![](http://cobalt-company.wdfiles.com/local--resized-images/writing:2024-03-08-slowing-the-syndicate-for-si:7/style="margin:/medium.jpg) |
| Details |
| Author: | Alli |
| Summary: | Annibeth, Ionala, Jonas, Mayellen and Maisha continue untangling the threads of the Heron situation, and are this time tasked with some combat. Along they way, they discuss others who are involved in the case, and Ionala begins to open up about her past. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Arc: The Missing Heron
The team meets up in Oldtown, Stormwind, preparing to head in to speak to Master Mathias Shaw of SI:7.
Jonas smiles at Mayellen.
Mayellen smiles at Jonas.
Mayellen smiles at Ionala.
Ionala smiles at Mayellen.
[Mayellen]: I guess I should… get a Cobalt Company tabard now.
[Ionala]: You should!
Maisha smiles at everyone. "Thanks fer gettin' us in to talk to him Anni."
Annibeth nods. "It wasn't easy! It may've involved some begging."
[Mayellen]: Sorry I missed that.
Jonas raises his eyebrows.
[Maisha]: Well, glad it worked out. Let's get to him? I do no' want ta be late.
[Annibeth]: Okay. Best behavior, y'all!
Jonas eyes Anni and wonders how tough this is going to be if Annibeth says they need to be on their best behavior.
Annibeth pauses and takes a deep breath.
Mayellen wipes sweaty palms.
Maisha wishes she had brought Bael.
The team heads upstairs and comes into the presence of Himself.
[Annibeth]: Uh…sir? Annibeth Jansen…with the Cobalt Eye. We uh…have an appointment.
Annibeth salutes Master Mathias Shaw with respect.
Master Mathias Shaw says: Cobalt Eye. Right on time.
Mayellen tries to look Extremely Competent. You can feel her willing this aura into being.
Master Mathias Shaw says: I take it this is important. I'm aware of your work regarding the Salty Heron, and your contact's unfortunate demise.
[Mayellen]: If there were anyone else we were certain we could trust, we would never have disturbed you, sir.
Master Mathias Shaw says: I trust that's so. I have never known Cobalt Company to waste my time.
Master Mathias Shaw says: Out with it, then. There's no use in circling around it.
[Mayellen]: We have reason to believe that someone in your organization has been compromised.
Mathias Shaw looks at Mayellen with an intent and serious gaze. Then he nods.
Master Mathias Shaw says: I have had suspicions of such, but I've found nothing to confirm it outright.
Mayellen nods gravely in acknowledgement and glances at the others.
Jonas nods gravely too. Because Mayellen did. And yes.
[Annibeth]: S'like I was taught, sir. There ain't no coincidences. The fact our contact was assassinated right between our meetin's with him…it just don't add up.
Jonas an Maisha speak up at the same time.
[Maisha]: Tha' and, how they knew about the Heron's cargo in th' first place… *Maisha says in an uncharacteristically small voice. She may be intimidated.*
[Jonas]: Someone knew about… the Heron in the first place. And then knew who the contact was, and — aye
Jonas nods at Maisha this time.
Maisha nods at Jonas, relieved for the backup.
[Annibeth]: Zackly. Someone's gotta be feedin' intelligence.
[Maisha]: Jaysin said he did everythin' by the book.
[Mayellen]: Agent Lanyda was not careless. The only people who would know of his activities would be those working with him.
[Mayellen]: We don't know who those are - but we imagined you might.
Maisha lets out a shaky breath. Elite master spies are scary.
Master Mathias Shaw says: I do. Thank you for coming to me with this.
Jonas raises his eyebrows. Shaw knows? That was easy. Whew.
[Annibeth]: S'gotta be someone who knew Lanyda was one of us, and had access to information on the Heron's course and schedule.
Master Mathias Shaw says: It is… a very difficult situation. With the confirmation that there is a mole, I must begin the lengthy process of rooting him or her out.
[Mayellen]: And we are of course at your service if you need anything.
Jonas nods gravely.
[Annibeth]: Whatever ya need, sir!
Master Mathias Shaw says: Of course. *Shaw nods.* I've appreciated your work on the Heron. And now that my contact in the area is gone, and the network is compromised… I intend to rely upon you again.
