He has a restless night. It was punctuated by four words.
Look Up
Look Out
Macfadden opens his eye and rolls out of the way as a longsword slams
point first into the bed.
“GUARDS!”
A few minutes later, majority of the royal guard is on alert.
Leutentant Sean examines the sword. It is black as obsidian. Extremely
light and looks like it was carved out of wood.
On the sword was a note.
Sir Ewen McFadden, King of the Emerald Hills,
You have been marked.
The rest of it was in a oriental language.
“Sir. You have another assassin after you.”
“I know that! Whoever it is I want found.”
“Yes My Leige.”
Sean wanders out to dispose of the sword, thinking “Now whats next? Who’s after the king this time.”
The wind seems to answers Sean “The forces of chaos, bore me and to
them you should return. Seek the shadows to find you answers. ”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Toh will be paid, no strings left. To be bonded by my charge completely, I must leave nothing behind."
The servent stopped as he approched Ice and Kenta. "What is he ranting about this time," he thought as he approached the pair, "Gods I hope he's not drunk, they might kill me for these..."
"Now, brother hand me some of that moogle-crap Larin made.. What the hell do you want?"
The servent jumped as Ice acknowledged his presence.
"Ummm.. M'Lord Kenta.. Sir..."
"Don't call me Sir you idiot! I work for a living.." Kenta said cutting him off, "Get to the point.."
"M'lord.. Baron Moonstar sent me to give you these.. his new edicts.."
The lad quickly hands over the papers and bows, turns quickly, and heads for the door at a speed not much shy of a run. Kenta stares after him for a moment, shrugs, and opens the paper.
"What's it this time? More Clu clones? More executions?" Ice asked half-caring.
Kenta scans down the page quickly, then stops suddenly, his eyes bulging.
"Alright, this has gone on long enough.. Get Korlys back here and meet me in Larin's room."
"Why? What happened?"
"Read number 5.."
Ice grabs the document and reads:
"Edict 5: All men in the Barony are to have their penis' cut down to less then 3 inches to keep the Baron for having penis envy."
"Yep.. we have to kill the bastard.. Damn.."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tanara tossed Ermot on to her cloak that lay on the floor while she mulled over what Sean and Ermot had told her. She dressed quickly and noticed movement out of the corner of her eye... Ermot was trying to sneak back into the sleeping chambers.
"Freeze furball!"
Ermot stopped and looked at Tanara, "Whaattt!? I was just going to make sure he was asleep."
"I know what your up to." She reached down and grabbed him and her cloak off the floor. "You're coming with me."
She stuffed Ermot into the inside pocket of her cloak and headed for
the stable.
*********************************
Tanara plopped down in a chair, facing her friend. "Well! Long time, no see!"
Madam Cyn laughed, reaching across the table and hugging her friend. "Too true...Would you like a cup of tea? I was just about to make myself some berry tea...I've been experimenting with different flavors. I could really use a second opinion, and you know KR doesn't drink tea!"
"Sure, make a pot. If all else, we'll end all of my problems here and now if you poison me!" Cyn stopped in her tracks, turned to look at her friend, an extremely concerned look on her face. She sat back down, reading her friend's expression. Tanara sighed, suddenly looking as though she carried the problems of the world on her shoulders. Seeing Cyn's concern added, "Make that tea, first?"
Cyn stood up again, walking into the small kitchen area she had set
up in her shop. "So how goes it," she called out as she gathered
her ingredients.
"Where've you been?"
"Well, it's a very long story...I've been at the castle working with Sean Carlton, who happens to be the King's Lieutenant."
"I know about him...he came to see me."
Tanara was silent for a moment. "Oh, really?"
"Well, I guess it couldn't be helped. I really made it obvious how much I knew of him...It's rather amazing how much information you learn everywhere you go." She chuckled silently. "Anyway, you were saying?"
"Anyway, things are getting really weird up there...and here. I hear different things from different people, and I am really getting confused. I don't know who's telling me the truth, or even if I'm getting the whole truth, or if I'm just being used by everyone I know!"
Cyn thought on that while she made the tea. When it was ready, she returned to the table inside her shop, a pot of tea and two cups resting on a tray she carried. As she set the tray down on the table, she looked at Tanara, who looked very torn. "I hope you don't feel I'm part of whatever group is using you?"
"There's a large part of me that knows you would never intentionally hurt me, but there is also a part of me that wonders what's really going on? Who am I supposed to trust?"
"Well, how about a reading? It can only guide you, help you to clarify the situation? Maybe help you find a solution?"
"A solution? I'm not even sure what the question is!" She looked up, as if looking for answers in the heavens. After a long while of thinking, she finally spoke. "Ok...I think I know my question."
Cyn reached into the apothecary's chest behind her, and pulled out her much loved, very well worn tarot cards. "Shuffle them as many times as you feel the need to, concentrate on your question." She watched silently as Tanara shuffled the cards. It barely seemed like she had shuffled them twice when she set them back down on the table in front of Cyn. "Already, " Cyn asked, a surprised look on her face.
"Yep."
"Ok...as long as you're sure..." Cyn dealt out five cards in a very simplistic pattern. Four corners of a square with a card in the middle. The first card, in the lower left corner, was the two of cups. The second card, in the lower right corner, was the ten of Pentacles. The third, in the upper left corner, showed the the two of Pentacles. The fourth card, the Page of Wands, lay in the upper right corner. The fifth card lay in the middle, and it was the High Priestess. Cyn looked at the cards for a few minutes, then looked at Tanara. "Ok...well, these two cards, the 2 of Cups, and the 10 of Pentacles, are showing where you're coming from. You're coming from friendships, but with the friendships come hazards, chances, some loss. The loss may be fatal. Watch your back, you may be in a danger you haven't seen, your life hangs in the balance. Where you are headed, as far as the 2 of Pentacles and the Page of Wands show...if you continue down this path, there will be enforced gaiety. ...If you change paths, there is a dark young man in your life, who is faithful, your lover, possibly with a dangerous rival..."
Tanara was silent, thinking...Cyn realized she must thinking of who
the man or men in her life may be. She looked back at the cards. "These
two cards, back to the 2 of Cups, and the 2 of Pentacles, are saying that
having a friendship with forced gaiety is not the path
for you. Why be in a situation where you have to pretend your emotions?
However changing your path, as shown by the 10 of Pentacles and the Page
of Wands, is telling me that there will always be the possibility of being
hurt, but it's like the saying "it's always darkest before
the dawn" or "the light at the end of the tunnel..."
Your ultimate decision, shown by the High Priestess, is saying that
you need to listen to your instincts. You already have the answers you
seek within you. Listen to yourself."
Cyn looked up at Tanara, who nodded her head in understanding. She touched her friend on the hand, concerned. "Does this help at all, or did I make a situation worse?"
"No, I think it did help...Look, I'm sorry, I know we haven't visited in a while, but I really must go...there are some things I need to take care of! I will see you soon."
Before Cyn could reply, Tanara had run out of the shop. She looked at
the cards in front of her, sighing. "Sometimes I hate being the messenger..."