As Lilly exits the dance floor, she notices Brennan looking her way. Something in his eyes, or perhaps his posture, brings her back from the joy of the dance. It looked like it was time to get back to work and back to reality.
"I believe the fox over there may indeed be trying to garner my attention. Shall we go find out what it is that he wants?" It might be time fort he real world to step in but Lilly was not quite ready to give up Ossian's company. For whatever reason she found herself wanting to know him better.
"Yes, why don't we?" Ossian says, but his voice lacks that enthusiasm.
Slowly she began to make her way across the floor. There was no sign of urgency in her step. Even if something was wrong there would be little point in calling attention to it, or so she believed. If there had been surely Brennan would not have been so subtle.
Then from the corner of her eye she saw it. Merlin appeared as if Paige had pulled him through a trump. Certainly that could not be considered normal behavior. For a moment she paused in her motion. Part of her wanted to continue on to Brennan's side. The other part of her wanted to go to Paige to find out what was going on. As those two sides argued, her instincts shifted to exactly where they needed to be. Lilly began to look for the Queen. If something had indeed gone wrong, Vialle would need her protection.
Vialle is leaving the dance floor with Bleys, with whom she was dancing.
Ossian is obviously slower to react.
"Someone obviously want to ensure we won't have a boring evening." Ossian says.
"It would certainly seem that way." Lilly can not hide either the note of disappointment nor the hint of excitement in her voice as she speaks.
"You want to be near the queen?" he continues quietly. There is a slightly nervous tone in Ossian's voice.
Lilly nods. "If there is a true danger, the Queen's safety is my primary concern."
If Ossian and Lilly can locate the Queen Ossian will lead Lilly there, unless she wants to run.
For now Lilly will settle for walking. She does not want to alarm anyone in any way.
Bleys is leading the Queen towards Ossian and Lilly. [You can assume their arrival when you next post if you like.]
Ossian will stay quiet for a second, and let Lilly start the talking if she wants to. (She probably has more important things to say than Ossian does right now.)
[Lilly]
"If you sense anything unusual, please let me know. I believe that
there might be undercurrents I may overlook. We all have our
strengths. And I believe yours and mine are quite different. If we
work together, I believe we shall have a greater chance at success."
"I shall keep my eyes and ears open." Ossian smiles "Did you notice if Paige had a Trump in her hand?" he asks very quietly.
"I know only that she had them on her person." Lilly responds in the same hushed tone.
"Well. Let's hope Merlin's arrival wasn't just a distraction."
On their way there Ossian will try to see what the reaction of the crowd is, by looking at people and listening.
There is confusion and concern, but no danger of a stampede at this time.
Good. Ossian thinks a stampede would be bad; a panicking audience does not watch, nor remember very well. But people seem alerted to the situation; that is certainly good.
As Vialle and Bleys approach, Ossian leans closer to Lilly (probably closer than she is entirely comfortable with) and whispers: "I guess you want to discuss things secretly. If you only want to talk to Vialle, just lean close to her and whisper. Giggle girlfashion. If you want me and Bleys to hear, well then I'll just chatter to cover whatever you say." Ossian pauses for a moment. "This is where you giggle at my supposedly clever comment."
Lilly gives him a bit of a suspicious look. "I thought you wished for our behavior to appear normal."
Ossian laughs warmly. "Sure. Everything depends on who you are want to appear normal to, dear dragon. Just do it your way."
Bleys arrives with Vialle on his arm. He says, "Lilly, you have a lovely way with the waltz. A pity we won't have a chance to dance together just yet." He drops his voice. "We have at least one uninvited guest. The King asks that you guard the Queen."
"Understood." Lilly says quietly. Her voice then returns to a more normal tone as she adds. "The Waltz. So that is what it is called. Yes. I found it quite enjoyable."
While Bleys and Lilly make their quiet exchange, Ossian bows to the Queen "Your majesty." he murmurs, mostly to let Vialle hear who's nearby.
"Lord Ossian," Vialle replies, acknowledging him.
Vialle feels very vulnerable, Ossian is certain, but she's putting a brave face on it.
