side to side and her eyes dropped to the ground, a brief sadness crossing her face as she returned to the weapons
*I love this man and all he stands for* she thought to herself *though I wish just once he would stay out of things that do not concern us* But she knew the man she had married, and knew that would never happen
*It appears our time of peace has ended* She thought as she watched him begin to check his armors, she placed stone back to steel and prayed to the rhythm..........
He entered his home, removing his cloak to hang it. He could hear her in the next room, sharpening her weapons. She was already aware of his presence, and he needed something to wash to taste of bad wine from his mouth. He went and poured a home brewed ale and entered the room in which she was.
"Well Good evening stranger" she said, carefully examining the edge of her blade.
"Good evening to you he replied" as he dropped a tankard on the table next to where she worked and took a seat himself.
"Thank you, I was about to get up for that, did you have a good ride?" she laid the sword aside and selected another from a pile near her
"hmm, hard to say, it was uneventful, yet eventful at the same time, an interesting evening to say the least. I went back to that town we were in the other night, the one with the archery contest, Yew I think it was called"
"Oh yes, the town where they murder in the streets" she grinned knowing she was egging him
"Yes thats the one. There is an Abbey there. I walked its halls a bit to orientate myself, and also to see if I could discern what these particular Monks are up to"
"and?..."
"Well, it is strange indeed. It appears as if this abbey is not only an abbey, but also a town center of sorts. There is a bank there. As far as the monks, it appears they grow grapes and sell wine. Bad wine I might add, don't waste a trip" he grinned knowing her love of all wines and ales " I left thru the front doors to see what else I might discover,no sooner had I left the abby when a woman called to me. She asked if I was here for the contest. I asked her what contest, and she said a sheep shearing contest"
His love giggled
"Yes I thought the same thing, could you imagine? Yes with all that I am and have accomplished, let me run around and shear sheep with the commoners, oh dont get me wrong, I spose it isnt beyond me to participate for charity or the like. I let it go as I realize she knows not my titles, and I believe she made an honest mistake, just being friendly I suppose. Or perhaps in this world, gentry competes with the commoners, who knows? I noticed quite a crowd gathering, and most were not leaving to go shear sheep, many, though trying to hide it, were armed and others were armed and not even attempting to hide it. I decided to stick around a bit to observe" he sipped from his tankard "I bought some wine from the brothers to occupy myself, that is how I found out it is bad wine. I found myself a place along the wall to watch the towns people come and go. It was a short while later that I heard the woman who was holding the contest addressed as "governor" by a man that looked quite a bit like one of the men from the archery contest."
"Wait, did you say governor?"
" I did"
"And she is governing a sheep shearing contest?"
"No, what I got from it was that she is the Governor of the town, and yes, also running a sheep shearing contest"
"How quaint" they both chuckled
"There was also a bulletin board, there is a group that calls themselves the hand. I think the men we saw at the archery contest maybe a part of it. There were certainly some members there tonight, as I over heard bits and pieces of conversations I heard the term "The Hand" used several times. I do not know for sure, but there seems to be some conflict between the hand and the " he chuckled again " government of this city called yew."
"Well, you certainly had an interesting night"
"Oh wait it gets better, can I get you a re fill?" He asked rising to fill his tankard again.
"Yes please" she never missed a stroke on her blade
He set her tankard down again in passing as he returned to his seat.
"There was a lot of movement, and more armed people kept showing up, but no one seemed the least interested in the "contest". People kept shifting and moving, the tension was very high. A group of people began talking, something about someone looking at someones arse. As if this world does not have bigger things to worry about. It seemed there was some history between the Governor and some other woman, the victim of the gaze I suppose. There was a loud argument, something about someone named Tom. At first I thought Tom was the man who had looked at the second woman's arse and that was what the fuss was about, but quickly realized this person was not even present. I thought there would be a fight. It didn't take a genius to realize these wemen are not fond of each other"
She raised an eyebrow "And you deduced this how?" she was baiting him, and he knew it. She knew, though he would never admit it, that one of his favorite things was watching people and trying to figure why they did things they do, what motivates them. It amused him, and it amused her to see him amused.
"Well it is a long shot" he said this sarcastically, knowing she was baiting him anyways "But the woman said something to the governor about this Tom fellow not needing a B**** like her, and then the Governor " he grinned and took a drink "Yes the Governor herself, of the town, not the contest, well actually, it seems both, she replies "Get the F*** out of my town" Daemon looked to his woman
She stared at him. "That isn't funny Daemon"
" I am not being comical" he was dead panned
"She really said that?"
Daemon could contain himself no longer, he laughed aloud "YES!!, Still think they are quaint?"
"evidently, quaint and classy" she replied sarcastically, shaking her head. "So what happened next?"
"Thats the strange part. I know how I would react if someone called you a B****, not to mention your personal reaction, and to be told to leave is one thing, but in such a disrespectful manner....."
He drank again, watching his wife.
Finally she raised an eyebrow, "And??"
"And they left, the whole group of them, after some robed man said something to them"
She looked stunned. "They just rode off?"
He laughed, "oh no, one of them stepped forward as if the king himself, and commanded someone or something to open a gate. But nothing happened. He got very angry and starting shouting NOW, soon there after a gate opened and they all left thru it."
"There are flyers posted around the region, This group that calls themselves the Hand warrants some looking into." He sipped his ale, "Is that one of my weapons?" he asked
"It is Daemon"
" And why are you sharpening those?" She stopped and laid the weapon to the side. She sighed and then looked him straight in his eyes. "Really Daemon, why?"
He looked a bit confused and said Innocently "Um, yes, Why?"
she shook her head slightly and used a tone as if talking to a child
"I have been in love with you a long, long time Daemon. I know you better than you know yourself. We have been summoned to a land of blindness, witnessed a murder in the streets. I can feel the unrest emitting from the ground, water and air itself. Every time we ride the countryside we find some evidence of how torn this world is. I know you Daemon, if there is trouble of any kind within a hundred miles, you'll soon be in the middle of it. And you ask me why?"
Daemon laughed aloud and slammed the rest of his ale, shattering the tankard in the fireplace he whirled and picked her up spinning in a circle. "By The Fathers Your Right!" he said placing her back down. "That is why I love you, you are smart!" His eyes twinkled as he kissed her and pulled away. He stepped towards a wall and with a wave of his hand reveled a hidden room. "Ill tend the armor" he said as he entered the cubby.
Her head shook slightly from side to side and her eyes dropped to the ground, a brief sadness crossing her face as she returned to the weapons
*I love this man and all he stands for* she thought to herself *though I wish just once he would stay out of things that do not concern us* But she knew the man she had married, and knew that would never happen
*It appears our time of peace has ended* She thought as she watched him begin to check his armors, she placed stone back to steel and prayed to the rhythm..........
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