Vampire: Dark Ages - Scene 1: In the Company of Strangers

[Olaf_Magnusson]

Olaf coughs, pointedly, making his chair scrape noisily as he pushes back from the table, eyes fixed upon the "courtesy" being inflicted upon the Lady Seska, a dire look upon his chiseled features.

[Taduz Illyannovich]

Synovea smiles up at Taduz, her bent frame somehow giving the impression of great strength in spite of the clear evidence to the contrary. "Oh no, dearie. Lord Claudio knows nothing of one such as me. I am only staying here until the weather warms up a bit more. My campania was killed by road bandits in the deepest winter. They threw me to the ground and rode off with our vardo and horses, thinking I would die in the cold. And old I may be, but my ancestors have always been hardy folk, used to the harshness of life. I made my way here to this village, and Sigismond was kind enough to let me stay near his fire until the weather is better."

Twas good of him, mayhap once the weather breaks, and my business with Lord Claudio is finished, we may travel? Would be good to have someone who's familiar with our ways to travel with. I may have employment with *turns to look at the Lady Seska* the La-
*and cuts it short seeing*

Seska tries to pull her hand away with some force, even standing a little to gain some leverage. Not having much luck her glare turns into a snarl, which she makes sure Bojan can see.

*in Rom* Seems this may get ugly, pardon me, I don't want to step in, but if her Lord hires me, this may earn me more than my pay.

Upon seeing and hearing

Olaf coughs, pointedly, making his chair scrape noisily as he pushes back from the table, eyes fixed upon the "courtesy" being inflicted upon the Lady Seska, a dire look upon his chiseled features.

Sees this ones way is straight through his victims. Taduz begins to return to his seat, inwardly Let the lessons my brothers tried to teach me with blades come to me now if it comes to this, while moving into position to flank the Lord's cad, much as his brothers did during the few times they had to warn off villagers trying to take what wasn't offered, and let me fare better than they did in their final fray...

[Goatkiller666]

At The Inn of the Shepard
-------------------------
The innkeeper reaches for the coin on the bar, and bites on one of them before dropping both into his pocket.

"Sigismond's place wouldn't let you stay, eh? I'll wager you couldn't take out that pretty purse in front of him, either. Well, if you'll be wanting some traveling provisions before you leave, the missus will be down here just after sunrise. She's had one of here frights again, and won't leave her room tonight. Says there's vampyres about in the village tonight." He laughs at his wife's foolishness. "You're lucky to have made it back here from Sigismond's place, young man. There's garlic in all the rooms, and a crucifix on every window and door. We're not as fancy as his place, 'cause the wife spends half my earnings on making this inn proof from the undead. Heh."

At the Red Lamb Inn
-------------------
Sigismond's son smiles at Alina. He glances around the room, and notes that his father is still speaking to Sir Leopold. Then he turns and heads for the kitchen, with the wet sack of herbs hidden in his hand. Alina notices him raising that hand to his cheak just as the kitchen door swings closed behind him.

All heads in the room turn to Seska's table as Bojan surges to his feet, knocking his chair backwards in the process. "Unhand her, curr!" he says in a voice very quiet and dangerous. His hand reaches for the sword at his belt.

Sir Leopold and his two crusader companions turn to look, but make no move to intervene. The four women at the nun's table all look up as well, though only Marianne seems moved to act. The oldest nun turns to another and asks, "Sister, what's happening?"

Olaf also takes a step towards the altercation, but is several steps away. Taduz also takes a step to the side, hoping to move around to the other side to flank.

Lothar turns to Bojan, with a look of amusement on his face. He holds up his hands in a non-threatening way, and says, "Why, you must be mistaken. I have not harmed or molested this gracious lady one bit. Sit back down and resume your meal."

Bojan's sword stops, still half in its scabbard. He seems confused, then slowly returns the sword to his hip. "Yes, I'm sorry. I mistook m'lady's expression for one of offense, though I see now that I was simply mistaken." He bends down and sets his fallen chair to rights.

[I'm stopping the narritive there, so that others can react quickly to the scene.]

[Sabine]

I glare at Lothar. "Only bad dogs lick their masters!"

[Seska Karantanija]

Seska is too stunned by Lothar's blatant dismissal and Bojan's acquiescence to react. Her confusion is evident.

[Johann Von Braniff]

The innkeeper reaches for the coin on the bar, and bites on one of them before dropping both into his pocket.

"Sigismond's place wouldn't let you stay, eh? I'll wager you couldn't take out that pretty purse in front of him, either. Well, if you'll be wanting some traveling provisions before you leave, the missus will be down here just after sunrise. She's had one of here frights again, and won't leave her room tonight. Says there's vampyres about in the village tonight." He laughs at his wife's foolishness. "You're lucky to have made it back here from Sigismond's place, young man. There's garlic in all the rooms, and a crucifix on every window and door. We're not as fancy as his place, 'cause the wife spends half my earnings on making this inn proof from the undead. Heh."

