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Without a Home (Shrike7)


Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

HP = 43, PP = 52, EP = 88, Status = Fine

Eriks smile widened, but even though he had been nothing but kind and professional so far, Alberik couldn't help but notice something slightly unsettling about the man. An aura of violence, perhaps, or maybe just a predatory nature that was only evident when the man was in plain view. Neither would be surprising, given his line of work. His voice, however, was warm and boisterous as he said; "If Lady Sera would not mind a nightcap, I can see no harm in it." Sera sighed, issuing Erik a knowing look, but turned and went over to a small cubby that Alberik hadn't noticed in the corny of the room. Crouching, she slid open a panel, and came back with three glasses and a black bottle. She set each of them on the table. As she was doing that, Erik had nodded to Ableriks later question, and sat down in the chair Sera had previously occupied. The blond woman glared at him slightly, but sat in a different chair and said; "Why not come over here and join us, Alberik? Don't worry about getting charcoal on the glasses, just make sure that you don't go sticking your fingers in the wine."

Sera uncorked the bottle, and poured a clear, green liquid into all three tall glasses until they were almost full. She offered one toward Alberik, and Erik took one from the table and took a quick sip from it, and then issued a quiet hrm. Once she'd taken the glass, Sera said; "After a drink, I was wondering if you might be willing to watch Alberik here for me, Erik. I'm going to gather a few things for her, and I don't want to leave her alone." Erik shot Sera a knowing look, and she sighed and said; "Well, I'm not allowed to leave her alone, but, same difference."

Erik shrugged and said; "I don't suppose I'd mind." He took another sip from his glass, the liquid already half gone. If Alberik chose to try any, she would find a faintly sweet, fizzy liquid, with a moderate bite and no harshness to speak of, almost like ginger ale, but the trace of alcohol still present in the taste. Only a minor hint, however, and one that was easily ignored.
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

"That was the intention." Alberik replied to Erik's comment about taking a seat, which she promptly followed up on. She accepted the glass with a nod, trying her best not to smudge too much on it, winding up holding the glass very delicately as she took a sip.

She let the two elves discuss keeping an eye on her without comment, focusing instead on the enjoyable taste of the wine. "This is quite good. Is the wine itself called nightcap, or is that just a name for an occasion like this?" She asked, taking another sip. her own glass was nearing half full, but wasn't quite there yet.
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

HP = 43, PP = 52, EP = 88, Status = Fine

Erik was the first to answer, and Sera snapped her mouth shut as he said; "The occasion would be called a nightcap. The drink is..... Cytherean Brandy? Three and a half months old, perhaps." He looked to Sera for confirmation, who raised an eyebrow and nodded. "It's made from pears, mixed with a little bit of tomato, if you'd believe it, and ginger. A lot of ginger." He sighed and then finished his glass at about the same time that Alberik got hers down halfway. She only just noticed, but Sera was already pouring herself another glass. "Might I trouble you for another, Lady Sera?" The female elf absentmindedly nodded to the man, and he poured himself another, filling it not quite as high as Sera had.

Sera sighed and downed her second glass in one gulp, a slight rosyness appearing on her cheeks. Sighing again, she rose to her feet and said; "Feel free to finish the bottle, I'll be back form the library with a couple of history books for you. I'll try to keep my eyes out for anything about artifacts." She picked up the sketch Alberik had made, being careful not to wrinkle any of the pages as she gathered the 9 pieces of paper together. She pocketed the clips, and then turned to Alberik and said; "You don't mind if I take these to show to some of the scribes, do you? They might have seen it in their reading, or might at least be able to show me where to look." She was about to leave when she suddenly stopped, turned around, and said; "Oh! and that map I told you about, it's on the wall in the bedroom. The full one is, at least. The smaller ones are under my bed, in a wicker bin. I'll be back as soon as I can." She cast Erik a glance that one might toss to a dog that was misbehaving, before she turned and walked out the door, closing it behind her. The man had grinned all the while, and then turned toward Alberik again and leaned back in his chair before saying; "Come and join me, Lady Alberik. It's been a long time since I've been in the company of one who was not an elf."
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

Alberik nodded and smiled at the description of the drink, sipping on her glass once again. She nodded once more after Sera stood answering her readily. "Of course, 'tis why I drew them, after all. Planned to do it myself tomorrow, but go ahead." She replied, and took another sip, leaving her glass nearly empty.

