Arkady watches and listens to the exchange, hoping that his sense of danger will warn him before anything bad happens.
Mierul pauses after Yagello's outburst, then laughs loudly, sounding like musical bells echoing between the frozen walls. "You amuse me, foreigner, but I am merely a guest in this hall, so I know not of the daily activities of every servant in each nook!"
She looks toward Cervin, staring icily in return. "I enjoy song and food, which is why I invite you to sit down. If you continue to insist on being so rude, I am not a helpless creature, either.
Cervin maintains his gaze, and detects a faint evil in this blue-skinned fey.
Weary, injured, and violent, Cervin stares daggers at Meirul.
"Let me be perfectly clear about what we are doing. Nadya's daughter has been kidnapped. We are here to retrieve her. You can either get out of our way and leave this place, aid us, or attempt to stop us. This may be somewhat abrupt as you are a guest here. Please make your choice."
Meriul thinks for a moment before responding. "All right. My belonging are in a guest room through there," she nods to the doorway to the right of the group, at one end of the table. "If you would permit me to gather my things, I would rather not be involved in this nonsense."
Yagello pulls his emotions back a bit, and his face returns to its normal color.
"You've made a wise choice, Meriul. I have no desire to confront you either, but I also won't suffer any tricks at your hand."
He gestures to the doorway the fey just referred to, "Surely, you won't mind if Cervin and I escort you to your room and back..."
Always trusting, the paladin nods and slightly lowers his bow.
"Thank you. Gather your things."
Meriul nods and walks across the room towards the door. She opens the door, revealing a long curving corridor, still as icy as the walls elsewhere. Yagello and Cervin follow as she takes not a step before reaching the first door. She opens this door to reveal a small bedroom, and walks across the room to a chest near the far wall. She glances over her shoulder briefly to see Yagello and Cervin watching before discreetly pulling a small key from a pouch.
"I will need a moment to change and gather my things, if you do not mind." She smiles coyly as she notes Yagello's obvious discomfort.
Nadya's eyes dart between the many doors in both the dining hall and the hallway. "Too easy ambush here. We must move quickly, or go down to place we can defend."
"Let's resume the search ... where haven't we looked yet?"
"Agreed, let's move," says Cervin over to Nadya.
As he moves he lowers his voice. "I can sense the evil in her heart, we must be vigilant."
Cervin makes his way to the door beside Yagello, listening for a moment before opening it and checking inside.
Yagello blushes deeply at Meriul's mischievous little smile, and he turns his back to the fey.
"Um,ah,ah,um... Of course, take what time you need," he stammers nervously.
Yagello straightens himself back to his full height and regains his composure. He also listens at the adjacent door for a quick second before looking inside as well.
Meirul takes a moment to gather her things, and heads to the crystal floor plates in the dining room, leaving the party behind. Yagello notices while looking out the window in Meirul's room that they are noticeably higher up in the tower on this level.
Yagello and Cervin look down the hallway, and sees a total of three more doors. They take turns listening at the door, and hearing nothing, open the door.
Iniside, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves line the walls of this sprawling chamber. A massive mirror hangs on the western wall. An ornate wooden table, covered with open texts and lit candles, and six chairs sit in the middle of the room. A white-haired woman looks up from a book at the intrusion. She chants a few lines from a scroll next to her book, and stands up to challenge the intrusion. "Hvem er du, og hva virksomheten har du i her?"
Cervin groans and looks over to Arkady and Nadya for help with the language.
"Normally when I storm a tower I expect more armed resistance and fewer people quietly reading or inviting us to dinner."
"Vi er besøkende, men vi har blitt skilt. Har du sett et barn?"
"Hvem har invitert deg inn i Blek Tårnet?" the woman stands up and draws her sword. "Du ser ikke ut til å være fra disse landene, og vi ikke imot ubudne gjester her." She reads off another scroll on the table, and her blade begins to glow.
She then stops, and looks towards Nadya, who is growing anxious at the exchange. "Et barn, skjønt? Hvorfor du ser for et barn trenger?"
"A child, though? Why do you look for a child?"
"Vennligst, min datter Thora tatt her, hvor hun blir holdt til fange." Nadya pleads with the white-haired woman. "Vil du ikke vise barmhjertighet?"
The woman with the glowing longsword laughs. "Hvis datteren din er en fange av den Bleke Tårnet, så du vil aldri få henne tilbake." She gestures to the bookshelves. "Jeg har gjort min lesning, og dette er en grusom land, med en grusom historie. Hvis du ikke kan klare seg selv, vil du ikke trives."
Cervin stares blankly at the woman but gets ready for a fight as she grabs her longsword and laughs. Unable to really contribute much, he keeps his bow lowered, but ready for a fight.
Yagello draws his blade as well in response to the woman's actions but keeps it lowered for now.
The frustration on his face is evident as he looks from side to side trying to make out any familiar words from the foreign tongue being spoken around him.
