(2025-05-08) The Reckoning and Aftermath (Red String Game Fight)

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Author:	Athena
Summary:	After a brutal multi-front fight against a Twilight's Hammer stronghold to rescue Solari Farrens, that had bonus captives freed from the Shadow Man's hold, the entire team returns to the Highbank Keep Inn to recover and come to terms with revelations from the fight. Part of the Red String Game plot. 8600~ words.
Rating:	T for Teen

Arc: The Red String Game

The gryphons have touched down and everyone is accounted for, including the four extra — and unexpected — prisoners. Battle-weary, the group congregates in the inn around a new frankentable, despite the efforts at least one of them (Almeiria) has made to leave.

Aside from the rescued family, another extra has joined in the form of Ilanya Ravendusk, a blonde haired maid of Count Amerith’s, walking with the support of a single cane, one leg seeming to struggle with her weight.

Siamus Fallon has not sat at the frankentable, though he has congregated. He looks like he might not sit anywhere at all for the next two weeks as he paces around the group randomly and restlessly, full of electric energy (not literally, at the moment). Occasionally he claps a random person on the back in congratulatory fashion.

He pauses in his pacing long enough to draw a chair out courteously for Ilanya, and then paces to the bar to order a round of drinks and some food.

Lena is sitting at the frankentable, resting her head on one hand. She's smiling, though, pleased that the mission has concluded successfully.

Aze is full of nervous energy as well, and alternates between leaning against the wall, resting against a chair back, or pacing.

Lathrik sits near Joelle at the table, scowling across it at Ilanya, though for once it is not an angry scowl, but a concerned one. Ilanya ignores him, focused instead on the prisoner family, her gaze brimming with curiosity. She doesn't ask, however, as it is not her place to. Yet.

Natalyah sits by Lathrik, and decades of posture training and decorum are thrown to the curb as she slumps over onto the table, head down and turned to the side to keep Lathrik in view, still in worgen form. It's likely she took notice of Ilanya, but for once she says nothing.

Ozzy is more subdued than usual, but she is hard to miss due to being in her default (worgen) form and therefore seven feet tall. Her eyelids (and absurdly long worgen lashes) are a little droopy, but she seems happy.

Merelda sits by Ozzy, her red hair a little less tidy than usual, and a vaguely dazed, pleased expression on her face.

Emerine sits on Ozzy's other side. She removes her gloves at the table and tucks them into her belt - they're not the cleanest right now.

Ozzy gives Emerine a tired but adoring look.

Emerine smiles at her - a little softer and less predatory than her normal look, almost motherly. "Food's almost here, Gravehowl."

"Noice," Ozzy says at half her usual volume, but 110% sincerity. She gives Emerine a tired nudge with her muzzle that is almost like a cheek kiss. No pup-tongue, though. Nice brief dry nuzzle.

Emerine pats Ozzy on the head once. "I can't help but notice we've brought back more people than planned. You're Solari Farrens?" she asks Solari.

Solari blinks at her with wide, curious eyes from the safety of Fray's lap.

Emerine wiggles her fingers. "Hello. I'm Emerine Nightvine."

Solari reaches a hand in front of her, seems to notice her fingers for the first time, and wiggles them back. Her eyes are more focused on her fingers than on Emerine now, though.

Atley sits in a chair, still fully armored and somewhat dirty from the excursion. His gauntlets are clipped to his belt, and his helm rests in his lap. He is glaring — that could mean he's either satisfied or furious, but it's likely the former. He sips from a tankard, and occasionally his eyes follow Siamus.

Eventually, he looks to Isel. "I'll have that dagger back, now."

Isel, seated in a small cluster with his family, just about jumps to his feet. "Yes, sir," he says, passing back the blade he hasn't let go of since it entered his hands. "And thank you very much, sir. And all of you. I don't know what they planned to do with us, but nothing good."

Atley accepts the blade and returns it to the hidden scabbard in his boot. He raises his tankard to Isel and nods. "Nothing good," he concurs, before he takes a long swig.

Estel descends the stairs to the common room dressed in a light blue casual dress with pockets. The used vials on her potion bandolier have been replaced with fresh ones. "Is the food here yet?" She is, of course, asking the important questions. She moves towards Almeiria, still standing.

"Patience, Estel.” Shun sits nearby, wearing his usual armor and mask.

"Coming," says Shine, and tips his head toward Siamus, who is just now pacing back toward them. Not carrying food, unfortunately. That is a job you pay someone else to do.

Shine himself is standing behind Lena's chair resting a hand on the back of it, but his whole attention has been on watching the manic Siamus wander, wearing an inscrutable expression.

Almeiria has been practically glued to her chair by Fray, who sits beside her with Solari in his lap. She has not left Shadowform, nor said a word since their escape, and now she trembles slightly, her nails digging into the wood of the table as Estel nears.

Estel takes the seat next to Almeiria and leans in. "Hey. You seem like you'd rather be anywhere but here right now," she mutters, probably still audible to all the worgen and kaldorei in the room.

"Of course I would," Almeiria snaps, not quietly at all. "And how dare you. How dare you die before I'm done with you? At least ask for my permission first!"

Shine turns his head to look mildly at Almeiria.

"She got better," Lena says, too tired to phrase that more coherently. "Isn't that the important part?"

"The dying part wasn't exactly the plan." Estel tries to hug Almeiria. Hopefully the blood has dried by now, because Estel's dress is clean.

Almeiria does not resist, but she continues to protest. "Yes, well, you should have plans for your plans. Dying is not allowed."

Shun looks between Estel and Almeria, furrowing his brow.

Bertrand comes in from outside. "Dinnsfield, what's the word from Stormwind?" he asks as he approaches the table. "That vision we saw, was there anything to it?"

