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Sudenly the Giant's voice booms out in the common tongue. "A Servant of the Morrigan that spake nay Gaelic and canna make the sign of the battle crow when asked? Oi dinna ken that. A messenger mayhap, but one that canna spake the language. Then take ye a message. Your people come into this land and now dogheads lie dead at their hand. Aye and no doubt some of yours at the hands of the dogheads. Ye come to moi land, and bring a fear with ye, to moi guests, and ye dinna leave when ye are asked. Ye attack moi door with a mon, and then attack me with magic - twice. Then ye come to try and trick me in the name of the Gods. Do ye ken why I dinna want ye on my land? But heed ye thus. Ye attack me one more time, and I will nay stay moi hand. Three times ye have tried to trick me or threatened me. Nae more!" |
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Rolf still manages to hold on to his temper and keeps quiet, not wanting to do anything to interfer with Edgar's ploy. It's a clever one, even though it seems to be failing. Putting a hand on Herloch's shoulder, he nods back the way they came. He slowly starts backing away, keeping a close eye on the enemy. |
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Elsbeth, who never backed away too far, looks to the giant. She speaks to him in her tongue, a maiden without fear. "Aye, you're right on all," she replies. "We've deception by you and by us, by my friends and by the dogheads, death from them and death from us. We deny none of this." She takes her weapon and sheathes it with a loud 'shish,' holding her fair hands high. "But hear this, ye. Our land, aye the land of humans and thy kind alike are overrun with death and deception. The old Gods fade and new ones come to run us from our land. Kind fight against kind and land falls not to those most just but those most strong." Elsbeth rides to the gate, her hands held wide. "By the power of the Druid Mother, I pledge our honor to your house. If you send us away now, I honor that. If you choose to kill me for daring, then I obey that. If you allow us entry, know this: The land you claim and the land of my family is under siege. Under siege from those that encroach, under siege from monsters and those evil, under siege from the decay of the true religion to that with no power. I beg you. Answer me my plea and I will do as you say, under the word of the Mother, the Land and the Water. We wish you no harm. Your land is yours, by my oath and by my people. I, Elsbeth Marva Treveri do pledge it." The young woman makes no attempt to follow Rolf... |
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Edgar's slim hopes fade at the Giant's denouncement, but he yet refuses to give up. "No," he says, his gaze still meeting the giants, "I do not speak the Gaelic tongue, nor know I the correct signs and sigils of the Morrigan ... nor do I know myself for certain to be Her messenger ... but I do know this - almost uniquely amongst my kind I have the gift of speech, and that gift, as these warriors have remarked upon, and oft others I have met in my travels before they, must have granted by the Gods." There is no hint of deception in his voice now, rather a flow of thought that comes directly from heart and soul. "Perhaps I am no messenger ... perhaps I do not speak for the Battle Crow ... and yet, it seems to me perhaps I might. The gift of speech I have is but one matter - the other is that - and I mean this as no threat, merely a statement of fact - both you and these warriors will come to blows unless you extend your hand in hospitality to them ... and I cannot think that any of the Gods want that, and I will do what I must to prevent it if I can." He turns and watches as Elsbeth begins to speak in her own tongue and approaches the gate, not understanding the words, but perhaps the meaning is made clear by her manner. |
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Yuri, having been near Rolf during the latter half of the 'parlay' moves to leave when he does, but stops short when Elsbeth rides, not back, but forward. |
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Madelyn returns to Keldon, and retrieving her lance, remounts, awaiting the outcome of Elsbeth’s speech. |
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OOC: We can't have Elsbeth giving away parts of Sir Richard's claim, now can we? Hearing the start of her speech, Rolf's attention is captured by Elsbeth's sparkling speech. As it comes to its end, his face shows some alarm and he quickly returns to her side. He hisses an authoritative "Be Silent!" Facing the giant, he takes a moment to collect his thought. "Sir giant, this one," he gestures at Elsbeth, "speaks out of place. Her words do not carry the weight of our leaders and it is not her place to accept or dispute your claim to these lands." He glances over his shoulder at the others before looking down at Elsbeth. In a harsh tone, he adds, "We WILL leave now." Rolf reaches out and takes hold of the horses bridle with his left hand as he slowly backs away. Using the whole of his skills with animals, he sooths the animal, hoping it will cooperate. |
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Shock. Anger. Betrayal. All these emotions play out over Elsbeth's face. Shock that she was chastised so. Anger that he, an outsider, a Norseman, dared to challenge her family. Betrayal... that he, who so often supported her, overruled her. All this yet she makes no sound as Rolf speaks, her jaw set. "We WILL leave now," he states firmly. The woman looks at him with eyes that simmer with her anger. Yet she does not argue, does not combat his authority. Instead, she waits until she takes the horse's bridle that had fallen loose from nerveless fingers. "As you wish," she replies softly. "Maor-Coimhid, she adds in Gaelic. She allows her hands to rest on the front of the saddle and makes no move to resist or help. |
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Realising that no matter what the Giant says, Rolf will never agree to accept his hospitality now, Edgar gives in to the inevitable. In a most unbirdlike manner, he bows his head towards the giant. "It seems we must take our leave, Sir Giant," he says. "I thank you for your patience ... and you have given me much to think on. I pray that we shall meet again under better circumstances." With that, he nods his head again, and turns to glide slowly down to land gently across the pommel of Elsbeth's horse. "We tried," he says to her, quietly and sadly. |
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As Edgar lands by Elsbeth, he realizes her hands are shaking. "Aye," she whispers in response, so softly that Rolf cannot hear. The bird cannot be sure is she is angry or sad... or maybe both. What he can see are the tears on her cheeks. |
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With a glare of pure hatred towards the gate (or more importantly, the dogheads behind it), Yuri turns and follows the others. |
