Because Because Because Because Because...!!! (Mint & Winnow)

"My Trump of Iv will take us to a back alley in the Capital City of Iv, which is also named Iv. Once there I will need you to keep watch for a few minutes. Then depending on the time of day or night we shall either take the streets or rooftops to the first of three properties I own in Iv. the first destination, an apartment, none of my family have seen to my knowledge. Nonetheless, if Commander Julian followed my back trail he would have most likely found it. Also the flowers that served to start this trek might well have been purchased in that City. Before we enter I must speak with the locals who watch the place for me." Beggars.

Mint looks Winnow over carefully. "Your garments mark you as a man to be feared in Iv. Not a bad choice for the city, but we will need to change the cloak if we proceed to the second property. Some of my nicer neighbours are bears. Our second destination if the first proves fruitless will be the cottage where I spent my childhood. in that region the flowers in question actually grow. It seems like the next most likely place Julian might have left a message. Unlike the others it is known as my Father's and mine publicly and so almost any might have gone there." [i]...including my Mother.[/]

"The third property is a tower hidden in he mountains near the border with the deathly desert. I know of it well, but I have not visited it since Father died. It had and I suspect still has guards both living and mechanical as well as wards. If we get that far it seems almost certainly a trap. It also seems the least likely since the flowers do not grow in that vicinity. Indeed very little does given that a single grain of sand blown from that dessert will wither all but the strongest vegetation."

Mint produces a Trump of a somewhat grimy alley. The stones of a rose quartz are the most remarkable thing about it. She focuses her concentration.

"Good, the alley is empty."

Together they step through.

The Alley has seen better days. Freshly broken glass and bloodstains are visible. A bright pink smear of paint obscures but does not obliterate a graffiti reading 'Go Back to the Woods'. A bright green moon is barely visible in the overcast night sky.

Mint whispers to Winnow. "It seems that your cloak is in fashion. No one out at this hour but crooks and the watch. If we have to meet either lets hope for the crooks. Follow me."

Mint climbs the alley wall with practiced ease. It offers few handholds, but is not shear. If Winnow hesitates she will drop a rope for him.

Once they are both out of sight on the roof, Mint will stop and concentrate trusting Winnow to warn if they are spotted. She focuses her will for several long minutes with no effect that Winnow can see. Once done she smiles.

From there the two of them make their way stealthily across the city from rooftop to rooftop for a dozen blocks. None of the leaps between building require more than Amber strength to complete. Mint also carefully chooses a path where she knows the rooftops will be sturdy and in good repair.

Once near the apartment, Mint rouses a human beggar and slips him a coin. In a cant which to Winnow will seem like a near incomprehensible corruption of Thari, Mint asks, "Has anyone been seen at my rooms in the last week?"

Julian might have easily slipped in unobserved, but he might not have bothered. Beggars are easily overlooked.

"Your garments mark you as a man to be feared in Iv. Not a bad choice for the city, but we will need to change the cloak if we proceed to the second property. Some of my nicer neighbours are bears.

"I will change it as needed, by ordinary or mystical means. Everything is obtainable in Shadow. But bide a moment..." He opens his quarters back up, grabs the blanket off the bed, which happens to be an azure blue solid. "Here's a backup cloak..." He rolls it quickly and fastens it over the baldric, like a military roll. He is growing larger in bulk but he hardly feels the weight.

As soon as they step through, he will throttle the gleam of his armor to a deep midnight blue and the white squares turn a charcoal grey, almost black. Mint will find that the armor, being flexible and perfectly fitted, as well as able to be altered, makes very little sound. She notices his feet are bare, as they normally are, to eliminate sound. He will avoid the glass, though his feet are calloused and horny with use. If he must, he can armor the feet and step carefully for any particulary sharp patches.

When Mint starts climbing, he follows a bit more slowly. His balance and grip are not the problem; he could hang his near 400 pounds of self and equipment by two fingers if he must - his main concern is the handholds and making sure nothing breaks off or is too weak. He will always slow down to preserve them from noise or a fall. He will use armor-claws with needle-sharp tips if he needs it for purchase.

On the rooftop, he waits silently for Mint to do whatever she is doing. He listens carefully, opening his mind to the night sounds and smells, the vibrations through the building underfoot. He looks at the night sky, avoiding staring at the moon, preserving his night-vision. Then he follows, carefully as ever. He finds he very much wishes not to embarrass himself in this unfamiliar environment. In the urban jungle, he is probably at his worst in anything but a brawl.

