"The Gathering" - Chapter 18

Intriguing Conversations


"Holy cow!" Wanda exclaimed. "Blondie got some nice lines there!"

Nikolai smirked. He had initiated a telepathic link with Eden before the witch left to investigate the cleric. Joining Jasper, Wanda, Vincent and himself the telepath had formed a mental bridge between their minds and Eden's auditory senses, allowing them to listen to the conversation between the witch and the cleric. 

Barring throwing quelling glares at the salacious asides and like commentaries from Wanda, Jasper and Vincent, the blonde man focused on listening in on Eden's conversation with the journeyman cleric in the inn's dining room. 

"Did you try reading his mind?" Eden had asked him before engaging the man in question. 

Nikolai had shook his head in reply to the question. The other man's mind is protected by a combination of spells and rigid concentration. He wasn't really surprised at the latter; magical training imparted a degree of resistance to psychic intrusion. 

Having recalled the earlier conversation, Nikolai spared a measuring look at Jasper, wondering if the empath would be able to pierce the layers of protection that is currently shielding the cleric's mind.

"Eden's not without her advantages," Vincent commented sagely, agreeing with Wanda at the witch's skilful manipulation of the conversation.

"You don't say," Wanda retorted, rolling her eyes at the clairvoyant. "Tall, blond and educated, with a face that could launch a thousand ships. No, definitely not without advantages there." She paused, watching her brother move towards the door.

Nikolai followed her eye, catching Jasper in the act of putting his hand on the knob. "Where are you going?" he asked. 

Jasper shrugged. "Walking around," he answered. "I'm bored."

"I'll go with you," Vincent offered, getting up from the bed where he was sitting. "I need to walk off the kinks from the saddle."

"Don't get into trouble," Nikolai said, waving them away. He knew it would have been futile trying to argue with Jasper. Having Vincent along should serve to mitigate any mishaps that may arise. He cocked his eyebrow at Wanda after the two men had left. "Are you feeling bored, too?"

"Are you kidding me?" Wanda asked, her eyes dancing. "Listening to Blondie is better than any episode of Scandal!"

Nikolai ignored the reference, knowing enough of Wanda's world that she was referring to one of the many entertainments available in the Prime Plane. "If you say so," he smiled.

"Besides," the brunette added off-hand, "The company isn't bad."

Nikolai stared for a moment at her, unsure of her actual meaning. Her face however, remainded guileless. He pondered that for a while and returned to listening to Eden telepathically. He shook his head, his smile hidden from Wanda, who had closed her eyes to better concentrate on the remote conversation happening downstairs. 

Unknown seemingly to herself, Wanda has some nice lines too, Nikolai thought.


* * *


"This way," Vincent said, motioning Jasper towards the other end of the hallway. The two men moved towards the opposite of their point of arrival; taking the back stairs, near the back portion of the floor where their rooms were located.

"Is there a reason we're taking the back stairs?" Jasper had asked.

"I just wanted to check something out," had been Vincent's cryptic answer. 

The two men were now walking towards the covered corral where their wagon and horses had been kept for the duration of their stay at the inn.

"I want you count how many horses, carriages and wagons you can see from your side," Vincent said softly as they were approaching the corral.

"Why?"

"Don't argue with me, just do it."

"I want to know why first."

"Trust me on this," Vincent whispered tersely.

Jasper just glared at the shorter man. The night remained quiet, save the whinnying of the horses nearby. 

"Fine," Jasper relented, none too graciously. 

"All right then," Vincent nodded in slight relief. The small twinge of wrongness that had been plaguing him since they had arrived had ben bothering him. He had chalked it up to fatigue from being on the road but even after good food and rest he still couldn't shake that feeling off.

They reached the door of the corral and pushed it open. The two stable hands attending to the many carriages and various wagons and carts looked up from they were sweeping. 

"Sorry to bother you," Vincent smiled at the two men. "My sister left her purse in our wagon."

Jasper turned from his careful study of the right side of the corral's interior. "We're in rooms ten through twelve," he supplied helpfully.

The taller of the grooms motioned vaguely at the back of the corral. "At the back there."

"I see it," Vincent said, turning from his perusal of the corral's left interior.