Siamus, having arrived back at the table, changes course to go over to Atley and give him a firm backslap, then immediately steps away to focus alertly on Bertrand like a pointer with a duck in its sights.

Atley doesn't react to the backslap, and continues studying Siamus before he silently shifts his gaze to Almeiria, hard and assessing.

Ilanya raises her hand, as if to intercept the question of what word there is from Stormwind from Lathrik. "I can answer that," she says. "While I don't know how accurate your vision was, what I do know is Count Amerith hit the panic button at around the same time. I sent our field agent back to assess. Whatever's happened, we're far too late to do anything about it now."

She dangles a small mechanical device in demonstration. Panic button receiver.

"That sounds ominous. And how do you know we're too late to do anything about it now?" Natalyah grumbles, rising to a dare that wasn't actually dared.

Now Siamus's attention is fixed on Ilanya. "When will we have word?"

Ilanya considers. "Well, the portal goes directly to Stormwind, the manor is a good twenty minutes out if he takes a horse at a gallop, a bit quicker if he can rent a gryphon, so within half an hour if he can get to the Count's study, or never if he's caught and everyone's dead."

Lathrik stands up. "I'm going," he says.

"Sit," Fray says sternly. "You're in no state."

Lathrik hesitates, glances at Natalyah, then sits back down.

Ozzy gently places her face on the table, turned toward Emerine (or away from her guardian). Her arms dangle limply into her lap.

Ozzy also gently sheds worgen mane hair onto the table.

"We've warlocks," Bertrand says. "Would the Count or his staff appreciate being summoned to safety, do you suppose?"

"We tried it," Ilanya says, shrugging. "He declined, at the time. Really, not that surprising if you know the man. I guess if you're really curious we could try it again. It'll tell you whether or not he's still alive, at least. Worst it'll do is inconvenience him."

"I say we do it," Natalyah says. Is this because she's concerned for the count or hoping to inconvenience him? "To inconvenience him if nothing else." Oh, well. That answers that question.

Siamus has clearly begun doing some grim internal math regarding Ilanya's response. He has also started pacing again, because that is best for math.

"Fallon," says Shine. "Why don't ye have a seat?"

Siamus does not hear him and continues to rove aimlessly.

"Got any idea wot they're on about?" Ozzy asks Emerine quietly, without lifting her cheek from the table.

Emerine's ears twitch. "Aspenwood mentioned a vision." She sits up straighter and asks Siamus, "What are they on about?"

Ozzy stares tiredly at Emerine's ears.

Siamus stops pacing to stare at Emerine as if he's trying to place her from somewhere. Siamus, FFS.

"What?" he asks her, and then immediately fills out the thought. "We had a… there was a vision the man laid over us. Amerith's manor in Elwynn. An attack of some sort. By the cult." He looks to Ilanya. "He put a number of visions on us, so I'd question whether it was real, but…." He gestures to the blonde woman. Panic button. There you have it.

Worgen-Ozzy slowly rotates her table-face so it is pointed more toward Siamus. "Gotta foight more?" she inquires. "F'ought we was done."

"Amerith…" It takes Emerine a moment. "Oh, your informant. He was attacked by a Twilight's Hammer assassin before. I remember."

"Done here," Siamus tells her. "Not sure what's to be done about Elwynn. As Miss Ravendusk says, we're not near enough to be of imminent use."

He nods at Emerine. That's the guy.

Atley looks from Ozzy to Siamus before he takes another pull on his tankard.

"Sounds loike people is goin'?" she says. Her tone implies that if they are, so is she, but also that she really hopes not.

"Miss Ravendusk has dispatched another of Count Amerith's associates to see to the situation. We'll await word for now; it seems it's the most we can do," Siamus tells her.

As if feeling thwarted from action himself by this observation, he resumes pacing, and nearly collides with a kitchen worker who is approaching the table bearing a laden tray of food. He manages narrowly to avoid the man — whose life clearly just flashed before his eyes — and murmurs an apology before taking up his pacing again.

Ilanya does not laugh. She very quietly does not laugh. (She might have laughed a little.)

"I can… summon, if we want," Lena says wearily. "I've a few shards left. If it's worth a piece of soul, for the inconvenience."

That gives Natalyah paws pause. "No. It's not worth…a soul shard," she allows, grumpily.

Natalyah certainly isn't going anywhere. It's unclear if she's even going to make it off this table in the immediate future. "Has anyone gotten word to Ren?" she asks into the wood. "He's going to be mad with worry at this point."

That stops Siamus's pacing again, and he looks to Joelle.

Ozzy is still staring at the spot Siamus was standing several emotes ago.

"I wrote to him on the sixth," Joelle reports. "But I haven't written since the fight. I got a letter back from him, but all it said was 'yes.'"

Lathrik frowns at that. "Yes, what?"

"Yes, he's eating and sleeping," Joelle says. You know. The important stuff.

Ozzy slowly rotates her table-face toward Joelle.

Siamus starts to say something, thinks better of it, stops. He nods politely to Elle. "That's… excellent news. What's the most expedient way for us to contact him now?"

"Well, then someone ought to send him one of those instant arcane mails," Natalyah says, in the tone of a woman who was one wealthy enough to do that. But now…

Yes good a thing that requires wealth and someone who needs something to do. Siamus turns on his heel and heads outside immediately.

"I - oh, he's got it." Bertrand nods to Siamus as he passes.

"I could fight more," Aze offers. "If we can get a portal, and head into his… house or whatever." The prospect of potential violence does seem oddly like it has perked her up.

Ozzy slowly rotates her table-face toward Aze.

Maybe Aze notices the attention, maybe she doesn't. She paces closer and sets a hand on Ozzy's chair.

"If I don't get to go, neither do you," Lathrik grumbles. "Ren and the guard will handle it, if he gets the Admiral's letter in any hurry. Might've told him to write Pennings herself."

