Yseult

[15:47] ST: (we won't need the map yet :P)

[15:47] Abla: good :)

[15:48] ST: You are staying in a boardinghouse for young ladies in the great city of Panerul

[15:48] Abla: (good. Who else is here?)

[15:48] ST: in the foyer there is a portrait of a man in a crown and red robes

[15:49] * Abla .oO(must be the king or something)

[15:49] ST: the matron is in another room, snapping at a maid, but you can't hear what she is saying

[15:50] Abla: (not even with my sharp ears?)

[15:50] ST: you hear a knock at the door but the matron is yelling too loudly to hear

[15:50] ST: (well, fine, you hear her yelling about a broken dish or a waken fish)

[15:50] Abla: (ok)

[15:50] * Abla opens the door

[15:51] ST: You see a messenger dressed in red and a guard, also in red, wearing the same crest as on the frame of the picture

[15:51] * Abla steps back

[15:52] Abla: hello?

[15:52] ST: both are men, human, and in their twenties

[15:52] Abla: (oh lord)

[15:52] Abla: well... ca.. can I help.. help you?

[15:53] ST: the messenger speaks: "I am a messenger, eunuch, and loyal retainer of King Radclyffe, may he live long. I seek an elf by the name of Abla, I heard she is staying here."

[15:53] Abla: Are.. are you really an eunuch?

[15:54] Abla: I didn't know there were any on this isle

[15:54] ST: "yes ma'am, a mere messenger while i train to be a servant of the princess"

[15:54] ST: he answers with a blush

[15:54] Abla: Abla, hm? That'd be... me.

[15:55] Abla: Though I am not sure if I can proof it

[15:55] ST: "You? I have a letter for you, can you read, elf-woman?"

[15:55] Abla: I can read, it's just... I'm not sure if I understand your language in the written form

[15:55] ST: "I will read it to you then."

[15:56] Abla: thank you, sir

[15:56] Abla: wait

[15:56] Abla: why don't.. you.. come in. If the guard remains outside, that is

[15:57] ST: "This is a house of ladies, it is not appropriate until I have finished my training, miss."

[15:57] Abla: I am sorry. I am not fully aware of such cultural rules. I hope I didn't offend you.

[15:58] Abla: I take it your king sent you for me? Why would he write me, I ask myself

[15:59] ST: he began to read the letter, casting a wary glance at abla and not responding to her apology, "King Radclyff, Just Leader of Panerul, hereby summons Abla bint Rashid to the Royal Palace. The King desires to send her on a mission requiring delicacy, secrecy and strength"

[15:59] ST: *Radclyffe

[15:59] ST: "Do you accept the summons willingly, elf?"

[15:59] Abla: summons, hm? It is not like I can reject, can I?

[15:59] Abla: oh, I can

[15:59] Abla: well, in that case, I won't

[16:00] ST: "Not really" barked the guard

[16:00] Abla: so, yes, I accept

[16:00] Abla: oh

[16:00] * Abla looks at the guard

[16:00] Abla: Who are you, sir?

[16:00] ST: "good, they didn't send me to guard this half-man"

[16:00] ST: "I was sent to be sure you accepted, ma'am"

[16:01] * Abla looks at the guard again. Her face shows an expression of disbelief. How could such a guy ever keep up with her?

[16:02] ST: "my name is unimportant, but you may call me Sir Riven"

[16:02] Abla: Good, then. Let me get my possessions, and then we can leave

[16:02] ST: "very well, we will wait here. we know the entrances and exits of this house. do not try to flee" said the guard

[16:03] * Abla walks in, gets dressed in her green robe, grabs her bow and quiver, and appears at the door again

[16:03] Abla: I am ready

[16:03] ST: They lead you along winding alleyways full of stray cats and dogs to the side entrance to the palace

[16:04] Abla: so... how does Radclyffe know about my precense? I thought I managed to remain unnoticed

[16:04] ST: "His majesty know of all visitors to his kingdom"

[16:04] Abla: (*presence. Or whatever)

[16:05] * Abla mumbles something about damned board guards and worthless promises

[16:05] Abla: *border

[16:05] Abla: so... what can you tell me about this delicate mission?

[16:06] ST: "ma'am, if they told it was for your benefit or due to a risk to themselves"

[16:06] ST: "We have been told nothing, Elf. We presume it has to do with the war between Seranth and Eliaza"

[16:07] Abla: war? Ah, that explains a lot

[16:08] ST: the messenger, who had been silent for a bit spoke softly but firmly, "your kind, they live across the ocean, do they not?

[16:08] ST: "

[16:08] ST: (yes, i realized i hadsn't put them anywhere :P)

[16:08] Abla: yes, sir... what was your name again?

[16:09] ST: "Selwyn, ma'am, I have not met an elf before"

[16:10] ST: "we are here," barked the guard

[16:10] Abla: Selwyn. Well, take your time to look at me, because it may be the last time

[16:10] Abla: Sir Riven, please tell me. I don't want to ashame myself when I visit the king. How should I behave and address him?

