The commander on duty that night was less than thrilled to be questioned by a stranger just at the end of his shift. Shifting from foot to foot he seemed to be staring over her shoulder just waiting for the next shift to relieve him. Thanks to her persistence he did eventually let out that the supposed mercenary was seen dicing with some of the men. Such frolics were quickly broken up when noticed. He also made it known, with a suggestive smile, that his bed was far warmer than the Coerthas sunrise.
A disgruntled sigh and roll of the eyes put that notion to rest quickly, and Coatleque very nearly stormed off towards the mess hall. She was fast losing patience with these so called high-borns. She let herself inside quickly to avoid causing too much of a draft. The near instant warmth she was assaulted with was a welcome relief. Licking her quickly chapping lips, she surveyed the room.
Dimly lit, somewhat seedy, smelling of stale ale. Everything one would expect from a remote tavern at a heavily garrisoned fortress. She did find one stool available and set herself down between two very drunk looking soldiers. Between her blade, her armor, and a very sharp glare, it did not take long to convince them their hands were safer on their cups than on her. She was there for information only.
Bits of story began to come back together after another two rounds, at her expense of course, and the name 'Thaelys Swiftblade' finally came to the fore. From the mashed descriptions of six different soldiers, she gathered he was extremely tall, almost gaunt, with hair the color of night and a dagger-shaped beard. His did not favor him at all, and he lost at least sixty gil. The man was none to eager to go out into the storm, but it was thought he may have been seen leading another man towards the city.
The description was not clear though. One tall man leading a smaller figure wrapped in a cloak with his arm around. She sat and quietly mulled that over for a few minutes while the men went back to their drinks. She realized then that she had no idea from which direction Jameson had returned. And no reason to believe it was the mercenary seen last night. Her mind was made up then. She thanked the men with enough coin for one final round before rising and heading towards the stables.
To her great displeasure, there was a line at the stable this morning. A line of one, but a line no less. The woman in front of her whom had seemingly arrived with plenty of time before, was arguing with the stablehand. She had requested TWO birds, not one. Coatleque was made to wait at the side before her own bird would be retrieved. She eyed the woman with some measure of annoyance.
"Yes, the hardy one, and one who can at least keep up, as I said several times. Surely you are not so beleaguered with tourists that you cannot afford me two birds. The best two, as you know."
The paladin bristled instantly at the voice. Or perhaps it was the chill morning wind blowing in from the clifside to the east of Falcon's Nest. Her mouth twitched and went flat as her lips pressed together. "Lady Eglantine."
Edda glared at the stablehand in her growing impatience. He was in no amount of hurry to help her, so she snapped a cold look towards the voice. "Can I help you?"
"No, I do believe you have helped me quite enough already."
"Ah."
She turned immediately back to the Chocobokeep without seeming to recognize the woman behind her. His own patience was wearing thin as well now. Edda seemed woefully unprepared herself, and sorted through a meager looking gil purse before simply handing the entire thing over. This changed his tune immediately."
"Ah? That's it? Ah? What are you doing h..." Coatleque stopped as the transaction was made.
The keeper looked through the purse before whistling to the stablehand. Two large birds were led out, fully saddled and stocky. The second was led by the reigns of the leading bird. Both were promptly handed over to Edda who took a few moments to inspect them wordlessly. In the mean time, Coatleque's own mount was finally brought after the first two. Not nearly as stocky as the specimens Edda could afford. She turned and began inspecting her own barding - the two women being back-to-back now.
"Going somewhere, my Lady?"
Edda stopped to look over her shoulder with a now surprised look. "So it would seem.." Her words came carefully now as if it was a trick question.
"With two birds even. Planning to collect someone?"
"If it comes to that, yes. That is the hope."
There was a pause between them as they continued their preparations. "You are chasing after the boy as well." Coatleque said at length, and matter-of-factly.
"That was the idea, yes."
The paladin climbed atop her mount then after being contented with her provisions. She quirked a brow at the woman as she reeled the bird around. "Does James know what you are doing?"
"I would be surprised if he did."
"I must protest your decision. Your place is by his side right now, and to not let him know your plans..."
Edda seemed surprised by that. She smiled. "No, I think not. This is my responsibility after all."
Coatleque stopped, taken aback by her claim. "I beg your pardon, mi'lady, but it is mine. His safety was entrusted to me, and had I not simply left him as I did this would not have happened."
Edda laughed darkly. "Oh, I will not stop you, believe me. Whatever oaths you have do not absolve me of my own responsibilities, however."
"I cannot perform my own search and see to your safety as well." Coatleque frowned now. "And if anything did happen to you, James would hold me accountable. For both our sake, if there is any way I could dissuade you, please turn back." She paused, waiting for a response. The thought crossed her mind to force the issue - she certainly had the authority to now that Jameson asked her to look over his house.
Edda looked incredulously at her. "I certainly don't recall asking you to see to my own safety. I would hope that you would not stop me. My death will only surely result in your unprecedented happiness, as it were. And if you think James to be at all concerned with my well-being, I would simply urge you to lie about ever seeing me here."
She snorted at that. "Do not think he does not care for you simply because you fail to recognize it. You are just as much a fool as he is. Fine then! If you wish to play in the snow, I certainly will not stop you. Try not to freeze to death." Her words again took on a familiar biting tone as she cut them off towards the end.
Edda climbed atop her mount and smiled with an incline of her head. "As you say. Is there anything else you might have need of before your trek?"
Coatleque withdrew the small sachet given to her by Tamsin and dangled it by the ribbon in display. "No, I have all the luck I need for now. Stay warm, Lady Eglantine. I shall see you when I return with young Lord Algincourt."
