Prologue: Womanly Desire

[Eanwulf]

Siri smiles warmly, the expression itself somewhat out of place upon such an otherwise solemn and stern surface. The old woman grasps your arm tightly and uses it to rise to her feet. She then pats you affectionately on the shoulder several times, commenting. "Good, good...We have most assuredly saved those below from certain peril. I thank you."

Several guards come jogging down the street with weapons drawn and swords in hand. They look at Siri's hut and then to the two of you. Siri motions to the guards to go inside. "See to my granddaughters, I am fine..." She then turns to you and touches your face with the fingers of one of her hands. "You my dear Kaukamoinen," Siri gasps, her voice still winded from expending such powerful energies, "You must go below and make sure that our arrivals are safe and escort them to the Mead Hall as quickly as possible."

"Tell them nothing of what has occurred between us and have them believe all is alright. I shall inform Yngvar of their presence and prepare for their arrival. Go now, go quickly..."

[Olligarchy]

At first Kæder is as close to breaking a smile as he ever has, but when the woman mentions his name... his real name, a name he has not uttered to a living being ever, he stiffens for a moment.. staring at the woman in a silent question.

The question was not how she'd come by it. She was a well known noita even by the Witch Queen's standards; but what she meant to do with the knowledge itself. Was it to be used as an axe to hang over his head, or merely a point of prodding to let him know his place in the greater order of things. Still... he did not except a response, and plucking up his harp, he heads down the road to meet the crew of the now moored ship in contemplative silence.

[Eanwulf]

Siri's smile continues to show for as long enough that it takes for you to depart, and then replaces itself with the stern look of a purpose-filled leader. She taps her staff against the earth beneath her feet and successfully negotiates her way back into the front doorway of her home. You can vaguely hear the old woman barking orders to the guards inside as you descend the road ahead and make your way down the earthen ramp leading to the docks.

As you travel, the redness of the sky slowly dissipates and within minutes, resumes its normalcy of pulsating colors. The entire affair is an eerie one, and highly taxing to the emotions. In time, you find yourself nearing the docks and can see the local dock-warden, an elderly man by the name of Dagr Danrsson, tending to the needs of what appears to be six or more people as they disembark the longboat now anchored to the docks of your fair but troubled city, Kerava.

The local headman is accompanied by a small mob of clansmen, each of whom appear to be greatly enthralled by the newcomers' presence. They adhere to Dagr's commands and assist the dock-warden as best they can; though they do so with the wide-eyed zeal of a child hearing the Yuletide tale of Jólnir leading his Wild Hunt for the first time ever.

Surely, these simple-minded and superstitious people have already put much of their faith into these newcomers' arrival and have already forgotten the failures of the first group sent out by the jarl to rid your lands of evil.

[Olligarchy]

Holding his peace, Kæder moves to take a seat on one of the logs sitting by a nearby hovel and studies the group that has disembarked from the longboat, plucking at his kantele in a soft, almost hollow melody that resonates across the docks. Whilst his pale blue gaze scans the lot, he attempts to decide whom is in charge and whom to approach in case they begin to veer towards the pleasures of Kerava.

[Eanwulf]

Sitting upon the log, your begin to fine-tune your kantele. The sensation of a great weight being lifted from your shoulders suddenly falls across you as the newcomers disembark from their longboat; even if the experience is only for a fleeting moment. You spot one of the figures whom stands out above the rest. An older gentleman, perhaps a noble, speaks to the headman Dagr and appears to be seeking shelter for himself and the warmth of a good fire. Having been giving your instructions already, you know that if these folk upon the docks are indeed those heroes that Jarl Yngvar have previously sent for, then it is up to you to guide them to the jarl's halls and make sure that their accommodations are met.

An eerie silence is heard as the last of your tuning is finished and the kantele begins to play.

OOC

Merge time!
HERE IS THE LINK