[Mayellen]: In addition to your own agent, we are a priestess, a warlock, and two accomplished trackers.
[Mayellen]: If that helps you deploy us properly.
Master Mathias Shaw says: That's a good team composition. Well.
Master Mathias Shaw says: Jansen, the document you brought in details what happened to this 'defector'. It seems they made plans to shift him to the Arathi Highlands.
Jonas raises his eyebrows
Master Mathias Shaw says: I'll see if I can direct you more precisely in the near future, because this is a loose end I don't intend to leave hanging. We need that intelligence.
[Ionala]: When I examined Jaysin's body, he had a flower in his hand. Annibeth said it was a symbol of the Syndicate.
[Ionala]: That's significant, isn't it?
Mayellen looks to Nala, then turns to Shaw and nods.
Master Mathias Shaw says: Yes, that brings us to our other problem. I've heard… troubling things out of Stromgarde. If the Syndicate strikes them now…
[Annibeth]: So…we gotta look into Syndicate activity in Arathi?
Master Mathias Shaw says: Eventually, I think that's where you'll end up. But for now, I would like to send you into the Alterac Mountains, to disrupt the buildup of their forces. Can you do that, Cobalt Eye?
[Jonas]: Aye, sir.
[Mayellen]: Absolutely, Master Shaw.
[Annibeth]: Aye, sir!
[Ionala]: Oh yes, certainly.
Annibeth salutes Master Mathias Shaw with respect.
Mayellen salutes Master Mathias Shaw with respect.
Ionala salutes Master Mathias Shaw with respect.
Jonas salutes Master Mathias Shaw with respect.
Maisha salutes Master Mathias Shaw with respect.
Master Mathias Shaw salutes each of them back.
Master Mathias Shaw says: Once you feel they're sufficiently discouraged, you might stop by Stromgarde Keep. I'd like you to ask for the king, specifically.
[Mayellen]: Understood.
[Maisha]: The king, specifically. *Maisha repeats in a small voice.*
Jonas's eyes widen.
Jonas looks at Maisha. Big mood, small friend.
[Mayellen]: Should we mention your name, Master Shaw?
[Annibeth]: Think he'd see us?
Master Mathias Shaw says: I'd prefer you not, if you can manage. The name of Cobalt should get you far enough, these days.
Annibeth looks down at her tabard. "Oh…right."
Ionala looks around for a tapestry or something to look at.
[Mayellen]: As you wish, Master Shaw.
Master Mathias Shaw says: Good hunting, Cobalt Eye. Dismissed.
The team is dismissed, so they head back downstairs and towards the gryphon master.
[Mayellen]: Cobalt will be enough, you think?
[Mayellen]: To just… ask to see the king?
[Maisha]: Tha' was a bit mysterious. Why the king?
[Mayellen]: I suppose he knows what he's doing.
[Maisha]: I mean, we ought ta warn 'em about the Syndicate, but… we could tell anybody, right?
[Mayellen]: I … wasn't even aware Stromgarde had a king.
[Jonas]: If it's not enough, maybe Ference will do? He's on the Stormwind House of Nobles and all.
[Jonas]: And we are… from him. Sort of.
[Mayellen]: Hmm.
[Maisha]: They're kinda fallen apart as a kingdom aren't they? No' much for the Syndicate ta destroy.
[Mayellen]: That was what I thought.
[Mayellen]: Where are we flying to?
[Maisha]: Southshore, I think. No friendly ports north in Alterac.
Mayellen nods.
They fly to Southshore.
[Maisha]: To Alterac… I think we can work our way up the river a ways.
The team mounts up, and begins a leisurely ride up the bank of the river.
[Maisha]: This is more a fightin' job than a detectin' job, but I bet we'll get back ta detectin' soon enough.
[Maisha]: How've ye all been, after the whole mess last time?
[Annibeth]: Honestly? Nervous as hell bein' around the agency.
[Mayellen]: You'll be okay, Anni.
[Annibeth]: Thanks, May.
[Mayellen]: I'm doing all right. I'm trying to decide whether or not something a friend told me is… relevant to our investigation.
