![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I finally left Everlund as the gates opened at the crack of dawn, just after I had bought a horse to replace the one taken by Ralenthra for her own journey. Since I had gotten little rest the night before, I chose to trance on the journey to Olostin's Hold, drawing the thick cranberry-colored velvet curtains of the couch to a close so as to lessen the glare of the rising sun.
I awoke from my trance to find that we were arriving at Olostin's Hold. From the position of the sun, I could see that it was midday. I hoped that Ralenthra was alright. I had missed her. We would have lots to catch up on, I was sure. I knew that I had a lot to tell her.
Since the horses would need a day's rest, I checked them and Selune in at the stable for the local inn, the Bucking Mare. Cute.
Oddly enough, the one thing I didn't expect was that I would see Thralia and her team here before me. She wasn't supposed to be here until tomorrow morning. I hoped nothing was wrong.
I walked inside and saw Thralia sitting in a corner booth by herself and when I say I saw her, I also mean to make it clear that it was not immediately apparent that it was her, even to me. She didn't want to be recognized. I pretended not to take special notice of her and waited for her tell. In the meantime, I made small talk with the innkeeper and confirmed that I had a reserved room, which was apparently arranged for me by the woman in the corner booth. My coachman, whose name I have learned is Samael, walked through the door with my luggages. I told him to leave them upstairs outside my room.
Thralia lifted a single, graceful finger in the air and spoke in a thick, halting accent.
"Bartender, give me a whiskey. Ginger ale on the side...and don't be stingy, baby." It was her tell, at least it was for me. From what I understand, she has a different one for everyone, but I know not to ask about her business too much. I slid into the booth across from her. She had either dyed her hair a deeper shade of red or it was a very good wig. She slid her rose tinted glasses down her slightly wider than usual nose slightly revealing newly grey eyes.
The bartender took our orders and left us.
"I wasn't sure it was you, at first." I started the conversation in Sylvan just to be sure.
"Then I'm getting better."
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm on my way to your cousin's wedding." Something was wrong. Her lilting voice was weighed down by something heavy inside.
"You're early."
"I...took care of business early," she stammered. "Look, don't worry about me. Your package arrived before you did. Your room was the only room not taken this evening, so I had it delivered there."
"Well, can I eat first?"
"I don't see why not."
The food and drinks were laid before me. I started eating.
"What do you know about Methrammar Aerasume?"
Her eyebrows arched sharply.
"Don't mess it up, Seledra."
"What?"
"You think I don't know you were making kissy-face with Alustriel's son last night?"
"Sune's tits, can't I have any secrets?"
"No. Listen to me. Methrammar is a...fine man..."
"You haven't..."
"No."
"Thank the Seldarine."
"Methrammar is every woman's dream come true. He's handsome, chivalrous and brilliant. He just so happens to come from the best family in all of Luruar, maybe in the whole North. And he likes you. Really likes you. Tordrin tells me as much."
"Wait, Tordrin knows?"
"There is very little that his operative misses when he's following people." Huh. So Tordrin has an operative. I wonder if they share.
I had finished my lunch, which Thralia generously paid for. I decided to throw down the gauntlet. "What's wrong?"
"I fired my bodyguard."
"You fired him?"
"He quit. It gets worse."
"You didn't - "
"I did. He...wasn't interested."
I sat back in shock. As long as I'd known her, I'd never known of anyone who refused an invitation from Thralia Ma'freyja.
"Well...at least you won't be seeing him again, right?"
"There is that, I suppose. I've had enough of these little hick towns."
She tapped her front teeth with her fingernail. That was my cue to head out. "I'll introduce you to Isendur when we saddle up tomorrow."
And I headed upstairs, saw that my packages must have been brought inside since they were no longer outside the door and knocked the midday knock.
I awoke from my trance to find that we were arriving at Olostin's Hold. From the position of the sun, I could see that it was midday. I hoped that Ralenthra was alright. I had missed her. We would have lots to catch up on, I was sure. I knew that I had a lot to tell her.
Since the horses would need a day's rest, I checked them and Selune in at the stable for the local inn, the Bucking Mare. Cute.
Oddly enough, the one thing I didn't expect was that I would see Thralia and her team here before me. She wasn't supposed to be here until tomorrow morning. I hoped nothing was wrong.
I walked inside and saw Thralia sitting in a corner booth by herself and when I say I saw her, I also mean to make it clear that it was not immediately apparent that it was her, even to me. She didn't want to be recognized. I pretended not to take special notice of her and waited for her tell. In the meantime, I made small talk with the innkeeper and confirmed that I had a reserved room, which was apparently arranged for me by the woman in the corner booth. My coachman, whose name I have learned is Samael, walked through the door with my luggages. I told him to leave them upstairs outside my room.
Thralia lifted a single, graceful finger in the air and spoke in a thick, halting accent.
"Bartender, give me a whiskey. Ginger ale on the side...and don't be stingy, baby." It was her tell, at least it was for me. From what I understand, she has a different one for everyone, but I know not to ask about her business too much. I slid into the booth across from her. She had either dyed her hair a deeper shade of red or it was a very good wig. She slid her rose tinted glasses down her slightly wider than usual nose slightly revealing newly grey eyes.
The bartender took our orders and left us.
"I wasn't sure it was you, at first." I started the conversation in Sylvan just to be sure.
"Then I'm getting better."
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm on my way to your cousin's wedding." Something was wrong. Her lilting voice was weighed down by something heavy inside.
"You're early."
"I...took care of business early," she stammered. "Look, don't worry about me. Your package arrived before you did. Your room was the only room not taken this evening, so I had it delivered there."
"Well, can I eat first?"
"I don't see why not."
The food and drinks were laid before me. I started eating.
"What do you know about Methrammar Aerasume?"
Her eyebrows arched sharply.
"Don't mess it up, Seledra."
"What?"
"You think I don't know you were making kissy-face with Alustriel's son last night?"
"Sune's tits, can't I have any secrets?"
"No. Listen to me. Methrammar is a...fine man..."
"You haven't..."
"No."
"Thank the Seldarine."
"Methrammar is every woman's dream come true. He's handsome, chivalrous and brilliant. He just so happens to come from the best family in all of Luruar, maybe in the whole North. And he likes you. Really likes you. Tordrin tells me as much."
"Wait, Tordrin knows?"
"There is very little that his operative misses when he's following people." Huh. So Tordrin has an operative. I wonder if they share.
I had finished my lunch, which Thralia generously paid for. I decided to throw down the gauntlet. "What's wrong?"
"I fired my bodyguard."
"You fired him?"
"He quit. It gets worse."
"You didn't - "
"I did. He...wasn't interested."
I sat back in shock. As long as I'd known her, I'd never known of anyone who refused an invitation from Thralia Ma'freyja.
"Well...at least you won't be seeing him again, right?"
"There is that, I suppose. I've had enough of these little hick towns."
She tapped her front teeth with her fingernail. That was my cue to head out. "I'll introduce you to Isendur when we saddle up tomorrow."
And I headed upstairs, saw that my packages must have been brought inside since they were no longer outside the door and knocked the midday knock.