"Vampyres?" I grin. "I've heard such tales before. A village I passed through a month or so ago was said to be plagued by them as well." I chuckle. "People believe absurd notions sometimes." I pull back my wet hood and shake out my hair like a dog. "And the Red Lamb didn't throw me out, I left. Got all too puffy and noble for my taste. Some count invited a crowd of them to his castle, me included, but I decided to decline." My eyes narrow. "In fact, I have no idea why I was invited at all. Seems all a bit odd. And I dont' like odd."

[Taduz Illyannovich]

Something isn't right here, he molests the Lady, then blatantly lies about it, and it believed by her man at arms?

Taduz continues his movement towards his table, which also is a flanking position, reaching for his cup of wine, not yet sitting.

I glance at the elderly Rom I had just been talking to, and try to ask with my eyes "What has happened?".

I return to watching the cad closely, while trying to watch the man at arms who seemed traitor to his lady.

[Goatkiller666]

At The Inn of the Shepard
-------------------------

"Vampyres?" I grin. "I've heard such tales before. A village I passed through a month or so ago was said to be plagued by them as well." I chuckle. "People believe absurd notions sometimes." I pull back my wet hood and shake out my hair like a dog. "And the Red Lamb didn't throw me out, I left. Got all too puffy and noble for my taste. Some count invited a crowd of them to his castle, me included, but I decided to decline." My eyes narrow. "In fact, I have no idea why I was invited at all. Seems all a bit odd. And I dont' like odd."

"Oh, aye. The missus is from over the mountains in Transylvania. Says there's Vampyres ruling people like they were lords with God's mandate, instead of demons from Hell. She come over this way to get away from it all, and then sees Vampyres around town about once a month. If you ask me, it's hysteria brought on by her woman's monthly, but she won't hear me tell her of it." He chuckles, "But, she cooks better'n any local woman, and she's nice to have around on a cold night, if you know what I mean. So I put up with her craziness."

He heads into the kitchen area and comes out with a pot of stew. "I'd offer you some of this before I throw it out, but I'm thinkin' I likes you too much to do that to ya. But, I don't think there's anyone else out there who'll be crossin' my doorstep tonight, so I'll just chuck this and turn in. Make yourself as comfortable as you can down here by the fire, I guess."

With that, he carryies the pot of stew back into the kitchen. Johann can hear a second door open from the kitchen, and the sound of the storm outside is briefly much louder before the second door closes again.

At the Red Lamb Inn
-------------------

The man who arrived with Lothar stops his discussion with the men by the door at the disturbance, then smiles when Bojan sits down. He strides across the dining room and enters the kitchen.

Bojan glances back up at Seska. "My apologies, Lady, for my outburst. I didn't mean to disturb your meal." He lowers his gaze to stare at the table. "Shall I excuse myself, then?"

[Johann Von Braniff]

"Oh, aye. The missus is from over the mountains in Transylvania. Says there's Vampyres ruling people like they were lords with God's mandate, instead of demons from Hell. She come over this way to get away from it all, and then sees Vampyres around town about once a month. If you ask me, it's hysteria brought on by her woman's monthly, but she won't hear me tell her of it." He chuckles, "But, she cooks better'n any local woman, and she's nice to have around on a cold night, if you know what I mean. So I put up with her craziness."

He heads into the kitchen area and comes out with a pot of stew. "I'd offer you some of this before I throw it out, but I'm thinkin' I likes you too much to do that to ya. But, I don't think there's anyone else out there who'll be crossin' my doorstep tonight, so I'll just chuck this and turn in. Make yourself as comfortable as you can down here by the fire, I guess."

With that, he carryies the pot of stew back into the kitchen. Johann can hear a second door open from the kitchen, and the sound of the storm outside is briefly much louder before the second door closes again.

I remove my overcloak, lay it down on the hearth to dry and sink to the floor, leaning back against the warm stone chimney. "Vampyres." I snort as I take out the noble woman's purse, empty it into my hand and put the coins into my worn leather pouch. I then toss the purse into the fire. I listen to the wind and rain of the storm for awhile before dozing off.

[Sabine]

"Where are you going? He needs a spanking, for licking people."

[Alína Nyárí]

Seeing Sigismondson surreptitiously raise the pouch of steeped herbs to the bruise on his cheek before entering the kitchen, Alína relishes the smile he had allowed to show before leaving her table side. Her own face lights up with her repressed joy, but quickly fades as the disturbance at her ladyship's table becomes apparent.

Rising from her chair, Alína makes her way to the entryway and tsks loudly enough to be heard by most of the others inside. "This storm is stirring up the spirits; they are getting highly excited. I better go see that Zola was stabled comfortably and that she is not getting worked up herself." Approaching the table where her own Lady is seated, she nods in respect then addresses her Lady. "May I borrow your man momentarily to assist me out to the stables to check on my horse's accommodations?" she asks, gazing at Bojan with a probing look.

