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Post by Princess Melissa Gardener on Aug 7, 2017 21:08:52 GMT
A respectable tavern.
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Post by Princess Melissa Gardener on Aug 7, 2017 21:10:26 GMT
Melissa and Ser Damon followed Eleyna Estermont inside the tavern. Melissa was so excited she could hardly stop herself from chattering at Ser Damon. She let Eleyna lead the way inside.
"This is quite pleasant, actually. What drink would you like?" She turned to the warrior woman first, since she already knew Ser Damon's preferences.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 7, 2017 21:14:03 GMT
"Ale is fine," she said, taking a seat, her three warriors surveying the place before sitting. A knight nearby catcalled them and Ser Damon went to respond. "Let the princess handle herself," Eleyna said. "Now, then," she said, as the man called out more crudeness, "what would you care to know?"
"Shall we hit him, princess?" Damon asked. He was clearly not having fun.
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Post by Princess Melissa Gardener on Aug 7, 2017 22:04:58 GMT
"I'd gladly watch you hit him," she said. "But it's time he learned that women can fend for themselves. Just...watch my back, will you."
She strode towards the knight. "Greetings, ser. I'm honoured that you have noticed my presence but I would be most grateful if we could enjoy our drinks in peace."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 7, 2017 23:56:20 GMT
The man looked at her with surprise and his friends all started laughing. "M, well, you can enjoy us watching you, can't ye? Why else come to a place like this?"
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Post by Princess Melissa Gardener on Aug 8, 2017 6:16:30 GMT
She gritted her teeth for a moment. "I was informed that this was a respectable establishment. Was I wrong, ser? I quite thought a lady could walk into an inn without drawing attention from strangers."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 8, 2017 10:20:01 GMT
The knight went to respond before a companion whacked his head. He stood and bowed. "Apologies, my lady," he said solemnly. The change in mood seems inexplicable but sincere.
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Post by Princess Melissa Gardener on Aug 8, 2017 19:26:33 GMT
"Thank you very much," she replied. "I imagine your friend simply drank too much ale?" Do excuse me." She went to the bar to order her groups' drinks, choosing mead for herself.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 8, 2017 20:59:37 GMT
Meads around work, and Elena waits for her to return, and it's then she sees more of the armed women filling the place up. "This is as close to a refuge as we have here," she explained. "So, I can tell you of the time I raided Old Wtk," she looked around with a challenging stare, "or I have the story of the two headed dragon."
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Post by Princess Melissa Gardener on Aug 8, 2017 21:16:28 GMT
"The two headed dragon, please." Melissa was worried that a story about Old Wyk might not go down so well in the Riverlands. "I look forward to hearing the tale."
She glanced at Ser Damon to see how he was faring.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 8, 2017 21:23:03 GMT
"The two headed dragon," she said in a deliberate sotryteller's voice, "Six years ago, when I was new to the Mermaids, our best warriors disappeared on a mission," she said, they had gone east, to Lys, and from there we heard nothing for three months. I appealed again and again to my superiors to retrieve them but was denied, until the letter arrived. Corsairs from the Basilisk Isles had ambushed our two ships and my friends were dead or enslaved, save Gillian here and one more...". Gillian nodded along with it, eyes distant. "So you can guess what I did...?" She led her to the question, waiting for Melissa's response.
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Post by Princess Melissa Gardener on Aug 8, 2017 21:51:32 GMT
Melissa thought about it. When she spoke her voice was confident. "You found them and killed their captors. That's what I'd do, if someone harmed my friends."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 8, 2017 21:54:27 GMT
She smiled. "Not exactly. I first had to depose my predecessors," she said. "I knew I oculdn't free my friends alone, and I had support among my sisters..." she turned and then back to Melissa. "We loaded four ships full of more warriors than prudent, and sailed the same waters. The raiders came upon us, a half dozen ships, hundreds of snarling beasts," she said, "and one sailed straight for my ship." She took a drink.
"We turned and it missed, and we took a hard spin to port and ripped a hole in its side and watched them drown, and joined the bigger fight. I dodged arrows and my sisters poured from the hold. By evening we had two new ships, and so our fleet was made. Then we met the Two headed dragon..." her voice was low now with menace, awaiting a reaction.
