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In the wake of all that had happened in the task of taking Lizbeth home fell to BlackBerry. After the sun has crawled through the sky to the other side of midday, and everyone had had at least a nap he then escorted the Young Lady home to her guardian and relative safety. As much as he enjoyed Lizbeths company amongst the party, the recent revelations left several things to consider he felt would best discussed without her nearby to overhear and worry about. Especially BlackBerry's own idea of a 'Next Step' was one he easily imagined Lizbeth being against. The girl was clearly well into her rebellious phase while trying to figure out how she fitted into the world, and now she had all this all thrown on top. He chewed his cheek while walking back to the Coach House as he pondered how this would go over between Cecily and Lizbeth.

r=00aeef]"If I could have the attention of everyone for a moment, please." [/color]He would say as he entered the Coach House or otherwise look to gather the party. "I strongly feel it would be in the interest of ourselves and more importantly for the L'Roses that we inform Madame L'Rose of what we have uncovered. For one, I imagine she would know a lot more about what may be lying beneath our noses here, and for another I know she would not appreciate us withholding such information that concerns her niece. Unless anyone has any objections I intend to talk to her first thing in the morning. It should at least give some time to wonder how best to deliver this information."

It was a thought that hounded BlackBerry as he slept that night. He stared up the the ceiling as he pondered the best words to use only to double back on those ideas to then come back just as quick. Despite the franticness of his thoughts sheer exhaustion soon won out and pushed him into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, after reporting to Jon that he had some personal matters to attend to and would not be able fulfil his morning duties, he set off to try and find Cecily with the offending pieces of parchment tucked into his pocket. through the fresh, cold, morning air he followed the various pointing hands and 'Just missed her, sir.' to soon find Madame L'Rose as she worked.

"Madame L'Rose. If I may borrow you for a moment? It is of great importance that I speak to you." Perhaps Young Lizbeth had already spoken to Cecily about last night and the notes? Perhaps she had not? In either case BlackBerry would inform Cecily. He figured it would be better to break the news to their host whilst walking and invited her to do so, the motion of walking gave the mind room and forced it to slow for a moment between the steps to take in would could be upsetting news.

"I suppose some word may have already reached you of certain visitors yesterday appearing just over the hill there." He kept his voice low as he talked and walked. This and further information was not something he wanted or felt everyone needed to here. Loud as he was he knew when to force his volume down for the benefit of everyone. "Unfortunately I must inform you that those visitors were in fact Undead and likely were magicked into the area. Do not worry they have all been dealt with and thankfully did not appear to be from anywhere nearby."

He would then with great kindness and careful consideration would inform Cecily of the letter while producing the original and translated copy; speaking of Arnaud, the senders regret, knowing the remaining heir not yet of age, the offered silks, and references to an 'Agreement'.

"I would like to apologise for how long it took to give this information to you but we had to consider the...implications and risks of any actions we ourselves may need to take." He turned to her and with his hand on his heart lowered his gaze. "We did not intend to keep this from you a moment more than was necessary." He knew he had arrived with no small amount of bad news for Cecily and unfortunately, he felt awful that he had one more piece to add to the pile. "I am loathe to admit that Lizbeth is aware of the letter and its contents. I know I have no right to ask anything of you, especially with such news, but if you are to speak with Lizbeth with this then please say that I let you know of this independent of the others. I only ask because I doubt she would approve of this and I would not wish to sour the buddying mentorships she has with them all which i am sure you have noticed."

"But with us in this position we would humbly offer any aid we may give to yourself and your family. But if we are to be making some sort of decision then...then we need to know what it is we may be deciding upon. I do not expect anything anytime soon of course, take as much time as you need to, well, think over everything. But if anything does come to mind then do not hesitate to come find us."

Days then marched on by without any further events of note. BlackBerry continued his duties under Jon's tutelage learning yet more facts about horses, their care, and various rolls they had taken over the Estate and even Avonshires long history. Jon was surprisingly, yet also unsurprisingly, simply a fountain of knowledge when it came to the creature that quite a bit sadly hoped in through one ear and out the other for BlackBerry.

While the others he noted spent sometime doing their own work and Lady Kathryn even seemed at one point buried under a mountain of paper and scrolls, his own thoughts kept straying to to the L'Roses. He worried for both their sakes of the contents of the letters. He worried of the dark shadow hanging and watching over Lizbeth. He worried of the questions Cecily would now have of her father-in-law and without a way to get answers. He worried for himself and the others as they now found themselves being wound into a families dark secret with final say on its resolution. The worries chased each other in his skull whilst he brushed the mares coat. He wondered if the mare knew that beyond the confines of her warn stable with fresh hay and feed that something untoward was creeping its way towards her home.

A hand landed on his shoulder. BlackBerry dropped the brush and grabbed the hand. He spun to face his supposed attacker, pulling the arm straight and twisting the attached wrist. The Stable Hand owning the wrist gave a pained yelp. It took a few minutes of BlackBerry frantically apologising to the poor boy, now with sore but thankfully unbroken wrist, before the Stable Hand would even dare to come near again. From the otherside of the paddock door the Stable Hand explained that Jon was waiting out in the yard for him.

Once BlackBerry had finished tidied his remaining work and packed away the tools he wandered into the yard to find Jon dutifully leading a large horse around the yard.

Spotting BlackBerry the man brightened and patted the horses saddle. "Ah there you are. Finally. Right come on jump up."

After a momentary blank stare it then took several more minutes for Jon to convince BlackBerry that; yes, the DragonBorn was expected to ride, and yes this was both some training for the horse and a little treat for BlackBerry as well, so yes it's fine now get on the damn horse.

It only took BlackBerry a few tries to get onto the very patient horse and once he was up managed to quickly settle himself into the saddle. It had been a very long time since BlackBerry had ridden a horse, since the special occasions from his childhood with a trusted rider sitting behind him in control of the reigns.

"I must admit Jon. I am a tad unsure if this is wise." BlackBerry admited with the reigns in hand, and suddenly realising how high up he really was. "It was many many years ago since i last rode a horse. And even then i was not the one handling it."

"Nonsense you daft thing." Jon cried, bringing another horse he rode to stop beside BlackBerry. "You been handling Old Boy just fine. It's a similar thing. Just make sure to hold on with your knees and I'll lead you on from here. Eyup!"

"With my knees?"

BlackBerry needn't have worried. Either the rider was more competant than first thought, or the horse was the very agreeable sort happy to go anywhere it was bidden to. The afternoon passed as Jon lead them all around the grounds while teaching BlackBerry how to properly handle a horse from a saddle rather than from behind in a wagon, and only semi-ocassionally having to double back to collect BlackBerry whose horse would sometime choose its own destination.

Again time slipped by to its own little tune and a gentle march. The promise of wine tasting and the Frostival beyond seemed like a sudden bright light in the otherwise dark winter.

"My that does sound delightful." He echoed the mood from his now established place by the fire. "A wonderful change of pace as well i do say from ...ah well.. everything else."

Subtlety isn't Kathryn's strong suit. Many could compare her to an oaf in terms of social skills and her personal dexterity. But that simply would not be accurate. Despite it all she could be rather sociable, and nimble. Even more nimble than average for a lot of people. But she was far from perfect. That combined with her massive size, and her rather awkward nature, meant being subtle was not a skill she was particularly great at. Kathryn had hoped to come here to learn, and learn she was determined to do. Madam Annick seemed to at least not be hostile towards Kathryn's inquisition. "If.... it is not too much to ask. Could I also inquire on if you know if any of the necromancers survived the war?" Sure, maybe that is something Kathryn could find in a book. But what book would one even start in to find that out? A book about the war? Reconstruction? Tales of those who survived? She figured her best lead was someone who was present. And she hoped to the gods she wasn't over stepping her boundaries. "Or any notables who worked for them? And please tell me if I am over stepping. The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable in your own place." Kathryn said as humbly as she could. Something that standing at nearly 7 feet tall was a challenge.



Cleaning up things at the the couch house from all the pastry making, the drinking, the baths, and much more, Kathryn was thankful for a chance to get some house work done. Sure, there was staff. But as she wasn't in a position to do her normal work, she wanted to do more than sit around all day. Especially with tonight's event... She wasn't sure what the best wear would be. Victoria asked about the formal wear, but even then, Kathryn only had the one dress. She wasn't even 100% sure she still fit in it... With that notion, she was already feeling embarrassed at the idea that the only dress she owns is too small for her. Kosara was going to wear her new wear, and bring presents? That sounded sweet! Kathryn had nothing in return though... Maybe she could work something out... "Gonna give us a hint what those present could be?" Kathryn teased. But was quickly caught off guard with Kosara's question of... if she would be Kosara's personal guest to the event tonight. Kathryn soon found herself unsure what to think. Was this Kosara being Kosara, or was she asking Kathryn out as something more?! How does one even ask such a question?! "I mean uh... yeah sure... like a date though or like... " Kathryn hadn't realized it at the time, but her face was rather flush, making her silvered eyes stand out even more as her voice pitched several octaves higher than it was used too. "Sounds cool... cool cool cool cool cool...." She trailed off.

"I'mma go and clean myself up then yeah?" Kathryn said her words nearly fusing together unsure what to say as she turned and sped walked into the kitchen. What if Kosara all along had been flirting with her and she had been far too dense to notice it? What if Kosara meant Really good friends all along?! Did she see Kosara that way? She had no clue... At least she didn't say anything too stupid this time. Before she realized it, she was nervous eating the leftover cinnamon rolls. Upon the realization of her second cinnamon roll, she swore a silent "Mother fucker..." and set it down. What did she do here? Who did she talk too? Lizbeth was far too young to understand the struggles Kathryn was going through... Victoria might understand... but she was excellent at social situations and people... Blackberry understood Kathryn pretty decently though, they spared a fair amount and despite the injuries that one of them maaaaay have caused on the other, she was sure they were still friends. So, BB or V.