Sera left, and Erik made his statement as Alberik finished her glass. She tilted her head slightly as she reached for the bottle to refill it. "You're in such a person's company right now. Where else would you like to go? Unless you'd like to inspect the map with me. I would appreiciate answers to the inevitable questions I'll have. I already have one for you, actually. How long before you made contact with me were you following me out there? Did you see anything unusual?" She asked lightly, starting on her second glass.
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

HP = 43, PP = 52, EP = 88, Status = Fine

Erik shrugged, and said; "I will tell you what I can. I have not traveled far, so my information is limited, and Lady Sera was always more a scholar than I, but I do know quite a bit about the surrounding landscapes, at least. As for your question, I personally wasn't following you. A series of scouts that we keep along the road trailed you, but none more than two hundred yards or so. None of them told me of anything unusual, but I suppose you could ask them if you like. You'd need to wait a few days if you wanted to get all of them though, as our duty rotation has them out at many odd hours. I see you still haven't got any winter clothes, so I'll see about getting you something tomorrow morning, before I go back on watch. Would you like another glass, or would you prefer to examine the map in the bedroom first?" His tone was even and friendly, and he offered the bottle out toward her, a questioning look on his face. The alcohol wasn't affecting her too strongly just yet, and Alberik didn't think that another glass would hurt her too hard, if she wanted it.
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

Alberik shrugged as Erik finished his explanation, accepting his offer of a refill. "I would like some more, thank you. And I'm sure if your scouts had seen anything extraordinary, they would have reported it to you. Now, I believe we can combine the best of both worlds, and take the wine with us to view the map. Care to join me?" She asks, standing and waiting for his response before walking to the bedroom and standing before the map.

((Should be the last one for the week, bout a half hour from loss of service. Ciao! ))
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

HP = 43, PP = 52, EP = 88, Status = Fine

Erik stands a moment after she had, smiling and holding his glass, as he said; "Of course. Lead the way!" Erik followed Alberik into Seras bedroom, and it didn't take her very long to find the map on the wall. The room lit up as they entered, a soft blue glow that was perhaps not best for reading by, but allowed easy navigation, at least. The pair of them, beverages in hand, stood in front of the map short order. It was a fairly small map, only one continent and a couple of islands, all of which were unfamiliar to Alberik save for the names she had heard throughout the day.

There were four large sections of the continent, all fairly clearly divided. At the top, below a large stretch of white and blue that Alberik took to be an ocean, was a chunk labeled "Crolia." It was there that Erik pointed to first, to a very ornately drawn citadel, its shape similar to a crown, with a label under it that read; "Gods-Reach." "That's where we are now. It's just about the last major settlement that we people have." The crown was close to a narrow channel that seemed to be the only connection between the topmost part with the section that was in the center, slightly to the North and East. Erik pointed to that next, and said; "This map is fairly old, so it doesn't have the label that we've taken to calling this particular area. This is the Pass of Ghosts, where the humans from the South come to invade our lands. It is a place where much blood has been spilled, and where bandits and marauders of all kinds search for relics among the frozen corpses that still litter the terrain."

Next, he pointed to a large circle, the label written within it, called; "Therion." Erik sighed before he began to speak this time; "This is Therion. It's the largest settlement in our part of the world. The city once belonged to my people, but over the last few decades, humans gradually took control of it. There is an ancient tower, a relic of a people that were here even before my own, that stands there. The Tower Goldspike." Therion was to the North West of the pass, and slightly further South than Gods-Reach according to the map. Finally, he points to an indistinct shape, to the East of Therion. Unlike the others, this one seemed to have been drawn on, and the words; "The Academy of All Mages," were written beneath it in a lazy scrawl. "This is a school that was set up as a joint venture by a the humans of Therion and groups of my people. Much knowledge is contained there." There were other places marked on the map, but Erik didn't bother pointing any of them out.