Jonas eyes Mayellen curiously.
Ionala gazes longingly at the sagefish pool.
Mayellen winks slyly at Ionala.
[Mayellen]: Missing our fishing trips?
[Ionala]: Definitely yes.
Maisha looks curiously at May. "Relevant to the investigation?"
[Mayellen]: Yes, um, you know the uh, cargo?
Jonas scratches Bael's neck affectionately. Nice raptor, good raptor. He continues to watch Mayellen.
[Jonas]: … aye?
Bael shakes his head and leans into it. Ahh, good neck scratches.
[Mayellen]: The "cargo"? *She repeats, with finger quotes this time*
[Annibeth]: Yeah? What about it?
[Mayellen]: It — he — uh.
[Mayellen]: It's possible it used to be my friend's brother.
Jonas blinks at Mayellen.
[Annibeth]: What the what?
[Jonas]: Sorry, what's that?
[Ionala]: Well, that's a wrinkle…
Maisha blinks, too. "Like… the lass he mentioned in the letter…?"
[Mayellen]: Collin with two L's, right? She is a mercenary. Whose brother "died" in Lordaeron.
[Mayellen]: By that exact name.
Annibeth murmurs, "There are no coincidences…."
[Mayellen]: Two L's.
Maisha nods slowly. "Tha' was the name."
[Ionala]: Oh.
[Mayellen]: And his letter was about some girl on a farm, now a mercenary, that he was worried for.
[Mayellen]: My friend grew up on a farm.
[Maisha]: Is she… wantin' ta come help?
[Mayellen]: She is busy in Northrend.
[Jonas]: Does she know?
[Mayellen]: She's the one who told me.
Jonas relaxes a little.
[Mayellen]: She is close with the Vice Admiral.
[Mayellen]: So I think they've been having conversations.
[Jonas]: That's… difficult.
[Jonas]: Not the Vice Admiral part I mean.
[Jonas]: Though maybe that's difficult as well, I don't know the man.
[Ionala]: Wait, do you mean *Lena?*
Mayellen winces slightly at Nala's deduction. "Yes."
[Mayellen]: I didn't want to name her, since she didn't explicitly give me permission, but I suppose it's obvious.
Mayellen sighs at Ionala.
[Ionala]: It was the bit about the vice admiral that clinched it.
A team of Forsaken walk down the road, bold as can be. The Cobalt Eye team shrinks back and hides.
[Jonas]: Shhh!
Mayellen shhhhs.
Jonas stares at the Forsaken Bodyguard.
Mayellen gasps at Forsaken Bodyguard.
[Jonas]: Hold.
Mayellen holds.
Jonas relaxes as the Forsaken patrol moves past.
Mayellen whispers, "I don't think they spotted us."
Maisha stares after the Forsaken patrol.
[Annibeth]: Bloody Forsaken…
[Maisha]: All around here…
[Mayellen]: They don't bleed, actually.
[Maisha]: I don't think I've met this Lena… but she helped wi' the Wishock thing, aye?
[Mayellen]: That's right.
Ionala gazes after them. "To think any of them might have once been friends. or .. family."
[Mayellen]: Right?
Mayellen gives Nala a sad and worried look.
[Mayellen]: I tried to be there for her, but… how do you comfort something like that?
[Maisha]: I mean they must've. They were just ordinary people, when they were no' undead.
Maisha nods sadly at Mayellen.
Jonas shakes his head.
[Mayellen]: It seemed from his letter that he still cared about her, unless that was a ruse.
[Annibeth]: I wouldn't trust it.
[Maisha]: We ought ta give her th' letter. Unless… do ye think no?
[Mayellen]: Oh, Light.
[Mayellen]: I didn't even think of that.
[Jonas]: Did the Vice Admiral?
[Mayellen]: I don't know. She didn't mention it.
[Mayellen]: Do we still have a copy of it? Is it… classified?
[Ionala]: Does Lena seem like the type to stick her head in the sand and pretend nothing bad is happening?
[Maisha]: If it's a ruse, maybe best fer her not ta see it?
Jonas looks around at the others, uncertain.