Weather: It is still below freezing, make no mistake, but the temperature is hovering just below it. The wind keeps itself to low gusts along the ground level, but the higher atmosphere demonstrates a more rapid movement of clouds, themselves scattered and patchy as they direct themselves with seeming purpose across an indifferent sky. More precipitation might be inbound, if probably not this night.

Time: It is early evening. Not quite dusk yet, but seriously planning on it.

Ambience: A cold evening settled upon the Rose River Vineyard. It was a rosy, purplish evening; quiet and full of folksy winter charm. Most people have been able to adapt to the weather, in part. That is to say, those who found cold weather fully intolerable can now, well, tolerate it with seasonally appropriate attire. In the intervening weeks, a fresh blanket of powdery snow had fallen, leaving just the area in and around the Honigblume grapes to suffer the wrath of the repeated trampling of workers' shoes. The multiple lit braziers, once an odd sight against nighttime's landscape, had become a reassuring sort of sight, regular in its appearance as torches were set to them every dusk over the recent weeks.





The rather antisocial Medician Floquet was kind enough to give Kathryn an audience, if indeed kindness was the appropriate motivating factor here. She was a slender, fit lady in her mid-fifties with a voluminous head of thick, grey hair, attired decently for a lady living the rural life, but maintaining her modesty with long skirts, long sleeves on a fitting, keyhole neckline top, and a dark grey cloak draped about her shoulders. She listened to the introductions given by Kay and wordlessly waved her inside, where she might have gotten a glimpse of Victoria, vastly overdressed for the task of maintaining tools and organizing books. In the next room, a particularly wet cough broke the relative quiet, a noise which prompted a younger version of the matronly Medician to grab up a few things in a basket and leave the room. Annick and Kathryn were alone now in a smallish room with a long, wooden table dominating the center and literature along the walls.

She waited for Kathryn to run through her questions, opting for a pause to answer. "You should stop trying to flatter me. Doesn't help." It didn't prevent her from accepting the offerings of yummy things, though. And she did continue, "Notables from the war still alive? Alive is a hell of a statement. More than half were dead when we fought them. No, I know what you mean. The Big Lich Master was sent to the Abyss by a Half-Elf fellow - Priest of some sort - and his friends. 'Spearhead of the Southern Campaigns', like we didn't do our part, too. Can't fault him though, he did kill him permanent. That was a long time ago and I was a conscripted forward area Medician. Field intelligence wasn't my thing. Sure, a lot of them might still be around. Folks like me, Sheriff Arbalest, Robert (the Innkeeper), and Constable Cavendish are still around." She gave a single, wry laugh. "Well, not the Constable. You all saw to that." Addressing the question about connection to this area, she gave a rather flat, "No. Heard a rumor there was supposed to be enemy troop movement through here. Never did happen, according to the locals." She gave a thoughtful look, then dismissed it.

When Kathryn handed her the dagger recovered from the "diplomatic envoy," Annick's face hardened. "Yeah, I know what they look like. Saw enough of 'em, not as nice as this one. Real fancy. Makes me curious how you came by it." She began to conversationally withdraw at this point. "So you want to know if I know any Necromancers around from the war? There are hundreds." The older lady glanced in the direction of the room Victoria was working in, continuing, "Some prettier than others. Some new ones that learned from the ones that passed. So many that we didn't crush or stab that got away. Let me tell you something, Lady Kathryn, it's called the Necromantic Wars, plural. What ended forty, fifty years back wasn't the first one. What ended twenty years ago wasn't the last one. There's a lot of good people in the Southern Deserts and the mountains beyond, but every so often, something rises to power and holds the living hostage with their dead, and then all of them decide to expand. More of you Adventurers than anyone likes to admit meet a wet, sticky end by coming across something they left behind, or a remnant of their power that hid really well north of here. I hope I answered your questions 'cause I'm not feeling too comfortable right now, so unless you need medical attention or want to buy something, I think our meeting's at a close."

Baronfjord's talks with Cecily fared a little better, if one looked at it from the angle of optimism. The proposal of a walk was taken openly. She even had a look on her face like she was expecting something conversationally heavy to land on her at any moment. Madame L'Rose pulled a rich burgundy-colored cloak over her layered tan linens and black damask waistcoat, hard-soled boots tapping occasionally on the flagstone walkway. She listened quietly, not reacting except to form tears in her eyes which she dabbed away with a clean, white kerchief. "I know that Lizbeth knows. She... she knows more than I want to tell myself." Her voice was quiet. Conspiratorial, even. "I could only trust her to move Arnaud's corpse. One must never let a body stay on these lands too long at night. It's why we had to risk moving him to the Township ourselves. Then, as you know, the Goblins, they..."

A wave came from one of the outbuildings, followed by a call to Cecily by name. It was something about rising acid and a sourish note coming from one of the vats. Cecily took sudden and especial interest in this, possibly relieved to break away from the conversation. As she began to beeline to her employee, she turned back to intone, "I don't know about any agreement, but it sounds like you handled it anyway! Maybe we're through with whatever this is, and we can just concentrate on the season, right? Sure. Please excuse me; perhaps we can pick this up the next time we have a moment. Oh, and please do continue training Lizbeth! She seems really motivated to learn. It certainly won't hurt anything. Thank you!" She hastily made her way to one of the L'Rose's winemakers, intent on focusing her attention on a problem that she could actually solve.

Victoria was listening in. Obviously, she was listening in. Supportive reasons might have included a desire to make sure Kathryn wasn't getting into any trouble with a lady who, despite having launched handily in to her middle years (for a Human), was an experienced soldier with issues involving trust. Or maybe it was paranoia. Victoria was not amazingly well versed in psychology; her ability to influence others came mostly from social skills, so she could only react, if it came down to an incident. Selfish reasons for eavesdropping were more straightforward: She was curious if any of the information was relevant to her inquiries, and she wanted to see if they spoke about her at all. As it turned out, there was just the one, passing remark that she was certain was a dig at her. After all, Victoria was objectively the prettiest Necromancer that she'd ever heard of, herself.

So yes, Victoria listened. And she worked. It was quiet, indoor labor, they kind that one might do at a hum (unless they wanted to eavesdrop). Two things stuck out in their conversation. The first one being that she wasn't a huge fan of their new knives. She stopped for a moment, unsheathing her new acquisition. It was better balanced, harder, and sharper than just about any short blade she had held before. Moreso even than the one she acquired from her father, which was a perfectly serviceable item. It was probably best not to call attention to the weapon. She replaced it in on her belt near her first dagger and continued her work.

The second thing which caught her curiosity was mention that the Alhazred may have left things behind elsewhere in the realms. Perhaps that included knowledge which she might use to enhance her own abilities, so long as she could sort through the more unsavory bits and stick to the lore. Yes, Adventurers might have stumbled into something awful from years past, not knowing what it was until it was too late, but Victoria had skills that made her useful in identifying and/or avoiding the worst of these things. With a little luck and foresight, anyway. Short of making her way to the Southern Deserts and dressing herself in local attire and passing herself off as a sage of some type, present to both seek and share knowledge... Which honestly, didn't seem like such a bad idea, so long as their peoples were not engaging in conflict at the moment.

Victoria made a mental note. This could be a viable idea. She already possessed the requisite knowledge and might not have to be dishonest in the slightest. But back to the present.

Once her upkeep work for the day was done, Victoria approached her mentor with a sense of personal interest, maybe even something akin to friendliness. "Medician Floquet? If you would be as kind, this does not relate to my work." A quirked eyebrow from the older woman prompted Victoria to continue. "I don't know if you know, but, the L'Roses apparently have an annual wine tasting event for the winter harvest grapes. I was invited to attend, and encouraged to invite someone, myself. The term for this in Ashhaven is a 'Plus One,' if you're not familiar. I haven't really gotten to know anyone outside of my group except for you and Annabelle, and I also have not expressed my appreciation for your patience and tutoring these weeks, so... Would you like to be my Plus One?"

When it was time to close shop for the day, Victoria left with a sense of social accomplishment.

Returning to the Coach House and doing a bit of decompression was a high priority in addition to the other issues of the day. But whatever this was, it wasn't accelerating into something truly messy just yet. And there was more to look into with their new spoils. Upon checking over the clothing she set aside for herself (just the outfits she favored in particular, not the bulk quarter share she would claim out of general principle), Victoria chose a couple items and layered them with some of her existing articles of clothing that found fashionable and appropriate to the weather. It was around this point that she noticed the burial shrouds - the ones that were suitable for direct necromantic enchantment, had been gotten into. Moreover, one had been ...cut into... and while she could not, with any good conscience, lay claim to everything in the hopes of performing some grand act of creation or magic, it felt a little strange that someone already made and enacted plans for this fabric without further discussion. She eyed her companions suspiciously, but thought better of an inquisition, let alone a confrontation. Instead, the Bard quietly folded up one of the black sheets and one of the white ones, then stored them at the bottom of her belongings. There was more to these things, Victoria believed, than she had initially established. More study was required before they were reduced to scrap.

So far as Victoria was aware, she was ready for the wine tasting. Clothing was tasteful and gorgeous without being gaudy or overly formal, plus easy to move in, should the need call for it. Intentionally, the Bard decided to leave her rather militant, silvered rapier behind. Knives and magic would suffice, again should the need call for it. Additionally, this was a lighthearted social gathering. There was always pretext available to keep a musical instrument or two upon her person. She was interested to hear confirmation to her recollections about this region and its celebration of Frostval. For anyone unaware, she explained aloud, "A mostly Human celebration of gift giving in the coldest time of the year, when the days are shorter and nights have a firmer hold upon the land. Every land celebrates it a little differently, but it usually involves family and community, good will to strangers and travelers, and veneration of certain deities. We celebrate Frostval back home. Even the Elves there like to participate, if they are around - and they think most Human customs are silly." The very last part might have been an exaggeration. Victoria had an optimistic glow about her, like she was looking forward to the coming festivities. "So, who are we all bringing for our 'Plus Ones?' Or shall we keep it a surprise until we all arrive?"