He moved to the South, which had far less filled in than the Northern portion of the map. There was only a title in these lands, as well as a single circle with another scrawl written in it. The land was called "Badaria," and the city within it was simply called; "Death." Erik pursed his lips for a moment, and then took a drink before he started talking again; "This is where the invasions come from. We don't know precisely why the humans of these lands invade so often or so fervently. It may be because the one that rules them has been dead for over four hundred years, yet still walks the world." He left it at that and instead turned East. This section of the map was a more vibrant green than the rest, and all Erik had to say on it was; "These are the jungles of the Amazons. We haven't had any contact with the peoples there for many years. No messenger can get through the borders." Finally, to the West, he pointed to a section that was painted a very light brown color, and said; "This is the Anudor desert. If any place is more hostile than Badaria, it is there, as now only will the natives kill any who enter their lands uninvited, but the environment itself can leave a man, or woman, dead of dehydration within a day if care is not taken. The Su-Ku-Ta, mutant humans who have the features of cats, originate from there, but none have seen their cities and returned within the last three hundred years, save for the humans that travel the desert."
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

Alberik nodded along with Erik's descriptions, waiting until he had finished before asking her questions. "How much do you know about Goldspike specifaclly? That artifact I drew looks incredibly weathered, chances are it's quite old. Would that Acaddemy hold records of it, perhaps?" She asked, pondering the map and those locations specifically. She took another sip from her glass, noticing that she had finished about three-quarters of it as well.
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

HP = 43, PP = 52, EP = 88, Status = Fine

While the alcohol might not be the strongest, after nearly two glasses Alberik was beginning to feel its effects. Not strongly, yet, but perhaps a light tipsiness had come over her. Erik turned back to her, his glass empty, and he said; "Goldspike.... It is an ancient tower, all built of what at first seems like solid gold. No one knows what it truly is made of, because no one has ever managed to break off a piece of it to try and discern its origins. We aren't even truly sure who built it, or when, as even our histories do not stretch back that far. What we do know is, that no magic, no matter how powerful, seems to be able to harm it, even though the tower itself greatly amplifies any magic cast near it. It is a place of great power, but there are doors within that have never been opened. I don't know if the artifact you seek is there or not, but I doubt that any but the elders could answer that with any certainty.

"If there is any place that could tell you more, it would be the Academy. There is a great deal of knowledge there, and much of it has to do with arcane secrets and ancient relics and the like. It's not a particularly difficult trip to get there, once you reach the tundra, though I would recommend not trying to make it alone, or without proper gear."
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

"Mm-hmm." Alberik responds, going for a sip from her glass again and finding it empty. That prompted a check of the glass itself. it looked slightly fuzzy around the edges, but once she focused the effect faded. The woman concluded that the alcohol was beginning to truly affect her, and decided that she should probably stop for the night. Looking back up to Erik, she smiled a bit and continued the conversation.
"I see. Sera told me about the perils of travel around here, the sinkholes and such specifically, are there more hazards further along as well?" She asks, taking another glance back at the map between the three locations, and deciding to actually lean on the wall beside the map while viewing it.
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

HP = 43, PP = 52, EP = 88, Status = Fine

When she turned back toward Erik, it might have been Alberiks imagination, but she thought that the man had gotten a little closer. He was maybe a foot away now, close enough that she could feel the heat of his body against her skin due to the relative cold of the room, but not completely within her personal space. He didn't hover closer, but stood straight and tall, easily within arms reach, smiling warmly at her, the expression not quite touching his eyes. It wasn't quite predatory, or cold, but had she not been slightly intoxicated, Alberik might have been discomforted by it.