Looking to Vialle she then adds, "And I must say your majesty you handled the dance beautifully yourself."
He turns his attention to Ossian, and asks in the same low voice, "Do you have a deck of the Family's favorite playing cards?"
"No. I have a few of the cousins." Ossian answers, keeping his voice low. "If you won't steal this dragon from my clutches right now, what are then the Devil's plans for tonight?" he asks in a more normal voice.
Bleys says jovially, "Deviltry, of course. If I tell you any more, it will spoil the surprise." In a low voice, "If you have one of a locale nearby, it might make a useful escape route. We believe the Queen should be able to pass through with assistance."
Ossian certainly seems to enjoy this double-speak game. "Sorry. But I can get us out in shadow if we should need something that drastic." Ossian says quietly [I hope I haven't forgotten about any Trumps Ossian owns...] "Ah. I shall not pry then. I love surprises." he continues in his normal voice, bowing again, to cover his retrieval of a slim Trump case from within his costume.
"Don't forget to make it a two way trip and not a Nomadic journey. Our Queen is a city creature and should not be taken into the wilderness unwitting. Where would you go?" Bleys looks unobtrusively around and leans close to Ossian.
"I can hopefully Trump us back through one of my cousins." Ossian says and takes a Trump showing a sunny beach out of his case. "This beach used to be very serene."
"You will need to remain close by cousin. If the situation deteriorates into one where we must flee I doubt I will be able to muster the necessary concentration doing such without jeopardizing my Queen." [Lilly's] voice is low, calm, and full of confidence. Providing cover for another while they opened a Trump connection would, in her estimation, be relatively easy compared to trying to provided cover for herself while her mind was busy elsewhere.
"Don't worry. I will stay close enough. I want you to come with me and our Queen to the other side, so please don't cut my head off with that sword of yours when I grasp for you." Ossian says quietly "It would break my concentration. Not to mention ruin my costume." he adds playfully.
"I think I can manage to leave you intact. I would suggest a light touch on the shoulder of whichever arm is free of my blade. No matter what do not reach for my sword arm. I may react to that without thought." The thoughtful intensity of her eyes suggests that she is in no way joking. However it is also clear by her stance that she really does not wish to bring harm to Ossian in any way.
"But I fear we are getting a bit ahead of ourselves cousin. First we need to know if we have an available exit." Lilly nods in the direction of the card Ossian is now holding.
"I'll just check if it's still calm." Ossian says and opens the Trump contact to have a look at the beach. He does not want to teleport there.
Ossian concentrates on the place that he sees in the card and attempts to make that place as real as this place.
Vialle turns to Lilly and says, pitched for anyone standing nearby to hear, "Who is dancing this waltz, Dame Lilly? Has my Emperor made it popular with the guests yet?"
Lilly takes the opportunity the scan the dance floor making astute mental notes of everything and everyone. "Popular? The family seems to be enjoying it. As for the guests, well I believe they are still trying to understand it. It's a pity really; dance is one of the few things that should be experienced rather then analyzed. But I digress. In answer to your first question, it is difficult to put names to some, due to their costumes of course but I shall do my best." With that Lilly begins to do as the queen asked; give a complete rundown of who remains dancing. She keeps her voice mild and her commentary to a minimum while she makes her observations. She is not so caught up in it that she can not keep an ear on Ossian's conversation.
The cold feel of the cards switches to a convective blast of heated air. The beach is there, hot and hyper-real, although Ossian knows the breeze to be real only to him. If Ossian steps forward he will be on that pristine sandy ribbon between sea and land. His body begins reacting to conditions only he can feel, and Ossian knows that if he stares much longer, he will begin to sweat.
The hand on his shoulder is not quite unexpected, and the voice in Ossian's ear is familiar. If the hand were held slightly differently and if the mental voice was a shade different and perhaps less round in mental tone, then it would be even more disturbingly like Brand than it actually is. "Yes, that will do splendidly."
Ossian fights off a wave of irritation, //It has not changed very much.// and closes the Trump.