BlackBerry titled his head and nodded as he absorbed Victoria's explanation. It seemed to line up mostly with his own experiences of the festival.

"Yes it is quite the same even so far as my corner of the land. Thiugh there is more a focus on the spiritual side of things mind. But once the various rituals and blessings are complete then oh hohoho oh then why yes indeed then the real festivities begin."A mishevious chuckle slipped through grinning teeth and BlackBerry bounced his legs at the memeories. "A marvelous feast inviting many of the townsfolk, and great bonfire in the courtyard if the weather permits. Oh you shall all have to visit sometime it is marvelous! And then, and then, do promise to keep this to yourselfs though, but some years one can slip away at night to join the choirs and gamesm there is a frightfully fantastic one that is my favourite."

By now BlackBerry was leaning across the table after throwing an arm up and around in a jolly pantomime of the celebration back home.
"One may join others in going door to door dressed in such fanciful attire as a horse or other such animal to ask for a song or ryhme and if the host cannot reply then iti is cake and wine for the winner. Do becareful though as it is custom to put coin into the batter, they say it is good luck should you find it. The jury is still out though as to what is means should you accidentally eat it."His eyes took on a far away glaze as he sank into the memories for a few minutes before he returned to the present to answer Victoria's question.

"Oohh but,Victoria, while I would love to hear who you all bring I think a surprise might be yet more fun indeed." His eyes innocently flickered between Lady Kathryn and Kosara while he not so innocently made a bet with himself.

He then wondered who he would bring as his plus one. It suddenly occurred to him that while he had been working hard the past few weeks there weren't many of the handful of people he had spoken to regularly he could think to bring. Jon, the head stablehand, however did stand out but BlackBerry wondered if the man had already been before or was already invited?

After a few minutes deliberation BlackBerry settled on asking the man anyway when he had the time as therewas no harm in asking anyway.

"I do suppose I might need some new clothes, however." He gingerly picked at his robes. "Yes, these have indeed seen better days."

Weeks of hard labour and several more months of traveling interspersed with combat had left their mark on his robes as strings of messy stitching, hastily applied patches, and stubborn stains he hadn't yet had 'Prestidigitation-ed' away.

"We do still have the silks and fabrics from our Guests, do we not? I might see if I can put together something tasteful. If I could perhaps borrow a hand or two, please?"

The word 'tasteful' lodged in BlackBerrys mind for two reasons. The
first, being a Monk he had never had much in clothing aside from a few robes, nor did he have any real want or need until recently, but after time spent with Victoria and Kosara his mind was slowly being introduced to the concept of "Fashion", and he wanted to try it. Secondly, it occurred to him that maybe wearing fabrics given by an unknown party who knew a bit too much about your hosts niece and suggested dark contracts with said hosts deceased father-in-law could be seen as not very tasteful or even so far as being distasteful. Another part of him however stated the silks were simply far too good to waste.

“I guess so!” Kosara confirmed in realization when Kathryn brought up the fact it was going to be a date. It fit the bill, the tiefling supposed! Like all the outings with her sisters back home! A date was an outing with friends right and they were REALLY good friends!” Alright, have fun!” The dancer chirped as the big woman walked away and left the area in a hurry that Kosara didn’t currently note as anything too notable. Maybe she really needed to get cleaned from being out and about and getting sweaty and dirty… or she really needed to use the restroom. In any case, nothing unusual here.

At some point, Kosara had went ahead to the room where most of her belongings were at to change into her new costume to show to the others for the first time too. She had spend a lot of time over the last few weeks working on it for various reasons. Mainly she really liked nice fancy clothing and it was calming. She’d still dance and run around, but those few days she spend about a third of her daytime working on the clothing to return it to a working condition and add a few things to it she wanted. She wasn’t skilled enough to build anything from scratch, but with a quality base this good, you really didn’t need that much things to add or alter, so she focused on restoration as much as possible between spells and needle and only after minor additions and tweaks for it to fit her better.

Once down a pleasant surprise was awaiting her.” V, you look marvelous!” The excitable tiefling proclaimed at the sight of the bard in all her bardly purple glory. Kosara had darted over to her with the energy and speed only those with way too much energy in their blood could, taking in the bard from all angles.” I love what you’ve done with the new materials to add to your own outfits!” She added, very impressed.

Kosara then pulled back a few steps and showed off her own outfit which was one of the outfits they had salvaged, but first restored to its proper glory with meticulous work and then enhanced with a few details here. She had added a few trinkets from her stage outfit to the getup to complete the look, but not all of the things her stage costume used. Her stage outfit used a lot of glittering gilded or otherwise shiny polished trinkets as most dancers outfits back home did. For this one she just pulled a few to add some shine to the outfit without overwhelming the elegance of the clothes themselves. A string of shiny beads to tuck into the sash, a bracelet to show at her cuffs.” How do I look? Took a while, but I think I managed to do a very good job at restoring this outfit. Had to redo a bit of the stitching here and there very carefully!” She did a little twirl to show it off since she was pretty proud of her handywork.

“I’m going with Kathryn!” Kosara cheerfully stated like it was the most normal thing in the world!” She agreed as soon as we heard of it! I’ve never been to a wine tasting event!” She turned to Berry who had expressed the need for clothing, making a hard thinking face.” I’m not sure if we can make something from scratch so fast…” Kosara then leaned over to V.” What about a toga or something similar requiring folds? Or we just add some things to his outfit for effect?” She offered a suggestion to the bard who the tiefling saw with the one with expertise on the topic of fashion, so she’d follow V’s opinion on this one.

Kathryn had gotten some answers. She wasn't sure if they were the answers she was looking for, or if she was the one with the right skills to do much with this information, but it was still a lot further than she was. Kathryn listened intently as Annick spoke of her times. The dagger seemed to cause more harm than help. Though Kathryn got answers, it did come at the cost of souring any good will the woman had for Kathryn. "Apologies for my ignorance. To my knowledge Arcanaple didn't participate in these wars. Most of what I know about these wars I learned only in the last couple weeks." Minutes... The last few minutes. "I am sorry to have made you uncomfortable in your space. It won't happen again. And thank you very much for your time and your knowledge." Kathryn said polity. Debating giving a curtsy, but decided that would make things worse, so collecting her things she stepped away and made her way home. The walk home was much quieter and much more thought provoking, but alas she wasn't really sure the best ways to go over this information. Maybe Kosara knew more? Maybe not... She had to take a next step though.

Back in the present after Kathryn had destroyed many of the remaining cinnamon rolls much to her guilt, she returned to her room to get ready. Owning only one dress at least picking out an outfit was easy. And to her pleasant surprise it still fit! She had grown at least 3 inches in height since she last wore it, and to her annoyance put on a little weight. Remembering the recently endangered cinnamon rolls, and her love of alcohol, she had no one to blame but herself. Using a short sword as a mirror Kathryn attempted to get a vibe for how she looked. She wanted to present as attractive yet not being too... slutty. Under normal circumstances her dress was probably fine, but she worried it made her bust look way too big. She wanted to draw a crowd, but didn't want to seem like an attention whore. She wanted too come across as powerful, but not terrifying. She absolutely loathed this balancing act.

While getting ready she decided she seemed rather... plain. Kathryn wasn't particularly amazing with makeup. She had helped some woman Ser Lucas spent time with applying foundation, but even then she was never good at it. When she attempted to propose a relationship with a household knight to a city state during her travels she had to get help from a couple prostitutes to get her makeup going. Alas, that went down hill rather fast. Catching Victoria while she was getting ready she asked the half elf for assistance. "I um... don't know how to do makeup..." Kathryn mumbled to the bard. "I can't even be sure if my dress is set up correctly... " As for as noble woman went, Kathryn was one of the least qualified. Sure, she could rough and tumble with the squires and knights just fine, but ladies of court? She stands out like a sort thumb that can't stop thumb wresting all the other fingers. Victoria seemed eager to help! Prettying up Kathryn so she would be able to step up to tonight's events with no conflicts whatsoever! With Victoria's help Kathryn could walk around like she owned the place, and have the humbled tone to acknowledge she was a guest happy to be involved. Looking at herself in the reflection of her short sword, Kathryn smiled. "Thank you so much V, I couldn't have done this without you." Kathryn said trying to hide just how super gleeful she was! And to prevent herself from crying tears of joy.

Kathryn made her way down the stairs in the court yard some time later. Her family's longsword on her side, the silvered dagger on one ankle, and a short sword strapped to the other. The last two hidden expertly under her skirt that ran to her ankles and then some. With Victoria's help, she felt like a noble woman. She felt a whole different sort of power that she hadn't experienced before. She felt she wielded an authority that though posture alone! She had the confidence of a woman who could walk into anywhere she chose and people would listen. Not that she had any actual authority. But the feeling was nice. In this moment she did wish the couch house had an internal stairway, for the chance to put on a grand show and have people bask in her confidence! She wondered briefly if this is how Victoria felt all the time? Surely so right? Stepping into the main pub she joined the others as they prepared to set out for the night. "It may be a mostly human holiday, but to my surprise Arcanaple doesn't really practice it. At least not in the same manner. A few families from more landed households may practice something comparable, or settlers who moved to Arcanaple bringing their culture with them, but winter is a harsh time for us. We have some summers that barely get warm enough to plant summer crops. Though some old clans would go on ritualistic hunting trips around mid winter. And every now and again my father would have us celebrate winter solstice as we had survived the shortest of days, and would soon be watching the days grow brighter and brighter." Kathryn spoke warmly. Though the old clans had other purposes for their old ritualistic hunts. For several families, it would become apparent that there wasn't enough food to feed everyone for the winter. The hunt would either yield enough food that everyone stood a chance, or it would provide less mouths to feed. It wasn't uncommon for old men, widowed uncles, sons with no claims to land, to gather up, and go into the woods and mountains to disappear until the spring thaw. Sometimes, the youngest would return with food in tow. Sometimes the uncles would travel far and wide to settle in larger towns far away from home, and sometimes old men would find themselves a nice comfortable spot in the mountains to live out the rest of their days in peace and isolation. It was a brighter spin on what for many families, could be very dark times.