Once they are back on the ground, he will try to fade into shadows, letting Mint talk to beggars or urchins or other shadow-trash. He knows how he would intimidate.

The beggar nods, saying "Queen's guards been by off and on--more and more of them about lately. Rumor has it someone claiming to be a scion of the House of Ivma is abroad, hidden in the weird forests. But your place? Guards come by and ask all around the neighborhood, asking about who lives there. Yesterday, a whole squad of them came and searched the place. Weird thing is--their commanding officer was new. None of them knew him. They were scared of him, though. Easy to see why--eyes like diamonds, face never moved until he smiled a little, and let me tell you that was terrifying. The guards whispered he was some kind of special officer of the Queen, a magic user. I believe it. He even wore different armor than the rest, for all they obeyed his every word. All white."

Mint slips the beggar two more coins of a larger denomination, one to pass on to the beggar lord and one for him to keep. Then she returns to Winnow.

Mint's voice rises just above a whisper. "Good news, my apartment got searched, reputedly by Malificent's guard, but interestingly enough a stranger in White Armor led the troops."

Mint pulls a ring of keys from her pouch and enters the building with care then makes her way to the apartment. She pulls a match and candle out and lights the second with the first. Before entering her apartment she examines the door carefully, especially the lock. Then she unlocks and opens the door to look about and see what has changed from her recollection. When she left the apartment had very little. She had a sleeping pallette, a chest with a few changes of clothes, a shelf with a few books, a handful of weapons displayed on the wall, and a good knife, lockpicks, and a pouch of coin hidden in a compartment in the chest.

If the room seems safe to enter she will do so, motioning Winnow to follow and then methodically check her belongings.

Clearly the place has been searched, with books strewn on the floor, the chest open and its obvious contents in a mess atop the sleeping palette.

"Winnow, would you please bring the Pattern to mind and see if there are any energetic traces about?"

Mint meanwhile checks her belongings starting with the contents of the hidden compartment in the trunk, then the trunk itself, then everything else. Except for the pallette everything should fit in the trunk and she does in fact pack the trunk with each item after checking for any alterations.

Does Mint find that any of her personal items have been altered in any way, or gone missing? Also does she find anything newly added?

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask them while I rummage."

Winnow dredges up the Pattern, a bit rusty with it. He uses it as he's been taught to look for things mystical. If he sees anything he will explain what he sees in a low voice, not whispering. Whispers carry more than quiet tones.

After he has done that, he quips in response, "The journey of a thousand mysteries begins with a single query." He looks around at the mess and what she's doing with it. "Will this all fit in the chest?"

After she's done packing, he fits anything (except his sarong and his Trumps) he can in the spare space in the chest - the extra cloak, the food - , and rigs a carrying strap through the handles if there is not one already, using whatever leather is handy - a strip from his bearskin if need be. One bulky thing is better than several, and a chest can take some knocking about. He will rig it like a heavy shoulder-bag, shoved behind into the small of his back, if Mint agrees with his carrying it. His armor flexes, forms rings, seizing the strap and handles to fix it in place.

"I really don't know where to start. Maybe you should outline the situation here?"

"Everything except the pallette. I move the apartment every year or two anyway."

Which situation?

"We have a favorable time ratio here so we should have no trouble getting back by morning even if we spend days. A man with eyes like diamonds, and a terrifying smile dressed all in white armor searched the place accompanied by the Malificent's men yesterday. It seems likely that either Julian or a competent impersonator is involved. It seems likely it is the same person who lured me here with the flowers."

"Malificent is the local head Witch and rhymes with Witch in charge of Iv at the moment, both the city and the land. The rebels have some supposed scion of Ivma the hereditary ruler that they want to replace her with. Politics."

Mint shrugs.

"I'm in good with the local beggars and thieves. They won't go to war with the Queen for me, but I can easily call in a favour or two at need."

"We may well be attacked. Locals don't worry me. If they have half a brain they will bring a Bear, a Lion, a Mechanical Man, or a Witch. If they brought all four that might make a decent workout for either of us, but not a serious threat. They are just Shadows after all. If this is a lookalike and not Julian then he might prove dangerous."

"I'd hoped to spend the night here and get to the cabin by spell in the morning. It's a three day ride from here on horseback while the spell requires an uninterrupted hour. I'm thinking cast it here and now and if a group of guards shows up in the meanwhile asking us politely to capture and interrogate them then we honour their request."

"Nice armor by the way. 101 uses."

When Mint finishes taking the stuff off her palette, she sees something new--something she knows beyond any sliver of doubt was not there before and certainly resembles nothing she has ever owned.