[16:11] ST: "Follow the lead of Selwyn. What he does, do. What he says, mimic. Only speak when spoken do and address him as 'Your Majesty'"

[16:12] * Abla smiles

[16:12] Abla: apparently nobilty isn't that much different here

[16:12] ST: "and do not look him in they eye

[16:12] ST: "

[16:12] Abla: of course.

[16:12] ST: finished Selwyn

[16:13] ST: Sir Riven roughtly grabbed her arm, nodded to a stoic guard, and led her inside

[16:13] Abla: Shall.. shall we en-en-enter?

[16:13] * Abla . o O (we shall)

[16:13] ST: (:P)

[16:14] * Abla carefully keeps her eye on Selwnyn

[16:14] Abla: *Selwyn

[16:14] ST: At the top of a long and winding staircase he took her, only slightly more genltly, and half-pushed her into a wooden chair facing a red plush armchair"

[16:15] * Abla has a quick look around. Who else is here?

[16:16] ST: No one else is there besides the two men

[16:16] ST: Selwyn sits on a similar chair and Riven stands

[16:17] * Abla whispers, "what will happen if I accidentily look the king in his eyes?"

[16:18] ST: "He will likely laugh, he knows you are a foreigner, but his guard may object too quickly to be stilled" whispered selwyn in return

[16:19] Abla: does he know I am... am not... not a commoner?

[16:19] ST: "He may, he may not. I have been told nothing, shh, I think he is coming" whispered selwyn as you hear heavy footsteps in the hall

[16:20] ST: Suddenly the door opens and a guard more stoic than the one outside enters and selwyn stand up suddenly, looking at the floor, and then bows as a cloaked figure comes behind him

[16:20] ST: (behind the guard)

[16:20] * Abla stands up and bows too

[16:21] Abla: ... keeping her face down, her head directed to the cloaked figure, but her eyes focused on Selwyn

[16:21] ST: As the man from the portrait enters, Selwyn, Sir Riven, and the other guard all bow to the ground

[16:21] * Abla bows to the ground too

[16:22] ST: You hear but do not see the King sit in the armchair

[16:22] * Abla . o O (odd the guard comes in before the king, but no herault showed up announcing him)

[16:23] * Abla . o O (maybe I misunderstand the local concept of king)

[16:23] ST: (well the guard is a silent herald of sorts)

[16:23] Abla: (but Abla doesn't know :P)

[16:23] Abla: (there must be some cultural differences, being so far away from home)

[16:24] ST: (heh i'll have the king explain)

[16:24] ST: you feel a light tap on your shoulder, from what appears to be a golden scepter

[16:24] * Abla quickly looks at Selwyn with an asking face

[16:24] ST: "Rise and sit, ancient one." says a voice that is clearly noble

[16:25] * Abla does what she's being told, not eyeing the one who speaks

[16:25] ST: "you follow well, elf. I am surprised, are you high-born or a frequenter of palaces?"

[16:26] Abla: "high-born" describes it fairly well, lord.

[16:26] ST: Riven coughs loudly

[16:27] ST: as the king's guard tenses

[16:27] * Abla clearly is a bit nervous

[16:28] Abla: (oops... "lord" was the wrong title, of course)

[16:28] ST: seeing little  reaction from the elf, king radclyffe speaks again, "Relax, Gawain, she is unfamiliar with our customs and manners of address. Look at me, elf, I have not see one of your kind for many years

[16:28] ST: "

[16:29] * Abla looks at the king's chin

[16:29] ST: he hold up his hand and Gawain takes his hand off his hilt

[16:29] Abla: I... I am an wood-elf, your majesty.

[16:30] ST: "Hmm, you look little like the travelling storyteller I saw in the square about 20 years before"

[16:31] Abla: Your Majesty?

[16:31] ST: "there are more than one type of your kind?" whispered selwyn, to be answered with a spack from Riven

[16:31] ST: *smack

[16:31] Abla: (spack.. he's everywhere!)

[16:31] ST: (indeed)

[16:32] * Abla breathes heavily, almost like she doesn't have it under control

[16:32] ST: "i have summoned you to bring this letter to a man in the prisons of Seranth, and this to the Prince of seranth"

[16:33] ST: the king produced one letter in a gray envelope and one in a red envelope, both sealed with wax, the latter bearing the king's signet

[16:34] Abla: I take it... it... I a-am not to kn-n-n-ow.. any reasons or-r-r mo-more details on on on the co-content of th-the letters, your Majesty.

[16:34] * Abla . o O (by Shamash, control yourself!)

[16:35] ST: "You will know in time, Bint Rashid. As i am sure you know, Seranth, is at war with our neighbor Eliaza"

[16:35] Abla: I understood that much from things I heard, your Majesty

[16:35] ST: "They have blocked the only road between the kingdoms, rendering trade impossible."

