Visiting the Folks (Part 2)
"It's me they want, Papa. D-" Dolan stops short, and looks for all the world like a little boy who almost just cussed in front of his mama. "Um, I don't know who, and I don't know why, but it's me they want." He draws a long, shaky breath. That was close - too close. "Andie -" He turns to Andelena, staring at her seriously. "What was your mother doing here? I'm not saying that she's got anything to do with the demons, but I have no idea why she'd come out to a place like this. I thought this was beneath her."
Andelena looks as sober as can be, watching Dolan's parents embrace and watching Dolan step in through the door. She takes a deep breath in and slowly lets it out through her nose, centering herself for the moment she needs.
"I think it's pretty simple," she says. "I'm the black sheep of the family. The embarrassment. I didn't play mommy dearest's stupid little power games. I didn't want to marry whatever rich old man with grown kids she wanted to marry me off to so I could become the new mother-in-law to my own damn brothers when they married his daughters." Andelena's contempt for her mother is dripping in her words. "Naturally, when I presented you to her and made it clear I'd be marrying you, and that I was an adult capable of making my own decisions, that's when I stopped being her easy little solution for her stupid little games."
She looks back to Brydion's parents. "My guess is that she came here to... make sure you both were really just farmers. That you didn't have anything she could take or exploit. Besides that ivory brush, of course."
But the look in her eyes and her tone of voice suggests pretty clearly that she's mulling over the other possible undertones of her mother's visit--undertones that sound like Andelena's suspicious.
"It's tempting to assume the two are connected, but... I presume your mother isn't a complete idiot, Andelena." Telamon's voice is calm, mellifluous, and soothing. "So I assume she wouldn't attempt 'consorting with ye powers of darkness' just for a giggle."
The half-elven sorcerer rubs his chin. "It's very odd. But right now we do have an issue -- namely, that these demons will return here." He fixes Dolan's father with a stern gaze. "I appreciate your concern for the animals, sir. But this is your life, and the life of your wife, we are talking about. These creatures will not content themselves with a clean kill, either. They love to go in for possession, taking control of a mortal, and using that person to wreak havoc."
"I will not abandon you to them, sir, but I would ask you to listen to your son, and flee."
Dolan's father chuckles lightly at his son's expression and words while the man's mother gives him a distinctly disapproving glance but it only lasts a few moments. "What does that woman - your mother - have to do with demons on our doorstep? And what are we going to do about them?" This is from Dolan's father, offered in a very no-nonsense manner.
Telmaon's words makes the farmer think for a long moment and finally he nods and sighs. "I suppose you're right. I don't much like it, but it's better than something happening to one of us." He looks at his wife lovingly and she smiles back at him. For just a moment it's not hard to imagine them much younger. "We'll leave."
While the others are talking, Dolan's thinking, scratching his head as he does so. "I've seen those shadow demons before, Mama, Papa. Something's after me and Andie, and I've got to find out why. Give the animals a good feed and leave the stall and barn doors open. Animals know when things like that are around, and they won't stick around. They'll run. Leave the gates open, and I know a ranger who can track 'em down when it's safe. Do the barn cats have kittens yet this year?"
"As for you, I can put you two up in the city for a little while. The city's got wards."
"Dolan's asking me about my mother, because he wants to know if she'd be the reason why they're here," Andelena says, with an utterly serious edge to her voice. "I... Know it's utterly incomprehensible for just about anyone here to sit here and think, 'That woman's really comfortable with the idea that her mother's responsible for demon summoning?' But..."
Her hands ball into fists. "I'm not saying yes, it's her, but she has means by way of wealth, and she has motive. She even /was/ here. Where there's smoke, there's almost always fire, and... I can't ignore fire."
She sighs again and looks worn out altogether. "Poor animals don't deserve that fate," she says. And then... the kittens are mentioned, and her hand goes to her mouth. "Daeus, please, not the kittens. I'd /cry/." Her voice even breaks a little at the idea of a demon hurting them.
Telamon clears his throat. "A moment. Ah, how many animals -are- there?" His eyes twinkle. "Because, you know, it's not like I can't make return trips. Probably need to bring Dolan along to animal-wrangle, but if we can get them to Alexandria, I'm sure I can find places for 'em. Granaulg is still building his stock up again after the wights, so I know he's got some empty stalls."
He looks at Andelena, evidently not having really caught onto this aspect of her personality, but he doesn't smile or laugh. Instead, he simply shrugs. "I know desperate people do desperate things, but... I feel like I'm missing something here."
"No kittens until the spring." Dolan's dad answers, but it's clear he doesn't like the thought of letting his animals run free but... There's not much choice. "I'll do as you say though. Hope your friend doesn't mind coming all the way out here.... But we'll feed them. Least we can do as thanks right honey?"
He nods to his wife and she seems to gather herself with a nod. The farmer heads toward the door to do as his son had suggested. She puts a hand on Dolan's shoulder. "Don't let him go out alone? Just in case those things come back sooner?"
Dolan's father stops near the door and shakes his head. "No, that's too much to ask. You might get stuck here in the dark and... I won't have Brydion's friend hurt for the loss of a few animals."
"Andie can handle demons as well as I can. You two stay here." Slinging the harness of his greatsword across his shoulders again, Dolan turns to kiss Andelena on the cheek. "Nobody goes alone. Two will make quicker work of this. Andie or Tel, you might want to call the Knight's daylight while we're gone."
On the matter of the friend, "Dirk won't mind as long as you don't mess up his beard." A quirk of a grin for that. "You two pack what you'll need."
Andelena sighs with relief when it's at least revealed there are no barn kittens. "I don't know how Patches would do with tinier kittens than herself in our apartment, anyway," she remarks. It appears she was fully intending on finding the little cat-seeds and saving them from the clutches of the demon if they did exist.