Arkady translates the woman's words for Cervin and Yagello, while watching Nadya for her reaction.
"She says that we are unlikely to retrieve a prisoner of the Pale Tower. She doesn't seem menacing, just cruel."
Yagello waves his arm dismissively at the white-haired woman and tries to reassure Nadya.
"Nadya, don't listen to her ravings. She doesn't know what she's talking about. Do you think anyone would have predicted we would defeat most of this garrison single-handedly? Or a troll? Have faith and we shall rescue your daughter yet!"
He also turns to Arkady, "Have your gathered what this woman's role is here? Is she another guest like Meriul or someone in the command structure?"
"She said 'we do not like uninvited guests', so she appears to belong here. Beyond that, I don't know. Regardless, she doesn't seem to know anything about the girl."
Cervin scowls.
"This is starting to sound bad no matter what. I do not see any indication they keep prisoners here. The guards at the least would know of a jail or something like that."
He inhales slowly, his eyes still fixed on the strange woman.
"Tell her that we are going to continue looking for Thora, and it would be good for her to tell us how to reach the next level of the tower. I believe the higher we go, the better our answers."
"Vi kommer til å fortsette å se etter min datter," Nadya tells the woman, still a big agitated. "Vil du stå på vår måte?"
The woman at the desk shrugs. "Jeg er opptatt med slektsforskning i øyeblikket." She gestures to the open book on the table, and the surrounding scrols. "La meg være her i biblioteket, og jeg vil tillate deg å unnslippe uskadd."
Nadya turns to Yagello and Cervin in an attempt to translate. "She is reading family books, and can we let go if leaving alone. We move next rooms, yes?" She begins to head back to the hallway.
Cervin lowers his bow, nodding once.
"Strange place. Let's continue."
He steps back into the hallway, looking up and down it.
"A book would be a good idea for later, I need to pick up this language. I'm starting to get the hang of it, but not quite there. How about we continue down the hallway? Less chance of getting boxed in."
As Cervin points down the hall, Arkady motions to the nearer door . "We should check here first, if that door has others beyond it, it will save us backtracking."
Cervin sweeps a hand out to Arkady.
"I'm here to save souls and shoot things. At your discretion."
Arkady opens the door . Inside, the scent of perfume fills the air of this small bedroom where several dresses styled for a Taldan noblewoman lie neatly arranged on the bed. A mirrored vanity and chair sit by the door next to a wooden chest, and a larger mirror hangs on the wall between two windows.
A woman with red hair stands in the middle of the room, and turns towards the open door. "Thank goodness, you've saved me! If only they could send a proper rescue party for me..." As the woman turns, Arkady is surprised to see Lady Argentea, the same one that they had initially set out to rescue, that they had rescued from the raiders in the cellar of the lodge back in Taldor!
Cervin's jaw drops as he stares at Argentea.
What the... no! That doesn't make any sense! This has to be a glamour or something.
"M... my Lady! Begging your pardon, how did you end up in Irrisen?"
Cervin leans over and whispers to Arkady.
Perhaps detect magic. I don't trust this.
Caught by surprise, Arkady drops into Varisian. "Cum sunteţi aici?"
He then catches himself, switching to Taldane. "I'm sorry, but haven't we rescued you already?"
He makes a ring of his finger and thumb and peers between them, speaking a magic phrase that the others by now know well.
Yagello also jumps back in shock at the sight of Lady Argentea exclaiming, "By the golden lanterns of Taldor, What's going on here?!"
He quickly regains his composure and addresses the noblewoman directly, "My lady, there is much foul magic afoot in these walls. A common man such as myself can be easily deceived, so please indulge me for a moment. Pray tell, who is the ruler of our great nation of Taldor?"
He listens to her response very carefully.
The woman stands up straight to address the group, attempting to straighten her clothes before beginning. "I was kidnapped by those foul men at the roadside, and taken through the portal. It's been a terrible ordeal ever since, and I've tried to forget the worst of what has happened, but I can most certainly say that I am not rescued... yet."
She then turns to Yagello, and huffs once, "And as for you, how dare you insult my intelligence with your inane questions. We live to serve Grand Prince Stavian III, of course, for as long as Pharasma allows him to serve." Yagello listens intently, but she answers his question correctly, and she does not appear to be lying. "Now are you my rescuers, or some annoyances sent by my captors?" Lady Argentea puts one hand on her hip, in a posture of annoyance.
Arkady watches the woman as well through the ring made by his thumb and finger, and detects a faint aura coming from the woman. However, he is unable to decipher any details pertaining to the nature of the magic.
Cervin looks keenly at Argentea, remembering his intense dislike of the noblewoman.
I suppose if Arkady sees some sort of glamour that will correct us. That said, even if she doesn't care about us peasants it's insane she doesn't recognize us, or at least ask where Igmar is who was kindest to her. I'll give her slightly inaccurate information and see if she corrects the difference.