Ozzy can no longer rotate her table-face toward Aze.

She stares at the spot Aze was.

"There's still time to tell him. He can't have gone too far," Natalyah says, possibly overly optimistically. She rolls her head to look over at Bertrand. "Birdie?"

"On it," Bertrand says, and slips outside to go find Siamus.

"If you could tell him to just bring the whole mailbox back with him that'd be swell," Ilanya calls after him. She may or may not be joking.

Estel has not let go. She seems like she might be trying to shield Almeiria from part of the table in some way, perhaps just by being located in the right place at the right time. "Sorry. You can be mad at me for a while if you wanna."

Shun folds his arms over his chest. "Can I be as well?"

"'course you can," Estel says, glancing towards him. "You get the next hug."

Fray thumps Estel on the back. Lightly, for Fray. "You're a good kid," he tells her.

Almeiria grumbles something unintelligible.

"She's not a kid," Natalyah grumbles intelligibly. She still hasn't managed to lift her head up or turn back into her human form.

"You're free," Estel tells Almeiria, and finally lets her go. She then turns the other way in her chair and reaches out to pull Shun into a hug. "Your turn."

Shun sinks into the hug a bit and just grunts, "You worried me."

Shine glances at Estel and Shun. He drops his hand from the back of the chair to rest it gently on Lena's shoulder.
Almeiria is Not free, she is still pinned in place by Fray, for some reason.

Despite the arrival of the food, Estel does not let go of Shun. "Sorry. Didn't mean to. I'm okay now. Good news is I'm too stubborn to leave an' Lena brought me right back."

"Good," Shun utters before letting out a sigh, "Go get food. You must be starving after all that."

Ozzy slowly rotates her table-face toward the food.

As the kitchen worker straightens up from distributing the contents of his tray on the table, Shine says to him, "Can ye bring me a tumbler of straight whiskey, please? Be generous."

The man eyes him, nods, and heads back toward the kitchen.

"I will," Estel says, and doesn't let go. Shun is getting a hug at least as long as Almeiria got.

Shun accepts this hug and doesn't fight it.

A barmaid arrives, bearing bottles and pitchers on another tray. She offloads these as the kitchen worker of a few moments ago moves around her to pass Shine a glass of liquor. Shine accepts it, nods his gratitude, and immediately steps away from the table and heads toward the door where Siamus disappeared.

The Admiral has gotten Outside. It's time to set a little whiskey on the porch to see if he'll come back in.

Merelda just looks dazed. Wow this is a lot of things happening.

Shine is loitering outside the inn door, holding a glass of whiskey, gazing toward the keep. He's clearly debating whether or not to go over there himself or whether he trusts Siamus to return of his own volition.

Bertrand nods to Shine. "Back soon," he says, and starts off towards the mailbox he's aware of.

"Here," says Shine, and jogs a step after Birdie to offer him the glass. "Good luck."

Bertrand blinks at it, then at Shine. "This for Fallon or for me?" He takes it regardless.

"Fallon," says Shine, and smiles crookedly. "Though help yourself, ye deserve it."

Ozzy slowly rotates her table-face toward Shine and Birdie. The intervening wall does not seem to deter her.

Bertrand laughs. "Cheers," he says, and raises the glass in salute but does not drink any. "I'm off to tell him he's a second letter to write." He nods to Shine.

Shine nods back and turns to head inside again.

Bertrand heads off to find Siamus.

Estel finally releases Shun and goes, "Food!" Glorious food. "Hey, you four help yourselves too, yeah? Rich guy's payin' for it." She does not specify which rich guy, only begins to collect food for herself.

Merelda seems relieved to hear she's not paying for it. Expenses are tight these days.

Ozzy slowly rotates her table-face toward the food.

Shun looks around trying to figure out which rich guy is paying for all of this.

"The Admiral," Lena says, waving a hand after where he's gone. "I think she means the Admiral. He's generous."

"Ah. I see. Good to know," Shun nods. He waits a bit before fetching some food for himself.

Ozzy's snoot continues to point toward the food, but she takes no food related action.

The father in the group of prisoners clears his throat and straightens. "Not to sound ungrateful," he says, "but what brought such an unusual group into that pit of cultists?"

Natalyah raises her head long enough to look insulted. "What do you mean unusual?" she asks tartly.

Emerine puts some vegetables on a plate for Ozzy and slides it towards her. "The rescue of Mrs. Farrens," she says, nodding to Solari.

"Fanks," Ozzy says warmly but quietly, long-lashed gray-green eyes doing their best to roll toward Emerine without moving her head at all. Then her gaze rolls back to the food. She opens her mouth feebly.

In a gesture akin to a slow motion frog, Ozzy extends her tongue until it reaches the nearest vegemble, then wraps around it as best she can and drags it slowly back into her fanged mouth.

"Uh, d- I… unusual in the…" the poor man gestures towards Fray. "We thought he was dead! Both of them, really. And what is Lord Fallon's involvement?"

Solari is still occupied with her fingers. Wiggle, wiggle.

Shine comes quietly back into the room to round the table and stand behind Lena's chair again.

Ozzy's worgen nose bobs up and down slightly as she chews a vegetable without lifting her lower jaw from the table.

"Sia…Lord Fallon's involved as a personal favor to friends in danger, and because a fellow member of the House of Nobles was attacked, and he's too good of a person to not do something about it," Natalyah says archly. "And it's not like you're the only one who thought Fray was dead for a long time. That's a formerly large club of whose membership has been steadily falling in the past few weeks."

Ozzy's gaze goes a bit distant as she chews and tries to remember how she got involved.

Atley quietly eats and drinks. Now that he can no longer study Siamus, he takes to studying the collection of the four surprise prisoners.

