session 15

[Bynw]

20:19 <~bynw> **************
20:19 <~bynw> Major Kohler has returned. And he was alone. Bringing with
20:19 <~bynw> him some news of the pressing war. He is being sent into
20:19 <~bynw> battle and has decided to stay the night at the cottage
20:19 <~bynw> before joining his troops who are obviously already in
20:19 <~bynw> route to the battlefield.
20:19 <~bynw> .....
20:19 <~bynw> The group has discussed taking on the boy child found
20:19 <~bynw> in the ruins of South Wind. One Cyril de al Marche. A son
20:19 <~bynw> of a wealthy merchant that has some talent for magic. He
20:19 <~bynw> is currently being trained by the Spectral Magicians.
20:19 <~bynw> **************
20:21 < Mirina> "I am willing to teach if the boy is willing to learn, but there are some things that can only be learned by one born with the Healer's gift."
20:23 < Luc> "And as I stated, the Spectral's would be better benefited from one with the boy's survival instincts learning as fast as possible. By the time the boy's training is finished normally, this war could be over."
20:23 < Mirina> "I didn't look into his mind when I Healed him in South Wind.  Major Kohler, do you know if he has the Healer's gift?"
20:23 < Luc> *the Spectral Elders
20:25 <~bynw> :: the Major shakes his head:: "I'm unware of his abilities."
20:26 < Riam> ::Rolls her eyes:: "The boy doesn't matter."
20:26  * Mirina nods in acknowledgement.  "If it transpires that he has a gift for Healing in addition to a gift for Spectral Magic, I would be honored to be a part of his training."
20:31 < Luc> *shrugs* "We could always contact them with the book. The worst that could happen is that we're told to mind our own business."
20:32 < Riam> ::Looks to the Major:: "Does your order wish to hire me again?"
20:33 <~bynw> ::Major:: "
20:33 <~bynw> I dont have an order. But I'm sure the Empire may want to use your services in the future."
20:34  * Luc glares a little at Riam. "Should they not, you do owe a small debt to me as well, my friend."
20:39 < Riam> ::Glances Questioningly at Luc for a moment, then address the Major:: "With respect. Promises and gold are two totally different things Major. Bankers deal in the former, I deal only in the latter."
20:42 <~bynw> ::Major:: "Yes of course. And the Empire will use the latter to pay its soldiers of fortune."
20:42 < Mirina> "Really.  We've been paid already for this...excursion, and we haven't even embarked on it yet."
20:44 <~bynw> ::Major:: "You were hired to find out how they are blocking our use of magic. With the bracers, we discovered something that was even better. How to counteract them blocking our magic. Thus you were paid."
20:44 < Luc> "Technically we've been paid for these," *holds up the bracers*. "We were going to be paid for an excursion of sorts, but we ended up being paid because that excursion needed not being needed. Now we are free to act as we see fit."
20:45  * Luc points at the Major. "What he said."
20:46 < Mirina> "It seemed to me that our shapeshifting friend was questioning the major's willingness or ability to pay for services rendered, whatever they may have been."
20:46 < Riam> ::Closes his large book and tucks it under his arm:: "Soldier! Really Major there is no need to be insulting."
20:47 <~bynw> ::the Major ignoring Ri'am's outburst gets up from his seat:: "Well I think I shall retire for the evening. I have a long journey starting in the morning." :: bids them good night and retires to one of the rooms::
20:47 < Riam> "My contract was executed. The Major paid me in a timely manner and in full. I am very happy with our previous arangement...."
20:48  * Mirina says nothing further but shakes her head as if to say, "Let it drop."
20:48 < Riam> "However. I am currently a free agent. In search of employment. Preferably from the Major."
20:49 < Mirina> "I think all parties concerned are fairly happy with the previous arrangement, and I would venture to say that the Major would hire us again if he had a task suited to our peculiar assortment of talents."
20:50 <~bynw> ?? anyone doing anything else for the evening ??
20:51 < Mirina> !!No, I think we can probably all go to bed and pick up "next morning."!!
20:52  * Mirina picks up her pack, her Healer's satchel, and the tunic she was embroidering and goes upstairs to bed.
20:53 < Luc> !!agreeing with mirina!!
20:54  * Luc goes to the library to flip through spellbooks to choose a few spells for the next day, then retires to his room and sleep.
20:55 < Riam> ::Has a night cap and retires to her room.
20:56 <~bynw> *before dawn, the Major is up and out at the stables preparing a horse ... and by dawn he is riding out of the protection area of the cottage
21:01 <~bynw> *other than the major's passing the cottage has no signs of war near it. none can be heard in the distance and it really seems like a dream
21:08 < Riam> ::Wakes well past dawn, yawning and stretching as she enters the main hall of the cottage::
21:09 < Luc> ::Wanders into the Library, checking the Large book for messages before entering the main hall::
21:09 < Riam> "Mage. Do we wait until the war comes knocking on our door then?"
21:11 < Luc> "Not at all, my young, strange friend. We DO need to come up with a plan of action however. There are maps in the library that we can spread on the table out here that we can update with the information we have."
21:13  * Mirina awakens, washes her face and dresses in a dove-gray linen tunic, tan leather breeches, and soft leather boots, and coils her dark-blond hair into a knot at the nape of her neck.
21:14  * Mirina goes downstairs to the kitchen to brew a cup of tea and grab some bread and cheese for breakfast.  Having eaten, she takes her teacup and goes into the study where Luc and Ri'am are.
21:19 < Riam> "Plan of action. Riiight. I hear the crystal islands are brimming with gold, wine, women, and song. No armies battling either."
21:22 < Luc> "Wine women and song are entertaining, but the Empire STILL has more gold available at it's beck and call for expenses towards mecenaries like you and us than all of the isles have put together."
21:25 < Riam> ::Just shakes her head and pours herself a tumbler of fire wine::
21:27 < Riam> "You know how to drive a girl to drink mage."
21:28  * Mirina says mildly, "Good morning."
21:28 < Mirina> "What are we going to do next?"
21:28 < Riam> "Drink."
21:28 < Riam> ::sips the fire wine::
21:28  * Mirina flashes Ri'am an odd look.   "Isn't it a bit early in the day for fire wine?"
21:29 < Luc> "Drinking is a valid option." ::Sips a small cup of tea::
21:29 < Mirina> "I hope you ate something for breakfast.  Fire wine can be really harsh on the stomach if there's nothing else in there."
21:31 < Riam> ::smiles:: "Now THAT is sensible. Well said. FIne food. FIne drink. I suppose it's too much to ask that either of you gamble?"
21:32 < Riam> ::Starts on her way towards the kitchen to raid the pantry::
21:32 < Mirina> "Sorry to say, I never developed a gift for gambling, no."  She smiles rather in spite of herself.
21:32 < Luc> "My friend, I lived as a Merchant in the Imperial City for over a year."
21:36 < Riam> ::Pulls a loaf of bread, hunk of cheese, and some sausages from the pantry. Produces a knife from somewhere. And begins carving herself up breakfast while sipping the fire wine::
21:38 < Riam> "I'm sure we can find a deck of cards here somewhere."
21:47 <~bynw> *the magical book near the library signals an incomming message*
21:48 < Luc> *sets his cup down and moves quickly to the book*