That morning a rider arrived at Emmeline\u2019s home from Uzec. He was very tired, took some water and said to Rivanon and Emmeline as he took a knee, \u201cM\u2019ladies.” Looking to Emmeline he said, \u201cwith m\u2019lady\u2019s compliments,\u201d pointed outside where two riding horses awaited. \u201cI sent him last night,\u201d Rivanon said. Looking to the rider with a look of appreciation she said, \u201cgood sir, you have served me with excellence and fair action. Take a rest here and gather your strength. Sleep, and then this kind family, with m\u2019lady\u2019s permission of course,\u201d looking to Emmeline, \u201cwill make you a great meal later this evening.\u201d She place a hand on his shoulder rise and get some rest.<\/p>\n
Emmeline smiled and nodded. “Thank you for your efforts. Of course you are welcome.”<\/p>\n
\u201cMagus Elemix, M\u2019lady de Cerisey take these horse with my father\u2019s compliments. They are a small thing compared to the steeds the Castilian granted you, but they will do,\u201d said Rivanon.<\/p>\n
Emmeline inclined her head gratefully. “Thank you, Lady Rivannon! It’s very much appreciated.”<\/p>\n
As they rode into the morning, Emmeline seemed content. The loss of contact with Mara was numbing, but that had passed. Sev\u00e9 was quite confused, but soon was her playful self. Elemix found the new horse decent enough. Funny though, he felt that maybe he wasn\u2019t such a bad rider after all. He felt confident in the saddle, if a novice. Sister Typhon and Sister Jocelyn rode side-by-side quietly but with knowing smiles and a look of contentment. Rivanon, riding near Emmeline and Elemix asked, \u201cWe should consider taking a ship again, after Portreaux that is. Could save us time.\u201d<\/p>\n
“I think it could. Elemix, will our budget cover that?” Emmeline asked.<\/p>\n
Elemix replied first to Rivannon and then to Emmiline. “And let me also express my thanks for this new horse.” Turning to Emmiline then he continued. “Yes I am sure the budget would cover travel by ship. Of course we should en-devour to travel as economically as possible to conserve funds but we did budget for travel expenses.”<\/p>\n
“With winter coming soon, a coastal voyage may be advantageous,” replied Rivanon. “From Adera we would still have many an opportunity to practice our trade as a wandering minstrel group. Though the longer journey may give us more information as we draw closer to our goal. What do you all think?”<\/p>\n
“I think I like the idea of going by ship from Portreaux to Adera because there will be less opportunity for the cult of Tyaa to interfere,” Emmeline said. “We can take the long way home if we want.”<\/p>\n
“Agreed,” replied Elemix simply. “I for one do not want to linger in Portreaux or Adera beyond what is necessary. The journey to and beyond the Hitari gates will take long enough I should think and we certainly don’t want to draw any attention to where we are going or why if we can help it. <\/p>\n
Remember as well that we must hire some skilled guards in Adera before heading out of the civilized world.”<\/p>\n
\u201cOh I don\u2019t know, El. Maybe we won\u2019t even need the guards,\u201d Emmeline teased. \u201cYou have three strong, incredibly intelligent, and very capable women to make sure your hide doesn\u2019t get overly punctured.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elemix smirked and glanced at them all. “I never said I was complaining. Still, I would hate for anyone’s good looks, including my own, btw to be scarred from lack of preparedness. Arith knows, I have had more close calls I think than most.”<\/p>\n
Emmeline grew a little more serious. \u201cYes, that\u2019s true. Honestly, though, you do have a great deal of magical power, dress always as a wizard, and thereby get lots of attention from enemies very quickly. Not that I\u2019m suggesting you should change, just that it\u2019s a fact. I tend to present myself in whatever way best matches my role, be it witch, gentry, mistress, vagabond or entertainer but that\u2019s they way I\u2019ve always been taught to be my entire life \u2014 a skill I think the baron hopes I might be able to show Lady Rivanon to some extent. Anyway, I think that might make me typically a little less of a target. So we want a bodyguard for you. Does anyone else feel they need one?”.<\/p>\n