Ozzy swallows her mouthful and eyes a carrot that is, to all rational estimates, out of tongue reach. Ozzy, however, is not particularly rational, and slowly extends her long canine tongue toward it, an unattainable quest that leaves her with her tongue just sort of unrolled across the table like a red carpet waiting for the carrot to step out of its fancy carriage and sashay along it toward the elite vegetable social event going on in her mouth.

Merelda stares at Ozzy.

Aze moves away, to let people do what they like with carrots and tongues. She has pacing to do.

Joelle quietly rises from the table, as if Ozzy's tongue was an invitation to him, specifically. He makes his way over to her, preparing to place the carrot on her tongue like some kind of valet.

"Oi," Lathrik warns, but he doesn't get up to stop him.

Ozzy glances up when the carrot does indeed stroll onto her tongue, and her eyes brighten a bit at the sight of her pretty friend as she drags the obliging vegetable into her mouth. Cronch cronch. "Ello," she says to him softly around a mouthful of cronched carrot. "Fanks."

Joelle smiles back at her with his eyes.

Lathrik, seeing the exchange was not ill-received, relaxes a bit.

“Y'awroight?" Ozzy asks Joelle, possibly intelligibly, possibly not.

Joelle nods. "I didn't do anything," he says.

"Course you did somefing," Ozzy says. "You sat 'ere an' worried whoile 'alf your many many friends was in danger o' some koind. "At takes a toll, innit?"

"Oh." Joelle blinks. He hadn't considered this. "I'm okay." He reaches out to pat her reassuringly.

Ozzy's eyes half close sleepily at the patting.

"It's not a surprise Brother Zechs wanted Count Amerith dead," Matti observes. "It's really more of a surprise that he waited so long to act on it. So long, that I thought he was dead, too. May his soul find peace now, Light rest him."

Almeiria tries again to get up and leave, but Fray's hand on her shoulder keeps her in place.

"S'at 'is nnn?" Estel asks with her mouth full. "Is that his name? Zechs?"

"What a surprisingly normal name for such a person. But I suppose if he'd been named something like, Evilman, or Horrible, or Garbage, he'd have likely thought he had no choice but to join the dark side," Natalyah remarks. "Or if he'd been called Rainbows-and-Sunshine, then he'd have no choice either, if only out of pure spite of not doing what he's been told." Natalyah can understand that kind of spite.

"Brother Byorin Zechs, of Lordaeron's Chuch of the Holy Light," Matti says. "Or Baron Zechs, outside of the Church. His House is no more, now."

"I don't know enough about that House to know if that's a good thing or a bad thing," Natalyah admits. Then she takes a great, heaving breath as she forces herself upright. A faint shimmer appears…but nothing more. Humanity is still out of reach. She hasn't even introduced herself yet, which probably is telling in and of itself.

Atley faintly perks up at 'Lordaeron' but otherwise contents himself with the quiet consumption of his meal.

"The Church of the Holy Light certainly seems to be having a void problem lately," Lena says quietly. "I'm sure you all heard about the Archbishop, down in Stormwind. Or… maybe it's not lately, for either of them. Problem been nested in the church for a long time."

Shun quietly eats, though he furrows his brow at the mention of the Church and its Void issues.

"Sounds like a lot more work is needed, then," he states. Corruption in the clergy just sounds like a job opportunity for him.

Bertrand enters the inn with Siamus in tow. "Letters all sent," he tells Lathrik.

Siamus, who is now carrying a glass of whiskey and seems to have chilled out by maybe three degrees, nods and gestures at Birdie with the glass amiably. "Aspenwood said ye wanted me to contact your C.O. — done it already, seemed most efficient. Three messages: Hartrim, Pennings, and Vane."

He looks over at Shun, his gaze sharp and over-bright with interest. "More work? Where?"

Okay, so maybe he's only chilled out like a degree and a half.

Shun turns towards Siamus, "Presumably if there are more Voided out priests lurking in the Church."

Ozzy keeps her snoot pointed at Joelle, but her ears rotate toward Siamus and Shun.

Siamus mouths the phrase Voided out to himself with interest: neat, more mainland colloquialism. He has a sip of his drink and nods. "Aye, know a church gentleman back in Stormwind working wi'the business. Aspenwood's brother-in-law." With his free hand he clasps Birdie's shoulder briefly. "I'm not a man to be involved in the Light church's business, but ye might speak with him. Estel, ye know him? Mordecai?"

Mordecai is probably the last guy in Stormwind who would be willing to send assassins after clergy, no matter how suspect, but that is something Mordecai can clarify himself if need be.

Atley grunts.

Since it seems there is not, after all, an imminent sequel slaughter, Siamus resumes pacing. But more casually this time, sipping his drink.

Aze looks over with interest. "Yeah, we should probably tell Mordecai about the new voided-out priest. I bet he's looking for signs of more."

"Yeah, I know him," Estel says. "He's one of my students."

That gives Siamus brief pacing-pause, and he looks Estel over with new interest. "Student of what? The priesthood?"

Estel snorts and shakes her head. "Nah. I've been teaching him Shadow basics. Fade, Mind Vision for scouting, that kind of thing." She gestures vaguely with a piece of bread. "I'm barely a priest myself, you know. Ran away from the monastery at home before being recognized as one. I got a skillset, but I don't really have, like, an official place with the church, yeah? Not like folks like Mordecai."

Matti looks around, wide-eyed. "The Archbishop of Stormwind is corrupt as well?"

Isel frowns. "We've been a bit out of the information loop, possibly on account of being imprisoned. Is this recent knowledge?"

"I'm not sure how broad the knowledge is," Siamus observes, and contemplates his drink. The drink shrugs at him. "But I learned of it on the twenty-third. April. It was a Cobalt team that learned of it first." He starts to lift his glass for a sip, lowers it again without taking one, and waves it vaguely at the table. "They're Cobalt."