It is a key. Larger than average, of shiny iron--a skeleton design but with the 'teeth' much more curved than usual. And the oval handle of the key has an onyx worked into the circlet there. The onyx is three times the size of her thumb and the key seemingly was made to fit around the stone.

The key is just a little longer than Mint's hand. No way it fits any door or box here in the apartment. The size is wrong, even if she didn't know the teeth are of too unique a design.

"Thanks...I guess I mean, why are we here? I don't mind, mind you. Love to see new shadow places, meet new shadow people, and kill them." He smiles to show he is only half-serious. "Is this just about flowers? Or about Julian's absence? I think I missed a vital piece of this puzzle. Why do we care about this shadow? Is this your home shadow?"

"As for interlopers...I'd love a good brawl, if it doesn't upset your applecart too much. As for travel...we could cut through shadow, you concentrating and me keeping watch. This would provide us with any shadow-things we might need, avoid any intervening things in this place, and give me some reference points if I have to do something on my own or drag you out of something. But as you wish, it's your territory."

He grins at the armor comment. "Yes, Julian called it 'Swiss Armor.' Came close to laughing, he did, though he had to explain the reference to me. And then it wasn't funny any more. I'm indebted to him for its creation, though and fain would find out if he needs our help."

He looks at the key, denies any knowledge of it. "A gem...I am always suspicious of gems. Shadows of Amber, and all that. Big lock. Reminds me of the key to the Family basement..." His eyebrow arches significantly. "Might there be an analogue somewhere abouts?"

"We are here because Commander Julian disappeared and the family are worried. Before he disappeared he, or a very good facsimile, appeared near my room. When I got to my room I found flowers which came from this Shadow, my home. After I checked with everyone living who knew how to find this rather well hidden land and found that none had sent the flowers it seemed reasonable to consider that Julian might have found this place and used it as a message drop of sorts."

Mint holds up the key.

"This key seems to indicate that we are on the right track, albeit not to the end."

Mint stows the key carefully in a pouch on her belt.

"Leaving this place with Pattern will work as well as it might elsewhere, but finding it again? That would prove a masterclass project I'm afraid. Dad hid this Shadow rather well from all means save Trumps. Because of my ties to this place I might lead you here, but that seems chancy at best."

"If we do get attacked, I would like someone alive to question, but do as you wish with the rest."

"I have heard of Swiss, a type of Shadow chocolate I think. Aunt Florimel had some once. I have no idea how that relates to your Armor."

"I think I need to check the other two properties here for what this key unlocks. If the correspondence does not show in these places then we will need to search in Shadow."

"The fact of the key makes me think it unlikely that we will face attack here before I finish my spell. Still, soonest started, soonest done."

With that Mint sits herself on one end of the sleeping pallette with her back to a wall and starts to concentrate. Soon strange inhuman words emerge from her throat and odd sigils appear faintly glowing in the air. The process continues for the better part of an hour.

"I had nearly forgotten the ease with which magic flows here."

Mint smiles.

"I hold the spell of transport in my mind. I think that the woods outside the tiny village of Brandsburg will serve us best. I would not want to disturb the neighbors or try appearing inside the cottage."

Mint will make sure before they depart that Winnow has no bit of bearskin visible.

"Any further questions before the next leg of our journey? I do look forward to introducing you to Corwin and Deirdre. They have known me since I was a child, or as they would say, a cub."

Mint wrote:"We are here because Commander Julian disappeared and the family are worried. Before he disappeared he, or a very good facsimile, appeared near my room. When I got to my room I found flowers which came from this Shadow, my home. After I checked with everyone living who knew how to find this rather well hidden land and found that none had sent the flowers it seemed reasonable to consider that Julian might have found this place and used it as a message drop of sorts."

"Thank you. Since their answer to me was in essence, 'don't worry'...all right, now I understand. We are exceeding our instructions in the face of complacency. This pleases me." Grin.

"This key seems to indicate that we are on the right track, albeit not to the end."

"Yes, something left deliberately for us to find. For you, I mean. Which is only so fortunate as the intentions of whomever left it. But it seems a bit elaborate for a trap...unless, of course, that's the way it is supposed to seem."

"If we do get attacked, I would like someone alive to question, but do as you wish with the rest."

"I will endeavor to succeed in that...but shadow dwellers are notoriously fragile." He flexes his hands, as if wishing to use them in battle. "Julian told me of a thing called a Swiss Army Knife, a kind of a tool with many fittings and uses. One can see the analogy."