The two men walked towards the back, Jasper in the lead. When they approached their wagon, Vincent opened the door to the wagons front even as he produced a small beaded bag from the inner pocket of his vest. Jasper stared at him, unsure of what is going on.

"I'll explain on the way back," Vincent said softly. He stilled and turned as the taller groom appeared from the front of the wagon. "Found it," he brandished the small purse jubilantly. Thanking the grooms, they hastily made their way back out.

Upon exit after a few metres away from the corral, Jasper grabbed Vincent's arm and stopped him. "Explain," he demanded.

Vincent frowned at Jasper's grip on his arm and nodded. "Fair enough," he nodded. "How many horses and carriages did you count?"

"What?" Jasper asked, seemingly confused at the rapid change of topic. "Ten horses, and three carts. Why?"

"Eight horses and two carriages from my side," Vincent countered by way of answering. "Not counting our wagon and five horses."

"Okaaay," Jasper nodded slowly, drawing the last syllable out. "I still don't follow." 

"Think, Jasper!" Vincent hissed, pulling away roughly as he turned to walk back to the inn. "How many people does a cart carry on average?"

"Four," came the answer.

"How about a carriage?"

"Six."

"How many people staying at the inn does that make?"

Jasper did a quick calculation. "Around thirty-five?" he stopped walking after the clairvoyant as he started to understand what the other was implying. He started jogging after the shorter man, who had quickened his steps. "How many people did you count at the inn, Vincent?" he asked as he caught up to the other man.

"Fifty-two," came Vincent's answer.

"So potentially seventeen hostiles?" Jasper tried to confirm. "Is that what you're saying?"

"More or less," Vincent grinned. 

"Of course," Jasper huffed in exasperation. "Wait, so what made you start thinking about all this?" he asked, sweeping his hand around at the last two words. 

"I was lying in my bed, in my room earlier," Vincent started his explanation. He motioned for the other man to move back to the inn. "I was tired and I relaxed my vision. I saw that besides our rooms, only eight others were occupied."

"That doesn't necessarily mean anything," Jasper pointed out. "Some could be people from nearby villages."

"Thought about that," Vincent allowed Jasper his point. "Except for one thing."

"And that would be ... ?"

"Villagers and farmhands don't travel with a well-oiled weapons belt, fully armed with masterwork weapons."

"Those could be heirlooms?" Jasper said, knowing the argument was specious even as he uttered it.

"Ten villagers with duplicate heirloom weapons? Ten farmhands armed identically with a longsword and two daggers?" Vincent countered, his eyebrows raised in mock disbelief.

"Alright, I'll give you that," Jasper relented. "No need to get snarky about it." He paused, levelling a calculating stare at the clairvoyant. "So what's your plan?"

Vincent's answering grin was vicious. "Feel like spreading chaos and mayhem to the deserving tonight?"

"The Gathering" - Chapter 17

Bridle and Bit

Nikolai cursed. 

He should have realised that Jasper couldn't be controlled; the other man doesn't respond to being manhandled graciously. No sooner had he he told the others of the journeyman cleric in the inn's dining room when Jasper suggested that either Nikolai, Eden or himself to probe the man's mind. 

Eden had made no comment as to whether she agrees with the motion or not, but Nikolai did not really expect her to voice her say. The witch will do whatever is in the best interest of their current mission. If violation of the cleric's mind meets the mission's purpose then Eden will agree to it.

Wanda and Vincent had voiced their disagreement with Jasper's plan, although for different reasons. 

The empath's sister doesn't  condone the outright violation of the cleric's privacy. She had a mild look of revulsion on her face when she said her piece, as if not believing her brother could propose such a ruthless idea. Vincent disagreed on grounds that it was unnecessary. The cleric had not displayed any hostility towards them, he said, marking out the most obvious point. Furthermore, a cleric of Selene--one of the goodly Powers--would never harbour any ill towards anyone.

Jasper snorted at the last argument. Nikolai could sense that Jasper holds members of the clergy in outright contempt. A stray tendril of thought that leaked out from the empath flashed into Nikolai's mind words such as devil's own and monster before it was quelled by Jasper's mental shield. 