"There are many hazards. Wolves and bears and mountain lions are common enough, and will kill a traveler if they think it will offer them an easy meal. Some have also been corrupted, and will do worse things to a woman. There are, of course, the usual rare dangers of enclaves of cultists, demons, and the like as well, though we destroy any that we find." He edged closer, maintaining the closeness as Alberik leaned against the wall, but he still didn't push any farther. Instead, he cocked his head slightly, and said; "You are an unusual woman, Lady Alberik. An unusual person, to tell the truth. I have known academics, of course, but I do not think that you quite fit into that stereotype."
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

Alberik nods at Erik's description of the hazards, still patiently watching the map. Halfway though the second half of his speech, she rolled on the wall to lean her back to it, noticing the nearness of his presence and facing him directly. a look of mild confusion crosses her face briefly, before disappearing again. "To be honest, I feel kind of lost." She says with a shrug. "I feel like I should be working towards some great purpose, but I have no idea what it is, just these images and fragments in my mind. It's all quite frustrating, now that I dwell on it." She says evenly, a bit of a smirk appearing on her face as she does so.

Ending with another shrug, she pushes herself off the wall slightly, and takes a half step to go around Erik. The man was all smiles and gentlemanliness, but something in Alberik's fuzzy mind was flashing a warning to her, and she found his closeness slightly disturbing at this point. "How often do you find anything like those enclaves you mentioned?" She asks gingerly, trying to change the subject away from herself again.
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

HP = 43, PP = 52, EP = 88, Status = Fine

Erik nodded along to Alberiks words, his smile slightly lessened, and he said; "I'd imagine that would be frustrating. You cannot remember why you are here? Nothing, save for this artifact that you're searching for?"

Erik didn't give any reaction to her movement, or to her changing of the subject. He didn't seem uncomfortable, or disappointed, and his grin became slightly grim only because the words that followed it demanded such an expression; "More often than any of us would like. Maybe... Once every two months or so, would be my guess. It's more often in deep winter, when our patrols are less obvious. Sometimes, it's even some of our own kin, so we don't try to lay the blame solely on you and yours, as easy as that might be for morale. We can't allow ourselves to just.... Blindly hate. Not like those to the South."
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

Alberik nodded. "There's several images, but none I can explain, none that even make sense against each other even. I'm not even sure that one image is important, but it's at least a place to start." She answered with another shrug.

Taking those few steps further and moving them both out of the bedroom and back to the living area. "Me and mine? I don't feel much kinship with a four hundred year old lich and the country he rules that I haven't heard of before tonight either, you know." She says with a bit of a chuckle, plaxcing herself back down on one of the seats at the table again.
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

HP = 43, PP = 52, EP = 88, Status = Fine

Erik followed Alberik back to their seats in the first room of the small apartment, looking thoughtful as set his empty glass on the table. "A point in your favor, I suppose. I was more referring to you and yours as in your kin. Most cannot choose their own family, after all." He chuckled, and said; "Don't worry, I won't count it against you."

He sighed, and motioned toward the bottle before he continued; "Would you like another glass now? The bottle is almost empty, and I believe that it would be polite to wait until Sera returns, and see if she would like some more."
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

"Well that's a relief at least!" Alberik exclaimed with a chuckle, examing her glass once more, considering Erik's offer. "She did say we were free to finish the bottle..." She mumbled, nearly to herself, before shaking her head slightly and putting her glass back on the table in a decisive motion. "No, I think it's best we wait for Sera, at least. I'm afraid much more and I'll be unable to read any of those books she's bringing back with her, much less retain the information." She paused for a moment, as if to gather her thoughts.

"That does still leave us with the issue of keeping ourselves busy until she returns, however. Earlier, you mentioned that it would be unwise to travel alone. Are you aware of anyone here who would be able to accompany me, by any chance? I wouldn't want to take anyone away from their duties, of course, but perhaps there are other travellers here that enjoy a bit less... Security than myself? I have the feeling I'm getting somewhat of a special treatment."
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

HP = 43, PP = 52, EP = 88, Status = Fine

Erik chuckled lightly at Alberiks statement that another glass might render her illiterate, and said; "We'll just have to see that you build up your alcohol tolerance while you're visiting then.

"I suppose it does leave us with something of a problem, doesn't it? I don't believe that she'll be gone too much longer. Even at this hour, the scribes are tireless and have memories as flawless as carved crystal." He rubbed his chin for a moment, scratching at the scruff that might become a beard if left to its own devices for too long, and then said; "We do sometimes have envoys that go to the Academy or to Therion. I don't know when they might be going next, but I or Lady Sera could ask for you tomorrow. As for other travelers... Heh, well not all travelers are as... Unusual, as yourself. We'll likely get orders to let you off the leash tomorrow, and then you can do more or less whatever you like, so long as you don't steal anything or attack someone or something of course. I can't promise that, but I suspect it." Alberik idly noticed that, while Erik was speaking just slightly slower than he had been, his words weren't slurred even slightly.

