Interlude (Turn #67) - Half of my heart is at War

[X-Osoerde (Alan)]

Aether’s tears fall like the sun, rising upon the mountains and bathing Osoerde with the rhythmic cadence of rain, broken only by howling wind.  The Osoerdean winter has not been uncharacteristically cold or otherwise abnormal. As always weeks pass before Avanlae’s kiss is felt, which serve to break the monotony of dreary weather. Yet, the party waits vigilantly to receive news of its sons, brothers, uncles and husbands, led by statuesque raven-haired woman.

Men-at-arms and courtiers stand in attendance of their Lady, a black carriage waits to offer respite from the rain and wind, should she desire or she deems to pity those who strive to protect her from the elements.

Marlae waits for her husband and his baron.

[X-Osoerde (Alan)]

At the front of the column, William recieves word that his wife awaits him on the road.  The news seems to break his melancholy, he speaks to Tristan and Captain Raenwe as they continue to make their home.

"Baron, it is not the Book of Laws," he says empathically while pressing forward.

[X-Bellam & BC/TB (Bobby)]

The Baron's distraction has been apparent since the day's march began; he visibly chafes at the infantry's slow pace.  When the Archduke speaks, though, he responds without hesitation.  "No.  No, I doubt it is, my lord.  Indeed, so I think do we all who recovered it - though none of us wished to say as much."  He grunts as he nudges his mount, avoiding a depression in the path.  "There is nothing there but parchment - no power, no hint of the god's touch... and no value to Manethander, save to draw us to him.  If he ever did hold the Book, he passed it on, or it was taken from him, and some deeper game is being played here.  And if he did not..."  His jaw tightens.  "If he did not, then we know far less than we believed.  And there is nothing so dangerous as the unknown."

[X-Osoerde (Alan)]

"The Hand. And Shadow Priests." He says absent-mindedly and distantly.

"The Grey Duke was little more than a pawn himself, no?" he says.

"If his progeny ever intended to free him, they had ample opportunity and time - yet they did not," he says.

"They were not so foolish - nor so loyal," he says.

"It is a lot of trouble to take the Book of Laws and a lot of trouble to ensure that our we might lose track of it, no?"

[X-Bellam & BC/TB (Bobby)]

"Is it, my Lord?  Consider what that 'work' has been."  He gestures back at the soldiers all around them.  "Whoever has been behind this, if it were not the Grey Duke, has turned us against one another; taken from us our finest leaders and many of our strongest forces; led us in circles for many months; cost us time, blood, and gold.  And whilst we focused ourselves upon Manethander, did what was necessary to end his threat, they have had time to act without our knowledge, to place other plans in motion.  The Pontiff was not seeking out the demons in his flocks, while he battled here.  The Patriarch was not hunting out the traitors in his realm.  You were saved from death by a margin slimmer than the gods' grace, and had you not been, had my cousin brought his tales from the north with none to gainsay him, there would have been no end to the warring between Osoerde and Mhoried until one or the other had been wiped from the face of Aebrynnis.  And most of all, how many of us have the energy and strength to now pick up yet another crusade?  And how many will desire nothing but to return to their own ambitions and duties, to return to their lands and the tasks they had set aside for the battle with Manethander?  I fear our ardor for unity and action may have been expended, even as another threat gathers its strength."

[X-Osoerde (Alan)]

William listens closely to his Baron, before continuing on in silence for a time.

"Baron, what other choice is there now?" He says.

"The lines are being drawn and now we have no choice to counter," he says.

"But, we need not be hasty, Baron; we have time.  The Crown was greatly damaged and it will take some time for the Gorgon to build up again, and in that time, he will need to subdue the Swordhawk amongst others, but in this time, we must also do the similar.  We must do as Lords, and the temples must do as temples do. Moreover, our time is not so great that we need to also be decisive; I fear, we will need to make the decisions that others are unwilling to make," he says.

"But there is too much at risk, Baron and I will not suffer to be rutted by neither the hand, the Gorgon or by the Graces of the All-Father, any man - there are simply too many things at risk, Baron."

[X-Bellam & BC/TB (Bobby)]

Within the hour, the column approaches Moriel.  The assembled crowds come into sight as the soldiers crest a final hill, breaking into distant cheers.

At the sight of the waiting carriages, the Baron's composure vanishes completely, and he spurs his startled horse into a sudden gallop, thundering past the startled outriders.  Ahead, one of the carriage doors opens.

The Baron reins in sharply as he reaches the waiting welcomers, almost throwing himself from his mount as a figure cloaked from head to toe in woman's mourning black steps from the carriage.  She pulls her veil back to reveal the face of Baroness Rowena Marar-Bellamie, smiling in relief.  The Baron pulls up short as he approaches, taking her hand to kiss instead, smiling tensely. But his reserve is broken entirely as two small boys clamber down the carriage steps, and he drops to his knees and pulls them into his arms.  A nurse emerges, holding another child, a baby girl, and he frees himself from the boys long enough to gently kiss the infant's head.  The boys jitter and bounce, filled with nervous excitement and the energy of young children forced to stay indoors far too long, and the Baron hugs them one last time before releasing them and standing to meet his wife's eyes.  "It is done, Rowena," he tells her.  "Let us go home, now.  It is done."