"Vincent is right," Nikolai agreed. "Despite his initial interest, the cleric appears to be harmless." Jasper sniffed, his opinion translated through his sneer but Nikolai continued before he could speak. "While we are not going to violate the privacy of his thoughts," he nodded to Wanda as he went on. "It still beggars the question why the interest in us?"

"It has to be our looks," Vincent quipped. He grinned irreverently at Eden's answering glare.

Wanda snickered at the exchange. "Must be," the brunette agreed, dark curls bobbing. She pointed her chin at her brother. "'Cause his personality sucks!" 

Nikolai himself had to smile at that. Even Eden's lips twitched slightly at the sally. Jasper just rolled his eyes, apparently used to the verbal digs from his sister. 

"Fine," he huffed out, throwing his hands up in defeat. "We won't probe him." He threw a look of disgust at Vincent when the shorter man started laughing. "What are you, twelve?"

Wanda swatted the clairvoyant on his shoulder, though the suppressed mirth in her dark eyes echoed Vincent's glee. "Be serious," she chided with a grin then motioned for her brother to continue. 

Jasper shook his head at the two and continued. "We're not going to traipse through his head, we can all agree on that but like Niki said, he displayed an interest in us. And it's not just because Eden is 'the most beautiful woman he has ever seen,'" he said, his left forefinger making little hooking movements akin to a squiggle at the last sentence. Nikolai recognised that habit of Jasper's whenever he is quoting some source.

"You managed to sense that?" he asked. 

Jasper nodded his reply. "Emotional triggers. Faint but distinct. I can't get through the initial walls. He may be protected by spells or impressive training. He can't block out primal responses, however."

"Looks like you have an admirer, Miss Bennett," Vincent murmured. "An ardent one, at that."

Wanda gave the blonde witch a long, considering look. "Well," she drawled, dragging the vowels slowly as her lips shaped into a smile. "We will just have to press our advantage, yes?"

Nikolai almost burst out laughing when he caught Vincent thinking, It won't be the only thing she needs to press!

Jasper's mental comment joined Vincent's, Press? I was thinking stroke, or tease.

Eden, blissfully unaware of the racy comments, at last joined the discussion. Her cool voice laced with a small tinge of humour. "I don't think it will be too much of a chore," she said as she shrugged slightly before continuing with a small smile. "And I am quite hungry, really."

If Nikolai somehow caught that faint touch of blush on her cheeks, he chose not to comment on it.


* * *


Yuri had remained at his table even after his dinner was finished. After catching a glimpse of the dark-haired couple--must be siblings, he surmised as he noted their olive skin and similar features--joining the two blondes awaiting them at the front desk, he turned his attention back towards the window and his abandoned communion.

He had sensed a subtle, featherlight brush against his mind earlier before the latecomers arrived. He concluded that either the hulking blonde giant or the ethereal beauty must be telepathic. He ignored it, confident in the strength of his mental shields. He allowed the light brush against his mind slip by, knowing that he had nothing to fear. Selene will look after her own.

He continued with his repast, pausing every now and then by engaging in small talk with fellow boarders who had stopped by his table to chat about various this and that. Most were locals who had taken upon themselves to regale the cleric with various local tales and news. The latest was a case of disappearing livestock, a horse from a steading out east ten miles away a week ago and two steers from a neighbouring village close to it three days ago. One of them had been found the following night, butchered and dismembered beyond recognition. Indeed, the only way it was identified as one of the missing animals was due to the owner's brand on the steer's rump.

"You be careful now, young sir," a grizzled local carpenter--Elrich--had warned. "Trouble's afoot. Tinker found dead not four nights away out east-ways."

"Bandits, you think?" Yuri asked, his brows furrowed. "I thought the highway is regularly patrolled."

"Och," Elrich had snorted. "The highway yea but there are always those back roads, you know?"

"I suppose you're right," Yuri murmured, taking a small sip from his glass.

"And there's that freak storm, two nights ago out east yea?" Elrich had begun to warm up to his story now that he had an audience.

"Aye," a group of four travelling merchants from the neighbouring table agreed. The more vocal one from the crowd--a portly Arborean Yuri noted, if one was to judge by his fair colouring--moved his chair sideways so he could meet the young cleric and local's eyes. 