[Mayellen]: Honestly yes, Lena strikes me as the type to… compartmentalize.
[Mayellen]: Not stick her head in the sand exactly, but…
[Mayellen]: Right now I think she wants to focus on the Lich King.
[Ionala]: Doesn't worry about something she has no time to fix.
[Mayellen]: She doesn't really like to dwell on personal pain, in general.
[Mayellen]: Her own, I mean.
[Mayellen]: She's had a lot of it.
[Ionala]: Then don't worry about not telling her for now.
Mayellen nods and exhales.
Jonas nods at Ionala.
[Mayellen]: It's not like we're keeping something from her against her will.
[Maisha]: Right, she knows the general thing of it.
[Mayellen]: There's time later, if she wants… details. And once it's not all so hush-hush, and it's all resolved.
[Ionala]: The specifics can wait.
[Jonas]: Aye.
[Mayellen]: Light, poor Lena.
[Mayellen]: I don't even know what it's like to have siblings, but I can imagine.
[Maisha]: Better tha' we have somethin' ta tell her certain, once we find the cargo.
[Mayellen]: Yes.
Jonas nods at Maisha.
[Ionala]: Noisy.
[Jonas]: You have siblings, Ionala?
[Annibeth]: Challengin'.
Maisha chuckles at Nala and Anni. "Tha' it is. You have many of 'em, Nala?"
[Ionala]: I…might, still.
Jonas blinks at Nala.
[Ionala]: They weren't with us in the wagon.
[Jonas]: I… see.
[Maisha]: The… wagon?
Jonas does not see.
[Mayellen]: So you were… refugees from…? Lordaeron?
Ionala sighs. "Arathi."
[Mayellen]: …So… where we're going. Today.
[Ionala]: Yes.
[Jonas]: Where we're goin— aye?
[Mayellen]: Were you going to say anything??
Mayellen peers at Ionala searchingly.
Ionala hangs her head. "I didn't know how to bring it up."
Mayellen puts her hands on Nala's shoulders gently.
[Jonas]: That's — all right.
[Mayellen]: You can tell us anything. You don't have to, but you can.
Jonas nods at May.
[Mayellen]: You never seemed to like talking about yourself, so I haven't pried.
[Maisha]: Aye. Ye can always bring up stuff. We're here fer it.
[Annibeth]: We're always here for ya, Nala.
[Jonas]: Everyone's entitled to their… own business, aye?
[Jonas]: But we're friends.
[Mayellen]: So if there's ever anything you want to tell us, just know how much we care, all right?
[Maisha]: What was the trouble, set you out of Arathi? If ye want ta say.
[Ionala]: Who I am now isn't who I was then. It's complicated. I was small. Very small. And it was political, in a way I didn't understand until later.
[Mayellen]: I don't know much about that area's history.
[Mayellen]: Do you remember it well enough that it will be upsetting for you to see Stromgarde in its current state?
[Ionala]: Arathi deserted Lordaeron. They sided with Alterac and Gilneas. If they hadn't….
Mayellen nods slowly.
Ionala gazes away, westward.
[Mayellen]: You just let us know, all right? If we get up there and you start to feel… afraid or sad or… anything at all. You let us know and we can stop and take a breath.
Jonas nods.
[Mayellen]: I hadn't realized how hard this particular mission was going to get for you.
[Maisha]: At least, righ' now we're headed ta Alterac.
[Ionala]: Nobles care about trade and profits. Getting more than the bits they gave. I had cousins. Dozens of them. And now?
[Mayellen]: Now you have us.
Maisha nods. "An' we'll stand by ye."
Annibeth nods firmly in agreement with Nala's assessment of nobles.
Ionala stops. And then she nods. "That's true. I have you. And the rest of Cobalt, that's like cousins from away, isn't it?"
[Mayellen]: Exactly.
[Jonas]: Aye.
[Mayellen]: No politics will ever tear us apart from you.
[Annibeth]: Yup!
[Maisha]: Aye, I'm no' much fer politics m'self. But I stand by friends.
[Ionala]: All this stuff we do? It's always going to be about people, for me. ordinary people, whose lives are worth more than numbers tallied on a ledger.
Jonas nods firmly at Ionala.