"If you are lucky, Ser Crofte, you will never see me again. I will pray for your good fortune."
Yet another smile was met with a familiar icy glare before the two women set off in nearly opposite directions across the Western highlands.
A disgruntled sigh and roll of the eyes put that notion to rest quickly, and Coatleque very nearly stormed off towards the mess hall. She was fast losing patience with these so called high-borns. She let herself inside quickly to avoid causing too much of a draft. The near instant warmth she was assaulted with was a welcome relief. Licking her quickly chapping lips, she surveyed the room.
Dimly lit, somewhat seedy, smelling of stale ale. Everything one would expect from a remote tavern at a heavily garrisoned fortress. She did find one stool available and set herself down between two very drunk looking soldiers. Between her blade, her armor, and a very sharp glare, it did not take long to convince them their hands were safer on their cups than on her. She was there for information only.
Bits of story began to come back together after another two rounds, at her expense of course, and the name 'Thaelys Swiftblade' finally came to the fore. From the mashed descriptions of six different soldiers, she gathered he was extremely tall, almost gaunt, with hair the color of night and a dagger-shaped beard. His did not favor him at all, and he lost at least sixty gil. The man was none to eager to go out into the storm, but it was thought he may have been seen leading another man towards the city.
The description was not clear though. One tall man leading a smaller figure wrapped in a cloak with his arm around. She sat and quietly mulled that over for a few minutes while the men went back to their drinks. She realized then that she had no idea from which direction Jameson had returned. And no reason to believe it was the mercenary seen last night. Her mind was made up then. She thanked the men with enough coin for one final round before rising and heading towards the stables.
To her great displeasure, there was a line at the stable this morning. A line of one, but a line no less. The woman in front of her whom had seemingly arrived with plenty of time before, was arguing with the stablehand. She had requested TWO birds, not one. Coatleque was made to wait at the side before her own bird would be retrieved. She eyed the woman with some measure of annoyance.
"Yes, the hardy one, and one who can at least keep up, as I said several times. Surely you are not so beleaguered with tourists that you cannot afford me two birds. The best two, as you know."
The paladin bristled instantly at the voice. Or perhaps it was the chill morning wind blowing in from the clifside to the east of Falcon's Nest. Her mouth twitched and went flat as her lips pressed together. "Lady Eglantine."
Edda glared at the stablehand in her growing impatience. He was in no amount of hurry to help her, so she snapped a cold look towards the voice. "Can I help you?"
"No, I do believe you have helped me quite enough already."
"Ah."
She turned immediately back to the Chocobokeep without seeming to recognize the woman behind her. His own patience was wearing thin as well now. Edda seemed woefully unprepared herself, and sorted through a meager looking gil purse before simply handing the entire thing over. This changed his tune immediately."
"Ah? That's it? Ah? What are you doing h..." Coatleque stopped as the transaction was made.
The keeper looked through the purse before whistling to the stablehand. Two large birds were led out, fully saddled and stocky. The second was led by the reigns of the leading bird. Both were promptly handed over to Edda who took a few moments to inspect them wordlessly. In the mean time, Coatleque's own mount was finally brought after the first two. Not nearly as stocky as the specimens Edda could afford. She turned and began inspecting her own barding - the two women being back-to-back now.
"Going somewhere, my Lady?"
Edda stopped to look over her shoulder with a now surprised look. "So it would seem.." Her words came carefully now as if it was a trick question.
"With two birds even. Planning to collect someone?"
"If it comes to that, yes. That is the hope."
There was a pause between them as they continued their preparations. "You are chasing after the boy as well." Coatleque said at length, and matter-of-factly.
"That was the idea, yes."
The paladin climbed atop her mount then after being contented with her provisions. She quirked a brow at the woman as she reeled the bird around. "Does James know what you are doing?"
"I would be surprised if he did."
"I must protest your decision. Your place is by his side right now, and to not let him know your plans..."
Edda seemed surprised by that. She smiled. "No, I think not. This is my responsibility after all."
Coatleque stopped, taken aback by her claim. "I beg your pardon, mi'lady, but it is mine. His safety was entrusted to me, and had I not simply left him as I did this would not have happened."
Edda laughed darkly. "Oh, I will not stop you, believe me. Whatever oaths you have do not absolve me of my own responsibilities, however."
"I cannot perform my own search and see to your safety as well." Coatleque frowned now. "And if anything did happen to you, James would hold me accountable. For both our sake, if there is any way I could dissuade you, please turn back." She paused, waiting for a response. The thought crossed her mind to force the issue - she certainly had the authority to now that Jameson asked her to look over his house.
Edda looked incredulously at her. "I certainly don't recall asking you to see to my own safety. I would hope that you would not stop me. My death will only surely result in your unprecedented happiness, as it were. And if you think James to be at all concerned with my well-being, I would simply urge you to lie about ever seeing me here."
She snorted at that. "Do not think he does not care for you simply because you fail to recognize it. You are just as much a fool as he is. Fine then! If you wish to play in the snow, I certainly will not stop you. Try not to freeze to death." Her words again took on a familiar biting tone as she cut them off towards the end.
Edda climbed atop her mount and smiled with an incline of her head. "As you say. Is there anything else you might have need of before your trek?"
Coatleque withdrew the small sachet given to her by Tamsin and dangled it by the ribbon in display. "No, I have all the luck I need for now. Stay warm, Lady Eglantine. I shall see you when I return with young Lord Algincourt."
"If you are lucky, Ser Crofte, you will never see me again. I will pray for your good fortune."
Yet another smile was met with a familiar icy glare before the two women set off in nearly opposite directions across the Western highlands.