"Some of us are," Lathrik corrects.

"Mordecai Aspenwood gave a speech about the Archbishop," Lena says, nodding to Siamus. "At the Cathedral, a couple weeks ago. We were here already, but I saw a mention of it in the paper, religion section."

"Overheard that speech since I was in the area. Did not realize that was him," Shun comments.

"Not Cobalt, by the way."

"Neither am I," Natalyah says archly. "As a matter of fact, Cobalt doesn't hire worgens except those in the Gravehowl pack, which I am not."

"Dinnsfield and Ebek there are with the Stormwind Guard," Bertrand says. He pauses, giving Natalyah a look. "Still? I'll have to have a word with Captain Sparkwire."

Siamus makes another vague glass-gesture — What they said — and resumes pacing. The slower, less frenetic pacing. But still pacing. He is focusing on people now, studying one face and then another as he drinks.

Emerine is putting together plates of food for other people who have not helped themselves, whether they want any or not.

"How d'ye lot know Fray?" Lathrik asks the others.

Fray sits up straighter. "Ah, forgot to introduce you," he says. "This here's your aunt, Matrielle Copperton, and her family. There's Eddon, her husband, and Isel, her son, and…" He peers at the fourth.

Matti goes rigid under Fray's scrutiny.

"Valia," Eddon says. "Our daughter's Valia."

"Wait, if they're your aunt and uncle and cousins, why would they have mattered to Almeiria?" Natalyah asks, lifting her head up to really look at the rescued prisoners. "I thought the Shadow Man was using them against her? Wasn't that the bargain he tried to make, that she could do anything to them?"

Shine furrows his brow and studies the former hostages as well, his one-eyed gaze shifting from them to Almeiria and back again.

Shun raises his brow.

Almeiria tries once again to leave, but is held back.

"Valia," Fray repeats, giving the woman in question a nod in greeting. "What happened to your other daughter? Valendra?"

Isel winces. Valia frowns in confusion, looking to her parents.

Eddon shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "She died," he says.

Shine lifts his chin a little and stares intently at Fray.

"She didn't fucking die," Estel objects.

Emerine looks at Ozzy and Merelda in faint confusion. Their team definitely missed something.

Siamus stops pacing to survey Estel again.

Shun blinks.

"That's the name the Shadow Man, and the little not-a-girl, called Almeiria, isn't it?" Natalyah says, glancing back and forth between Almeiria and Estel, breaking the possibility of a ruse of a shadowform. But, she may think that it's self-evident, or that they should recognize Almeiria anyway. She sits all the way up now, crossing her arms, a defensive edge to her voice. "Which means it's an old name, the name of your daughter that you're saying died. When very obviously someone who used to use that name, recently enough and with painful enough memories that the Shadow Man taunted her with it, is sitting right here, clearly not dead. How dare you claim it, with that evidence right in front of you."

Siamus turns a black-eyed look on the family now. He moves to the table, sets his drink down, and folds his arms. #TeamAlmeiria

Lena may not have caught all these details, but she glares at the family as well. That's what we're doing, and she's doing it.

"Wait, are you saying Almeiria's the daughter? That's what you just said, right?" Aze says.

"Aye," says Shine mildly.

"Is that… a good thing?" Aze asks. "I mean, if they thought she was dead, and she isn't… or wait, is it time for more violence?"

"No, Aszera," Emerine says, holding up a hand to cut that idea off right away. "No more violence tonight, there's been plenty."

"Maybe she got better," Shun mutters.

Matti pales, finally realizing that the woman Fray is keeping in place must be Almeiria. "No," she says, pushing back from the table. "No, no, no, what are you doing with her? Don't you know? Don't you realize? That girl is cursed!"

Solari looks up from her fingers at Matti's outburst. She may realize something is going on, but her expression contains no evidence that she understands the details.

"I beg your pardon," Siamus says coldly on behalf of a Lady. Which Almeiria technically is.

Natalyah's hands form into fists. "She's not the only one here who is! Cursed doesn't mean evil," she yells defensively, more for Almeiria than herself.

"Mrs. Copperton, would you care to step outside?" Bertrand interjects smoothly, stepping forward and offering her his arm.

"Wait, this whole time… I had a sister?" Valia asks. Then her gaze turns accusingly on Isel. "You never told me?"

"It was… scary," Isel says. "We really just wanted to put it all behind us." He eyes Almeiria uncertainly. She's not making the scary part better, enveloped in Shadowform as she is.

Matti scrambles from her chair, retreating even from Bertrand, who she might be certain is inviting her outside so he can kill her. "I'm a good mother," she sobs.

Lathrik is studying Almeiria in silence as the drama unfolds.

Natalyah, meanwhile, deliberately scoots her chair closer to Almeiria, which isn't by much, but she's doing it anyway. "Not from where I'm sitting, you're not," Natalyah says harshly. "Almeiria is our friend, and we're not scared of her." Was this decided just now? Maybe. Doesn't matter. It's true now.

Shun gives Estel a side glance at 'Almeiria is our friend'.

Shine shifts a very subtle step toward Almeiria's chair as well. He does not actually move from behind Lena, just Inclines Himself toward Almeiria in a manner suggestive of allegiances. "Does Miss Fey have anything to say on the matter?" he asks mildly.

Bertrand goes, "Ah," and withdraws to give Matti some personal space. He looks expectantly to Eddon. "Mr. Copperton, perhaps your wife would like some fresh air?" he suggests pointedly.

Atley slowly leans back, his chair squeaking underneath the combined weight of his body and armor. He knits his brow at Matti and slowly looks between him and Eddon.