When Victoria asked about plus ones, Kathryn's pale face blushed. Kosara spoke up and Kathryn found herself staring at the small tiefling woman's dress. It was surprisingly modest for Kosara, and when she mentioned she was going with Kathryn the tall woman's overt confidence faded into melted butter. "Yeah we are uh... going together." If her father was still alive, he would probably be pissed. Kathryn was far too old to go gallivanting dating people that couldn't knock her up. Unless Kosara could... Tieflings got more and more confusing the more Kathryn learned about them. But still. Kathryn was far from a position in life to be having kids. Even if she was behind. Hell, by most definitions she was homeless. The couch house will soon be the longest place she has stayed since she left the Capital of Arcanaple. She was pretty sure her record was half a year... but she was young then and the months and years float by so fast. "You look very nice tonight Kosara. Very nice." Kathryn took a deep breath and settled herself. She was a strong noble woman. Both physically and mentally. She was going to stay strong and not let anything knock her down. "Wine tasting is a lot of fun. But I do have to ask Kosara, don't Lesser Restoration me unless I am doing something dangerous or way too silly to recover from. Please?" Yes Kathryn had a tendency to get carried away sometimes... But also this was a party. And unless she was gonna get stabbed in the back she intended to have fun! This would... also be one of the few public outings she has had since she was a lot smaller that she wasn't wearing armor. But she wasn't going to let that thought wear her down. She was still armed! And the sword still had a rune carved into the hilt. Faded and old, but it was present. If she had to fight, she could. If someone dared to start trouble tonight, she was going to stab them.

"A toga isn't a terrible idea. Some families from the frontier lands would wear them for formal events." Not many as those people would stand out as late comers into the fold, but many persisted as time went on. Many were from families that had assisted Arcanaple in their conquests of the frontiers. It was an interesting setup, and togas were rather strange outfits to Kathryn. They seemed like... in a sense dresses. But who was she to judge? She wore steel plate and combat boots. And for years threw boys twice her age into the mud. Plus, dragons and togas seemed like they would go well together. "Do we all wanna walk up together or shall we all approach in our respective pairs to make a dramatic entrance? I'm afraid I don't have an announcer on retainer so we may have to improvise on that front." Kathryn chuckled. "Though I am curious, who are you two bringing to the event?" Kathryn said curiously to Victoria and Blackberry. "Or are Kosara and I going to be the only ones who share who our people shall be?" Kathryn smirked before turning to BB to lend a hand. Then stopped, realizing she was the least qualified to help out of everyone here. It was honestly a miracle she got herself into her armor and or dress as well as she did. "I'll help if I can, but I may end up making it worse far more than helping." Kathryn said as she kept her hands at bay.

Weather: It is still below freezing, make no mistake, but the temperature is hovering just below it. The wind keeps itself to low gusts along the ground level, but the higher atmosphere demonstrates a more rapid movement of clouds, themselves scattered and patchy as they direct themselves with seeming purpose across an indifferent sky. More precipitation might be inbound, if probably not this night.

Time: It is early evening. Not quite dusk yet, but seriously planning on it.

Ambience: A cold evening settled upon the Rose River Vineyard. It was a rosy, purplish evening; quiet and full of folksy winter charm. Most people have been able to adapt to the weather, in part. That is to say, those who found cold weather fully intolerable can now, well, tolerate it with seasonally appropriate attire. In the intervening weeks, a fresh blanket of powdery snow had fallen, leaving just the area in and around the Honigblume grapes to suffer the wrath of the repeated trampling of workers' shoes. The multiple lit braziers, once an odd sight against nighttime's landscape, had become a reassuring sort of sight, regular in its appearance as torches were set to them every dusk over the recent weeks. These lights now stood absent, after the final harvest was taken in and the grapes processed.




The evening of the Honigblume tasting is upon you all. It was a much anticipated event among the staff of the Rose River Vineyard, but not because of the possibility of attending the event itself. In fact, this is a very limited attendance affair of only a dozen or so. No, the draw from among the greater workforce of the wine tasting is the delivery of the year's end payment, which was enough to last them into the coming spring. Extra, if you helped bring in the late harvest. This was not a trade secret. Rather, this was what was on many people's minds and conversations as the day drew nearer. Upon said day, if only for a two hour span of time, the Vineyard felt almost as busy as any other workday earlier in the year.

Since the fleeting conversation between Baronfjord and Cecily, the Matron of the Estate had been distant, seeking mostly to take care of the needs of her guests through intermediaries and keeping things polite but short if she dealt with matters in person. Any request for small luxury items or specific foodstuffs (within reason) was handled by the lady, and she did not restrict Lizbeth from associating with the party in the slightest, but she herself kept at arm's length. This persists until the very evening of the wine tasting event. Upon this evening, Cecily L'Rose arrived to the Coach House escort the party to the gathering personally.

Cecily was resplendent in her neatly pressed, corseted white blouse and blue floral mantle with matching skirts. Cosmetics were applied with a careful, competent hand, as was her hair which was neatly arranged in an elegant, partially braided updo. Those with experience in such things will note that her entire ensemble paints her not as a member of the nobility in any way, but an obviously moneyed member of a more middle class social strata. That is to say, despite the quality of her outfit she did not have a chambermaid to attend to frills nor to cinch petticoats.

Lizbeth joined her, similarly attired but with her makeup bolder and a bit less expertly done. As an interestingly stylish choice, the girl had the late Constable's whip wound around herself in the manner of a cord belt, whether or not her aunt noticed was up for debate. A hint of green might be viewed from underneath her high-collared linen shirt if she bent in just the right way, and the heiress-in-waiting was bedecked in what appeared to be a newly made, hooded, grey-purple split cape. She looked like she was borrowing styles of dress from her aunt and their adventurous guests equally. The young lady might be accused of attempting to find herself by imitating others to see what stuck, as youth is oft to do.

It was Cecily who spoke up first, giving warm, evening greetings and offering to usher the party to the Tasting Room, within the depths of the Estate House, proper. This would have made it the first time that such an offer was extended. "I do apologize for not giving a tour at an earlier time. Things have been so busy as of recently that it wasn't feasible. But tonight is a very special night, and your presence is long overdue." She gave a smile readily, if it did seem just a little nervous. "But come along now! We have a big surprise for you all. Don't we, Lizbeth?"

The younger L'Rose gave a supportive nod and motioned for everyone to follow. "We sent out formal invitations, including as you noted," she said, glancing back as they went along. "Almost everyone responded that they were coming. Even so, this is a pretty small gathering. Aunt CeeCee even said I could stay for most of it this year!" She looked almost giddy at this idea, as if she were finally getting a seat at the adult's table for the holiday feasts.

Instead of leading everyone to the main doors of the Estate House, a sharp turn was taken to being them to the second gazebo from the main building - not the one within which the two physical powerhouses of the party held their contest of martial prowess, but the one with a large circular trapdoor leading to a massive cellar beneath. The stairs were carved from stone and had wide, sturdy wooden guardrails on either side, suitable to bear considerable weight with generational ease. At the bottom of these stairs was a relaxing little atrium with more temperate tolerating plants providing a bit of freshness to a mostly underground setting, well tended by talented gardeners. "I don't know if your explorations have led you down here before," Cecily began to explain, "But through these doors is where the magic happens. Oh, not literally, mind - but we handle all of our fermentation, aging, and bottling on site, underneath the grounds and the Estate House. Everything is kept as constant of environment as we can control, ensuring reliable, repeatable quality from year to year."

Through the double doors ahead and into a vast room lit by grapeseed oil lamps, it was impossoible not to see a series of massive vats in a series with careworn but maintained wooden stairs leading above to walkways framing them. A few scattered barrels stood to one side or another, in an organization likely known to the professionals employed here. There was the sweet-sour aroma of fruit fermentation about, in rising or fallign levels depending upon where one stood within this place. Floors alternated between ceramic tile and packed sawdust. The sheer volume of wine that could be made in this place was difficult to fathom. Cecily continued. "This is the Winery proper. We produce enough base product to take care of our region's demand easily, due to its lower population relative to more citied areas. While it pays our workers and gives us enough money to comfortably live on, it is due to vintages like our Fortified Zinnoberrot and Honigblume as export products that we make our real money. Monsieur Arnaud L'Rose set this up over eighty years ago, and our techniques along with superior grape-growing procedures have seen remarkable success from the very beginning. The L'Rose Family has been truly blessed these decades since." Cecily stopped short for a half second, as if debating the veracity of her last statement. "Well, recent years have been less gilded. But Lizbeth still stands to inherit a bustling vinophilic dynasty."

Moving onward, the next room was almost as large as the first but wall-to-wall stacked high with barrels, casks, bottles in racks, and the like - all organized by year, type, and other factors to make them easily referenced. Lighting in here was less constant, highlighting mainly places where one might have to turn a corner or where stumbling blindly would lead to disaster. Burned into the sides of casks were words that many a wine drinker would know, and some that they might not unless they were in the trade. It was more stable of temperature in here, even more than the previous room, and the scent much more neutral. "Here is where our wine is stored and aged. When it is time to move them elsewhere or load them for sale upriver, they begin their final journey there to the left, where is loaded into wagons for regional transportation, or river barges for export." Cecily had taken the role of tour guide easily. She had made this speech many times, to hear her talk.

"Oh, the Tasting Room is up here!" exclaimed Lizbeth. "C'mon, we're almost there!" She jogged ahead, making it to the doors to the far side of the room. She waited until everyone had caught up before throwing them open and ushering everyone in with a grand flourish. "The Tasting Room!" This was a much smaller room than the two previous, dominated by thick, square support columns and a wide, well polished table. Upon the table was a simple, deep red tablecloth which covered just enough to give a buffer between several carafes of wine, various cut bits of different cheeses, a few different types of late blooming apple and pear, and thick, crusty bread common to the region. Small vases of wildflowers decorated the feast of finger-accessible consumables, and both chairs and exquisite wine glasses were evenly spaced around the table.