"Anyway, I think there might be another traveler or two around. None on my shifts, but I'll ask around." As he finished that sentence was when Sera walked back in through the door, looking irate, but she sighed as she saw them both sitting at the table. She set a heavy bag down on the desk, and looked at Alberik as she said; "Got three books for ya. That was all I could convince Magridal to hand over, and it took some doing to get even that." Erik laughed darkly, and replied; "I'll bet. The little snake. We saved some for you. Care for one last glass, before I depart? I believe that I can leave you two alone together without worrying."

"Yes." Was all Sera had to say in response, and promptly sunk down into a chair, and took a filled glass. Erik refilled his own, and then poured the last of the liquid into Alberiks glass. "Cheers." Erik held up his glass, and Sera touched hers lightly to his, a wry smile on her face. They waited for Alberik to do the same, and then both down their glasses in one gulp.
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

"Well, I'm either here for a week or so, or for an entire season, from what I gather of travelling conditions, so I guess we shall see." Alberik responds quickly, going silent and listening to the rest of his speech. She was about to respond in kind when Sera came back in, instead turning her way and giving her a wave hello.

Upon mention of the scribe's name, Alberik had another flash of images, this time accompanied with a
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and the absurd notion that the books might be used to transport her to somewhere else. The image itself was just as odd, appearing to be a thick, leafless tree holding up a dark sphere with what looked to be windows in it...

Shaking her head to clear her momentary distraction, but filing it any, just in case, Alberik returned her attention to the others in the room. She found more wine in her glass, and the other two just turning to look at her expectantly. "Sorry, another flash. Cheers!" she exclaimed, and downed her half glass with them, coughing a tad afterwards. "did you have any luck with the image, Sera?" She asked lightly afterwards.
 
Re: Alberik (Shrike7)

HP = 43, PP = 52, EP = 88, Status = Fine

Rolls
Perception: Success.

Sera and Erik downed their glasses without any trouble, and Sera quickly responded to Alberik's question about her image with a shake of her head. "Sorry. There were only two scribes on duty, and I showed both of them. Magridal, an individual whom I sincerely hope you never have to meet, is probably the best to have asked too, no matter how much of an ass he might be. I could show some of the elder scholars, but they were all abed by the time I got there, or else occupied by 'matters more important than a scribble by some squid-faced human.'" She snorted the last part in contempt, but from her tone and pauses, Alberik guessed that those were words that the elf had heard rather than ones she might have chosen herself. Erik shook himself slightly, and then stood up to stretch slightly, giving a yawn.

"It was a pleasant experience meeting you, Lady Alberik, and I hope that I will see a great deal of you before you depart from us. I believe that Sera here was taken off active duty in order to care for you, and as I don't have active duty tomorrow until just before noon, I'll likely stop by tomorrow morning, and see if I can introduce you to a few people that might be able to help you." He bowed to her, and then to Lady Sera, before continuing; "I must bid you ladies good evening. The hour draws late, and I must be up in the morning." He bowed again, and unless Alberik objected, took her hand and lightly kissed her fingers before releasing them. He tried to do the same to Sera, but she waved him off with a knowing smile, one that he returned before heading out the door, which he closed behind him.

Not even ten seconds after Erik had left, Sera sighed and loudly muttered; "Hornball. Right, well as the bottle is empty, you think you need anything else for the night? If not, I'm gonna turn in. There's only the one bed, but it's big enough for the both of us if you decide to sleep tonight. Just clap three times to turn off the lights, and three more to turn them back on if you have to. The privies are just outside, a small hut made of stacked stone. Just don't go wandering off." Unless there was anything else that Alberik needed, Sera big her good night and walked into the bedroom, likely not caring whether she was watching or not, the elven woman stripped naked, revealing a lithe, muscular frame to go along with her creamy skin and blond hair, and climbed into the lone, though fairly large bed. Three claps shut off the lights, and Alberik was left alone to her studies.