"Freak storm's one thing but flying horrors ... Now that's another." He huffed, took a swig from his tankard and continued. "Fergus, Eoin, Wilt and me, we were camped out near the Flatlands. Sky was clear all around for past few days, no clouds in sight but I was looking up to take note of the sun and I saw something ..." he shuddered, trailing off.

"Now hush you people," the barkeep barked, his knuckles rapping the oaken surface of the bar. "No sense scaring off good honest folk with fancy stories." He looked around, meeting their eyes evenly. "If you have concerns you tell the constables. That's what they are for, hear?"

The shuffling and grinding of wood on wood reverberated throughout the room as the patrons returned back to their meals and abandoned conversations, perilous tales forgotten for the time being. Yuri returned to his meal, slowly drawing it out while he ruminated on what he had learned. This village, Rowanfold, is not far away from the main highway, where volunteers--partly locals, partly reputable sellswords--will take on monthly contracts to patrol and safeguard the route and aiding the local constabulary which in turn answer to various nobles or gentry that is in charge with safeguarding said stretch.  

He finished the stew and called for a glass of wine, allowing himself this small indulgence. He took a small sip, appreciating the sweetness of the drink and turned back to the window, lost in his thoughts.

He was still in his contemplation of the full moon outside when a soft, feminine voice interrupted his reverie. "St. Anne Red," it said with a gentle musical lilt. "Underrated but appreciated for its sweetness and full body."

He looked up, meeting the eyes of the beautiful woman he had noticed an hour earlier when she--and the others in her comoany--had just arrived at the inn. He stood, offering her a small bow before he moved towards the chair and drew it back. "A good drink goes well with good company, or so I've heard," he offered.

He barely stifled a grimace at such an oily phrasing. Selene, strike me now.

The blonde accepted the seat and slid gracefully, Yuri caught the soft scent of honeysuckle as he bent to push in the seat. He swallowed a touch of nervousness and returned to his chair, calling the serving girl as he did so.

The woman returned her gaze to him after she had placed her order. Her eyes were a brilliant, cerulean blue, almost shining with their own inner light. "Interesting saying," she remarked with a smile, referring to his almost-grandiose line earlier. 

Yuri allowed himself a small chuckle. "Oh that good wine and good company part?" he asked. The woman nodded. Yuri shrugged. "I heard my father saying it to my mother once. It made her laugh." He smiled at the memory.

"And the wine he was referring to?" the woman asked. "St. Anne Red, I presume?"

Yuri smiled in reply. "I wouldn't know. I was to young for wine at that time." A small pause. "Yuri Marshankall, newly ordained Journeyman of the Silver," he introduced himself. 

"Eden Bennett," the woman offered in return. "Formerly of the Arboreal Islands." With her fair colouring, Eden knew her claim will hold.

Their exchange paused when the serving girl brought out a bowl of stew and a bottle of wine. Yuri raised an eyebrow at the latter.

"Will you be able to finish that on your own?" he asked with a slight concern, taking in her willowy figure. 

The woman--Eden--smiled. "I assure you, I am no lightweight." Her playful reply sent a tight coiling down his stomach. "I provide drink," she nodded to the bottle. "You shall provide conversation. Fair trade?"

There was really nothing much that Yuri could say to that. Not that he was considering declining ... not seriously, at any rate.

"Fair enough," he assented. "As long as that giant of yours didn't think I was trying anything inappropriate."

Eden let out a small peal of laughter, ignorant that it had sent another coil of tightness down her companion's stomach. "Nikolai would not do such a thing," she assured him, laying a touch on his arm. "He is a friend. He knows I am in good company." All to soon, she removed her hand. 

Oh, Goddess ...

Yuri firmly retracted his wayward thoughts and returned his focus to the woman in front of him. 

"Formerly of the Arboreus," he noted, using the lay term for the island kingdom. "Permanent move?" he asked.

"You could say that," Eden said with a small smile, but her eyes had taken a slightly assessing cast as she looked at him.

"And that is all you are willing to say on that subject," Yuri commented, his tone one of matter-of-fact.

"For now," Eden averred. Her tone turned teasing, looking at him from under her lashes. "Surely you won't begrudge a lady some secrets?"

 "And you wouldn't begrudge a gentleman who is intrigued by a lady of mystery?" Yuri rallied playfully. 

This is shaping up to be an interesting night.