[16:36] * Abla is clearly shocked at hearing her father's name

[16:37] ST: "Ahh, have I spoken wrongly, elf? I presumed you were addressed by the name of your forebearers as we do here"

[16:37] ST: "i have heard tales of you from the lady Scherezade, a travelling bard of your kind"

[16:38] ST: (dude, the messenger siad it as well :P)

[16:39] Abla: Your Majesty, it is just that I have bad memories of my hometown. Where I come from, however, addressing one by ones own name is as common as using ones father's name. It's just that... only few people know who my father is

[16:39] Abla: (he did?)

[16:39] ST: (he used your full name)

[16:39] Abla: (no, he only said Abla)

[16:39] Abla: ("[...]I seek an elf by the name of Abla, I heard she is staying here.")

[16:39] ST: (did not, i had to look it up, reread the proclamation)

[16:40] Abla: (oh wait, I see it)

[16:40] Abla: (sorry :) )

[16:40] ST: "Ahh, verywell, sometimes the bard gives too much information"

[16:40] ST: "I do not know where she gathers it from"

[16:41] Abla: Scherezade. I think I met her, your Majesty

[16:41] ST: "who hasn't?

[16:41] ST: " muttered gawain

[16:41] Abla: Telling too much. Excuse me, your majesty, but that is what bards are like

[16:42] ST: the king laughed strongly

[16:42] ST: "With the road blocked, you will have to cut through the King's Wood"

[16:43] Abla: woods. Ah!

[16:44] Abla: in the woods, I feel like a fish feels in water

[16:44] Abla: (that is a Dutch expression, dunno if it exists in English too)

[16:44] ST: "it is very dangerous, but the need for secrecy prevents me from sending a guard. I hope you live up to your kind, wood-elf. The only one who can aid you out there is the wild woman, I am not even sure she is human, and Sishi, if he wills"

[16:44] ST: (it's understandable in english)

[16:45] Abla: please excuse me, is this the wild woman everyone seems to fear somewhat?

[16:45] Abla: I think I've heard about her

[16:45] ST: "I dare think she'll have better luck convincing the bears to help her than the wild woman, yseult'

[16:46] ST: muttered Gawain

[16:46] ST: "Scheherezade has also told me you bear the mark of Sishi, behind your left ear"

[16:47] Abla: I do?

[16:47] Abla: This I did not know, but if you wish, I will show you my left ear

[16:47] ST: (all adventurers do, somewhere, i figured it was the only hidden spot on abla)

[16:47] ST: "I wish it"

[16:48] * Abla removes the hair covering her left ear and turns that side of her face towards the king

[16:48] Abla: (what is this spot like?)

[16:49] Abla: (*mark)

[16:49] ST: "it is there. here, look in the glass and see for yourself" said the king, handing her a piece of polished obsidian

[16:50] * Abla takes the obsidian and tries to manouvre(sp?) it so that she can look

[16:50] * Abla succeeds

[16:50] * Abla looks

[16:51] ST: you see a dark reflection of your ear and hair and a rose-like mark in a darker version ofyour skintgone

[16:51] Abla: I... I am amazed, your Majesty. This I have never seen before!

[16:52] ST: "I would expect not, mirrors are very costly" he said as he took it back

[16:52] Abla: Nor did anyone ever tell me about it, not even Bin Ahmed

[16:52] ST: (do you honestly look behind your ear?)

[16:52] ST: "he would not have understood it, it wouild have just been a birthmark"

[16:52] Abla: (honestly? ehm... no :) )

[16:53] * Abla keeps looking for a short while, then humbly hands the mirror back to the king

[16:54] Abla: ... still not facing him of course

[16:54] ST: you hear the sound of a horn, and the king sighs

[16:54] * Abla turns her head into the alleged direction of the sound

[16:55] Abla: may I be so rude as to ask what that sound means?

[16:55] ST: "I  must go remind my daughter not to have heralds in the house, you may wait here, or tour the great hall with Riven"

[16:55] ST: (and Selwyn :P)

[16:56] Abla: Your Majesty, please accept my brutalness. Is Sir Riven... thrustworty?

[16:56] Abla: *forgive

[16:56] Abla: (not accept, forgive. Accept is an odd word here)

[16:56] ST: "I obviously trust him with my own safety.

[16:56] ST: "

[16:57] Abla: Sir Riven, please forgive me for asking this. If you knew my... history, you would understand.

[16:57] ST: "You may take selwyn as well, you seem comfortable around it and it is good practice for it"

[16:58] ST: (well he's a eunuch y'know, not really a "he")

[16:58] Abla: Your Majesty, will we meet again? If not, please bring my best wishes to your daughter

[16:58] Abla: (I understand:) )

[16:58] ST: "If you return safely we shall meet"

[16:59] Abla: sun and stars on your path, your Majesty

[16:59] ST: "May sishi protect you"

[16:59] ST: King radclyffe leaves the room asnd Sir Gawain shuts the ddor behind him

[16:59] * Abla sighs

[16:59] Abla: so... how did I do?

[editor's note, Abla was speaking to Selwyn and Sir Riven, they are still in the room they were in]