Geinwortelparadijs: Riddles from the mountains chapter 1: Gathering in the morning
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Everybody reports the next morning nearing the 5th hour at the palace and is taken to a study on the first floor that is overlooking the front courtyard. A big heavy desk made of some dark wood stands in the room. On top of it is a jar of water and some glasses. A comfortable chair is behind the desk facing the window.
One wall is completely covered by a bookcase filled with a lot of similar looking books, most of them with the same style of naming: the name of some person followed by a subject like laws or battles and then a volume number.
On the other wall a big picture shows a scene probably from the end of some big decisive battle. A tolv in shining armour stands in the front posing with the flag on a pole in on hand and a foot on a stone. On his sides are a couple of other knights. Behind the man is a city and the mess of a battlefield to be found. Following the converging lines along the heads and feet of the knights on the right side you notice two dozen gallows.
A shabby looking cunicul sidles into the room, there is simply no other way to describe his peculiar gait. His attention is immediately drawn to the books, which he studies intently.
He's soon followed by a scarcely dressed young very female vosje who comes into the room with a strut and her attention is immediately drawn by the cunicul.
"Well, hello there." If a vosje's voice could ever be described as a purr, it is hers just then.
The cunicul flinches as he is addressed and looks about for anyone else the vosje lady could mean. Finding no-one else, he manages to mumble "Hello". He fails miserably at hiding the fact that he is staring at the vosje until the next person enters, upon which he immediately looks away and sidles towards some books that he hasn't looked at yet.
This new person is a tolv striding into the room in full battle regalia and positioning herself in front of the desk, she gazes around at the contents of the room, pausing momentarily over the cunicul and the vosje that are also here. Her delicate nose wrinkled as she picked up the musty old smell that appeared to be coming from the creature. The vosje appeared to be talking to the cunicul as she entered. Not giving them further attention, she turned towards the desk and looked at the water. She was thirsty, but dared not assume that these glasses were set out for the people who were to gather here, so she left them alone for now. She assumed an eased stance and proceeded to look outside the window, waiting for other people to show up, or for one of these two to talk to her, not feeling the need for engaging in conversation herself.
On the courtyard a cab carriage arrives that makes a big turn as if to stop in front of the building, but before the tolv can see if this is true it vanishes out of sight. A little while later it departs again.
Three minutes before the 5th hour the door is being opened and knocked on simultaneously. A young tolv woman walks in wearing a spotless khaki suit even completed with a matching high tropics helmet. At both sides of her face a couple of greenblondish locks come out. There seems to be a glint of excitement in her eyes when she starts to speak with a voice that could have been of a teenager
"Good morning, I'm not late am I? I remembered last night some things that I still had to pack and that took more time then I expected"
She walks in and takes her big, also khaki, backpack with some big long scroll case of her back and puts it against the desk.
"I'm miss Stensalil" and she takes a couple of steps to the closest to her with her hand extended
"Ah, finally someone worthy of my attention." the first tolv thought as she regarded the tolv who had just entered. Sure, she looked a bit funny in her khaki attire and with her green hair, but she thought that was preferable to either the under dressed vosje or the cunicul. Extending her hand, she gives her a firm handshake.
"Good morning to you miss Stensalil. I am lady Kyliries. I assume you are here for the meeting? In that case, you are not late. Of course, it's rather silly of you to forget to pack things. I always prepare myself properly before I go on a journey, making sure that I will be on time for important meetings. Perhaps," she added, sounding a slight bit condescending, "you should wake up a little earlier so you are absolutely sure you'll have enough time."
"Say, would you by any chance know of any specifics of this mission that we are going to receive? I don't know all too much of what we are supposed to do. I don't think they would give you more information than me though," she finished, the tone of condescension again in her voice.
"Of course did I properly prepare myself yesterday."The other tolv woman retorted "I also went to bed in time to get up early, but I just kept doubting if I had packed enough clothes for a long trip in all kinds of weather. You can't be to sure can you?"
The vosje gives a faint pout as the tolvs seem more interested in themselves rather than her, she turns to the only other person in the room. The cunicul. "Someone's got a rather warped sense of humour, and it isn't just me", she mutters inwardly. Still, she knows that not all of the cunicul are for eating. This one, particularly, doesn't look all that tasty with it's ink spot clothing. And it's not like she likes eating cuniculs, either. Well, not in the bad way ...
"So," she asks, sauntering closer to the cunicul. "Why'd you decide to come along?"
The cunicul takes a moment to realise that someone is talking to him, and seems to be trying hard to stay well out of the way of the tensions of the others. "I was hired to make a record of what happens." he mumbles, again succumbing to the urge to ogle.