"It seems like we have a decent Trump backdoor at our disposal, should we need it." Ossian says to Vialle and Lilly. (quietly of course)
Lilly nods her approval. Then, realizing for the hundredth time that a nod is useless in the presence of the Queen she adds, "Very good. You have my word your majesty that I shall do everything I can this evening to keep you safe."
"So ladies, what is your wish now? A drink? A seat? More waltzing?" he asks in a normal tone.
With a hushed tone Lilly says, "I would prefer to be somewhere in the main room where it would be near impossible for someone to come up behind us and catch us off guard."
In her louder more social voice she adds, "Whatever pleases my Queen."
[Bleys]
"With The Empress's, permission, duty calls me away from your company and I
shall depart."
Vialle says "You leave me in excellent hands, my Lord Devil."
Bleys bows, his eyes on first Ossian and then Lilly and he prepares to depart.
Ossian bows too, and takes Vialle's arm.
Benedict intercepts Venesch in Jerod's general vicinity and makes his report in a low voice.
[Jerod has the opportunity to approach them or to wait and let Venesch approach him afterwards, or something else entirely. Actions?]
Since Jerod is close enough, he should be able to approach without appearing to make a beeline for the pair. Given the circumstances, he's not going to take the chance that the parents are going to leave the kids out of the fun...:)
Benedict nods as Jerod joins him and Venesch in time to hear the tail end of Venesch's report: "... we took him to the physician, who says there is nothing physical wrong with him: no wound, and no obvious signs of poison. But he does not respond to anyone who speaks to him. He is like an idiot."
Benedict frowns. "Where was he stationed?"
Venesch says, "At the stair to the basement, and to Lady Cambina's excavations."
Benedict says to Jerod, "We have an intruder who has somehow attacked one of the guards. The King must know of this at once. Cut in on his waltz with my sister, and tell him."
"There was an apparent attack upon Merlin as well. I do not know the details." Jerod replies, not immediately moving. "Our Viking Brita has detected an intruder she claims is of Chaosian origin. She is undertaking to track it. Bleys and Fiona learned of this from her and have would appear to have advised the King and Queen accordingly." and he takes note of the movement of Bleys with the Queen and Corwin's attendance with Merlin. "Do you still wish the King notified?"
"Yes," Benedict says, noding once, slowly. "Both what Venesch told us and what you know. Where did Brita go?" he asks, scanning the floor.
"In pursuit. She will require reinforcement if she encounters resistance though." Jerod replies. "Whether Merlin was the intended target or merely a diversion was unclear. I would wonder more as to the latter. Uncle Corwin should be sufficient to slow the opposition as to the former. I go to acquire a dance partner."
And with that Jerod nods and fades back into the crowd, to become one of the notorious as he dares the new trend of "cutting in". But first he needs someone to pass the King off to, as opposed to leaving him standing totally alone (that would be very bad).
[As Martin and Cambina depart for the dance floor, Folly] turns to Brennan.
"I'm gonna check in with Paige," she says, and then drops into a crouch, the sort one might use to tie one's shoes. Instead, though, she rummages around under her voluminous skirt for a moment -- Brennan probably notices that she's turned her left hip, where most of the rummaging seems to be going on, toward him, presumably to avoid flashing the crowd -- and comes up holding a wooden card case, open, with Paige's Trump at the ready.
If Brennan can stand in such a way that his own cloak accidentally-on-purpose conceals her actions, he does so.
"You want in on it?" she asks, extending her free hand to Brennan...
...and then, noticing her glove, she frowns. She has no idea whether this requires skin-to-skin contact, or what.
There's a very brief, but just noticeable pause, while Brennan thinks about that. "Yes. But I don't know if I can." For the record, Brennan's costume also has gloves. On the other hand, it also has a cloak, and if skin contact is really necessary, they might be able to work something out.
"If not, I'll just pretend to talk back to you and give you some cover."
[One almost has to assume that Folly can guess Brennan is not entirely comfortable with anything Trump-related that he considers non-standard. Which means almost everything.]
[Note: I'm assuming Folly and Brennan are toward the edge of the room, and the group around Merlin is closer to the center, such that pulling out a trump is either quicker than or about as quick as wading through the crowd.]