There were others here, too. Not many, but Cecily took the time to point out only a select few. Two of them were already known to the group; one was not. "Barbal and Tarace Mosswater, I am sure you remember," declared Cecily, motioning to the two Halfling farm owners. "But this man you might not have met yet." She walked over to a rather tall Human, who appeared to be in his late forties or early fifties, clean shaven and of steel-grey hair. He wore a simple suit and waistcoat of black wool, and a long, fur-lined brown coat lay over the back of the chair he stood nonchalantly beside. "This is Monsieur Laurent. It was his farm on which you battled the Ankhegs. Even scared them into submission - and I should know. I was there as witness!" The last part was aimed more at her fellow agriculturalist than the party.

There were a few doors leading out of this room, all of which were closed up with the exception of the one everyone just entered from. While all were closed innocently enough, only one was bound with a chunky, black iron lock - this one being the only door on the right-hand wall. Oddly, everyone seemed to be facing more or less away from it. This detail aside, Cecily remained ever the good hostess, remarking, "Monsieur Laurent is a grain and sheep farmer, though he would be little more than a man who grows fine sorghum and wheat were you all not to have handled his ...insect problem? Yes, insect problem as handily as you all did."

The older man leaned upon a respectably expensive looking cane as he approached the members of the party, extending his other hand. In a rural-proper but slightly stiff voice, he intoned, "Yes. Gratitude is in order. I hope I might make a contribution to your efforts before you have to leave, in appreciation. Certainly. What is the going rate for Ankheg hunting these days, hmm?"

It had been a busy, but ultimately fulfilling past few weeks. Knowledge that Victoria had been busy penning her own, personal medical library was fairly liberating. While her progress did not go any faster, it was taken on with a greater sense of gratitude and optimism. If anything, her writing got slightly more tidy, her lines a hair more distinct. Tracings of diagrams were set to with gusto. She was working on something which she might reference in her continued studies of medical and anatomical sciences. It was at this moment that she felt a second part of gratitude; this time to her father who insisted that a much younger (but no less troublesome) Victoria spend serious study time with her tutors. Taking a whetstone to her wit had been useful as a child, and while she was no amazingly innovative mind, the lady was smarter than your average traveling minstrel. This helped her greatly in her present studies.

But in time, these too had to be put away for her true passion - socialization. Rubbing elbows with what passed for aristocracy in this area, particularly in a wine-tasting event was exactly the kind of thing she was comfortable doing in her "off hours." If she looked at the event with the eyes of a potential social climber, then this wine tasting would form the base level of soiree for her to attend, seeing as the host was of a similar social strata to her own family, common-born, wealthy, property holding persons of professional background. While the L'Rose family was agricultural winemaking, Victoria's own were mercantile and artistic people. She might have longed for the day that she would take over after her parents retired, prompting her to hire managers to handle her affairs and keep her to her truer passions while the unspoken threat of something breathtakingly horrible as a consequence of disloyalty maintained their honesty. However, the flaw to this whole line of thinking (concerning the party, at any rate) was that there were no ladders to climb here. If Cecily represented the highest placed person present, then she had no reason to deliberately ingratiate herself to others. Perhaps this meant that she might just enjoy herself. Imagine that.

Victoria did try to give the benefit of her expertise to the others in her adventuring party. While the thought it might have been the most difficult to assist Kathryn, owing to a general rarity of any displays of upper-class mannerisms, she found that it was actually not so bad. She did have a good base, owing to her lineage. Also, she did possess what could be called a "noble bearing," even if this might be different from grander region to grander region. When she was asked to help Kathryn with her cosmetics, Victoria was happy to help. Eager, even. So the much smaller woman went upstairs to grab her abundant performance kit, a mirror, and some accoutrements, to quickly return downstairs and get to it. It didn't take long at all to apply a decent foundation and accent a few natural highlights. She even gave decent advice on how to move forward, like, "Those cheekbones are glorious, Kathryn. Let's bring those out and draw some attention to your eyes," and, as she readied a small pair of tweezers, "Eyebrows. There should be two of them." Victoria gave the slightest giggle as she worked. "This will be beautiful, just beautiful. I'm doing all but the most final touches now. Then your hair. Then we get the details before we leave. Always check for a touch-up before you walk out the door, and as this is a wine tasting, we're going to keep the lips minimal." Before she began to work on the hair, Victoria leaned back and beamed a smile down to her physically tankier associate. She pitched her voice a little lower of octave and half-whispered, "Oh my, there's our Lady Kathryn."

Interaction with Kosara went a little differently. She only asked for advice, not help, and so was responded to with this in mind. However, she did not quite maintain the colder eye of one giving professional critique as she saw how the bubbly Warlock had dressed herself. "That is quite the dress, Kosara. And I positively adore the alterations. You make it look like it was designed for the Tiefling physique. And I so love this cut; alluring without being insistent. Between you and Kathryn, I'm afraid that I shall simply not stand out this evening." She leaned her head forward and cut into a faux quiet voice, "I must rely purely on personality rather than just a pretty face. In seriousness, you look like an illumination from a storybook. You might be making me jealous, I think." The smile he gave was warm and even a little disarming.

The smile came to a somewhat confused lopside as she looked to Baronfjord. "If I am being honest, Master Chedgusah? Hmm... You do not have skin that will readily accept the cosmetics I have with me. You have no head hair for me to style. And your clothing is the rugged sort of traveler's garb that has seen a respectable amount of the road and an equal amount of steadfast care from loving hands. I would put this attire in a chest with a fine blade and healing elixir for the next time adventure calls, and be honored to do so. However much of a place of honor it deserves, I cannot in good conscience recommend any level of accessorizing which might make this suitable for anything but a casual affair." Victoria hoped that this rather diplomatic form of expression carried her point across without being insulting. She was usually good at things of this nature, even if one couldn't be too careful. "Perhaps an array of wraps? Or something neutral of color that will allow the greater, azure luster of your heritage to display foremost?" This was the longest string of words she had used in a while to essentially say "I don't know," but to be fair, vanity might have been a weak point for her.

The appointed hour for the wine tasting was drawing near, and Victoria took it upon herself to ease into the social situation by partaking of another of the Rose River Vineyard's products - this one a little older and more expressive of spirit. She took up one of her teacups and made her way to the cask, pouring out a couple of ounces of the potent liquid within. The flavor was exactly as she had been sampling for the past few weeks; angelically smooth with a hint of rising darkness. She then turned to offer any to those assembled with a broad statement, "Would anyone care to join me for a drink of something questionable before we're off?" After all, it was amazing brandy. That fact alone almost completely made up for the very real possibility of incredibly specific nightmares.

When the time came to depart for the event, Victoria was surprised to see that Cecily and Lizbeth both showed up to escort them. It felt out of place as they were the hosts, though Victoria supposed that things were probably handled a little differently in this part of the realm. Still, they were a welcome sight. She extended welcome greetings appropriate to the situation, even gifting the both of them with a curtsy. "Think nothing of it, Madame L'Rose. I am at your immediate service, of course." The last part was a polite bit of banter, manners might dictate saying so despite a lack of willingness to actually work for her that evening. "And Mademoiselle Lizbeth! You look like quite the lady!" A sly smile formed on the Bard's face, "...and I love that belt."

Victoria handed off her sword to Morty, who was detached from the errand cart usually present during travel times or shopping trips about town. She issued a mental command to prime the smoky, meaty thrall to respond to a stimulus. Then she summoned her Raven and did the same. Preparations complete in case of some emergency or another, Victoria allowed herself to be led onward, toward her first society function in far too long. Trailing behind her was the faintest scent of spiced lavender.

The quick tour of the Winery, proper, was a source of interest for the young Half-Elf. She had seen these kinds of things before on her travels, but never this well put together and never this far away from an urban area or main trade route. It was artistic as well as industrious, and the fact that Lizbeth appeared to feel perfectly at home here was impressive. Maybe one day soon, she would be exactly the right person to take over her family's business. It stood in stark contrast to the Belmont's holdings back home, in that there was a craft being crafted here, and masterfully so. Back in Ashhaven (and places beyond on major trade routes), her own people had warehouses in varying degrees of business, dockside offices, etc. Her parents were merchants. Traders. Movers of existing product from one place to another for a profit. The product was essentially dispassionate, even if the experiences upon the road were not. This place felt alive. And that thought brought with it a feeling of irony.

When Lizbeth opened the final door after what was a truly grand look at a well-respected winery, Victoria stepped through at her convenience. Immediately a look of delight spread across her face as she saw the familiar faces of Tarace and Barbal, be their association om the road fairly short in comparison to others, and noted the presence of the man introduced as Monsieur Laurent. The prospect laid out bluntly before them of a reward was accepted without much in the way of personal insight, and she responded to the introduction in an open but mostly formal manner. "Monsieur Laurent, it is an honest pleasure to put a face to the name. You have some truly lovely farmland. Spacious, ample. And naught but the tiniest difficulty with oxen-sized mantids." She extended her hand and offered, "Please forgive, I am quite enamored with the circumstance of the evening. I am called Miss Victoria Belmont, of the Ashhaven Belmonts, and it is my privilege to make your acquaintance." The smile remained, genial and proper as usual, but her eyes found another person she wished to speak with. "We should share our opinions on the wine later, but for now I simply must give my salutations elsewhere. Please excuse me."

The other salutations were intended for the Mosswaters, but she had her eye out for her personal guest. She said that she would be there, but nothing yet. It wasn't until she was midpoint to the Halfling farmers that her Plus One revealed herself from the far side of a column. "Annick! I am happy you could make it." Victoria strode over the remaining two paces to give her a light hug. Informal at best, but this was with purpose. The Medician was her mentor, and indeed her better, while they were training. But as she never signed any apprenticeship papers and this was a mercantile exchange of service for knowledge, they were equals in this place. Victoria wanted her to establish this dynamic immediately. She was no cup-bearer in what was temporarily her home as well. "So, Madame Floquet, what do you make of that very interesting door over there?"