[Mayellen]: I agree with you completely, Nala.
Annibeth gets a big, goofy grin and nods firmly. "A hunnerd percent."
[Ionala]: I know. I'm glad.
[Maisha]: Aye, I'm with you.
[Mayellen]: And your perspective, your care for people in general - it's really the heart of our little group. Maybe what you've been through is part of why you're such a guiding compass for us sometimes.
Mayellen hugs Ionala.
[Mayellen]: Love you.
Ionala hugs Mayellen.
Jonas does not hug Ionala, but he smiles solemnly at her.
Ionala rests her head on MAyellen's shoulder. "Love you, too. You're going to let me marry you and Jonas, right?"
Annibeth jumps in on that hugging…before May can let go.
[Mayellen]: Of course!
Mayellen giggles at Ionala.
Ionala SQUISHES Annibeth.
Maisha smiles at them both, looking a little hesitant to join in the hugging. Then she laughs at Nala's comment.
Mayellen releases the hug-trio and carries on toward Alterac.
[Maisha]: Speakin' of tellin' folk about the mission, I talked ta someone interestin' the other day.
[Mayellen]: Oh?
[Maisha]: I did no' tell her the secret stuff o' course. Just about the boat missin' and all that.
[Mayellen]: Who was it?
Jonas peers at you searchingly.
[Maisha]: A gnome! An underwater sea expedition gnome.
[Jonas]: They… have those?
[Maisha]: Apparently so.
[Mayellen]: They have everything.
[Maisha]: Her name was Niksi Knockfathom. Real proper gnomish name.
[Annibeth]: So like…she just swims around exploring the sea?
[Mayellen]: Nice.
[Maisha]: She's got this hat-like thing fer breathin' in
[Mayellen]: Don't gnomes have warlocks?
[Jonas]: A breathing hat?
Maisha nods at Jonas and says, "I do no' think she was a warlock, or she'd no' need the hat."
[Mayellen]: Well, that's my point.
[Mayellen]: I'm annoyed at her having a breathing-hat; she's going to put me out of one of my few non-controversial jobs.
Jonas laughs.
Annibeth giggles at Mayellen.
Maisha chuckles.
[Maisha]: Well, she might be lookin' into finding the rest o' the wreck. Maybe the cargo. The actual, not animate cargo.
[Mayellen]: Ah. Good.
[Annibeth]: Oh…yeah, I guess that'd be handy.
[Mayellen]: Still, a warlock could handle the breathing thing. Just saying.
[Maisha]: Assumin' someone backs 'er. Cobalt or the Fleet or someone… and aye, ye could. Ye did, fer us.
[Mayellen]: If she invents a summoning hat, I'm sending a hit out.
[Annibeth]: I won't ever wear no breathin' hat, May. You're my breathin' hat.
Mayellen giggles at Annibeth.
Ziltuk says: That was a nice hug earlier. I've never seen three people hug at once.
[Mayellen]: shhh
[Annibeth]: Shut up, Ziltuk. No hugs fer you.
They approach the ruins of Alterac that the Syndicate makes their base.
[Maisha]: Okay, I think we're here near where they're at.
Ziltuk approximates a crying sound.
[Mayellen]: If Ziltuk bothers anyone let me know and I will dismiss him immediately.
[Maisha]: Ach, I'm used ta creatures tha' make odd noises.
Ziltuk says: Is that really necessary??
[Mayellen]: He's gotten really chatty lately, and I'm not sure why.
[Maisha]: Ye can make 'im quieter, aye?
[Mayellen]: I can order him to absolute silence, but sometimes he notices useful things.
[Mayellen]: Wow…
Mayellen looks around at the remains of the Alteraci town.
[Maisha]: This must be where they hide out.
[Mayellen]: Is the whole country like this? Just… abandoned and ruined?
The team is jumped by a Syndicate Spy!
[Jonas]: Careful! They're in the shadows.
[Maisha]: Ye'd think they'd rebuild, rather than… all the stuff they're doin'.
[Mayellen]: Rebuild with what money?
[Maisha]: …Money they stole, maybe?
Another Syndicate Spy!
[Maisha]: This place is treacherous.