[Brennan had been trying to get the group off toward the side, for a better field of view. Don't know if that worked.]
[Martin was quite cooperative in moving Folly to the edge of the dance floor where she would have a good view of Paige and Merlin on the other side of the dance floor but not out of the room where she couldn't see Paige. 50-50 on whether it's faster to Trump, but certainly it's less immediately obvious.
Neither of you know whether you have to touch skin or not to communicate by Trump at the same time.]
Folly nods, thinking -- and decides to run with the first reasonable solution that occurs to her.
With a so-beyond-caring-what-the-biddies-think smirk, she grabs the top edge of her glove between her teeth and peels it down to the middle of her forearm. She feels confident Brennan can take care of the rest, should it become necessary.
Something about Brennan's glove gives him a momentary itch a few moments later. Shockingly enough, getting his fingers to the right place to scratch that itch leaves a strip of his skin showing.
She's standing within easy reach -- quiet, private conversation distance -- with her now-partially-denuded arm toward Brennan. With a slight twist of her wrist, she offers him her hand again.
Of course, once he takes her hand, I bet none of that will be noticeable, since the bared skin will be against each other and not really visible.
Thus situated, Folly turns her attention to the Trump in her other hand. She concentrates.
Brennan follows Folly's lead. As far as he's concerned, she's the expert.
Merlin takes [Paige's] hand and the two of them head out towards the dance floor. Corwin intercepts them.
Corwin says, "What happened?"
Merlin says, low, "I wanted to be away from the crowd, so I found a private place. Someone came on me there. He was a sorcerer, and he had red hair. He looked like Brand or Brennan. He said I must return to Borel with him, and made to force me. Paige called me and so I came."
"Safety trumped discretion," Paige says to her uncle.
"Which room had you hidden yourself away in, Merlin? Short odds we can still find this Raven, but it's a start."
"I could go there," Merlin says and shrugs helplessly. Paige recalls that Merlin is not very good at giving verbal directions, and was quite surprised to realize that he could navigate square blocks in different ways while still coming to the same place.
Paige feels the familiar touch of a Trump on her mind, distracting her from Corwin's reply.
Paige accepts the call with the words, "Describe it, Hawk. The Harlequin should be able to place it."
There's the briefest hesitation as Folly tries to work out what Paige is talking about; but then she plunges ahead with, "Hi, sweetie, it's Folly -- and Brennan. Is Merle OK? We heard rumor of a Chaosi intruder."
Folly's voice is low and even, but Paige can still feel the concern behind it.
[Brennan is not currently included in the contact, but can hear Folly's end of the discussion.]
"Redhead, looks like Maestro or the Fox, dressed as a Raven. Sorcerer, too, not sure what room the Hawk ran from."
Folly's fingers reflexively tighten around Brennan's. "A Raven," she repeats. "So, still in black, then. It was Cambina earlier, apparently -- and was convincing enough to fool Martin."
Dropping her voice even lower, Folly continues, "Was it after Merlin specifically, do you know?" but what she really means is, _Should I come over there and be another barrier between him and It?_
"Yes, wanted to take him home to the flock, as it were," Paige answers.
"We've got a Harlequin here to help keep the carrion birds at bay," _You're safer away from us._
Folly nods her understanding, but she looks concerned.
This is still a play-through for the Folly and Paige, since Brennan does nothing to distract Folly from the Trump conversation she's having.
But the confirmation of black costume continuity, the tendency to impersonate family members, and the desire to get close to Merlin puts a very odd thought in Brennan's mind. Thus, while he's scanning the room to look for suspicious-looking individuals in black costuming coming out from the side rooms, (including the Raven that Folly just mentioned) something that will really stand out as suspicious in his mind is... anything that looks like Corwin's black and silver harlequin costume.
It's a stab in the dark with a stray intuition, but sometimes you get lucky.
By the time [Jovian and Aisling] reach Brennan, I suspect [Aisling] has picked up that Folly is in a trump contact, and she tilts her head at the Fox questioningly.