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Post by Princess Melissa Gardener on Aug 8, 2017 22:08:40 GMT
"Oh! This is a thrilling tale, truly. I don't understand why your superiors didn't care about your comprades, though..." She trailed off as an unsavoury thought occurred to her. "Unless they were in league with the slavers. But please tell me about the two headed dragon."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 8, 2017 23:40:07 GMT
"The dragon, now...it was a beast," she said. "The raiders had made their ships into great lizards and shot balls of flaming pitch. The battle was terrible, and one in five of my sisters died," she said. "But at last me and mine scaled their ships and slew their captain in single combat. We freed fifty of my sisters," she stops before saying more, and the others go silent as she shakes her head. "And it was a great victory."
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Post by Princess Melissa Gardener on Aug 9, 2017 17:39:46 GMT
"A shame your other companions had to die to make it possible," Melissa said. "But it sounds like a glorious battle nonetheless. The ships must have been terrible to behold."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 9, 2017 20:46:45 GMT
"It's the way of the warrior that it almost inevitably leads to death," she agreed. "There are old warriors, and bold ones, but none that are both in my experience." She sipped her mead and set it down with a satisfied sigh. "I have heard you're no stranger to duels, yourself. Single combat to defend your honor?"
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Post by Princess Melissa Gardener on Aug 9, 2017 21:07:17 GMT
"Yes. He got what he deserved. I've fought bandits and the like too, but Caswell is what I'm best known for." She smiled and sipped her drink. "Lots of men think women can't fight and others think a woman with a blade must be of loose virtue. They soon learn otherwise."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 9, 2017 21:09:51 GMT
Eleyna nodded. "As though men wielding a blade are somehow acquiring a degree of nobility. Tell me," she said. "About Caswell. His kin are about, you know, even here." She leaned in. "It will be enlightening, hearing of a king's daughter who seeks her own course."
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Post by Princess Melissa Gardener on Aug 9, 2017 21:37:53 GMT
Melissa shook her head. "I don't like to talk about it. I did what I had to and a bit more than that. I wish I had some renown for other things, truly. This situation caused my family a little embarrassment at first."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 9, 2017 21:40:15 GMT
"You can't demand a story from me, have me tell you my greatest achievement, then hold out on me," she insisted. "My family is hardly proud of me, being a bloody mercenary queen," she said. "You hamstrung a shithead. Let's hear it."
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Post by Princess Melissa Gardener on Aug 9, 2017 22:06:35 GMT
Melissa grinned. "He insulted me. We fought. I hamstrung him and he hasn't carried a blade since. Happy now?"
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 9, 2017 22:08:38 GMT
Many meads and ales are tossed and booing commences. If she weren't a princess she'd be soaked now. "The crowd is unimpressed," Elena said. "Are you going to fight? In the tourney?"
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Post by Princess Melissa Gardener on Aug 9, 2017 22:23:04 GMT
"Of couse not," she said. "It would not be proper. But I hope to find some worthy opponents in the training yard soon."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 10, 2017 0:31:50 GMT
"Is there a difference?" She asked with curiosity. "If win seen fighting in public is the issue, how is fighting in the practice yard not the same thing?"
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Post by Princess Melissa Gardener on Aug 10, 2017 17:40:40 GMT
"Oh." Melissa sighed. "I had forgotten that. Seven Hells! I don't want to trouble my father, but I don't want to miss out, either. At least the training yard won't be quite so busy. Although...perhaps, Lady Eleyna, you would be willing to spar with me, somewhere a little more secluded?"
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 11, 2017 4:12:56 GMT
She nodded. "Any time," she promised. "We have a place well away from prying eyes, but that one isn't allowed in," she said, indicating Ser Damon. "In the Reach we'd have no choice, but this is not the Reach and I am not sworn to King Grayson."
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Post by Princess Melissa Gardener on Aug 11, 2017 17:45:03 GMT
Melissa thought about it for a moment. "That is acceptable to me, so long as you can assure us that the place is not too far away, and that it will be easy for me to meet up with Ser Damon afterwards. I know he'll want to be assured of my safety." She smiled warmly at her sworn sword. She was genuinely fond of him and grateful for his teachings, but sometimes thought he worried too much about her.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 11, 2017 17:52:09 GMT
See Damon shook his head. "This is not acceptable," he said. "The king would have my hide." Eleyna shrugged.
"Men are not allowed in the yard of the Steel Mermaids," she said. "That is a rule upon which we are unflinchingly rigid. It is close," she promised. "In a local warehouse we rented, to avoid prying eyes. The Vale has men seeking lonely members of our order for their princess."
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Post by Princess Melissa Gardener on Aug 11, 2017 18:23:41 GMT
Melissa sighed. She would have to negotiate a compromise that would be acceptable to both Eleyna and Ser Damon.
"Is the princess of the Vale with your company?" She asked. "I won't tell, if she is. Only, it would be something worth knowing.
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