Rivanon smiled, \u201cMagus, Sister, Lady, for myself traveling incognito as a young bard on the road, I cannot think of a way to weave a bodyguard convincingly into my storyline. As Lady d\u2019Uzec Baronet and Heir to the Calder March, I couldn\u2019t think of a way not<\/em> to have one. It is the story that defines us, and I must play the part I must. No guard for I thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" That morning a rider arrived at Emmeline\u2019s home from Uzec. He was very tired, took some water and said to Rivanon and Emmeline as he took a knee, \u201cM\u2019ladies.” Looking to Emmeline he said, \u201cwith m\u2019lady\u2019s compliments,\u201d pointed outside where<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2013,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[3,4],"class_list":["post-2430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-thalassa","tag-elemix","tag-emmeline"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8aqU2-Dc","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3055,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2016\/08\/17\/elemix-and-emmeline-reunite-in-uzec\/","url_meta":{"origin":2430,"position":0},"title":"Elemix and Emmeline Reunite in Uzec","author":"Illuminatus","date":"August 17, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Elemix had left for Uzek in great haste on order of Rivanon to protect Emmeline\u2026 When he and a half-dozen of Rivanon\u2019s troops arrived in town in the late afternoon of the next day, he felt there was a eerie calm among the people. Elemix had received no messages from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2714,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2016\/01\/11\/epilogue-session-25\/","url_meta":{"origin":2430,"position":1},"title":"Epilogue Session 25","author":"Edward","date":"January 11, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Overview\u00a0 The party split up from Rivanon and went up river directly to Uzec while she stayed behind to wait for several score reinforcements she hoped to march over the Eastern Ridge pass. Ren\u00e9e, the daughter of Vorn's friend Captain du Triel, joined the party under Emmeline's tutorage.\u00a0After fighting a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2851,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2016\/02\/05\/the-war-council\/","url_meta":{"origin":2430,"position":2},"title":"The War Council","author":"Illuminatus","date":"February 5, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Night was upon the Keep. Lady Rivanon d'Uzec summoned what remained of the Baron's senior leadership and invited the party as guests. Standing around a stone table was Lady d'Uzec, Sir Etienne of Calder Keep, Sir Brann of Uzec, Lord Chardin of Yvoire, Lord Arrisey, Sir Maurice Le Marin, Magus\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2503,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2015\/09\/14\/winter-is-coming\/","url_meta":{"origin":2430,"position":3},"title":"Winter Is Coming","author":"Illuminatus","date":"September 14, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Lady Rivanon had asked Emmeline to delay departing even further than the two days the Baron wished, and after some discussion Emmeline had agreed. Something political was going on behind the scenes with Rivanon darting around the countryside back and forth to Derrien. Emmeline knew of a bit of it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Emmeline","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/12\/image-300x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2585,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2015\/09\/27\/epilogue-session-14\/","url_meta":{"origin":2430,"position":4},"title":"Epilogue: Sessions 14-16","author":"Edward","date":"September 27, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Overview The party splits in three, with Sister Jocelyn remaining in Uzec, Magus Elemix journeying to a conclave in Derrien, and the others going overland quickly to Portreaux after passing thru Derrien shortly after Elemix arrives. Before that, Emmeline, Tiffanie and Rivanon were ambushed in the high pass near Arissey\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2452,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2015\/08\/31\/epilogue-sessions-12-13\/","url_meta":{"origin":2430,"position":5},"title":"Epilogue: Sessions 12 & 13","author":"Edward","date":"August 31, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Overview From Thalassa, the party journeyed by ship to Breven. During the trip they were waylaid by seahags with intent to capture Emmeline at the very least. Surviving this, the party returned to Uzec where they were drawn into combat at Arresey where\u00a0hobgoblins fleeing their defeat near Faou and foraging\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2430"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2430\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}