"Pray forgive our suspicions, my Lady. There are strange glamours and fey creatures. I must ask - why do you ask if we are rescuers or not? We rescued you on the other side of the portal. We delivered you safely to the temple in Heldren. Very recently. To be kidnapped once is unfortunate, to be kidnapped twice is careless."
Arkady discreetly shrugs at Cervin, attempting to convey that he sees magic but can't discern it.
"Do you not recognize us, m'Lady?"
Yagello dismisses the woman's poor attitude with a wave of his hand, "As common and unbearded as we may be, truly you must remember our faces? You may live to serve Stavian III, but we do NOT live to constantly be your rescuers..."
He makes no effort to hid the derision and contempt in his voice.
Lady Argentea looks between the men and Nadya, and has a slight look of confusion on her face. "I'm afraid your previous rescue was a sham, for I have been here the entire time. It must have been some imposter or look-a-like that you rescued instead. The likes of you no doubt confuse up from down just as easily as two completely different women." She pauses to ensure that the insult sinks in, and addresses Cervin directly. "I ask if you are rescuers, for I have met all manner of slovenly guards since my capture and imprisonment, and I was hoping for a more elegant rescue party."
Despite her protests, the woman does look like a mirror image of the woman the men had rescued back in Heldren.
Cervin stares at Argentea, already irritated.
Too many lies. I need to get better at picking them up. But she radiates magic and the story doesn't make sense. Let's try this.
"A woman one room over told us there are no prisoners kept here. This is also the nicest prison I have ever seen. Rather than a prisoner, you seem far more like a co-conspirator! Where is Nadya's daughter?!"
The lady takes a step back, her expression turns into a frown of disgust. "How dare you accuse me of being a conspirator of some crime? Who is Nadya, and why do I know anything of her daughter?"
Nadya steps forwards at her name, staring icily at the well-dressed woman.
"Well, I suppose I know Nadya now," the woman dismisses Nadya callously with her hand. "However I know nothing of a daughter. I have been imprisoned here for days now, and just because my door is not locked, I know what imprisonment feels like." She takes a breath before continuing. "If I leave this room, dozens of guards and fey that I saw on the way in are waiting to stop me, so I have not ventured outside this door. And if I sneak away, I am dressed for summer in Taldor, not winter in this wasteland of a country." She sighs and sits down on her bed.
Cervin tries to sense some hole in her story, but it seems to make sense.
Arkady tries to think about their previous experience, and wonders, could the first Argentea have been an imposter?
Yagello drops his arms in frustration, unable to make any sense out of their interactions with this woman.
Damned magic! Who is the real Lady Argentea?
He rubs the bristles on his chin and decides to try a different tact with her. "My lady, what can you tell us about your captors? Or the layout of this floor?"
Arkady thinks back to the first Lady Argentea. She behaved much like this one, and they had no way to suspect that she was fake.
"I haven't seen much," Lady Argentea says to Yagello. "There was a courtyard, and then a large hall. We stepped onto some kind of tile that took us to a dining room, and then this room. I haven't been permitted to leave this room since we arrived, and they bring me my food here."
"Well, then. You are the second Lady Argentea we have rescued, so you'll forgive us for being cautious, I hope. In the meantime, we are actually here looking for someone else, and there may be danger as we do so."
Arkady looks to the others, not sure how to proceed. If we keep her with us, she might turn on us. On the other hand, we would be able to keep an eye on her. And of course, this one could be real ... if only there were time for a Harrowing ...
Cervin exchanges a look with Arkady and shrugs helplessly.
Perhaps my dislike of her has turned to distrust. I fear what a duplicate of hers could be doing back in Taldor. But our quest is here.
"My Lady, we pray your patience for there is danger ahead of us. Remain here in safety. Once we have found Thora we will return for you."
Cervin turns to leave.
Lady Argentea shrugs. "Do not leave me in this tower with these cretins! I'll wait for you here."
Yagello nods, "Then it is decided. You wait here, and we'll come back for you later."
He moves back into the corridor and begins cautiously approaching the next unopened door ().
Along the way, he whispers to Cervin, "Perhaps we should fetch Nevinia first? We can place her at Lady Argentea's door as a sentry. In any case, she'll be safer up here with us than down below by herself."
Yagello opens the door into a much larger room.
A long red carpet extends from the western doorway of this mirrored hall between ice sculptures of twin nymphs, ending at an open alcove to the east, where a large crystal tile is set in the floor. Passageways continue north and south, following the contours of the tower’s outer wall, where windows look out over the open courtyard below.
It is obvious to Yagello that some of the doors here lead back to the library and dining hall, but a door in one of the northern passageways leads to an unexplored side of this floor of the tower.
Cervin nods over to Yagello as he walks along, his bow held loosely in his hand.
"She may be able to identify that magical aura on Argentea as well," he says.
Cervin points over at a crystal tile.
"That may be our way up. Should we explore the floor or continue upwards?"
"I think we may as well complete one floor before moving along. There is no way to guess what each room holds, and we could pass up the room we want."