She turns to Telamon. "Between you and me, married man, I think we can hold down the fort here," she says. "But I think I'll go put my armor back on."
Telamon nods politely, but lets Dolan and his father head out. "Don't tarry." His eyes move to Dolan's mother, and Andelena. "Probably a safe move. Trusting demons to keep their word strikes me as a profoundly stupid idea."
He hmms, making a little gesture. "Lumos," and a ball of shimmering light appears on one of his rings. That done, he opens up his haversack, reaching in to remove a flask. "Some tea, ma'am?" He offers her a reassuring smile. "Remember, where there is life, there is hope."
The two men head outside to release the animals, and Dolan's mother starts packing a few things for the trip. Including a huge meal. The moment someone looks at her sideways for packing the food up she simply points out that everyone is going to have to eat eventually and it'd be a shame to waste the food. After a few long moments Dolan and his father returns with a kitten in tow.
The feline jumps out of Dolan's father's arms the moment that they enter the front room and hides under the couch. It's an adorable calico and the man curses as the animal hides itself away. "I think that one of the neighbor's cats had an unseasonable litter and this one got left behind."
Dolan trails his father inside, closing the door behind him. "That gives them the best chance, Papa," he's saying. "Mama, I can take more than you'd think, if you want to take a little more." For the first time, Dolan's cheeky grin is wide. "Anything else we need to lock up? I put the wood tools away, too, while we were out there." He rubs absently at the side of his neck.
"Oh man. Andie, Patches' string on a stick, can you make something like that? That'll be the best way to get it out."
Andelena's dressed in her full suit of plate armor when Dolan and his father come back in... which means she is very unprepared for the adorable feline. "Oh my goodness, look at you. Such a pretty girl," she coos in her special voice only used for complimenting cats--
And then the kitten ducks under the couch. She pouts. "Ohh, poor thing. So scared. I know, I know, I'm a big scary lady..."
She looks up at Dolan... and she grins. "Actually, I keep some of those little dried fish flakes on me if I ever pass a hungry stray while on duty back in the city," she says as she draws out a little tin box from her knapsack. She opens it up and puts a bit on the floor. The smell is unmistakable. That is to say, it's fishy. "C'mere sweetheart, mama's got more for you~"
Telamon opens his mouth, then wisely shuts it. He's a fool, not an idiot. While Andie's luring the kitten back out from under the couch, Telamon looks to Dolan and his parents. "We won't even need to leave the house. I'll aim us for that outer watchtower we left from." He pauses, and his eyes soften. "I know it's no more my fault than it is Dolan's, or Andie's, but I'm sorry for what's happened. All we can do is try to set it right."
A little paw pokes out from under the couch. Then a little black nose. Golden eyes peer forth from the shadows of the couch and then duck back into the dark. Paw. Paw. Paw. It flickers back and forth. Searching for the tasty treat.
Dolan's mother takes this chance to pack more stuff.
Dolan's father watches with bemusement and shakes his head. "That sounds good Telamon. Thanks for your help. Come on honey, we should get going before its too late." She sighs and brings their bags around for Dolan to carry. Including the massive basket of food.
Dolan takes the burden he's handed, but sets the burdens at his feet and waits, watching Andie try to fish the kitten out from under the couch.
"C'mon, baby, come on out~" Andelena continues to call to the little calico kitten under the couch. She even puts out more of the fish treats on the floor. Eventually, the tri-color wonder must come out for some of those yummy-smelling snacks!
"I'll have her out in a moment, don't worry. Just don't want to leave this little sweetheart behind," she informs Dolan, Dolan's parents, and Telamon. She's still talking in the adorable cat voice.
Telamon continues, resolutely not reacting to Andie kitten-talking by the couch. "Once we're there, I can conjure up mounts or just put the baggage on a floating disk. When we reach the gates, Dolan and Andelena can give the particulars, and we'll find a place to put you up till we've got this unscrambled."
His face grows slightly hard. "I've seen this dance before, I don't like it much, and if her mother -is- playing with fire like this, well..." His lips tighten. "It's not like Ainasse Son'doriel's walking out of -her- prison cell any time soon either."
"If Andie's mother is responsible, I'll have her hauled before the holy tribunals," Dolan snarls, hands full of baggage handles, still watching Andie with the kitten. "Selentia or not, Myrrish law has no mercy for those who consort with the Hells." His entire features, both sides, are twisted into a thunderous expression.
Eventually, after a bit, the kitten is lured out. It launches itself at the fish, and then clammors happily into Andelena's grasp. Which makes it easy for you all to gather together and ready yourselves for transportation. Dolan's parents are ready to go, though they clearly have no idea of what to expect. The kitten burrows into the crook of Andelena's arm and purrs like an engine.
Dolan's words in particular have Dolan's mother patting him gently in response. Worried about his anger. But she doesn't say anything about it. Possibly being chased out of her home by demons makes her a little unsympathetic with whomever might be responsible.
Telamon beckons everyone in, making a quick sweep with his eyes. "Alright." As Andie, Dolan, and Dolan's parents all link hands, he places his hands on them briefly before chanting, "Kaskal, nu siten, ula'ulla!" A soft crackling of energy, and a shimmering globe of light wraps around the five people and their luggage, whisking them away...
GAME: Telamon casts Teleport. Caster Level: 12 DC: 22 GAME: Telamon rolls 1d100: (50): 50
Everyone lands safely where Telamon intends, and all that's left is to truck everyone into the city...
"This'll be for just a few days right?" Asks Dolan's mother curiously. "We'll be home in no time." Surely that's true.
-End