"You're better off able to see your way out," Paige matches Folly's tone. "Be safe," she says trying to shift her focus back to Corwin and Merlin.
"You, too, sweetheart," Folly says. She looks like she might be about to add something else, but then decides against it. With a farewell smile, she breaks the contact.
She turns to look at Brennan. "She was pretty terse," she says, "but.... Merlin was in a side room -- we don't know which one -- where someone who looked like you or your father, dressed as a raven, approached him and...." Folly pauses, recalling Paige's words. "Wanted to take him home to the flock. Don't know for sure whether there was threat of force."
The only part of this that Brennan hadn't already inferred or dedeuced was that someone was masquerading as, possibly, himself. _That_ gets an eyebrow raised. "For right now, we have to assume there was, or would have been."
She suddenly realizes she's still clutching Brennan's hand and abruptly lets go with a mildly embarrassed little smile.
Something about that sparks Brennan's dry sense of humor even, or perhaps especially because of, the circumstances. He glances out on the dance floor at Martin and Cambina. "When this is settled, though, I believe I'd like a dance."
Folly's smile shifts to appreciative amusement. "You're on," she says.
[Brennan]
"Count on it."
As Flora cues the next waltz, Reid approaches Fiona and extends his arm as an invitation. "M'lady, might I have this dance?" He smiles from under his half-mask.
"Of course, my lord Harlequin." Fiona gives Reid a flirtatious smile in return as she takes his arm and lets him lead her out among the waltzers.
Fiona is light on her feet, of course, and experienced with this dance. Once they are out among the dancers and away from the crowd, she says to him in a low voice, "Brita has scented a Chaosian among the guests."
"No crime in being from chaos... though, if other crimes were committed, I could see the family taking offense. Anything I can do? Eyes, ears, sword or trump, not necessarily in that order?" Reid offers.
"What says Random, I saw you with him not long ago," he asks.
"Random says the only Chaosians with invitations are Merlin, Aisling, and her affine, and they are all accounted for. He also sends his queen to her guardian. I do not believe we are under attack. Yet," says Fiona.
Over Fiona's shoulder, Reid sees Martin and Cambina waltzing. Their posture and demeanor suggests that they are playing their old game of hostile flirtation. Martin says something, and Cambina stiffens for a moment. As they twirl by, Martin's smirk is leavened by what Reid can only feel is relief.
Fiona says, "We are trying to decide how best to root out our uninvited guests without panicking the guests. Have you any thoughts?"
Reid whispers wryly, "Kill them all and let the Unicorn sort them out? OK, maybe not. Unfortunately, or perhaps, fortunately, my first-hand experience with shape shifters is particularly lacking. I am not familiar with their rate of change, or their instinctual reactions to threats. I suspect it takes some effort to keep form, but if they were strong willed, it might take a lot to shake them.
"What possibilities seem to be in favor so far?" Reid inquires.
"Guard the King and Queen, and keep them out of danger until we can sort matters out," Fiona says. "Which may not be until the end of the evening, alas. We might be able to catch our uninvited guest on the way out, or search the castle afterwards. But with so many people here ..."
She shakes her head. "If we could only identify who it is."
Reid, ever paranoid, does a gut reaction check to see if Fiona is really Fiona. And if the gut is not enough...
Reid really doesn't know Fiona well enough to be sure.
"Need more hunters. Vincent, Brita's father in Ampgard, trained her pretty well in such matters though." Reid is searching...
Fiona arches a delicate (but nonJulianic) eyebrow at him. "Master Reid, my brother Benedict's memory does not fail him yet, so surely yours has not begun to fade. Surely Brita's uncle Loki is one of your shadows. Unless he's one of your sons."
"That may well be," Reid admits. "But a gentleman prefers to know if he has been properly introduced to his dancing partner." He continues to scan the crowd around them for likely suspects as they dance.
"'The roof constitutes an introduction', I believe dear sister Flora would say," Fiona says with a smile that isn't quite malicious. "But let us return to your previous comment. Which thing may Loki well be?"
"I believe we have other matters to attend to. What more can you tell me of Chaosites?" Reid sidesteps.
