Travel trouble

[Lady Edfeil]

Gregor had nae yet returned. Nae a word or missive. And Dieter had ridden out to assist goodwoman Cara and to help her return to Windstorm. She was glad for the worry that had been lifted over her travelling. Maire, Erlina and their friend were travelling with him. And she needed to go. She needed to visit Blackthorne and enclose Nichole within her arms, and find truth like Thomas once had.
She desperately needed to go to Caernarfon as well and visit the seamstress there to see to her wedding gown and to speak to Queen Caera Anne. As a friend, as a queen.. she needed council.
And then there was Valor's keep. She had been.. surprised to see that Raziel had chosen to reside so near to the lands of the old Citadel. Did that mean that the others were still alive? And what was the meaning of the dagger? 't was nae left in her chair the way White Knight's once was. It had been given as a gift, with nae a threat and the greatest kindness. Whatever the Master Sergeant had argued, she needed to travel there again, see for herself what had happened after the cataclysm she had witnessed, though how any could have survived she nae understood. Mayhap they too had run? Towards the hills mayhap?

She needed to travel. But iffen she took Dorian she would leave Windstorm without any of those ready to lead a defense or an attack in the case it would be needed. She would nae leave Rosen exposed thus, or Adel, or Mae or Dream. Or any of those she had sworn to care for.
She could nae travel alone either. Caernarfon was a possibility iffen she dared ask Ulbrecht to make the shorter voyage. The queen had allowed them priviledges to her personal dock. But they had nae yet visited Blackthorne.. could nae know of it's safety or lack thereof. And Valor's keep.. it's mere location was enough to make the Master Sergeant's expression uneasy. Yet she could nae postpone the journeys too long. The wedding was too close. A few more months and there would hardly be time to breath let alone travel. There was the knight whom last night had offered her his sword. He seemed capable of defending himself and others, but she could all but hear Dorian's reaction iffen she suggested a stranger as her sole defender save Lan. Nae to speak of Dieter when he returned and found out. She was queen, but nae ever had rank spared her of the wrath that was born out of love and devotion.

[Lady Edfeil]

She'd looked at things from all situations, she believed. She nae was a foolish woman trying to free herself from the restraints of rank and duty and she nae traveled without the appropriate escort. But what was appropriate. It was where she and Sergeant Lan had differed in mind. Her personal guard nae ever interfered with her plans, just tried to allow her to execute them safely. Yet this time he had spoken out against her wishes, claiming the time too dangerous with so many away that could escorting her.
She nae felt she could take the risk to ask Dorian. He'd be able to keep her safe in most circumstances but with Gregor still missing and Dieter travelling to bring Cara home, it would strip Windstorm of one of the last trained to take the lead in case of an attack as Ulbrecht would be the one sailing her. She knew the Captain of the Pretty Boat to be a most capable man, but for a journey to the unknown, the Glori and especially it's crew were more suited.

The journey to Caernarfon should nae be a problem. Blackthorne.. it was in the lowlands and they had nae been there, but there was nae an indication of any trouble within the lowlands. And then there were the old Citadel Lands. She had known that that request would be the one making Lan overly cautious, but it was overdue. And she nae was in the habit of hiding her plans, few of which had even been called objectionable.

Yet she had been arguing with the man, nae inclined to make an order that would override his duty. It was Dorian who had managed a compromise. He understood her wish nae to leave the castle without a trained knight. One who knew how to lead, just in case. But he would nae countenance her taking any risk of her own safety, so he'd insisted she would take nae just Lan but Gerben too. Lan was her personal guard and to get past him, one would be skilled indeed. The Master Sergeant however was more experienced and had more strategic insight in case there would be a trap. Not to mention that while he was less stealthy than Lan mayhap, he was a fierce fighter. Aside from those two, Hawkmoon insisted she would take double her usual retinue. It seemed.. elaborate. Yet she had nae seen fit to protest, save for his sake. How would Windstorm do with the toned down guards? To take twelve would make a significant impact. He'd assured her though that with the journey nae intended as a long one, it could be done well enough with some furloughs rescinded the only consequence.

And thus she had send for Ulbrecht, to find the Captain to her surprise as implacable as the tide. The journey to the Citadel's old grounds would nae happen. After hearing of the safety measures.. the larger retinue and both the Master Sergeant and the queen's personal guard even he nae saw too much of a problem in the journey to Caernarfon, though somehow she still had the impression he would have preferred her to remain in Windstorm until either Dieter or his uncle had returned. But he admitted that visit would nae pose much danger. After all they had made it many a time before and she had privileges to dock at the queen's private docks close to the castle, which would bring her straight in the safe arms of Caernarfon's guards and men at arms.
Blackthorne gave him pause. They had nae sailed to the lands before and knew naught iffen life was peaceful or iffen turmoil was brewing. She had tried to stand her ground there. They traded with the lowlands. Iffen there was a war they would know. Iffen there was trouble Lady Nichole would nae have sent for her. With proper inquiry beforehand, he and the Glori would make the trip. As to the Old Citadel lands... it was there when she would have found it easier to turn the tide before it's time than to move him. Beneath the happy go lucky exterior there was a man who would nae be swayed when his mind was made up. Their last experience on the Citadel grounds had nearly cost them all their lives. And nae before Dieter had returned would he consent in any way to have her travel there. He nae just spoke of the Glori. Something within his eyes, within his voice, within his arguments that things in Windstorm were nae yet settled the way they should, with an heir to take her place only hinted at, made it clear that the journey would nae be made at all, save iffen she were to outwit him. She was nae to deliver that insult. She knew the lands to be more adventurous than any other place she traveled, but.. they were their allies. And the visit was overdue.
Still.. she consented to wait. To send a missive first. After all, she could nae be away from Windstorm for too long.

Yet while she was contemplating how to send a messenger, another had entered. A face she nae had expected to see again so soon. And with it had come relief and a simple fondness of the scholar she knew as Raziel. She had spoken of their last visit to the place once known as the Citadel where now the new Keep was standing on but the flight of an arrow's distance in hushed tones only, the way one does of a fear that is too great to describe in proper words. His own assurance that she would nae been harmed had been soft spoken. And yet she had trusted it. Looking over at Ulbrecht though, she knew better than to fight a loosing battle. And thus a missive would be written, and her travel at least to Valor's Keep would be postponed until at least Dieter's return. Somehow.. she nae looked forward in trying to convince him of her safety in undertaking it.

[Lady Edfeil]

((letters to follow later on the letter thread))