She looks at you. She has a very wide
smile, and you can see that one of her teeth is chipped. Her neck is a bit
thick, for a woman.
This happened in Kesh-Nicht on the night of Anagvti 7, 997. The party had just arrived that evening in Kesh-Nicht, and had taken rooms in Mercy's Inn, a hobbit establishment in Nicht.
(As Alain prepares for sleep)
The rooms are a mite small for humans, and a trifle dark too. Could be a result of the dark wood paneling which seems to abound, but the small fire in the grate does wonders at driving off the river chill as you prepare to sleep off the "light snack" you just had. The bed here is contained within a boxy enclosure with actual doors to get into it. The doors are heavily carved, featuring cornucopias, swans, maidens dancing, and beset here and there with small bits of colored glass that twinkle in the candlelight you brought with you.
Damn barge travel, you still feel like you are on the boat, the floor keeps making little motions now and then. Prayer.
Ah, yes, light. Light is Mithras. Mithras is prayer. Prayer is duty, duty, honor. Your left knee cracks as you kneel on the thin rug placed by the edge of the bed. Your head bows as you begin the familiar catechisms, emptying your mind and closing your eyes. There is a distant crackling which seems to be behind you. A smell of, of tallow and the wind over the rushes is in the air. The concentration you possessed seems broken, and after a bit, you turn your head and see that you have a visitor. In the gloom, she isn't particularly tall, but she is very female, under the maille and harness she is wearing. She appears to be sunburned, red haired, wide lipped and quite blue eyed. She would come up to your shoulder, maybe. She is standing by a small table you hadn't noticed when you came in.
She looks at you. She has a very wide
smile, and you can see that one of her teeth is chipped. Her neck is a bit
thick, for a woman.
"Sit." She points with her finger at a low folding stool.
You start to say something and she cuts you off, "I haven't much time, sit!"
That is a good command voice there. Reminds you of your first weapon master. You find yourself sitting. Hmmm.
"Right." She frowns down at the table where there are five pieces of horn, each square and about the size of a small woman's hand.
They are little beautiful paintings, like a Lady's Book of Prayers, or--
She stabs a blunt finger at the one on the far left. There is a fat scar running across her piebald hand.
An upside down fountain, overflowing with water, surmounted by a bird in flight flanked with two small river porpoises. The base is composed of fruit.
"Ace of cups, nice, but it is reversed. A beginning is happening, there is a new challenge coming to you. It concerns water and something difficult to understand. Perhaps it is spiritual love. This is in your past." Her eyes are very calm, and very serious. The finger stabs again.
On a gold leaf background, a woman in blue silks holds a wicker basket of golden coins. There are plates of sweetmeats around her feet, one has a bull's head upon it. She gazes skywards at a large coin with nude women with flowing hair. She wears much jewelry.
"Queen of coins. There is a country woman here, reliable, steady, she is dark eyed and complected. She is in your present." Her maille jingles slightly as she moves the next card slightly with her finger.
A red garbed man stands behind a small pale table against a golden wall. He wears a flamboyant hat, his tunic is rich fabric with large sleeves. Upon the table is a small sword, a silver goblet and several pieces of cut fruit. He bears a wand. He is blonde, young and handsome.
"The Magician. This is what is hidden, something unexpected to you. A blood sign, a war sign. There is some special knowledge or focused energy here. You will need to manipulate your nature to achieve your goal." Her finger hovers over the next card.
A skeleton is paused in mid step, as if he were dancing, one leg is in the air as he pierces you with his hollow gaze. His head is surrounded by a swirl of cloth tape that is white. In his arms is a long slender spinal column. He stands over water from which many hands emerge, there are also several people in the foreground, only their heads appear above the water. They appear unhappy.
"Death. Here is your advice. A major transformation is in the offing, and someone could be dying, there is a purification involved." She smells of horse, up close. You cannot see any rivets in her mail. You cannot see any joins either. Is that mithril? No it isn't, it is too rose colored.
The finger proceeds to the last card. Upon a golden sky, a wheel composed of people slowly turns, supported by a blindfolded noble woman in elaborate dress. Wait, she has red wings. It is inverted.
"The wheel." She is quieter now. Someone walks down the hall to the garderobe. "This is the likely outcome, son of de Grocie. A new life could be in the offing, but things will soon take a turn for the worse."
The cards seem to blaze against the plain wood table, each figure intricate and bejeweled with fabulous color. Death stares at you, the Magician smirks, and the Queen stalks the sky riding orb.
"Three major houses, and two royalty, something is coming and it is important".
She glances sideways at the door, and you catch a glimpse at the hollow of her throat, where a steady pulse beats. Her eyes catch you looking. There is a slight grin as she says, "I have done what was asked, and I must go now, this is only the edge of my demesne, but she did ask it of me."
She sweeps the cards into a stack and hitches her sword belt up.
"Farewell, Sir Knight. Saosta has spoken."
The coverlet is a fine white blur against your face. You start, and the candle jumps a bit by the pillow there. It has burned down to a nub, and your knees are on fire from all the kneeling. You are alone in the room, facing the bed.
There are no cards on that table.
Your sword and harness are still propped against the door.
If you close your eyes, you can still smell the rushes.
It is midnight in the inn. Somewhere a clock strikes the hour.