Miss Stensalil looks to the cunicul and vosje that seem to be getting to know each other a bit toilsome.
"I only know that there is some trouble with a river stopping to flow and that some people have to go look into it. I got tired from all the desk work so I decided to try to go along, and I got accepted right away to my surprise!!"
"Hmm, I've heard of some trouble in Mimes" Lady Kyliries responds "But I had no idea of the extent. The river stopping to flow sounds like a serious problem."
She looks around the room and sighed. "With these people I don't know if we're going to solve any problem," she thought bitterly, turning back to the other tolv.
Miss Stensalil sees she has her attention again "Would this be everybody?"
"I don't know if this is everybody." Lady Kyliries responds "I sure hope not. We could use some people who actually look like they can do something."
Miss Stensalil looks at the other two in the room "Yeah that's what I though also. I hope to be able to see a solution once we get to the problem"
Lady Kyliries clearly thinks the talk is finished as she turns her attention towards the painting in the room ignoring the rest.
Miss Stensalil becomes a bit bored when she has suddenly nobody left to talk to so she takes a look at the painting that seems to fascinate miss Kyliries so much, but it can't really fascinate her so she walks around in the room, looking a bit out the window first seeing a group of soldiers walk into the courtyard to replace the door guards just as the first bell announces the fifth hour. Then she moves on to look at the books that that cunicul is so intently looking at.
But it seems almost every time she takes a look in one she puts it back really quickly and looks to see if there is an other one that look more interesting.
About 15 minutes after the arrival of the green-haired tolv the door swings open and a tiny guy with wings walks in, his hair is really messy and he has blood on his forehead, and he announces himself quite loudly. "Yeah yeah, I'm late, I was doing the princess' nose and ears, it was your idea for a birthday pre.." he looks at the desk "well look at that, the old knob isn't even here yet! Thinks he's al that! Making ME wait for him!"
He looks around the room: "Hmm with that many people here he probably doesn’t need any royal parts enlarged this time. Can anyone tell me why I'm here?"
Startled, lady Kyliries turned around to look at the source of the noise. She saw nothing at eye level and thought she might be going crazy, until she looked down and saw a fairy walking on the floor. She looked utterly confused at the odd creature.
"Excuse me? What in Rally's name are you talking about? Are you possibly insane? Is that blood on your forehead?" she unconsciously made a step away from the crazy Fae and laid her hand on one of her swords.
"I don't know why -you- are here, but we are here for a mission to Mimes, apparently to get a river flowing again, if I am to believe what this woman says," indicating Miss Stensalil at this last part.
"ooh crap, he's trying to get rid of me again, pfff, says I talk to much, I wonder what he wants me to believe I should do on this so called mission this time". The fairy hops onto the desk and looks at the tolv that spoke to him. "What's wrong with your face? Why's your hair covering it? I can try to fix it."
Miss Kyliries looked incredulously at the fairy and gripped her sword more tightly, although touching her face, which was slowly going red, with her other hand.
Miss Stensalil looks worried "You two aren't going to fight here do you?" but they don't seem to have or take time to answer her.
"There is nothing wrong with my face!" lady Kyliries says furiously, "My face looks excellent. My hair just falls over it sometimes is all. And don't you even dare try to 'fix it'. I don't like the look of that blood on your forehead. In fact, I think it would be best if you don't even get near me. For your own good I can assure you."
"Blood?" The fairy wipes his forehead. "Oh that, I was working, it's the princess' birthday in six weeks you know!!"
The vosje sniffs as lady Kyliries and the little guy begin their bickering, and steps quietly up beside miss Stensalil. "Let them," she mutters, before grinning at the fairy.
"You must be skilled indeed to think you could fix that face." She pauses for a moment. "And by 'fix', you mean... ?"
The fairy looks at the vosje: "fix, you know, make right what is wrong with it." Takes a better look at the vosje and whistles: "Woooh foxxxy lady! All natural or is there a good doctor involved?"
The vosje grins. "All natural," she replies. "No one's touched-" she pauses for a moment. "No one's changed a thing," she corrects herself.
Turning from the fairy to the vosje, lady Kyliries looks really angry.
"What exactly do you mean that he has to be skilled to fix my face?" she hisses angrily, "there is nothing wrong with
it. Ugh, never mind."
Further ignoring the people in the room, she awaited the king's arrival. This was going to be one tough assignment.
Whether or not a reply was wanted, one is quickly forthcoming from the vosje. "No, you are actually quite pretty. But your face is a bit ..
sour."