Eddon starts to rise, but freezes halfway up when Almeiria chooses that moment to release her Shadowform.

"Yes, do run away, it's what you're good at," she says, her voice a familiar poison honey. Her gaze is cold, but a deadly sweet smile still curves her lips.

Eddon's face reddens with anger. "How dare you," he snaps. "Do you have any inkling of what you have put your mother through?"

"Nothing that wasn't deserved, I expect," Almeiria says smoothly. "But what do I care? I was born to antagonize you."

Aze looks like she's not entirely sure Emerine was serious about no more violence.

"We know a lot about curses here," Lena says mildly. "Curses are to be understood, not feared."

Shine touches his fingers briefly to Lena's shoulder, possibly a silent agreement.

Ozzy, who had fallen asleep at one (1) pat, snorts wide awake, sensing hostility in the air (admittedly somewhat belatedly). She is now On Alert.

Atley's gaze remains fixed on Eddon. He's sitting rigid now, keenly aware of the tension. "The day goes late. Rest is wot' each of us need," he states firmly.

Estel has managed to clear her plate of food this whole time. "There's a portal back to Stormwind in the courtyard of the keep," she says pointedly to Eddon, and then, "Hey, Valia, I'm Estel. Nice to meet you. I guess you've had a sister all along! She goes by Almeiria now."

Shun starts a mental stopwatch as Estel gets to work.

Siamus has returned his attention to Estel. He looks, despite his still dire gaze, sort of fascinated.

"We foightin' again?" Ozzy says tensely. "Wait, is the people we just //rescued/ startin' foights? Wot?"

Atley raises a hand to Ozzy, gaze still on Eddon.

"It seems they're Almeiria's parents," Emerine explains quietly to Ozzy. "It's not a happy reunion."

"Then they can get out," Ozzy growls. "She awready dragged em outa Twilight hell, she don't gotta keep 'em 'ere for dinner if they's gonna be shite to her wot rescued 'em."

Ozzy turns to Emerine and whispers, "Which ones is the parents?"

Natalyah points at the couple, although she wasn't the one asked. "That one is Matrielle Copperton, and that one is Eddon, her husband. She's Solari's sister."

Natalyah also finishes putting that little connector in place, as she looks at Lathrik, and then at Almeiria. "Which means — Almeiria is Lathrik's cousin." She turns an even fiercer stare at the offending aunt and uncle. "And so we're not only Almeira's friends, we're her family."

"Ello Matrielle, ello Eddon. Sorry if you ain't loike your daughter. Oi'm sure she'd be more'n 'appy to put you back in wotever cage she just sprung you out of, but it's late an' we're all tired. So maybe you can just loike… jog on?"

"We were only there because of her," Eddon says, drawing himself up fully. "She's the reason Brother Zechs succumbed to madness to begin with. You have been warned."

With that, he collects his wife, now cowering behind her chair, and starts out of the building. "Isel, Valia," he calls.

Isel stands up and hurries after his parents, after a lingering gaze on Almeiria.

Valia rises, too. "Well, this has been awkward," she says. "We're grateful for the rescue, truly, and sorry about… all that." She flashes a nervous smile, mouths an extra 'sorry,' to Almeiria, then runs to catch up with her family.

"No worries!" Estel says brightly to Valia.

"Valia —" Isel begins as they depart.

"I'm still mad at you," she says with a light shove.

And then they are gone.

Ozzy snarls at their backs as they leave.

As soon as the door closes behind them, Estel says, "Good riddance. Except your sister, she's nice. How're you feelin' about your brother? I dunno how old he is."

Atley's gaze follows them as they leave before he turns back to Almeiria, dragging his tankard closer.

Siamus picks his glass up again and raises it in a silent, grim salute to Estel at that Good riddance.

Shun looks like he's about to say something but keeps quiet.

"Some fuckin parents, oi swear," Ozzy says, her worgen eyes filling with tears of rage. "You don't get to pick an' choose 'oo your kids are."

Merelda sets a comforting hand on her shoulder, and nods towards Almeiria. "We won't let them color our perceptions, Miss Fey. You needn't worry."

"It doesn't mean anything about you of what they did," Natalyah says emphatically to Almeiria in ardent defense of her. "And you're the one here with people with you, and they're the ones walking out alone."

Ozzy looks in Almeiria's general direction, but is still apparently afraid to make direct eye contact. "You didn't choose … wotever it is they say is wrong wif you. You were just a kid. It's THEIR job to 'take care o' their kids. They 'ad ONE JOB."

"That," says Siamus coldly, "is correct, Oslynn." He raises his glass to Ozzy now.

Atley grunts and shifts in his seat, still peering at Almeiria.

"Well, they did try, I suppose," Almeiria says. "They took me to see a priest. Which went about as well as they said. The man went mad. After that, most people were too afraid to associate with me."

"Yeah, well, if it was my kid - not that oi'm ever 'avin kids - I'd maybe 'ave tried more'n one fing."

Atley grunts again. A fatherly grunt.

"Given that you're sitting here as you are, and we're not all going Voided Out just being around you, that means something eventually worked on your curse — if you even have one — and proves that if they'd tried harder, and waited instead of abandoning you to save their own face, you'd have stabilized with a family, instead of forced on your own," Natalyah says with an undercurrent of a growl. "There's no excuse for them."

"I think we know a lot about madness," Aze offers. "I don't think any of us are worried about the association."

"That's rough," Estel says. "So how you feelin' about your brother? You wanna keep him or no?"

"I can't say I know the man," Almeiria says with a shrug. "He's a few years older than me, I remember that. He avoided me, but he was a child, too."

"Okay," Estel says. "He gets a pass for now. He was a kid, too. That's fair."

Almeiria frowns and opens her mouth at the word 'fair.' Oh, no, maybe she should have been unfair. She glares suspiciously around the table.