Winnow will guard as she works her magicks, divesting himself of encumbrance, withdrawing the armor to cover from knees to neck, sleeveless, an excellent compromise between handiness and protection. Once she is ready, he will re-extend it to near maximum - head to toes, nothing but his palms and face-grille open.

When prompted, he tosses the bearskin in a corner. "The blanket will serve well enough," he says. "I would not like to offend your friends. Corwin and Dierdre? A mated pair? Humorous, and a bit scandalous. The Kier would approve." He then steps behind her and touches her on the shoulder, lightly, as if using Trump.

"I am ready."

"I have lived around Elders all my life and they still confuse me. Half the time they ask for the simplest things and seem surprised I don't fall on my face. The other half they give these complex byzantine directions and nudgings that only make sense retroactively if then. Julian is usually more straightforward than this, but it isn't beyond his range. It even makes some sense. By splitting the target into at least two parts he greatly reduces the possibility that anyone but we will complete the set."

Mint merely shrugs at the fragility of Shadow dwellers. She seems utterly unperturbed at the possibility that Winnow might accidentally kill all attackers.

"The knife sounds useful and the chocolate was tasty. Maybe someday I will have to visit Shadow Swiss and see the wonders there. It sounds almost as popular as Nexus."

"Dad loved his little jokes. Most of the Aunts and Uncles had namesakes here when I was growing up, excepting Bleys, and Fiona of course since they visited from time to time. I doubt they twins would like it as much if I introduced them to Eric, one of the most disagreeable Warthogs I have ever met."

When Winnow says he is ready, Mint pronounces a few strange syllables and a shimmering appears in the air by one wall of the room. Through the shimmering, semi-transparent trees and a hillside appear. Mint peers carefully before stepping through. Once on the other side she takes a few minutes to look around. Some stars are visible beyond the canopy of trees. Most plants have a purplish tinge. A cinnamon odor is very noticeable. The weather is a few degrees warmer here. Once Winnow has stepped through and Mint has satisfied herself with the destination, she speaks another few syllables and the shimmering in the air disappears.

"We're safe here til morning. I sleep lightly enough that I'm not worried about setting a watch. We can catch a few hours sleep, play a few games, or chat a bit. I admit I'm curious about the capabilities of that armor of yours, the lands where you grew up, as well as the prophecy you mentioned, but none of those seem urgent."

"Then I am fortunate to call Gerard my patron and sponsor. I find him to be subject to the first problem, but seldom the second."

"I too would like to visit Swiss. I would like to have a Swiss Army Knife and taste the chocolate. I understand it is near the Shadow Earth of Corwin's exile."

"Eric? A warthog? A beast of ugly temper, but very cunning and dangerous...do you think that is an accurate portrayal of the dead Prince? Did you know him?" he asks mildly. "I have heard so many different opinions, from this implied one, to The Kier's ancestor-worship. He visited me when I was a boy in Tagaloa...I remember him as cheerful and kind, always willing to teach me something new, tell me stories of Amber...he taught me Koroa." A wistful look comes over Winnow's face for a moment.

After the transport, little different from a Trump it seems, Winnow will reconnoitre the area, then settle down and make himself comfortable. If he feels safe he will catch a couple of hours of sleep before the morning's light. He breaks out the food and shares, cutting pieces with a blade projection of armor.

If he has time and they are both awake together, he will answer Mint's questions about his armor and his homeland of Tagaloa. [suggest you send me a PM and we can do this Q&A in a time bubble]. he will also recite Nimue's outburst, falling naturally into a poetic rhythm.

The Lost One Sleeps And Her Children Run Rampant!
"Daughters Love And Brothers Scheme And Wives Lead
While Husbands Draw Arms!
Walls Crack And Fall!
Eyes Whisper!
All The Lost Now Find Their Way!
And The Young White And Blue Travels Far,
To The Farthest Edge Of The Golden Orb And Mounts The Stairs
Where The Unicorn Once Stood!"

******

Later he teaches her the basics of Koroa. He extrudes a board by his knee as he sits on his heels on the ground, conveniently covered with blue and white squares. He pulls out the blue and white pieces from the chest.

"Notice the board is nine squares by nine instead of eight by eight. Instead of a King you have an Island. The island is immobile but may be placed on any back row square at the start of the game. Blue must place his or hers first, then White places the Island and a major piece, then Blue places two major pieces, then White two, and so on through the major and minor pieces. The Major pieces must go on the back row. The minor pieces go on the next row. The center square of the board is also an island. Normally boards will be so marked, but as we are using a makeshift...you must remember. Hmmm, perhaps this will serve..." He takes his thumb and smears a bit of cheese on the center square to mark it.