"Fickle, selfish, and determined. Fluid of shape but strong-willed. Not unlike Loki in those respects," says Fiona. "You can see that the question is not entirely idle."
"I would never dare suppose that it was, dearest Aunt. And though I'm a teacher, philosophy really isn't my strong suit. The nature of man, or even, the nature of man as created by the whims of shadow shifters is dangerous territory..."
During the intermission Conner and Thalia had retreated to the champagne fountain for a drink and a vantage point from which they watch the buzzing crowd. When Flora calls for the second waltz Conner gives Thalia a kiss on the cheek and moves off towards Aunt Llewella.
Thalia heads off to where Harper is standing, taking two drinks with her.
"Everyone else seems to have acting weird covered." He says quietly with a smile. "So I thought I'd act normal. Would you care to dance?"
She smiles back. "If we are not to be the hunters, then by all means, let us be the diversion." She holds out her hand to her nephew.
Conner takes her hand firmly. "Besides twirling on the dance floor is a fine place to keep an eye on things" He chuckles escorting her to the dance floor and starting in on the waltz.
"I already have my eye on things. So many of us seem to. Do you know what's going on?" She dances divinely, turning on cue and looking across the dance floor and the audience without seeming to stare at anything. To the outside world, she is clearly an attentive and talented partner.
"Not precisely." Conner replies. "But it seems something threatens Merlin. And my sister and Robin hunt." Conner replies courtier's smile firmly in place while he chuckles to a witticism for the outside world. "That means an uninvited guest from realms far away to my mind. I'm keeping an eye out for duplicate costumes. The best way to hide in plain sight in here."
Llewella shakes her head slightly. "Not really. If they're imitating us, it's to singe our beards. The best way to hide is to be invisible, or the closest thing to it, which is to be a servant. Have you seen someone carrying drinks who was unfamiliar to you? I certainly have."
"First party of this magnitude since the Sundering. A lay on of new staff didn't seem unusual to me. But now.." Conner lets the thought trail off and runs back through his memory of the night looking back at them for strangers..
Conner wracks his brain for a time, but it's no use. There are just too many people involved in an event of this size.
"Vent should know everyone on staff. We'll have to ask him." Llewella looks around the crowd, trying to see the steward.
"He'd be our best bet." Conner nods scanning the crowd for him as well.
He's standing by an exterior door, scowling. He can probably tell something is up.
Lewella nods in his direction. "Question him now or later? It's probably about to be purely academic."
"Later." Conner agrees. "I think we must be ready."
It is at about this time that a Shepherdess arrives next to Solange and lays a hand on her arm. "My dear Angel, you look simply--divine." She grins conspiratorially at Solange and says, "I could never have dared to think of such a costume. No one will forget how lovely you were at the Coronation masquerade."
Marius' gentle leer is just reinforcement on this item.
"You're very kind to say so, when you make a Shepherdess as dainty as any china figure," Solange answers. "It was very clever of the Grey Ghost to waltz with your lady mother; it'll give the gossips something besides my gown to chatter about."
"I suspect the gossips will have plenty to chatter about besides either of us," Solace says. Solange and Marius feel she might not mind having her mother be on the receiving end of gossip rather than the giving end, for a change. She glances sidewise at Marius, flirtatiously. "I don't believe I've met your friend."
"Ah, but have I not seen you before, giving names to the stars from the river banks, and yet putting so much of night's grace to shame. I have seen the Moon, and while she shines, and watches, she does not have the responsibility of the flocks." He smiles pleasantly. "I am the Otter," he says, "and I have sharp teeth and a disposition to match." He winks.
"Your disposition seems kindly enough to me, Sir Otter," Solace replies and winks in return.
"Playful enough -- unless he's provoked," Solange comments. "Cousin Otter chose his costume well."
"Then I shall have to make certain not to provoke you," says Solace. "Normally I leave that to my dear Shepherd," she adds, inclining her head towards the dance floor, where the aforementioned Shepherd waltzes with a plump lady garbed as a cat.
Last modified: 30 June 2003