Annick did not seem to be annoyed by the sudden informality. The almost perpetual scowl was even subdued upon the older woman's face. She seemed dressed for trouble or travel more than anything else. Finery was not part of her her style, but solidly comfortable and utilitarian garb was. Clean and slightly worn black boots peeked out from beneath long skirts of charcoal grey. A matching cowl and armslit cloak hung about her strong, slender frame and halfway covered an ivory colored top with off-center buttons, and a belt with what appeared to be a tool pouch or sporran upon it overlapped a fringed, hunter green wrap. Her thick, wavy, grey hair was pulled up and back with a silvery comb and dangerous-looking hairpin. Without any trace of formality whatsoever, Annick peered questioningly as her student before answering, "I don't know. I have never been in here before. Nobody puts a door like that in a gathering place unless they're keeping something away from folks." She studied Victoria again, intoning in a quiet, sharp voice, "Hey. Don't hit the wine too hard. Stories about this place recently... Just don't blur your magic, right?"

Victoria's response was jovial to the point of sarcasm, "You're going to be a lot of fun tonight. I can tell." The smile remained on her face as she spoke, which no longer reached her eyes. It served to give some camouflage to the discreet wink.

While the others were spending their own time getting ready BlackBerry took the opportunity to dash out but didn't say where he was going. Even upon his return he would simply say, "Just running a quick errand that I should have done before. I should not wish to spoil the mystery of my Plus One this evening" With an innocent smile and a wink. Thankfully he had returned with more than enough time for Kosara and Victoria to make suggestions for his outfit for the evening.

"A 'Toga'? Yes, that will do quite nicely. I only hope to look even half as marvellous as the rest of you. My, we shall indeed make a fine addition to the party this evening. Gracious me, Lady Kathryn. Where have you been hiding that dress? I ask in the upmost compliment of course but I must say that until now I had yet to see you not a suit of armour or something of the like."

Despite Victorias initial misgivings of his general appearance, which he agreed on while trying not to feel insulted, BlackBerry was open to most of Kosara or Victorias suggestions on outfits but he did insist on wearing the more warm and colourful fabrics they found amongst the offerings. Once he had dressed, BlackBerry spent some time admiring himself in front of a polished silver tray, turning this way and that to get a good look at himself as the waves of orange and reds, cinched by a simply belt at the waist, swayed around him. The wooden fish still happily tied around his horn clapped appreciatively at the sight. After making sure his swords were safely stored under the bed and putting on his faithful scarf, BlackBerry was ready for the evening.

While he and the others were being escorted by Cecily towards the Manor House BlackBerry kept spinning on his heel to look behind them, keeping an eye out for someone but continued to keep pace with the others.

"Oh! Before I forget; Lady Kathryn and I were wondering if anyone has ideas for games or competitions even? No doubt you may have heard along the grape vine, or Madame L'Rose, Lizbeth may have informed you that we have been doing a bit of training. In fact our latest session, Lady Lathryn here was the victor..." And so BlackBerry took the time of the walk to inform the others of his and Lady Kathryns friendly fight.



As they all drew to the House he caught sight of someone standing under the canopy trying to hide from the wind and chill. "Jon! There you are my good man. I had worried you would not be able to make it."

The man, Jon, wandered to the group from under the canopy's safety. He was dressed in his nicest clothes which being a working man even of high station, amounted to a well looked after simple jacket with a woollen jumper underneath. "And miss the Wine Tasting? Not for the world. Glad to see you walking still after the other day. You could have given me more time to get ready though." He removed the smoking pipe from his mouth and gave a polite nod to the others, and then to Madame L'Rose and Lzbeth. "Afternoon all. Madame, Miss."

The tour started and continued through the cellar. BlackBerry was simply amazed at the sheer size of it all and how much it contained! The cellars of the Monastery had nothing on this place despite the building standing atop them being a few times bigger than L'Roses home. BlackBerry would be the first to admit the details, let alone the basics, of commerce that Cecily cheerfully explained to them all and he politely nodded to. From what he could deduce from it all it seemed the Lizbeth would remain quite comfortable once she came of age. However, something in Cecily's story coupled with the knowledge of the letter rang a warning bell, and BlackBerry wondered if Cecily's little pause suggested she wondered the same thing.

"Hello there!" BlackBerry playfully called into the darkness and then made a show of putting a hand to his ear waiting for the echo. "Gracious me. This may take some time if we are to taste all of this"

Brought into the main tasting room he was impressed at the show of it all and the number of people gathered filling the room with a comfortable warmth and noise of people chatting amicably to each other. The food and drink laying on the table of course caught most of his attention and there was a momentary fight within himself, but he managed to withhold himself until such time that Cecily began the festivities proper. But until then, there were people to meet, and to re-meet as well! BlackBerry gave a quick wave to the Mosswaters as Cecily moved them along to a very respectable older man leaning heavily on his walking stick; Monsieur Laurent.

After making her own introduction to Monsieur Laurent Victoria then headed off to talk to an older looking woman with an apparent permanent scowl. He followed Victorias example and held out his hand to Monsieur Laurent.

"Pleasure to meet you Monsieur Laurent, and to put a face to the name." Even as he spoke to the man BlackBerry's eyes were drawn over the mans shoulder to the large lock upon the door. It seemed so out of place surrounded by the elegant and tasteful decoration. The old rumour of someone being someone they shouldnt popped into his mind, was that lock the persons quarry? "I do trust you have had no further issues with the, ah how did you put it Madame L'Rose? Insect Problem. If you do please just send word and we shall be over to lend a hand like that." He snapped his fingers for emphasis.

He then stepped back to let Lady Kathryn and Kosara to make their own introductions. The pair did make a handsome couple.

But as introductions were made BlackBerry couldn't help but focuss on the locked door. "Well I must say, Madame L'Rose. I was aware you wines were well sort after but I did not realise you had to take such drastic actions for it." The thought popped out before he could stop it, but he saw no issue with it anyway and let it pass with a chuckle. He then turned to Madame L'Rose expecting a similar response.

Instead he was met but a subtle change in the air. If he hadn't been looking at her he would have missed the subtle change in the polite smile on her face; the sudden strain at the edges of the polite smile, a crinkle between on her brow, and slight widening of the eyes. She was nervous about something.

BlackBerry, feeling his own heat of nervous embarrassment at apparently stepping on a particular subject, quickly brushed the matter under the rug with another chuckle and a quick turn back to Monsieur Laurent. But he then caught sight of Lizbeth and caught her gaze snapping away from him to anywhere else she could see. She was nervous as well.

What had he said?

Jon meanwhile suddenly seemed to find his unlit pipe very interesting, making a show of trying to refill it despite being inside. Monsieur Laurant as well seemed a bit off. In fact out of everyone here, BlackBerrys eyes ever dancing roved across everyone gathered, it seemed only the party and Victoria's Plus One who hadn't reacted oddly to the comment. However, the old woman seemed just as focused on everyone else as BlackBerry was.

“Kathryn!” Kosara exclaimed and did a spin on a heel, bolting to her friend.” THANK YOU! You look marvelous too!” The tiefling woman proclaimed and did a few circles around the bigger woman to study the way the dress fit her.” That dress suits you very well and I love the colors!” She added with a smile. Kosara was a happy woman right now, her very good friend was not in an Iron shell so she was looking forward to the chance to glomp her later!

She suddenly halted and looked at Kathryn when the woman made her request. The teifling woman made a thinking expression, a few different possibilities moving through her mind, possible scenarios, funny thoughts, silly ideas and finally nodded.” Alright, I won’t remove the alchol from your system unless you are about to do something extremely silly… or stupid… or bad.” She agreed with a huge grin and a nod.” I’ve never been one for wine myself. It was usually my sisters’ thing. I ended up getting used to beer more. Felt better while chilled than wine and in the desert it’s a big difference. That and the patrons often snuck me sips when my sisters weren’t looking while I was little.” Would that explain her peculiarities? Probably not nearly enough for that! But it seemed Kosara drank beer since she was a kiddo!