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As you draw back from the gate the giant opens it again and stands there watching, leaning on his great club, shaking his head slightly. OOC: where are you going to ? http://www.romain.dircon.co.uk/Hann/Galinia/Features.htm Tas Bardon Road - click on the map link for the map :) or use the Galinia Game Website link to get there. |
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As the party moves onward, Rolf's guard remains raised. "Edgar, could you fly up and keep an eye on our backtrail? Stay out of range of trouble, just keep an eye out for movement." Rolf sets his direction towards the meeting that they were heading for when so rudely interrupted. Moving next to the mounted Elsbeth, Rolf tries to explain his thoughts. "Elsbeth, we're on a mission for Sir Richard, we're his representatives. But he's not empowered us to go around giving away parts of his land claim." He shrugs, knowing that his words probably wouldn't sooth her ire. |
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Edgar doesn't know how to answer Elsbeth's tears, so it is with perhaps some relief that he hears Rolf's orders to watch the backtrail. Indeed, so dispirited is he from what has gone before, that he does not even bother the Warden with a token argument, instead taking to the skies with a weary shrug of wings ... |
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Rolf leads Elsbeth's horse back to the path, collects you all up with his eyes, and leads you along past the Giant's home. After a few hundred yards the path ends at the water side. There is a small quay that still looks just about useable and there are one or two minor earth ridges that might once hav formed boundarries of some type. Looking back you can clearly still see the Giant's home looking down at you but at least you are 400 yards or so away from it. You believe you are now in the right place for that meeting with Richard Briganda. Edgar flies up to watch the back path at Rolf's request, but then flutters down again to land among his colleagues when he realises how short the journey has been. If it were not for the home of the Giant looming so close behind you, this would be a wonderfully relaxing and pleasant place. |
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Elsbeth looks at Rolf with dagger-like eyes. Her anger is obvious in that she has slipped into her native dialect. "Ye may be right in that we are on the Lord's mission," she states softly. "But this land was likely th' giant's long before your lord, as it was ours prior." She takes a deep breath, obviously trying to get a hold on her anger. "I... I was just trying to make good from what ye warriors had made bad. Fah! I hate the doghead beasties as well, but I thought peace was worth..." Elsbeth stops, her emotions overcoming her. She looks at Rolf, then back at Madelyn, then at the clearing ahead. "I'll step back in the future and let ye do what it is ye must, Maor-Coimhid,," she adds. "In this an' in all other things." |
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Herloch is indifferent to all this talk. Talk accomplishing nothing. Standing at the rendezvous point a smug look shows on his face. A part of him wonders if he is hanging around the wrong crowd. Has he yet glorified Thor since he has met them? No. "I'll be interest to hear what the man whom we are awaiting has to say about all this. Perhaps he'll give us free reign to destroy this giant's home and send him running." |
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Rolf nods in response to Elsbeth's comments and does her the honor of responding in her language, although his grasp of it isn't as complete as he would like. "I admire your intentions to avoid bloodshed. We were at a real disadvantage and pressing a fight under those conditions was pure foolishness. Not all of us warriors made the situation bad. Who the land rightfully belongs to is beyond me. I only know that sir Richard claims it and I'm his man, so I strive to uphold his claim. I don't think he'd like hearing that we were going around giving pieces of it away. I didn't think it wise to speak so in front of the giant." Later.... Reaching the water side, Rolf looks around the area. "Callum, Herloch, why don't you two see what you can do to make this place defensible. Madelyn and I will guard the approaches. Edgar, I'd like you to keep watch, to land and to sea. If you happen to spot an incoming ship, let us know. The winds might alter Sir Richards arrival by several hours. Kerim, when you've seen to the pack beasts, please lend Callum and Herloch a hand. Elsbeth, could you, Peter, Mandrake and Yuri see to setting up camp? We might be here for a bit, we might as well make ourselves as comfortable as can be." |
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Peter is quite clearly pleased to be leaving the Giant's abode behind. Politics and land ownership had never eeally been of interest to him - nor has getting bashed by a giant's club - come to hat. Leading his mules he follows on with the party and settles down to start making camp when Rolf reqests it. First job is unloading the mules that contain the camping equipment and piling it to one side. Once he has done that he leaves the mules to Kerim's care and starts setting up the cook equipment. "Any one been out to get any fire wood yet" he asks of his camping setting colleagues. |
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"I don't care about the giant", Yuri bluntly tells Herloch before helping set up camp. |
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Edgar flutters miserably up to the top of one of the ridges of earth, and settles down to a period of quiet contemplation, looking down the path for signs of movement, and with the occasional glance behind him to see if the sea has ushered any visitors this way. |
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When Mandrake realises the true nature of the doghead that suddenly appeared before him, then he smiles and bows to the giant, "Touché Sir. I can understand if you would not forgive this humble gnome his impudence, but like your guest, my nature can get the better of my wisdom at times." Then he turns to address the doghead "Bishi panna iki, panna, panna. "Ifna Alhevro vitlz bishi pannamo, Alhevro bishi hull, Alhevro claz bishi hull." As the group settle into the everyday chores of life on the road, Mandrake offers to help Peter in preparing the food "…and you know, that you can always rely on me if you need a second opinion when it comes to tasting your glorious concoctions." After a while though, he notices the lone crow on a near ridge, and remembering what a friend Edgar had been through Mandrake’s recent hard times, a sadness crosses him. When Peters back is turned, Mandrake lifts a piece of raw food and wanders over to the crow. Mandrake approaches silently and sits down a couple of feet from Edgar and looking out over the sea. He places the food down between them without a word. |
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