[Goatkiller666]

At the Red Lamb Inn
-------------------

Bojan looks up at the older woman, and rises again. He continues to keep his gaze averted. "I'm very sorry for my rudeness, m'lady. I shouldn't have jumped to that conclusion about our host's man. What was I thinking?" He turns to Alina, "I'll help you with your horse, madam, of course."

[Note to self. Something is about to happen outside.]

[Alína Nyárí]

[uh-oh...]

Alína shines her smile again, then follows Bojan out the door and hurries towards the stables, drawing her tichel about her once more, this time to ward off the streaming downpour.

Once inside, she quickly assesses Zola's quarters then rubs her horse's nose in a gesture of parting for the night. Before leaving the stables though, she turns to Bojan again with a smile, her hands making minute arcane gestures as she addresses him. "Thank you for seeing me safely here. This storm really does seem to be getting out of hand. Who knows what may have happened if I came out alone?"

Her eyes narrowing a little as she regarded Bojan more piercingly, her gestures became slightly more apparent. "Would you mind telling me a little about what that slight altercation was about inside? From my corner, it was difficult to make out everything that was happening..."

[Goatkiller666]

"Oh, it was nothing much, miss. It looked to me for a minute that our hosts' man, Lothar, had..." he lowers his head for a moment. "Well, I was obviously wrong miss, but for just a moment I thought that he'd been holding her hand in his own, and she unable to escape his grip. And then he'd licked her up the length of her forearm." He's almost blushing with shame, now. "Well, I stood up and was about to defend my lady when the man tells me, calm as day, that he'd done nothing to her."

"I felt such a fool for thinking he had, so I sat down again. But my lady was still staring at me aghast, like I'd just dropped trou and relieved myself upon the child there. She must be very sore with me for insulting our host like that, I'm sure."

"I'll go and apologize to her in the morning, when she's had a moment to calm down."

[Alína Nyárí]

Alína slowly shakes her head in the negative. "From what little I saw, I would need more detail to make sense of this. What was his grasp on your Lady's wrist like? You initially believed he did not merely kiss the top of her hand, but moved up her arm?

"You believed this is what he did, yet took his word that he didn't? Despite what you yourself saw to be the case?

"I did not see clearly enough to say, but I can say others in the room were reacting to our host's man's actions. The lady Seska did not appear upset with you defending her. I think she was more surprised that you stopped. The Norseman and the tutor were moving in to aid you in defending her, I believe. Not to help the man Lothar. I do not think I misread the atmosphere that prompted me to ask for your help to remove you from the scene."

[Taduz Illyannovich]

"Where are you going? He needs a spanking, for licking people."

Taduz laughs a bit

"Mayhap the child is right, but a spanking, for such an affront to nobility? In public no less. In front of *glances at the church slaves* children, well a child *winks at Sabine*. I was not aware the local moxado kars took such things by force."

[Goatkiller666]

In the Stable
-------------

Bojan looks confused. "But Miss... Why would everybody, including me, think he had, when he'd said he'd done nothing? We must all have mistaken his actions for something inappropriate. I'm relieved that everyone else made the mistake, though. It means I'm not losing my mind."

In the Shepard Inn
------------------

Johann settles on a bench close to the fire, able to ignore minor discomforts in order to sleep above the floor. The innkeeper returns through the kitchen, then passes through the dining room on his way upstairs to his own lodging. He's thoroughly soaked from the storm.

In the Red Lamb Inn
-------------------

Lothar watches Bojan leave, snearing at his back. His smile appears again, though, as he looks from Olaf's face to Taduz', and around to the crusaders. Then he notices his companion isn't in the room, and walks over to the men by the door. He speaks briefly to them, but is interrupted by the companion entering the room again by the front door. The four men speak, again in a language nobody understands, then head out the front door into the storm.

Lothar is the last to depart, but stops to announce to the room at large: "Everyone, Lord Giovanni looks forward to meeting you all tomorrow evening. I will be here shortly before sundown tomorrow to bring you all to his manse. Sigismond has my complete confidence, and should see to all of your needs in Lord Claudio's name until then. If you have any requests, be free to bring them to him right away.

[Lothar and his men will all depart at this point, unless someone takes action to prevent it. I'd appreciate it if people could let me know "I take no action." so that I know I can proceed from there.]

[Johann Von Braniff]

Being an extremely light sleeper, I open an eye when I hear the innkeeper come through the room and watch as he goes up the stairs. I feel around for the hilt of the small daggar I carry and grasp it. The damp chill eases from my body and I stop shivering. I glance once more around the empty room, making sure I'm tucked back within the shadows, I then close my eyes and go back to dozing.

[Seska Karantanija]

With Lothar's departure, Seska becomes visibly relieved. She looks about the room with some lingering confusion, then sits back down.

Grabbing Sabine by the shoulders she gently asks, "Are you okay?" though perhaps more for her own benefit more than the young girl's.

[Sabine]

"I'm okay. He didn't lick me." I make a gross face. "Maybe you should baste your own head, too. It tastes so icky, he wouldn't try to lick you no more."