[Mayellen]: Not to mention deeply depressing.
[Jonas]: They know it a lot better than we do. Their sentries are hidden well.
They enter a building to find a Syndicate Mage! The mage promptly turns Maisha into a sheep.
Maisha bleats.
[Mayellen]: They have mages.
[Mayellen]: What a waste of talent.
[Jonas]: … ah.
[Jonas]: All right, Maisha?
[Maisha]: Seems so. *Maisha shivers.* Always a bit disorientin' that.
Mayellen can't seem to tear her eyes off the dilapidated buildings.
[Annibeth]: More upstairs…
Argus Shadow Mage says: I tire of this nonsense! Prepare to die!
The Shadow mage transforms into a giant skeleton.
[Mayellen]: Whoa.
[Annibeth]: What the hell?!
[Maisha]: What happened? I was… uh… wooly.
[Jonas]: There were a lot of them, is what.
[Maisha]: Oh, aye, that.
[Mayellen]: I think one of those Syndicate people just… turned himself into a skeleton??
[Annibeth]: She turned into some skeleton thing!
[Ionala]: Polymorph! annoying little spell.
[Mayellen]: Herself.
[Maisha]: Wha'! A skeleton!
[Maisha]: Tha's not a normal polymorph.
[Annibeth]: A big one!
[Mayellen]: You make a cute sheep though, Maisha.
Maisha grins at May.
[Ionala]: As for the skeleton, I don't know.
[Maisha]: I suppose we can see if more of 'em do it.
The fight against the Syndicate continues, and so does their conversation.
[Mayellen]: Question. If I sheared sheep-Maisha, and knitted a sweater, would it turn into a sweater made of ginger hair later?
Annibeth is turned into a sheep.
[Annibeth]: Baaaa
[Jonas]: That's… quite a question
They head into a ruined inn.
[Maisha]: Ach, this inn's seen better days.
[Mayellen]: My academic curiosity knows no bounds.
[Maisha]: And tha' I do no' know.
[Mayellen]: This whole country has seen better days.
[Maisha]: Maybe a better question, when I turned back, would ye ha' sheared all my hair off?
Mayellen giggles.
Maisha giggles.
[Jonas]: Also, how fast do you knit? Wouldn't it turn back before the sweater was done?
[Maisha]: That would be tricky.
Mayellen is saved from answering by being polymorphed. Also, there’s a lot of them. And one turns into a giant skeleton. Bael grabs a spy that pops out of the shadows and tries to attack Nala.
[Mayellen]: Baa
Annibeth gives Syndicate Wizard a boot to the head.
[Mayellen]: Wow. Quite an ambush.
Jonas nods breathlessly.
Maisha pats Bael on the head, and he preens proudly. "Good boy, Bael, ye stick wi' the healer."
They peek into the back room.
[Mayellen]: I think we cleared out this building pretty well.
[Mayellen]: Unless one of them is cowering in a corner hiding.
[Annibeth]: There's an orc in there.
[Maisha]: Maybe we jus' leave th' orc. Not our target.
[Mayellen]: Should we check corners?
[Mayellen]: Could the orc be with them?
[Maisha]: Should we kill 'im then?
[Mayellen]: I can't imagine he's up to anything good here.
Annibeth mumbles, like a mantra, "Doors and corners. Always check yer doors and corners."
[Maisha]: Alrigh' ye've convinced me. We kill him?
Jonas eyes Gol'dir up and down.
[Jonas]: I wonder —
Mayellen peers at Jonas searchingly.
[Maisha]: What do ye wonder?
[Annibeth]: More…checkin' out the ruckus
[Mayellen]: They're closing in behind us.
[Mayellen]: Trying to trap us in here!
[Maisha]: Doors an' corners are no' good fer my gun.
[Jonas]: Just wondering that — we're looking in to this Forsaken business, and the Syndicate business, and the Syndicate have a Horde fellow in here. Is he a contact? An informant?
Maisha is a sheep and for a moment can only comment…
[Maisha]: Baa
[Mayellen]: Hmmm.
[Maisha]: Or a captive?
[Jonas]: Or a captive.