“Thank you, V! Took a lot of effort, but since I was at least somewhat familiar with the style I was able to do it! My sisters would be proud! And don't coun't yourself so short! You still shine just as beautiful!” She grinned at the bard.

~~~~~~~~~~~

When the evening arrival, Cecily and Lizbeth appeared to guide them to the venue where the tasting was to take place. Kosara grinned brightly when she saw them.” You both look great tonight!” She complimented them, taking note of how the two were dressed. After that the party were led onto an adventure and guide tour of sorts by the ladies of the manor. They were shown to the wine cellers where the fine alcohol was stored and let to age and ferment. From there they were led to the tasting room where the event tonight was going to happen!

Kosara had to admit that she found herself rather curious, though unlike V and Kathryn who apparently knew of wine customs or at least how to recognize wine, the tiefling woman despite growing up in a tavern of sorts, had no notion of how wine should be judged. As she had told the others she was always more of a beer person. Her family didn’t like her drinking too much stronger alcohol… though admittedly they also told her that about sweet things. Not sure why either way. It’s been years!

Now onto the tasting room itself, it was curiously decorated and Kosara’s eyes were immediately drawn onto the snackables and the glasses lined up. Those did look tasty… Her attention was then drawn away once more to the familiar faces.” Hey! We meet again!” Kosara greeted them warmly, grinning at the duo and sending curious looks at the third person that Cecily was introducing to them.

The white tiefling took one long look at the man and his demeanor seemingly completely flew by her as if nothing has happened as she gave him a huge grin.” HELLO! Pleasure to meet you, Mr Laurent! I’m Kosara! No last name, haven’t earned a moniker or a title!” She greeted and shook his hand VERY energetically!

“I’m not rightly sure. Back home we don’t really deal with Ankhegs, we have giant scorpions and sand worms and other such. But I suppose if they were left alone as the weather worsened they might have went after the farms themselves rather than simply lay in wait at the fields. Especially if they were active for some reason. Hungry animals even insects seek out food after all.” Kosara guessed with a shrug then look at Berry who offered their services if there were more bug problems.” Well… I wouldn’t mind riding one...” She mumbled to herself, recalling her experience with the giant bugs.

Victoria's assistance with the makeup and prep work came a long way. As long as Kathryn could keep up her confident presentation it would be impossible for one to tell she was a fallen noble. But instead a woman in waiting who was a representative of her people, her household, and a figure worth looking upon. She felt good, she felt confident! She felt POWERFUL! "Thank you Victoria. I couldn't have done this without you." She had no idea how she could ever return the favor to her bardic friend. But she would be ever grateful even when the debt was paid. Should she ever return to a seat of power, she needed to know how to look and act the part, and Victoria has been a huge part in getting herself back up to par again. Kathryn was still unsure if she would ever be able to return to a seat of power, but the thought was nice. A thought she could enjoy for just tonight at least thanks to Victoria's help.

Walking confidently as close to a proper noble woman as she could manage, she recited the trainings she took when she was growing up. She practiced walks she saw other woman of higher stations on the day to day. She even paid attention to Victoria and added a bit of what she noticed from the bard into her step. The compliments were almost overwhelming at first, she had to fight not to break the show with heavy blushing and embarrassment. But she held firm. Her will tonight was stronger than ever. "I've had the dress for a bit less than a year now. It's a little difficult to travel with but it does well. I'm honestly surprised the thing still fits." Kathryn said as her tone began to break speaking to Blackberry. Praise of any kind left the woman who could physically beat a bear into submission about as flimsy as a wet noodle. But she recovered and continued to hold firm. "I mean... I did wear pajamas a couple times yeah?" She asked being a little literal. But she got the comment. It was rare for Kathryn to wear much other than her armor. And when it wasn't armor, it was thick padded clothing that protected her from physical harm, the cold, and also shielded anyone from being able to imply a figure she may or may not have. The dress she wore now was a rare occasion within a rare occasion. And it left Kathryn feeling rather... All sorts of things really. Womanly, soft, vulnerable, beautiful, and powerful in ways that she couldn't even imagine were real until she felt them herself. There was power in self confidence.

Kosara's reaction was so over the top that it could only have come from her! And again, she felt like her spine was turning into a wet noodle as she was inspected by her date. "You do? That's so cool! When Ser Lucas and I got the dress we wanted something that could still be used to represent my family's colors, but they're hard colors to make look nice on a dress. Mother used to always complain about it saying how our household colors really limited her options if she was to follow that tradition." Kathryn chuckled. But she was glad to hear that the dress was doing wonders! And thankfully, Kosara agreed to not suddenly sober up Kathryn unless she was on the path to do something Really problematic. "Thank you, on both counts. Its nice to have you watching my back." Kathryn said as the confidence began to return to her.

Kathryn turned to great Cecily and Lizbeth as they entered to escort them. "You both are looking rather lovely tonight, I love the matching themes you both have going." Kathryn then took a moment to note Lizbeth's whip on her hip. "Little curious on your belt there? Mine's a ceremonial piece. How about you?" Kathryn asked curiously her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. She didn't mind that Lizbeth was going armed, but was indeed curious. When given the chance, she would have to show Lizbeth how to fight with such weapons. The girl was clever enough to be good with it, and she was faster than Kathryn gave her credit for. Considering her size chances are that most people that she may come to blows with would be bigger than her. In most lands, woman tended to be smaller than men, and in most lands, men did much of the fighting. Even in cultures where woman were permitted to fight it was noticeable the difference in numbers unless the culture made it a point to break that norm. That still meant Lizbeth had to know how to fight people bigger and stronger than her. Kathryn was an exception on an exception and an extreme example at that. The whip seemed like a good counter. "I will happily get a head start to drinking." Kathryn said as she accepted Victoria's offer for some of the brandy that was recovered. And taking a few sips herself before she got going.

The walk up was nice, BB giving a recount of their duel that turned into more of a bullying match, Kosara on Kathryn's arm as they walked, and Lizbeth just having the time of her life! The night really couldn't get much better. Plus, Kat was on her first real date in her life! She had done practice dates before. And she had spent time with the boy she was supposed to marry. But even then, never a proper date. Hiding her excitement was a challenge of itself. "Like what BB said, any recommendations for our duels and challenges is much appreciated. I think we can only beat on each other so much before we start losing track of teeth." Kathryn joked. Plus, she got a little carried away last time, and had almost done some real harm to BB. She wondered about tug o war, but she wasn't so sure it would be fair either. Not that BB wasn't as strong as Kathryn. But... he wasn't. And Kathryn was a lot bigger. And could get bigger. It was an unfair game at the best of times.

Entering the winery through the gazebo was an adventure of its own. Kathryn was awe struck seeing the place and was mostly just surprised a place like this could exist under the property! It was absolutely huge! Kathryn listened closely through as they were given the tour, simply just excited to be present. It was all such a process that Kathryn really had to think about how much labor and patience when into her drinking problem. The answer? A lot probably. Would that slow down Kathryn? Probably not no. "Took me some time to put it together, but my father used to partake in some of your vintages. By the time they got to Arcanaple they were far from cheap, but he enjoyed them as a treat from time to time when we made it to port cities." Kathryn said enthusiastically when she saw a moment she could include her tidbit without interrupting Cecily. Entering the wine tasting room, Kathryn was almost in shock seeing the room. Though smaller than the previous rooms, she found herself almost in awe at the place. Though a little secluded, it felt perfect for a private event!

Kathryn would strut in like the honored guest she felt she was with Kosara's arm still wrapped in her own, and would graciously meet those introduced and reintroduced to them. Kathryn gave a polite curtsy to the Mosswaters with a warm smile on her face. Apart of her wondered if she was even recognizable without armor on? Then she realized that not many humans stood just shy of 7 foot tall, and figured that alone made her recognizable enough. "Pleasure to see you both again. I hope all is doing well." She spoke warmly and welcomely to the two land owners. Monsieur Laurent. He gave Kathryn an off feeling. Condescending almost. That is when it clicked for Kathryn. This arrogant prick who needed his land saving was looking down on her. He was the sort of person who should never be granted any form of power, yet by some terrible fate, here he was. It left a sour taste in Kathryn's mouth. Maybe she was bias, being of noble lineage herself, or bias because she found arrogant pricks annoying, but she wasn't warming up to him well. She didn't let it show on her face though. Once everyone was done with their introductions Kathryn spoke up to the man. "Please to meet you Monsieur Laurent. My name is Lady Kathryn Pyke of Arcanaple. Heiress to the family homesteads, and glad we were able to provide assistance in these concerning and confusing times." Kathryn would not admit subservience to this man. Nor would she allow herself to be treated as less than this man. He gave Kathryn the impression of a small man who needed to demean others to feel good about himself. Kathryn would do what she could to mitigate this tonight while not provocating the evening. First, by taking a seat directly next to the man. Kathryn would continue to be a shield for her party, and hopefully her presence could help keep the man's ego in check. In that moment, she realized how much power tripping pricks got to her. As long as her temper stayed in check she should be fine.

Weather: With the deepening evening, a more solid cold sets into Vineyard. Outside, the first signs of flurries set in right as the sun makes it to the horizon and twilight deepens the evening in beautiful, yet ominous ways. The wind passes in short, almost regular gusts across the hills, prompting a sudden horizontal path to the flurries before they continue their delicate fall earthward.

Time: Twilight. Dusk is upon you all, and the things which go bump in the night rise to greet the darkness.

Ambience: Eight thick, square pillars serve to provide support in this low and somewhat conspiratorial-seeming room, set behind the rooms hosting the grand enterprise of fine wine production. The lack of any exterior view supports the assumption that this room of the Estate House is encased within the hill rather than above it. There are exits to the ahead which lead farther into the professional areas of the structure, back the way you came (from the Winery), and to the side of the room behind a door with a particularly chunky lock inset. The light is ample enough to see everything with clarity despite the hour and depth, courtesy of oil lamps in key locations and tapered candles upon the table.

The central table has chairs enough for all present to sit, even though they were pushed all the way in and everyone was standing. The table bore several candles and enough in the way of simple foodstuffs; bread, fruit, and cheese, to accent and cleanse the palates of those choosing to enjoy the product of generations of labors. Casks and stands of bottles of notable wines bearing the Rose River label line the walls of this room. Some were tapped - others were not. The general din of the room was quietish, a series of low volume conversations between the few people present.