"Sometoimes a curse can be a gift. But only if you've got people wot loves you an' sticks by you an' elps you manage it an' lets you know they ain't ever leavin' you no matter wot." A tear slips down Ozzy's snoot as she looks at the table. "Ain't roight."

Joelle resumes his gentle patting. "I won't leave you," he informs her.

Ozzy stares at Joelle in astonishment. "Cor, you're an unreasonable noice bloke," she says. "No wonder you got like, f'ousands of friends."

Bertrand quietly offers Ozzy a handkerchief.

Ozzy takes it with a shy smile. "Fanks," she says.

Courage bolstered by friendly comfort, Ozzy forces herself to look directly at Almeiria. "I ain't blame you any more for bein' an arsehole," she says stubbornly. "Oi wanna burn the world down 'alf the toime an' oi got rescued when oi was still a kid. Oi can't imagine 'avin no one care about you your 'ole loife. Even if it's too late to fix you, oi ain't blame you one bit."

"He's an adult now," Natalyah points out, although the worgen now slumps a bit more in her chair, unable to maintain the crossed arm position much longer. "He's got information, same as Valia, and what he chooses from here counts for or against him."

Ozzy taps her worgen nose and points at Natalyah.

"Yep," Estel says. "Anyway. We did it! Target's dead, Solari's safe with her family. Y'all did great."

"'Ell yeah," says Ozzy. Elle yeah?

"Aye." Siamus salutes the group generally. He seems to have settled down. "A job well done by all. Pleased to see everyone hale and well, and obliged to all of ye who joined in. A fine team."

Ozzy gives Siamus puppy eyes.

Lena nods agreement with Siamus.

Lathrik straightens, and looks to Estel. "I hope you will forgive me," he says.

Ozzy collapses into hugging Merelda, but slowly, so that she doesn't dislodge any continued Elle-patting. She can get pats AND hugs maybe?

Merelda is game to work out the mechanics of pets and hugs.

Natalyah frowns, although on her worgen face it's mostly just a visible lowering of her eyebrows. "Lathrik, don't you dare blame yourself," she warns.

"Fooooor what?" Estel looks blankly at him. "A bad decision you're about to make in ten seconds? Or somethin' I missed?"

Siamus was just about to actually drink and now he has to lower his glass again to look disapproving. "Tides a'mighty," he says.

"Yeah, I don't remember you doing anything to Estel?" Aze says, confused. Is guilt just in this season?

"You died," Lathrik says simply. "I couldn't keep him off ye. Couldn't call the Light in time. I saw it coming, but I…" He shifts to include Almeiria in the apology.

"I do believe there has been an overabundance of altruism at this table tonight," Almeiria says with an eyeroll.

"Job got done," Siamus tells Lathrik in his clipped Officer Voice. "More than the job. As well as can be expected, and everyone's here and safe, and there's nowt in that to apologize for, man."

"Oh! Nah, it's fine," Estel says, waving it off. "Not your fault. I've already been told it's my fault for not having enough plans, but I ain't in the habit of assigning blame unless I feel like it. You're good."

Natalyah huffs, and practically throws herself onto Lathrik's shoulder in a tired show of comfort and support. "It's the paladin thing. You don't have to be perfect, Lathrik," she reminds him sternly. "You saved so many of us, and you're just one person. If you're going to blame yourself for things not done, then it's going to become a whole thing of how no one else stopped it either."

Siamus makes a soft sound indicative of his general opinion of paladins, apologies to all those of his acquaintance. He does drink now.

Atley flits his gaze to Siamus, for just a moment, and takes a drink.

"S'a miracle any of us lived," says Ozzy drowsily. "Much less all."

Atley leans back in his chair again and surveys Lathrik dubiously.

"Yeah, you can't blame yourself, every time people get killed," Aze says, finally settling down into a chair. "Just a thing that happens sometimes."

Immediately, Emerine slides a plate of food in front of Aze. She's got another one ready to go should Siamus ever deign to sit down.

"Sit down, Fallon," Shine tries again.

Maybe Siamus doesn't hear him.

"I couldn't keep Estel alive either," Natalyah says to Lathrik. "Or Almeiria, however that happened. And if I hadn't been caught by the Shadow Man, you might have had that shield to put on either. Is it my fault, then?" The tone is filled with a sort of logic bravado, but it hides an undercurrent of the potential for actual guilt to rise up.

"Nuffing's anyone's fault, 'cause there she is!" Ozzy insists.

"Absolutely not," Estel says, and gives Natalyah a thumbs-up. "That song was brilliant."

"Aye, just so." Siamus nods at Ozzy a little dourly. "If things don't go at least a little to hell, then you're not really in combat. Enemy's never convenient. It's getting yourself out of any unexpected hell that's the trick, and that was nicely done. Mission accomplished, everyone played his or her part to the hilt."

Ozzy nods at Siamus. "I 'ope we ain't gotta apologize to everyone 'oo got 'urt on our watch, 'cause oi fink everyone near me got 'urt pretty bad, an' oi ain't feel loike apologizin. Oi did me best, there was just, fire an' rock guys an' stuff. It was a lot."

"I would've been hurt far worse if there had not been a helpful bear in front of me, and Veyne's healing was quite helpful as well," Emerine says. She glances towards the stairs.

Solari picks a carrot off of Fray's plate and throws it. It bounces off Lathrik's forehead, startling him. He stares at her, as a faint smile lights her face.

"There now, see? Your mother's tellin' you not to worry," Fray says.

Natalyah laughs, an unfettered sound.

Ozzy is suddenly paralyzed with horror at this carrot abuse.

"Fallon," says Shine for the third time. "Sit down."

Siamus throws him a faintly startled look and sits down. Gosh.

Emerine slides a plate to him. Fancy that. Food.