The three books Sera had brought each proved mildly informative, in their own way. One of them was titled "The Workings of the World" and was written in clipped, angular letters that looked like they'd have been a pain to write by hand, as all of them were perfectly symmetrical to one another. Still, it was easy to read, though extremely dry. Despite it's allegedly global contents, Alberik found it to be mostly filled with accounts of battles and feuds that had occurred between the assorted nations, mostly centered around places that were likely well South of here judging by their seasonal descriptions. When it wasn't about battles, it was about politics, and Alberik had to wonder why Sera had chosen it for her to read.

The next was a book titled "Ancient Histories, a Collection" and was clearly hand written by several different people. They concerned a great many topics, and seemed to have been more centered up here in the North, but one thing she did notice was that this book was dated at least twenty years after the first one she'd read. There was a great deal about the rise of the lich king in the kingdom to the South, and she recognized a couple of names and places she'd seen mentioned in the first book. The records of their destruction weren't quite as graphic as the descriptions of the battles in the first book, but Alberik still got the impression that the usurping undead king hadn't believed in gentle takeovers. There were many mentions of the artifacts and technologies that the lich kind used, but nothing specific enough for her to go off of.

Finally, the third book was written in a flowing script that strained her eyes, but was thankfully very short. It was called; "Artifacts and Oddities" and was more a travel log than anything else. Alberik heard many reports of gateways or paths that led to other, alien worlds. One with an aurora in the sky, that had nothing but dead air and vast swaths of endless dunes of lightly packed dirt, and occasionally a section of white stone structure long in ruins, came up fairly often. Alberik had never heard of such a place before, at least not that she could remember, so she skimmed over them greatly. However, towards the end, she read of a meteor falling from the sky that the author of the book had apparently gone to investigate. When he came upon the crash sight, the man had taken a piece of stone from the sight. He had drawn a picture of it, and even though it had been a very old book, Alberik clearly recognized a symbol nearly identical to the one she had locked within her mind. There was a location listed, where the man had allegedly sold the bauble, called Argent Vale, and she recalled....

Alberik skimmed over the first book again excitedly, finding the same date, at the same time. A young man, a commoner, had apparently acquired great magical power, at some point, and had come from Argent Vale. He'd risen to prominence, eventually earning a title from a local ruler, but his influence had continued to spread. The book ended before she could find out anything else, but the artifact remained in the young mans possession for at least fifty years, and he steadily gained in power steadily over the years, both of the magical and of the political variety. Finally, she returned to the second book, and when she learned that the first place that the lich king had taken control of, and used to expand his empire, was a stretch of land extending from a river village called Artmirst in the south, all the way North to Argent Vale, she had finally reached a conclusion. The lich kind had what she was searching for, or at least something that looked almost exactly like it.

Apparently, this Magridal was as good at his job as Alberik had been led to believe, character flaws be damned.

At this point, she had more or less two options. One, she could go to bed. It was unlikely that she'd learn much of anything new from the books she already had, and she was mentally and physically exhausted. Or, she could verify what she'd concluded to the best of her ability, going over what she'd already gone over again just to make sure she hadn't missed anything.

Whatever her choice, Alberik would be awakened in the morning, either by Sera shifting and climbing out of bed, or by the woman shaking her until she woke up. "Wake up, sleepy head. How late were you up last night? C'mon, let's get something to eat. I'm pretty sure that Erik will be lurking for us somewhere nearby, the pig." Sera dressed quickly, and after any other business was taken care of, the two departed Sera's apartment to the icy cold, early morning light. Streams of snowflakes and perfectly formed icicles hung from the trees that had been planted within the fortress, as well as along the walls of the buildings, causing the stone and living wood to shine in the sunlight.

Before they'd even gotten halfway to the dining hall, however, Erik called to them. The man was still dressed in his duty armor, and looked slightly haggard from lack of sleep. A woman was with him, also wearing armor though it was slightly more plain looking leather than Eriks ornate breastplate. They approached, and Erik nodded curtly to them and said; "Good morning, Lady Sera and Lady Alberik. I believe you mentioned that you would like an escort when you wished to leave here, and this woman is due to leave on a journey that will take her to both Therion and the Academy. I don't quite remember her name though, so I'll let her introduce herself." He turned to the woman, and then waited.