The feel of the evening took a sudden, awkward downturn as various pieces of conversation came to light. To the casual observer, it looked very much like Monsieur Laurent had gotten just a bit of snubbing from the newcomers to the area. This was not something that he was accustomed to, from the look of his reaction. It was a controlled, subdued reaction, but the first second or two caught him with some surprise. He recovered as best he could, though one could say that he looked flummoxed. The truth of it was that most of the people present were either unaware of his attempt at classist sarcasm or has grown so accustomed to his mannerisms that they didn't recognize his aim until it was pointed out by the presence of actual nobility. "Yes, certainly," began the man, thrusting out a hand in a more official greeting. "Your and your, ah, retainers have done my family a service, absolutely. Perhaps I might send a token of favor to your husband, or your father (if m'lady is unwed) to show my appreciation." He stopped, as if taken by a sudden, brilliant idea, "Perhaps, if you plan on making a more permanent settling in the moors of Avonshire, I might have some of my people assist your establishment in the area. I'm sure nobility from Arcanaple would find it prudent to diversify their holdings."

A guttural sound erupted from the other side of the table. Close inspection would prove it to be a hoarse laugh issuing from Barbal Mosswater, before his companion slapped a quick hand over the suddenly jolly Halfling's mouth. Tarace gave a nervous smile, and gestured with his free hand something to the effect of carry on, even as Barbal was trying to push the hand away, mumbling something about "meeting the genuine article," and "hey pal, your fly's open, too."

Lizbeth shrugged and looked to her new, adventurous friends, reasoning that it was, "only unseemly if you allowed it to be." The past month seemed to have been really good for her. The party originally met her as a small, scared girl who had just lost her grandfather and survived a Goblin attack, but now she was demonstrating more confidence in both herself and her ability to participate in a situation, rather than just survive it. In fact, is was she who broke the tension in the room when Baronfjord mentioned the locked door off to the side. Credit where it was due, she spoke openly enough about it but did not go into much detail. "That is, well, that was Grandfather's Study. We weren't allowed in there. He made sure we knew."

Seemingly trying to smooth things over, Cecily added in almost forced nonchalance, "Yes, he spent a lot of time in there working on ...whatever he was working on. If he wasn't there, he went and sequestered himself in the old Coach House for days at a time, doing what he did to keep the Rose River Vineyard producing. And what a job he did!" People present murmured their approval. He did indeed run a fine Vineyard, by everyone's accounting. "But for right now, I think that we should pour a glass to Monsieur Arnaud L'Rose! Not the Honigblume, mind, we're still missing a couple of guests." She contemplated the stuff from around the room, until she settled on a cluster of bottles that looked recently sealed. "I have taken the initiative and fortified one of our casks of reserved Zinnoberrot with the brandy recovered by Those Who Answered (are you really going with that name?) from an abandoned distillery on the grounds. I haven't a good name for it yet, but I am very pleased with the flavor. If you would please take up a glass?" She motioned for Lizbeth to decant the bottles, which the younger L'Rose got to with practiced ability.

As the wine breathed a bit, the entrance doors swung open to admit a somewhat portly, middle-aged Human with salt-and-pepper hair and a serious-looking mobius moustache. He was dressed more like a clerk than a noble. A decently stitched coat and not un-dapper hat lay across one arm. He had rosy cheeks and a boisterous laugh, both of which were demonstrated as he openly blurted, "I MADE IT, MADAME L'ROSE!" He huffed a little and shook his head.

Cecily introduced the man, "This is our Master of Wines, Rens. He has been with us for the last ...fifteen years now? Yes. Master Rens, you know most of these people, but here are the adventurers we spoke about. And you have met Medician Floquet, yes? Of course you have." She thought for a moment, "I thought you were coming with Toombes? He was picked for Master of Harvest this year, yes?"

Rens bobbed his head to the affirmative. "Yes, that's him. I don't know where he is. He didn't meet at the spot we agreed on, and I didn't want to be late, so here I am! I'm sure he'll be along. Probably got his brother to tattoo another bunch of grapes on his hide." To those new or unfamiliar with the man, Rens explained, "The workers choose a Master of Harvest every season. He's responsible for managing his people to bring in the crop. Toombes gets chosen quite a bit. Real man of the land, that one. Gets tattooed every time he brings in a good crop. Anyway... What're we drinking, Madame L'Rose?"

In response, Cecily handed the man a glass of the new blended Zinnoberrot, saying, "Not the Honigblume. Let us wait for another ten minutes for Toombes. This is the new Fortified I have been working on." And then as a general call for attention, the Lady of the Manor tapped her glass and announced, "Everyone please, glasses up! Let us take a small toast to Monsieur Arnaud L'Rose! Founder and master of the Rose River Vineyard, beloved father and grandfather; never one like him shall exist hence."

The others in attendance echoed the sentiment, "MONSIEUR L'ROSE," and sipped accordingly.

"Don't hit the wine too hard." For a woman who reminded Victoria that she didn't trust and occasionally even disliked her, Annick seemed to act like she was Victoria's mother. At some point, the younger Bard would have to mention something to that effect. She might have been right, even if Victoria didn't want to admit it. She has already sampled a dram of the brandy before heading out this way and continued drinking, at least to the point of excess, would be suboptimal. She just didn't want to be told this from her mentor during what amounted to her "off hours". Victoria questioned herself as to why she chose to invite the locally famous Medician Annick Floquet, only to self-realize that this was a bid to ingratiate herself to the woman, while simultaneously attempting to get a wiser, more worldly person to offer up an opinion as to the possible goings-on here. It was safe to say that the itinerant Bard was just a bit of an opportunist and that this was a minor opportunity involving metaphorical birds pitted against equally metaphorical stones. All the same, maybe she wouldn't hit the wine too hard, but this was a wine tasting. Victoria was going to taste the wine.

The initial introductions out of the way, it appeared that Baronfjord had the first colorful anecdote to share with the group at large. This dramatic telling was a story which involved a great deal of physical violence. If Victoria had to place a guess as to how she might fare with either of the two combatants, Baronfjord or Kathryn, in a matching of mundane violence, then her optimism would be a profoud liability. Likely as not, she probably wouldn't last very long against Kosara, either in a purely physical confrontation. Not without a liberal helping of cheap shots and dishonesty. Such was her way if deprived of her magic. Even with magic, she would need to collaborate with her thralls and summons to pull off a direct victory. No, her talents lay elsewhere. "I'm afraid that dueling is not my game," began Victoria, offering, "Perhaps we might have a spelling contest?" She smiled openly and outwardly at her little joke, before turning to the somewhat more serious. "I would appreciate getting the details later, if you wouldn't mind. I can see this fight (and the first one) penned in a lilting pentameter, to be recited later. If you wouldn't mind a little Bardic flourish." Though it was not spoken, the thought occurred to her that it might be an interesting thing to share with these people's families at their interment in the very likely event that, barring violence or extreme misadventure, she outlived them. She did have that Sylvan heritage, after all. On a long enough timeline, she would see the passing of everyone in the room. She found the concept rather intriguing. Imagine how many such ceremonies she would have to oversee were she to have the full Elven bloodline of others in her extended family.

That passing fancy aside, Victoria listened intently to the conversation, if one could call it that, between Kathryn and Monsieur Laurent. The tone seemed to have changed, but she wasn't in a great position to tell how or why, being as she was caught up in her own little interpersonal schemes at the moment. It was a pity that, despite her amazing prowess as a weaver of social situations, her capacity to read people without attempting manipulation of some kind felt stunted. Maybe something to work on later. Kosara, about her much taller companion's arm, seemed in very good spirits despite a certain out-of-place feel to her statements. Not that it seemed to matter to those around her. And she did do an excellent job with that dress, so perhaps a tiny cultural faux pas or two could be forgiven.

It wasn't until Laurent referred to everyone aside from Kathryn as "retainers" that she began to catch on. The man was arrogant and making certain assumptions that simply weren't the case. Well, she could be arrogant too, if the situation called for it. Vanity, she sometimes couldn't help. Arrogance, she could use as a social weapon. It was what she did, and she was good at it. But before her very smart boots clipped a single heel in the older man's direction, the antics of Barbal and Tarace Mosswater caught her attention. They, or at least Barbal, was openly mocking the man. Victoria had to hide her smile behind her hands as she carefully stepped back. The burden of taking up a cause of honor on behalf of her friend was sated by the tactless but funny sarcasm from the Halflings in attendance. "They're regulating themselves," thought Victoria. Maybe it was because they had guests. Or maybe it was because they always had a little rivalry amongst them. Whatever the reason, she held both her tongue and her more provocative spellwork for now.

Seeing the wines arranged and Lizbeth decanting, Victoria did believe that she might go for a glass, even if it was to toast a man who, within recent memory, had died mysteriously, been transported hastily at night, been stolen, cooked, and eaten by Goblins, not to mention the fact that Victoria performed his funeral ceremony and presently had one of his halfway fire-blackened fingerbones in her divining kit, on her person, right then. But sure, she was okay with raising a glass to the guy. Why the Hells not? For all she knew, Arnaud L'Rose was a great guy. She would have loved to get a peek at his private study to confirm that.

The news that there were more people expected was actually rather cheering. They weren't the last to arrive. While being fashoinably late was a thing, if this kept others from enjoying the party then it was to be avoided, if possible. When one of them arrived, Victoria made sure to extend all of the courtesies possible to him. "Master Rens?" she began, unsure of the appropriate title. He was obviously common born, but wore nice enough clothing to mark him as a comfortably living professional. Master of Wine, she supposed, counted for something if you were qualified for it. "As you are the one who obviously handles the day-to-day keeping this place producing some very fine wine, I and my family owe you our appreciation. Thank you. I am called Victoria Belmont, of Ashhaven. I am at your service should you require." A quick curtsy later and the pleasantries were out of the way, at least by Human standards, considering their perspective rungs on the social ladder. A little less formally, she nudged him with a quiet, "I shall have to convince you to tell me how you get that specific flavor that only comes from this vineyard. I can be quite convincing." She smiled yet again, a disarming expression as she stepped back from their greeting. The truth was, Victoria had her suspicions already.

When the glasses were set to raise, Victoria had wandered back to where Annick was standing. The Medician herself had moved closer to the Mosswaters, apparently finding more in common with them than the more highborn people in attendance or the adventurers. She had acquired a glass of the new fortified wine and was looking at it through the light, not with a savvy vinophile's eye, but with a hint of suspicion. Victoria took up a glass from Lizbeth as well, gave her a polite, "thank you," and, along with the others around her, raised her glass to her lips. Just a sip. Not a particularly large one, either. Just a sip. But that was all that was necessary. The heavy floral notes with burnt sugary tones, the solid but amazingly smooth alcohol content which was counterbalanced by a dip into sunbaked fruit and the sharper influence of distilled spirit; then the rush of taste at the end, the last flavor which lingered afterward for only a half-second but was unmistakably present in the other wines in lesser concentration (and hearty concentration in the brandy). The rush which was comparable abstractly, faintly, like a piece of an almost grasped memory of her spellwork. And then it dissipated so abruptly that she immediately wished to take another sip, and another, and another, just to keep that on her palate for a bit longer. This wine was dangerous in that regard. "Oh my, Madame L'Rose - Cecily - this is phenomenal."

Annick agreed, "This is very nice." But there was a hint of caution in her tone. "Pardon, Miss Belmont, I'm going to go talk to Rens for a minute."