"That was when I knew. We were not the same. For I cannot go quietly into the night."
"I never expected you to. Do you not understand that? I love you, not your coin. I would not have let you fade so quietly."
"What would you have done, Coatleque? Would you have stolen for me? Forsworn your vows for me?"
"No. But I would have stayed by your side regardless."
Coatleque had wasted no time after her rather heated exchange with Lady Eglantine. She ignored the gesticulations of the servants with their towels and bandages and left the apartment straightaway. She had no intention of staying here. Especially when her own work was now falling behind. So she retrieved their mounts from the stables and met Sharla at the Gates of Judgement where they could ride back to their outpost together.
It would be just over a sennight since Dheres Algincourt was delivered safely to Ishgard that she would find herself back in the city. It had become a regular trip for her, once every week, to visit the cathedral for prayer and to restock their room with more specific luxuries. There was no shortage of bland soup and strong spirits on the outskirts of Coerthas. Scented oil however, was unheard of.
While she perused various wares among the stalls of the Crozier, Coatleque became aware of someone making a fuss to the other side of the street. Her eyes did not need to see for her to recognized the voice of Lady Eglantine's handmaiden Tamsin as she rushed from stall to stall asking of someone gone missing. Smiling and nodding her appreciation to the vendor, Coatleque quickly crossed the road to stand near where Tamsin last stopped. Despite her conscience telling her to leave, her heart could not feign curiosity now.
Tamsin turned from the woman she had been speaking to with an almost grief stricken look and nearly collided with the paladin in her rush to the next stall. "Ser Crofte! Oh my goodness, thank the stars! Have you seen Lord Algincourt!?"
She took one step back out of the woman's way just in time. "Miss Laine - I've not seen him since my friend took him to the inn." She knew where the boy was left, and that he had at least been collected. What they did with him afterwords was not her immediate concern. Tamsin tried her best to explain the situation to her.
"...I ...I wasn't supposed to let him out, m'lady, but I thought it would be just a short ride! He's all by himself in the apartments and ...and he looked so sad, m'lady!"
Coatleque looked incredulously at her as her patience began to thin. "What are you talking about? Where has everyone bloody gone?!" She simply could not believe Jameson allowed his entire house to vanish with no word.
"Well, first m'lord had his business, and then m'lady went er... home. So I was to watch over Lord Algincourt, but..."
The paladin rolled her eyes away from the poor woman, muttering to herself. "Leaving an impulsive young Flame alone for an extended time, yes I can see how that would go over so well." Tamsin's expression fell. "Och, I wasn't blaming you!" Coatleque shook her head then groaned inwardly. Was she really going to wait for the girl to beg her? "Fine! Fine..." Her hands lifted in a calming motion. "When did you lose him, and which way did he set off?"
The girl's spirits seemed to lift almost immediately at her offer. "Just after lunch, m'lady! He said he was just going to have a bit of a ride near the gate. I suppose I must go to Lord Faltheren, if I can find him. Perhaps he could help."
"Yes, yes - you do that and I will start searching near the gate." Coatleque sighed and lowered her voice. "I swear I am the only one who cares spit about James's household." For all his talk of loyalty and legacy, it seemed to Coatleque that she was the one doing most of the legwork at preserving his. A gamble, she kept telling herself. A risk she was taking to secure her own.
"Thank you, m'lady! I am in your debt!"
Coatleque waved her off as if this was routine. "I do not keep debts."
"If... if perhaps we could not mention this to m'lady... heh heh"
The paladin's mouth twitched, almost curling into a snarl. "As you wish," she murmured. And with that, the girl was gone.
Later outside the Gates of Judgement, Coatleque had changed back into the same leathers she wore south. Atop the chocobo she had appropriated from the garrison in Drybone, she pulled her cloak tight and shook off the loose snow that was steadily accumulating. She checked the stitching she had made to the arm then settled herself for a long ride. Light seemed to be fading fast now, and the soft but steady fall of snow obscured visibility beyond a few score of yalms. "Blasted snow. Does it ever stop?" she muttered to herself.
A humorless laugh came unexpectedly from her side causing her to reel the bird around in an instant. "Have you considered that perhaps it is your reaction to the snow that is the problem, rather than the snow itself?" It was another woman's voice, cloaked darkly and seated upon a bird of pure white. "Embrace your trials," she murmured.
Coatleque peered at her once her heart began to slow again, trying to meet her gaze from under the cowl. Her voice was familiar enough. Cold, steady, emotionless. The paladin frowned. "You again?"
"Why, who else should I be?"
"What kind of question is that? Nevermind. You haven't seen a boy ride through here have you? Nearly twenty summers in age, ruddy hair?"
"No." Her voice continued in a murmur, her image against the backdrop of the snow and grey sky seemed almost immaterial. "I did see one at the stables after midday prayer, however. He seemed more out of place than even you."
Coatleque turned back to the vast expanse of Coerthas that lie beyond the Steps. "I doubt I shall be finding his tracks now. Pray for us, priestess, that Halone may shew mercy at least. His name is Algincourt, and he may be in more danger than he realizes." She pulled the reins back around and with a short 'hyah!' disappeared once more into the storm.