Siamus drinks his whiskey and contemplates the food bemusedly.

"I bet if you try'n eat you'll be surprised you were actually hungry after all," Estel says to Siamus.

Siamus eyes Estel with a slightly condescending sardonic air and sets down his glass to pick up a piece of bread.

He will now be eating for the next three hours.

Estel doesn't say I told you so, but it's obvious she's thinking it.

Shun shakes his head.

Ozzy disentangles herself from Merelda and attends to the carrots that are on HER plate before anyone tries to throw them. She's rescuing them.

Ozzy then notices she is still holding Birdie's handkerchief and shyly passes it back to him. "Oi didn't snot on it or nuffing," she reassures him. "Just one little worgen tear. Moight even be magic now or somefing."

Bertrand takes it, folds it, and puts it away. "I wouldn't mind if it were snotty. That's what they're for."

Ozzy giggles at Birdie, and then shoves more carrots in her mouth. Shine hasn't taught her table manners yet.

Natalyah nudges Lathrik with her face, studying him intently. "Thank you, by the way, for saving me. More than once," she says, a strange blend of pointedness and genuine feeling mixed all up together.

Lathrik eyes her. "That's not somethin' that requires…" he begins. Then he shakes his head. "You're welcome."

"The lad's learnin'," Fray observes, as if he's one to talk

"As if you're one to talk," Natalyah says archly.

Ozzy studies Natalyah, then turns to Merry. We're doing gratitude! "Fank you," she says to her. "For savin' me." Then her eyes go wide as she realizes the unintended depth of that statement. She faceplants in Merelda's shoulder. We're gonna need a bigger hankie.

Merelda puts an arm around her shoulder and says quietly, "Anytime you need."

"I guess it's been long enough," Ilanya says, getting to her feet a bit unsteadily, grappling with the cane, "that I should check the mail."

Natalyah's attention shifts to Ilanya, and there's only a small hesitation before she lifts up a hand.

"I can levitate you, if you'd like some relief from walking on that leg for now. It'll only be 10 minutes but that's still something," she offers with a possibly surprising sympathy. "And by the way, you really should have two canes. It's easier on the rest of you as well, wrists and everything else involved. I know the shops that carry the best matching ones."

Bertrand starts to offer his arm to Ilanya, but pauses to see if she'd rather be levitated instead.

Ilanya does not curtsy, but she does a wobbly sort of bow instead. "Thank you, Miss Kensington-Whit, I may take you up on your information regarding canes. For the time being, however, I don't require any assist—"

"I will take her," Almeiria says, springing to her feet, finally freed from Fray's oppressive hand on her shoulder. "Surely you have no objections, Ilanya, dear?"

Ilanya flashes her a smile. "I wouldn't dream of it," she replies. "Thank you for the offer, Miss Kensignton-Whit, Lord Bertrand."

"Of course, miss… Ilanya." Bertrand glances at Almeiria, who helpfully gave him a name.

Ozzy may have dozed off again while weeping on Merelda's shoulder. It's been a Day.

Natalyah lets her arm drop back down without argument. She really is tired.

Atley finishes off his tankard and sets it down on his cleaned plate. “Fine work, you lot. I’m going home.” He pushes himself up and slides his chair in, stepping behind it.

Lowering his gaze to Siamus, he cants his head, and starts putting on his gauntlets. “I’ll want to speak with you, soon.”

"Sir Atley," Bertrand says in farewell, nodding to him.

Emerine waves lazily.

"Later, later! Say hi to Ivri for me, yeah?" Estel grins at Dane.

Atley returns the nods, and grunts at Estel. “I’ll be certain to.” He lastly looks to Shun as he tugs his winged helmet on. “You ought to think of joining the Company.”

Shun raises a brow at Dane before simply grunting in response.

Ozzy snores softly on Merelda's shoulder.

Shun looks to Estel to see if she's ready to leave. They have a meeting to go to tomorrow. He then looks to the others.

"Well, if you need anyone else to be eliminated… You can reach me through Estel. "

Natalyah half-melts off Lathrik as she slaps a new [Levitate] on herself. Old habitual manners assert themselves as she says, "If I may be excused from the table." And then doesn't wait for permission at all, which may or may not also be old habitual manners for the former noblewoman.

How she's actually going to propel herself to her room is another concern, and one likely easy to solve if she'd just ask for help. Which means there will be flying carrots in the Twisting Nether before that happens.

Bertrand looks like he might offer, but he gives Lathrik the opportunity first.

Lathrik rises as well. "Would ye care for an escort?" he asks her. "Or company?"

Natalyah grabs a hold of his armor to pull herself down closer to the ground from where she'd already started to drift upwards. She's still too high up to put her head on his shoulder as a worgen, although it looks like for a moment she thought about trying to anyway.

Instead, she lowers her head as she nods, and mumbles begrudgingly, "Both." She probably could also use a bath, given how her fur is stiff from blood still, but that's another conversation somewhere else.

"Have a good night, Talyah, Dinnsfield," Bertrand says, nodding to the two of them. "If there turns out to be bad news, I can make sure you're made aware, if you'd like?"

"Ozzy," Merelda says softly. "Let's get ourselves to bed — you'll rest better."

Ozzy snores in response. She's resting fine.

Emerine looks at one plate she has put together, and then looks at the stairs. "Perhaps I'll take this up to Curran," she says, and goes to do just that.

"There's already bad news if the man's been attacked," Lathrik says.

"See to yourself and your lass," Fray says. "The news will be there in the morning."

"Great. Further bad news details about a nobleman on the House of Nobles being attacked by an insane Twilight Cultist, the breakfast of champions," Natalyah says tartly, with what little energy she has left for such comments, as she lets Lathrik escort her out. "Goes great with orange juice."