[Ionala]: I Think we don't have the diplomatic clout to kill an imprisoned Orc with no reason.
Mayellen exhales in relief when they successfully fight their way back out of the building.
[Maisha]: Maybe yer right. I did say I'm no' one fer politics.
Annibeth gives Argus Shadow Mage a boot to the head.
Argus Shadow Mage says: O parn az ante kirasath Belaros ul asj
Mayellen cackles in delight.
[Annibeth]: Uh…what?
[Mayellen]: I DID THAT!
[Maisha]: Uh, anyone know tha' language?
Jonas blinks.
[Mayellen]: It was demonic.
[Ionala]: What did you do?
[Mayellen]: I cursed him.
Maisha blinks at May.
[Annibeth]: Whoa…neat trick!
[Maisha]: Tha's a new one.
[Ionala]: Well! The look on his face.
[Mayellen]: It's harder to cast spells in demonic because it's so multisyllabic.
[Maisha]: Is tha' why ye don't?
[Mayellen]: Some of the summonings require demonic, but those are long anyway.
[Mayellen]: But I actually have a way of cursing someone so they can't speak anything but, and it slows down normally fast incantations.
[Mayellen]: Useful for mages.
[Maisha]: Maybe that'll keep us from bein' sheep!
[Mayellen]: I'd never tried that trick in the field before, but now that I know it works…
[Mayellen]: It's so nice, putting theory into practice.
[Jonas]: They're bloody good at concealment. No wonder the assassins got in and out so easily.
Maisha nods.
[Annibeth]: Yeah…damn, these guys coulda taught the Defias a thing or two.
[Mayellen]: I wonder if this place was beautiful, before…
[Mayellen]: Some snowy places are.
[Maisha]: I bet it was. I can see th' beauty in it.
[Ionala]: Sturdy. The chimneys are especially so.
Mayellen starts toward another building, then wobbles.
[Jonas]: May!
[Ionala]: May!
Mayellen catches herself on Jonas's arm.
Maisha nods at Bael, who hops over as if to give her support.
[Annibeth]: Whoa, May you okay?
Jonas braces Mayellen.
Bael stops, May's got a Jonas.
[Mayellen]: I'm fine, I'm fine. Damn it! I thought I could do without the cane, now.
[Mayellen]: But I must be getting tired; my legs have gone all rubbery.
[Jonas]: It's been… this has been rough fighting, on slippery ground and in close quarters with stairs.
[Annibeth]: Okay, we gotta get May somewhere to rest.
[Maisha]: Ah, let's get back ta Southshore, have a bit o' a break? They'll no' be attacking today.
[Jonas]: Let's get you to Marie.
Mayellen flushes. "Thank you."
Mayellen allows Jonas to help her back onto the horse.
A Syndicate Spy attacks!
[Annibeth]: Leave us alone, ya turd!
[Mayellen]: We're certainly painting targets on our backs.
[Maisha]: That'll give ye some time ta get used to the idea o' gettin back to Arathi, too, Nala.
Mayellen glances at Nala in concern.
[Mayellen]: I'm sorry for the interruption. Mostly now it's only my fingers and toes that are a bit off, and my walking has been better. But sometimes… maybe it was trying that new spell?
[Mayellen]: Fatigue can make all sorts of things worse.
[Maisha]: I'm glad ye've been gettin' better.
[Annibeth]: Don't you worry about it, May.
[Ionala]: it might have been. worth a rest, anyway.
Annibeth nods back at Nala.
[Mayellen]: I have! My sewing is still much slower, but it's not too bad.
[Maisha]: We don't have ta take on the whole Syndicate in one go.
Mayellen grins at you wickedly.
Maisha laughs.
[Maisha]: So maybe tha' sweater would no' turn back ta hair before ye finished.
Mayellen laughs.
They arrive back at the Southshore inn.
Mayellen ffhhhwumps into a chair.
Mayellen settles in for a nice rest, after killing dozens of Syndicate thugs.
Jonas is proud of you, May.
[Maisha]: Let's have a rest, an' then get back at it later?
[Maisha]: We'll make him proud.
[Mayellen]: Agreed.
[Jonas]: Aye.
Jonas sits down beside Mayellen.