"I never expected you to. Do you not understand that? I love you, not your coin. I would not have let you fade so quietly."
"What would you have done, Coatleque? Would you have stolen for me? Forsworn your vows for me?"
"No. But I would have stayed by your side regardless."
IV
Coatleque had wasted no time after her rather heated exchange with Lady Eglantine. She ignored the gesticulations of the servants with their towels and bandages and left the apartment straightaway. She had no intention of staying here. Especially when her own work was now falling behind. So she retrieved their mounts from the stables and met Sharla at the Gates of Judgement where they could ride back to their outpost together.
It would be just over a sennight since Dheres Algincourt was delivered safely to Ishgard that she would find herself back in the city. It had become a regular trip for her, once every week, to visit the cathedral for prayer and to restock their room with more specific luxuries. There was no shortage of bland soup and strong spirits on the outskirts of Coerthas. Scented oil however, was unheard of.
While she perused various wares among the stalls of the Crozier, Coatleque became aware of someone making a fuss to the other side of the street. Her eyes did not need to see for her to recognized the voice of Lady Eglantine's handmaiden Tamsin as she rushed from stall to stall asking of someone gone missing. Smiling and nodding her appreciation to the vendor, Coatleque quickly crossed the road to stand near where Tamsin last stopped. Despite her conscience telling her to leave, her heart could not feign curiosity now.
Tamsin turned from the woman she had been speaking to with an almost grief stricken look and nearly collided with the paladin in her rush to the next stall. "Ser Crofte! Oh my goodness, thank the stars! Have you seen Lord Algincourt!?"
She took one step back out of the woman's way just in time. "Miss Laine - I've not seen him since my friend took him to the inn." She knew where the boy was left, and that he had at least been collected. What they did with him afterwords was not her immediate concern. Tamsin tried her best to explain the situation to her.
"...I ...I wasn't supposed to let him out, m'lady, but I thought it would be just a short ride! He's all by himself in the apartments and ...and he looked so sad, m'lady!"
Coatleque looked incredulously at her as her patience began to thin. "What are you talking about? Where has everyone bloody gone?!" She simply could not believe Jameson allowed his entire house to vanish with no word.
"Well, first m'lord had his business, and then m'lady went er... home. So I was to watch over Lord Algincourt, but..."
The paladin rolled her eyes away from the poor woman, muttering to herself. "Leaving an impulsive young Flame alone for an extended time, yes I can see how that would go over so well." Tamsin's expression fell. "Och, I wasn't blaming you!" Coatleque shook her head then groaned inwardly. Was she really going to wait for the girl to beg her? "Fine! Fine..." Her hands lifted in a calming motion. "When did you lose him, and which way did he set off?"
The girl's spirits seemed to lift almost immediately at her offer. "Just after lunch, m'lady! He said he was just going to have a bit of a ride near the gate. I suppose I must go to Lord Faltheren, if I can find him. Perhaps he could help."
"Yes, yes - you do that and I will start searching near the gate." Coatleque sighed and lowered her voice. "I swear I am the only one who cares spit about James's household." For all his talk of loyalty and legacy, it seemed to Coatleque that she was the one doing most of the legwork at preserving his. A gamble, she kept telling herself. A risk she was taking to secure her own.
"Thank you, m'lady! I am in your debt!"
Coatleque waved her off as if this was routine. "I do not keep debts."
"If... if perhaps we could not mention this to m'lady... heh heh"
The paladin's mouth twitched, almost curling into a snarl. "As you wish," she murmured. And with that, the girl was gone.
Later outside the Gates of Judgement, Coatleque had changed back into the same leathers she wore south. Atop the chocobo she had appropriated from the garrison in Drybone, she pulled her cloak tight and shook off the loose snow that was steadily accumulating. She checked the stitching she had made to the arm then settled herself for a long ride. Light seemed to be fading fast now, and the soft but steady fall of snow obscured visibility beyond a few score of yalms. "Blasted snow. Does it ever stop?" she muttered to herself.
A humorless laugh came unexpectedly from her side causing her to reel the bird around in an instant. "Have you considered that perhaps it is your reaction to the snow that is the problem, rather than the snow itself?" It was another woman's voice, cloaked darkly and seated upon a bird of pure white. "Embrace your trials," she murmured.
Coatleque peered at her once her heart began to slow again, trying to meet her gaze from under the cowl. Her voice was familiar enough. Cold, steady, emotionless. The paladin frowned. "You again?"
"Why, who else should I be?"
"What kind of question is that? Nevermind. You haven't seen a boy ride through here have you? Nearly twenty summers in age, ruddy hair?"
"No." Her voice continued in a murmur, her image against the backdrop of the snow and grey sky seemed almost immaterial. "I did see one at the stables after midday prayer, however. He seemed more out of place than even you."
Coatleque turned back to the vast expanse of Coerthas that lie beyond the Steps. "I doubt I shall be finding his tracks now. Pray for us, priestess, that Halone may shew mercy at least. His name is Algincourt, and he may be in more danger than he realizes." She pulled the reins back around and with a short 'hyah!' disappeared once more into the storm.