"The goal is to capture the opposing Island. You do this by moving a piece onto it and staying there for one turn. You may only move onto the enemy Island from an adjacent square. For this reason many conventional players put their Island in one corner where there are only three adjacent squares, though if both were to do so they lie along the same diagonal, corner to corner..." He continues to explain the game, a bit haphazardly, in a natural manner, rather than an organized one, for as long as they have, until morning.

At one point both Winnow and Mint see something in the air. Something that doesn't look right. Eventually it flies near enough for them to get a good look.

It is a reindeer. Flying. It has no wings. For the world it looks exactly as if it runs along an invisible road in the sky.

And it looks at them before turning and striding away as fast as its hooves can carry it.

Winnow points silently to the flying animal. Raises one eyebrow in question. It's your shadow...you explain it.

"Eric the Warthog is a Great Burgher and possessor of status beyond that of most of his species. He makes sure that Everyone he meets knows it. I never met Prince Eric. Indeed other than Bleys and Fiona I never met any Aunts or Uncles before I came to Amber. I only know of him what others have said."

Mint's tone suggests some dislike for Prince Eric, but she doesn't vocalize it.

(OOC: Will send PM)

"If Isabel is the Lost One referenced then that at least bodes well. Daughters love may connect to the Ace of Cups. I think this all connects in some way to the Crimson Unicorn business, but that's almost purely guesswork."

As soon as the unusual thing appears in the sky Mint strings her crossbow and forms her rope into a lasso.

Mint mouths the words "Maleficent's spy" to Winnow before reattaching the crossbow to her backpack and taking to the trees.

The canopy of trees forced the creature to get perilously close before it could get a good look at them and vice versa. As the creature turns Mint tosses the lasso around its antlers. Locking her legs around the branch she is on, Mint pulls on the lasso with a smooth practiced motion. She knows her strength and she refuses to yank in such a way that it would break the antlers. Unless the creature is skilled enough to dodge the lasso or strong enough to break her grip it will move slowly and inexorably back toward Mint

Winnow will assist any way he can, though following her into the trees is not his idea of a good time. If the rope she draws on hangs to the ground he will take its end as a backup belay. Wouldn't do to have the thing drag her off into the sky.

When Mint sees Winnow coming into position below her she drops the end of the rope to him.

Nice to have backup. This thing might be stronger than me, but no way it is stronger than both of us.

The flying reindeer bleats and tries to pull away, but of course its strength is no match for not one but two Amberites. At least things make that much sense here. Pretty soon, as it nears Mint and Winnow, the creature opens its mouth and issues a sound. It resembles a whale song, or perhaps a higher-pitched version of Treebeard's great cry out to other Ents in the movie The Two Towers. It echoes for miles.

"Now you've done it!" says a deep but small voice at Mint and Winnow's feet. Whichever one of them looks will see a squirrel sitting on his hind legs looking up at them, shaking his head. "Unicorn only knows what that thing just summoned!"

Mint quickly silences the flying creature, but the damage is done. Within moments she has the Reindeer tied up like a prize steer with a loop of rope acting as a muzzle. Cradling the bound beast in her arms she jumps to the ground.

Force of habit means that Mint's pack is ready to go where she left it.

She manages to convey in a gaze that she would consider it a good idea for Winnow to gather their belongings quickly.

To the squirrel she says, "Would you like to come with us? I suspect that you will find it somewhat safer than the alternative. For what it is worth I subscribe to the ancient conventions."

(OOC: The ancient conventions essentially give talking animals and other sentient beings rights similar to humans. They also explicitly forbid eating anything that can talk. Unfortunately not everyone these days abides by the restrictions.)

If they come by magic, they could arrive in seconds. If by flight then we have minutes at least.

The squirrel tilts his head. "No offense, but I don't want to be caught with you when whatever answers that creature's call. But good luck!" With that the squirrel races back to the nearest wooded area. Fast.

Mint sets down her captive for half a second while slinging on her pack. Ready to go, she checks Winnow's progress.

Then she turns to her captive. "If you try that call again I break your neck. Are you smart enough to talk or dumb enough for me to eat you?" She slips the muzzle off.

Fortunately I grew up here and I know these woods like the back of my hand. Once I know whether to keep our captive alive, I feel confident we can get away from anyone or anything here.

"Blitzen" says the reindeer, "Obersturmführer, Serial number 1509. That is all I am required to tell you." It has a mildly Germanic accent.