(IronAnt, insert yourself here.)
 
Re: Alberik and Blank (Shrike7 and IronAnt)

((Ha! I see your 9-ish paragraphs and respond with 9-ish of my own! take that!))

Alberik nodded as she listened to Sera's explanation, noting the quote in her speech and filing it away, in case she ever met the scribe in question. She did much the same as Erik spoke, smiling a bit as she accepted his peck on the fingers. "Until tomorrow, then." She said in parting as he left.

Sera made her 'hornball' comment, and several gears in Alberik's head that she had forcibly frozen earlier than night starting moving again, a rapid series of mental clicks shedding new light on earlier events. She laughed out loud in response, perhaps a bit too loudly, if the wine had anything to say about it. "Yes indeed. Quite the smooth talker, isn't he?" She said with another chuckle. "I should be fine, thanks. Looks like I've got some reading to do." She answers Sera's question, accompanied by a pat on the books.

Sera went to bed, and Alberik opened the first book. Unfortunately, once those gears started turning, they prove quite resistant to being stopped again. Alberik caught a glimpse of pale skin and turned out of curiosity, getting a rather full look of Sera as she undressed. reason told her to look away, but she couldn't bring herself to until after the other woman had turned off the lights in the bedroom. Thankfully, she hadn't looked back the entire time, so Alberik settled for mentally berating herself as she refocused back on the book in front of her.

She spent a fair number of hours studying, eventually coming across the revelation. With a flurry of energy she quickly went back and rechecked the references, coming to the conclusion that the item in her head was in fact around here, and most likely in the lich king's possession. That raised several questions about the other images in her head, but she let those go for now, and posed the problem of retrieving the artifact stew for a while.

Chances are zero that the creature would simply hand it over if asked, and if it managed to claw it's way to power and stay there for four hundred years, she would likely *not* be able to take it by force. She'd have to find powerful help of some kind, either people or other artifacts, most likely. Seeing as her hesitant plans already included travelling to places hopefully rife with both, they would be good places to start.

That decided, she figured the hour was late (or early) enough that bed would be considered an intelligent option, she decided to do just that. taking a good look at her path to the bed, she clapped the lights off in the main area and made her way over to the side of the bed Sera was not on, with only a minimum of stumbling around. Quickly stripping down herself, she climbed in under the blankets and was asleep in moments.

During the night, she had a dream. She was in a similar bedroom to this one, but a nearby window indicated that wherever she was was built in the top of a tree, or something similar. She herself looked elven, but her features were somehow muted, closer to a human's in some cases. There was a man there with her, human, with shoulder-length brown curls and a few day's growth on his face. They were both naked, cuddling on the bed and talking, though she couldn't make out was what said. Suddenly, the atmosphere of the dream began to change, growing darker. To her horror, the man himself seemed to wither, growing emaciated at first, then eventually rotting as she scrambled off the bed. His face decayed entirely and began to float away from the body, gems replacing teeth and filling the eye sockets as it cackled evilly and flew straight at her-

She jumped awake with a gasp to find she had shifted on the bed and had been trying to cuddle with Sera in her sleep. The sky outside had begun to hint at the first rays of daylight, but it was still obviously quite early. "Sorry..." She whispered quietly, in case she had woken the other woman up, rolling over and wrapping herself around her pillow instead. It took her a while to fall asleep again, but when she did, no further dreams came to her.

She did indeed have to be shaken awake when morning arrived, but only lightly. "Mmm? I'm not sure how late, I didn't see a clock." She answered without thinking. "Food sounds good." She said, pulling her clothes up from where she had left them on the floor, and getting dressed underneath the blanket. They were off shortly after that.

Erik called to them, and she turned to see the pair striding up. She smiled and offered her hand to the newcomer when the introductions were made. "Pleasure to meet you. Have either of you had breakfast yet? We were just headed to the dining hall."
 
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